Paul Tripp Quotes Part 5

Why would you look to others for your identity when Jesus has purchased your acceptance as a child of the Father?


Will you set your heart today on things that cannot satisfy or rest your heart on the eternally satisfying love of Jesus?


The DNA of joy is thankfulness. Have you noticed that entitled, complaining people don't happen to be very joyful?


Envy denies grace. The assumption of envy is that you deserve what another has been given, when in fact you and I deserve nothing.


If the story of your life is the chronicle of underserved favor, why would you boast or act like you're better than someone else?


If you look into the mirror of God's Word and see someone in need of grace, why would you be impatient with others who share that need?


Where is hope to be found? In six life-altering words, "I will be with you always."


Hope is not a thing, not a location, not a situation, not an experience. Hope is a person and his name is Jesus.


Today you can give way to fear producing "What ifs...?" or rest in the sovereign care of your wise and gracious Savior King.


If you underestimate the power of remaining sin, you'll under value your need for forgiving, rescuing, transforming grace.


By yourself you don't have what it takes to live in this broken world, that's why God hasn't left you to yourself.


Corporate worship is designed to expose your false hope and introduce you to the true hope that is Jesus.


Being a sinner means you have the perverse ability to look at what God says is horrible and see something attractive-for this there's grace.

My Early Mistake

When I first became a Christian I was so excited to learn and read anything I could get my hands on about the Christian faith. I was very hungry for the gospel. Thankfully God gave me (and he continues to give me) many great resources by faithful men of God: sermons, books, and blogs to learn the truth about the gospel of Jesus Christ. And most importantly a biblical church in town that proclaims the truths of the gospel every single week.


Looking back on that time in my life is very encouraging, however, there were some dangers in learning truth for a young Christian like me with no older mature Christians around to shepherd me. The biggest danger for me was pride. It was a tendency to look down on other Christians who did not agree with my convictions about what Scripture taught.  It was a tendency to have no patience whatsoever with people. It was a tendency to silently put down others in my own head. It was so bad. But the worst thing about it was I had no idea of my own sin. I thought that I was proclaiming truth and proclaiming what the Bible says. And that is good, but the problem was my wrong attitude.


It took about four or five years for God to slowly take away my pride with this issue. It started with my parents encouraging me to go to a local college group in town. They explained to me that it would be good to get to know some more Christians my own age. For about a year I resisted. I thought that the college group would be filled with professing Christians who had said the sinners prayer, but were not really following Christ.


I finally did end up going because a friend not involved in the group invited me to go. When I first went I had my doubts and I was closed-minded. I visited a couple more times, but never really got involved. During the next spring semester God used this college group to change my life in a way I never expected. I realized that these young people were true Christians, desiring to follow Christ with their whole hearts. Even if the doctrine or worship was not exactly as I would like.


God has been pleased to show me my sin and struggle in this area. Hopefully the following list will be helpful if you are struggling with pride.


1) We cannot expect everyone to be where we are. If we have come to a place in our Christian lives where we have learned some great truth (election, sovereign grace, gospel centeredness, etc) we should be thankful. We should be thankful that we can better serve Christ and others with that truth. However there is a tendency to totally despise other people because they do not understand it. Listen, we cannot expect everyone to understand these things at the same rate that we have. God works at different times and different levels with his people and he is a patient God. I'm afraid we don't imitate our God very well with being patient with others.


2) We cannot give ourselves any credit for what we learn. This is especially true for us who believe in God's sovereign grace. Meaning, that God rescued us when we were spiritually dead! Now that's funny that we affirm the sovereignty of God in conversion and totally forget it when we learn spiritual truth in sanctification! God has done this great work. Not us! We have learned to be gospel centered because God has been pleased to reveal that to us. We have no capacity to receive anything spiritual in our flesh.


3) We cannot be the final judge, only God is. I want to be careful though in this post. I don't want it to seem like there is no place for judging or correcting people who are in error. There is. We are to proclaim the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). However we are not the final judge in determining how other Christians are in learning truth or doctrine. I wonder if people who show no desire or rarely to learn the truth's of the Bible are Christians, but I must not pronounce a final judgement upon them. That is God's job. I must approach them humbly with the gospel and correct them lovingly. 


I remember watching a video of R.C. Sproul talking about reformed doctrine and the danger of becoming prideful. He basically said that shouldn't be the case at all. Reformed doctrine is in no shape form or fashion pride lifting. It is pride smashing! May God help us to continue to grow in humility with others Christians who may not look exactly like we would like them to be.

Jesus, Thank You!

This song called "Jesus, Thank You" by Sovereign Grace Music is one of my favorite songs. It helps to bring me under the gospel with a thankful heart. The lyrics are below. Enjoy!


The mystery of the cross I cannot comprehend
The agonies of Calvary
You the perfect Holy One, crushed Your Son
Who drank the bitter cup reserved for me 

Your blood has washed away my sin
Jesus, thank You
The Father’s wrath completely satisfied
Jesus, thank You
Once Your enemy, now seated at Your table
Jesus, thank You

By Your perfect sacrifice I’ve been brought near
Your enemy You’ve made Your friend
Pouring out the riches of Your glorious grace
Your mercy and Your kindness know no end 

Lover of my soul
I want to live for You

The Father's Bargain

This might be my favorite couple paragraphs ever written by any man. This is a conversation between the Father and the Son about the people of God. Amazing!

Here you may suppose the Father to say, when driving His bargain with Christ for you:

Father: My Son, here is a company of poor miserable souls, that have utterly undone themselves, and now lie open to my justice! Justice demands satisfaction for them, or will satisfy itself in the eternal ruin of them: What shall be done for these souls? And thus Christ returns.

Son: O my Father, such is my love to, and pity for them, that rather than they shall perish eternally, I will be responsible for them as their Surety; bring in all thy bills, that I may see what they owe thee; Lord, bring them all in, that there may be no after-reckonings with them; at my hand shall thou require it. I will rather choose to suffer their wrath than they should suffer it: upon me, my Father, upon me be all their debt.

Father: But, my Son, if thou undertake for them, thou must reckon to pay the last mite, expect no abatements; if I spare them, I will not spare thee.

Son: Content, Father, let it be so; charge it all upon me, I am able to discharge it: and though it prove a kind of undoing to me, though it impoverish all my riches, empty all my treasures, yet I am content to undertake it!” (Works, Vol.1, p.61).

John Flavel

CD Review:The Attributes of God by Shai Linne

For much of my unsaved life I was a big fan of hip hop. I listened to all the famous rappers and knew nearly every line. When God saved me, one of the things that changed was my dislike for worldly music that did not give him honor. So when I first heard of Christian rap I was a little skeptical given my past obsession with that kind of music.

But I can truly say that this CD by Shai Linne has been a tremendous encouragement and very edifying for my soul. Not only is this CD filled with fascinating lyrics and awesome beats, it is also really easy to understand what is being said. 

What is it about these lyrics that are so good? Shai Linne gives us a biblical perspective on who God is and what God has done. God is beautiful, holy, glorious, patient, loving, faithful, etc. God is also gracious in pouring out his grace and mercy to us who have sinned against him. So we can now get to know this God because of the work of the triune God in saving us.

I believe if you will listen and digest this CD about our glorious God you perhaps will learn more about God than most people who sit in church for a lifetime under shallow teaching.

Personal favorites: Faithful God, Mercy and Grace, and the Lord of Patience.


MP3 is currently $7.99 on Amazon.

Paul Tripp Quotes Part 4

If you love God's Word more than you love your own view of things, you know that grace has visited you.

If you willing say "no" to your selfish desires and joyfully do the will of the King, you know that grace has visited you.

If you've quit asking the creation to satisfy your heart and look to the Creator for meaning and purpose, you know grace has visited you.

If you've quit pumping your ego and daily look into the mirror of the Word to see yourself as you are, you know grace has visited you.

If your prayers are an act of submission and worship and not a catalog of self-focused requests, you know grace has visited you.

If you speak not to advance your own agenda, but to give grace to the hearer, you know grace has visited you.

If you rest in the acceptance of God and have quit living for the acceptance of those around you, you know grace has visited you.

The story of Scripture isn't a human effort story or a rules and regulations story. No, it's a GRACE story from beginning to endless end.

For your hope to be reliable it must promise the ultimate renewal of all that sin has broken and this you'll only find in Jesus.

If your God's child, it's grace in which you stand. Don't fool yourself, there is no solid rock but Christ Jesus.

John Newton's Preface to Pilgrim's Progress

The Pilgrim is a parable, but it has an interpretation in which you are nearly concerned. If you are living in sin, you are in the City of Destruction. O hear the warning voice! “Flee from the wrath to come.” Pray that the eyes of your mind may be opened, then you will see your danger, and gladly follow the shining light of the word, till you enter by Christ, the straight gate, into the way of salvation. If death surprise you before you get into this road, you are lost forever.

If you are indeed asking the way to Zion with your face thitherward, I bid you good speed. Behold an open door is set before you, which none can shut. Yet prepare to endure hardship, for the way lies through many tribulations. There are hills and valleys to be passed, lions and dragons to be met with, but the Lord of the hill will guide and guard his people. “Put on the whole armor of God, fight the good fight of faith.” Beware of the Flatterer. Beware of the Enchanted Ground. See the Land of Beulah, yea, the city of Jerusalem itself is before you:

There Jesus the forerunner waits.

To welcome travelers home.

JOHN NEWTON.


HT: Tony Reinke