Last time we looked at Burroughs he helped us see that contentment comes not so much by way of addition but by the way of subtraction. This time Burroughs will teach us quite the opposite. "A Christian comes to contentment, not so much by getting rid of the burden that is on him, as by adding another burden to himself." This, of course, makes no sense to the worldly mind. Yet Burroughs continues, "the heavier the burden of your sin is to your heart, the lighter will the burden of your affliction be to your heart, and so you shall come to be content". Burroughs then continues to give several examples of how this seemingly ludicrous statement is actually the way to contentment.

It appears that what Burroughs is attempting to drive deep into our hearts is the notion that our sin before a holy God is so vile and treacherous that any ill situation is fitting. Contentment, it would appear, comes from realizing that every blessing is far better than we deserve. With a mind framed like this a man will quickly become contented. When we realize that we should have been cast into hell a thousand yesterdays ago we quickly feel our blessed estate. Burroughs challenges us to look at our broken estate and come away with a broken heart towards God as well.

This will sound like strange counsel to our 21st century ears. We are told quite the opposite. The prosperity gospel would have none of this teaching. If I am experiencing a trial then it can be directly linked to my lack of faith, says the prosperity teacher. If I would but believe harder and give more then God will pull me out of this mire due to my sin. Burroughs is telling the prosperity teacher that our redemption is enough. The Cross of Christ rescuing us from the burden of sin is all the prosperity that we need. When we feel the burden of our sin, and when the Lord graciously lifts it off, we will experience contentment.

This message will likewise sound foreign to the easy-believism of the 21st century. Simply pray this prayer and God will forgive you, only be sincere, is the cry of the proponents of cheap grace. An adherent to easy-believism will seldom be content when trials come. When the scorching sun comes they will wither away. He has never felt the burden of his sin. The roots of the gospel has never gone deep. He only considers Jesus as a band-aid or a get out of hell free card. The true offensiveness of himself and utter ruin he faces are blind from his sight. He was told to pray a prayer but never to feel the painful burden of sin. Burroughs is admonishing easy-believers to look to their sin. When they sense their utter depravity and hopelessness before God; and when they are opened to see the total justification of Christ; then, and only then, will they find contentment. The Cross is enough!

For the past two years in January I have compiled my hopeful reading list for the upcoming year. Every year, after about March, I discover that I am reading different books than I have planned. My eyes have never met some of the pages of my books. In the past I felt guilty and disappointed for not having read some of the books I had intended to. I felt silly that I could not read 10 pages per day of this book, or 25 of another. I realize every February that I am getting wore out and not even processing the books that I am reading. I quit enjoying it an it becomes a labor; and unfruitful one at that. So, by March I start reading the way I should have in January and February. This year instead of being dumb in January I am going to make a list of the books I hope to read, take my time, read at a pace that I can process and learn, and enjoy everything I read. I usually read about 5 books at a time (sometimes more, but usually 5 is what I can handle and still process everything). I will break everything up into 5 categories: Puritan, Pastoral, Devotional, Biographical, and Theological.

Biographical books are usually easier to read and I go through them faster. So, I will have 8 or 10 of those. Devotional books are what I consider "Christian Living" books, these usually are not difficult to read but if they are to sink deep they would require a little time to chew on. Therefore, I will have about 6 to 8 of these. Theological books are very meaty and take a long time to read and chew on. They are usually longer in length. I will attempt to read 3 or 4 of these. Puritans are sometimes tough to read; sometimes easy to read; sometimes nearly impossible to read; all the while extremely worthwhile to read. I have a lofty goal this year of reading 12 Puritan Paperbacks (usually about 150-200 pages). Pastoral works usually need to be read over a few times and spaced out over time to process everything. I will attempt to read 5 or 6 of these this year.

Also, some of the books are a continuance from this year.

Puritan:

Finish Owen's Overcoming Sin and Temptation
Finish Letters of Samuel Rutherford

1. The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes
2. The Doctrine of Repentance by Thomas Watson
3. A Sure Guide to Heaven by Joseph Alleine
4. The Art of Prophesying by William Perkins
5. Learning in Christ's School by Ralph Venning
6. The Christian's Great Interest by William Guthrie
7. The True Bounds of Christian Freedom by Samuel Bolton
8. The Godly Man's Pictrue by Thomas Watson
9. Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices by Thomas Brooks
10. Gospel Fear by Jeremiah Burroughs
11. The Acceptable Sacrifice by John Bunyan
12. The Anatomy of Secret Sins by Obadiah Sedgwick
13. Christ's Last Disclosure of Himself by William Greenhill
14. The Mystery of Providence by John Flavel

Biographical/Historical:

Finish A Pastor's Sketches by Ichabod Spencer

1. Spurgeon by Arnold Dallimore
2. Foundations of Grace (Vol. 1) by Steven Lawson
3. 2000 Years of Christ Power by N.R. Needham
4. Jonathan Edwards: Evangelist by John Gerstner
5. Welsey and the Men Who Followed by Iain Murray
6. John Newton: From Disgrace to Amazing Grace by Jonathan Aitken
7. The Rise and Fall of the English Puritans by John Brown
8. Oswald Chambers: Abandoned to God by David McCasland
9. By His Grace and For His Glory by Tom Nettles

Pastoral:

1. The Gospel and Personal Evangelism by Mark Dever
2. Preaching Christ from All of Scripture by Edmund Clowney
3. The Cross and Christian Ministry by D.A. Carson
4. Basic Greek and Exegesis by Richard Ramsay
5. The Christian Pastor's Manual compiled by John Brown
6. Christ-Centered Preaching by Bryan Chapell (Re-Read)

Devotional:

1. Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges
2. For Us and Our Salvation by Stephen Nichols
3. When Sinners Say I Do by Dave Harvey
4. The Cross of Christ by John R.W. Stott
5. Humility by C.J. Mahaney
6. Loved by God by R.C. Sproul
7. What Jesus Demands from the World by John Piper
8. The Gospel for Real Life by Jerry Bridges

Theological:

Finish Biblical Theology by Geerhardus Vos
Finish Justification and Regeneration by Charles Leiter

1. Early Christian Doctrines by J.N.D. Kelley
2. God's Passion for His Glory by John Piper
3. The Justification of God by John Piper
4. A New Testament Theology by George Ladd
5. An Old Testament Theology by Bruce Waltke

With the holiday's I am a little behind in our John Owen study. Last week we looked at Chapter 6 of Owen's Overcoming Sin and Temptation. As always you are invited to join us. You can read the work online here.

Last time we saw what Mortification is NOT. This time Owen will begin showing us what mortification is. Remember Owen's central question in this section: "What must I do to mortify sin in my life?". Today we will see three things that mortification of sin consists of.

1. Mortification of sin consists of a habitual weakening of sin
2. Mortification of sin consists of a constant fighting and contending against sin
3. Mortification of sin consists of frequent success

Part of the process of mortifying sin is to habitually weaken sin--or to put it in other words--we must be constantly crucifying the flesh. Owen gives us a picture of crucifying the flesh:

As a man nailed to the cross he first struggles and strives and cries out with great strength and might, but, as his blood and spirits waste, his strivings are faint and seldom, his cries low and hoarse, scarce to be heard; when a man first sets on a lust or distemper, to deal with it, it struggles with great violence to break loose; it cries with earnestness and impatience to be satisfied and relieved; but when by mortification the blood and spirits of it are let out, it moves seldom and faintly, cries sparingly, and is scarce heard in the heart; it may have sometimes a dying pang, that makes an appearance of great vigor and strength, but it is quickly over, especially if it be kept from considerable success.

Owen also helps us see two things under this point. 1) Some lusts are stronger in some people than in others. For example, one man might struggle mightily with lust and not be tempted by alcohol. Another man may be just the opposite. 2) Some lusts are more visible in their vileness. Fornication is particularly noteworthy here. This often can lead men to believe they are mortified when they are not. This is why Owen advises: A man may beat down the bitter fruit from an evil tree until he is weary; while the root abides in strength and vigor, the beating down of the present fruit will not hinder it from bringing forth more. This is the folly of some men; they set themselves with all earnestness and diligence against the appearing eruption of lust, but, leaving the principle and root untouched, perhaps unsearched out, they make but little or no progress in this work of mortification.

Owen closes the chapter by giving us a foretaste (hopefully) of what is to come. He mentions briefly two things that must be in order for mortification to take place. 1) The flesh must be replaced by grace. Pride must be replaced by the grace of humility; unbridled passion by patience; love of the world by heavenly mindedness; and so on. Or, if we want to get Piper-esque we would say that to mortify flesh then our sinful passions must be replaced by a superior passion (pleasure) for Christ. 2) The new man combined with the work of the Spirit using the means of mortification are necessary. (At least that is what I think Owen is saying).

Considerations:

As I read Owen and ponder my own battle with sin I find mixed thoughts. On one hand I see how the Lord's grace in my life has created in me more Christ-likeness and a passion for Jesus. On the other hand I see less of a battle with sin. I wonder is it because I find more pleasure in Christ or because I am no longer passionate about rooting all sin out? Am I as passionate about holiness as I once had been? Regardless of the answer my prayer is that Jesus might take me to the root of all my sinful rebellion and there through his sacrifice we might chop down the roots. I pray that my roots may be deep not in sin but in grace!

Happy Christmas Eve to everyone! The blogworld has been surprisingly busy within the last couple of days; so I will attempt to catch us up on some of the best articles.

Some that saw Tom Brady's interview on 60 Minutes have commented on his need to hear the gospel. In the interview Brady comments on his lack of fulfillment: "it's got to be more than this". Tom Ascol at Founders shares what he would say to Tom Brady, "Your Questions Have Answers". I am far from a Tom Brady fan but excited to hear that perhaps God is showing him the emptiness of everything but Jesus Christ. It is my prayer that not only Brady, but also a host of other's that seemingly have everything, might feel their emptiness and turn to Christ.

John Piper tells us a Kind of Christmas Tale. Timmy Brister has several Christmas poems at his site.

Mark Driscoll has a new video out on the importance of biographies. As one that attempts to read a biography per month, I must also recommend to you reading good Christian biographies. I have learned a ton by looking at the lives of these men and women of God; apparently Driscoll has too. (HT: Intersection)

Does the world really like Jesus but hate the church? Dan Phillips has an answer. His take is that the world likes "Jesus", but the world hates Jesus. A few months ago we did a series on "Fad Jesus". "Fad Jesus" has never been cooler; but hopefully the church does not sell out to Fad Jesus for the sake of relevance. Men like Dan Phillips are helping the church love the true Jesus and forsake "Jesus".

Thoughts on the Way gives us a Christmas Eve reminder of the upcoming McCheyne Reading Plan starting on January 1st. I would really like to encourage our youth to take this "challenge" for the upcoming year.

That's it for today, I will be back to posting on Wednesday! Have a Merry Christmas!

A few months ago I had a prayer request for my wife. It was thought that she had a condition whereas she would be required to undergo a C-section to birth our child. At our doctor's appointment Wednesday we found out that everything had moved to where it needed to be. Looks like the bed rest helped and that we are experiencing God's great hand of mercy! We are thankful that the Lord has heard our prayers and that He has chosen to glorify Himself through a natural childbirth. We truly get far better than we deserve!

I think my fellow bloggers have taken off early for the Christmas season. Today is another slow day.

John Piper reminds us that today is the 200th anniversary of John Newton's death. If you want to read Piper's biography on Newton you can do so here, or you can buy Josiah Bull's excellent work The Life of John Newton, or if you are feeling really saucy you can buy his Complete Works for only $127. You can read his letters for free at Grace Gems and his Olney Hymns for free at CCEL. Ever minute and every dollar you spend getting to know this man of God is well spent.

Old Truth sounds like John Piper today: Worship, Not Evangelism, The Most Important Task. Piper says that Missions exists because worship does not. This article echoes that sentiment as it points us to a quote from Robert Reymond's New Systematic Theology. His central thesis is this: For decades now evangelical churches have been conducting their services for the sake of unbelievers. Both the revivalistic service of a previous generation and the "seeker service" of today are shaped by the same concern--appeal to the unchurched. Not surprisingly, in neither case does much that might be called worship by Christians occur. As a result, many evangelicals who have been sitting for years in such worship services are finding their souls drying up, and they have begun to long for something else.

Yesterday it was announced that Alex and Bret Harris will be releasing their new book, Do Hard Things, in April. Right now it is retailing for 16.99. I am hoping it is discounted quickly, I would love to do a small group on this book in youth group! (HT: JT)

A few days ago I cited an article by Frank Page on Calvinism. Turns out this article by Page has led to quite a bit of discussion on whether or not a candidate should be up front about his beliefs on the Doctrines of Grace. You can read the discussion here.

Many in academia are calling for young pastors that adhere to the doctrines of grace (Calvinistic) to be upfront and lay all their cards on the table. As you read the comments on Founders you will notice that some agree with this (as an issue of integrity) and others find it unfair. I am unsure of where I fall on this and am encouraging my readers to help me work through this issue (I know some of you are Calvinists and some of you are not).

As I am looking back I am wondering whether or not I would have been hired if I would have said upfront that I was a Calvinist. For one I was not nearly as established in the doctrines of grace as I am now. For two I know some of those on the search committee had (and maybe even to this day still have) a very vague understanding of what Calvinism is. I also know that many have false caricatures of what Calvinist actually believe and how a biblical Calvinist would actually engage people with the gospel. It appears to me that what people often reject is Hyper-Calvinism. Therefore, I wonder if all of the work that we have seen God do for the past 4 years would have been quenched from the beginning because I was a Calvinist. As soon as I stated what I believed about the Doctrines of Grace would I have been caricatured?

My stance has been to preach the gospel and to preach the word of God expositionally. If the doctrines of grace come out of the text then I will preach that. If the doctrines of grace are not in the text then I will never force it. My hope has been to be as biblical as possible in my life, practice, and ministry. Most people do not even know that I am a Calvinist. Does this make me dishonest? Many probably assume that I am a pre-tribulational pre-millenialist too. Should I have been upfront about that? Also my views have changed through the years on a few issues as well. What I might have said I believed in my interview I would disagree with now. To me "laying all your cards" on the table does not give room for growth for me (the minister) or for the congregation.

One of the funniest things that I remember was a conversation I had with a man in our church a couple of years ago. We were talking about some of the authors that we both enjoyed reading, as well as some of the Christian artists we loved to listen to. One of the bands that we were talking about we were discussing whether or not they are Calvinist, because they had cited John Piper as an influence. The guy I was speaking to began talking about all of the things he saw wrong with Calvinism. Their anti-evangelism, etc. All of the typical caricatures. Knowing my evangelistic zeal and passion to share the gospel, this man was floored when I told him that I too was a Calvinist. We did not get into a discussion on the theology of it, but by looking at my life and witness he saw that Calvinism does not necessarily lead to all of those horrible caricatures. (Thankfully, he could not smell the pride that emanated from me in my early caged-Calvinist days). So, my question to you is this: Am I deceptive for not sharing with our congregation that I am a Calvinist? Should I be upfront even if people do not ask? Is it right for me to make an issue of it? Or, is it a better approach to preach expositionally and only address the issue when they come up? What do you think?