For those of you who regularly read Worship Matters, it’s obvious I’ve been doing other things. But they’re all enjoyable and I pray fruitful. We had a wonderful Resurrection Sunday. I am once again astonished at the power, goodness, and mercy of God displayed in our redemption through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
This week I’ll be at the Sovereign Grace Leadership Conference. R.C. Sproul, who will be speaking on the holiness of God, and David Powlison will be guest speakers, but I’m probably most looking forward to C.J. Mahaney’s message Friday night on Trinitarian Pastoral Leadership. The longer I’m alive, the more persuaded I am that God being Father, Son, and Spirit has profound implications for everything we do. Due to the schedule, I most likely won’t post anything for the rest of the week. I hope to get back on track next week, Lord willing.
In the mean time, here are a few quotes from Bruce Ware’s book Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to think about.
To know the Christian faith, and to know what it means to be a Christian, one must see more clearly what it means for God to be triune. (p. 16)
Many Christian people will one day stand before the Lord aware as never before that they spent too little time getting to know the depth and the wonder of who God really is—including his revelation of himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the one God over all. (p. 16)
The doctrine of the Trinity is both central and necessary for the Christian faith to be what it is. Remove the Trinity, and the whole Christian faith disintegrates. (p. 16)
In order for us sinners to be saved, one must see God at one and the same time as the one judging our sin (the Father), the one making the payment of infinite value for our sin (the divine Son), and the one empowering and directing the incarnate—human—Son so that he lives and obeys the Father, going to the cross as the substitute for us (the Holy Spirit). (p. 17)
For some great Trinitarian theological writing check out:
http://www.christthetruth.org.uk/trinityandsalvation.htm
http://www.christthetruth.org.uk/firstthingsfirst.htm
and
http://www.christthetruth.org.uk/intimacywithGod.htm
The latter I think you’ll really love because it relates the Trinity to our theology of worship. NB it’s not my website, but that of a friend, so this is not self-promotion :)
Maybe I’m old fashioned, but I’m encouraged by the fact that you’re prioritizing other things above your blog. To me, it shows that you’re recognizing your responsibilities to Sovereign Grace members before the internet community at large, and it’s an evidence of grace that you’re not letting the blog go to your head. I’m always a little nervous when “famous” pastors invest so much time in things other than their primary ministry.
I can’t speak for everyone who reads the blog, but please, take all the time you need.
For those of us who learn by ear quicker than by eye, may I recommend Bruce Ware’s lectures from the Desiring God pastor’s conference on the same topic? Well worth the purchase price here, or stream them quickly here.
Also, Ware’s chapel message from Southern is a great single message on the topic, for free download.
“If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” Romans 8:11