The Open Life

Recent growth amongst Evangelical Protestant churches in China have prompted fresh acts of government repression, including confiscations, beatings, and labor camp sentences. One such incident is the September lock-down of the country's first mega-church, a 50,000 member congregation in the heart of the coal producing region. This article at MSNBC provides a current look at the situation of Chinese Christians amidst growing hostility.

Spread the news. Let's remember our brethren in chains and pray for Christ's kingdom - that of His righteous, holy reign in the hearts of men - to expand all the more in the face of these hellish gates.

HT: Daniel Hyde's FB.

I would like to share a question and response from a recent letter. A friend who knows of my intended bicycle ride down the Pacific Coast expressed concern that I not be devoured by wild animals. If this is your fear as well, perhaps I may assure you of my safety,

Thank you.

I fully intend not to get eaten by bears, but if I must then I resolve to be fast food. My last words as I run for my life will be, "Come and get it!"

But in all seriousness, I've taken certain precautions against bears and wolves, in the form of a large bear outfit. While being cumbersome, I think it affords the maximum safety from beasts - animal and human alike. The real question is what complications may arise at the local watering hole, as Spring means mating season; I don't want to give the wrong impression to male bears. I'm not sure what gender my costume is.

One of my earliest companions was a radio. Throughout junior high as many as eight hours of the day went into listening to the old Sony transistor fuzzing out FM music, but mostly talk programs. I was even on a few shows as a call-in. I'm sure they thought a thirteen year-old political/religious junkie was something of a novelty.

It's been a long while since taking up the analog tuner to dial in the stations. But yesterday, seeing my parents' emergency crank radio sitting idle, I thought I'd give it a turn. One of the first songs to whir out from the mono speaker was an archetypal country tune. Alan Jackson was crooning the timeless virtues of pickup trucks, cornbread, and barbeque. What struck me, however, was the nature of religious belief being conveyed in the chorus,

I said where I come from
It's cornbread and chicken
Where I come from a lotta front porch sittin'
Where I come from tryin' to make a livin'
And workin' ha-aaaaa-rd to get to heaven
Where I come from

Media is everywhere and it conveys a message, often in overtly religious terms. That message has the ability to shape us, if in no other way than to become less resistant to its contrary claims. Just tonight I was reading Aristotle's Politics, where he writes, "music has a power of forming character, and therefore should be introduced into the education of the young." More than two-millennia later people are still saying, "it has no effect on me."

What we passively receive into our minds must surely lodge somewhere, and what the effect is I don't know. For myself, I am glad not to habitually subject my soul in an apathetic way to the frequencies of culture that constantly seek to win one's reception, even if only by mindlessly nodding to the tune in the background.

This is not a call to turn off your electronics and disengage; just an exhortation to take every thought captive. [2 Cor. 10:5]

The following is a letter written to a friend deeply disturbed by doubts of her salvation. Perhaps you are also sensible of your many sinful failures beneath God's Law. I urge you to realize the condemnation which awaits guilty sinners at God's throne, and, if you would be saved, to discover forgiveness freely granted in the promises of Christ.


Hello, ______________,

It is a privilege to write to you. Thank you for allowing me to read your confession and for asking my help. What I have to share with you cannot be received by the carnal mind, indeed it is foolishness to all those who are unregenerate and on the path which leads to perishing; but to those who are being saved, this news savors of life because it is the power of God.

You wrote, "I have tried over and over and over again in my life, to discover what to do."

And herein lies your trouble. Please listen to the terms of the Old Covenant which was given to the nation of Israel at Mt. Sinai:

Exodus 19:4-6,

"You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."

The Covenant here mentioned was that which was written with the finger of God upon two tablets of stone, the ten commandments. This Covenant of Law was conditional; all of the promises of blessings in the land were contingent upon perfect, perpetual obedience to the commandments. Failure to obey perfectly warranted death, and any amount of subsequent obedience could not atone for one's past sins. Even the sacrifices of animals were shown to be merely typical, insomuch as they were carried on year after year, never able to pacify the conscience of man in and of themselves. It was a man that sinned, and a man must die to bear the punishment of it.

The problem with that Covenant of Law was not in the Law itself, which was altogether just and righteous. The issue was with the hearts of those to whom it was made - and likewise, with us: namely, that by the Fall into Sin, mankind became altogether averse to obeying the Law and can not keep that Covenant for even one day. What is the sense of "can not"? Is God preventing them? No. Ultimately, unregenerate men cannot obey simply because they only desire not to; what we do reflects our innermost desires and the innermost desires of the natural man are only "evil continually".

Jesus taught that all our actions flow from the heart, the real essence of our desires and inclinations - our moral center, the real us, if you will. "Those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies..." [Matt 15:18-19] Our actions and thoughts reveal the character of the heart from which all choices flow, and a heart that is corrupt and sinful will never choose to obey God in truth. It cannot, because deep down it prefers not to. It is enslaved to its own sinfulness.

Therefore it is written, "the heart is deceitful and wicked above all things, who can know it?!" [Jer. 17:9] "Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that does good. God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God. Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." [Psm 53:1-3; 14:1-3; Rom 3;10-12] "God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." [Gen 6:5] "That which is not proceed from faith towards Christ is sinful." [Rom 14:23]

The Covenant of Works requires perfect obedience to merit the reward of eternal life promised to Adam before the Fall. If we are not loving God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength, then at every moment we are breaking the greatest of all commandments. Though one may do many helpful works towards many people, yet if all the while his heart is not rendering supreme love to Christ, then he is committing a greater sin than had he murdered the world - evil is relative to the one it is acted against, and God is worth more than all the world. Our sins, every one of them, are perpetrated against him.

"God is angry with the wicked every day. If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready. He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors." [Psm 7:11-13]

"You are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you. The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers. You destroy those who speak lies; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man." [Ps 5:4-6]

What can a person do? We were all by nature "children of wrath" [Eph 2:3] utterly unacceptable and unwilling to yield. "No man comes to me," says Jesus, "unless the Father draws (literally "carries") him, and him I shall raise up on the last day." In our unregenerate condition we are not willing to come to Christ alone for cleansing but cling tightly to our vain works and self-will to make us acceptable before God. Yet even our best efforts are like filthy rags that have no place but to be cast outside the camp. Those who are any less than perfect shall be cast away forever under the Old Covenant. Even under such threats people hope against hope that God will look at how they are trying so hard, or will pity our small efforts and accept them on a graded scale. But only the perfectly righteous can inherit life in the Covenant of Works. Worse, at the judgment, those with even one sin lurking in their past shall be condemned no matter how well they resolved to keep the Law from this time forward.

"Now we know that whatever the Law says, it says to people who are under the Covenant of Law: so that every mouth may be shut up, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the Law is the knowledge of sin." [Rom 3:19-20]

* * *

More than a thousand years after the Covenant of Law was made with Israel, a New Covenant began to be unfolded by the Prophets, Christ, and His Apostles. This Covenant would be related to Christ's atoning work, for which we read of "the blood of the eternal Covenant." [Heb 13:20] The cup of wine drunk by believers at the Lord's Supper is taken in participation and remembrance of this eternal Covenant revealed in due time.

My dear, look with me at the New Covenant spoken of in Jeremiah and elsewhere. Though the text pertains to "Israel", it is clearly foreshadowing the true "Israel of God by Faith" [Romans 9:6-8] and the heirs of Jesus who are counted for his seed, Who was the branch of David and rightful King of Judah [Psa 22:30, Isa. 11:1]. In other words, this Covenant speaks of certain promises made to both Jews and Gentiles alike whom God has chosen to call into Covenant, just as He freely called Israel to be a Nation under the Mosaic Law.

Please read it several times, carefully, and note how the New Covenant differs from the Old Covenant:

But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." [Jer 31:31-34]

"I (God) will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them.And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they shall not turn from me."
[Jer 32:40]

Unlike the Old Covenant, a temporary arrangement which spoke of an "if/then" relationship based upon man's obedience to the Law, the glory of New Covenant is that in it God freely grants new hearts to Whom He chooses. He writes his law upon these new, fleshy tablets, inclining them to believe and obey from the heart. In the New Covenant God promises never to abandon His chosen people, and promises to disincline them from ever turning away from Him. "I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they shall not turn from me."

Notice again, there are no "if/thens" in the New Covenant. There is only God's sovereign determination to make for Himself an everlasting people. This does not mean true believers have license to sin, or that real faith is not accompanied by upright lives; yet by God's power every particular person involved in this new Covenant is assured preservation in the faith which works by love. The Law has been written on their hearts. They shall be kept by God Himself. Again, unlike the old Covenant, this everlasting Covenant is founded purely on the Lord's determination to make for Himself an everlasting people.

Note again Jesus' words, "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day." [John 6:44] Until the Father draws a person, he will not come. His heart hates the way of life because he loves to maintain sin and self-righteousness. He has not yet despaired of finding life by the Law. But every single person the Father draws shall be raised to life on the final day. This means there is a special calling, an inward work of the spirit wrought by grace upon whomever the Father chooses. This work of the Spirit comes like an unpredicted wind and causes the new spiritual birth which results in new desires, namely to have faith towards Christ to be the sole means of one's justification and propitiatory substitute.

Please allow me to tell you now what exactly Christ has done.

Christ came not as an individual, but as a public person - he came representing the interests of His elect people in the same way that Adam, our first father, represented our interests in the garden. When Adam fell, not his self only but all his posterity were cast into condemnation and their natures became degenerated in sinful depravity. [Rom 5 & 1] By contradistinction, Christ, the second Adam, came to represent the interests of His elect people, those chosen from the foundation of the World unto adoption by grace, and not because of any foreseen work of the will. [Eph 1 & 2, Rom 9] In this way, his love for them would be founded on unconditioned kindness and free mercy.

As their representative, Christ Jesus was born under the Law and fulfilled its terms to the minutest degree. Every jot and tittle was kept, and by His obedience He showed Himself to be the rightful heir of those rewards promised under the Covenant of Works made with Adam, and the Covenant of Law made at Sinai with Israel. Jesus rightfully merited both Eternal Life and all the promises made to Abraham.

But He also suffered. Though sinless, Christ submitted himself to be made sin on behalf of those he represented. He bore the wrath of the Father, even to substitute for their eternal punishment in hell, on the cross. No agony could be compared to that which he endured willingly and with love in their place.

Through faith in Him alone, Christ's people are accounted with the whole righteousness of the One who obeyed in their stead: even all those who look not to their own righteousness but gladly receive and rest upon the Lord's finished obedience credited freely to them. Hence Paul quotes David, "Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputes righteousness," and later says, "I desire to be found in him (in the Covenant), not having mine own righteousness, which is of the Law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." [Phil 3:9]

To Titus he writes,

"For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. 4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 7That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." [Titus 3:3-7]

Romans 4:2-5 and 5:1-2 says,

"If Abraham were justified by works, he has something to boast about in himself; but not before God. 3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. 4 Now to him that works is the reward not considered to be of grace, but of debt (a wage). 5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness,"

and,

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."

Jesus the high Priest applies his obedience under the Law to his Covenant people so that they are accounted the recipients of all the rewards of the Covenant of Works and Law, not because of what they did but purely on account of His works. Any further obedience shown towards God by believers is not to justify themselves or maintain their salvation, for in the New Covenant God says, "I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." Such forgiveness lies in Christ having already borne the weight of the penalty which they deserved. "It is finished," says the Savior. Taken away, thrown into the sea.

Friend, surely now you must acknowledge that Christ is very just to those he condemns, and exceedingly kind to those He has chosen to bring to faith in his work. He not only forgives, but even credits to them His righteousness - has endured wrath in their place! He is a wonderful, gracious redeemer, willing to die for his enemies and make them His bride!

What sort of person did he come to save?

Hear the word of Romans 5:1-12 & 18-21, to the Elect people of the New Covenant,

"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet occassionally for a good man some would even dare to die. 8But God demonstrated his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 11And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

12Wherefore, as by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned... Therefore as by the sin of one (man) judgment came upon all men (in Adam's Covenant) to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men (in Christ's New Covenant) unto justification of life. 19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. 20Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 21That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord."

To sum up what I have said (and I have said a lot, my patient friend) I commend you not to look to your own works to make you acceptable before God. Righteousness is held forth freely to those who would have it in Christ Jesus alone. The Holy Spirit works faith efficaciously in the hearts of God's Covenant people; but you need not wait to feel a secret work. The promise is "all who come to me I shall in no wise cast out." It is not, "all who grieve so much," or "who swear to try harder," though these things are good in their place. The promise of peace is given to those who lean on the generosity of Christ to have given himself freely for them, and to give freely to all who come with nothing in their hands but Jesus' own promises of grace.

"Everyone who thirsts, let him come and drink freely of the water of life." Christ is that water of life, and to as many as feel their lost state and condemnation under the Law, he welcomes such to receive His imputed righteousness. To do this means nothing more than receiving the promises for oneself in trust.

Lastly, in considering the righteousness of the Law versus that which comes by the New Covenant, hear the Gospel,

"Now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the forgiveness of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. 27Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. 28Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." [Rom 3:21-28]

If you have believed on Christ, go forth telling every self-righteous inclination, "Damn you, old self-righteousness! There is no righteousness but that which is in Christ alone!" When tempted or taken in sin, let faith say, "It is no longer I who bears the guilt of this sin! I am forgiven because Christ suffered all hell on that cross to atone for my sins, and has granted me forgiveness freely on account of His New Covenant!" These thoughts will be the means of much growth in faith and gratitude.

Let your peace and assurance be in the work of Christ, not primarily your fruitfulness though that is always cheering in ripe seasons. Your fruitfulness is best for affirming to others that your faith is genuine, but your own assurance lies not in works but in receiving the promises of the gospel as for yourself. Never forget that they may be and are had by all those who want them.

By faith in His grace seek holiness to adorn the gospel, not to earn it.

Please feel free to write any time, friend.

Grace and peace in Christ to all who rest in his free, abounding mercy.

-M. Benjamin Spotts:.

Adept public speaking of the secular sort might be conscious of gestures, inflections of tone that are "just so", and of well-played turns of phrase. Not necessarily so with good preaching. Perhaps is should positively not be so.

Now, I am not suggesting to afflict the already thirsty sheep of God's flock with arid ministers of an exceedingly dry disposition; with men concerned only to deliver a perfectly orthodox -- and perfectly dehydrated -- gospel message. How could one approve such preaching while fulfilling the second greatest commandment, to love one's neighbor!

Rather, I am observing the necessity for ministers of the Word to be sufficiently affected in their own persons with the texts and subject matter so that the reality of their own persuasion floods over with a deluge of humanity into the presentation. We know how hardly men bear mediocre actors, but who can avert his attention from an urgent soul possessed of personal experience?

It seems to me that personal experience is the lesser half of pulpit authority.