26 Monday Oct 2009
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I am in love with someone. This will not go anywhere because he and I both have said it won’t.
One of my friends thinks I should find a girl to date. I don’t think that would be fair to a girl since my heart wouldn’t be hers…at least, not for a while while I sort through my love for another guy.
This doesn’t seem fair…but am I shutting myself off to meeting a girl that I would delight in?
25 Sunday Oct 2009
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Will not a due apprehension of this inconceivable greatness of God, and that infinte distance wherein we stand from Him, fill the soul with such a holy and awful fear of Him, so as to keep it in a frame unsuited to the thriving or flourishing of any lust whatever? Let the soul be continually wonted to reverential thoughts of God’s greatness and omnipresence, and it will be much upon its watch as to any undue deportments. Consider Him with whom you have to do, –even “our God is a consuming fire;” and in your greatest abashments at His presence and eye, know that your very nature is too narrow to bear apprehensions suitable to His essential glory.
from On The Mortification of Sin in Believers, page 70.
24 Saturday Oct 2009
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In Chapters 10-12, John Owen makes recommendation on what to do with a distemper (or lust, or temptation, sin). One of these steps is to bring one’s lust to the gospel after one has brought the lust to the law in order to be convicted of its error.
23 Friday Oct 2009
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Continuing, paraphrasing from Owen:
When a man fights against a lust in his life only with reasons relating to the punishment due to it, the lust has grabbed hold of his will and there is an excess of naughtiness. [Ed note: “Naughtiness” is Owen’s word, not mine!] This type of man does not oppose anything which seduces his heart to sin, with the exception of cases where he fears the shaming of others or punishment of hell from God. If such a punishment were removed, he’d indulge gladly. I’m sure I don’t see the difference between this state and actually living out that sin in a daily fashion.
22 Thursday Oct 2009
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Owen continues (again, I paraphrase):
Consider which dangerous symptoms accompany your lust. If it has any deadly mark on it, then extra-ordinary measures will need to be used to mortify it properly. You will say, “What are these dangerous marks and symptoms?” Here’s a brief list.
21 Wednesday Oct 2009
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This morning, I’ve been reviewing some of John Owen’s writings. I will paraphrase him since his English isn’t very kind to the average reader, but the message is so profound that I wanted to share what this great teacher had to say about the motivation we must have in killing our indwelling sin. Previously in the book, Owen sets up the notion that unless a person is converted, that is, becomes a Christian, the mortification of sin is useless and will prove frustrating and futile. While the killing of sin in one’s life is something which every man should do, it’s only the converted man who will have lasting success; all others are called first to receive the Gospel. From this framework, Owen proceeds to question his readers’ motivation:
Hatred of sin as sin, not only as frustrating or annoying, but having a sense of the love of Christ in the cross lies at the foundation of all true spiritual mortification. There is a mortification which proceeds from self-love. You set yourself, diligently and earnestly, to mortify such a lust or sin: but why? It makes you uncomfortable; it has taken away your peace; it fills your heart with sorrow, trouble and fear; you have no rest because of it. Yes, but friend: you have neglected prayer and the reading of Scripture! You are guilty of self-promotion and looseness in your conversation in other things which aren’t connected to the lust that you’re trying to mortify!
09 Friday Oct 2009
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I spent quite a bit of time yesterday talking to a friend about the ugliness of sin.
It’s a tough thing to be in love with your best friend and even tougher to continually let those desires go unfulfilled precisely because you love that friend and want what’s best for them, never mind having been bought at a price and honoring God with your body, dying to self and struggling through what that means in your day-to-day life.
08 Thursday Oct 2009
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I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
–John 15:5-6, ESV
02 Friday Oct 2009
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Common to Evangelical circles today is the notion that “God knows my heart” is good news. The logic goes something like this: I haven’t measured up today, but I’m only human and God knows that. I mean, as long as I am trying…God will meet me half way. After all, He knows my heart and He knows I love Him.” Such rationale often comes from popular Christian authors, specifically John Eldredge.
This is, of course, extremely unbiblical. God does know your heart, to be sure, but this is not even close to being good news. Jeremiah 17:9 is a great refutation of this, one that Eldredge himself has attempted to refute, arguing that when someone becomes Christian that he has a new heart, a heart of flesh instead of a heart of stone.
01 Thursday Oct 2009
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I’ve given a great deal of thought to my appearance. From the way I keep my hair a certain length to the way I buy jeans that are sometimes fairly expensive. Everything down to my socks is carefully thought out most of the time.
Gay and Evangelical 