Ok - don’t get used to this again, but in my prayer time this morning I was directed to sing the song “Jesus I My Cross Have Taken” as I read and prayed through a chapter in the book Prone to Wander. I’m going to put down all the lyrics because it’s a beautiful song. This has been a hard year, and it may still get more difficult as we head into the fall and winter. I love the line in the third stanza: “Life with trials hard may press me; Heaven will bring me sweeter rest.” Then turn to all of stanza 5…just take in the truth of this great song. There is sweet rest with Jesus. May you and I rest in that each and every day!

1. Jesus, I my cross have taken, 
All to leave and follow Thee. 
Destitute, despised, forsaken, 
Thou from hence my all shall be. 
Perish every fond ambition, 
All I’ve sought or hoped or known. 
Yet how rich is my condition! 
God and heaven are still my own.

2. Let the world despise and leave me, 
They have left my Savior, too. 
Human hearts and looks deceive me; 
Thou art not, like them, untrue. 
O while Thou dost smile upon me, 
God of wisdom, love, and might, 
Foes may hate and friends disown me, 
Show Thy face and all is bright.

3. Man may trouble and distress me, 
’Twill but drive me to Thy breast. 
Life with trials hard may press me; 
Heaven will bring me sweeter rest. 
Oh, ’tis not in grief to harm me 
While Thy love is left to me; 
Oh, ’twere not in joy to charm me, 
Were that joy unmixed with Thee.

4. Go, then, earthly fame and treasure, 
Come disaster, scorn and pain 
In Thy service, pain is pleasure, 
With Thy favor, loss is gain 
I have called Thee Abba Father, 
I have stayed my heart on Thee 
Storms may howl, and clouds may gather; 
All must work for good to me.

5. Soul, then know thy full salvation 
Rise o’er sin and fear and care 
Joy to find in every station, 
Something still to do or bear. 
Think what Spirit dwells within thee, 
Think what Father’s smiles are thine, 
Think that Jesus died to win thee, 
Child of heaven, canst thou repine.

6. Haste thee on from grace to glory, 
Armed by faith, and winged by prayer. 
Heaven’s eternal days before thee, 
God’s own hand shall guide us there. 
Soon shall close thy earthly mission, 
Soon shall pass thy pilgrim days, 
Hope shall change to glad fruition, 
Faith to sight, and prayer to praise.

4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— 6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Co 1:4–9)

Provided to YouTube by TuneCore Jesus I My Cross Have Taken [Andrew Osenga] · Indelible Grace Music Pilgrim Days: Indelible Grace II ℗ 2008 Indelible Grace M...

11 Has a nation changed its gods, 

even though they are no gods? 

But my people have changed their glory 

for that which does not profit. 

12 Be appalled, O heavens, at this; 

be shocked, be utterly desolate, 

declares the LORD, 

13 for my people have committed two evils: 

they have forsaken me, 

the fountain of living waters, 

and hewed out cisterns for themselves, 

broken cisterns that can hold no water. (Jeremiah 2:11-13)

This reference is probably well-known, at least the gist of it. What it points out is the folly of going to something for supply that cannot produce what is needed. I would not go to some quick oil-change place for a good dinner (or probably even an oil change). I would not go to a hardware store to find a good pair of running shoes. It’s not that hard to figure out, but yet we so often turn to something other than God to deal with our sin and our guilt and our shame. We turn to something other than God for our identity and worth. It is all as futile as seeking water from a broken cistern…and especially a cistern we made ourselves that’s still broken.

I’m reminded of this quote from John Calvin in his seminal work. Take the time and read it slowly.

“We see that our whole salvation and all its parts are comprehended in Christ [Acts 4:12]. We should therefore take care not to derive the least portion of it from anywhere else. If we seek salvation, we are taught by the very name of Jesus that it is “of him” [1 Cor. 1:30]. If we seek any other gifts of the Spirit, they will be found in his anointing. If we seek strength, it lies in his dominion; if purity, in his conception; if gentleness, it appears in his birth. For by his birth he was made like us in all respects [Heb. 2:17] that he might learn to feel our pain [cf. Heb. 5:2]. If we seek redemption, it lies in his passion; if acquittal, in his condemnation; if remission of the curse, in his cross [Gal. 3:13]; if satisfaction, in his sacrifice; if purification, in his blood; if reconciliation, in his descent into hell; if mortification of the flesh, in his tomb; if newness of life, in his resurrection; if immortality, in the same; if inheritance of the Heavenly Kingdom, in his entrance into heaven; if protection, if security, if abundant supply of all blessings, in his Kingdom; if untroubled expectation of judgment, in the power given to him to judge. In short, since rich store of every kind of good abounds in him, let us drink our fill from this fountain, and from no other. Some men, not content with him alone, are borne hither and thither from one hope to another; even if they concern themselves chiefly with him, they nevertheless stray from the right way in turning some part of their thinking in another direction. Yet such distrust cannot creep in where men have once for all truly known the abundance of his blessings.”*

Here is one of the better songs I could find to speak to what we have in Christ - the vast fountain (treasure) that we ought not turn away from to seek out broken idols that cannot save or serve. “How Rich a Treasure We Possess” by Matt Boswell.

How rich a treasure we possess, in Jesus Christ our Lord
His blood our ransom and defense His glory our reward
The sum of all created things are worthless in compare
For our inheritance is Him whose praise angels declare

How free and costly was the love, displayed upon the cross
While we were dead in untold sin the Sovereign purchased us
The will of God the Father demonstrated through the Son
The Spirit seals the greatest work the work which Christ has done

How vast and measureless the flood of mercy unrestrained
The penalty was paid in full the spotless Lamb was slain
Salvation, what a priceless gift received by grace through faith
We stand in robes of righteousness we stand in Jesus' name

For Yours' is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory
Yours' is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory
Yours' is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory
Yours' is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory;
Amen, amen, amen

Provided to YouTube by Catapult Reservatory, LLC How Rich a Treasure We Possess · Matt Boswell Messenger Hymns, Vol. 1 - EP ℗ 2012 Doxology & Theology Releas...

*Calvin, J. (2011). Institutes of the Christian Religion & 2. (J. T. McNeill, Ed., F. L. Battles, Trans.) (Vol. 1, pp. 527–528). Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.

This morning part of my reading was James 3. Most of us are familiar with this as the famous “tongue” chapter. Here James draws out the power of the tongue. He starts the chapter with a warning; that not many should aspire to become teachers because the teacher will be judged more strictly, and we all know the tongue is not able to be restrained. The picture is a bit foreboding. For to describe the tongue as a restless evil, full of deadly poison (verse 8) is not really all that encouraging. And the words that follow are very pointed.

9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

The contradiction that spouts forth from between our lips is not good. But there is another way that this incongruity is seen - in what we type/write. The times that we are living in seem to grow more and more vitriolic by the day. The way people “speak” on social media can be appalling. And whether I have typed it myself; I certainly have thought it and that brings culpability as well. It is disheartening to see Christians who have become so tribal and narrow in their views that anyone who does not think or say exactly what they want is fair game to be attacked. How can we curse those made in the likeness of God? This does not mean we cannot disagree, but there has to be a better way.  

Not surprisingly, James goes on to show us that better way.

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

We must turn to the wisdom that is from above. It is wisdom that is pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, and sincere. Wow!!! Imagine conversation (spoken or typed) that displayed that wisdom! Where do we get that?

10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; 

all those who practice it have a good understanding. 

His praise endures forever! (Psalm 111:10; cf. Proverbs 15:33) 

The fear of the Lord - the knowledge of God - that is our wisdom. But it is more than that. The wisdom of God was, and is, most fully displayed in the One who came to be our wisdom and our righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30). The one who sprang from the stump of Jesse whom Isaiah described like this;

2 And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, 

the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, 

the Spirit of counsel and might, 

the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. 

3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. 

He shall not judge by what his eyes see, 

or decide disputes by what his ears hear, 

4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, 

and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; 

and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, 

and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. 

5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, 

and faithfulness the belt of his loins. (Isaiah 11:2-5)

And here’s what should blow every person who is “in Christ” - it should blow your mind. You are commanded to have that mindset within you (that way of acting), and - here is the amazing part - it is yours because you are in Christ Jesus - you are united to him by grace through faith (cf. Philippians 2:1-11, especially verse 5). Ponder that. Pray for that to be more visible. And praise God for that!

Two songs this morning. The first is by Wes King (“Sticks and Stones”) and the second is by Keith and Kristyn Getty (“The Perfect Wisdom of Our God”). Enjoy.

Provided to YouTube by Sony Music Entertainment Sticks And Stones · Wes King Sticks And Stones ℗ 1991 Reunion Records Inc. Producer: Gary Chapman Producer: J...

The official video for Keith and Kristyn Getty's song "The Perfect Wisdom Of Our God" off their album "Hymns For The Christian Life." Hymns For The Christian...

He is risen! He is risen indeed!

Those are words that the believer can rightly speak every day, every moment of his or her life. This truth is not something we remember only one Sunday a year, but every day of the year. It is part of what the church has confessed from the earliest time: “…the third day he rose again from the dead…” (The Apostles’ Creed) and “…the third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures” (The Nicene Creed). We confess this truth because it is the bedrock of our faith. If there were no resurrection we would all be fools and we would still be in our sins (1 Corinthians 15:17-19). [Remember to watch the final video in the series from Crossway]

But the truth is Christ has risen from the dead! The work of redemption was not only finished, but proven true in this glorious display of the power of God. Christ redeemed sinners from the curse of the law. That is something we must all grasp. And when we do it makes the truth so much more powerful.

I remember going to the Together for the Gospel conference in 2008. And there R.C. Sproul spoke on Galatians 3:10-14, and it may be one of the more powerful and faithful expositions of Scripture I have ever heard. I miss this man. He has had a tremendous influence on me and I would encourage you to take the hour and watch the message below. It will deepen your appreciation for the work of Christ on your behalf. Listen and let it lead you to deeper worship of our risen and reigning Savior!

10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” 11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” 12 But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— 14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. 

There are so many songs I could pick for this day, but this one has words that speak well to the reality and the joy of what Christ did for us: “The Power of the Cross.” But it must be paired with this song: “Christ is Risen, He is Risen Indeed.” When we speak today, there is no separation between the cross and the resurrection. They are the work of God on behalf of sinners like you and me, and praise God they are!!

This message is from the 2008 Together for the Gospel conference. Purchase this conference as a digital download: http://www.ligonier.org/store/together-for-...