Convicting Grace

As Paul Tripp points out in his helpful little devotional Whiter than Snow, "We all have a perverse capacity to be comfortable with what God says is wrong."

God's response is to bring conviction and though painful at the time is meant to warn us, protect us and restore us, as Tripp describes,

"God's loving hammer of conviction is meant to break your heart, and the pain of heart you feel is meant to alert you to the fact that something is spiritually wrong inside of you. Like that warning signal of physical pain, the rescuing and restoring pain of convicting grace is a thing worth celebrating." Whiter than Snow, 35

Perhaps you are feeling the pain of conviction, God has used His Word or a faithful friend to point out sin, rejoice today that God is working and pouring out grace to protect you and use this conviction to help you trust and reflect His Son in greater ways. It is God's heart that we grow to see conviction, even though it is painful at times, as true gift from His hand.

Do you really think you are the worst sinner you know?

Some people have asked in coming to City Church and Sovereign Grace about our application of the doctrine of sin and what this means in terms of how we view ourselves. It is the conviction of City Church that we follow Paul's example in describing himself as the "chief of sinners" [1 Timothy 1:15]

What does this mean practically and how does this play out? Listen to the discussion linked as CJ has a very helpful interaction with another pastor wrestling with this concept. Perhaps you have some of these same questions, I pray this blog and video help provide clarity.

Doing Life Together

In thinking about our desire for and pursuit of our biblical fellowship, this quote though from a marriage book, clearly and practically describes the Bible's view of care and what we pray is experienced in our care groups,

"Christian fellowship is an expression of both love and humility. It springs from a desire to bring benefit to others, coupled with a sense of personal weakness and need. It has a double motive - the wish to help, and to be helped; to edify, and to be edified. It has a double aim - to do, and to receive, good. It is a corporate seeking by Christian people to know God better through sharing with each other what, individually, they have learned of him already."

J.I. Packer quoted in Love that Lasts

The effects of the Gospel

A New Year [I know it's January 20th but it's been a crazy month so far] and a new resolve to the blog.

As we walk through our series in Pierced for our Transgressions together, the hope is that it would lead to two major results among us. First, that we would love Jesus more and more as we come to a greater understanding of what He has accomplished on the cross. Second, that it would lead to a greater witness as we recognize our call and the joy in telling people this great news.

As we think about the second result, Ligon Duncan in a blog a few months back realized that a purposeful pursuit of and teaching about the gospel should lead to the following characteristics being lived out among the congregation,

1. That your whole congregation would be able to articulate the Gospel, personally, in a compelling and understandable way;
2. That your whole congregation would understand the importance and necessity of their lives, their prayers and their participation in Gospel witness;
3. That your whole congregation would deeply care about conversions (and I would lay stress here, that we are talking about real conversions, not numbers; disciples, not decisions; changed lives, not merely prayed prayers);
4. That your whole congregation would earnestly and regularly pray for conversions, talks about their own conversions and the conversions of others, and put a priority on people coming to know God; and
5. That your whole congregation would be excited about the Gospel itself, and not simply about a method of sharing the Gospel, or a training program.

I pray as we go through this series together, that these characteristics would increasingly mark our people and bear fruit in our lives and draw others to know Him through us, for His glory.