The past several weeks of teaching through 1st and 2nd Peter has impressed on me that Gospel truth motivates Gospel living. We could say it this way: as we understand the truth of the Gospel, we feel and our feelings move us to live differently. Beware of the religion that doesn't transform how you feel, what you want and why you do what you do.
Consider these things before you gather for worship this weekend...
From "Reaching for Heaven":
Has natural beauty or human kindness ever stirred you to tears? Then indeed EVERY worship service, as it is proclaiming something infinitely greater, should generate profound fear, trembling and joy. If not, something of the greatness of God and the spectacle of the Gospel most likely has been blocked by self-conscious pride.
Piper at the DG blog this week:
In the Religious Affections Jonathan Edwards ventures this explanation of why there is song and poetry.And the duty of singing praises to God, seems to be appointed wholly to excite and express religious affections. No other reason can be assigned, why we should express ourselves to God in verse, rather than in prose, and do it with music, but only, that such is our nature and frame, that these things have a tendency to move our affections.
For this to have the weight it does for Edwards we need to remember that 1) "true religion consists very much in the affections," and 2) there is no true Christian faith without the affections being awakened, and 3) God is most glorified when he is affecting us and not just known by us.
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