31 Days of Purity: Day Five

Mike Leake

Day Five: Honestly, Humbly, and Thoroughly Confess sin

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.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. (Psalm 32:1-5)

It took God’s heavy hand of discipline for David to understand a simple truth: we need to confess our sin to God. We do not confess our sin so God will know what we have done—he already knows every deed, and even every thought and intention of the heart. We confess that sin for our own benefit, to acknowledge it before him and to seek his forgiveness. Though God assures us that at the moment of our salvation all of our sin is forgiven—past, present, future—still we need to confess our sin before the Lord as an acknowledgement that every sin is ultimately directed at him, and that every sin stems from a lack of delight in what he promises, and that we have knowingly, willingly, damaged our fellowship with him.

Do you confess your sin before the Lord? A mumbled “Forgive me for my sin” will not do. Confess your sin—even that shameful sexual sin—honestly, humbly and thoroughly. God knows it all, but he will hear your confession and, because of what Christ has done, it will be his joy to offer full forgiveness and reconciliation. Here is his promise to you: “If you confess your sins, I am faithful and just to forgive you your sins and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Father, I am a sinner. “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). And still, far too often, I seek pleasure in what you forbid. I allow myself to believe that your pleasures are inadequate and that something or someone holds out what I need or what I deserve. I confess my sin to you. I confess that my heart has desired what you say is evil; my mind has pondered what you say is sinful; my eyes have looked with lust instead of love. I confess my sin, I acknowledge it to you, and I joyfully receive your forgiveness.

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Tim Chalies is husband to Aileen and a father to three children aged 7 to 13. He worships and serves as a pastor at Grace Fellowship Church in Toronto, Ontario, where he primarily gives attention to mentoring and discipleship. He blogs daily at challies.com, is a book reviewer for WORLD magazine, co-founded Cruciform Press, and has written four books.

Why I’ve Stopped Following Mark Driscoll and How I Hope to Learn From Him

Mike Leake 4 Comments

In my early days of blogging I was a fan of Mark Driscoll. I devoured his books, bookmarked his articles, and always defended him from his detractors. I didn’t agree with everything but I was convinced that his trajectory was positive. I thought his critics were mostly ignorant curmudgeons.

Then I became one of those critics.

It started when I reviewed Real Marriage. I compared it to drinking from a toilet. And with that comment I was now on the side of critic. I still loved Driscoll and hoped that he’d hear the criticism of many of his brothers and soften some of the language in the book. But something was happening as I listened to how he dealt with the critics of Real Marriage (myself now being one of them).  I was no longer on his team laughing at his caricatures of dumb critics. I was now the one he was mocking.

And suddenly I realized how immature and dismissive he could be. I started reading things like Frank Turk’s Open Letter and nodding my head in agreement. That’s when I started my drift. By the time that Jared Wilson gave his RE: Mark Driscoll I found myself in full agreement. I love Mark Driscoll and I wish him the best. By that I mean that his trajectory of pride would turn the other way (to use Jared’s words).

Why I’m Writing This

I’m convinced that his trajectory is only getting worse. Reading through some of Invest and reading Driscoll’s foreword has convinced me that “Pastor Mark” has become similar to the Blob. He’s a persona more than he is a man and he’s getting bigger and bigger and bigger. And apparently he’s got people on his staff that help that persona to grow.

I’ve hesitated to write this and to hit publish. I don’t want to dog on a brother in Christ. And I believe that Mark Driscoll is a brother in Christ. I’m not sure that this character named Pastor Mark represents Christ, but I believe that behind the façade is a brother that knows Jesus and wants to see him glorified. But I believe he has lost sight of Jesus. (Perhaps he’s obscured by Pastor Mark’s shadow, to use Jared Wilson’s phrasing). And so I hesitate to add fuel to a fire of controversy.

But at the same time I am convinced that we can learn from Pastor Mark. This post is less about Pastor Mark and more about what happens whenever we don’t heed criticism. That’s where I think we can learn and not repeat the same mistakes.

Criticism and The Proverbs

The Proverbs are very clear about how we ought to receive criticism.

Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence. (Proverbs 15:32, ESV)

When we ignore instruction we are harming ourselves. Refusing instruction puts us in a place where we will stop growing. But it’s not as if we will stay put. This Proverb shows us that ignoring instruction will actually cause us to go backwards. We’ll be harmed. If we listen to reproof, though, we will grow in intelligence. We’ll become more like Christ.

Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. (Proverbs 9:8, ESV)

I cannot help but think of Pastor Mark when I read this Proverb. He mocks his critics. Hatred seems to spew from his mouth. Consider the mocking way that he addresses those that might have concerns with Invest.

“Dear Bible Guy, please don’t be yet another nerd who proof texts verses on lovers of money, lording it over like the Gentiles with curse words like ‘pragmatism’ and ‘it’s all about the numbers’ criticisms. Stop using God’s word as a defense to keep working the upper body and ignoring the legs. Your church body needs some legs just like ours.”

That is not the way that a wise man accepts reproof. That is not a loving way to respond to Bible Guy. It reeks of hatred and mocking. He’s not even giving him a seat at the table. It just sounds like he’s fed up with any sort of criticism and so he’s not even going to listen to an opposing viewpoint.

And it is here that I hope to learn from Pastor Mark. I believe that his downward trajectory has happened because of a refusal to actually listen to critics outside his inner circle. A wise pastor and writer will be certain to keep critics in his life. The Proverbs are true and the downward spiral of Mark Driscoll displays that.

Application

Here are a few bullet points of application that I think we can learn about accepting criticism.

  • If I’m never told “no” then I need to find someone that will tell me “no”.
  • Try to learn from even inappropriate criticism
  • Always assume that I could be wrong.
  • Refuse to lump all “critics” into the same category
  • Mocking my critics, no matter how good it might feel,  is childish and is the way of the fool
  • Make little of my perceived rights and make much of our suffering Savior
  • Thank God for his grace of correction

Today in Blogworld 3.04.14

Mike Leake

For the Moms Stuck Inside

Mom,s are you suffering from winter blues?

Since, Jesus Ate With Sinners Do I Have to Eat at the Strip Club’s Buffet?

Interesting argument.

You Want to #EndIt?

Lore Ferguson celebrates the End It Movement but also reminds us that we have to act.

Why “No Creed But the Bible” Actually Imperils Your Liberty More

Wise words from Bart Barber. Saying “no creed but the Bible” sounds smart and gospely but it doesn’t actually lead to the liberty that we week.

I never knew that new anchor Brian Williams was a rapper. But he is:

31 Days of Purity: Day Four

Mike Leake

Day Four: Mortification of Sin

For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. -Romans 8:13

Every Christian finds himself living out two realities: what he is in Christ, and what he is at present, wherever he happens to be in his earthly pilgrimage. The one reality is the fact of his justification “by faith alone in Christ alone” from the guilt of all sin and his personal union with Christ crucified, risen again, and received up into glory.

The other reality is the Christian’s degree of personal sanctification. Unlike justification, sanctification is never complete in this life. A substantial first step is the regeneration of the heart that marks the beginning of all true Christian life. But the way forward is rife with difficulties. We can go backward as well as forward in this way; and we all pass through seasons of stagnation and declension.

The Christian learns early on that sin still has a hold on him and remains in him, even “besetting” him, dogging his steps and burdening him with guilt and shame. Paul describes this remaining sin as “another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind” (Rom. 7:23).

How does the believer respond to this “law of sin”?  We must mortify (put to death) what Paul calls “the old man and his deeds,” and “the lusts of the flesh” (Rom. 8:13, 13:14; Col. 3:15). This mortification is both a gift (of the Holy Spirit) and a duty (ours). In our own strength we cannot accomplish any lasting mortification, without the Spirit’s grace. But by the powerful and enabling grace of the Holy Spirit, we may and must hate sin, strangle it, and put a sword through it. We must meditate often on the horrific consequences of sinning against our beloved, triune God and Savior. We must know our own hearts and weaknesses, and avoid those situations that tend to promote the temptations that we are weakest in battling against. We must cast off all remnants of the life we left behind when we began to follow Christ. We must put ourselves under the death-dealing power of the cross of Christ (Gal. 6:14) so that the Spirit of Christ may put to death what is earthly in us.

The Spirit of Christ focuses us on Christ when teaching us how to mortify sin. Mortification begins when we condemn our sins as transgressions of the law of God. We confess these sins to be forgiven by God and cleansed by the blood of Christ. Then we forsake these sins for Christ’s sake. Paul tells us to fight against sin from a position of strength (Rom. 6; Eph. 6). Know what you are in Christ. In Christ we have died unto sin. In Christ we have been raised again to newness of life. In Christ crucified we have been set free from sin’s dominion and continue to die to sin, so that, as John Owen emphasizes, we experience the death of sin in the death of Christ. Sin may assail but cannot master us, so long as we stand firm in Christ, calling upon His name. In Christ we are assured of God’s help in striving against sin. Though we may fall and lose various skirmishes against sin, because of our union and communion with Christ we have by faith the promise of ultimate victory and final deliverance, which, more than anything else, gives us hope and sustenance in the daily fight against sin. The only sin fatal to our cause is unbelief. Unbelief alone can rob us of God’s grace and shut us out of His kingdom.

Ever blessed Triune God, in the light of Thy holy law, I confess my sorrow of heart that I have provoked Thee by my sins. By Thy Holy Spirit, deepen in me more and more the hatred of these sins, and the desire to flee from them, dying unto sin with Christ, and rising again in newness of life, to live unto Thee in righteousness and true holiness, for His sake. Believing Thy gospel promise, I ask Thee to forgive my sins and help me by Thy Holy Spirit to fight against and overcome sin, the devil, and his whole dominion, as a follower of Christ, and one who bears His name before the world.  Amen.

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Dr. Joel R. Beeke is president of the Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, and a Pastor of Heritage Netherlands Reformed Congregation in Grand Rapids, Michigan.