As holy, we are to be set apart from the people of the world: “light on a hill,” “salt of the earth.”

As living, we are to go into all the world preaching the gospel. We have been raised with Christ in his resurrection, and we live now as he lives.

Pleasing to God takes us back to Psalm 51. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart.” We are to be set apart from the world and we are to be doing that by humbly serving God. We can humbly serve him by knowing that when we serve him, its actually him serving us and showing us his mercy. (For a fuller development of thought on this, see John Piper, Desiring God)

In light of Psalm 51, it states “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right/steadfast spirit within me.” Next it says that these are only capable when the Holy Spirit is upon us; he gives us the ability to be willing to find joy in salvation by God.

These verses correlate well with Romans 12:2. Our minds are to be transformed by its renewal. Psalm 51 says only the Holy Spirit may renew our minds. He creates in us a clean heart and renews a right spirit in us. He is the power allowing us to no longer “be conformed to the pattern of this age.”

Much more, living by the Spirit will not only grant us to live lives unlike the world, be living sacrifices, and be holy and pleasing to the Lord, but also to disern God’s perfect purpose of our lives.

This is our “spiritual act of worship” to him.

They said there’ll be snow at Christmas
They said there’ll be peace on earth
But instead it just kept on raining
A veil of tears for the virgin’s birth
I remember one Christmas morning
A winter’s light and a distant choir
And the peal of a bell and that Christmas tree smell
And their eyes full of tinsel and fire

I wish you a hopeful Christmas
I wish you a brave new year
All anguish pain and sadness
Leave your heart and let your road be clear
They said there’ll be snow at Christmas
They said there’ll be peace on earth
Hallelujah, Noel, be it heaven or hell
The Christmas you get you deserve

“Second, there is social tolerance, going out of our way to make friends with adherents of other faiths, since they are God’s creation who bear his image.

“Third, there is intellectual tolerance. This is to cultivate a mind so broad and open as to accommodate all views and reject none. This is to forget G. K. Chesterton’s bon mot [witty remark] that ‘the purpose of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid.’ To open the mind so wide as to keep nothing in it or out of it is not a virtue; it is the vice of the feebleminded.’”

Finally Alive. One of Piper’s new books deals with the “re-birth” or “regeneration” of a follower of Christ. What happens when one is regenerated by the Holy Spirit? How does salvation of a believer occur? Piper begins by answering the “how” questions by constantly referring to several key soteria texts in Scripture, including John 3 (Nicodemus), Ephesians 2, and 1 Peter. He gradually eases his way into the practical by detailing the texts previously mentioned in addition to Ezekiel 36 and 1 John. This book is great for any Christian to read, young or mature.

The Reason For God. Why does a good God allow suffering? Why would a loving God send people to hell? Isn’t Christianity a straitjacket of religion? These a just a few skeptical questions Keller answers in this book. The first half of the book is devoting to answering common questions skeptics to the Christian faith have. He hopes to establish a better understanding of Christianity. The second half of the book explores the reasons to believe the Gospel and contends to its reality.

Although prominent in Evangelical culture, this line of reasoning lacks substance. This mindset sparked especially after the publishing of an article printed during 1832 in the widely circulating Christian Advocate and Zion’s Herald. It stated that when Benjamin Franklin proposed to pray during the Constitutional Convention in 1787, the members sat in awe with only a lone dissenter who was quickly rebuked by George Washington. After the members prayed, so goes the article, the Constitutional Convention harmoniously continued. In 1834, James Madison, the only living Federalist and member of the Constitutional Convention, wrote a letter to the newspaper’s editor, Thomas S. Grimké, opposing the article’s information labeling it “erroneous.” Next, he relayed to Grimké what actually occurred, using his detailed notes of the Convention. Madison writes that after Franklin motioned for a corporate prayer, “Mr. HAMILTON & several others expressed their apprehensions…[and might] bring on it some disagreeable animadversions.” Next, “Mr. RANDOLPH proposed…that a sermon be preached at the request of the convention on 4th of July.” Franklin seconded the proposition, but the motion never passed, and the meeting adjourned.

To read the rest of my essay on the religion of Benjamin Franklin and his epitomization of the America’s Founding Fathers’ faith, click here.

In his book Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die, John Piper lists fifty reasons why Jesus came to die. Of course, Jesus’ ultimate motivation was to follow the will of the Father, but this book gives details as to what glorifying God entails. Piper’s fifteenth reason why Jesus came to die is “to make us holy, blameless, and perfect.” Here’s what Piper says about Hebrews 10:14:

One of the greatest sources of joyu and endurance for the Christian is knowing that in the imperfection of our progress we have already been perfect-and that this is owing to the suffering and death of Christ. “For by a single offering [namely, himself!] he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14). This is amazing! In the same sentence he says we are “being sanctified” and we are already “perfected.”

Being sanctified means we are imperfect being made holy – a work in progress! It is those who are being sanctified who are already perfect. Piper adds, “The joyful encouragement here is that the evidence of our perfection before God is not our experienced perfection, but our experienced progress. The good news is that being on the way is proof that we have already arrived.”

Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’ s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many soever, and how great soever.

Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.

Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.

These are just three of the seventy resolutions Jonathan Edwards resolved to live by. Throughout his life, he would add new resolutions as he saw fit. In a similar manner, I am attempting to do the same. Of course, even if I hold true to these resolutions, they are but filthy rags compared to the surpassing worth of knowing our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Here are a few:

Resolved, not let a minute pass without being mindful of the sovereignty of God in all things, particularly pertaining to his plan for my life, but, more ultimately, his established purpose from eternity-past to eternity-future. (Jeremiah 29:11; Psalm 139; Ephesians 1)

Resolved, to the best of my recollection, repent of my iniquities, which nailed Jesus, who before the foundation of the world foreknew my willingness to rebel against him, to the cross. (Luke 5:32; Romans 2:4; II Corinthians 7:10; I Peter 2:24)

Resolved, to never attain contentment in repentance nor grow dissatisfied of God’s grace. (Romans 5:20; 7:7-21; 12:3; II Corinthians 12:9; Ephesians 2:1-10)

Resolved, whenever my thoughts grow anxious, weary, and worrisome, if no deterrent, cease my current task and focus on my Jesus suffering on the cross, to defeat my malcontent thoughts, until my mind’s unrest is tamed. (Psalm 40; Matthew 11:28-30; Romans 12:2; II Corinthians 4:16-18 )

Resolved, to protect and preserve the sanctity of life across all ages, cultures, ethnicities, “races,” and religions, especially the helpless, needy, and poor (Psalm 72; Proverbs 31:9; Ezekiel 16:49; Matthew 5:3; James 1:27)

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea
A great High Priest whose name is love
Who ever lives and pleads for me

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within
Upward I look and see Him there,
Who made an end to all my sin

Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free
For God, the Just, is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me

Behold Him there, the risen Lamb
My perfect spotless righteousness
The great unchangeable I Am
The King of glory and of grace

My name is graven on His hands
My name is written on His heart
I know that while in Heaven, He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart

One with Himself I cannot die
My soul is purchased by His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Savior and my God