General revelation serves exactly the purpose God intended for it—it reveals his power and divine nature. But, its message, while important, is insufficient—insufficient by design. Though general revelation tells us about the existence of God, it does not tell us about how to be reconciled to God. As Sam Stephen says, “While general revelation is indeed important, it is not sufficient in itself. It is through scripture, not nature alone, that we come to know and articulate the particulars of the gospel message and are called to uniquely respond to it.”
To know the message of the gospel, the good news of salvation for sinners, we must have more. Thankfully, God has provided not only general revelation but also special and specific revelation in the Bible. It is in the Bible that we learn more about God and more about ourselves. It is in the Bible that we learn how God has intervened in this world to save us from our rebellion.
Ultimately, the Bible is the revelation of Jesus Christ as the Savior of humanity and the King of the world. Where nature is insufficient, the Bible is fully sufficient—it tells us everything we must know if we are to respond to God in repentance and faith.

My gratitude goes to The Missionary Conference for sponsoring the blog this week. They invite you to join John Piper, Sinclair Ferguson, Conrad Mbewe, Kevin DeYoung, Steven Lawson, and many others at #MISSIONARYCON24 in Jacksonville, FL this October.
Westminster Books is really eager for you to help them bless an aspiring pastor with a free book.
There are some new Kindle deals to browse through today.
(Yesterday on the blog: How Should We Then Die?)

This is a very strong piece of writing by Olivia Davis. “I hated my story. I didn’t see in it the marvelous weaving of God’s mysterious ways, the undercurrents of his love in the most impossible circumstances, or a hope that never fails. I looked at my life and saw indifference, and hurt, and a God who seemed silent when I was the most desperate for his voice. Suffering through the pain of being single felt unfair and unreasonable and unnecessary. How could Jesus be the one I wanted when this was my story?”

Thinking especially of modern-day political discourse, Casey insists that Christians should not be motivated by fear of catastrophe.

I appreciate this article about the reduction of public Bible reading in worship services (and what to do about it).

This is a really good new song from Sovereign Grace Music.

I know you already go to church, but you should still read this article to consider why you go.

Stephen wants us to remember that just because an issue is secondary or tertiary does not mean it is unimportant.

She soon realized that her foremost concern should not be Christopher’s sexuality but his soul. She would pray that God would do whatever it would take to save her son. 

With the goodness of God to desire our highest welfare, the wisdom of God to plan it, and the power of God to achieve it, what do we lack?
—A.W. Tozer 

This giveaway is sponsored by Moody Publishers, who also sponsored the blog last week with Overflowing Mercies.
Attention all Bible scholars, believers in the power of faith, and lovers of the Word! Learn about God’s divine mercy and compassion with our exclusive Bible Study Giveaway. Win the ultimate bible study library including Overflowing Mercies by author and Bible teacher Craig Allen Cooper. This giveaway also includes books that are sure to encourage and challenge you like:  The Kindness of God, Loneliness, Known for Love, and the bestselling Illustrated Little Pilgrims Progress. You’ll also win Bible study resources like the One Volume Seminary and the Moody Bible Commentary. There will only be one winner, sign-up before June 30th!  

Euthanasia makes a lot of sense. At least in our culture at this time, it makes intuitive sense that those who are ill without hope for a cure or those who are in pain without likelihood of relief ought to be able to choose to end their own lives. Our culture assumes there are few higher virtues than autonomy and that an individual’s right to self-government should extend even to matters of life and death. Hence we see the rising acceptance and legalization of euthanasia throughout the West, though it comes in the form of several variations and euphemisms—physician-assisted death, physician assisted-suicide, medical assistance in dying (MAiD), and so on.
Christians, of course, have grave concerns with euthanasia. While we sympathize deeply with those who are ill without hope for a cure and those who are in pain without likelihood of relief, we do not believe that humans have the right to take life—even if that life is their own. It is God alone who has the right to number our days, God alone who has jurisdiction over life and death.

How Should We Then Die

Because euthanasia is on the rise—and an especially precipitous rise here in Canada—we need distinctly Christian responses to it. Ewan Goligher has provided an excellent one in How Should We Then Die?: A Christian Response to Physician-Assisted Suicide. Goligher is an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Toronto and a physician who practices critical-care medicine, specializing in mechanical ventilation. He is, in other words, a man who faces issues of death on a daily basis.

Should doctors help patients end their own life? Is it right and good to cause death (to kill) out of mercy for suffering? Over the last decades, Western society has seen a marked rise in interest and support for the idea that doctors should be allowed (even expected) to facilitate suicide or cause death for their patients under certain conditions. This shift in social values, together with an aging population, means that all of us, whether or not we work in healthcare, will be forced to face this question. Every one of us will eventually face illness, suffering, and death at some point, and we will have to decide whether we would consider seeking and obtaining assistance from a doctor to end our life.

His book is written to help Christians think well about this question. In other words, his book is written to help Christians think distinctly Christianly about whether doctors should help patients end their lives.
He begins by explaining why physician-assisted death has become such a prominent issue and one that is so widely accepted. Having done that, he carefully shows how advocates of euthanasia diminish the intrinsic and innate value of human beings by insisting there are situations in which it is better for people to cease to exist than to continue to exist. “When we say that people matter, we are also saying that it is good that they exist. If people have intrinsic value, then it is always good that they exist. And if we insist that they really matter—that they have deep intrinsic, inherent value—then the cessation of their existence (their death) must always be regarded as a terrible tragedy.” He shows that the acceptance of physician-assisted death depends on a completely different understanding of human life and human worth than any the West has known.
He also shows how euthanasia is an act of secular faith. Euthanasia tends to be offered or accepted where there is the belief that remaining alive is a fate worse than death, and that death is nothing but the absence of life. These claims are said to be grounded in science, yet science cannot prove them, for what comes beyond death is beyond science’s jurisdiction. Hence, lives are ended with faith—secular faith—that what comes beyond death is better than what precedes it. Science may insist that humans have no souls, that we are material and nothing more. But it cannot prove this and therefore cannot prove that souls do not remain when bodies die—a possibility that has terrifying consequences for those whose souls are not prepared for what comes next.
As the book heads toward its close, Goligher addresses the despair of being critically ill and provides a Christian response to it, for he says that Christians “must have something better to offer than death.” And what we can offer is meaning—the kind of meaning that says suffering is not purposeless and not hopeless, but rather a means through which God works his inscrutable will. It is through faith in God that we can pass through suffering with endurance and even with joy. It is through faith that we can escape the despair that so often leads to the conviction that it would be better to just end it all.
For those of us who live in the West, and perhaps especially for those of us who live in Canada (which is leading the charge when it comes to euthanasia), it is becoming increasingly common to know people who have opted to end their own lives. It is also increasingly common for pastors to have to counsel their elderly parishioners away from it and for children to have to plead with their elderly parents not to opt for it. It is widespread and becoming more common, it is accepted and becoming more acceptable. As Christians, we need to be prepared and we need to be able to offer a response. How Should We Then Die? does exactly that and does it well. It prepares and equips us for what is sure to prove one of the defining issues of our time.

This is just a reminder that a lot of my articles are professionally translated and made available in Spanish. You can find the complete collection at es.challies.com.

Joe Carter provides one of his helpful FAQs to explain some of what’s going on within the SBC. “The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), the largest Protestant denomination in the United States, is embroiled in a heated intramural debate over the designation of women in ministry.”

That’s a valid question, isn’t it? Is God always pleased with Christians?

Join us on October 16-18 for The Missionary Conference, commemorating the 500th anniversary of William Tyndale’s English Bible translation. Gain a biblical understanding of and involvement in world missions, exploring key questions and challenging the pragmatic mindset that has infiltrated evangelicalism. Hear from John Piper, Brooks Buser, Sinclair Ferguson, and many others. (Sponsored)

“Good growth for a church is slow and steady, the whole body growing together. Sudden influxes of people are like grafting a branch onto a tree. Doable (and as a Gentile I am such a graft onto Israel’s tree: Christ), but difficult and requiring more skill than watching it weather the sun and storms while providing water and pruning.” This principle applies to individuals as well.

Kristin has some sound counsel. “It is profitable to take personal inventory, paying close attention to your life’s surroundings. Are your relationships, systems, and work robust and God-honoring? I am not suggesting that healthy things are easy, but are their roots strong, abiding in Christ and ordered by Scripture? If something seems off, investigate.”

This is both sad and strangely fascinating.

Trevin Wax: “An overemphasis on human worth will make grace expected: Well, of course God sent his Son to save us. We’re so worthy, after all! Go in that direction and repentance is unnecessary. Why wouldn’t God save you? An overemphasis on human depravity will make grace powerless: I’m nothing more than a worm and will never amount to anything. Go in that direction and repentance is impossible. Why would God care?”

In theology we make a study of God—of his works and of his ways…And as we study our God we find there is blessing in the macro and the micro, in the whole and in the parts.

Self-serving needs are not meant to be satisfied; they are meant to be put to death.
—Ed Welch

The bookstore 10ofThose is hosting a flash sale with quite a lot of great titles discounted 60% or even higher. Some good picks include Embracing Complementarianism, Fight Your Fears, Parenting with Hope, and Age of Opportunity.
Meanwhile, Westminster Books is offering a 40% off launch sale on Stephen Wellums’s new Systematic Theology which has gotten accolades from Michael Horton, Tom Schreiner, and others.
I was a bit late adding yesterday’s Kindle deals so check in if you missed them. Meanwhile, I’ll continue searching for more.
(Yesterday on the blog: The Sun Is Blotted from the Sky)

Kevin DeYoung offers four solid reasons why the Bible does not support transgenderism. “We will see that the Bible does not support transgenderism. Instead, God has created each of us as either male or female, and he desires that we live our lives—in appearance, in attitude, and in behavior—according to our biological sex.”

As a long-serving pastor/elder I can assure you that this is true: Your elders will fail you. “My hope from this article is that we, as a Christian community, may give and grow in grace. I’m not giving a pass to sloppy, neglectful, or even sinful shepherding. But, I am advocating that we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep. Why? Because your elders will fail you.”

This is a pretty good collection of questions for young women to consider.

The events that unfold in the book of Job can seem to be unrealistic. Should we believe that it is meant to be historical? Douglas Sean O’Donnell answers here.

This is a noble aspiration. “I want to be the same person in every room. I want to be the same person, at the core of me, whether I’m dressed up in a suit or a tracksuit. I want to be the same person with children and adults. The same person when I’m with powerful and influential people as I am with weak, heartbroken, and desperate people.”

For those who are interested in doing some in-depth reading, there is a new issue of Credo magazine free for the taking. It features articles by, among others, Gavin Ortlund, Keith Mathison, and William Boekestein.

If you aren’t being extravagantly generous with the bit you have now, what makes you think that having more would suddenly make all the difference? 

The reprover should have a lion’s stout heart, or he will not be faithful, and a lady’s soft hand, or he is not like to be successful.
—George Swinnock

Men of great physical strength have sometimes carried outrageously heavy burdens—six hundred pounds, seven hundred pounds, eight hundred. And even then they have said, “I still have not been fully tested. Put on some more weight! Load me up!” With confidence they have gripped the bar and with great straining and groaning they have lifted it clear of the ground. Yet in every case, they have eventually reached a point where they have had to cry out, “Stop! I have hit my limit. I cannot carry any more weight.”
I wonder if you have ever considered that the burden Christ carried for us was without limit. Have you considered the tremendous weight he bore on Calvary?
There was his own burden of hunger and thirst and bereavement, and the burden of the thousand insults and outrages that had been heaped upon him. On top of that was the burden of seeing the sorrows of his mother and friends as they watched him suffer and struggle for breath. On top of even that was the burden of witnessing the crimes of the soldiers who were putting him to death and the mocking of the criminals who hung beside him.
Even as we consider this our hearts begin to cry, “Stop! Surely he cannot bear anymore.”
Yet Christ says, “Add more. Add to me the sins of the people of Israel as they turned and rebelled and chased after false gods. After that, add to me all the sins of all the earth that are being committed at this very moment and then heap on all the sins of the history of humanity to this day—all the sins of all those who are mine. Give me Moses’ rebellion and David’s adultery and Solomon’s philandering. Give me Adam’s complaining and Jacob’s obstinacy and Samson’s lust.”
The angels of heaven seem to shout, “Stop! Surely he has reached his limit!”
But again he speaks to say, “Burden me more! Add to me the weight of all the sins of the next two thousand years, add to me all the sins of all the ages that will follow. Load on the guilt of the blasphemer, the perjurer, the murderer, the adulterer, then the shame of the thief, the gossip, the hater, the idler. Give me the sins of omission and commission, the spontaneous sins and the carefully planned, the sins that were done and the good that was left undone. Give it to me. Give it all to me until not a single one remains. Give until there is no more left to give.”
The earth seems to tremble as he speaks yet again. “Now give me the sorrows, give me the losses, give me the broken hearts. Give me creation itself as it groans under the weight of what humanity has done, of what they have wrought. Heap it on, for I have room left to carry it, I have strength left to bear it.”
Men and angels alike pause in wonder at Christ receiving without grumbling, accepting without complaining, and bearing without limitShare
No wonder, then, that the sun is blotted from the sky, that darkness falls over the land. And as the light fades, men and angels alike pause in wonder at Christ receiving without grumbling, accepting without complaining, and bearing without limit—bearing it until at last it is lifted by the only One who has the right to do so.
And maybe this is just the smallest glimpse at what Isaiah meant when he said, “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows…” (Isaiah 53:4)
Inspired by De Witt Talmage

The God of peace be with you today.

Samuel James considers the rise of sports betting and how it affects our confidence in the games we love. He bridges from there into a discussion of plausibility structures and other interesting matters.

Rebekah Matt tells how marriage is a kind of crucible. She also explains what the Lord means to accomplish through it.

John Piper says: “I hope you’ll be part of this conference and come and learn what God might be pleased to do in your life and our lives—to see His great commission finished and the Bible and the gospel spread to all the peoples of the world.” Join us for The Missionary Conference, October 16-18 in Jacksonville, FL. (Sponsored)

“There is something about me that always wants to be in control. If I am sick, I want to outlearn the disease and overcome it. If relationships start to fail, I want to be able to charm them back to life. We all desire control.”

Garrett Kell considers what temptation is and is not. “Understanding the nature of temptation should sober us. It reminds us that no matter how good temptation makes sin appear, it’s a mirage. … Temptation stokes pride and tells you that you deserve to be at the center of the universe. Indulging in its fleeting offerings only leaves us empty and full of regret.”

“Nothing hurts as badly as the loss of a loved one. We were not created or designed to experience separation from those whom we hold dear. … Our souls cry out to hear the voices of those we love, to feel their arms wrapped around us, to look into their eyes and get lost in their souls once again. The ache is vast, overwhelming, and often indescribable. It’s a raging storm of hurt, fear, sadness, and anger. And if we are not careful, it can overtake us. How can a believer make it through the loss of a loved one well?”

“Society is saturated with apologizers. Every which way we turn, someone is apologizing for something because it offended someone. It’s a vicious cycle. And Christians are, in part, included in this mess. We may not necessarily say, ‘I’m sorry’ for a particular doctrine or Bible verse, but we sometimes may try to downplay it in order to soften its blow. Don’t soften the blow.”

Here are a couple of objects I discovered in my round-the-world Epic journey that help tell the story of Easter.

When God does not give us the things we plead for, he will give us grace to do without them; and if we accept his decision sweetly and trustingly — he will enable us to go on rejoicing.
—J.R. Miller

May the Lord be with you and bless you today.
Westminster Books is having a big Spring Clearance Sale—reducing their inventory of books that are great, but that they have too many of. Also, if you let them know of a current or future pastor, they’ll send them a free copy of a brand new book by John Currie.
There are a few new Kindle deals this morning.
(Yesterday on the blog: The Sins That Plague Our Souls)

“We need a gospel awakening in Africa. Those of us who labor across Africa must not sacrifice biblical principles for short-term results. Over the past 50 years, this approach has resulted in African churches filled with nominal Christians who believe in a different gospel. We must do the long work of biblical preaching that convicts men of sin and calls men to repentance and faith. We must labor in prayer until Christ is formed in the hearts of men and women who are dead in their trespasses and sin. We must long, pray, and work for the conversion of men and then diligently disciple each one who believes in Jesus into maturity.”

This is a good question to wrestle through. “Don’t be more guarded in your language than the apostles. When you’re more careful than Scripture, it can justify others’ concerns about Calvinism killing evangelism. Peter and Paul may not have told unbelievers ‘Jesus died for you,’ but they did make similar appeals in their evangelism…”

Andrew pleads with wavering Christians not to abandon their faith. “As you consider deconstruction, deconversion or even the moral dereliction of the truth at is in Jesus, may I offer you four facts that might anchor the home of your heart and might help you to stand firm when drifting back or away feel like a foregone conclusion…”

Trevin Wax: “It doesn’t matter how kind or winsome our approach may be. There will be times when our polite refusal to go along will be seen as a threat to societal cohesion. When we refuse to name good evil and evil good, or be complicit in certain forms of injustice, or deny the nature of bodily givenness, or go along with a lie simply because it’s socially acceptable, or say the lesser of two evils is somehow good, or sacrifice key principles as we engage in public and political life, or deny the core teachings of Christianity when they’re unpopular, our quiet ‘no’ will be scandalous.”

Elyse Fitzpatrick imagines some of what we will experience in the new heavens and new earth. “If you believe that this present world is all there is, then you will war and plunder and seek to get rather than give. If, on the other hand, you believe that what you’re seeing now is merely a shadow of what is to come (1 Cor 13:12), then you can live freely, generously, and joyously in this present age.”

“Christians are a Last Days people and will continue to be, until Christ’s return. Let’s not get caught up in the Speculation Industry that promotes confusion, distorts biblical texts, and deceives people far and wide. The Lord Jesus will return in great glory and splendor. But his return isn’t prompted by or connected to a total solar eclipse.”

We all sin in different ways. Some sin loudly and some sin quietly. Some sin in their actions and some in their imaginations. But it’s all sin.

If I could write as I would about the goodness of God to me, the ink would boil in my pen!
—Frances Ridley Havergal