Who are these people?

    Think of some of the greatest biblical figures who ever lived: Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Ruth, King David, Elijah, Elisha, Jonah, Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel, Mary, John the Baptist, Peter, and Paul. Or what about the great figures of church history: Augustine, John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, and Charles Spurgeon? Or consider the great political and military heroes of world history: Alexander the Great, Constantine the Great, Napoleon, and Winston Churchill. Who are these people, even the greatest saints, compared with Jesus Christ? They are like grain of sand compared with Mount Everest.
    What is Samson's strength compared with that of Jesus, who was raised in power? What is Solomon's wisdom compared with that of the one in whom all the treasures of wisdom are contained? What is Methuselah's age compared with the age of the one who inhabits the places of eternity? What are Paul's visions of heaven compared with the sight of the Lord of heaven? What are Elisha's miracles compared with the incarnation and resurrection of the God-man?
  -- Mark Jones, Knowing Christ, xiii

The problem of antinomianism: separation of God's law from God's person

    At one level the problem is indeed rejection of God's law. But underneath lies a failure to understand grace and ultimately to understand God. True, his love for me is not based on my qualification or my preparation. But it is misleading to say that God accepts us the way we are. Rather he accepts us despite the way we are. He receives us only in Christ and for Christ's sake. Nor does he mean to leave us the way he found us, but to transform us into the likeness of his Son. Without that transformation and new conformity of life we do not have any evidence that we were ever his in the first place.
    At root then antinomianism separates God's law from God's person, and grace from the union with Christ in which the law is written in the heart. In doing so it jeopardizes not simply the Decalogue; it dismantles the truth of the gospel.
        -- Sinclair Ferguson, The Whole Christ, p154 (italics original)

Sacraments: particular signs to an all-comprehensive grace

In this connection it may also be noted that the idea of the covenant has prevented too narrow a view of the sacraments. Viewed as seals of the covenant, the sacraments possess just as universal and comprehensive significance as the covenant itself. They cease being signs of a particular grace and become what they should be: particular signs of an all-comprehensive grace. They seal Christ to us, the rich and full Christ, with all that we have in Him. We cannot limit that sealing power to any single stage of the way of salvation. Not regeneration, nor justification, nor the communion of the saints, each in itself, but all of these, as they together constitute the blessings of the covenant, are the object of sealing. If the consciousness of the covenant reflects like a mirror the glory of God, then all the separate rays come together in the sacraments, as a focal point, to one glory.
  -- Italics original, bold mine, p262, Vos, Doctrine of the Covenant in Reformed Theology in Redemptive History and Biblical Interpretation

Everything only through Jesus Christ

(Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geerhardus_Vos)

‘Only when the believer understands how he has to receive and has received everything from the Mediator and how God in no way whatever deals with him except through Christ, only then does a picture of the glorious work that God wrought through Christ emerge in his consciousness and the magnificent idea of grace begin to dominate and form in his life. For the Reformed, therefore, the entire ordo salutis [order of salvation], beginning with regeneration as its first stage, is bound to the mystical union with Christ. There is no gift that has not been earned by Him. Neither is there a gift that is not bestowed by Him and that does not elevate God’s glory through his bestowal. Now the basis for this order lies in none other than in the covenant of salvation with Christ. In this covenant those chosen by the Father are given to Christ. In it he became the guarantor so that they would be planted into His body in the thought-world of grace through faith. As the application of salvation by Christ and by Christ’s initiative is a fundamental principle of Reformed theology, this theology has correctly viewed this application as a covenantal requirement which fell to the Mediator and for the fulfilling of which He became the guarantor. In this way Reformed theology simply showed that here too it would be content with nothing but its one all-embracing slogan: the work of grace in the sinner as a mirror for the glory of God.’

  -- p248, Geerhardus Vos, The Doctrine of the Covenant in Reformed Theology in Redemptive Historyand Biblical Interpretation

The wonder of Christ, the God-man

"Here is something marvelous: the Son of God descended from heaven in such a way that, without leaving heaven, he willed to be borne in the virgin's womb, to go about the earth, and to hang upon the cross; yet he continuously filled the world even as he had done from the beginning!"
  -- Calvin, Institutes, II. xiii. section 4

Ordinary? Or extraordinary? I can't decide.

It was a great privilege to do a bit of walk-up evangelism around Sydney Uni last Thursday. I went with a fellow college student, who I knew had a Jewish background. In the course of our conversations with people, someone asked what denomination he was from. My friend answered, “I’m a Jesus-man.” I’m a Christian too. So, telling people on the streets about Jesus Christ is I guess what is expected of us two. An ordinary thing to do. But I can’t stop thinking about that one hour spent together trying to talk to people about Jesus.

Below is a basic summary of what people said as we asked them what they thought about Jesus.

“Nah… not interested.”

“No, thanks.”

“I used to go to a Presbyterian church… I’m looking for a better preaching… a minister I used to know went and did something something something…, my wife has a Catholic church background, something something something… No, I don’t go to church at the moment. No, there are some difficulties with believing things about Jesus, his resurrection and oh, the virgin birth… although that’s a bit easier, maybe something happened with y-chromosome, but then, why… yeah, well, I now gotta go and teach a tutorial, so… thanks.”

“What’s your story? Nah, I’ve (you’ve? He was mumbling.) got something better to do.”

“Err… I dunno. I dunno. Something something something… I dunno. I went to a Catholic school, so I went to the mass and heard all that. No, I dunno. I dunno. I dunno. Basically if you do good, you will have a good life. I’m a Buddhist. I dunno. Ok… so what do you believe? So let me get it straight. You mean, even murderers and thieves, just by believing in Jesus can go to heaven? How is that just? What about sick children? Why didn’t God make things better than this? I dunno, I dunno. Something something something. I dunno. Nah, I haven’t read the Bible as an adult. Nah, I have a Bible at home. I went to a Catholic school. I dunno. Nah, see ya.”

“Huh. You don’t want to talk to me, ‘cause Christians hate homosexuals like me, right? No? Yeah? Fair? (walks off)”

These were people who needed to hear that Son of God came and died for us and rose back to life to be King over us. And there I was, a gentile, trying to tell people about Jesus, side-by-side with a Jesus-man who has a Jewish background. Reflecting back on it, I think I can decide. It was extraordinary.

“The Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and partners of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. (Ephesians 3:6)”

A body that has been undone on behalf of another

(Cover image source: Booko)

Here's another wonderful quote from the book, Loving the Little Years.

My very kind and wise husband once left a note for me on Easter morning, two weeks after Daphne was born. He wrote, “To my wife, before she even goes near the closet on Easter morning,” or something romantic like that. In it, he encouraged me to realise that there was no more fitting way to celebrate Easter (or any part of the Christian life) than in a body that has been undone on behalf of another.

-       p. 60, Loving the Little Years by Rachel Jankovic

It seems I should learn not only from Mrs. Jankovic, but also from Mr. Jankovic.

Mystery of marriage

This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5:23 ESV)

This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5:23 NIV)

The mystery [of marriage] is this: God did not create the union of Christ and the church after the pattern of human marriage - just the reverse! He created human marriage on the pattern of Christ's relation to the church.  - p213, from Desiring God by John Piper 

I love my wife, but I am not always the godly husband I am called to be. Whether I feel good about myself as a husband or not, how glorious, humbling, and encouraging this mystery is.


O, Lord, be gracious to me, and empower me to love her like Christ does the church.

Saving faith

Saving faith is the heartfelt conviction not only that Christ is reliable, but also that He is desirable. It is the confidence that He will come through with His promises and that what He promises is more to be desired than all the world.
- Desiring God p.73, John Piper

She calls me "husband."

She calls me "husband". Well, not really. She most often calls me by my name or "jagiya" which in Korean translates roughly to "dear", "honey", or "darling". But she knows I am her husband, and once we get used to it, the word, "husband" will easily flow out of her mouth when she refers to me, just maybe not when she calls me.

It was the 17th of April 2010, when God joined us together. In His infinite wisdom, He saw that it would be good to bring these two sinners together to represent the relationship between the Christ and His church as His bride. So I expect unceasing grace to overflow from Him to us, otherwise, we will surely and quickly fail to show Jesus through and within our marriage. So I am thankful. I thank God. And I thank my wife, who has been showing God's love and care towards me ever since we started dating.

It is a new chapter in my life, and it is exciting.

Soli Deo Gloria.

This momentary life

Very soon the shadow will give way to Reality. The partial will pass into the Perfect. The foretaste will lead to the Banquet. The troubled path will end in Paradise. A hundred candle-lit evenings will come to their consummation in the marriage supper of the Lamb. And this momentary marriage will be swallowed up by Life. Christ will be all and in all. And the purpose of marriage will be complete.

-- John Piper, p178, This Momentary Marriage

So will it be! Very soon, Christ will be all and in all, and the parable will cease for the Real will be real.

7 miles. Yes, I believe.

God: Almighty but malicious? or Good but impotent?

(HT: Bob Mendelsohn)

"justice be served but mercy be shown"

SMH reports:

The Libyan jailed for the 1988 Lockerbie bombing was granted release on compassionate grounds in Scotland on Thursday, despite fierce US opposition to freeing him.

In a move likely to be hailed by Libya as a new sign of its return to global respectability, Abdelbaset Ali Mohmet al-Megrahi -- who has terminal prostate cancer -- was given his freedom by Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill.

MacAskill said Megrahi, who medics say has less than three months to live, could return to Libya to die because Scottish law required that "justice be served but mercy be shown".

Justice be served but mercy be shown.
I like that. Since the day I watched Braveheart, I always liked the Scots. :-)

SMH article continues:

The 57-year-old "now faces justice from a higher power... he is going to die", MacAskill added.

That is solemnly true. Megrahi will face God's judgement. Only God can judge him with perfect justice, and only God can have mercy on him. Even Mergrahi, who was behind the bombing of a commercial airplane, which killed hundreds of human lives, if he would place his faith in Jesus and turn to God, there is no way God will reject Mergrahi. Christ's sacrifice is sufficient to cover anyone's sin. And only His sacrifice is sufficient to cover anyone's sin. Do you believe this?

On the cross where Jesus died, God's justice was perfectly fulfilled and His mercy was majestically poured out. Justice be served, but mercy be shown? As I've already said, I like those Scots, but at best, our ways are mere imitation, or reflection of God's way of executing justice and showing mercy, which was gloriously declared and served at the cross of Christ.
In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. -- 1 John 4:10

Why I love Jesus

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8

Why are you a Christian? (or not?)

I am a Christian. And I wish, no one will ever think that I am a Christian because I am a good person. If you thought we, Christians were Christians because we were good, put this in the record, we are never Christians because we are good people.
No, we are not good, in fact, many of us would be seen as worse than non-Christians if you have to rate us. But we recognised that we need Jesus precisely because we are bad people.
So, let me reiterate.
I am not a Christian because I am good, I am a Christian because I need Jesus.
How about you?

It's Easter Sunday! Resurrection!

Resurrection!

In Jesus, God was satisfied. So Jesus lives again!
Because of Jesus's perfect obedience and sacrifice, God is no longer angry with His people.
God is no longer angry with me, no more angry at me. Jesus completed my salvation. When God looks at me, there is only the everlasting love and good will towards me.
How can this be?
The perfect King died the death of the worst rebel.
The holy Son of God was counted as the filthiest and the ugliest sinner.
And God's righteousness was upheld and vindicated.
God's justice and mercy weaved such a mystery.
Oh, how rich is His mercy? How great is His grace?

So come, repent and believe in Him.
Trust in Jesus Christ, the triumphant King over all.
He will return and receive all who loves Him.

Jesus for sinners

I'm feeling somewhat emotional and sad today. It's not like I'm feeling sad for Jesus who died. I think God has impressed upon my heart to realise that there are so many people who do not know the wonder, beauty, grace and mercy in Jesus who died in our place. This Easter, what kind of message will the world, our neighbour, our friends and family hear from us?

Easter weekend ahead. Do you love Jesus?

Easter.

It's not about chocolates.
It's not about Easter bunnys or the chocolate eggs.
It's not about having great meals together with family and friends.
It's not about you tyring to help other people on this occasion.
It's not even about feeling sorry for the guy called Jesus who died.

It's about God keeping His promise.
It's about God triumphing over sin and rebellion of people.
It's about God showing to the world His righteousness.
It's about God having immeasureable mercy.
It's about God being glorified and making His great name known to the whole universe.

Of course the world will tell you otherwise and make this day as trivial as eating sweets and making ourselves feel better.
No, it's much more than that.
It's about God and you must deal with Him.
Don't just tell me you believe in God.
Don't just tell me you believe in Jesus who saves.
Don't just tell me you believe in death and the ressurection of Jesus.
Sure you need to believe all that above, but in the end, believing about facts aren't enough. The real question is, "Do you love Jesus?"

My 500th blogpost

This is my 500th blogpost here. I started blogging on the 18th July 2007 (not counting my earlier days with xanga or even earlier-er days!). That's almost two years ago. This space has been a place where I can express my rather random thoughts. I often meant good for the readers. But this blog lives on the internet, and the internet has its dangerous pits. Pornography is one of them. Godless and instant sexual gratification without the real intimacy and commitment is only a click away. I am exposed to this danger as much as any other, and I confess that I had indulged in this sin many times before. I can still feel the temptation time to time, so I must rest and rely on God's joy and grace to save me. I have not given up the fight, for God has not given up on me.