Let My Candle Go Out - Thomas Watson

Those of you who know me well know I am very non-competitive by nature. Coupled with my natural timidity, I was certain not be called into preaching so many years ago. Now nearly 14 years into preaching ministry, I am still a bit put off how competitive preachers can be. Yet, when I hear solid preaching, I rejoice. Some praiseworthy preaching comes from competitive men, while still others are tempted to think themselves spiritually superior for being non-competitive. 

The truth is not found in the manner of preaching or the preacher, but all the glory is to be to Christ. I meditate on this as I read the great Puritan preacher Thomas Watson's lectures on the shorter catechism in print as The Body of Divinity. The preacher's candle is a flame to go out that Christ may be the only One shining. Watson makes this point:

"We aim at God’s glory when we are content to be outshined by others in gifts and esteem, so that his glory may be increased. A man that has God in his heart, and God’s glory in his eye, desires that God should be exalted; and if this be effected, let who will be the instrument, he rejoices. ‘Some preach Christ of envy: notwithstanding Christ is preached, and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice’ (Philippians 1:15); they preached Christ of envy, they envied Paul that concourse of people, and they preached that they might outshine him in gifts, and get away some of his hearers: well, says Paul, Christ is preached, and God is like to have the glory, therefore I rejoice; let my candle go out, if the Sun of Righteousness may but shine."

The Sweet, Truthful Speech of the Wise-Hearted

 “The wise of heart is called discerning, and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness.” – Proverbs 16:21

Do you see what is wrong with the world? With others? Do you want to instruct the world with knowledge which they are in ignorance and blind to? Do you desire to persuade others into right thinking and right living?

In our age of social media platforms, we are flooded with information of the lives of others while given the option to comment. News and information swirl faster and more furious than the town gossip listening into party line phone calls in previous generations. This has arisen a generation which craves information for the sole purpose of commenting on everything.

Does God speak any commands of us as His people whom He set apart for His sovereign purposes in this fallen world? I have observed many in Christ’s name take up truth to mock those in error. I have observed many in Christ’s name compromise truth while communicating with those in public sin. Yet, in all our technological advances, our eternal God speaks the ancient words of the proverb above.

If I am to be of any use in the Lord’s service living in a hostile, sinful culture to persuade those in darkness of the truth, I must be “wise of heart.” Such wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord (9:10). A heart without a healthy fear of God as righteous Master and Judge with terror to melt mountains is an unhealthy, foolish heart bent toward a pride seeing others as beneath them in intelligence, seeing their self-righteousness and self-justification of errors through the lens of spiritual superiority. Such pride will not only fail to persuade those in error, but it will also lead to destruction (16:18). A wise heart is a heart humble before God having been clothed with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience (Colossians 3:12).

A wise-hearted Christian is discerning, as well. Though a gentle, kind, patient, humble soul, the Christian is uncompromising of God’s revealed truth in Scripture. What we know of our God is not simple opinions or theory but spoken to us by God’s eternal truth to we who are like fading grass (Isaiah 40:6-8). Our confidence in truth speaking is not simply formed based on our ways of thinking which we think are pure because it just seems right to us, but because God has spoken (Proverbs 3:5, 16:2). Our wise understanding has not come by way of our own thoughts or the thoughts of others, but the instruction of God (16:16).

Yet even here, this proverb does not simply jump into speaking truth. The wise-hearted and discerning Christian devoted to biblical truth has a sweetness of speech. In our modern culture, every call for sweetness of speech is quickly and arrogantly dismissed by calling people “tone police.” Yet, our God is our tone police. In a hostile, arrogant world rich with the mockery of sharp tongues, the tamed tongue of a Christian speaks truth from God sweetly to fall upon worldly ears accustomed to mockery and arrogance. This means the command of God upon your tongue and typing is in a studied way of expressing biblical truth using graceful, uncompromising language with a concern that hearers enjoy the great value of increasing in the biblical knowledge you are communicating. The sweet words of wise counsel in a foolish world are compared to the sweet smell of perfume in a smelly world (Proverbs 27:9).

The wise-hearted, discerning Christian with sweet biblical truth upon the lips now speaks. And that is the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ. We make disciples by teaching them to observe all Jesus commanded us (Matthew 28:20). We are not permitted to be silent or to conveniently skip over biblical truth. Yet, our goal is the instruction of others, the increased knowledge of biblical truth by wise instruction with sweet words. For the world truly is foolish. If we desire to persuade others to increased biblical knowledge to change toward right thinking and right living, let us be uncompromising in biblical truth, wise in our affections, graceful in our words, bold in our proclamation.

Heavenly Father, forgive us of any foolishness in our affections and give us hearts wise in Your Scriptures. Forgive us of any lack of understanding Your commands of us and grant to us discernment. Forgive us of any harshness or mockery of our sharp tongues and give us lips to speak sweet words. Forgive us of any silence and give us confidence to proclaim Your truth to a foolish world and baffle them. In Jesus’ name Amen.

Thankfully Self-Righteous

"God, I thank You that I am not like other men.” -Luke 18:11

This is the prayer of the Pharisee who walked out of the temple unjustified. Let’s break this simple sentence down. First, the Pharisee is talking with God valuing prayer as an important religious duty. Second, he is thankful to God, entering prayer with thanksgiving to God. Third, he is thankful to God that he is more moral than other men.

Luke sets up our Lord’s parable with this: “Jesus told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt.” There is the rub. The Pharisee thought he could justify himself by valuing the duty of prayer, being thankful to God, and being moral. Jesus told this parable about the heart of people desiring to trust in their own decision making skills, moral living, and pious activity that didn’t lead their heart to trust in God for righteousness with humility; but rather with a smug, sanctimonious pride which “treated others with contempt.”

I confess, in my pride I have fallen in this trap a few times. To think, “well, I’m thankful! I’m even thankful to God that I’m a good person!” Yet, if this leads me to think of others with scorn, I have sinned greatly against God. It is evil of me to think of those not as cleaned up as me, or having made great moral failings, even going so far as to betray my kinsman in collecting taxes for a foreign power as the weeping, justified tax collector beside this Pharisee!

There I times I am tempted to feel justified having contempt for sinners who live, talk, and act in ways deserving contempt! I mean, “On account of these the wrath of God is coming” (Colossians 3:6). Yet we read in the very next verse, “In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.” How dreadful! How wicked I am that a man as me rescued from the very sins deserving the wrath of God I, too, once walked! How ugly is the pride of my heart saved by God’s grace alone would think so highly of my good works and so lowly of others as to “treat others with contempt!”

I hate my pride. I know God opposes the proud (James 4:6). I do not want to be an enemy of our Just and Compassionate God who justifies tax collectors. The answer to my prideful heart is humility. Not like the world which sees humility only as seeing myself as lowly, but being lowly before a majestic, powerful God. Before His greatness I repent of my self-obsession and thinking so lowly of sinners that I treat with contempt the very people He in His grace is able to save.

The threat of pride in my heart is routed by His invading grace as I look to the cross of my Savior. I, too, once walked as the world in their blindness. I, too, deserve God’s wrath. Yet, His wrath was poured upon Christ for me. My only goodness was given to me in exchange for my sin by Christ. I have no boasting before God except Christ and His righteousness.

Heavenly Father, forgive us of boasting in our goodness and any treatment of others with contempt in our pride. Humble us before You and lead our gaze to the cross of Your Son where You poured the wrath we deserved upon Christ, and have given us the righteousness of Christ by faith in Him alone. Grant to us gentle, peaceable hearts to treat those we think deserving of our contempt with love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Grace When You Are Unraveling

“In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry to Him reached His ears.” Psalm 18:6

Some of our greatest griefs are when others depend on us being strong, but we’re falling apart. I have to be strong as a dad and husband, as a pastor and friend. To be able to be trusted in feels good. What happens when others depend upon me but I’m unraveling, my heart aches or has become numb, or I find little rest in my mind?

There are people who need me. If I lose sight of my Lord’s grace, my pride will let that sentence make sense. People need me. Am I sovereign over creation? Where was I when God laid the foundations of the world (Job 38:4)? Do I have secret wisdom that I alone can give? Do I alone have power that God’s creation depends on and needs?

Although the Lord uses me to be a means of grace to others, encouraging them in the faith, discipling or caring or comforting or counseling or teaching, the Lord does not need me. Rather, I need Him. No moment teaches this glorious truth of my need for God than when I am unraveling, breaking, falling apart in the midst of others depending upon me.

When others need me rather than God in and through me, that is a problem. I don’t have the energy, strength, wisdom, or ability that God alone has. If I am not dependent upon God, and celebrate that dependence on Him, then I will unravel and break apart. 

However, in your distress, in your unraveling, you call open the Lord for help. Your tearful pleas reach His ears. He doesn’t turn away from you simply because you are unraveling. He knows those depending on you to be strong are in need. He is the only Savior. He comforts, guides, counsels, corrects, teaches, loves. 

Parents who struggle, knowing you are depended upon, remember to depend upon the Lord yourself. Pray. You don’t need eloquence, just a cry for help. When you are needed at work and needed at home, remember you are in need of the Lord’s help. When life, relationships, jobs, money, whatever wears you down, depend less on those things to sustain you. God’s grace sustains you and preserves His people (Psalm 55:22).

Are you unraveling now? Weep. The Lord who will wipe away tears for the last time (Revelation 21:4) hears your cry for help from His temple. He draws near the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18). He mends. Are you growing weary in doing good? Remember Galatians 6 is about carrying each other’s burdens as a church family, directing our attention to depend upon God together. God has given us each other to depend upon Him, and we rejoice in our dependence upon Him together.

Heavenly Father, forgive us for believing in our own strength and ability, as well as our pride believing we are needed. You are needed Lord. For the sake of others, bless us by Your mercies. For the sake of Your name, hear our cries in times of distress, rescue, lift, and carry us. May You be glorified in and through us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.