TRUE BEAUTY – Carolyn Mahaney and Nicole Whitacre

true beautyIs beauty in the eye of the beholder?  Carolyn Mahaney and Nicole Whitacre tackle the sensitive topic of beauty in their book, True Beauty.  The “benchmarks for beauty” are constantly changing and most of the criteria is propaganda which caters to worldliness.  This book, on the other hand has a simple goal, namely – to point women to true beauty which is found in the pages of Scripture.

True Beauty  challenges readers to see things from God’s perspective.  Henry Scougal writes, “The worth and the excellency of a soul is to be measured the object of its love.”  Herein lies the real value and beauty of a woman – as she contemplates and worships her Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ: “He is the ultimate, unchanging, eternal standard of beauty.  He is the Author, Creator, and Bestower of beauty.  His beauty transcends time and culture.  It never changes and never fades.”  Therefore, true beauty is not fleeting.  True beauty is not bound by cultural expectations.  True beauty is rooted in the radiant beauty and majesty of the living God.  He is the most beautiful Being in the universe.  Therefore, all beauty must be measured according to his design.

Mahaney and Whitacre alert readers to the final standard of beauty – which is found in Jesus Christ.  Women, must therefore, develop a “taste for beauty.”  However, “sin has blinded us to the beauty of God, and when we lost sight of this beauty, we lost interest.”   So instead of delighting in God, we delight in other things – things that are in the final analysis, tantamount to idolatry.  This fascination with the mundane, with anything less than God is nothing new.  Israel struggled mightily with the sin of idolatry: “Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods?  But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit.  Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the LORD, for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water” (Jer. 2:11-13, ESV).

One of the central arguments in the book is that the “gospel of Jesus Christ transforms our taste for beauty … True beauty is to behold and reflect the beauty of God.”  And to behold the great God of the universe is to trust him implicitly.  The authors add, “Apply trust in God, with good works (1 Tim. 2:9-10) and you will not fail to become genuinely beautiful.”  Indeed, this is the touchstone as Mahaney and Whitacre weave this important reality through the remainder of the book and discuss the relationship of beauty to hearts, bodies, clothes, trust, and work.

Frankly, I cannot say enough about True Beauty.  It avoids the pitfalls of legalism and props up the pillars of a gospel-centered worldview.  It is gracious and thoughtful in tone.  It is saturated through and through with Scripture.  It affirms beauty and challenges women to pursue the highest standard of beauty – which again, is the Lord Jesus Christ.  My hope is that True Beauty receives a wide readership and strengthens and edifies a new generation of women who grow more beautiful as they pursue their Savior.

 … but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious (1 Peter 3:4, ESV).

Highly recommended!

Covenant and God’s Purpose for the World – Thomas Schreiner

covenantThomas R. Schreiner, Covenant and God’s Purpose For the World, Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2017, 136 pp. $9.97

Biblical theology is the discipline that reveals the storyline of Scripture. It looks at the big picture, which begins at creation and culminates with the new earth, where God makes all things new. “The purpose of biblical theology,” according to James Hamilton “is to sharpen our understanding of the theology contained in the Bible itself through an inductive, salvation-historical examination of the Bible’s themes and the relationships between those themes in their canonical context and literary form.”1

Thomas Schreiner makes a significant contribution to the field of biblical theology with his latest work, Covenant and God’s Purposes For the World. This volume, which is part of Crossway’s Short Studies in Biblical Theology Series is not as extensive as Hamilton’s work noted above or Peter Gentry and Stephen Wellum’s, excellent volume, Kingdom Through Covenant. But the brevity of Schreiner’s short book is a real strength, as we shall see.

Dr. Schreiner’s book unpacks the various covenants that unfold in Redemptive history including the covenant with creation, Noah, Abraham, Israel, David, and the new covenant. “The covenants,” writes Schreiner, “help us, then, to see the harmony and unity of the biblical message.” Ultimately, the author achieves this goal as he alerts readers to the apex of God’s saving work: “The promises of Abraham are fulfilled in the new covenant that Jesus brings, for he is the true offspring of Abraham, and all those who belong to him are the children of Abraham. The land promise is fulfilled in an inaugural way in his resurrection and then in a consummate way in the new creation.”

Covenant and God’s Purposes For the World demolishes the “cookie cutter” approach to hermeneutics that Dispensationalism offers. In its place, is a clear portrait of God’s redemptive plans for his people – a plan that promises “a new world of peace and righteousness is coming in which God the Lamb will reign … The promise that David won’t lack a man on the throne is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. He reigns now from heaven at God’s right hand as the son of David, as and Lord and Christ.”

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.

  1. James Hamilton, God’s Glory in Salvation Through Judgment (Wheaton: Crossway, 2010), 47. ↩

KINGDOM THROUGH COVENANT – Peter Gentry and Stephen Wellum (2012)

One of the thorniest theological dilemmas in my mind concerns two systems of thought, namely, Dispensationalism and Covenant Theology.  God found me and saved me by his grace in a Conservative Baptist Church that was heavily influenced by Classical Dispensationalism.  With the arrival of the third pastor, I learned the distinction between the church and Israel, various dispensations, two peoples of God, not to mention the so-called carnal Christian theory.  These notions particular to Classical Dispensational thought were fairly commonplace at the time and I accepted them uncritically.

My time in a well known Christian University continued to engrain dispensational distinctives into my mind.  But in 1988,  the theological tides began to shift.  It began with the publication of a book by John MacArthur, The Gospel According to Jesus.  MacArthur delivered a death nell to the so called “carnal Christian theory” and distanced himself from some of the primary tenets of dispensational theology.  At the same time, MacArthur was writing as a committed Dispensationalist, what we refer today as Progressive Dispensationalism.  The Gospel According to Jesus not only refuted some of the errors in Classical Dispensationalism; it also introduced readers to the Puritans and spoke in positive terms about Reformed theology – both subjects that were frowned upon by several professors in the Christian University I attended.

Kingdom Through Covenant by Peter Gentry and Stephen Wellum, is in many ways the book that I have been waiting for.  The authors strive to forge a path between dispensationalism and covenant theology.  Their two-fold purpose is set forth at the beginning of the book: “First, we want to show how central the concept of ‘covenant’ is to the narrative plot structure of the Bible, and secondly, how a number of crucial theological differences within Christian theology, and the resolution of those differences, are directly tied to one’s understanding of how the biblical covenants unfold and relate to each other” (p. 21).

The thesis of Gentry and Wellum is that “the covenants constitute the framework of the larger story.  They are the backbone of the biblical narrative” (p. 138).  As such, God would sovereignly choose Israel to be his covenant representatives, “a light to the world of what it means to be properly related to God and to treat each other properly according to the dignity of our humanity” (p. 138).  But Israel failed.  They did not keep the Mosaic Covenant.  As a result they were cursed for their disobedience.  However, the Scripture speaks of a new covenant; a day when it would be possible to keep the covenant.  Jesus fulfilled prophecy and rescued Israel from the curse: “Then as King of Israel, he had to do what the nation as a whole had failed to do: bring blessing to the nations.  He accomplished both by dying on the cross” (p. 296).

In presenting the via media between dispensationalism and covenant theology, the authors aim to strike a biblical balance while paying a certain degree of homage to each respective school of thought.  In a pivotal moment, the authors appear to strike the necessary balance with a great deal of precision: “Contrary to covenant theology, which has a tendency to speak of God’s one plan of salvation in terms of the ‘covenant of grace,’ or ‘dispensational theology,’ which tends to partition history in terms of dispensations, it is more accurate to think in terms of a plurality of covenants, which are part of the progressive revelation of the one plan of God that is fulfilled in the new covenant” (p. 602).  The authors continue, “In contrast to the other theological views, our proposal of ‘kingdom through covenant’ wants consistently to view and apply the previous covenants through the lens of Jesus’ person and work and the arrival of the new covenant age.”

Kingdom Through Covenant is written by two godly men who are fair-minded in their approach and careful to accurately describe their theological opponents.  While their proposal is fresh and bold, they in no way claim to have the final answer on this disputed matter.  Rather, this 716 page tome serves as the entry point for meaningful discussion.  Their approach is light years away from some of the mean-spirited polemics that took place between the proponents of covenant theology and dispensationalism in the 70-‘s and 80’s.  The church should receive the work of Gentry and Wellum as a gracious gift that will spark meaningful discussion for decades to come.  A fine work, indeed!

4.5 stars

Do Not Be True to Yourself – Kevin DeYoung

Kevin DeYoung, Do Not Be True to Yourself (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2023), 66 pp.

Kevin DeYoung has done it again! He has managed to offer timely biblical counsel, this time to young people who are high school or college graduates. His book, Do Not Be True to Yourself: Countercultural Advice for the Rest of Your Life is an encouraging book for students as they navigate their lives in a world of compromise.

The author presents a series of challenges for young people that are winsome and practical. But more importantly, DeYoung’s challenges are biblical. He sets the bar high and encourages students to take the biblical high ground. He contrasts the philosophy of the world with biblical imperatives that have teeth and happy ends.

Do Not Be True to Yourself is an excellent example of standing firm in the face of adversity. This very accessible book is the kind of material that needs to be placed in front of young Christian students. Dr. DeYoung is a breath of fresh air and a gift to the church.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.

Steal Away Home – Matt Carter and Aaron Ivey

chMatt Carter and Aaron Ivey, Steal Away Home, Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2017, 294 pp. $14.60

Church history is filled with stories of courage, adventure, adversity, and persecution. From the exile of Athanasius, the martyrdom of John Rogers and William Tyndale, or Luther’s trial at Worms, these stories are well-known and we are quick to pass them along to the next generation.

Steal Away Home by Matt Carter and Aaron Ivey is a tale that will be new to many readers, however.  It was certainly new for me! The story involves two men from backgrounds that have very little in common. C.H. Spurgeon was the Prince of Preachers, a refined man with a rich theological heritage who occupied the pulpit in Victorian England. He was well-known around the world. He was a best-selling author and recognized by thousands. Thomas Johnson was a simple slave boy who was unjustly shackled in colonial America. He was known by few and treated like an animal. His slave master worked him to the bone on the Virginia tobacco fields.

Jesus Christ liberated Thomas Johnson. He freed him from the power and the penalty of sin. President Abraham Lincoln rescued Thomas Johnson from the sin of slavery. The Emancipation Proclamation, which Lincoln regarded as the crowning achievement of his presidency, liberated Thomas from his slave master. Jesus Christ liberated Thomas from the slave master of sin.

Through a series of Providential events, Thomas Johnson found himself at the front door of C.H. Spurgeon in London. After his training was complete, he and his wife made their way to Cameroon, West Africa in 1879.

PERSONAL TAKEAWAYS

Steal Away Home is a work of historical fiction. It becomes clear at the outset, however, that the authors spent many hours researching the details of this intriguing story. My hope is that a few personal takeaways will prompt many people to enter rich world of the 19th century and absorb some life-altering lessons.

1. The Humanization of C.H. Spurgeon

I have been reading Spurgeon and books about the Prince of Preachers for almost thirty years. This book brilliantly captures the essence of Spurgeon and is not afraid of revealing his warts, weaknesses, and worries. It is a breath of fresh air for anyone who is under the false notion that the famous preacher from London lived a life of ease. Spurgeon’s doubt and lifelong battle with depression is highlighted and his fears are revealed.

2. The Horror of Slavery

Most Americans recognize that slavery is a perpetual “black eye” on our nations’ history. But few understand the gravity of what these innocent African Americans endured. Carter and Ivey masterfully reveal the pitiful nature of slavery through the eyes of Thomas Johnson. Sympathetic readers will feel genuine grief as they walk with Johnson and experience the horror of his chains.

3. The Hallowed Ground of Friendship

Steal Away Home reminds readers of the importance and value of friendship. The friendship fostered by Spurgeon and Thomas is grounded in grace and nurtured by honest communication, genuine fun, rich encouragement, and biblical accountability. Like David and Jonathan, these two men are examples of friendship that glorifies God. Indeed, “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Prov. 18:24). Indeed, friendship is hallowed ground that too few men tread upon.

4. The Hope of the Gospel

Finally, this story shows how the gospel operates in the real world. Apart from grace, Charles Haddon Spurgeon and Thomas Johnson were dead in trespasses and sins, without hope and without God. Indeed, apart from grace, Spurgeon and Johnson were both spiritual slaves. Both men, however, were set free as they cast their hope on the Lord Jesus Christ. In the course of their very different earthly paths, they wound up on the same spiritual path, which ultimately led them both to the Celestial City!

Steal Away Home encouraged me personally and moved my soul in ways that most books only hope to do. Matt Carter and Aaron Ivey stepped up to the plate and hit the ball out of the park.  Their work will no doubt be a contender for book of the year.  I commend their work wholeheartedly!

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.

John Calvin: For a New Reformation

calDerek W.H. Thomas and John W. Tweeddale, Ed. John Calvin: For a New Reformation (Wheaton: Crossway, 2019), 608 pp.

Over two thousand years of church history have produced a wide assortment of Christian leaders, theologians, and churchmen.  One man who exerted an enormous amount of influence in his day was John Calvin. In recent years, theologians and pastors have revived an interest in Calvin including, A Godward Gaze: The Holy Pursuit of John Calvin, by yours truly.

The most recent and comprehensive offering is an edited volume by Derek W.H. Thomas and John W. Tweeddale. This massive volume that spans over 600 pages includes contributions from well-known scholars such as Stephen Nichols, Steven Lawson, Burk Parsons, Paul Helm and others. The afterward by R.C. Sproul is a fitting conclusion from the man who should be credited for restoring an interest in Reformed theology in the twentieth-century church. Dr. Sproul’s words are especially moving and significant, since this is his last published writing before his death in 2017.

John Calvin: For a New Reformation is arranged in two parts. Part 1 explores the life and work of John Calvin. The contributors share a wealth of biographical information on Calvin including his early years, conversion, and friendships. Especially significant is the piece by Steven Lawson that summarizes the expository preaching of Calvin.

Part 2 explores the teaching of John Calvin. The contributors weigh in on several doctrinal subjects including the providence of God, the person and work of Christ, predestination, the sacraments, perseverance of the saints, and Calvin’s approach to eschatology. Edward Donnelly’s chapter, The Christian Life stands out the most. Donnelly helps readers see the pastoral heart of Calvin, which is undergirded by four central features of the Christian life: self-denial, cross—bearing, meditation on the future life, and the present life. Donnelly shows how Calvin lived an authentic and transparent Christian life, which inspired thousands of people in the sixteenth century and continues to inspire people in our day.

Additionally, Donnelly shows readers how Calvin lived in constant fellowship with the Lord and submitted daily to his lordship. “We are God’s,” writes Calvin. This acknowledgment was the very essence of Calvin’s Christian life. Also, Calvin was committed to mortifying idolatry and serving other people.

Over the years, I have read dozens of books about the French Reformer, John Calvin. This book is among the best. Thomas and Tweeddale should be commended for assembling such a worthy team of writers who celebrate a man that continues to wield a mighty influence on individual lives and the church of Jesus Christ.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.

Devouring Freedom: Can Big Government Ever Be Stopped? – W. James Antle III

freedomThere are three unshakable realities in life: Death, taxes, and an ever-expanding government.  The reality of death is one that each person must face.  Taxes are indeed a reality, but as every conservative argues, taxes in America must decrease or the economy will inevitably falter.  And while every American must deal with the reality of death and taxes, the growing federal government can and should be marginalized.  This final reality can and should be altered.  The new reality should be a smaller, leaner, more efficient government.  Herein lies the argument in W. James Antle’s book, Devouring Freedom: Can Big Government Ever Be Stopped?

The author has done his homework in this well-written book.  Ten chapters guide readers on a journey that informs, educates, and most importantly, warns.  Any thoughtful American will appreciate the contrast between the big government promoted by the current president and the smaller government that was prompted by our nations greatest president, Ronald Wilson Reagan.

W. James Antle is no pushover Republican.  He not only warns readers about the manifold dangers of big government.  He also reports some of the Republican failures and compromises which have not served our nation well.

The author does not offer “pie in the sky” solutions either.  In fact, he is critical of any conservative who suggests such an approach.  Rather, he recognizes the rocky road before our great nation and suggests practical steps to smooth our path to greater prosperity.  But he does not write under any delusional pretense or promote a utopian vision.  He understands the road to a smaller government will not be easy.  He writes, “Sometimes it will seem impossible.  But like a parent yanking his child to safety at the last second before he dashes into the street, Divine Providence has pulled this nation back from the abyss before.”  Indeed, the path forward will be marked with pain.  But the pain now will be worth it in the days to come.

Conservatives must be prepared for the rocky road to smaller government.  The author rightly adds, “Conservatives who stick to their principles on taxes and spending get the Grover Norquist treatment.”  That is to say, anyone who argues for lower spending, lower taxes and smaller government will be unfairly demonized.  The attack adds against Paul Ryan during the last election cycle prove this sad point.

While the author sets forth several points which militate against big government, none is more important than the principle of liberty.  In President Reagan’s farewell address, he articulated this bold principle in vivid terms: “There is a clear cause and effect there that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: as government expands, liberty contracts.”  However, Reagan’s law is evidently not etched into the liberal mindset as liberals and progressives seek to expand the federal government.  With this expansion comes the erosion of liberty.  The author aptly sums up this matter: “As government grows beyond its constitutional boundaries, it really does devour freedom.”

Devouring Freedom: Can Big Government Ever Be Stopped?  The author asks the right question and gives the right answer.  The only question is this: Do we have the courage to move in the direction of a smaller federal government?  Any negative answer will result in an erosion of freedom; the same freedom that was such an integral part of the dream which was articulated by the founding fathers.

 

The Happiness of God – Part 3

person walking on snowfield near mountain range

God is eternally happy. Over the past few days, we have been learning about the reality of God’s happiness and the reasons for God’s happiness. We conclude this brief study by focusing on our response to this happy God.

The Response to our Happy God

I’m convinced that one of the biggest reasons that many followers of Christ are unhappy is that they fail to realize and embrace the biblical reality of God’s eternal happiness. Notice, then, four key responses to our happy God.

We model after God by striving for happiness

George Müller was a happy and contented Christian man. He impacted the city of London in unprecedented ways. He said:

Above all things see to it that your souls are happy in the Lord … It is of supreme and paramount importance that you should seek above all things to have your souls truly happy in God Himself.1

There is no need, therefore, to choose between happiness and holiness. We need to forever ditch this notion that has been popularized in the church and Christian circles. “If you keep my commandments, says Jesus, “you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:10-11, ESV).

When you live a holy life, you will experience firsthand what it means to be a happy person when you find your happiness in Christ (Ps. 37:4). John Piper adds, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.” If we are called by God to reflect his glory, then it follows that we should be the happiest people on the planet. When we fail to be happy Christians, we misrepresent the God who is infinitely happy!

We have the privilege of joining in the same happiness that God enjoys

Moses asks God an important question that helps us understand the inner-workings of God: Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy” (Exodus 33:18–19, ESV).

Daniel Fuller adds, “God’s glory consists in his goodness, that is, that he alone is both able and disposed to bring people made in his image, into the ultimate happiness of sharing with in his delight in his glory.”2

We find happiness by delighting in God and the gospel of his Son

When we consider what God has delivered us from, the sin that Christ has saved us from and the inheritance that is our in Christ, we will overflow with gratitude and happiness. “Our eternal joy will flourish,” writes Tony Reinke, “when we are the objects of God’s sovereign grace.”3

Randy Alcorn beautifully describes this blessing in his book, Happiness”4

  • Happy are those who believe in Jesus.
  • Happy are those facing trials for Jesus’ sake.
  • Happy are those who see and hear Jesus for who he is.
  • Happy are those who serve God faithfully.
  • Happy are those who trust God’s promises.
  • Happy are those who obey God’s Word.
  • Happy are those who help and serve others.
  • Happy are those who have been forgiven by the Lord.
  • Happy are those who see unhappiness as a warning sign.
  • Happy are those who are prepared for Christ’s return.
  • Happy are those who will spend eternity with God.
  • Happy are those who are also holy.

Conclusion

To the extent that we fail to find our happiness in God, we fail to glorify him. “Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things …” (Deut. 28:47, ESV). Indeed, the joy of the Lord is our strength (Neh. 8:10).

The Scriptures are packed with commands to rest in and find our joy in our sovereign LORD:

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns!” (I Chron. 16:31).

Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart! (Ps. 32:11).

Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous! Praise benefits the upright (Ps. 33:1).

Let the righteous one rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in him! Let all the upright in heart exult! (Ps. 64:10).

Oh, come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! (Ps. 95:1).

Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God (Rom. 5:2).

Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To writes the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you (Phil. 3:1).

Happy are those who believe the gospel. Spurgeon reminds us of this great reality:

The Gospel is like wine which makes us glad. Let a man turly know the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and he will be a happy man! And the deeper he drinks into the spirit of Christ, the more happy will he become! … He made the world, studied the happiness of His creatures. You cannot help thinking, as you see everything around you, that God has diligently, with the most strict attention, sought ways of pleasing man. He has not just given us our absolute necessities, He has given us more – the flowers … the stars … the hill and the valley – all these things were intended not merely because we needed them, but because God would show us how He loved us and how anxious He was that we should be happy! Now, it is not likely that the God who made a happy world would send a miserable salvation! He who is a happy Creator will be a happy Redeemer.5

Where do we receive our joy? From our God who is a happy Sovereign. Where do we rest and find refuge? From our God who is a happy Sovereign. Where do we turn to for the most satisfying relationship, one that can never be severed? From our God who is a happy Sovereign. Where do we turn to for freedom and forgiveness from all our sins? From our God who is a happy Sovereign.

““Everything hangs on the unbounded joy in the triune God from all eternity. This is the source of God’s absolute self-sufficiency as a happy Sovereign. And every true act of free grace in redemptive history depends on it.”6 May we cling to and trust in our God who is eternally happy.

  1. George Müller, cited in Randy Alcorn, Happiness, 225. ↩
  2. Daniel Fuller, The Unity of the Bible. ↩
  3. Tony Reinke, The Joy Project (Minneapolis: Desiring God, 2015), 8. ↩
  4. Randy Alcorn, Happiness, 203-208. ↩
  5. C.H. Spurgeon, cited in Randy Alcorn, Happiness, 119. ↩
  6. John Piper, The Pleasures of God, 35. ↩

The Happiness of God – Part 1

The Happiness of God – Part 2

The Happiness of God – Part 2

snow covered brown wooden house near trees

Jonathan Edwards helps us comprehend the reality of God’s happiness: “It is of infinite importance … to know what kind of being God is. For he is … the only fountain of our true happiness …”1 Notice, then, several reasons for God’s happiness.

The Reasons for God’s Happiness

God finds happiness in himself

The primary reason for God’s happiness is this: he is God. We find a God in Scripture whose greatest delight is in – himself! So we begin with the doctrine of the Trinity which helps us understand the supreme happiness among the members of the godhead. C.S. Lewis argues, “The words ‘God is love’ have no real meaning unless God contains at least two Persons. Love is something that one person has for another person. If God was a single person then before the world was made, he was not love.”2 Daniel Fuller adds, “God’s love is primarily to Himself … and his infinite delight is in Himself, in the Father and the Son (and the Spirit) delighting in each other … The happiness of the Deity, as all other true happiness, consists in love and society.”3 God has from all eternity been happy in the marvelous fellowship of the Trinity!

God finds happiness in creation

“May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works” (Ps. 104:31, ESV). God rejoices in his creation because it is a reflection of his glory.

God finds happiness in his Son

In his high priestly prayer, Jesus prays, “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them” (John 17:24–26, ESV).

God finds happiness in the Son because the Son reflects the glory of the Father (Heb. 1:3). “The infinite happiness of the Father consist in the enjoyment of his Son, writes Jonathan Edwards.4

God finds happiness in his people

Listen how the Old Testament zeroes in on God’s happiness in his people:

For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your sons marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you (Isaiah 62:5, ESV).

The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing (Zephaniah 3:17, ESV).

God finds happiness in people, not only because he created them but because, like his creation and like his Son, his people are a reflection of his glory!

God finds happiness in the prayers of his people

Proverbs 15:8 says, “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him.”

Let us marvel at our great God who delight to hear the prayers of his people.

  1. Jonathan Edwards, cited in Randy Alcorn, Happiness (Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, 2015), 111-112. ↩
  2. C.S. Lewis, cited in Daniel Fuller, The Unity of the Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992), 121. ↩
  3. Daniel Fuller, The Unity of the Bible, 122. ↩
  4. Jonathan Edwards, cited in John Piper, The Pleasures of God, 31. ↩

The Happiness of God – Part 1

The Happiness of God – Part 1

golden hour photography of sky above ocean

In the film, Chariots of Fire, Eric Liddell is criticized for his desire to train for the Olympic games. In the midst of their discussion, his sister Jennie essentially accuses Liddell of having a problem with idolatry. Liddell utters these words that prove to be the best line in the movie:

God made me fast, and when I run I feel his pleasure.

To view God as happy has a bearing on our worship; it affects our evangelism; it affects the way we approach Scripture. Indeed, it affects our Christian worldview. Randy Alcorn adds, “I believe it’s vital that we not leave our children and future generations of Christians to figure out for themselves that God is happy. Most never will.”1 Instead of making assumptions about God, we want to see what the Scriptures say about him. Over and over again, we learn that God is a happy God!

In the next two posts, we will come face-to-face with this glorious reality, the happiness of God.

The Reality of God’s Happiness

In 1 Timothy 1, Paul issues a warning against false teachers and those who teach contrary to sound doctrine; doctrine that is “in accord with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God …” (v. 11).

A great part of God’s glory is his happiness. It was inconceivable to the apostle Paul that God could be denied infinite joy and still be all glorious. To be infinitely glorious was to be infinitely – happy. He used the phrase, ‘the glory of the happy God’ because it is a glorious thing for God to be as happy as he is. God’s glory consist such in the fact that he is happy beyond our wildest imagination.2

“It is of infinite importance … to know what kind of being God is. For he is … the only fountain of our true happiness,” writes Jonathan Edwards.”3 Paul refers to “the glory of the blessed God” (1 Tim. 1:11). The same verse could be rendered, “the good news of the glory of the happy God.” The term blessed indicates “supreme happiness.”4 “The gospel … is the gospel of happiness,” writes Spurgeon. It is called, “the glorious gospel of the blessed God.’ A more correct translation would be ‘the happy God.’ Well, then, adorn the gospel by being happy.”5

The Greek term markáprios is translated as “blessed” or “happy.” G. Campbell Morgan adds, “I wish we were brave enough to write in our Bibles, ‘happy’ instead of ‘blessed’ for that is the right translation.”6 Simply put, the Bible shouts the happiness of God – but we are slow in embracing this important reality. Many people struggle with viewing God as happy because they have not been taught properly.

Henry Scougal brings us back to reality:

It should delight us beyond all expression, to consider that the beloved of our souls is infinitely happy in himself (emphasis mine), and that all his enemies can not shake or unsettle his throne, ‘that our God is in the heavens, and doth whatsoever he pleaseth.’

Oh, that we would delight in the happiness of God. May this glorious reality embolden us and enable our hands and feet for the tasks before us and may we receive strength from the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

  1. Randy Alcorn, Happiness (Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, 2015), 110. ↩
  2. John Piper, The Pleasures of God (Portland: Multnomah Press, 1991), 23. ↩
  3. Jonathan Edwards, cited in Randy Alcorn, Happiness (Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, 2015), 111-112. ↩
  4. Robert Jameison, cited in Ibid. ↩
  5. C.H. Spurgeon, cited in Ibid, 127. ↩
  6. G. Campbell Morgan, cited in Ibid, 218. ↩