surrender

Ache for the Knowledge of God

August 31, 2023 by Tim Sherfy

I spend a lot of time reading the works of dead guys because I find so much more wisdom in their voices than in most of the celebrity theologians of our day. There was a hunger and passion in their words that resonates with my soul and compels me to action. Here’s a recent example from J. C. Ryle (1816-1900): “Let us cleave to Christ more closely, love Him more heartily, live to Him more thoroughly, copy Him more exactly, confess Him more boldly, follow Him more fully.”

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Is that the goal of our lives, indeed our every moment? Does it not quicken your pulse and stir your heart? If not, why not? Why do our hearts not ache for the knowledge of God like those who came before us?

Do You Hate Sin?

August 24, 2023 by Tim Sherfy

John MacArthur has said, “The mark of a true believer is a desire to know and obey God’s Word.” I agree with that completely. I would add another hallmark of a genuine believer is that not only does the sin of the world grieve them, but that their own sin absolutely disgusts them. Do you hate sin, or is it something you begrudgingly tolerate?

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Your answer says much about your relationship with Christ. We know God hates sin (Proverbs 6:16-19) and if we believe Jesus is the Lord that He is, then we must spend our days becoming as much like God as possible. He is our creator. He is our judge. If we love Him, we will hate what he hates.

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A Foundation of Truth

August 21, 2023 by Tim Sherfy

These days may not be the most evil the world has ever seen, but they certainly must rank as some of the most wicked in history. As the prophet Isaiah wrote centuries ago, the world is calling evil good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20). The truth is under assault, and without a foundation of truth, we have no anchor. We will drift aimlessly and hopelessly into eternity.

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For years, the church would stand in the gap of evil and false teaching, but no longer. In some revolting instances, the church has become complicit in many of the lies being told by our culture. Just as disturbing is the apathy of professing Christians to what is happening around them.

The Hard Road

August 7, 2023 by Tim Sherfy

J. C. Ryle once said, “The true Christian is called to be a soldier and must behave as such; he is not meant to live a life of religious ease, indolence, and security. He must never imagine for a moment that he can sleep and doze along the way to heaven, like one traveling in an easy carriage.” That’s the exact opposite of how many Christians live today. Bad theology and teaching have created a generation of believers who lack an understanding of what it means to follow Christ.

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Never in history have those most devoted to Jesus lived a life of ease. Why would we think anything has changed? As long as God allows Satan to roam the earth, the devil will make sure followers of Jesus will be harassed, hated, and persecuted (John 15:18-20; John 16:33). The narrow path is the hard road (Matthew 7:13-14).

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We Don’t Pray as We Should

August 3, 2023 by Tim Sherfy

I’m embarking on a new book project examining the prayers of the Bible. Inspired by hearing a preacher state that our prayers are vastly different from those found in God’s Word, I began looking into it. While only in the early stages of my project, the evidence is already overwhelming that we don’t pray as we should. We know humans are prideful and selfish, but nowhere is that more obvious than in the content of our prayers.

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This is especially true in the Western world, but I fear it is becoming more widespread as the teachings of Western Christianity spread throughout the globe. Knowing prayer is fundamental to our growth in Christ, we will do well to revisit the examples of prayer given by those who have gone before us.