Please Don't Make My Funeral All About Me

I just got home from another funeral. Seems we've gone to more than our share lately. And once again, as I left the church, I pled with those closest to me, "Please don't make my funeral all about me."

We were an hour and fifteen minutes in to today's funeral before anyone read from the scriptures, and further in until there was a prayer. Resurrection wasn't mentioned until the benediction. There were too many funny stories to tell about the deceased, too many recollections, too many good things to say about the things she accomplished to speak of what Christ has accomplished on her behalf.

But then this wasn't a funeral. It was a "Celebration of Life." In fact there was really little mention of death or of the ugly way sickness slowly robbed our friend of everything. Christ and his saving benefits could not be made much of because death and its cruelties were largely ignored.    Continue at Nancy Guthrie

Relentlessly Call Abortion What It Really Is

Abortion is rarely talked about.

I’m not talking about the word “abortion.” We hear this word a lot it in the public square. But we rarely hear about it. Abortion almost always refers to something else. We hear that abortion is fundamentally about a woman’s right to reproductive freedom. Or abortion is a litmus test for judicial nominees. Or abortion is symptomatic of what’s wrong with the social discourse in America.

But none of those things is what abortion really is. Abortion is the intentional killing of unborn children.

Death Is in the Power of the Tongue

Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Abortion is a clear example of this truth.   Continue at Desiring God

The Tragic Death Of The Funeral

Baby Boomer narcissism crowds out Christian meaning from a familiar ritual

Like most people, I don’t particularly relish encounters with death. But, welcome or not, I’ve had my fair share. I’ve clasped a woman’s hand as her breathing slowed, became sporadic, and finally ceased.  Through the cramped hallways of an ancient farmhouse, down which no stretcher could be maneuvered, I helped heft the sheet-wrapped body of a family’s matriarch to carry her to the waiting hearse. When a small Oklahoma church mourned a member who’d fallen asleep at the wheel, late at night, early in life, I was there, thinking of the joyless “Joy the World” the band of believers had choked out the day before that December 26th funeral. In each of these situations, the death of the young or the old, there was within me a desire to lighten the load of grief borne by the survivors, to shine a ray of life into the gloom of death.

Because of that desire, when I first heard about families opting to have a so-called “Celebration of Life” service for their departed loved ones, instead of a funeral, my interest was piqued. Perhaps here was a viable alternative. The name alone effuses a positive, uplifting appeal that “funeral” or “memorial service” can’t begin to match. Celebrations are good, right? And, life, well, who can possibly have any qualms about that? Perhaps this approach to confronting death, at least the ceremonial part of saying goodbye, would help alleviate some of the pain associated with, and expressed in, a more traditional rite. Maybe it was time to have a funeral for the funeral.    Continue at

5 Things God Teaches Us in the Tragic Deaths of Ananias & Sapphira

The story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 lets us know that despite the explosion of growth in the early church, they had moments of weakness, even gross sin. I believe that their deaths serve as a warning to the Church today, and that God has a lot to teach us—if we are willing to hear:

1. In the church, there are two kinds of people, and it’s nearly impossible to distinguish them from the outside.

On the outside, Ananias and Sapphira look just like another church member named Barnabas (introduced in Acts 4). Barnabas had just sold his property and brought the money to the apostles, and to the casual observer, Ananias and Sapphira were doing the same thing.

But deep in their heart lingered a love of money and a desire for people’s praise. So they conspired together to present a portion of their money while passing it off as the entire amount. This is worlds apart from the attitude of Barnabas, but looks very similar.   Continue at Pastor J. D.

Considering Suicide

Suicide – “the act of killing yourself because you do not want to continue living” (Merriam Webster).

When it comes to Theology, it’s easy to ponder and solve life’s great mysteries in the realm of the hypothetical. We pose the question: “If a believer commits suicide, will he go to heaven?” Then we embark on our theological excursion, perhaps never even giving a thought to that bruised and battered soul who is so dejected that he is actually considering the unthinkable. So, as a former hospital chaplain, I’d like to start our theological discussion in the realm of reality.

Will you be saved if you take your own life?

My heart aches as I consider what might drive someone to this point, and words seem unfit to bring the sort of comfort needed. I only know that God is merciful, and that at His right hand stands a Man, who by virtue of His genuine humanity understands our lives completely, and by virtue of His complete divinity has the omnipotent power to help. If you ever face such dark temptations, run to Him, and you will find rest for your soul… and not only rest, but also hope and joy, even through the toughest of times (1 Pet. 1:3-6). There are so many other things I would like to say, and hugs that I would like to give, but alas, a blog is not suited to such things. I can only urge: If you are struggling, please find help in a Biblical local church.

Yet there are a few more things I should say.   Continue at Josiah Grauman

Those Who Sleep in the Dust Will Awake

Around that time, our neighborhood began the annual ritual of decorating for Halloween. When my neighbors hung their orange lights on October 1, it seemed a bit early, but I told myself it was no big deal. I didn't want to be the Grinch of Halloween. I love a carved pumpkin, bales of hay, a few corncobs, and a silly costume. And I'm all for loading up on bite-size candy bars. But then came the afternoon in late October when I drove through the neighborhood and passed a house showcasing a hearse with a casket coming out the back. A few doors down, several skeletons were hanging from trees. It felt like a punch in the stomach.

We buried our daughter, Hope, in the heat of June. Nothing in my life has ever felt so wrong as putting her body in the grave and simply walking away. Then came that October morning when there was frost on the ground and a nip in the air and the heat came on in our house for the first time, giving off the smell of burning dust. I lay in bed, feeling a wave of resistance and resentment toward the cold. I thought about the cold earth surrounding Hope's body and I wept, feeling a sense of helplessness in surrendering her body to the coming winter. It's a mom's job to keep her child warm, isn't it?   Continue at Nancy Guthrie

5 Things You Should Never Say or Do at a Funeral

Nothing makes me shrink back from holy ambition and the good fight of ministry like preaching a funeral. I wrestle for days and nights on not only what to say but also how to say it. If I'm enjoying an encouraging season of life, I struggle to enter into the suffering of the grieving. Who am I to represent the feelings of the hurting family as they watch me attempt to honor their loved one? But much changed for me when I preached my dad's funeral last August. God gave me the insight of not just the preacher but also the family member.

This moment is never casual or easy. It takes much courage and help from the Holy Spirit. As we ask for God's help in prayer, we must not be careless with any of our words. What we say is powerful in such a vulnerable situation, and we should tread carefully. So here are five things we must avoid when preaching a funeral.

1. Do not refer to the departed saint only in the past tense.

Part of our duty as the preacher is to honor the Lord by talking about how this child of God loved Jesus and gave his or her life for his glory. However, too many times we can carelessly speak of the person in past tense. If we believe the deceased is alive in Christ and in his presence, we must refer to him or her also in present and future tense. In this way we remind family and other listeners of the hope of the gospel.    Continue at John Pond

9 Things You Should Know About Edith Schaeffer

Edith Schaeffer, co-founder of L'Abri Fellowship and widow of theologian-philosopher Francis Schaeffer, died on Friday at age 98. Here are 9 things you should know about Mrs. Schaeffer:

1. Schaeffer was born in Wenzhou, China to missionaries who were serving with the China Inland Mission.

2. In addition to her English name, her parents gave her the Chinese name Mei Fuh, meaning "beautiful happiness".

3. On June 26th, 1932, Edith attended a meeting in her liberal Presbyterian church where a Unitarian minister delivered an address on "How I know that Jesus is Not the Son of God, and How I Know that the Bible is not the Word of God." She was prepared to offer a rebuttal when a young man stood up and said, "My name is Francis Schaeffer and I want to say that I know Jesus is the Son of God, and He is also my Savior." After Francis delivered his testimony, Edith added a brief apologetic for the truth of the Bible. The two began dating that night and married three years later. 

4. To put her husband Francis through seminary, Edith tailored men's suits and made gowns and wedding dresses for private clients. 

5. After three years serving in active parish ministries in the United States, the Schaeffers moved their family to Switzerland in 1948 to help churches in their efforts to resist both liberalism in theology and existentialism in the culture after World War II.   Continue at Joe Carter

Jesus Christ, The Propitiation For Our Sins

There is no way this side of eternity we will ever be able to fully understand the words of our Lord recorded in Matthew 27:46: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" As the mob mocked him, and while the thief who was crucified next to him hurled insults at him, our Lord's thoughts turned not to his own physical anguish or the ridicule he faced from onlookers. His mind was on something far different from that of most dying men--his dying lament was the anguish he felt at being estranged from his heavenly Father, whose wrath he bore as he faced an excruciating death by crucifixion. The Father he had known from all eternity had now turned his back on his only begotten son. Just moments after uttering these awesome words, he took his final breath. The significance of his death was only then slowly being grasped by those who watched him give up his spirit. For at the very moment when his heart ceased beating the afternoon sky was suddenly darkened and terra firma itself shuddered beneath his cross. This was no ordinary death.  

There are other signs which marked the time of his death as well. The great curtain in the Jerusalem temple--separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place--was dramatically torn in two all the way from top to bottom. It was as though God Himself was removing his blessing from what had been his earthly temple. The sacrifices offered in that temple were no longer accepted by God, and any further shedding of the blood of bulls and goats was now an offense to God and only served to further increase the guilt of those who offered them. And when it was finally and mercifully over, one soldier responsible for seeing to it that the sentence of death was carried out, and now terribly frightened because of the cosmic upheaval that accompanied this man's dying, is reported to have exclaimed "Surely, this man was the Son of God" (Mt 27:54). For it was now clear to all that this was not just another common criminal who had died before their eyes. Indeed, this bloody, disfigured, and humiliated man, the one identified by the crude sign that adorned his cross as the "King of the Jews," was none other than the Son of God. Without guilt before God or man, and a willing victim despite his complete and total innocence, this man died under the wrath of his Father in order to save those who were even then taking perverse delight in his death. This was no ordinary death.   Continue at Kim Riddlebarger

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Funerals from Hell - Where Have All the Graveyards Gone?

I've concluded that the typical evangelical funeral can go quite a ways to making a person an atheist. I've also concluded that the church needs to reclaim the fundamental truth that Christianity is primarily for dying. Not primarily for living, but for dying; and because it is primarily about preparing to die, it has something profound to offer about living. Funerals need to rediscover death and thus once again have something to say to the living.

Before looking at the causes of the death of the funeral, a true confession about a funeral--oops, sorry, a celebration of life--I recently attended. (I am just getting out of theological therapy from the experience.)

My rescue came from the Christian funeral and burial of my mother, who died on Epiphany. All I can say is thanks be to God for a Christ-centered burial liturgy, for a graveside service providing the godly focus on the death of death, and for a faithful pastor bringing Jesus in his forgiving and saving office to all present.

A Fun-eral from Hell

 

"Bob" was a prominent evangelical businessman. He surfed. He married. He procreated. He made barn loads of money. And so the assembly was treated to body-length photos of Bob the Action Figure. Of course, this celebration lacked a few things that definitely would be a downer at any celebration--distractions like a dead body or that troubling casket. Come to think of it, the words "dying," "dead," or "death" were real no-nos during the whole celebration, which was led by a man whom my wife refers to now as simply "Mr. Happy Pastor."

Happy Pastor is one of those cool, laid-back, California surfer-dude, Hawaiian-shirted, Plexiglas pulpit, megachurch guys who is well prepared to be a personal assistant to a Hollywood celebrity or to work in a hip music studio as the sound board operator. He has the spiritual gifts of being funny, relevant, and cool. He just was not into bringing the pure gospel of grace and forgiveness of sins in Jesus. He worked relentlessly hard that morning to eliminate any confrontation with the deadly duo of sin and death. Into that vacuum, he put Bob's really cool life and a really cool celebration.   Continue at Craig A. Parton

What Happens to Infants who Die? The NT answers

Yesterday we saw 16 verses in the OT that address the issue of what happens to little children who die. I hope you saw that the OT lays the groundwork for a category distinction: there are two kinds of sinners who die. There are those who die because of their sin nature, namely infants. And there are those who die because they love sin, and actively embrace it; namely, adults. This distinction is important to grasp because the NT does not reestablish it from the ground up but rather Jesus and Paul both teach in such a way that the distinction is reinforced.

Again, if any of these verses trouble you, simply skip them, and let the weight of the full list be enough to convince you. The numbering picks up where yesterday left off.

17) Jesus blessed little children. There are no examples of Jesus blessing anyone who was in open rebellion to God. Again, much like Jonah 4, Jeremiah 19, 1 Kings 11, this (at the very least) creates a category distinction between sinful adults in rebellion against God, and the childlike innocence of children (Matt 18:3-5).

18) In Matthew 18, Jesus not only blesses the children, but uses them as an earthly analogy of childlike faith. He says that “unless you are converted and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child– this one is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Everyone is free to debate what exactly Jesus means here, and there are Christian answers all over the spectrum. But at the very least, Jesus has to be implying that children in their current state would go to heaven if they died. Consider this statement: “my car is as fast as a cheetah, and unless your car is like a cheetah too, it can never be fast.” Everyone can debate what it means to be fast, or how fast my car really is, or if your car even should be fast. But the entire analogy would break down if cheetahs were not indeed fast to begin with. That is the assumption that makes the analogy make sense. Whatever Jesus is saying Matthew 18, it only makes sense if the destination of children who die is an enviable one.   Continue at Jesse Johnson

The Hunger Games

The Premise

The Hunger Games trilogy (The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay) by Suzanne Collins is a current publishing phenomenon which is now a cinematic phenomenon as well. The series is set in Panem, a dystopian America in which a Capitol governs thirteen Districts, one of which was apparently destroyed after leading a failed Rebellion against the Capitol. That gave rise to the Hunger Games, a reality television experience in which every year two Tributes are randomly selected from the youngsters in each of twelve Districts in a process known as the Reaping. After Training, made beautiful and deadly (or less ugly and inept), the Tributes enter the Arena to fight to the death, played out live to the breathless audience, with regular highlights packages showing the most intense experiences, including the deaths. The process demonstrates the Capitol's absolute hold over the Districts, reminding them of the failure of the Rebellion and the utter desolation of its architects, District Thirteen. Oh, and it is great entertainment.

The Plot (alert: spoilers galore)

Katniss (Kat) Everdeen lost her father (and nearly her mother, at least emotionally and mentally) in a mining accident in District Twelve during her youth. Since then, she has been the driving force of and provider for her family. She and her friend Gale break out of the District to hunt, feeding their families and trading on the black market in a District so poor and pathetic that they have had only one victor in the Hunger Games, a now-perpetual drunk by the name of Haymitch Abernathy.

This year is the first in which Kat's twelve-year old sister Primrose (Prim) is eligible for the Reaping. She is chosen. Katniss, whose attitude to Primrose has been one of absolute protection since her father died, volunteers to replace her. The male choice is Peeta Mellark, who has had a hidden attachment of profound affection to Katniss for as long as he can remember. Haymitch is accustomed to the quick and gruesome deaths of his undernourished and incompetent charges but finds in Katniss and Peeta the possibility of genuine competitors. Katniss and Peeta also have outstanding beauticians and designers who help them to cause a real stir. When Peeta publicly declares his undying love for Katniss, the producers of the Games have a story and an angle.  Continue at Jeremy Walker

Profiles from the Culture of Death

The Background: Gruesome reports of forced abortions continue to emerge from China, where a one-child policy has resulted in untold death, chiefly targeting girls. So far, few American media have circulated Monday's news of a U.S. State Department inquiry into the case of Cao Ruyi, who anti-abortion activists say will be required to abort her child this weekend if she fails to pay a substantial ''social burden fee."

Tragically, we have no shortage of incidents that remind us of abortion's horrors, intended and unintended. For example, last fall a hospital in Australia mistakingly killed the wrong twin in a selective abortion. Steven Ertelt, founder and editor of LifeNews.com, reports, "The mother of the two babies had wanted to abort the baby who doctors said had little chance to live. But now, both babies are dead." The doctors told the mother that one of the unborn babies had a heart defect that would require years of surgeries, if the child survived long enough. The mother asked doctors to abort the one child while allowing the other to live.

"However," Ertelt writes, "the abortion . . . went awry and the wrong baby was injected with drugs meant to end his or her life."

The Implications: Peter Saunders, CEO of Christian Medical Medical Fellowship in the UK, responds, "The story graphically illustrates the grim reality of the 'search and destroy' approach to unborn babies with special needs. Such procedures are now very common although very few involve twins."

His remarks deserve further reflection:  Continue at John Starke

A Great Oak Has Fallen, but New Growth is On its Way: The Legacy of Charles Colson (1931-2012)

Agreat oak has fallen.

The death of Chuck Colson (1931-2012) is so remarkable because of the life of Chuck Colson. His life is summed up in the scripture that the Manhattan Declaration posted:

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV)!

Chuck Colson was truly a new man. His life forever will be remembered, not in a legacy of political intrigue, but with a legacy of new life in Jesus Christ that overflowed to the world with a robust intellect and dynamic message lived out in a heart of deep, demonstrable compassion. Yet the new life that transforms old legacies of shame into legacies of faithfulness is available to all who call, like Chuck, on the name of Jesus Christ in repentance and faith.

Chuck’s life reflected the newness of God’s Truth in Christ. The man thought like Christ. He was immensely theological—caring deeply about the Truth of God revealed in His Word in the Flesh, Jesus, and in His Word, the Bible. He brought that Truth to bear in every area of life and encouraged others to do the same. At a time when some proclaim that there is no truth, and others shrink from proclaiming that Truth in a postmodern, pluralistic age, Chuck Colson became one of the Church’s greatest apologists for the Truth of God in Jesus Christ. He proclaimed Truth with boldness, intellectual strength, compassion and humility and was active in his presentation of Jesus Christ through the last days of his work on his earth. He is now worshipping face to face before the One he preached so well.  Continue at Michael A. Milton

See Also:

Chuck Colson Remembered

Charles Colson (1931-2012)

Evangelical Leader Chuck Colson Dead at 80

Charles W. Colson, 1931-2012

Evangelical Leader Chuck Colson Dead at 80

Chuck Colson: 1931-2012. A Legacy of Gospel Proclamation and Social Concern

Nixon’s “Dirty Tricks Man” No More

Chuck Colson dead at 80

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The Death of Death in the Death of Christ Means Victory Over Death for Those Who Believe

All the gospel writers tell us that Jesus died on the cross.

Jesus died.  The fact is so commonplace it seems strange to even mention it.  Almost hollow.  Almost as if we’ve said nothing new or meaningful.  But “new” and “meaningful” are two very different things. We’re sometimes too accustomed to thinking that meaning comes from newness.  Old truths are still true, and therefore still very meaningful.  Because a thing is familiar, because we’ve heard it before, does not mean we can pass it by without reflecting on its meaning.

Jesus died.  What can it mean to say the Son of God died?  And how should the Christian respond to that news?

The death of Jesus Christ means the death of death itself.  The death of death in the death of Jesus Christ also means victory over death for those who trust in Christ as their God and Savior.

What Exactly Is ‘Death’?

Six things.

First, death is a curse.

¹⁵ The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. ¹⁶ And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; ¹⁷ but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” (Gen. 2:15-17)

Second, death is a wage.

“For the wages of sin is death….”  (Rom. 6:23)

Third, the Bible calls death an enemy. 

“Death has climbed through the windows and has entered our fortress; it has cut off the children from the streets and the young men from the public squares.”  (Jer. 9:21) Death is an enemy that stalks us and threatens us.  This is why we hate it so.  We deserve death because of our sin, but we hate it “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” (1 Cor. 15:26)

Fourth, death is agony.

“In hell, where he saw he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.  So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire’.” (Luke 16:23-24) “But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.” (Acts 2:24)

Fifth, we can speak of both a physical death and a spiritual death.

“As for you, you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air…. We were dead in transgressions…” (Eph. 2:1-2, 5)    Continue at Thabiti Anyabwile

How Long was Jesus Dead in the Tomb?

Matthew 12:40 and Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1; John 20:1

1. Three days and three nights
   1. (Matthew 12:40) - "for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."
2. Less than three days and three nights
   1. (Matt. 28:1) - "Now after the Sabbath [SABBATHS -PLURAL], as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave."
   2. (Mark 16:2) - "And very early on the first day of the week, they *came to the tomb when the sun had risen."
   3. (Luke 24:1) - "But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices which they had prepared."
   4. (John 20:1) - "Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene *came early to the tomb, while it *was still dark, and *saw the stone already taken away from the tomb."

The Jewish day was measured from sun down to sun down. If Jesus was in the grave for three 24 hour periods, then He could not have been raised on the third day because the third day had not yet been completed. He would have to be raised on fourth day for three 24 hour periods to have been completed, and that wouldn't make sense to then say He was raised on the third day. So, what is going on?

         

		DAY 1		DAY2		DAY 3
THU starts at sundown on Wed.	THU ends at sundown	FRI starts at sundown on Thu..	FRI ends at sundown	SAT starts at sundown on Fri.	SAT ends at sundown	SUN starts at sundown on Sat.	SUN ends at sundown
Night	Day	Night	Day	Night	Day	Night	Day
		Crucifixion		Sabbath		He rose

The solution is simple when we learn that according to Jewish custom any part of a day, however small, is included as part of a full day.1 "Since the Jews reckoned part of a day as a full day, the 'three days and three nights' could permit a Friday crucifixion."2 This phenomena is exemplified in scripture in the book of Esther. "Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens also will fast in the same way," (Esther 4:16 ). Then, in Esther 5:1 it says, "Now it came about on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace in front of the king’s rooms, and the king was sitting on his royal throne in the throne room, opposite the entrance to the palace." We can see that even though the three days and nights had not been completed, Esther went in to see the King on the third day even though she said to fast for three days and nights. We see that "on the third day" is equivalent to "after three days."  Continue at CARM

Comparing the Relative Safety of Abortion and Childbirth

Earlier this week a new study was released on abortion safety. The Reuters Health headline reads: "Abortion safer than giving birth." According to the study, one woman dies in childbirth for every 11,000 births in the United States, while one woman dies from abortion for every 167,000 abortions. These numbers led the researchers to declare that a woman is 14 times more likely to die giving birth than she is to die during an abortion. 

There are a number of ways to respond to a story like this. The first is to remind people that even if abortion is safer for the mother, it is certainly not safer for the child. Maternal, abortion-related deaths may be a rarity, but fetal, abortion-related deaths are not. We could just as easily say that for every 167,000 abortions in the United States, there are 167,001 abortion-related deaths. The headline of the MedicineNet article was a much more honest one: "Abortion Safer for Women Than Childbirth, Study Claims." 

The second thing to note is the sources of the datasets used in this study. While accurate birth data is available from the federal government, accurate abortion data is not. As such, abortion data must be obtained from the Guttmacher Institute, a research group founded by Planned Parenthood and named after their former president, Alan Guttmacher. The Guttmacher Institute openly advocates abortion and seeks to normalize its use around the world. 

Speaking to this issue, Dr. Donna Harrison, director of research and public policy at the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, says, "Abortion mortality is not systematically collected. What Dr. Grimes' paper most clearly illustrates is the immediate need for reporting requirements for abortion deaths in all 50 states." Continue at Abort73

Christopher Hitchens Dead at 62

An obituary for Christopher Hitchens 

Would Christopher Hitchens rid the world of theists?

 

Christopher Hitchens (1949-2011)

 

Christopher Hitchens Might Be in Heaven

 

Christopher Hitchens (1949-2011)Grace4Sinners

 

Justin Taylor on Christopher Hitchens (1949-2011) 

 

Christopher Hitchens Has Died, Doug Wilson Reflects

 

'A great voice falls silent': Christopher Hitchens tributes pour in on Twitter

 

The Holy Spirit Puts Sin to Death

Once again, don’t run away from this blog post just because it has a Puritan flavor to it. I mentioned last month that I’ve been running through John Owen’s Overcoming Sin and Temptation and trying to distill each chapter to its essence—to a few choice quotes that capture the flavor of what Owen is trying to communicate. I recently summarized the first chapter, The Foundation of Mortification and then the second chapter, Daily Put Sin to Death.

Today I am offering up this short summary of chapter 3, “The Holy Spirit Puts Sin to Death.” This chapter was often focused rather narrowly on the Roman Catholic Church, so I passed quickly over those parts (not that they are any less true today). Here is what Owen says about the work of the Holy Spirit in mortifying sin.

“The next principle relates to the great sovereign cause of mortification. [The Holy Spirit] only is sufficient for this work; all ways and means without him are as a thing of naught; and he is the great efficient of it—he works in us as he pleases.”

Other Remedies Are Vain

In vain do men seek other remedies; they shall not be healed by them. … The reasons why [some] can never, with all their endeavors, truly mortify any one sin, among others, are:   Keep Reading...

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The Salvation of the ‘Little Ones’: Do Infants who Die Go to Heaven?

The death of an infant or young child is profoundly heartbreaking – perhaps the greatest grief a parent is called to bear. For Christian parents, there is the sure knowledge that our sovereign and merciful God is in control, but there is also a pressing question: Is our baby in heaven?

 This is a natural and unavoidable question, calling for our most careful and faithful biblical study and theological reflection. The unspeakable anguish of a parent's heart demands our honest and humble searching of the Scriptures.

Some are quick to answer this question out of sentimentality. Of course infants go to heaven, they argue, for how could God refuse a precious little one? The Universalist has a quick answer, for he believes that everyone will go to heaven. 

Some persons may simply suggest that elect infants go to heaven, while the non-elect do not, and must suffer endless punishment. Each of these easy answers is unsatisfactory.

Mere sentimentalism ignores the Bible’s teaching which bears on the issue. We have no right to establish doctrine on the basis of what we hope may be true. We must draw our answers from what the Bible reveals to be true.  Keep Reading >>>

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