Fluency

I was exposed to this hymn written by John Newton on the Challies blog.

Though I grew up in a tradition where hymns were the dominant form of congregational signing, I don’t think I had heard this one before.

Having read the words I was intriguer to hear it song.
I found it on the iGrace music online hymnal (for those who want the music they have the piano and guitar music available to print).
And a rendition on YouTube (below).

Before watching the video, ponder the words.

Approach, My Soul, the Mercy Seat

words by John Newton
based on Ps. 32:5-7

Chorus: Approach, my soul, the mercy seat,
Where Jesus answers prayer; 
There humbly fall before His feet, 
For none can perish there.

1. Thy promise is my only plea, 
With this I venture nigh; 
Thou callest burdened souls to Thee 
And such, O Lord, am I.

2. Bowed down beneath a load of sin, 
By Satan sorely pressed, 
By wars without and fears within,
I come to Thee for rest.

3. Be Thou my shield and hiding place, 
That, sheltered near Thy side,
I may my fierce accuser face, 
And tell him Thou hast died!

4. O wondrous love! To bleed and die, 
To bear the cross and shame,
That guilty sinners, such as I, 
Might plead Thy gracious name!

©1998 Kevin Twit Music.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Additional Verses
courtesy of Michael Lyman

5. “Poor tempest-toss-ed soul, be still;
My promised grace receive;
I’ll work in thee both power and will;
Thou shalt in me believe.”

The world was no doubt made, that it might be a theatre of the divine glory.  John Calvin

God is glorious (adjective), reveals his glory (noun), and is to be glorified (verb).  Christopher W. Morgan

Read an interview with Christopher Morgan, about his new book, The Glory of God.

One brief exerpt

More particularly, the Bible speaks of the glory of God in several distinct senses:

1. Glory may designate God himself (2 Pet. 1:17).
2. Glory sometimes refers to an internal characteristic, attribute, or a summary of attributes of God. Scripture regularly depicts God as intrinsically glorious in the sense of fullness, sufficiency, majesty, beauty, and splendor.
3. Glory may refer to God’s presence (Exod. 3-4; 13–14; 16:7; 20; 24; 32-34; 40:34-38, etc.).
4. Glory may refer to the display of God’s attributes, perfections, or person. God glorifies himself in displaying himself. As he puts his works on display, he glorifies himself. His mercy, grace, justice, and wrath are all displayed in salvation and judgment (cf. Rom. 9:20–23; Eph. 2:4–10).
5. Glory may refer to the ultimate goal of the display of God’s attributes, perfections, or person. Exodus and Ezekiel, for example, are replete with passages that unfold God’s actions for the sake of his name, or in order that people will know he is the Lord. Paul points out that God chooses, adopts, redeems, and seals us “to the praise of the glory of his grace” (Eph. 1:6, 12, 14). That is, in saving us, God displays his grace; and in displaying his grace, he brings glory to himself.
6. Glory sometimes connotes heaven, the heavenly, or the eschatological consummation of the full experience of the presence of God (cf. Heb. 2:10; Phil. 4:19; Rom. 2:7; 1 Tim. 3:16; etc.).
7. Giving glory to God also may refer to responding appropriately to God in the form of worship, exaltation, or exultation (cf. Psalm 29:2; Luke 2:9, 14, 20; doxologies; etc.).

 

 

“God’s promises are like stars; the darker the night the brighter they shine.” David Nicholas

Part 1 Mercy defined
Part 2 Mercy never runs out

Mercy may not remove consequences

One truth about God’s abundant mercy that should cause us to fear God is that mercy does not always remove consequences.

When we make bad choices (foolish or sinful) we are sometimes left with the scars to remind us.  Why doesn’t mercy remove them?

Would we really learn to depend on God?  Would we really learn to trust God?

So in His mercy He may leave the consequences.

A key principle, in the words of Andy Stanley:
“God is generous with His Grace and thorough with His Discipline.”

Therefore mercy leads to the fear of God.  Not a fear that makes us run from God, but run to God and away from sin to embrace the mercy He extends.

The book of Haggai is a great illustration of this principle.  God, through Haggai, calls on the returned remnant of Judah to make Him their priority.

Those who returned from exile quickly began the work of God–rebuilding the temple, so that God could dwell in their midst.  But as quickly as they started, they were distracted by life.  Not just the necessities of life but the luxuries of life.  They suspended the rebuilding for 14 years, with the constant refrain, “Is it time yet?”

God disciplines them to get their attend and when confronted they repent. They are called to renew their commitment and focus on God first.  They repent, respond and act.  But here is where mercy and our timetable collide. Though they had repented and were forgiven, they must wait for a number of months before they would see relief from the consequences of their misplaced priorities.

God forgave but did not immediately restore what they had lost.

God is merciful. God is gracious. 
There is nothing that can exhaust God’s mercy or grace.
But the consequences of our sin, which require God’s mercy and grace, may remain.  We may still have the physical, emotional or relational consequences.  But even with the presence of consequences–Mercy is abundant.  His mercy is sufficient.

Praise God for His mercy!

Part 1 Mercy defined

Mercy never runs out

A. W. Tozer, Knowledge of the Holy

Mercy is an attribute of God, an infinite and inexhaustible energy within the divine nature which disposes God to be actively compassionate.

Mercy never began to be, but from eternity was; so it will never cease to be. It will never be more since it is itself infinite; and it will never be less because the infinite cannot suffer diminution. Nothing that has occurred or will occur in heaven or earth or hell can change the tender mercies of our God. Forever His mercy stands, a boundless, overwhelming immensity of divine pity and compassion.

Lamentations 3:21-24
21 But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:
22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”

To wake up in the morning and realize that God’s steadfast love didn’t cease overnight, that His mercy didn’t run out, that every morning there is as much grace, love and mercy as you might need—that is truly amazing and utterly unmerited.

Some worry, even warn, that we should not talk about grace and mercy in these terms for fear of “letting people off the hook.” They warn that some will take grace for granted and some will abuse mercy. But who are we to seek to limit God’s grace and mercy? If anyone takes it for granted, they are taking God for granted—and He can take care of Himself. And if anyone abuses mercy, they are abusing God’s gift—and He is the one wronged, not us.

Oh, that we would be a people of grace and mercy.

I don’t want to limit God’s grace and mercy—I need all I can get!

I want to wake up each morning thanking God for His renewed grace and reservoir of mercy. The more I understand His character, the more I understand what grace and mercy are, the more I should worship. And worship includes obedience.

Take grace for granted? Abuse mercy? I probably will.

But praise God, He grants grace and never ceases giving mercy.

Oh, may I live ever to honor, to obey, to praise Him, the one whose grace I abuse and whose mercy I require constantly.

Habakkuk 3:2 2 O Lord, I have heard the report of you, and your work, O Lord, do I fear. In the midst of the years revive it; in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy. (ESV)

Daniel 9:17-19 Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate. 18 O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. 19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.” (ESV)

All of God’s attributes work together and none of them is greater than any of the others–since God is infinity all that He is He is infinity. But one of God’s attributes that I appreciate in a very personal way is mercy (we’ll look at grace and sovereignty later).

As posted by Justin Taylor, From a letter from David Powlison to a 13 year old (C.J. Mahaney’s son):

Don’t ever forget: God is merciful to you.

Mercy is who he is. “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6).

Mercy is what he does. “If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but delivered him over for us all, how will he not also with him freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:31-32).

Mercy is what you need. “Lord, hear my voice. . . . If you, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with you, that you may be feared” (Psalm 130:3-4).

God’s mercy is not a theory, a bunch of words, or stories from a long time ago. It is the reality upon which your life depends. Mercy is a reality that anchors you into the life and death of Jesus Christ. He has come for us. Help has come for you. You need help from outside yourself. Ask for help.

Part 2 Mercy never runs out
Part 3 Mercy may not remove the consequences

A friend shared Psalm 25 in our staff devotions asking us to notice what David reveals about our attitudes toward God and our asking of God.

As I was looking at the Psalm I notice that, like most Psalms, one of the key questions we also need to ask is, what are the attributes of God revealed?

1. The attributes of God
2. Our attitude toward God
3. Our “asking” /requests of God

I’d encourage you to spend some time in this Psalm.

The Attributes of God

God has a plan (way, path, leads, teaches)
He is merciful, has steadfast love, faithful, forgives,
He is good, upright,
He keeps his covenant and testimonies
He is a friend of those who fear Him

Our Attitudes towards God

Because of who he is, we must
focus on (direct our desires), trust, wait, humble, fear the Lord, take refuge in, rest ….
All these terms have the concept of yielding or dependence

Our Asking of God

And because of who He is and what we need, we can ask for him to…
not allow us to be put to shame, nor allow our enemies to exult over us,
we can request that he lead us the humble, makes know His ways, teaches us His truth, forgive our sins, pardons
remains merciful, demonstrates steadfast love
we should request that he turn to us, would be gracious to us, bring us out of distress, consider our situation, guard and deliver us, protect our integrity because of our connection to him.

In all that David teaches us to ask of God, God is active.

His is able
We are needy
He can supply what we need

We often refer to some of God’s attributes as the “omni’s.” The prefix “omni” means “all or every or complete.”

Recently I was listening to a sermon by Ramesh Richards, one of my DTS profs–a brilliant man. In that sermon, as a sidenote, he referred to God as omnicompetent. I had never heard that term–but I think I can define it.

God is omnicompetent, or omnicapable, in that He is capable of doing what needs to be done.  He is competent / capable to handle every situation, doing whatever is needed with a view to whatever will accomplish His ultimate purpose for His greatest glory.

How should we respond to the God who is Omnicompetent?

If God is able to handle every situation, then we should trust Him in any situation.  This means we must surrender our control over situations and circumstances–not trying to control outcomes but we must be willing to depend on God’s competence.  Not try to do it ourselves, by ourselves, for ourselves.  However, this does not necessarily mean passivity. Part of God’s omnicompetence is His enablement of us.  But we must distinguish between active faith in the omnicompetent Lord and our “feeling of” or “attempts to be” omnicompetent.  We are not super-men, but God is supernatural.

Continued reflections on the attributes, character, person and actions of God.

God is Omnipresent

This is normally defined as, God is everywhere.

But as I ponder this attribute, I’m struck that the normal definition is too small.  Since God is infinite, His omnipresence is infinite--infinite presence. But I know my mind cannot grasp the infinite.  So how can we speak of the infinite presence of God?

God is not everywhere--everywhere is in the presence of God.

That puts the focus correctly on the personal presence of God while at the same time maintaining a balance with His infinite transcendent nature. There is nowhere that is out of the presence of God.

It is God that is “big” and creation “small.”  Even writing that is hard for me to contemplate when I read of and see the magnitude of our universe (see the videos below).  But that is exactly the point--as “big” as the universe is, it is not infinite.  The universe is finite even in its grandeur.

So, if the universe is finite in its grandeur, what is God like?  He is awesome in His infinite presence.  No limitation to where He is, everything is in the presence of God.  God is not bound by the universe.  The universe cannot contain the grandeur of God.

So although everything is in the presence of God and the universe cannot contain God--God is distinct from the universe.  He is not the universe.  He is the Creator and Lord of the Universe. Yet He is personal (see Psalm 139).

So how should we respond to a God who is omnipresent?

• Awe and worship
• Don’t try to hide--because we can’t; therefore, be honest with Him
• Trust because He is always available
• Comfort from His ever-present nature

(For more on the attributes of God click on the “attributes” category.)

James 1:13-18 includes two great truths about God that serve as bookend to one reality about us.

Context

First the context.  James wrote to exhort believers to mature conduct by demonstrating their faith and wisdom through godly living (holiness) in spite of their sinful desires and the influence of the world (testing and sin). James 1:2-4 sets the stage for the whole book.

James 1:2-4 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (ESV)

He identifies the challenge–”testing of your faith.”
God’s goal–”that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
And our desired response–joy and steadfastness.

Notice that what James is dealing with is “the testing of your faith” that “various kinds” of trial or circumstances produce.  He focus is not on the circumstances, the external forces, but the challenge to one’s faith.

Our faith is tested for strategic purpose–to make us perfect and complete, lacking nothing–as we remain steadfast.

The second part of the context is the first necessary response to the testing of our faith–the need for wisdom.

James 1:5–6 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. (ESV)

When our faith is tested and we are not sure how to respond, we are to ask God for wisdom.  Wisdom to respond in a way that we can remain steadfast so that God can make us perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

The Character of God

When we don’t respond correctly to the trials of our faith, we tend to shift the blame from ourselves to others and to God.   (See Genesis 3, where Adam passes the blame to Eve and Eve to Satan.)

We may be tempted to ask, “Why is He doing this?”  ”Why is He causing this temptation?”  ”Why does He want me to fail?”

But notices James’ reminder of two great truths about God.

James 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. (ESV)

James 1:17–18 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. (ESV)

The first truth–There is nothing in God to which evil can appeal.  There is no evil in God, no evil motives.

The second truth–In contrast to any evil, God is a giver, a giver of good gifts.

Rather than doing evil to us or seeking to cause us to stumble so He can judge or punish–He is the giver of good and perfect gifts.

Even the trials are for our good.
Even the trials of our character are for our good.

How? Why?

Because His desire for us is not comfort or happiness, but to make us complete, perfect and lacking nothing.

God’s goal for us is what is best for us.

Our Reality

So when we stumble, we cannot blame God–there is nothing in Him motivated by evil.  When we stumble we must acknowledge that it is as a result of our own desires (the reality about us in this passage).

But we could argue, “He gave me the desires, it’s His fault.”

If He gave us the desires, than He can fulfill them the way He intended them to be fulfilled.  We must trust Him and His motives–for they can only be pure, good and holy.

May we trust His character.