Author: indycrowe

You can follow me on Twitter or Instagram @IndyCrowe for the short & sweet stuff.

Where to look for assurance of election

I found this quote by Calvin helpful as our church studies Romans 9 together. Calvin’s emphasis on union with Christ throughout his writings again pays dividends as he reminds us to look to Christ to know that you are loved by God…and will be so forever. If we have been united to Christ by faith then we have no need to look into the past and be puzzled if God chose us. Christ is our assurance so we look at him.

But if we have been chosen in [Christ], we shall not find assurance of our election in ourselves; and not even God the Father, if we conceive of him as severed from his Son. Christ, then, is the mirror wherein we must, and without self-deception may, contemplate our own election. For since it is into his body the Father has destined those to be engrafted whom he has will from eternity to be his own…we have sufficiently clear and firm testimony that we have been inscribed in the book of life if we are in communion with Christ. (Calvin, Institutes, 3.24.5)

Suffering with Jesus

unionThe Bible speaks about various positive outcomes to suffering, or reasons why we can rejoice in suffering. However, one which I think we often miss out on is that as we suffer Christ actually suffers with us. It’s not simply that we suffer like Christ or that we suffer in his name—although both are also true—but the NT offers tremendous encouragement in the mystery that Jesus actually  in some way suffers with his church. This truth, forged in the OT with texts about God walking through the fire with us or being in the fire with us (cf. Is. 43; 63:9; Dan. 3:25; Ex. 33:14), is only ratcheted up in the NT through union with Christ.

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A Caution on Hard Texts

untitledOur church has been making our way through Romans and this week we begin 9 weeks on Romans 9-11. We should never shy away from God’s Word. In fact, many of the things that make us sheepish when we approach hard texts comes in part because we’re not fully getting the picture. Further study might not solve all your questions but it hopefully will help clear up initial misunderstandings that cause us to ask the kinds of questions that Paul responds to in Romans 9. Two quotes I came across this week provide helpful cautions.

To recall the first quote I actually did a search on my computer because it’s always stuck with me (at least the general idea has). Interestingly enough, I recorded this quote during the first week of March exactly ten years ago. It’s from R.C. Sproul’s book The Soul’s Quest For God.

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Should the Perception of others be a driving force for ethics?

imageThe King James Version translates 1 Thessalonians 5:22 as “abstain from all appearance of evil.” While studying verses 16-22 in preparation of a sermon I came across this quote from Gary Shogren. Having been raised in a church culture where the appearance of holiness rivaled actual holiness, his remarks were a helpful antidote to obsession with any “appearance” of evil we might give off. Obviously this could be taken too far if we exercise no cautious wisdom at all when it comes to appearances of sin that might be detrimental, but his words are still worth considering.

Verse 22 clearly is instructing the church to test prophecies so that they hold onto what’s from the Spirit (5:21) and reject any evil, false prophecies not from the Spirit (5:22). That context shines light on what Paul is and isn’t saying in this text, which is why Shogren writes the following.

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Comparing Romans 5 to Romans 8

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During Pastor Mark’s message this morning–which was a great one–he mentioned the connection between Romans 5 and Romans 8. Whereas some might use the language of bookends for these two chapters, he more aptly described Romans 5 as the foothills of Romans 8. As we noticed this morning, as we ascend up Romans 5 we’re stunned by the heights of glorious truth only to catch a glimpse of the towering mountain called Romans 8 just ahead. You could give me either chapter to live on and I think I’d be okay.
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Paris: A Moveable Feast

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One year ago today my wife and I were in Paris celebrating our one-year anniversary in Europe. In an effort to remember the trip one year later and feel like I’m getting good use out of some of the pictures I wanted to blog on each city that we visited.

I’ll admit we only spent one day in Paris so our experience was limited. Our goal wasn’t to check off each museum and touristy attraction in our short time there but just walk the streets and take in the city and its unique culture. Paris is as magical as made to sound in every book and movie it’s mentioned. From the second your shoe soles hit the streets you realize you’re in a rare place. Paris makes you feel lucky for being there, not in a shady and dirty way like Vegas, but in a nostalgic and enchanting way. The food, the history, the sights, the people, the art, and the corporate excitement of so many people happy to be in one place.
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Where the Reformed today can learn from Jonathan Edwards

edGod in his power, his sovereignty, his might, his greatness, and his rule gives great hope to the Christian that he can be trusted and relied upon. It is truth in the Bible about our God that we must know and that will carry us through many storms. It promotes a reverential fear in the hearts of creatures towards the Almighty Creator and humbles us in his presence. The Reformed tradition in our day has done an excellent job of teaching and holding up the sovereignty of God. For that they are to be thanked and we would do well to store up these truths in our hearts again and again. In the midst of a storm, in the midst of life’s uncertainty, and in countless other circumstances we can anchor ourselves to this unshakeable God when we are utterly shaken.
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Happy, Happy, Happy: Jonathan Edwards and Duck Dynasty

philWhen I thought about happiness Phil Robertson came to mind. That might seem odd but I can see him with a thumbs up giving one of his famous lines in his steady voice: “Happay! Happay! Happay!” The second thing that came to mind are some recent Jonathan Edwards quotes I’ve come across. Now if only I could get a picture of Edwards overlaid by an audio-clip of Phil saying “happy, happy, happy” I’d be set.

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John Owen on Contemplating the Glory of Christ

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John Owen penned maybe the most well-known working on fighting sin, On the Mortification of Sin, and also maybe the greatest work on spiritual communion or fellowship with God—On Communion with God. As his life came to a close he wrote The Glory of Christ. What’s interesting about that is in this final work he believed the most important thought (and practice) for the believer’s growth and transformation in Christ was provided. More than fighting sin, more than spiritual-mindedness, and more than all other things, beholding the glory of Jesus Christ was not only our greatest reward but our greatest need. Seeing the glory of Jesus infuses all other disciplines and practices and it is the greatest thing to bring backsliders back, to create worship, to promote holiness and mortification, and to lead to our joy in God. Here are a few thoughts from the last three pages of the final discourse he wrote on the glory of Christ.[1]

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