(sola)s hattiesburg

Nightline recently hosted a debate on the subject of, “Does Satan Exist?”  The debate is very interesting and thought provoking…and painfully frustrating at times.  This discussion fits in perfectly with our current series on Thursday nights, “Contend for the Faith.”  What would you say to a person who asked you if Satan is real?  On what grounds would you make your argument?  If you have the time, you should watch the debate online – it’ll make you think, and it’ll make you really thankful for Mark Driscoll.

Just a reminder, there will be no (sola)s gathering on March 19th.  We will resume on March 26th with our series Contend for the Faith. This series is all about answering some major questions that pertain to Christianity, so that we will think through why we believe what we believe and be able to give a defense for the hope that is in us.  If you have questions, you are invited to come join us next Thursday at 7 p.m.  The first question we’ll be addressing is how we can trust and believe that Scripture is the inspired word of God. Hope to see everyone there.

Piper Audio

Possibly the most profound and life-changing thought that has entered my mind after coming to Christ is John Piper’s foundational thesis for understanding God and life, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.”  What he means by this statement is that the pursuit of God’s glory and the pursuit of our joy are not at odds, they are complementary goals.  We glorify God the most when we emphatically say, “God is what brings me the most joy.”  So we wholeheartedly pursue God’s glory and in so doing we satisfy our soul’s longing and thirst.  Therefore it is not wrong to earnestly seek our greatest happiness if we search for it in God.  This testifies to God’s greatness.  It says to the world, “God satisfies me like nothing this world has to offer.”  

As I was reading through the book of John recently, I was struck with a clear demonstration of this relationship between God’s glory and our satisfaction.  John 15:8 says, “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”  Then in verse 11 Jesus says, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”  So in verse 8 the goal is glorifying God and in verse 11 the goal is our joy.  Verses 9 and 10 reveal the relationship between these two pursuits: our joy is derived by abiding in the love of Christ.  And how is it that we abide in Christ’s love?  We keep his commandments.  When we keep his commandments we will bear much fruit.  This exemplifies Christlikeness and brings glory to God.  At the same time, when we keep his commandments we will abide in Christ’s love and derive true joy – the joy of Christ’s enduring, steadfast love for us.  What a good God, who would create us in such a way that His pursuit of his own glory also results in our deepest joy and satisfaction!  This ought to humble us and evoke worship in our hearts.