John Stott on the Proper Understanding of God, man, and the Atonement

I often struggle to remember the greatness of God's majesty and the ugliness of my sin for which Christ died, was buried, and rose again (Rom 5:6-11). I find in the quote by John Stott below a wonderful explanation and reminder of this truth.

"All inadequate doctrines of the atonement [i.e., the covering and removal of human sin by Jesus Christ] are due to inadequate doctrines of God and man. If we bring God down to our level and raise ourselves to his, then of course we see no need for a radical salvation, let alone for a radical atonement to secure it. When, on the other hand, we have glimpsed the blinding glory of the holiness of God, and have been so convicted of our sin by the Holy Spirit that we tremble before God and acknowledge what we are, namely 'hell-deserving sinners,' then and only then does the necessity of the cross appear so obvious that we are astonished we never saw it before.

The essential background to the cross, therefore, is a balanced understanding of the gravity of sin and the majesty of God. If we diminish either, we thereby diminish the cross. If we reinterpret sin as a lapse instead of a rebellion, and God as indulgent instead of indignant, then naturally the cross appears superfluous [i.e., unnecessary]. But to dethrone God and enthrone ourselves not only dispenses with the cross; it also degrades both God and man. A biblical view of God and ourselves, however, that is, of our sin and of God's wrath, honours both. It honours human beings by affirming them as responsible for their own actions. It honours God by affirming him as having moral character."--John Stott, The Cross of Christ (Downer's Gove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1986), 109-10.

J

Repent Again?

"When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said 'Repent', He called for the entire life of believers to be one of penitence."--Martin Luther

The first of Martin Luther's 95 theses has been a reoccurring thought to me this year. The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that it is true. Repentance is not merely the event whereby one crosses over from death into life (i.e., is converted). While it is certainly that, it is not only that. Repentance is both initial AND ongoing in the life of the believer. One might say it is to be a lifestyle. Anytime the believer finds himself or herself outside of the way of obedience they are called to repent.

In his book Disciplined by Grace Jerry Bridges quotes a passage that gives a wonderful summary of what biblical repentance looks like:

“Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up* as by the heat of summer. Selah
I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,' and you forgave the iniquity of my sin” (Psalms 32:1-5 ESV).

Father, help us to humble ourselves before you in daily repentance. Let not our hearts grow hard from the deceitfulness of indwelling sin. Surround us by Your people who have Your Word ready upon their lips. Lead us by Your Spirit to avoid the sin that so easily entangles us. Help us to live by Your grace without abusing it.

J

P.S.--For the few people I know read this blog, I wanted to invite your comments and/or reflections here. Some of my posts will not be worth your time. Hopefully, some will be used to provoke some thoughts, applications, or additional insight. Please feel free to share. I plan to continue posting regardless of comments. However, I was told the other day that I don't write in such a way as to invite comments. If you have insights into how I might do that better I welcome those too. Thanks for being apart of the ongoing conversations I am having with myself and with the Lord. I pray God uses it for His glory.

Greater love...Greater hate

"The more sanctified the person is, the more conformed he is to the image of his Savior, the more he must recoil against every lack of conformity to the holiness of God. The deeper his apprehension of the majesty of God, the greater the intensity of his love to God, the more persistent his yearning for the attainment of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, the more conscious will he be of the gravity of the sin which remains and the more poignant will be his detestation of it."--John Murray, Redemption--Accomplished and Applied (London: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1961), 144-45; as quoted by Jerry Bridges in The Discipline of Grace, (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2004), 104.

Praying that our love for God and hatred for sin increases each day,

Jonathan