God’s word is like a magnet

I really loved the clear imagery of this quote from a book I started to read over the weekend:

God’s word is like a magnet: it draws and attracts God’s children, while repelling those who are not His. It is in this sense that God’s word supplies a crucial, polarizing test  among those who claim to be the followers of God (Michael Beasley, The Fallible Prophets of New Calvinism, loc. 481).

The book of Hebrews

There is, indeed, no book in the Holy Scriptures which speaks so clearly of the priesthood of Christ, so highly exalts the virtue and dignity of that only true sacrifice which he offered by his death, so abundantly treats of the use of ceremonies as well as of their abrogation, and, in a word, so fully explains that Christ is the end of the Law (John Calvin, Commentary on Hebrews).

Summer vacation is over which means Sunday School begins again at our church this coming weekend. I am looking forward to beginning a new study of the amazing book of Hebrews. Should be interesting, challenging, and fun (at least for me).

Impressions are impressions

So the problem with impressions is not that they are subjective. The problem is in assuming they are from the Lord. Here’s my profound wisdom on the matter: Impressions are impressions. They are not in a special category. Don’t confuse impressions, hunches, and subjective feelings with certain words from the Lord. If a thought or impulse pops into your head, even if it happens while reading Scripture, don’t assume it is a voice from heaven (Kevin DeYoung, Just Do Something, loc. 911).

The enjoyment of God

The enjoyment of God is the only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied. To go to heaven, fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here. Fathers and mothers, husbands, wives, or children, or the company of earthly friends, are but shadows; but God is the substance. These are but scattered beams, but God is the sun. These are but streams, but God is the ocean (Jonathan Edwards).

Recognizing our spiritual poverty, beggary, and slavery

A man must feel himself in misery, before he will go about to find a remedy; be sick before he will seek a physician; be in prison before he will seek a pardon. A sinner must be weary of his former wicked ways before he will recourse to Jesus Christ for refreshing. He must be sensible of his spiritual poverty, beggary and slavery under the devil, before he thirst kindly for heavenly righteousness, and willingly take up Christ’s sweet and easy yoke. He must be cast down, confounded, condemned, cast away, and lost in himself before he will look about for a Savior (Robert Bolton, Instructions for a Right Comforting Afflicted Consciences, 1640).

Growing in Christ

Christianity can never outgrow Christ, but it grows in Christ; theology cannot go beyond the word of God, but it must ever progress in the understanding and application of the word of God (History of the Christian Church by Philip Schaff, l. 3742).