Tag Archives: love

James Denney, The Superlative Way

26 Tuesday Jun 2018

Posted by in 1 Corinthians, James Denney, Uncategorized

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From his collected sermons, The Way Everlasting. The sermon concerns 1 Corinthians 13, on the call for Christians to love:

For what the theologian defines and the Apostle depicts is illustrated and embodied in our Lord Himself, and what we have to do is to look at Him. “Herein is love.” We do not know what love is till we see it in Jesus, and when we see it there we see Him identifying Himself with God’s interest in us. The revelation is not only made before our eyes, it is made with special reference to ourselves. In Christ’s presence we are not the spectators of love only, we are its objects. Christ exhibits towards men, He exhibits towards us, that wonderful goodness which Paul describes. When we think what our life has been, and what has been His attitude to us from first to last, do we not say, “Our Lord suffers long, and is kind; He is not easily provoked; He does not impute to us our evil. Where we are concerned, where God’s interest in us is concerned, He bears all things, He believes all things, He hopes all things, He endures all things.” These are the thoughts, or rather these are the experiences, out of which love is born in our hearts. We love, because He first loved us All the time it is His love which must inspire ours. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love.”

James Denney, The Way Everlasting: Sermons (London; New York; Toronto: Hodder and Stoughton, 1911), 163.

Love in The Seducer’s Diary (Kierkegaard, Either/Or)

14 Tuesday Feb 2017

Posted by in 1 Corinthians, Kierkegaard, Philosophy, Psychology, Uncategorized

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The nature of the “aesthetic” man, and the nature of the “seduction” in this diary are well explained by a couple of quotations. The seducer is predatory,:her weakness is the opening for his action, “When a young girl is emotionally disturb, one an successfully venture much which would otherwise be ill-advised.”  The erotic here has no true love for her — only for the sensation which the other person produces.

The bare desire for sensation is further underscored in this section,

Social intercourse, it is true, brings one into contact with the fair sex, but there is no artistry in beginning an affair in such surroundings. In society every girl is armed, the occasion is poor and encountered repeatedly, she gets no sensuous thrill. On the street she is on the open sea, everything acts more strongly around her, everything seems more mysterious. I would give a hundred dollars for a small from a girl I met on the street, not ten dollars for a pressure of a hand at a party; that is an entirely different kind of currency.

As one considers this diary, we see that this seduction amounts to almost all of what we call “love”. Love consists in what another person makes me feel. We remain in love as long as that palpable emotion persists. What we love then is our sensation — not the other human being. When I spoke with a behaviorist psychologist, she explained that what we love about another human being are the pleasurable sensations produced in our nervous system — and that loss was the sensation of the loss of those sensations.

1 Corinthians 13:4–7 (ESV)

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Edwards, Heaven is a World of Love

19 Tuesday Jul 2016

Posted by in Jonathan Edwards, Love, Uncategorized

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Jonathan Edwards Heaven is a World of Love:

There, even in heaven, dwells the God from whom every stream of holy love, yea, every drop that is, or ever was, proceeds. There dwells God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit, united as one, in infinitely dear, and incomprehensible, and mutual, and eternal love. There dwells God the Father, who is the father of mercies, and so the father of love, who so loved the world as to give his only-begotten Son to die for it. There dwells Christ, the Lamb of God, the prince of peace and of love, who so loved the world that he shed his blood, and poured out his soul unto death for men. There dwells the great Mediator, through whom all the divine love is expressed toward men, and by whom the fruits of that love have been purchased, and through whom they are communicated, and through whom love is imparted to the hearts of all God’s people. There dwells Christ in both his natures, the human and the divine, sitting on the same throne with the Father. And there dwells the Holy Spirit — the Spirit of divine love, in whom the very essence of God, as it were, flows out, and is breathed forth in love, and by whose immediate influence all holy love is shed abroad in the hearts of all the saints on earth and in heaven. There, in heaven, this infinite fountain of love — this eternal Three in One — is set open without any obstacle to hinder access to it, as it flows forever. There this glorious God is manifested, and shines forth, in full glory, in beams of love. And there this glorious fountain forever flows forth in streams, yea, in rivers of love and delight, and these rivers swell, as it were, to an ocean of love, in which the souls of the ransomed may bathe with the sweetest enjoyment, and their hearts, as it were, be deluged with love! Again, I would consider heaven, with regard,

 

 

Church Conflict and Robbers

13 Wednesday Jul 2016

Posted by in Biblical Counseling, Ephesians, Uncategorized

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The great preacher John Chrysostom was asks what is it that destroys the bond of peace, the unity of the Spirit, the expression of Christ’s love within the church? It is love which destroys love: When love becomes twisted and seeks that which destroys, there can be nothing but sinful conflict:

Now then, what impairs this bond? Love of money, passion for power, for glory, and the like, loosens them, and severs them asunder. How then are we to see that they be not cut asunder. By seeing that these tempers be got rid of, and that none of those things which destroy charity come in by the way to trouble us. For hear what Christ saith, When iniquity shall abound, the love of the many shall wax cold. Nothing is so opposed to love as sin, and I mean not to love towards God, but to that towards our neighbour also.

But how then, it may be said, are even robbers at peace? When are they, tell me? Doubtless then when they are acting in a spirit which is not that of robbers; for if they fail to observe the rules of justice amongst those with whom they divide the spoil, and to render to every one his right, you will find them too in wars and broils. So that neither amongst the wicked is it possible to find peace: and where men are living in righteousness and virtue, you may find it every where. But again, are rivals ever at peace? Never. And whom then would ye have me mention? The covetous man can never possibly be at peace with the covetous. So that were there not just and good persons to be wronged and to stand between them, the whole race would be torn to pieces. When two wild beasts are famished, if there be not something put between them to consume, they will devour one another. The same would be the case with the covetous and the vicious. So that it is not in nature that there should be peace where virtue is not strictly practised first. Let us form, if you please, a city entirely of covetous men, give them equal privileges, and let no one give his assent to be wronged, but let all wrong one another. Can that city possibly hold together? It is impossible. Again, is there peace amongst adulterers? No, not any two will you find of the same mind.

John Chrysostom, Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians, and Homilies on the Epistle to the Ephesians, vol. VI, A Library of Fathers of the Holy Catholic Church (Oxford; London: John Henry Parker; J. G. F. and J. Rivington, 1840), 208–209.

We grow in holiness by what we love

04 Thursday Feb 2016

Posted by in 1 Peter, Uncategorized

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1 Peter 2:1–3 (ESV)

2 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

John Newton’s Ministry Advice

04 Monday Jan 2016

Posted by in Biblical Counseling, Humility, John Newton, Meekness, Ministry, Peacemaking, Peacemaking, Prayer, Preaching, Uncategorized

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Letter V: Advice to a Young Minister

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Robert C. Chapman

Humility is the secret of fellowship, and pride the secret of division.

R.C. Chapman

The fifth letter is ministry advice to a young man who has set into ministry. The man has asked Newton what to expect in ministry. Newton’s advice should be heeded by anyone who has or will enter into ministry. And, while the letter is directed specifically to the preaching pastor of a congregation, the observations, warnings and encouragements are use to anyone involved in Christian ministry at any level:

General Outline

Greeting  & Commendation

I. You Will Meet With Difficulties

A. Have you prayed?

B. Don’t be naive.

C. Sweet then bitter

D. Encouragement

II. Three Difficulties You Will Meet

A. General Observations

B. Opposition

            1. General

2. Two temptations.

a. The temtpation of anger and bitterness

i. Ruin your work

ii. How to respond.

b. The temptation of self-importance

C. Popularity

1. A danger few will avoid

2. Do not mistake gifts for grace

3. How God protects us.

D. Spiritual Weakness

1. “Hypocrite!”

2. Never preach again.

III. Conclusion

Here is the letter with analysis:

GREETING:

This is a curious introduction. Newton is writing to an (apparently) young man who has recently been ordained to the ministry. However, he does not merely praise young man; he also includes a prayer:

I hope he has given you likewise a heart to devote yourself, without reserve, to his service, and the service of souls for his sake.

As Newton will make clear, the work of a Christian minister can be brutally difficult. Only a man whose heart is devoted to Christ’s service will complete this work.

I. YOU WILL MEET DIFFICULTIES

The body of the letter concerns the difficulties which a minister will meet. Newton first begins with a general statement.

A. Have you prayed?

You have, doubtless, often anticipated in your mind the nature of the service to which you are now called, and made it the subject of much consideration and prayer.

As Newton will make plain, the difficulties of ministry are supernatural: they are snares and temptations, and “natural” responses will only make things make things worse.

B. Dont’ be naive.

I remember being in law school, thinking I had some idea what being a lawyer would be like. I quickly learned, I had only learned enough to later learn how to be a lawyer.

Likewise with pastoral work: One can train, but even those most closely connected to a pastor cannot quite understand the nature of the burden. There is something unique in the weight of ministry:

But a distant view of the ministry is generally very different from what it is found to be when we are actually engaged in it. The young soldier, who has never seen an enemy, may form some general notions of what is before him: but his ideas will be much more lively and diversified when he comes upon the field of battle. If the Lord was to shew us the whole beforehand, who that has a due sense of his own insufficiency and weakness, would venture to engage?

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The Unsearchable Riches of Christ.18

10 Tuesday Nov 2015

Posted by in Biblical Counseling, Discipleship, Forgiveness, Humility, Thomas Brooks

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The previous post in this series may be found here.

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John Fox, author of Foxe’s Book of Martyrs.

Brooks continues with his explanation of humility:

The fifteenth property of an humble soul is, he will rather bear wrongs than revenge wrongs offered.

There are three parts to this understanding.  First, the action: the humble soul will not strike at injustice done to him: “Mr Foxe, that wrote the Book of Martyrs, would be sure to do him a kindness that had done him an injury: so that it used to be a proverb, ‘If a man would have Mr Foxe do him a kindness, let him do him an injury.’”

This behavior of the humble soul appears to be madness — until it is understood in the entire complex of Christian life. Thus, we must second understand the motivation for such a way of being. To merely be struck and bear the wrong could be stupidity or a depraved self-deprecation. But the humble soul finds motivation elsewhere:

“An humble soul is often in looking over the wrongs and injuries that he has done to God, and the sweet and tender carriage of God towards him notwithstanding those wrongs and injuries; and this wins him, and works him to be more willing and ready to bear wrongs, and forgive wrongs, than to revenge any offered wrongs.”

The sight of the majestic patience and forgiveness of Christ turns the humble soul to forgive others.

Third: the question of justice. The humble soul does not ignore justice; rather the one who is humble refers the matter to Chrst as judge: “The humble soul knows that vengeance is the Lord’s, and that he will repay, &c., Ps. 94:1. The humble soul loves not to take the sword in his own hand, Rom. 12:19; he knows the day is a-coming, wherein the Lord will give his enemies two blows for one, and here he rests.”

The matter of justice is crucial to the entire process. Humility is not contrary to justice, in fact it upholds justice. The humble soul does not think himself the perfect judge and thus refers the matter to the one judges justly. The referral to Christ is a rest for the one who trusts Christ to do the work of judge. The humble soul is free to forgive and love. If the love and forgiveness wins the enemy, then the enemy has been extinguished in love. If the enemy is not won, he is referred to Christ for judgment.

 

 

How Hard it is to Love One Another

29 Thursday Oct 2015

Posted by in 1 Peter, Biblical Counseling, Love

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1 Peter 1:20–25 (ESV)

20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for

“All flesh is like grass

and all its glory like the flower of grass.

The grass withers,

and the flower falls,

25  but the word of the Lord remains forever.”

And this word is the good news that was preached to you.