THIS & THAT and Favorite Quotes of the Week

ABORTION:

• Can I Be Forgiven If I’ve Had an Abortion? R.C. Sproul writes “Forgiveness is one of the marvels of God’s grace. Its healing power is magnificent. If a woman has been involved in abortion, God does not require that she spend the rest of her life walking around with a red “A” on her chest. He does require that she repent of her sin and come to Him for the cleansing of forgiveness. When God forgives us, we are forgiven. When God cleanses us, we are made clean. That is a cause for great celebration.”
• What Shall We Call the Unborn? Kevin DeYoung writes “What shall we call the child in the womb? A fetus? A mystery? A mistake?”
• How Pro-Life Christians Honor a Pro-Choice President. John Piper writes “How can we as pro-life Christians honor President Barack Obama when he supports the right to kill unborn children for any reason up through the age of viability?
• 18 Reasons Why the Abortion Industry is Losing Its Support. George Grant writes “One scandal after another has hit the abortion industry, its medical personnel, its educators, its researchers, its lobbyists, and its administrators. As a result, its “Teflon” reputation is starting to wear a little thin and its “grand illusion” has begun to lose its luster.”
• Free Abortion-Related Resources from Ligonier Ministries. Ligonier Ministries is offering a free course via Ligonier Connect and also (through January 31), R.C. Sproul’s ebook Abortion: A Rational Look at An Emotional Issue. 

CHRISTIAN LIVING:

• The Character of the Christian: Above Reproach. Tim Challies continues his new series on the character of the Christian using the qualifications of an elder. This time he looks at what it means to be above approach.
• 5 Benefits of Praying the Psalms. Don Whitney writes “The Psalms also work so well in prayer because there’s a psalm for every sigh of the soul. You’ll never go through anything in life in which the root emotion is not found in one or more of the Psalms. Thus the Psalms put into expression that which is looking for expression in our hearts.”
• The R-Rated Tongue. David Murray looks at James 3:5-6, which tells us that tongue is a dangerous inferno.
• J.I. Packer’s 10 Tips for Grieving the Loss of a Loved One. Our friend Kevin Halloran shares these helpful tips from J.I. Packer.
• Mercy vs. Injustice. Watch R.C. Sproul distinguish mercy from injustice in this video clip from his series The Parables of Jesus.
• Finding God in the Darkness. Derek Thomas writes “No matter how dark the path gets, there is a reason for it. I may not know it; but that is not important. What is important is this: He knows!”
• A Prayer for Days When We Need a Little Encouragement. Here’s our prayer of the week from friend Scotty Smith.

CURRENT EVENTS:

• Wheaton College and the Courage of Being Confessional. Trevin Wax writes “Whatever happens next, it’s clear that Hawkins has shown courage in sticking to her beliefs, even if it results in her firing. But Wheaton College has also shown courage in seeking to more clearly articulate its foundational principles, even if it results in cultural shame and mockery.”
• Three Proposals for Racial Reconciliation in the PCA. As an elder in the PCA, I found this article by Rick Phillips of interest. He writes “Perhaps the biggest issue going into this year’s Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) General Assembly will be the racial reconciliation overtures that are starting to come in from the presbyteries.”
• Steve Taylor Talks Bill Pohlad’s Love & Mercy. Steve Taylor writes “But the Academy Award for Most Difficult Achievement in a Motion Picture would go to director Bill Pohlad’s Love & Mercy, a complex and deeply felt tribute to the genius of Brian Wilson made even more remarkable by the fact that nothing about this venture looked promising on paper.
• Box of Lies with Adele. Did you see Adele play Box of Lies with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show?

THEOLOGY AND GREAT RESOURCES:

• Scotty Smith on Philippians 2. Scotty Smith offered this powerful talk at Rooted 2015 about the Gospel of grace, incarnation, and its applications in youth ministry from Philippians 2.
• The Scandal of Biblical Illiteracy: It’s Our Problem. Albert Mohler looks at the problem of Biblical illiteracy in the church.
• A Life Not Wasted: Adoniram Judson. Nathan Busenitz writes “I have been profoundly impressed with the sacrifices made by Christian men and women throughout the centuries of church history. From martyrs to missionaries, these individuals have served their King with greatest intensity and courage, valiantly standing as examples for those who come behind them.”
• Watch “Theology in Dialogue” with R.C. Sproul and Derek Thomas. Watch R.C. Sproul and Derek Thomas answer questions submitted through social media and from a live audience recently at Saint Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Florida.
• 4 Lessons for the Bedeviling Sanctification Debate.  This article is adapted from Tim Keller’s excellent Foreword to Sinclair Ferguson’s new book, The Whole Christ: Legalism, Antinomianism, and Gospel Assurance—Why the Marrow Controversy Still Matters.
• Is God Sovereign Over My Free Will? In this episode of “Ask Pastor John”, John Piper addresses the question “How does God use His sovereignty for the greater good, when our free will is in place?” 

 

• Jesus, as our King, you rule over presidential races and weather fronts. As our Savior, your name is Redeemer and your grace is enough. Scotty Smith

• There is nothing more important in the Christian life than to realize that our union with Christ is a vital one. It is a living thing. It is not something mechanical or conceptual; it is not a thought or an idea; it is really a vital, spiritual union. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

• The most dangerous place in the United States for a human being is inside the womb of a woman. R.C. Sproul

• Longing indeed for that day when all are judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin. Albert Mohler

• What makes sin sin, what makes it so vile, what gives it its horrific transcendental vileness, is that it’s sin against God. D.A. Carson

• Character is manifest in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones. Darrin Patrick

• God relentlessly offers his grace to people who do not deserve it, seek it, or appreciate it after they have been saved by it. Tim Keller

• Real contentment, as the Apostle Paul discovered, isn’t contingent on finances, status, or possessions. Francis Chan

• The gospel does not exhort us to do certain things, but announces what God has done in his Son. Michael Horton

• All who go to hell, go because of their own free will. All who go to heaven, go because of God’s sovereign will. Steven Lawson

• Kids who grow up with legalistic pharisaism and then rebel aren’t rebelling against Christianity but against a false religion. Burk Parsons

• If you could lose your salvation, you would. John MacArthur

• Tolerance helps us agree to disagree but it doesn’t require us to love. Jesus commands what tolerance doesn’t, provides what tolerance can’t. Zack Eswine

• If any man is not sure that he is in Christ, he ought not to be easy one moment until he is sure. Charles Spurgeon