John Newton=Not a Fan of Monks

Mike Leake

Newton responded to a young man concerning conformity to the world.  It is a very wise letter where he counsels against “renouncing the society of the world” as well as those that try to “serve both God and Mammon”.  Concerning renouncing society Newton says:

But unless we could flee from ourselves likewise, this would afford us no advantage; so long as we carry our own wicked hearts with us, we shall be exposed to temptation go where we will…A man may almost starve his body to feed his pride: but to those who fear and serve the Lord, every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving, for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. 

And to those that make their home in this world, Newton opines:

By their conduct, as far as in them lies, they declare, that they do not find the religion of the Gospel answer their expectations; that it does not afford them the satisfaction they once hoped for from it; and that therefore they are forced to seek relief from the world.

The entire letter is worth reading.  You can do so here. 

Review of A Quest for Godliness by J.I. Packer

Mike Leake

Author: J.I. Packer

Pages: 368

Publisher: Crossway

Price: 16.50

Genre: Christian Living/History/Puritans

Quick Summary:

A Quest for Godliness is a compilation of forty years of Packer’s study of the Puritans. Packer lays out his aim early on when he states, “The essays are not just history and historical theology; they are themselves, in aim at least, spirituality, as much as anything else I have written; they focus on ways in which as I see it, the Puritans are giants compared with us, giants who help we need if ever we are to grow.”

The book is divided up into six main sections: The Puritans in Profile, The Puritans and the Bible, The Puritans and the Gospel, The Puritans and The Holy Spirit, The Puritan Christian Life, and The Puritans and Ministry. There are numerous Puritans outlined throughout this book but most attention is given to John Owen, Richard Baxter, and Jonathan Edwards.

What I Liked:

I love the Puritans. I typically love J.I. Packer’s writings. So of course this will be a great combination. Packer is an able historian that brings out helpful points in the life of the Puritans. Reading this book caused a passion for the Puritans to be rekindled in my heart. There are numerous quotable sections and mention is made of many of the lesser known giants of Puritanism.

What I Disliked:

Because of the format of the book (a compilation of essays) some of the chapters can be redundant. This book would be best served to be about 75 pages less. This is a helpful book but would perhaps be more helpful if written for a more popular audience and more tightly woven together.

Should You Buy It?

If you like Packer and the Puritans then you probably will. If you know very little about the Puritans this may be a decent place to start. Packer does accomplish his goal of proving that the Puritans were giants and we are ants, if you are not convinced of this and think the Puritans have little to offer then you should buy this book.  You may want to wait until the end of July for the new edition. 

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Where Did _______ Come From?

Mike Leake 2 Comments

I am going to start a new series here at Borrowed Light and I need your help.

Do you ever wonder where certain practices within Christianity comes from?  Perhaps you are Protestant and wonder why Catholics seem to worship the Virgin Mary.  When did that begin?  Where did the Pope come from?  Or maybe you wonder when we began doing certain practices such as altar calls or preaching behind a pulpit.  If you have any of these questions please either email them to me, leave them in the comment section, or leave a comment on Facebook.

Don’t be shy…

Monday’s Ministry Musing:Empty Handed or Not?

Mike Leake

If I accidentally leave my checkbook at home on a Sunday morning is God upset with me? 

DirtyHandsI heard it said the other day from Deuteronomy 16:16 that we are never to appear before the Lord empty-handed.  This, it was said, is why we are not to tithe once per month but we should have something to give every week.  So, if I forget my checkbook do I receive a frown from God? 

Maybe what God wants is my heart.  I forgot my checkbook but I brought my heart.  After all, I’ve heard that quite a few times before too.  I have heard from Romans 12:1-2 that what God really wants is my life and my heart.  So, what it means for the New Testament Christian is that we do not have to appear before God with a goat, or ram, or maybe not even an offering.  We appear before God with our spiritual offering—ourselves.  But, still we do not appear empty-handed.  So, if I forget my checkbook but bring my heart then God is cool with me?

But then again I’ve also heard things like this, “You can’t please God if you don’t come to him empty handed and longing for the Reward – and he himself is the final Reward” (Piper).  So, wait I don’t necessarily have to bring my checkbook, or my heart, just desperation, then God is cool with me? 

So, how do we apply passages like Deuteronomy 16:16?  This little exercise shows the absolute importance of having a Christ-centered hermeneutic (fancy word for Bible interpretation).  I do not think that you apply Dt. 16 by saying bring your checkbook to church every Sunday.  Nor do I think it is merely saying, bring your heart on Sunday morning.  The offerings that are given in the Old Testament are a shadow of the finished work of Jesus Christ.  The OT saint had to appear before God with offerings (a symbol of their faith/hope).  But the NT saint has to appear before God by the finished work of Jesus Christ.  So, you apply Deuteronomy 16:16 by saying, you better not appear before God empty-handed (without being covered by the blood of Jesus Christ). 

Do you come Sunday morning empty-handed?  Yes and no.  You grab hold of Christ empty-handed (this is what Piper is saying).  But as you grab hold of Christ you do not appear before God on a Sunday morning (or any other time for that matter) based on your own merits or de-merits.  You appear before God based upon the finished work of Jesus Christ, and therefore, you appear before God not with empty-hands but with hands filled with the blood of Jesus. 

I’ll let you answer the initial question on your own…