A Christian View of Work

"One of the reasons that Christians read Scripture repeatedly and carefully is to find out how God works in Jesus Christ so that we can work in the name of Jesus Christ."

(Eugene Peterson, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, 108-9)

Well put!

Jason Button

A Christian View of Work

Review: Rid of My Disgrace

Rid of My Disgrace: Hope and Healing for Victims of Sexual Assault by Justin S. Holcomb & Lindsey A. Holcomb

My rating: 4 of 5 stars (at Goodreads)

Rid of My Disgrace will be a tremendous help to pastors looking for help understanding the issues involved with sexual assault. Portions of this book would be excellent if they could be excerpted and offered to victims and loved ones of victims. This is such a difficult subject to discuss because it is so sensitive. The scars of shame and guilt are cut deep into the hearts of victims. I fear that many of the few who have not been assaulted sexually, especially in the church, go about without a clue as to the wounds many victims are nursing. I also fear that the majority of victims believe that they are all alone in their pain, and that no one will understand, much less believe them.

My prayer is that this book will help many, many, many to find freedom in Christ and loving support within the church! All church leaders ought to read this book (even staff, teachers and nursery workers). All of our leaders need to be equipped to spot signs of abuse and to respond in a legally and biblically appropriate way. Our churches ought to be safe havens for the assaulted! 

I would also recommend this book to parents; be informed, especially when you consider the following facts: 

1) "At least one in four women and one in six men are of will be victims of sexual assault in their lifetime" (from the Introduction)
2) "women sixteen to nineteen years old have the highest rate of sexual victimization of any age group" (chapter 2)
3) Sexual assault comes most frequently from a close relative, a friend, a date, or a spouse. (my summary)
4) "sexual assault is 'one of the most underreported crimes due primarily to fear and/or embarrassment on the part of the victim.'" (chapter 2) 

A few technical concerns...

Although the content is outstanding, it is at times repetitive and, especially in the third part, very dense. The book begins by appealing to and speaking directly to victims, which is very helpful! As probing and uncomfortable dealing with this subject is, I was blessed by the guidance received from these capable counselors. The language is straight-forward and seasoned with compassion, grace, and the hope found only in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

My major qualm with this book is that I am now unsure about recommending this to all victims of sexual abuse. I could do so and suggest which portions to read, but that might prove awkward. Another option would be to save this recommendation for particular individuals whom I believe would dig in and work through the long chapters and rich doctrinal studies. The biblical theology of grace in the place of disgrace was very refreshing. However, I believe that the density of the content will unnecessarily limit the breadth of the intended audience.

What I would love to see, is a pared down edition, of about 100 pages long, that would be suitable for handing to any victim of sexual assault (or to a larger general audience). I love and appreciate what the Holcombs offer here. This volume is, overall, a great addition to the works available from a Biblical perspective on the subject of sexual assault. I recently read Doris VanStone's No Place To Cry which is also excellent, gospel-saturated, and appeals to a very wide audience. I also found and hope to begin reading very soon Dan Allender's The Wounded Heart: Hope for Adult Victims of Childhood Sexual Abuse.

A final issue was the overabundance of quotations. It is very apparent that the authors are widely read, however, the final section felt overrun by heaping one lengthy quote upon another. Much of this would have been better situated in end notes with a suggested bibliography. The sources quoted are generally excellent, but I would caution against citing a popular preacher (in this case Driscoll) for technical, theological definitions. The definitions were adequate, but citing Driscoll felt more like name-dropping than good scholarship.

Conclusion...

Praise God, by his grace he is willing and able to rid me of my disgrace! Praise God for the Holcombs, gifts God has granted to the church and all who are suffering the disgrace of sexual assault. 

Review: Rid of My Disgrace

A Proper Understanding of Giving Informs and Empowers Our Forgiving

{If you don't read this post, PLEASE, at the least, watch the video embedded below of Forgiveness.  There you will see how giving and forgiving work together.}

When we give, it's Christ who gives. As we think about ourselves as givers, there's something to rejoice about.  We are instruments in God's hand, and we give to delight others and to alleviate their needs.  But there's nothing to be proud of. God is doing the giving, and it is God, not us, who deserves honor and gratitude.

Consider the apostle Paul's view of gratitude....  'Your generosity,' he wrote, 'will produce thanksgiving to God through us'; the gift 'not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God' (2 Corinthians 9:11-13).  The Corinthians do the giving, but God gets the thanks!  Does that make sense?  Only if it's true that when the Corinthians give, it's God who gives.

From here Miroslav Volf comments on the letter to the Philippians which is "one long thank-you note" without any thanks directed to the Philippians.  "Most likely he doesn't thank them directly because he believes that he hasn't received gifts from them but through them.  The giver is God.  They are the channels."

So, "the Philippians received indirect thanks from the Apostle: In a letter addressed to them, he thanked God for them as supporters of his ministry (Philippians 1:3-11).  And this is exactly as it should be - provided that it's God who gives when the Philippians give."

At this point, Volf draws assistance from Seneca's work On Benefits: "Modest givers forget that they have given; indeed, they forget while they are giving, claims Seneca. Hence they resist the recipients' gratitude.  Grateful receivers, on the other hand, never forget what they've received.  Ingratitude is their worst vice."

The question now is, Can this work?  How do givers ignore, or better forget, the response of gratitude; and how do receivers consistently remember to express gratitude?  Volf summarizes Seneca's solution: 

"It's God who gives through human givers; human givers can forget their own giving.  It's from God that recipients receive; recipients can remember the gift and give thanks to God.  The vice of the giver's pride is banished, but the virtue of the recipient's gratitude retained.  Givers are not superior to recipients on account of giving, and recipients are not diminished on account of receiving.  Both are God's creatures, and both are recipients of God's gifts, even if one receives to pass on and the other receives to enjoy."

Finally, the question of dealing with ingratitude must be addressed.  Volf phrases the question like this: "How can we continue to give when the cold winds of ingratitude blow in the face of our giving?"

Volf's answer here truly humbled me because I have done more than my fair share of chafing over ingratitude!  Volf concludes:

It will not help much if we simply remind ourselves: God gives to the ungrateful, and so should we.  But it will help if we remember that it's God who gives when we give.  For then we need to deflect gratitude that comes to us anyway.  We are not its proper addressees.  God is.  And if we are convinced that gratitude doesn't properly belong to us, then ingratitude doesn't touch us.  We are not disrespected by ingratitude; our pride is not injured.  The ingratitude of recipients wrongs not us but the gift-giving God - the God whose goodness "gladly loses its good deed on the unthankful" [quoting Luther].  And so we too continue to give, even to the ungrateful.

 (Miroslav Volf, Free of Charge: Giving and Forgiving in a Culture Stripped of Grace, p. 112-115)

I have posted a handful of quotes from this book on the topic of giving via Twitter: see here.

A Proper Understanding of Giving Informs and Empowers Our Forgiving

Christian Giving: "Love and Enjoy Others in God"

"Untethered from God, self-giving love cannot stand on its own for long. If it excludes God, it will destroy us, for we will then deliver ourselves to the mercy of the finite, and therefore inherently unreliable, objects of our love. The only way to ensure that we will not lose our very selves if we give ourselves to others is if our love for the other passes first through God, if we...love and enjoy others in God.  Those who serve the poor often express such a stance by saying that they serve Jesus in the one they help.  The same is true of all Christian giving."

(Miroslav Volf, Free of Charge: Giving and Forgiving in a Culture Stripped of Grace, p. 103)

I have posted a handful of quotes from this book on the topic of giving via Twitter: see here.

Christian Giving: "Love and Enjoy Others in God"

Martyn Lloyd-Jones Sermons Available for Free

I just read this re-tweet by @wtsbooks:
"All the audio of Martyn Lloyd-Jones sermons will be available for free download starting tomorrow. http://t.co/h819ciN2"
This is exciting news, but please consider a donation to the MLJ Trust if you take advantage of this offer.
Blessings,
Jason Button

Martyn Lloyd-Jones Sermons Available for Free

The Curse Annihilated Forevermore (G. Vos)

"By raising Christ from death, God as the supreme Judge set his seal to the absolute perfection and completeness of his atoning work.  The resurrection is a public announcement to the world that the penalty of death has been borne by Christ to its bitter end and that in consequence the dominion of guilt has been broken, the curse annihilated forevermore."

(Geerhardus Vos, Chapter 7: "The Joy of Resurrection Life - 1 Corinthians 15:14," in Grace and Glory)

See here about downloading this free eBook.

The Curse Annihilated Forevermore (G. Vos)

James L. Mays on Psalms (Interpretation Commentary) 71% off at CBD

James L. Mays's commentary has become my primary "go-to" commentary on the Psalms when I'm looking for quick theological interpretation.  There are others I turn to when I have more time to work through the details of exegesis such as the three volumes in the WBC series (Marvin Tate and Leslie Allen) or Gerald Wilson's volume on Pss 1-72 in the NIVAC series (I still have Goldingay's 3-volumes on my "wish list").  However, I have found the introductory matter supplied by Mays along with his careful eye to highlight structural features consistent in each form along with theological continuity to especially helpful.  In particular, Mays's understanding of the various patterns of prayers in the Psalter and their basic features has been most helpful.

Along with this commentary, I would recommend a collection of essays and sermons by James L. Mays, Preaching and Teaching the Psalms, edited by Patrick D. Miller.  The essays included here very useful.
 

CBD currently has Mays's commentary on Psalms (hardcover) marked down to $9.99.  This is an excellent price!!!  It appears that this series has been re-published in paperback and also in digital format.  This more than likely accounts for the discounted prices on the older copies.  However, some of these older copies are still gems.  CBD currently has the following volumes in the Interpretation series marked down.  Take a look...

• Genesis, by Walter Brueggemann (hardcover) [Recommended by many]
• Exodus, by Terence E. Fretheim (hardcover) [Recommended by many]
• Leviticus, by Samuel E. Balentine (hardcover) [Recommended by many]
• Numbers, by Dennis Olson (hardcover)  [Recommended by many]
• Joshua, by Jerome Creach (hardcover)
• Ruth, by Katharine Doob Sakenfeld (hardcover)
• First and Second Samuel, by Walter Brueggeman (hardcover) [Recommended by many]
• First and Second Kings, by Richard Nelson (hardcover) [Recommended by many]
• First and Second Chronicles, by Steven Tuell (hardcover)
• Ezra-Nehemiah, by Mark Throntvait (hardcover) [Recommended by many]
• Job, by J. Gerald Janzen (hardcover) [Recommended by many]
• Proverbs, by Leo G. Perdue  (hardcover)
• Ecclesiastes, by William P. Brown (hardcover)
• Song of Songs, by Robert W. Jenson (hardcover)
• Jeremiah, by Ronald Clements (hardcover) [Recommended by many]
• Lamentations, by F.W. Dobbs-Allsopp (hardcover)
• Isaiah 1-39, by Christopher Seitz (hardcover) [Recommended by many]
• Isaiah 40-66, by Paul D. Hanson (hardcover)
• Daniel, by W. Sibley Towner (hardcover)
• Nahum-Malachi, by Elizabeth Achtemeier (hardcover) [Recommended by many]
• Mark, by Lamar Williamson (hardcover) [Recommended by many]
• John, by Gerard Sloyan (hardcover)
• Acts, by William H. Willimon (hardcover)
• Romans, by Paul J. Achtemeier (hardcover).  [Interestingly, CBD also has the paperback edition marked down here.]
• Second Corinthians, by Ernest Best (hardcover)
• Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon, by Ralph P. Martin
• Philippians, by Fred Craddock (hardcover)
• First and Second Timothy and Titus, by Thomas C. Oden (hardcover)
• Hebrews, by Thomas G. Long (hardcover)  [Recommended by many]
• First and Second Peter, James, and Jude, by Pheme Perkins (hardcover)
• First, Second, and Third John, by D. Moody Smith (hardcover)

James L. Mays on Psalms (Interpretation Commentary) 71% off at CBD

Vos's Grace and Glory Available for Download as a Free eBook

Geerhardus Vos's Grace and Glory is available for free download in three formats: ePub, Mobipocket/Kindle, or PDF. Download at GoodReads.com (links below).

Grace and Glory, by Geerhardus Vos276 pages 

Long out of print and eagerly sought after, Grace and Glory is a collection of sermons given at Princeton Seminary and will be enthusiastically welcomed by readers who are already indebted to the work of Geerhardus Vos.

Published October 28th 1994 by Banner of Truth (first published October 1994)

format	size	downloads	link / send to
ePub (eng)	270.8KB	8	download• read
Mobipocket/Kindle (eng)	293.5KB	36	download
PDF (eng)	952.5KB	11	download

              

This is a great collection of sermons by an eminent Reformed biblical scholar. I recommend it to you.

Vos's Grace and Glory Available for Download as a Free eBook

Free Book of the Month: John Bunyan’s Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners

Although there are tedious spots in this story of Bunyan's conversion, it is well worth the read. Slow tedious spots are a fact of life, espcially in the life of faith.

Sent to you by Jason via Google Reader:

Free Book of the Month: John Bunyan’s Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners

via Logos Talk: The Logos Bible Software Blog by Nathan Smoyer on 4/3/12

John Bunyan's classic Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners is April's Free Book of the Month!

". . . as I was sitting by the fire, I suddenly felt this word to sound in my heart, I must go to Jesus; at this my former darkness and atheism fled away, and the blessed things of heaven were set within my view."—John Bunyan

John Bunyan, one of history's most prominent Puritans, traces his own spiritual pilgrimage in Grace Abounding. He describes his trials, temptations, and sorrows, as well as how he came to rely on Christ for his every need.
Bunyan penned Grace Abounding while he was imprisoned (for preaching without a license), as a letter of encouragement to his congregation, Bunyan's story of conversion continues to encourage Christians today.
You can get this book for free all month long, and when you visit the Free Book of the Month page, you can enter to win the 61-volume Works of John Bunyan Collection.
Visit the Free Book of the Month page to download your free book and enter the giveaway!

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to Logos Talk: The Logos Bible Software Blog using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

Free Book of the Month: John Bunyan’s Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners

Free Rid of My Disgrace ebook from Crossway.com

Rid of My Disgrace is a book that has been highly recommended to our congregation by one of our pastors, and you can download a free copy through April 3, 2012.

Here is the note posted on the Crossway Blog:

Did you know that April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month? Sexual assault is shockingly prevalent in our culture. Consider this: One in four women and one in six men are or will be victims of sexual assault in their lifetime. What's more, this grim statistic doesn't begin to speak to the darkness and grief experienced by the victims. Because sexual assault causes physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual pain, victims need clear help, hope, and healing.

This is why Justin and Lindsay Holcomb, a couple experienced in counseling victims of sexual assault, have written Rid of My Disgrace: Hope and Healing for Victims of Sexual Assault. In this book they explain how the grace of God can heal the broken and restore the disgraced.

To help you to think biblically and holistically about sexual assault we are offering the Rid of My Disgrace ebook free for the next two days, April 2-3. From April 4–18 it will be available for $3.99. You can download it from Crossway's website, from the Resurgence, or from your preferred ebook distributor.

Our hope and prayer is that this resource will make it's way into the hands of those seeking gospel restoration, and equip those seeking to enact it.

Thank you, Crossway!

Free Rid of My Disgrace ebook from Crossway.com