A Catechism of Christian Hedonism

1) What is the chief purpose of God?
To glorify God.

2) How worthy is God of glory?
God is infinitely glorious therefore is worthy of infinite glory.

3) Can God exist without preferring His glory above everything else?
God by nature has to glorify Himself in all that He does being infinitely worthy of glory.

4) How does God give Himself glory?
God gives Himself glory be enjoying Himself.

5) How is God's self-enjoyment shown?
God's self-enjoyment is shown by having supreme delight in all that He is: every person and work of the trinity; Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

6) Does God have any interest in humanity?
Yes. He wants humans to share in the enjoyment of His glory.

7) What is the chief purpose of humanity?
To glorify God.

8) How can humans glorify God?
Humans can glorify God by enjoying Him.

9) Why should humans glorify God?
Humans should glorify God because God is the only all-satisfying being.

10) Why aren't Christians more excited about the gospel?
....(Respond)

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Diligence toward the Lord and spiritual things

I have a neighbour next door who is very diligent at gardening. I'm sure that she enjoyes it emensly, but yesterday she was out there even in the wind toiling away. I happend to observe her from the children's bedroom. It was really impressive, but she had no idea I was watching her. Also a few months ago I went to the gym to take up a free trial they were giving. One of the ladies who runs "Yummy Mummy" class has such muscles that it takes years to build them up. Very impressive! in the same manner it takes great dedication to maintain a beautiful garden just as well as impressive muscles. What about us Christians? Here is what John Owen says: "Do we make religion our chief concern in life? With many of us, everything else is put before the one essential thing - our spiritual welfare. If we are continually occupied with the affairs of the world and only just make time now and then to consider spiritual realities, it is a sure sign that our spiritual life is wasting away" (p.83) He also expands that if have not invested into our spiritual life before how can we expect to be spiritual and bear fruit in an old age?
That thought should encourage us to press on because our dilligence not only helps us to be spiritual and bear fruit for the Lord and His glory, but also is a huge witness to non-believers. Even if they don't observe us just like I did with my neighbout, still they will be challenged and touched in one way or the other.
May the Lord help us to be everything that He purposed in His good plan for us!!!
Amen.

Amazed...

Greetings fellow members!

As we were talking at the dinner table tonight and Joseph asking Victor alot of questions about The Lord it struck me that when Jesus overturned the money tables in the temple how there was no tumultous hubbub or riot and how no one could stop Jesus as His wrath was seen and the fire that must have burned in His eyes, the righteous anger displayed (John 2:14-17)... and also when they tried to throw Jesus down a cliff and he just passed through the middle of the throng and no harm done (Luke 4:29-30)...and Jesus said that no one could take His life from Him but that He lays it down of His own authority (John 10:18)...oh what power and glory!
No one could hurt Him unless He allowed it. And He did.
It also reminds me of Christ's 'subdued' anger and that one day it will be fully displayed.
Rienke mentioned that Owen's book shows different aspects of Christ's glory and tonight's thought just stayed with me and it just amazes me. Thinking like this is musing on His Glory.

May we not only be amazed at His goodness, gentleness, love and longsuffering but also at His justice and power being displayed, not only than but now! He controls all things.
Nothing is hidden from His sight and may we live in that continual knowledge, fully aware of His gaze.

God bless!
Cynthia.

Another thought about 'The glory of Christ'

One more positive comment on ‘The Glory of Christ’. It is a real blessing God gives us books like this one so that we can still learn from gifted people like Owen even centuries after their death!
I have not finished it yet, but the book has already been very instructive. I think the thing mostly touched me is that although we can’t see Christ in reality now, we are able by grace to see Him through faith. God does not need us to glorify Him, because he is self-sufficient. But nevertheless we do not have to be content with just a vague image of Christ as our Saviour. We are allowed to learn more about Him even in this life. What a glorious fact!
I like the book because it doesn’t stop after saying that we must see the glory of Christ in this life if we are real Christians (which is true in itself) but also shows us so many different aspects of the Christ’s glory. There is so much in Christ! Last night I read the chapter about the glory of Christ by giving Himself to believers. He unites himself with his people through the Holy Spirit. But through Christ we can also see the Father, as Owen explains in the beginning of his book. So in Christ we can glorify the whole Trinity! Reading this book makes me really humble because there is so much more in Christ than I understand, but also desiring to get more knowledge of Christ.
Recently I read something J.C. Ryle wrote. He says that many Christians complain about lacking sensible comfort in their religion because they do not see clearly the great object on which their faith rests. He stresses the importance of the knowledge of the fullness in Christ, his resurrection, priesthood, intercession, unfailing compassion and so on. “Our slight and imperfect knowledge of Christ is the true reason of our discomfort. Let the time past suffice us to have been lazy students in Christ’s school: let the time to come find us more diligent in trying to ‘know him, and the power of his resurrection’ (Phil. 3:10).” Reading Owen’s book is a really good starting point to become a zealous student!

Reason for Negatives and Reason for God

Sorry to hear you failed Angela! Am praying for your next test!

Failing a driving test is a great way to submit your money to Gods ruling. I failed a...few.. and found that God taught me to really rely on Him in the financial area of my life.

I've been reading Packer's book 'Knowing God' today. In the chapter called God only Wise. He says:

'We are confronted with the wisdom of God ordering the events of a human life for a double purpose: the individual's own personal sanctification, and the fulfilling of his appointed ministry and service in the life and people of God.'

He orders everything in a better way than we ever could!

Angela mentioned Tim Keller's sermons. Here's the link to the whole series called: 'The Trouble with Christianity: Why it's so Hard to Believe It'. The sermons look at six common objections to Christianity in a rational easy-to listen-to way.

Heavenly minded

The book has been truly a blessing indeed! Such wonderful solid teaching is vital in our present Christian lives.
So many things has spoken to me, but today ch.13 came to mind and helped so much. I was really hoping and praying for a pass in my driving test, but alas, failed again! I think because I prayed and fasted it was not as such a hard blow as it was before, but still not an easy thing to swallow - all I can do is to remember that the Lord is faithful. As John Owen puts: "while we are in this life, the Lord Christ in his Sovereign wisdom sometimes hides himself from us. Job complained that he could not see God on the left hand or on the right (Job 23:8,9). Isaiah writes: Truly you are God who hide yourself, O God of Israel, the Saviour" (Is. 45:15) The Psalmist cried: How long, Lord?Will you hide yourself for ever? (Ps. 89:46)." Owen carried on to explain why sometimes God hides Himself from us? "He does it to stir us up to search for him with all our heart." This is one of the reasons, but such a good one! This driving experience caused me to seek the Lord more than I ever imagined. Not much changed for men when they get married, but for women even most sealous and spiritual ones is hard to stay that way. I spoke to many mums and it seems to be prevalent. In times like these it is good to have a substantial knowledge to fall on. We as Christians forever greatful for the Bible, as I was going out I read Psalm 35 and it was great encouragemet, but books like Owen's are deffinately God's blessing and soloid nutrition =). Lastly, we I failed and was debriefed, I offered him a website to Tim Kellers sermons. He declined. During my driving he asked me questions and I asked him whether he is a believer or not? His asnwer was "no". So we got talking a bit. So when he said no to the website, I thought to myself - Mr. Examiner, you just FAILED to seek the Lord! The while time he was complaining that it was hot (it was a beautiful sunny day and may be I was not eating for days I could not feel anything), but what a HEAT it will be for those who reject the Lord. Sad truth, but very sobering one.
Look forward seeing you all at the book review on Thursday!!!
with much love in Jesus,
Angela.

Sproul and hard sayings

Thanks for that Cynthia. Was challenged by the quote from Sproul:

'The Christian who seeks a deeper experience of God by ignoring the hard sayings of scripture gets nowhere.’

On the topic of hard sayings:

'Hell is only a punishment, but sin is a crime. It is more evil than the punishment, and it is that of which Hell is the punishment. That God is glorified on men in such a way is a clear and full proof what an evil thing it is to sin against and dishonour God. Consequently Hell itself does not inflict so much hurt as sin does.

Hell, indeed is a dismal place of horror and torment, the extremity of suffering, but it never had any existence till sin had... It is reported as a saying of Anselm that if sin and Hell were set before him and he must go through one of them, he would choose to go through Hell rather than sin.' Ralph Venning. (The Sinfulness of Sin, pg 187, Banner of Truth)

Haven't read the whole book yet but from what I've read it's clear, deep and profound teaching. Buy it here.

Here's Piper on the wrath of God:

Christ has completely absorbed God's wrath for us! 'He became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him' (2 Cor 5v21).

one more thought...

Hello!
Well, I finished the book and must say that I thoroughly enjoyed it.
My prayer for myself and those who are reading this too is that it won’t be another piece of knowledge accumulated but a true hearts desire to experience more of Christ’s glory in our daily lives and see Him ‘High and lifted up’ (see Isaiah 6:1) just like Isaiah had a heavenly vision of the glory of the Lord and was enthralled by it.

In Ch.13 page 66, J. Owen writes: ‘If we are satisfied with the mere idea of the glory of Christ as a piece of information obtained from scripture, we shall find it has no transforming power for our lives. Let us love Christ with full purpose of heart; let our minds be filled with thoughts of delight in him; let our trust in him be constantly exercised; then virtue will proceed from him to purify our hearts, increase our holiness, strengthen our graces and fill us sometimes with “joy inexpressible and full of glory”(1Peter 1:8) It is good if the love of our heart is quickened at the same time as our understanding is enlightened.
Mere knowledge and no love leads to empty formality.
All love and no knowledge leads to superstition.’

I just started to read R.C Sproul’s book The Soul’s Quest for God, it is good and also ties in with what Owen says. In this particular chapter he talks about Ezekiel. (I will paraphrase) Ezekiel was a prophet who was sent to speak warnings of woe and sorrow to the people because of their sins. Any good prophet had a tremendous task in front of him and it wasn’t an easy one at all (there were also false prophets who cared about themselves and people’s opinions). God told Ezekiel to eat the scroll in Ez.2, he not only chewed it but had to swallow it. So we too need to digest the Word of God. The words Ezekiel spoke weren’t easy words but Sproul writes that why was it sweetness + honey to his soul? He tells of 2 reasons: he saw a remarkable vision and was captured by the visible manifestation of God’s Glory in heart and soul by an understanding of the holiness of God and secondly, ‘he understood that even God’s wrath and judgement are an expression of his purity. The Christian who seeks a deeper experience of God by ignoring the hard sayings of scripture gets nowhere.’
May we too experience more of this each day and ask the Lord to illumine His truth to us.
God bless you all,
Cynthia Mason.