"Even the dogs are becoming Lutheran"

Hey you all,

How's everyone? I've just devoured 2 delightfully delicious pieces of Connie's fresh-baked chocolate chip banana bread. How much more delightful the delectably fresh-baked new covenant manna served at the marriage supper of the Lamb. Hmm, when on the eschatological calendar should we expect that meal be served?

Have you checked out Red Mountain Music? http://www.redmountainchurch.org/rmm/ We're singing Friend of Sinners and Depth of Mercy. It's all very theological/folky/earthy/home grown.

I'm enjoying Stephen Nichols lively little book, The Reformation: How a Monk and Mallet Changed the World [Crossway, 2007]. Under the section entitled Luther's earthy side, Nichols relates this ribald story:

"He [Luther] liked to recall a story of a burial of a Roman Catholic priest. As the body lay in the grave, those attending the service set down the holy water, which was to be poured into the grave. A dog happened by and did what dogs do into the bowl. Luther than delivered the punch line: 'Even the dogs are becoming Lutheran.'" [p.35]

The circle is sailing in the ocean of Owen's chapter 9 of The Mortification of Sin. Kill sin according to gospel principles. I love how Owen puts it:

"Those who are Christ’s, and are acted in their obedience upon gospel principles, have 1.the death of Christ, 2.the love of God, 3.the detestable nature of sin, 4.the preciousness of communion with God, 5.a deep-grounded abhorrency of sin as sin, to oppose to any seduction of sin, to all the workings, strivings, fightings of lust in their hearts. So did Joseph. “How shall I do this great evil,” saith he, “and sin against the Lord?” my good and gracious God. Gen xxxix. 9 And Paul, “The love of Christ constraineth us;”2 Cor. v. 14. and, “Having received these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all pollution of the flesh and spirit,” 2 Cor. vii. 1. But now if a man be so under the power of his lust that he hath nothing but law to oppose it withal, if he cannot fight against it with gospel weapons, but deals with it altogether with hell and judgment, which are the proper arms of the law, it is most evident that sin hath possessed itself of his will and affections to a very great prevalency and conquest. Such a person hath cast off, as to the particular spoken of, the conduct of renewing grace, and is kept from ruin only by restraining grace; and so far is he fallen from grace, and returned under the power of the law."

I've got to run. American idol is on the schedule. I'm cheering for Melinda Doolittle.

Doc

Jesus, our Second Adam

I have been blessed lately in my studies as I have seen Christ clearly and beautifully in the opening chapters of the Bible. Here are the first and last paragraphs from a recent essay I wrote (just for my blog, not a class) on the subject of the Second Adam, particularly as found within the story of the first Adam. I hope it encourages you to love Christ for his covenant-keeping work on your behalf, you covenant breakers! (as we all are!)

(You might want to read the whole thing here.)

The theology of Jesus as the Second Adam, federal head and representative of the elect, is typically expounded from its most clear supporting text, Romans 5. Some would even argue that prior to the New Testament there is no biblical hint of a Second Adam theology. But, as I have been thinking and reading on this topic lately, I wish to propose that in the first proclamation of the Gospel in promise form, found in Genesis 3, there is already a strong Second Adam theology emerging.
...
So we see that just as Adam was given the task of confronting and judging the dragon of old, so the seed of the woman who was to come would have the same task. He was to be like Adam in that he was, as One untainted himself by Adam's sin, to be given a similar probationary period. Upon his faithful obedience to the Father in forsaking and judging the apocryphal words of Satan, he would crush Satan's head and achieve the promised blessing of God's Sabbath rest. In this Seed, we too may enter the most-delightful Sabbath rest of our heavenly Father.

Doc here!

Hey you all,

It's 10.38 p.m. and I'm nearly ready to:

1. "turn in"
or
2. "retire"
or
3. "engage in death's daily dress rehearsal"
or maybe just plain
4. "go to bed"

Kristin reinvited me to the virtual circle under the new blogger construct. I've missed many of you! I love each of you and I'll be checking in regularly. In other words, It's good to be back!

Our boast is all Christ on this resurrection eve! Vaughan Roberts puts it this way in his book [I've almost finished it - it's a small, simple without being simplistic, Bible-unifying read] God's Big Picture: Tracing the Storyline of the Bible:

"The Bible covers a great deal of ground. But there is one supreme subject that binds it all together: Jesus Christ and the salvation God offers through Him . . . The whole Bible points to Him from beginning to end. In the Old Testament God points forwards to Him and promises His coming in the future. In the New Testament, God proclaims Him to be the one who fulfills all those promises . . . The way you read a book depends on the kind of book you think it is. Many people read the Bible as if it were a collection of independent books that can each be read without reference to the others. That was how I was tauught the Bible at university. We looked for the message of Ezekiel, Jonah or John without considering how those Biblical books contribute to and fit in with the message of the Bible as a whole. And there was a great division between the Old and New Testaments. We were discouraged from reading the Bible as the Bible itself demands to be read: as one book that presents the unfolding story of God's plan to save the world through His Son Jesus . . . Graham Goldsworthy has put it like this: 'For the New Testament the interpretation of the Old Testament is not literal but Christological. That is to say that the coming of Christ transforms all the kingdom [God's people in God's place under God's rule and blessing] terms of the Old Testament into Gospel reality.'"

Praise the Lord! No matter how many promises God has made [Genesis 12.1-3, 2 Samuel 7.11-16, Jeremiah 31.31-34], they are yes and Amen in Christ [2 Cor. 1.20]! "Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!" I'll check back in with you tomorrow. Thank you for all your prayers for Connie. She is a singularly beautiful, sensational, southern treasure!

Doc
Romans 3.21-26