1. In the law we have divine direction.

God has not left us alone to figure out what is right and wrong. He has graciously spoken clearly, and we now know the difference between good and evil. In the law we see the character of God and his will to be carried out on earth as it is in heaven. For example, not only know that God calls us to do good to others in some general sense, but more specifically that we should be hospitible, loving, generous, and patient. He tells us what he desires of us. This is itself grace. We can delight that God has been kind enough to tell us what he requires of us.

2. Through the law we uncover our sin.

The law of God not only shows us God’s will, but it also acts as a mirror that exposes our sin and falsehood. In the law we see God’s standards and commands, but we also see how quickly we break them. As we have broken the law, it breaks us. The law is used by God to afflict our conscience so that we feel the weight of our guiltiness. And this is a reason to love the law, as it can eventullally destroy our pride and any confidence we put in our ability to measure up to God’s standards.

3. By the law we are led to the gospel.

In showing us the will of God, and our inability to keep it, the law leads us to see our need for mercy and grace. As many like to say, before we can know and embrace the “good news” of redemption and restoration in Jesus, we must first know and embrace the bad news that we are condemned as law-breakers and under the curse of God. It functions as one of the tools that God uses to prepare us to meet Jesus. So, we love the law as it leads us to see our need for grace and the beauty of the gospel against the backdrop of our guilt and corruption.

But here’s the rub; we can only love the law after it has been fulfilled by Christ on our behalf. The law will only be a delight to us after we have found life by the gospel. For without the gospel, in the law we only find standards unmet, and guilt without relief. We wind up sharing Martin Luther’s frustration with the call to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind,” and say with him, “Love God? Sometimes I hate him!” Apart from the gospel the law leaves us broken and needy.

It is in the gospel where God’s standards are met, his law is fulfilled, sin is forgiven and we are restored to him. The reality of our justification before God through Christ liberates us from the law’s condemning power and produces in us a delight in God’s law and a motivation to keep it for God’s glory and our good.

Is the law our delight? It really depends on whether the gospel is our hope and boast. If it is, then the law does not condemn us, but guides us. It shows us God’s way, reminds us of our need for the gospel, and as we walk in it the law leads toward the good of our neighbors and praise of our God. That is our delight.

Life is not a straight line leading from one blessing to the next and then finally to heaven. Life is a winding and troubled road. Switchback after switchback. And the point of biblical stories like Joseph and Job and Esther and Ruth is to help us feel in our bones (not just know in our heads) that God is for us in all these strange turns. God is not just showing up after the trouble and cleaning it up. He is plotting the course and managing the troubles with far-reaching purposes for our good and for the glory of Jesus Christ.
(pp. 101, 102)

Throughout my life as a Christian, and much more so as a pastor, I have had the sobering privilege of walking with friends and relatives through some very dark and difficult times. In each of these cases the afflicted have found great comfort in knowing that God is not only in control, but that he is good. The truth of God’s sovereignty and love for his people have led many to embrace their difficulties as pathways to know God more fully and experience his grace more deeply. If you don’t have it yet, get Piper’s book now.

As I was reading the book I thought I would recommend a few others I have found helpful over the years.

All Things for Good by Thomas Watson
Mystery of Providence by John Flavel
The Invisible Hand by R.C. Sproul
The Providence of God by Paul Helm

It is sometimes easier for me to filter the bigger crises in my life through biblical theology, than it is the smaller inconveniences and embarrassments. For example, if someone steals my car, I think– “God is sovereign and will provide.” When my family suffers, I think– “God is good and is doing something here.” My theology orients me to the circumstances, like it’s supposed to. But if I lose my car keys, fall down the stairs (in public, of course), spill my coffee all over the place in Starbucks, or puke in front of a church member, my theology often evaporates and I am left alone to merely balk, complain, or become frustrated.

These small moments have become opportunities for a serious disconnect in my theology that allows me to react to my circumstances without responding to God who has orchestrated these very events of my life. This is no small problem. It means that I function more like a Christian when the occasional crisis hits, but more like an atheist when the much more common annoyances bump up against me.  Maybe the impact in each moment is dramatically different, but over time the accumulation of my atheistic responses to life’s smaller frustrations leads to a deformity in my piety.

How might God be glorified if I responded to him in the midst of my ever-so-common annoyances instead of reacting blindly to the circumstances themselves. How much more happiness and peace would I experiences in life if I allowed my theology to embed itself so deeply in me that I could truly see all things working together for my good and glory of God?

This was something God was pressing on me throughout last week when I was walking through a winding path of trivial trials. Nothing big, just a lot of small things “going wrong.” It became clear that I needed to address this disconnect between my theology and my experience. I needed to not just know, but really experience that this is the day that God has made for me. He has made it for me to draw near to him, learn humility from him, dependance on him, and to reflect his beauty in my responses to all I walk through.

Maybe you’ve experienced this as well. Here is how I am addressing the problem.

Preaching to Myself.
What has proven to be the most helpful method for making an experiential connection between my doctrine and my life is to spend time in the Scripture in the morning, uncover the truth of God in the given passage, and then preach this truth to myself (something I’ll be writing a lot about in the future). This “message” is something I carry with me throughout the day, and it is always amazing at how relevant these truths are to what I and other are going through on that day, or during that week.

Good Books.
I have also found a great help in books and sermons. For example Vital Godliness by William Plumer, Holiness by Bishop J.C. Ryle, and Quest for Meekness and Quietness of Spirit by Matthew Henry are just a few of the books used by God for my growth in this area. Recently, I have been helped by The Soul of Life (selections from Calvin’s writings), A Gospel Primer for Christians, and A Praying Life.

Good Examples.
And finally I need to feed off of the growth in others’ lives. I need to pay attention to the words of my brothers and sisters in Christ to see how they are experiencing God in the details of life. I’m thankful for godly friends, the elders at Redeemer and the people who make up our church. In them I see God at work, and I know they are finding God in things big and small.

At the recent Acts 29 Bootcamp in Louisville, KY I was given the opportunity to lead a break out session in the Pastor as Resident Theologian Track. The title of my session was, “How Theology Can Kill Your Church.” If the audio is made available, I’ll link to it [Now available: here]. I sought to make four basic points.

Thanks to Chuck Heeke who took some amazing photographs throughout the bootcamp.

Theology Can Kill Your Church (Plant) when:

1. Your Theology is Under-developed
Under-developed theology leaves your church defenseless against false doctrine and heresy, and corrupts the spiritual growth of the body. We need a robust theological confession and culture in our churches.

2. Your Theology is Over-valued
Theology is over-valued when we find our identity more in a system than in the Savior. The dangers here are often pride and pugnacity. Good theology will always give a clear picture of God and self, which promotes strong convictions and humble hearts.

3. Your Theology is Compartmentalized
Compartmentalized theology is a purely academic discipline removed from Christian experience. The danger here is being satisfied with knowledge over transformation. We need “experimental Calvinists” who are not content to be right, but desire to be made right by the Spirit of God in conjunction with the truth of God.

4. Your Theology is Disconnected
When our theology is disconnected from the gospel, all of the above dangers are likely, and additionally our preaching will be little more than moralism. Imperatives apart from the gospel tell people to “do this,” and doctrinal preaching divorced from the gospel tell people to “know this.” In both cases people are not led to the grace of God in Christ, but to their own attainments. We need theologians who can show the connection between doctrines like sin, creation, the Trinity, etc. and the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

In short, I was aiming at encouraging our men to be passionate, convinced, humble, experiential, gospel-centered theologians.

I shared some of my journey and failures in all this, and some of you asked what books I have found helpful. Here are just a few of them, but these were instrumental in breaking me of pride and theological elitism, while encouraging humility. Feel free to make your recommendations in the comments.

The Practical Implications of Calvinism, A. N. Martin (read it online for free)
Words to Winners of Souls, Horatius Bonar (read it online for free)
Vital Godliness, by William Plumer (read it online for free)
Quest for Meekness and Quietness of Spirit, Matthew Henry

Here’s some stuff I recently came across that I thought was worth sharing.

Mark Driscoll talks with R.C. Sproul. Humor and humility.

Sojourn Community Church in Louisville opens East Campus in old Catholic church building. Beautiful.

John Piper on the “prosperity gospel.” It’s an abomination.

Great assessment of the Family-Integrated Church Movement by Jason Webb.

My Introduction to the Family-Integrated Church Movement
What is the Family-Integrated Church Movement? – Part 1
What is the Family-Integrated Church Movement? – Part 2
What is the Family-Integrated Church Movement? – Part 3
What is the Family-Integrated Church Movement? – Part 4
What is the Family-Integrated Church Movement? – Part 5

Scripture wallpaper for iPhone and desktops from Resurgence. Sweet!