I’ve been intaking way too much good teaching during MABC week to do an original post. So I’ll just steal a quote instead.
Dr. Baker went all John Piper on us today:
Ecstasy and delight are essential to the believer’s soul and they promote sanctification. We were not meant to live without spiritual exhilaration and the Christian who goes a long time without the experience of heart-warming will soon find himself tempted to have his emotions satisfied from earthly things and not, as he ought, from the Spirit of God. The soul is so constituted that it craves fulfillment from things outside itself and will embrace earthly joys for satisfaction when it cannot reach spiritual ones. Not for nothing did Satan draw Eve to see that the forbidden fruit grew on a tree which was ‘pleasant to the eyes’ and on a ‘tree to be desired’. The believer is in spiritual danger if he allows himself to go for any length of time without tasting the love of Christ and savoring the felt comforts of a Saviour’s presence. When Christ ceases to fill the heart with satisfaction, our souls will go in silent search of other lovers
(Maurice Roberts; The Thought of God; page 57).
In other words, if you don’t find yourself hungry for God, you’re snacking on something else.
If your love for God has gone missing, look at where you find your greatest joys and you may find the thief.
(edit: or your greatest sorrows. Both will show what you love)
Nothing new here. Just the same heart searching truths.
July 20, 2011 at 10:44 pm
does that mean you’re in LA? does that mean i might see you on sunday??
July 21, 2011 at 1:45 pm
hi tiff, I’m in Santa Clarita. I was debating whether to visit IBC, but I’m driving back up with a buddy who needs to be back up north by Saturday evening.
Hope you are doing well!