John R. W. Stott, 1921-2011

Tributes to the late John R. W. Stott are appearing quickly following his death yesterday (see, e.g., here, and here and here, to name a few; see also the NY Times). It seems many people have tremendously appreciated this gifted, clear-headed, and courageous evangelical pastor.

If there's one thing that has characterized Stott's preaching and teaching, it's CLARITY. Not only was he an outstanding communicator who could make himself understood, but (most importantly) he had a gift for helping students of Scripture recognize the structure and argument and compelling case of countless biblical texts. And yet, his clarity was matched with URGENCY--when you heard him speak, you knew that the Lord and his Word meant everything to this Christ-exalting leader.

I first heard him speak at Urbana '79 where he lectured from Romans 5-8 and helped all of us restless college students stop and pay close attention to God's brilliant Word.

In the 1980s his powerful, penetrating message on leadership (printed as the final chapter in Issues Facing Christians Today) was like a gracious explosion in my life--especially the section on "vision" (unfortunately, I can't dig up the audio of this lecture!).

Stott's commentaries on The Sermon on the Mount and Paul's Letter to the Ephesians are among his many excellent writings that have helped me think carefully about God's coherent and beautiful written revelation.

His passion for mission resulted, among other things, in his service as the primary author of The Willowbank Report of the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization, a pivotal essay on the gospel and culture. His heart for God's world also led him to establish a scholarship program for majority world Christian leaders enabling them to pursue academic training in preparation to teach and lead the church in many places around the globe. Visit the Langham Partnership website and John Stott Ministries for info on the works he founded. Note that several audios of his messages can be accessed at his church, All Souls Church, in London (and see also the MP3 library at Monergism). Amazon lists 109 books for "John R. W. Stott."

I thank the Lord for how he's used John Stott to challenge and encourage me in the study of the Scriptures!

[originally posted at www.forthejourney.blogspot.com]

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A Precious Promise!

Hebrews 13:5 gives believers priceless comfort: God says, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” In other words, no circumstance in all the world (use your imagination) can separate Jesus’ loved ones from him. The Greek in 13:5 piles up negatives—five of them—to say with fierce certainty: the Lord NEVER abandons his children.

So too, our Good Shepherd offers similar promises of his invincible care in John 10:27-29: “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”

Of course, Hebrews 13 also shows that sometimes God’s people do end up in prison (v 3). And 10:32-34 speaks of believers having their homes plundered and facing intense persecution. So this letter is not naïve; there’s no promise of sheer smooth sailing. If you’re inter­ested in Jesus in order to get a comfortable ride through this rugged world, think again: that’s not the Jesus of the Bible.

God promises to be with us, not to make life easy. “… neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

When Hebrews 13:6 declares “I will not be afraid,” a poignant ques­tion follows: “What can man do to me?” And, of course, people can do a lot of terrible things to us—steal from, malign, hurt, even kill us. That’s pre­cisely what Hebrews 13:3 and Romans 8:38-39 acknowledge. But fear not, that’s all they can do: all they can do is kill you.

What people CANNOT do to you is infinitely more important: Satan and his demons and anti-Christian enemies around us cannot touch our Heavenly Father’s love for us and our secure standing as his justi­fied, redeemed, adopted, chosen, forgiven children! In Christ your inheritance is secure (it’s “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,” 1 Peter 1:4; see also John 16:33; 1 John 4:4).

So then, with thanks for these priceless promises, make sure: 1) your hope in Jesus ultimately is centered on the eternal consolations of the life to come and not on being spared trouble today, and 2) your faith is ready to face and stand up under pressure.

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God's Loving Discipline

God’s Word from Hebrews 12 speaks of the Heavenly Father’s discipline. Ah, that word “discipline”—it has such vivid connotations! I wonder what you feel when you hear it?

It’s vital to understand the term the way God means it in his Word. If you equate discipline with punishment, it’s espe­cially crucial to stop, study and see what’s going on in Hebrews 12. Look at the term in context: “The Lord disciplines those he loves” (v 6); “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons” (v 7); “God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness” (v 10).

So it’s obvious that divine discipline is not destructive or some act of meanness or sheer cruelty or any such thing. Nor should we imagine that the Father’s discipline is “punishment” for our sins—since his just and holy wrath against the sins of his people zeroed in entirely on the cross: Christ takes our guilt on his shoulders, and the wrath of God is poured out upon him for it (see 9:28).

If we were to suppose that even the tiniest shred of divine punishment was coming our way in our adversities, we’d be saying that the cross was insufficient—inade­quate to bear the full weight of our guilt. We are not saved by the death of Christ plus by “paying our dues” through affliction! No, the hardships believers face are not punishment in that sense at all.

God’s discipline is positive and constructive; it’s a strategy of love and a means to help his children progress in holiness; it’s a training regimen to help us run fast and far in the race of faith (12:1).

A reticence to accept our various trials as divine discipline may be rooted in pride: “I’m in pretty good shape spiritually; I don’t need some radical surgery to cut away sin tumors; God is out of line to come at me with the scalpel!” Is there a root of such pride in your heart? Wouldn’t it be better to bow before the Lord and thank him for his discipline, assuming that there are many and deep sin faults in our lives that need his loving correction?

The poignant lyrics of the hymn, “How Firm a Foundation” (John Rippon, 1787), can help put things in perspective:

When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,

My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;

The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design

Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

Trust the Father today: his design is to do you good!

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