Tried With Fire

My favorite chapter so far in Living for God's Glory  is Chapter 15 -  Sanctification in Puritan Practice .  Dr. Beeke has distilled wisdom from the Puritans to help us in the sanctification process.  When we consider how to live as Christians, holiness may not be the first word that comes to mind, but it should be.  Rather than meaning "holier-than-thou", holiness should be the desire and fruit of a believer.  "A holy life should emanate from joy in the Lord, not negative drudgery.   The idea that holiness requires a gloomy disposition is a tragic distortion of Scripture, for Scripture asserts that those who cultivate holiness experience true joy." (pg. 214) Dr. Beeke offers some good questions to ask ourselves in regard to holy living: When hesitating over a course of action, ask yourself the following questions based on 1 Corinthians: 1. Does this glorify God? ( 1 Cor. 10:31 ) 2. Is this consistent with the lordship of Christ? ( 1 Cor. 7:23 ) 3. ...

My daughter and I had an interesting discussion on unconditional election after church.  She has been hearing arguments against this doctrine from other sources, namely the Arminian view of conditional election that although people are sinful, they are able to believe on Jesus Christ by exercising their free wills. My daughter is a firm 5-pointer, but she's probably not going to start any theological fights in the near future.  However, we looked at some responses to conditional election.   Here is good one from Joel Beeke: [C]onditional election really saves no one.  In the end, it destroys men, because it bases salvation, at least in part, upon depraved human beings.  Unconditional election, on the other hand, does not destroy men but saves them; it is our friend, not our enemy. It does not keep out of heaven people who otherwise would be there, but it brings to heaven people who otherwise never would be welcome there.  The wonder is not that God justly ...

Congratulations, Gregg!  You're the providential winner of Living for God's Glory by Joel Beeke. Thanks to everyone who entered.  There will be more giveaways, Lord willing, so stay tuned.

[W]e should pray and work (ora et labora). Prayer and work belong together. They are like two oars that, when used together, keep the rowboat moving forward. If you use only one oar - praying without working or working without praying - you will row in circles. Holiness takes well-planned, hard, and sweating prayer and work, the Puritans said. Careful planning as to how you are going to live for the Lord is necessary if you want to achieve much of abiding value for Him. Yet the Puritans were not self-reliant. They understood that daily living for a Christian must go something like this: 1.  Look ahead and see what you have to do. 2. Go to the Lord in prayer and say, "Lord, I do not have what it takes to do this; I need divine help." 3. Rely on the Lord to answer the prayer you have offered, then proceed expectantly to the task that lies before you. 4. After completing the task, return to the Lord to thank Him for the help He gave. 5. Ask His forgiveness for all your failures ...

I will be giving away a copy of Living for God's Glory - An Introduction to Calvinism by Dr. Joel R. Beeke.  This was written for "lay-people and ministers who are interested in learning the basics of Calvinism."   The book includes a brief history of Calvinism and detailed chapters on the doctrines including TULIP and the solas.  There are also sections covering the relationship of reformed theology to the the heart, the church,  our practice, and the ultimate goal - doxology. I am about two-thirds through the book and have been greatly helped.  Dr. Beeke's explanation of TULIP is excellent, and he responds to commonly raised objections.  I also appreciate the grounding of this book in the marrow of Calvinism - to define all doctrine and life in a God-centered, God-glorifying way. To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on this post stating why you would like this book.  I will pick the providential winner on March 30.  (US addresse...