"He is enough."

[C. Matthew McMahon]

I "heard" one of the best sermons I have "heard" in a long time this past Sunday. I "heard" it in a book I read on Edwards. The sermon was called "Christ is the Chrsitian's All". Now I have heard sermons ont he text he used. Its not important which one, but the littel phrase "He is enough" took hold of me, "but not enough."

He said "If you give your all to Christ, you will be exceedingly happy."

Very true.

Then, "If you have nothing else, you will need nothing."

Very true. Christ is all to us.

Then, "He is enough; in Him you will have full happiness."

True, but a problem:

When I sin, I am NOT thinking that Christ is enough, and that I need something else. Soemthing other than Him, otherwise I would not sin. Instead of sinning, I should say, "Christ is enough no matter what." Come now Holy Spirit! Help me to believe Christ IS enough! Why do we struggle with unbeleif?

If I am a drunk, then I should say Christ is enough - more than I need a hard drink of foul liquor.

If I am lusting, then I should say that Christ is enough - more than I need those rancid thoughts.

If I am angry, then I should say Christ is enough - more than my impetuous impatience.

If I am poor, then I should say Christ is enough - more than I need temporary materialism.

Etc.

Question is: what happens in our minds that causes us to get angry, or lust, or drink, or dwell on despondency because we are poor, or any sin? Why DON'T we think Christ is enough? We know with our minds he IS enough, why not actually take control of our passions and live it?

He IS enough. Why do we continually dwell in unbelief?

"For what I want to do, I do not do. And that which I hate, this I keep on doing."

Your thoughts?

(I want to write something on this as a result of this phrase "He is enough.")

 

[JWJ]

Originally posted by webmaster

Question is: what happens in our minds that causes us to get angry, or lust, or drink, or dwell on despondency because we are poor, or any sin? Why DON'T we think Christ is enough? We know with our minds he IS enough, why not actually take control of our passions and live it?

He IS enough. Why do we continually dwell in unbelief?

"For what I want to do, I do not do. And that which I hate, this I keep on doing."

Your thoughts?

(I want to write something on this as a result of this phrase "He is enough.")

Answer: Indwelling sin!

 

[re4md]

Is there a place I can read this sermon online? A quick google search did not find it. If not, where might I find it?

 

[Irishcat922]

I understand this struggle Matt, I often wonder why we knowingly choose sin rather than Christ. My oldest Son and I were discussing the issue of why Adam sinned last night, and one interesting point keeps getting stuck in my mind, i.e. Adam who had unbroken fellowship with God, and knew the consequence of sin was death, still chose to sin. Are we any different? We know the result of sin, we understand the cost, yet we still sin. This is a constant struggle in my life, like the Apostle Paul I wonder why do I do the things that i don't want to do. Of course James gives us a little clarity I think, desire gives birth to sin. Maybe the real issue is what are we really desiring in our lives.

 

[C. Matthew McMahon]

Sean, exactly.

How do we teach our "desires" to see that He is enough?

That would be a good book!


The sermon by Edwards is only in the new Soli Deo Gloria reprint called "The Puritan Pulpit."

 

[alwaysreforming]

I've heard it said, "Sin is where you go when you're dissatisfied with God."

Ever since I first heard that, I can't get it out of my mind. It is so true!

I think one of the reasons why knowing that "Christ is enough" still does not keep us from sinning is because of our infirmity, our frailty. When I feel sin creeping up on me, sometimes it seems that no amount of "Holy Spirit, please help me!" has any effect. There's a certain "pent-up"-ness of sin that clamours to be brought to the surface! And when we supress it, it digs and claws its way up to the surface! Its ugly, repulsive, irrational, uncontrollable. Its aptly termed a "curse."

Our frailty, our sinful nature, is just unable to be controlled ALWAYS by us. As we're "being refined by fire" the dross every now and then bubbles to the top. I guess the only way it would ever stop bubbling to the top is if there was no dross, no imperfection left to be refined out.

Praise God that "Christ is enough" in the ultimate sense. LITERALLY "Christ is enough" because one day we WILL be entirely free of this dross. And why is that? Christ! Pure and simple, Christ IS enough! He is the ONLY reason, our ONLY satisfaction, our ONLY Saviour, our ONLY hope (and more than just 'hope', our guarantee) that one day we will be without sin.

[Edited on 7-12-2004 by alwaysreforming]

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

"The joy of the Lord will arm us against the assaults of our spiritual enemies and put our mouths out of taste for those pleasures with which the tempter baits his hooks." -- Matthew Henry

 

[C. Matthew McMahon]

We want to crush the desires and passions of remaining sin. That's mortification.

We want to increase our faith and belief - tht vivification.

A question we shoudl answer is how we, as regenerated Christians, talk to our "desires" to teach them to believe Christ is enough.

We have to put off the old, but we also must put on the new. How doe we teach our desires to "do right?"

 

[re4md]

"How do we teach our desires to 'do right?'"

By the renewing of our minds through the Word.

2 Timothy 3:14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

 

[BobVigneault]

Remember too that in the process of maturing we do not find ourselves more pleasing to God but less. In the light of his holiness we see more of our wretchedness. Desires that once seemed innocent shame us now and desires that seem innocent now may someday soon cause us to bow and surrender to our savior in holy sorrow.

Paul was the chief of sinners til he died. Patrick the great missionary to Ireland saw no improvement in himself but rightly attributed any good deed to the gift of God.

"This, I presume, I ought to do, but I do not trust myself as long as I am in this body of death, for strong is he who daily strives to turn me away from the faith and the purity of true religion to which I have devoted myself to the end of my I life to Christ my Lord. But the hostile flesh is ever dragging us unto death, that is, towards the forbidden satisfaction of one's desires; and I know that in part I did not lead a perfect life as did the other faithful; but I acknowledge it to my Lord, and do not blush before Him, because I lie not: from the time I came to know Him in my youth, the love of God and the fear of Him have grown in me, and up to now, thanks to the grace of God, I have kept the faith. " From the Confessions of Patrick

 

[C. Matthew McMahon]

Do you think that there is a separation between what we "think" and our "desires"?

Think of it this way - a man is a drunk, is covnerted, and then struggles with alchoholism. He wants to please Christ, but often is drawn into the bottle.

Now with his mind he wants to serve the law of Christ, but with his flesh the law of sin.

His mind is being renwed, but how does he tell his "flesh" not to partake of the bottle when it "feels" drawn to it?

 

[Ivan]

See. This is why I came to this board. WOW! What rich thought! I'm ready to preach now!

 

[cupotea]

Originally posted by Ivan
See. This is why I came to this board. WOW! What rich thought! I'm ready to preach now!

 

[Scott Bushey]

1Co 9:26 So I run accordingly, as not uncertainly; so I fight, as not beating air;
1Co 9:27 but I buffet my body and lead it captive, lest proclaiming to others I myself might be disapproved.

2Co 10:4 for the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but powerful to God to the demolishion of strongholds,
2Co 10:5 the demolishing of arguments and every high thing lifting up itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought into the obedience of Christ,
2Co 10:6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

Jam 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

We need to whip ourselves like Luther did.

 

[alwaysreforming]

Matthew's last question was:
"His mind is being renwed, but how does he tell his "flesh" not to partake of the bottle when it "feels" drawn to it?

As some of the other posts have suggested, we need to "whip our bodies," "resist the devil," "punish every disobedience," etc.

One way in which we do this is by purposefully trying to make sin odious to us! As Christians, when we think about sin (whether its drunkeness, drugs, sex, etc.), it doesn't have to same effect towards us, meaning we don't "cherish" it, we don't "nurture" it, we don't paint it in a positive light. We see it for what it truly is: ugly.

It still has a pulling power, but now it pulls mainly on our flesh, our minds are not really captive to it anymore. (Our minds might be at times, but usually our "will-er" would like to do otherwise.)

I believe one of the ways we strive against sin is by simply not feeding it. If the thought of doing a drug comes to my mind, I tell myself how unseemly it is. If I'm being tempted sexually, I tell myself how abominable an act that would be; how Christ would be disappointed; how I'd be hurting that other person; how rotten an action that would be.

If I'm walking through the mall, I'll shield my eyes from the objects that might tempt me. I'll look in the other direction when passing "Victoria's Secret." I'll look away from all the sexy young females. If I see something tempting, I'll not allow myself to play with it in my head.

And, I think there's a "positive" aspect to this as well. There's a certain amount of Heavenward-ness of our thoughts which we should cultivate, especially in the face of sin and temptation. When we compare these earthly satisfactions with the riches of Heaven, they suddenly don't seem so attractive. Being drunk might sound good; being in a glorified body sounds even better. Ill-gotten gain sounds good; the perfection of Christ sounds even better.

When all is said and done, "Christ is enough." None of these earthly pleasures will last. Christ is the only one we can count on. He is the only TRUE satisfaction. In Him, we will NEVER be disappointed. Sin ALWAYS leads to disappointment, dissatisfation, discouragement, and despair.

 

[fredtgreco]

Originally posted by webmaster
We want to crush the desires and passions of remaining sin. That's mortification.

We want to increase our faith and belief - tht vivification.

A question we shoudl answer is how we, as regenerated Christians, talk to our "desires" to teach them to believe Christ is enough.

We have to put off the old, but we also must put on the new. How doe we teach our desires to "do right?"

Matt,

This is so vital, and so lost in our day and age. Perhaps the best place to look for this is Owen's Duty of Being Spiritually Minded.

 

[Peter]

Heb 12: Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which does so easily beset us and run with patience the race that is set before us...

Look to the witnesses before us. Look to the Puritans and the Covenanters, so many of which chose rather to die than sin.

Looking unto Jesus who for the glory that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Look to the example of Jesus and the hope of glory.

 

[C. Matthew McMahon]

Originally posted by fredtgreco

Originally posted by webmaster
We want to crush the desires and passions of remaining sin. That's mortification.

We want to increase our faith and belief - tht vivification.

A question we shoudl answer is how we, as regenerated Christians, talk to our "desires" to teach them to believe Christ is enough.

We have to put off the old, but we also must put on the new. How doe we teach our desires to "do right?"

Matt,

This is so vital, and so lost in our day and age. Perhaps the best place to look for this is Owen's Duty of Being Spiritually Minded.

Fred, that is what I was getting at. I think I want to bring to light a modern version on some of these ideas. At least a paper. I find this to be so important, but never talked about.

 

[fredtgreco]

Originally posted by webmaster

Originally posted by fredtgreco

Originally posted by webmaster
We want to crush the desires and passions of remaining sin. That's mortification.

We want to increase our faith and belief - that vivification.

A question we should answer is how we, as regenerated Christians, talk to our "desires" to teach them to believe Christ is enough.

We have to put off the old, but we also must put on the new. How doe we teach our desires to "do right?"

Matt,

This is so vital, and so lost in our day and age. Perhaps the best place to look for this is Owen's Duty of Being Spiritually Minded.

Fred, that is what I was getting at. I think I want to bring to light a modern version on some of these ideas. At least a paper. I find this to be so important, but never talked about.

I agree. I think EVERY Reformed minister should be REQUIRED for the good of his people to deal with Owen's:

• Mortification of Sin
• Duty of Being Spiritually Minded
• Treatise on the Holy Spirit

The first two are essential both the minister's own life and his shepherding of the flock. I think it would be great to write a piece for "Duty" that could do for it what Packer did for Death of Death.

 

[C. Matthew McMahon]

OK - that will be the next project. Good suggestion.

 

[fredtgreco]

Let me know if I can help.

 

[C. Matthew McMahon]

I have to write those other justification papers first, but I'll let you know - maybe you could proof read it and edit it to make it "pristine."

 

[VanVos]

Excellent thoughts been shared here. The verses that reminds me Christ is a enough is 2 Cor 3:21-23. That means that we are going to get the best of all possible worlds, so why bother sinning. Easier said then done though.

VanVos

 

[PuritanCovenanter]

I have used this book( Sin and Temptation by Owen / Houston) I have used for years to teach what you are discussing. It is the best rewrite of any Puritan I have ever read. It covers Sin, Temptation, and Mortification in that order.

 

[C. Matthew McMahon]

Randy, looks like a great condensed version!