January 23, 2010

• dedication 2010 (addendum): may He temper my tongue with love

  In the first week of this new year, I dedicated myself and my blogging and communications to the Lord (see here)...
  

  My tongue continues to trip me up time and again...It needs tempering with love. I had a long talk with one of my best friends yesterday. She is more loving than I am. She's a people person. I confess there are times I'd rather sit with my books than with people. She loves people. Sometimes I love my books more than people. Sometimes I love doctrine more than people. I find people frustrating. Books don't frustrate me in quite the same way people can...

  I thank God for friends like her, friends He gives us who balance us out and keep us on track and on our toes and on the straight and narrow way.

  In conjunction with the word of God and His Holy Spirit, friends are one of God's main means to bridle us...

  

  Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
  or it will not stay near you.
  Psalm 32:9.
  

  Like most people, I don't like correction or criticism, but I am always in need of it, otherwise I will be like that horse and mule...and go to my own way...like a dog to its vomit...

  Through His word and His Holy Spirit, God never fails to give believers clear instructions so we are not without excuse:

  I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
  I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

  One of those instructions is that no matter what we do, if it's not done with love, then it's worthless.

  No matter how Biblical the doctrine..
  No matter how poetic the words...
  No matter how joyous the praises...
  No matter how zealous the good works...
  No matter how constant the prayers...
  No matter how sacrificial the giving...
  No matter how dedicated the service...

  If I have not love
  NONE of that matters!

  

  It will be all burned up
  It's all an abomination to Him.
  
  

  This is just what the the apostle Paul talked about in I Corinthians 13, which we know is smack dab between the chapters on the gifts. That's no coincidence; it's strategically placed right there as the Spirit of God breathed those words into the apostle Paul to write. It's a landmark that we can't ever move or ignore. As we receive the gifts from Jesus (yes, He gives them, something more I hope to write about), we also receive love to use those gifts to the glory of God. The gifts as well as love itself are the manifestation of Spirit of God. God gives His children gifts, but it doesn't just matter that we use the gifts, but it's also vitally important that we use them in the manner He has prescribed, i.e. - in love. As we manifest the Spirit's gifts, is His Spirit made manifest in us?

  Are we using His gifts in love?
  Am I using His gifts in love?

  Ouch!

  Yeah, I'm feeling like Isaiah...the burning coal (once again)!

  

  My Father's discipline is a bit painful and smarting right now; it stings and burns, but His discipline is totally necessary, for my good and for my profit...so even in the midst of my confession and repentance, I am rejoicing. Once God's light shines brightly on your sin, there's no way you can rejoice until you begin to get out of the pig sty and start running home. His kindness is bringing me to repentance. Amen. Until we come into His light and welcome it, welcome Him, we will remain miserable (see Psalm 32). The Spirit of God in us won't let us rejoice once He's shown His light on our sin. Sin + the Spirit of God never can coexist peacefully.

  I am seeking the peaceable fruit of righteousness.
  I am seeking that you would be rooted and established in Christ.
  I am seeking fruit to abound to your account.
  I am seeking that I might present you perfect in Christ.
  I am seeking to be found faithful and approved in God's eyes.

  But none of that can happen unless all I do is done with love!

  The Lord caught me in this last year as I was burdened about legalism...I was so incensed and carried away and ready to vent and explode...Yet the wrath of man never works the righteousness of God. Never! So in His grace, God took me to a Lloyd-Jones' sermon on I Corinthians 16:13-14 (I wrote more about that here.)

  Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.
  Let all that you do be done in love.

  Needless to say, it's far, far easier for me to Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong than it is for me to let all I do be done in love...

  The Spirit of Christ is the Spirit of truth...

  but the Spirit of Christ is also the Spirit of love...

  I keep falling short in this.

  I love doctrine...That's a good thing...however, I must ask:

  Do I love doctrine more than my Lord?

  and taking it a step further:

  Do I love doctrine more than my neighbor?

  No, I can't ever jettison doctrine, but I can never jettison love either.

  The Lord Jesus was the perfect balance of grace and truth.

  There was always truth – but that truth was never devoid of love. Never.

  There was always love – but that love was not devoid of truth. Never.

  As a Calvinist (yes, I'll say it, for I am), there's a strong, very strong, temptation for me to become proud and puffed up with doctrine. I can make the doctrine an idol. I can make Calvinism an idol. May our Lord save all of us Calvinists from doing such a thing. And before I start poking around in any of your eyes, may He help me to address the planks in my own eyes.

  I know there are some of you who pray for me (thank you!) and you may wonder what to pray for me. As you feel led to pray, if you pray nothing else but  I Corinthians 16:13-14 and I Corinthians 13 for me, that the Lord might temper my tongue with love, I would be eternally grateful and indebted to you.

  Saved, kept and ministering by His grace alone. May I be watchful, stand firm in the faith, be strong and may all I do be done in love to His glory,

  Karen

  ---

  Related posts

  • dedication 2010 (reflections on God's Word & God's grace)

  on idolatry:
  

  • my notes on Tim Keller's talk on idols @ The Gospel Coalition Conference

  
  on the tongue
  

  • William Perkins on Isaiah 6 and the tongue
  • "Satan tempted me to hold my tongue..." (Whitefield)
  • How do we know if we're speaking the truth in love?
  • Christian, are you bearing fruit in keeping with repentance?

  
  on our Father's discipline, repentance & joy
  

  • true repentance leads to joy (Letter 37 on assurance & fighting for joy)
  • Letter 24 on assurance and fighting for joy (the Father's discipline)

  • 2:48 PM
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