Happiness v Joy

The Institutes of the Christian Religion 1.11.8
“Man's mind, full as it is of pride and boldness, dares to imagine a god according to its own capacity; as it sluggishly plods, indeed is overwhelmed with the crassest ignorance, it conceives an unreality and an empty appearance as God. To these evils a new wickedness joins itself, that man tries to express in his work the sort of God he has inwardly conceived.”

Happiness is a huge idol for many of us—for happiness is self-centered. Do not seek happiness when it is joy and peace Christ desires to grow in you. Only our total surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ can satisfy all desires. Happiness comes and goes, but joy only grows. Can happiness be experienced in sadness or grief? But can joy? Make Him your treasure remembering He is not a lost treasure you seek. Christ is with you always and the Holy Scriptures are His Word to you.

Blessings.

Let your unique light shine!

The Institutes of the Christian Religion 1.8.11

"Although most men are blind to their writings, yet the very heavenly majesty therein holds all men closely attached and as it were bound to itself. But this one fact raises their doctrine more than enough above the world: Matthew, previously tied to the gain of his table, Peter and John going about in their boats-all of them rude, uneducated men-had learned nothing in the school of men that they could pass on to others. Paul, not only a sworn but fierce and murderous enemy, was converted into a new man; this sudden and un-hoped for change shows that he was compelled by heavenly authority to affirm a doctrine that he had assailed. Let these dogs deny that the Holy Spirit came down upon the apostles; or even let them discredit history. Yet the truth cries out openly that these men who, previously contemptible among common folk, suddenly began to discourse so gloriously of the heavenly mysteries must have been instructed by the Spirit."

This section of The Institutes of Christian Religion is concerned with the authority and inerrancy of Scripture, which are very weighty matters to be settled in every Christian’s mind if they are to apply themselves as teachable to the Scriptures. However, what struck me were these words "Paul, not only a sworn but fierce and murderous enemy, was converted into a new man; this sudden and un-hoped for change shows that he was compelled by heavenly authority to affirm a doctrine that he had assailed."

I thought about how Paul was incredibly educated and steeped in tradition—a Hebrew of Hebrews. His convictions lead him to slander Christ and murder Christians. Yet, at the moment of Paul’s salvation, Paul’s heart was forever changed with the Truth. The Truth was the Light and the Light shattered the darkness of deceptive thinking.

The Apostle Paul is the author of thirteen of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament. Part of what made Paul such an amazing theologian was not just his knowledge of the Old Testament, but was his first hand knowledge of the errant lines of thinking of the Pharisees and Greek philosophers. Paul’s letters show us that he was intimately acquainted with both sides of the arguments. He knew what their stumbling blocks were because they were once his own!

What struck me is this: God uses us not in spite of our past, but uses us and even our past. God could have saved Paul at a young age or before he became a feared persecutor of Christians, but He didn't. Paul's life prior to his conversion uniquely equipped him to be a mighty extension of God's arm! God continues to use Paul's teaching and preaching to save souls from Hell's grasp.

Your errant lines of thinking prior to your conversion have uniquely equipped to minister to those caught in the same deception and to warn others not to become deceived. Your testimony is NOT your own! Every Christian is a trophy of God’s grace! Jesus said, “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead he puts it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light (Luke 11:33).”


Praise God for saving us exactly when He did! Praise God salvation came not a moment too soon nor a moment too late! Praise God who is sovereign and who is able to use sinful people like you and me to further His Kingdom! What a mighty God we serve!

Let your unique light shine!

Scripture

Here are a couple of quotes from The Institutes by John Calvin Section : 1.6.1-4 pertaining to Scripture, which is God’s special revelation. Special revelation is different from God’s general revelation, which is creation itself. While creation does indeed speak volumes about God and thus makes all men aware God exists; only God’s Word can save man. In seminary it is said like this, “general revelation is enough to condemn man but it is not enough to save man. Only God’s special revelation is salvific.” A thorough reading of the Romans 1 will get you there.


“Just as old or bleary-eyed men and those with weak vision, if you thrust before them a most beautiful volume, even if they recognize it to be some sort of writing, yet can scarcely construe two words, but with the aid of spectacles will begin to read distinctly; so Scripture, gathering up the otherwise confused knowledge of God in our minds, having dispersed our dullness, clearly shows us the true God. This, therefore, is a special gift, where God, to instruct the church, not merely uses mute teachers but also opens his own most hallowed lips. Not only does he teach the elect to look upon a god, but also shows himself as the God upon whom they are to look. He has from the beginning maintained this plan for his church, so that besides these common proofs he also put forth his Word, which is a more direct and more certain mark whereby he is to be recognized.”


“For by his Word, God rendered faith unambiguous forever, a faith that should be superior to all opinion.”


“And it is therefore no wonder that those who were born in darkness become more and more hardened in their insensibility; for there are very few who, to contain themselves within bounds, apply themselves teachably to God's Word, but they rather exult in their own vanity.”


“For errors can never be uprooted from human hearts until true knowledge of God is planted therein.”


In reflection…Am I and are you applying my/your-self as teachable to God’s Word? Do we go to the sacred texts with our own agendas and attempt to conform Scripture to ourselves or do we approach the Scripture and allow it to convict us of sin, usher in repentance, rejoice in forgiveness, humble us in adoration, and embolden us to share Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection with the world?


Christians do not fear being wrong in the face of God being right, because they have already submitted to Him being right. God is Lord, He is right, He is perfect, and His Word is perfect! Thank you God for your written Word, for your Incarnate Word, Jesus Christ, and for your Holy Spirit who illumines the Truth of Scripture in your children.

Best paragraph I have read in a while...dangerous to many!

This paragraph is from Dr. Heimbach's book "True Sexual Morality," page 343.

"This means, therefore, that anyone who explodes with angry emotion towards God's moral standards on sex for fear of being exposed as wrong cannot possibly be a Christian. Reacting in this way and being a real Christian are completely incompatible. Both cannot exist at the same time. So, if someone fears that God is right and responds by covering that fear with anger rather than repentance, it indicates that he does not know the forgiveness of Jesus Christ, that he bears his sins alone, and that he hears admitting he is wrong because it means facing the wrath and judgment of God."

That paragraph holds true for any sin, not just sexual sin. I can say that this is true of my own life. Before God saved me...I responded to His truth with much anger. I was combative, defensive, and was trying to gain acceptance from the world. Following my conversion, I responded with complete repentance of my sexual sin and was freed from that bondage completely and irrevocably.

Today, I seek to be made aware of all areas of sin in my life. Sin will manifest in different ways today and tomorrow, but as I continue to walk with the Lord and mature in wisdom and knowledge I am quicker to identify these sins and less resistant to be repentant (turn away from sin).

Praise God for the conviction of the Holy Spirit who reminds me of the Truth, the Way, and the Life! And praise God for the forgiveness of sins through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior.