Category Archives: sin

Ligonier concluded

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Yup, it ended — and it was so rich I could hardly do it justice in a simple blog entry! But I’ll try!

FRIDAY AM — The conference theme (holiness) was taken up in reference to the Trinity this morning: Sinclair Ferguson, Holiness of the Father; Steve Lawson, Holiness of Jesus; and Alistair Begg, The Holy Spirit.

FRIDAY PM — After lunch there was a spirited Q&A time led by RC Sproul himself, then a very well organized session by Thabiti Anyabwile on Sin & the Holiness of God, from Numbers 25. He outlined the chapter and his address as follows:

Horrible Context (vv 1-6)
Height of Conflict (vv 7-9)
Honorable Commendation (vv 10-13)
Harrowing Condemnation (14-18)

pastor-t-website1After he gets underway (some joking around) this is perhaps one of the best sessions to watch or hear (see below). He is full of numbered observations and pointed applications. [I will share most of this on Sunday night at CPCC.]

Friday night featured the renowned Dr. D. A. Carson speaking on “A Holy Nation.” He brought a great depth of exegesis and theology to bear — connecting OT and NT so wonderfully — and also pressed us with clear and challenging application questions.

SATURDAY — Some of the best was saved for the last day… as Dr Robert Godfrey and Dr. Derek Thomas spoke on Holiness and the Cross (from Isaiah), and, The Necessity of Sanctification (from 1st Peter 1) respectively.

“The moral imperatives of the Bible stand upon gospel indicatives.” (DT)

The closing address was from RC Sproul on Holiness, Wrath & Justice (from 1st Chronicles 13).

“Our culture is thoroughly familiar with the tune ‘Amazing Grace’ but it does not believe grace is ‘amazing’ anymore.” (RCS)

YOU CAN SEE & HEAR THESE GUYS TOO… The video for all of the sessions is currently available for free from the LIGONIER SITE (here). Rich, soul food!

pdb

A word about PRIDE

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Today’s sermon at CPCC, on Isaiah 47, was on the subject of pride. How timely to read this brief article by Jon Bloom of the Minneapolis ministry, Desiring God.

Jesus and Nazareth are inseparable. Jesus spent most of his life in Nazareth. The prophets had said, “He shall be called a Nazarene” (Matthew 2:23). History would remember him as Jesus of Nazareth. Even the demons called him that (Luke 4:34).

That’s why this verse is one of the saddest observations made during Jesus’ public ministry:

And he did not do many mighty works [in Nazareth], because of their unbelief. (Matthew 13:58)

It’s a great irony that the Pride of Nazareth was rejected by the Nazarenes because of pride.

You know who this is? It’s Joseph the carpenter’s son! We know his family. I mean, they’re respectable enough people. But I know for a fact that none of them received formal religious education. Where in the world is Jesus getting this teaching? Does he really think he’s somebody great?

They were deeply offended. Why? Because he was one of them. So if he thought he was superior to them, he had another thing coming. Familiarity bred the pride of contempt in them.

What is frightening in this account is the power of pride to blind and deaden the soul. Just consider the consequence of such pride for the Nazarenes: the merciful power of the Messiah was withheld from them.

Pride is to be feared and treated like a cancer. “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). We do not want to miss out on any gift of God’s grace because we are nurturing pride in our hearts.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139:23-24)

pdb