What Did Jesus Mean When He Said, "Judge Not"?

Sam Storms:

In brief, for many (if not most) students today, “There is no enemy other than the man who is not open to everything.”

The irony, of course, is that in judging us for judging others they are themselves violating the very commandment to which they want to hold us accountable! To insist that it is wrong to pronounce others wrong for embracing a particular belief or moral practice is itself an ethical position, a moral stand. To insist on uncritical tolerance of all views is extremely intolerant of those who embrace a different perspective.

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Get's Sam' new book here which looks very helpful.

Sam Storms on Forgiveness - What It Is, What It Is Not

Five Myths about Forgiveness:

• Contrary to what many have been led to believe, forgiveness is not forgetting.
• Forgiving someone does not mean you no longer feel the pain of their offense.
• Forgiving someone who has sinned against you doesn’t mean you cease longing for justice.
• Forgiveness does not mean you are to make it easy for the offender to hurt you again.
• Forgiveness is rarely a one-time, climactic event. It is most often a life-long process.

Five Truths about Forgiveness:

• God in Christ forgave us by absorbing in himself the destructive and painful consequences of our sin against him.
• God forgave us in Christ by canceling the debt we owed him. That is to say, we are no longer held liable for our sins or in any way made to pay for them.
• Forgiving others as God has forgiven us means we resolve to revoke revenge.
• Forgiving others as God has forgiven us means that we determine to do good to them rather than evil. Read especially Romans 12:17-21.
• God forgave us in Christ by reconciling us to himself, by restoring the relationship that our sin had shattered.

Read the whole piece here.  

Q&A with Ray Ortlund and Sam Storms

Ryan Kelly:

Videos of the panel discussions for Clarus ‘09 – “The Convergence of Doctrine and Delight” — (Sam Storms and Ray Ortlund) are now on Youtube. Below are the links broken down by category and specific questions, 3-8 minutes each.

Questions on Worship

• How does the average Christian pursue worship in spirit and truth? Part 1
• How does the average Christian pursue worship in spirit and truth? Part 2
• How does the average Christian pursue worship in spirit and truth? Part 3

Questions on Miraculous Gifts

• If we believe in the continuation of all spiritual gifts, should we pursue them?
• Tell us about being a “charismatic Calvinist.”
• Further thoughts on pursuing miraculous gifts…

Questions on Election and Predestination

• If God has already chosen who will be saved, why witness and pray?
• How did you begin to understand election?
• Does “foreknowledge” mean God looked into the future to see what we would do?
• What does it mean that God wants all people to come to repentance? Part 1
• What does it mean that God wants all people to come to repentance? Part 2

Questions on Various Issues of Ministry and the Church

• What are some encouraging things you see God doing in the church?
• What are some not-so-encouraging trends you see in the church?
• What is Biblical Theology?
• How can a pastor capture the power of the Bible’s metaphors without being unnecessarily crude?
• How should we give assurance to our children?

If you missed the plenary sessions (or want to re-listen), the audio to this, as well as the previous year’s conference weekends, is on the DSC/Clarus website.

Just a reminder, there will be two different panel discussions with Wayne Grudem and Randy Alcorn at this year’s Clarus conference weekend — Saturday, May 1, 1:30 PM and 8:15 PM. If you haven’t purchased tickets, do so soon!

I Needed To Read This Today

Sam Storms:

Most people think praise from others and appreciation of our efforts is the basis for joy. But Paul was attacked, and lacked articulate words; he was weak in body and wasn't a good-looking man. If Time Magazine had a 100 Sexiest Men of 1st Century Palestine, Paul would not be in there. "Well maybe money and success, that's the key!" No! Paul was poor and needed help to live. He endured sleepless nights and a thorn in the flesh and was cast into prison. They called him a hypocrite. Yet Paul was energized by a joy in Jesus. That's why he said in 2 Corinthians 10, "We are sorrowful yet always rejoicing."

Maybe you're thinking that this kind of pursuit leaves you selfish, indifferent to neighbors, neglecting friends and family, etc. That's not what Paul is talking about. This is a deep, durable delight in the splendor of Jesus Christ that stokes the white-hot flames for the nations, that helps a man and woman to persevere in their marriage, that empowers the soul to overcome addictive behaviors, that enables a weak soul to persevere in the loss of a job or the death of a child. It encourages a timid heart to engage a lost world with the light of the gospel. It encourages a church to be sustained through hard financial times as they lose much of their material possessions.

Why did God make us? To glorify himself by making us immeasurably happy in himself. Why are you in pastoral ministry? To lead your people into the enjoyment of God for the glory of God.