"There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God." --Psalm 46:4

My Photo
Serving God with His people at Faith OPC has been a great joy and blessing. When I grow up, I want to umpire Little League Baseball. I will revel on that day when I can say to a 10-year-old boy after four pitched balls, "Take a walk in the sunshine." My wife of 30+ years, Peggy, consistently demonstrates the love of Christ and remains my very best friend. Our six children, our four lovely, sweetie-pie daughters-in-law, and our four grandchildren serve as resident theologians.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

WIthout God, Without Hope


Lingering meditation about King Saul in 1 Samuel 28

1 Samuel 28:15-16: After Saul had the woman of En Dor call Samuel


Now Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?”


And Saul answered, “I am deeply distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me and does not answer me anymore, neither by prophets nor by dreams. Therefore I have called you, that you may reveal to me what I should do.”


Then Samuel said: “Why then do you ask me, seeing the LORD has departed from you and has become your enemy?”


Saul hears this very, very bad news from Samuel, just as back in 1 Samuel 15. It’s the same man--Samuel, and he has the same message--words of rebuke and judgment.


It is one thing to be entangled in our earthly trials, like David; it is a country mile difference to be cut off from God, as was Saul's case.


Thomas Wilcox, a British Puritan of the 1550s-early 1600’s, stood fast against a heart-less religion and devotion. He has words germane to Saul's life. Saul was one to give himself to the motions of faith; but without repentance and turning. Motions are God-designed and good: we pray, we praise, we offer gifts, we practice specific prescriptions of His truth, but here's the question: do we do so in repentance? Do we turn from every inch of trust in ourselves in order to turn to God through Jesus Christ?


Listen to this from Wilcox; thanks to pastor-friend, HT, David York for this:


“A Christless, formal religion, will be the blackest sight next to hell that can be. You may have many good things, and yet one thing may be wanting, that may make you go away sorrowful from Christ. You have never sold all; you have never parted with all your own righteousness, and so on. You may be high in duty and yet a perfect enemy and adversary to Christ, in every prayer, in every ordinance. Labour after sanctification to your utmost; but make not a Christ of it to save yourself; if so, it must come down one way or other. Christ’s infinite satisfaction, not your sanctification, must be your justification before God.”


Thomas Wilcox, Puritan in the London area, died 1608.


G. Mark Sumpter


Posted by at
Labels:

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

One Potato, Two Potato