Spiritual Journey

I wish I had written this....


I actually think I could have. This is why the blog has been accelerating and why I'm speaking out more.

I've had days when I'm up at 5am to begin my reading.
Sometimes like today I can't stop to after 10.
Sometimes I don't even feel the urge to eat breakfast until after study or after church.
I've become wrapped up in S. Lewis Johnson, John Bunyan and the Westminster Confession.

I love planning all sorts of trips, backpacking, traveling etc. So finding interesting routes and landmarks is right up my alley.

I was reading WCF yesterday and couldn't stop highlighting and make notes, but best of all I was drawn into a deep treasure hunt in the Bible. Trying to understand Chapter 9 - Of Free Will. Williamson's commentary on this is a great help, I highly recommend it to jump start your thinking.


The short version of the train of thought took me back to Genesis 3
Where we got this ability to know good and evil, the will to do good, but not the ability to do good, Rom 3:10.

How did we fail to follow God's commands? Gen 2:16-17 (an aside, ever wonder why is it that so many important verses are 16-17? Rom 1:16-17, 2Tim 3:16-17, John 3:16-17, 1 John 2:16-17, I could name more).

We are certainly called to obey His commandments: Deut 6:1-9; Matt 28:18-20. Even the whole idea of love is wrapped up in His commandments 2 John 6.


How that plays out with acceptable and unacceptable sacrifices.... Cain and Able, Gen 4:5; Jesus in Heb 10:12; the high priest John 11:51; the prayers of the Pharisee and the Publican Matt Luke 18:10 and the whole idea of being acceptable in our own self righteousness before God. Which leads into the great teachings about God's sovereignty, divine election, conversion and mercy and grace.

Wow it all ties together.

Rom 12:1-2

...by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God...

How does one do this....but "by the mercies of God". It's not us.

As I learn more and more about the basics of reformed teaching, I often feel like I'm becoming a Puritan in heart.

My odyssey ending back in Matthew 5:6, which in God's grace may be where I am living now, though I know I'm not yet ready for Matthew 5:10