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This month we have included a short section at the end of

the magazine from the recently published ‘Let’s Study
Luke’. The whole Let’s Study series has consistently
received good reviews and can be used for personal or
group study.

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The Banner of Truth
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Obedience – Legal or Evangelical (Luke 15:17–32)

SANCTIFICATION: 51
OBEDIENCE – LEGAL OR EVANGELICAL?
LUKE 15:17–32
Walter J. Chantry

S o much of sanctification has to do with keeping God’s

commandments. ‘If you love Me, keep My commandments’
( John 14:15). ‘If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My
love’ ( John 15:10). ‘For this is the love of God, that we keep His
commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome’ (1
John 5:3).
Jesus did not attach titles to his parables. We are accustomed to
calling Luke 15:11–32 ‘The parable of the Prodigal Son’. In reality
those verses describe ‘Two Lost Sons’. Almost as much space is given
to describing the son who remained at home as to the account of the
prodigal. When the context of Luke 15:1–2 is considered, we must
believe that Jesus’ emphasis was to depict the Pharisees in the account
of the ‘older son’ (verse 25).
Here is a reality not uncommon to a godly home. In the same
family are born two children. Both are born with fallen Adamic
natures. Both come into this world with corrupted characters.

The Law’s Letter and Spirit

In one child the corruption breaks out in rebellion against parental
authority, in riotous living and wild lifestyle. Sin forges ugly chains
which make him taste the miseries which sin brings. Only when his
life is seriously damaged and shamed does he repent and return to the
loving arms of his father.
In the other child the law has one of its desired effects – to restrain
from the most obvious excesses of sin. The older brother remains in
a godly home, serves his parents honourably, and does all his moral
duty with hard labour. Only when the wild son is received back with

1
The earlier articles in this series appeared in the February and April 2006 issues of The
Banner of Truth (Issues 509 and 511).

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dignity and lavish gifts is the corrupt heart of the older brother
disclosed. And God looks upon the heart.
It is then that we see how the older son who remained at home was
as estranged from his father as was the son who left home for a far
country. We see the bitterness that poured out of his lips in Luke
15:28–30. ‘He was angry and would not go in’ to the joyful feast
welcoming the prodigal.
‘He answered . . . his father, “Lo, these many years I have been
slaving for you; I never transgressed your commandments at any
time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make
merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who
has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf
for him”’ (verses 28–30).
Claiming never to have transgressed his father’s commandments,
he yet brazenly refused to obey the invitation to the feast. He never
strayed into a world of vice, never squandered his father’s hard-
earned wealth on harlots, but worked in the fields ‘obediently’. All of
this, however, had to do with outward appearance.
The essence of all commands is to love our Heavenly Father with
all our heart, soul and strength. This indispensable core of every act
of obedience was absent in the older son. Instead there was ugly
resentment for the difficulties of serving his father (‘I have been
slaving for you’).
There was a snarling discontentedness at not having received
expected compensation from the father. He complained of the
father’s failure to grant his desires. This is the precise opposite of
thankfulness of heart.
We must notice the father’s reply: ‘Son, you are always with me,
and all that I have is yours’ (verse 31). In like manner the best of
rewards is to dwell in the house of the Lord, to serve in his presence.
The queen of Sheba had said to Solomon, ‘Happy . . . are these your
servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom!’
(1 Kings 10:8).

Worthiness?
Much of the point of the returning prodigal is that he was fully
aware that he was no longer worthy to be called his father’s son. He

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Obedience – Legal or Evangelical (Luke 15:17–32)
had asked for his share of the inheritance and had foolishly
squandered it. He had lost all dignity, all claim to position. However,
he had come to realize from memories of by-gone days that the father
was generous to his lowest servant. Each had ‘bread enough and to
spare’ (verse 17). He had learned by experience that the world had no
such decency or kindness. In the far country ‘no one gave him
anything’.
As the younger son approached the father, with no sense of
worthiness, he was about to cast himself on his father’s mercy in
asking for a servant’s position. But the father gave the penitent a
dignity he neither expected nor deserved, as he publicly owned the
broken and dishevelled man as ‘This my son’ (verse 24).
With the petition for pardon interrupted, the father heaped the
best of the household on his son, once dead to him: The best robe!
The best ring! The best sandals! The best celebration ever held on the
premises! The best feast! The best music! The best guests!
This son had done nothing to acquire such blessings. All were
freely given. All were tokens of loving grace. How then would the
younger serve his father for the rest of his days? Surely it would be
with gratitude and with a return of love. ‘We love Him because He
first loved us’ (1 John 4:19). We obey and serve our Heavenly Father
because the best of all things have been heaped upon us in the gospel
and in Christ. There is nothing more to earn! But his love begets love
and thankfulness.
The external obedience of the two sons may look to us at this
point as the same service to their father. Nevertheless, as their two
hearts are revealed, one entirely humbled and the other self-
righteous, one joyfully grateful and the other grumbling and scolding
the father as he served, we see that the men are worlds apart in doing
the father’s will.
The Puritans in particular would refer to the older brother’s efforts
as ‘legal obedience’ and to the repentant prodigal’s consequent
labours as ‘evangelical obedience’.
The father’s rules for the household remained constant. There was
always and for both sons the same expectation of labour, just as our
God’s moral requirements are always identical for the lost and the
saved.

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Law and Love
For years the older brother would plough and harvest crops, and
would husband the animals. At first the younger brother had chafed
under just such labour and had refused to serve. But later, when he
had a change of mind, the younger brother returned to volunteer for
exactly the same service, the yoke of which he had once thrown off.
Now, what made the profound difference between the older
brother’s and the younger brother’s obedience to the father’s
commandments was motive and attitude of heart.
In the older brother’s obedience was an outward show of respect
for his father. In fact he viewed submission to the father’s commands
as ‘slaving’ – performing back-breaking tasks for the small returns of
a slave’s fare. All of his works were aiming at different wages from
those he had received.
He did not enjoy being a son. He did not delight in pleasing the
father, nor did he relish the father’s companionship. No love for the
father was being expressed in his obedience. So when his brother
received what he considered more blessing than he had, he resented
it deeply. Years in the presence of the father and heirship to the entire
estate meant nothing to him. His obedience was legal, in the letter of
the command, but not in the spirit of the father’s law which sought
his well-being.
After the younger son returned home his obedience would be
carried out in heartfelt love. He would share the attitude of God the
Son toward God the Father, ‘I delight to do Your will, O my God,
and Your law is within my heart’ (Psa. 40:8). Yes, he would keep the
outward letter of the father’s commandments. However, each
difficult task was an opportunity to show love to his father. Each
duty performed was a ‘Thank you’ for loving bounty already received
from the father. His obedience was evangelical. It was spawned and
shaped by the experience of the father’s lovingkindness and tender
mercy.
For the stranger to God’s grace, all acts of obedience to the Law of
God are done hoping that God’s blessings will be a consequence of
his own compliance with the commandments. For the recipient of
God’s grace in Christ, the love of God is not to be earned by
obedience. God’s love is prevenient (going before our good works).

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Obedience – Legal or Evangelical (Luke 15:17–32)
It is because God first loved us that we love him, without which love
we cannot obey his commandments. He granted his favour when we
were sinners. He brought to us eternal blessings, ‘every spiritual
blessing in heavenly places’ (Eph. 1:3) while we were yet sinners,
before we had obeyed the commandments.
What is astounding in the Parable of Two Lost Sons is the action
of the father. The father showered blessings on the prodigal son. This
was the sincere expression of love for the lost son. The father was
then delighting in the celebration of this son’s being found, being
made alive again. There is no doubt that the father was enjoying the
triumph of his grace and the scenes of the returned son’s restoration.

God’s Compassion for Legalists

However, upon hearing of the annoyance and complaints being
expressed by his older son, the father left the scene of his enjoyment
to ‘plead with’ (verse 28) the disgruntled son. Not only had the father
watched for the prodigal son to return, he also reasoned and
‘pleaded’ with the older son to enter the joy and celebration of the
household. Though insults spewed from the older son’s spirit, the
father pleaded and reasoned tenderly to include him also in the
delights of the family.
This entire parable was spoken by Jesus to Pharisees who
grumbled in true elder-brother fashion, ‘This man (Jesus) receives
sinners and eats with them’ (Luke 15:2). The Pharisees strictly
followed the letter of God’s law, they thought.
They did overlook the fact that all God’s requirements were given
to teach us how to express love to God and love to our fellow men.
The precise requirements held all of the Pharisees’ attention. They
entirely overlooked the demand of love. Instead they expected God to
reward them with his love because of their obedience.
When the Saviour came and showed love to repentant sinners,
when publicans and harlots entered the kingdom of God with joy,
the Pharisees were outraged (as was the older brother). These
followers of the Messiah had not put in the hard work of keeping the
law. Those who did bear the burden and heat of keeping the
commandments had never received such joyful acceptance. But the
Messiah pleads even with Pharisees to enter his kingdom. He will

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pardon their loveless and thankless obedience to the law even as he
pardons the lawless excesses of prodigals.
All who ever come to him will still have moral requirements made
of them. The outward duties have not changed, but the spirit of
obedience has been revolutionized. The forgiven and restored soul
always asks, ‘What shall I render to the LORD for all his benefits
toward me?’ (Psa. 116:12). In the ways of the commandments are
channels through which love may be returned to God. Obedience is
a note of thanks to a God whose mercy is generous. This is
evangelical obedience.
If the battle of sanctification seems difficult, and the process of
learning obedience is long, we must remember that it is responsive
love to God which makes sanctification possible. ‘Jacob served seven
years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of
the love he had for her’ (Gen. 29:20). Love made long service seem
as nothing, although Jacob did not yet enjoy Rachel’s embrace. Our
service begins after the embrace of Christ. Should it not seem much
more tolerable to keep God’s commandments?
‘If you love Me, keep My commandments’ ( John 14:15).

Samuel Rutherford’s Letters

Making a welcome re-appearance in March/April was the long-out-of-
print Letters of Samuel Rutherford. In an article in the August/
September 2000 issue of the magazine, Ian Hamilton wrote: ‘Ruther-
ford’s greatest legacy to the church was his Letters. These have a place
in the hearts and minds of Christians perhaps above all because they
express a quality and ardour of devotion that we instinctively yearn
after, because we recognize it as authentic biblical religion. Throughout
the Letters a number of themes surface again and again: The Letters are
supremely Christ-centred; they reveal a deep concern for the souls of
Rutherford’s people; they show a deep sense of the sinfulness of sin; they
are full of counsel to afflicted saints; and they are full of eagerness for
heaven. But if we desire to know what made this extraordinary Christian
‘tick’, we will need to see him through the lens of his dying words: “Dear
brethren, do all for Christ. Pray for Christ. Preach for Christ. Do all for
him; beware of men-pleasing. The Chief-Shepherd will shortly appear.”’
Letters of Samuel Rutherford
ISBN 0 85151 388 3, 764 pp., clothbound, £18.50/$39

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‘And Then – To Rest Forever’

SANCTIFICATION: 6
‘AND THEN – TO REST FOREVER’
Hywel R. Jones

T he words used above as a title conclude a verse of the much-

loved hymn, ‘I’ve found a Friend’. They are preceded by a line
that reads ‘So now to watch, to work, to war!’ Previous articles will
have concentrated on what that entails for the Christian. Our task is
to focus on what is included in being at rest forever.
Becoming a Christian brings rest. Jesus said it would ( Matt.
11:28–31). He called to himself all that were tired out by their vain
efforts to keep God’s law and who were bowed down by the burden
of their sin. Having paid their debt and borne their curse by the virtue
of his obedient life and atoning death, Jesus gives rest to all that
believe in him.
No longer should they be crushed by the law’s demands for moral
perfection nor terrified by the prospect of the unending disapproval
of God. Every one who trusts in Christ enters such a sabbath – ‘We
who have believed enter that rest’ (Heb. 4:3). Such release is rest of
soul. It is an immense blessing. It is equivalent to having a home. It
is heaven begun below, and as a result Christians want to be with
Jesus.
But the rest that Jesus gives is more than release from sin’s
bondage and guilt and from the law’s condemnation. It is a
restoration; a return to what was lost through Adam’s sin and our
own. It is therefore a resumption of fellowship with God and of
service for him. It is from such rest of soul that a walk with God
begins and all work for him.
Just as Adam’s first day in the Garden was not a day of work for
him but of rest with God, so the Christian’s first day as a new
creature is a day of rest with God through Christ’s work. By saying
‘I will give you rest’ and also speaking of his ‘yoke’ Jesus is claiming
to be the soul’s true solace and lawful sovereign. Every sinner who
receives rest from Christ puts his neck under Christ’s yoke in order

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to learn of him. This means submitting to God’s law as expressed in
Christ’s teaching and illustrated in his example. It involves real
learning and difficult lessons, but the master is exceedingly patient
and kind. Just as a disciple wants to be with his master so also he
wants to be like him. In like manner Christians want to be like Jesus
and not only with him.
But will these desires ever be fulfilled? Will a Christian really be
with Christ, and will he also be like him? We give our attention to
these questions and also add a third by way of conclusion to this
mini-series about the Christian Life.

With Christ?
The Christian is not like Cain, doomed to wander forever because of
his sin. Rather, he is like Enoch who, though sinful, walked with God
to a place reserved for him in heaven. This world is no longer the
believer’s home. Like the lost sheep that has been found, he is on the
shepherd’s shoulders and is being borne homeward through the
wilderness of a fallen world.
Is it conceivable that he will not get there? Of course not! All that
stands in his way has been faced and overcome by the Lord Jesus
Christ. He met and resisted every kind of temptation; he endured and
overcame all sorts of opposition – not only human but also satanic.
The Lord who carries every Christian believer is the one who now
carries forward the plan of God for the whole of created reality
because he carried the cross. ‘The government shall be upon his
shoulder’ (Isa. 9:6, Phil. 2:9–11). Nowhere is outside his reach;
everything is under his sway. He said, ‘All authority in heaven and on
earth has been given to me’ (Matt. 28:18).
In this all-inclusive administration the Lord Jesus has a special
care for his own (Eph.1:20–23). It is ceaseless and detailed. The
keeper of Israel never slumbers or sleeps (Psa. 121:4); the hairs of our
heads are all numbered (Matt. 10:29–31). Nothing befalls believers
but at his behest, and then it comes with the blessing of the one who
works all things together for good (Rom. 8:28). He will not allow
them to be tempted above what they are able to bear (1 Cor. 10:13).
His eye is on the sparrow no less than on the eagle. As the good
Shepherd, he wants every one whom the Father gave to him in

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eternity past to redeem ( John 10:28) to be with him where he is. He
lived and died for each one of them (Heb. 2:9, Gal. 2:20), and his
desire is that they may behold his glory and share in the love that his
Father has for him and that he has for his Father ( John 17:24). Also
he ever lives and will never die again (Rom. 6:9). He will ever guard
and intercede for them (Heb. 7:25).
His people will never be orphaned but will be ever accompanied
and indwelt by the sustaining and sanctifying Spirit ( John 14:16–18).
Their arrival in glory is therefore as certain as his was, and he is now
there as their forerunner waiting for them. Every step he took and
every pang he felt here below was taken with a view to ‘bringing
many sons to glory’ (Heb. 2:10). He himself will not rest until all of
them are safe home with him. He is every believer’s Boaz who ‘will
not rest’ but ‘settle the matter’ (Ruth 3:18). He ‘will see of the travail
of his soul and be satisfied’ (Isa. 53:10). Our heavenly Joshua will
bring all his people into a ‘sabbath-rest’ (Heb. 4:9). Like the thief
who died believing, every Christian will be with Jesus.
However, is not every Christian with him now, and is he not with
all his people? Did he not say ‘I am with you always?’ Yes, he did,
and it was not only to encourage his apostles whom he personally
commanded to evangelize the nations but was meant also for all who
are in any way involved in the spread of the gospel. He promises his
powerful companionship with them even ‘unto the end of the age’.
But the truth of that promise is extended to each of his own, for ‘He
himself has said ‘I will never leave you; I will never [ever] forsake
you’’ (Heb. 13:5). ‘Through all the changing scenes of life, in trouble
and in joy’, he will be his people’s shepherd (Psa. 23). He is always
‘a very present help in trouble’ (Psa. 46:1). He is, and always will be,
our Immanuel (God with us).
Still, however much his presence needs to be called to mind, even
on a day-by-day basis, there is also an absence to be noted and
reckoned with. The Lord Jesus is not with his people as much as he
will be one day; much less are they with him as much as they should
be. (‘The best is yet to be.’)
This ‘distance’ is not an indication of any lack of loving interest
and activity on his part, though, sadly, it is often so on ours. But it
exists even when Christians are at their best, because it is bound up

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with the fact that we are not ‘where he is’ ( John 14:3). He is in
heaven, but we are on earth, and so we are ‘absent from the Lord’ (2
Cor. 5:6). This means that we are ‘in the flesh’, that is, ‘in the body’
(Phil. 1:20, 22).
This lowly condition (Phil. 3:20–21) is a mixture of finitude and
fallen-ness. As finite, we are limited to time and space and also in our
understanding; as fallen, we fail to live in accord with the little that
we do know. This is experienced and expressed in our doubts and
fears, distresses and perplexities, and disobedience by way of sins of
commission and omission. His yoke is not always ‘easy’ for us to
bear, and so often we think of ourselves as if we were ‘greater than
our master’ ( John 13:16; 15:20). This is one reason why the Lord’s
Day is so important and should be so valued by us. It is a reminder
of Eden and an anticipation of Heaven – and an occasion for rest that
is for refreshment and reorientation to Jesus, who makes himself
audible in the sermon and visible in the Supper by the Holy Spirit.
But still it is as ‘in a mirror, dimly’ (1 Cor.13:12). And the same is
true of all our private devotions.
To be with Christ where he now is will therefore be a huge
advance on all the means by which his people now know him and
also on all the degrees to which he may be known by them. This will
be, in the first place, because the Christian will then no longer be ‘in
the flesh’, subject to its infirmities and characterized by iniquities, nor
in this life with the adversities and distresses that are part of ‘the
sufferings of this present time’ (Rom. 8:18).
In Christ, he will have lived through death, the last enemy, and his
soul will be immediately with Jesus (Phil. 1:23) although he must
wait for his body until resurrection day. But secondly, every believer
will see (and know) Jesus in a ‘face to face’ manner ( Job 19:25–27, 1
Cor. 13:12, 1 John 3:2, Rev. 22: 4). No longer will he be walking by
faith and not sight (2 Cor. 5:7). This is far better than having him
with us here below.

And Like Christ?

Faith is a seeing with ‘the eyes of the understanding’ (Eph. 1:18). It
is therefore a response to what is disclosed, but it is limited by our
apprehension. All change in a sinner is produced by a gracious self-

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revelation of God whether directly or through an intermediary.
Adam’s restoration was the result of God’s seeking him and speaking
to him. So it was with Abraham, Moses, David and all the prophets
through whose ministry others came to know the Lord. It was the
same with the disciples of Jesus and that goes on through their
apostolic word ( John 17:20, Acts 26:17). It continues today. Such
disclosure produces faith and repentance in the mind that is darkened
by sin and hostile to God. A glimpse of Jesus through the window of
the gospel produces that change, and clearer views of him by the
Spirit through the Word produce greater changes still (2 Cor. 3:
17–18).
What will happen when we see Christ ‘face to face’? That is
governed entirely by two facts: namely what Jesus is like now and
where he is now. When we see him we will be struck by both
similarity and difference just as the disciples were when they saw him
after his resurrection.
We will instantly recognize him as the one whom we saw with the
eyes of faith, but it is equally certain that he will be more glorious
than ever we thought or could think, because he is now the exalted
God-Man and Lord. He is now not only greater than we ever
imagined but greater than he appeared in the days of his flesh. His
deity will of course be magnificently incontrovertible, but his
humanity will also be gloriously beautified, for he still has the ‘face’
and the ‘body’ that he had on earth. And it will be obvious that he
was the Lamb who was slain (Rev. 5:6) who is now King.
Every believer will see him not from a distance as one of the
innumerable company of the redeemed but in a ‘face-to-face’
encounter. To be present would be an immense privilege, but what
about having a private audience as if no one else were there? He will
fill every believer’s vision, enlarging understanding, purging
defilement, ennobling humanity and exalting each Christian to ‘sit
with him on his throne’ (Rev. 3:21).
We will see his sinless perfection disclosed, and that faith-fulfilling
sight will remove every moral blemish and will perfect each Christian
in the image of God. His name will be imprinted on each forehead
(Rev. 22:5); he is now reigning and so we too will reign (Rev. 22:5).
‘What we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he

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appears we will be like him, because we shall see him as he is’
(1 John 3:2) The dazzling light will not consume us, as it threatened
to do to believers in the Old Testament. It will conform us to him
totally – morally and physically. We are told repeatedly in the Old
Testament that no one could see God’s face and live. But we are told
in the New Testament that everyone who sees ‘the glory of God in
the face of Jesus Christ’ (2 Cor. 4:6) will LIVE.

And Forever?
This extra question is not as preposterous as it may sound.
Remember Adam and Eve! They were like God and lived with God,
but they did not retain that blessedness. They were expelled from the
Garden and barred from re-entering it. Our question is therefore not
superfluous. We raise it not in order to consider a possibility but to
understand an impossibility. Why is it that being with Christ and like
Christ must last forever?
For one thing, and negatively, it can be said that if it were not so
an endless rest would not be provided. God’s work of creation would
therefore be in contradiction to his work of redemption. That cannot
be, because God displays more of his glory in redemption than in
creation. But secondly, and positively, we must now state two things
explicitly about ‘being with and like Christ’. The first is that when it
occurs, time will be no more, and secondly, there will be no more sin.
Full conformity to Christ in body as well as in soul begins with the
coming again of Jesus Christ, the creator, sustainer and consummator
of the purpose of God for all things. He will bring ‘former things to
an end’ and make all things new (Rev. 21:4–5). Time, with all its
‘change and decay’, will be no more. ETERNITY will have begun –
the final, unalterable goal of all things. Just as there can be no second
chance for the impenitent, so also there can be no re-run of life for
the believing. The heavens and the earth that are now, purged from
decay, will be more righteous than was Eden before the Fall. It is in
that new world (‘the regeneration’ in Matthew 19:28; ‘the
resurrection’ in Matthew 22:30) that saints will live. Their
conformity to Christ belongs to life eternal and not to a futile,
recurring, restless reincarnation to this life. Conformity to Christ will
be endless. We will have arrived at home!

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It was only because sin entered Eden that Adam and Eve fell and
were expelled from it. But nothing that defiles will ever enter this new
garden-city of God (2 Pet. 3:13, Rev. 21:27). And this environment
will be in large part a reflection of the glorified human beings who
will be as unable to sin as Jesus Christ was. On what basis then could
God expel a Christian from heaven? Jesus paid their debt and bore
their curse outside the earthly Jerusalem in order that they might
enter the Jerusalem that is above (Gal. 4:26), and their persevering in
his steps validates their right and demonstrates their fitness to be
there.
Just as the good work of any of the six days of creation did not
terminate God’s creative work but moved it on towards and nearer
to its completion, so it will be with his redemptive plan. The
justification of the ungodly (Rom. 4:5) will be followed by
sanctification, and sanctification by glorification, but when a sinner
is justified, his glorification is certain. It is as good as done. ‘Whom
he justified, them he also glorified’ (Rom. 8:30).
And just as creation was finished and God rested, so it will be with
his redemptive work. Now it is ongoing, based on the decisive,
unrepeatable basis of the once-for-all incarnation, life and death of
Jesus Christ. Then and there, not here and now, it will be finished.
God will look on all that ‘he redeemed’, the new universe and the
new humanity in it (Eph. 1:10, Col. 1:20), and it will be very, very
good – to him and to us. He will not want to begin again; much less
will we, because we will be at home, in the Father’s house, at last and
‘forever’.

Samuel Rutherford on Eagerness for Heaven

Love is sick to hear of tomorrow.

Oh, when will we meet? Oh, how long is it to the dawning of the
marriage day? O sweet Jesus, take wide steps! O my Lord, come over the
mountain at one stride.
O fairest among the sons of men, why stayest Thou so long away? O
heaven, move fast! O time, run, run, and hasten the marriage day!

LETTERS OF SAMUEL RUTHERFORD (recently reprinted) – see p. 6.

13

NEWS & COMMENT
Banner Trustees
Behind the scenes, much of the
effectiveness of the Trust’s work
depends upon the input of the
Board of Trustees. One of those
Trustees who has contributed most
to the work for some forty years is
Ian Barter, who has chaired meet-
ings of the Board ever since the
death of Jack Cullum in 1971. As a
financial guide, counsellor on future
publications, adviser and friend to
all his colleagues, Mr Barter has oc-
cupied a unique role in the work
these many years. After lengthening
his term of service at the urging of
his fellow trustees, he has concluded
his formal service to the Trust this
past month. Thankfulness to God,
and gratitude to him, is expressed
by us all.
The role of chairman of the trus-
tees is now undertaken by Sinclair
B. Ferguson. Dr Ferguson is prob-
ably best known to most readers as
an author. In varying capacities he
has been a main helper in the work
at the Trust since the 1970s, and no
one understands the needs of the
work better.
Banner trustees live in different
parts of the world and it is a happy
and unexpected providence that
two of them — Assistant Editors of
this magazine — now live in Col-
umbia, South Carolina.
John R. de Witt was Senior Pastor
at the First Presbyterian Church in
that city for five years to September
2005. On his retirement from that
position the congregation moved to
call Sinclair Ferguson, who took up
the charge last December. We look
14
The Banner of Truth
forward to more writing, as well as
other help to the work, from Dr de
Witt.
The website of First Presbyterian
Church is www.firstprescolumbia.
org. Recordings of past and present
sermons by Dr Ferguson, Dr de
Witt, and others, as well as videos
and other material, can be accessed
by clicking ‘Resources’ on the site.
The March Issue on Dr Lloyd-Jones
Readers will be interested to know
of the wide interest in the special
issue marking twenty-five years
since the death of Dr Martyn Lloyd-
Jones. Large additional numbers of
copies of that issue have been pur-
chased. One bookshop in Wales
took 450 copies; another in North-
ern Ireland took one hundred; one
in Melbourne, Australia, took fifty,
and several others have bought sub-
stantial numbers. Copies were
distributed to all those who at-
tended the MLJ 25th Anniversary
Conference held in the U.K. in
March, while at the Shepherds’
Conference in Dr John MacArthur’s
church in California, also in March,
all 4,000 members of the conference
received a copy.
Tony Ruston, Director of the
MLJ Recordings Trust, wrote:
‘I just wanted to drop you a brief
word of thanks for the excellent
Lloyd-Jones commemoration issue
of the Banner magazine. You cer-
tainly made a superb job and I am
sure the issue will be treasured for
many years to come.’
Sanctification
A number of readers have written to
express disagreement with John
Scott’s article (Issue 509, February
2006), ‘Sanctification: 2 – The Con-
tinuing Warfare.’
News & Comment
Our generation is, therefore, not
different from those which have
gone before in the matter of dis-
putes about Romans 6–8. Especially
does Romans 7:14–25 divide men
over the question of whether Paul is
there describing the regenerate or
the unregenerate man.
Because the Holy Spirit (through
Paul) has said so much about Sanc-
tification in Romans 6–8, it is
difficult to keep in mind all that he
has said at once. In reading many of
the statements of Romans 6–8, we
pause and think, ‘That is not all
that can be said of the believer.’
That awareness is the very point
which requires us to hold all of the
material of Romans 6–8 in our
minds – all at one time.
When the overarching argument
of Romans 6–8 is kept in view, we
believe Mr Scott’s conclusion about
Romans 7:14–25 is correct. In the
words of Dr Lloyd-Jones, ‘The Prot-
estant Reformers and the Puritans,
and all who have followed them,
have almost without exception
followed that second exposition of
Augustine; in other words, they
have taught that this is a description
of the regenerate man. We have two
well-known examples of this in
Charles Hodge and Robert Haldane,
whose commentaries I have so fre-
quently recommended and praised’
(Romans 7:1–8:4, Banner of Truth,
1973, p. 177).
It is worth mentioning that Dr
Lloyd-Jones emphatically denied
that certain descriptions found in
Romans 7:14–25 could refer to the
regenerate. However, with equal
emphasis he denied that certain fea-
tures of Romans 7:14–25 could
refer to the unregenerate. Therefore
he is in a very small minority which
takes a third view, that the passage
shows a man under deep conviction
of sin, as part of the apostle’s
demonstration of the weakness and
insufficiency of the law, through the
flesh. This valuable volume on Ro-
mans 7 should be perused at length.
Dr Lloyd-Jones noted that all
who argue that the man of Romans
7:14–25 is regenerate do so by
qualifying certain phrases of that
passage from other Scriptures. He
likewise noted that those who think
the one described is unregenerate
also qualify certain phrases from
other truths of Scripture. His own
conclusion (a third approach) em-
phasizes that Romans 7 is the
central section of one grand argu-
ment embracing three chapters.
Mima Jane Reisinger’s Funeral
Mima Jane Reisinger, widow of
Ernest C. Reisinger, a former Trus-
tee of the Banner of Truth Trust,
was called from her home to be
with the Lord on February 25,
2006. She was 87 years of age. Her
life exhibited meekness and quiet-
ness of spirit in her marriage, in her
family, and in her generous hospi-
tality extended to the saints. The
Holy Spirit tells us through Peter
that this trait is beautiful and pre-
cious in the sight of God.
The funeral was conducted at
Grace Baptist Church in Carlisle,
Pennsylvania by the Rev. David
Campbell of the Carlisle Church
and the Rev. Thomas Ascol (her
pastor) of Cape Coral, Florida. The
Rev. Walter Chantry preached from
Genesis 49:18: ‘I have waited for
your salvation, O Lord!’ Following
the services at church and cemetery
Mima was buried next to her hus-
band in Carlisle.
15
 The Banner of Truth

COMFORT FOR THE LONELY CHRISTIAN

Maurice Roberts

T hose who in this life walk with God must expect to have to go
through times of loneliness. This has been the experience of
God’s people all along the avenue of time since sin entered our world.
The very first recorded revelation of God after the Fall contains
within it more than a hint of this trial of loneliness: ‘I will put enmity
. . . between thy seed and her seed’ (Gen. 3:15). From then on till the
end of time God’s people would, in the course of their lives, know
what it is at times to feel unwelcome and unbefriended.

Occasions of Loneliness
Loneliness is a strange thing. It does not depend simply on our
not having the company of other people. One can be very lonely and
yet in a crowd! Perhaps the loneliest place of all is to be in the
company of a multitude with whom one feels no affinity of interest
or outlook.
Again, the believer can feel least lonely when most alone. The key
to such an experience for the child of God is that he or she may enjoy
the assuring sense of God’s fellowship with him and may be fully
satisfied in heart, although no other human being should be within
several miles. So for Christians loneliness is not just a question of
human company. What matters more than mere human compan-
ionship is unity of soul and of outlook.
Fellowship is not just being with others, then, but being with those
who are like-minded and who see eye to eye with us in those things
that lie closest to our hearts. This fact explains why it is that we can
open our hearts immediately to some people, but not at all to others.
This is a common experience and refers to people in churches as well
as to all others. Some people ‘draw us out’; others make us shut our
mouths. Some people open the doors of our souls to enjoy a hearty
and satisfying conversation. Some freeze our very wish to speak, so
that we almost choke to say anything.

16
Comfort for the Lonely Christian
As Christians we must not be ignorant of the fact that we have, all
of us, instinctive reactions to people and to situations. Such reactions
are not an infallible guide. But, in the experience of the writer, they
are often right and are often fully justified on a further acquaintance
with the persons concerned, whom we instinctively did not trust.
First impressions can all too often be unconsciously right. A wise rule
is not to open our hearts to those with whom we instinctively feel
uncomfortable.
Loneliness is a sad experience and is an aspect of the general curse
which entered with sin. But, as with all other curses, it is always
sanctified by God to the good of those who love him. After all, which
of the saints has not felt lonely in this life? Was not Noah lonely as
he constructed the Ark? Or Abraham as he watched Lot depart with
his face toward Sodom? Or Job as his friends tormented him with
the charge of hypocrisy? Or David, pursued in the wilderness by
Saul? Or John the Baptist as he ate his daily fare of locusts and wild
honey?

The Great Exemplar of the Lonely

What also shall we say of our blessed and holy Saviour Jesus Christ?
Was not his whole life one long experience of loneliness, punctuated
by occasional sweet draughts of comfort, either by a word from his
Father, or else as one or other of his elect people ‘touched him’ by
faith? If we, being by nature evil, find this a trying world, how must
Christ have found and felt it as his sinless soul reacted to the daily
sight and sound of graceless sinners trampling on every sacred
commandment of God?
It is no wonder Jesus cried out on one occasion, ‘O faithless
generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer
you?’ (Mark 9:19). Small wonder also that, as he neared the end of
his ministry, with an eye now to his return to the Father, he could say
to his disciples, ‘If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go
unto the Father’ ( John 14:28). He would soon exchange his earthly
loneliness for a seat in glory, adored by all the angels.
Our loneliness is no bad thing for us as Christians if it brings us to
appreciate a little more how lonely Christ was in this world. After all,
how much fellowship did he have at any point in his earthly course?

17
 The Banner of Truth
When he was a boy of twelve his parents, who loved him, fell short
of appreciation of him. They were ignorant of the wonderful fact that
a perfect child puts God, truth and duty before even the tenderest
earthly affection. Did this unique Child not feel disappointment and
loneliness that his mother, true believer and true child of God as she
was, unjustly reproached him: ‘Why hast thou thus dealt with us?’
(Luke 2:48).
This loneliness of Christ was an ingredient of his cup all through
life till, when all his disciples had fled from him, he was nailed to the
cross of shame. His final experience of human company amounted to
that of two criminals, a few rough Roman soldiers and the jeering
clergymen who had for some years hated both him and everything he
had preached or for which he stood.
When the Lord’s people feel lonely in this life they would do well
to remember that our Saviour was a hundred times lonelier while
here on earth than we have ever been. Together with this thought
they should also recall that only the constraining power of great
motives held our Lord to the solitary path which he chose to tread.
One such motive was his wish to glorify God on the earth. Another
was his unfathomable love for us who are now his people. He bore
the sorrow of a lonely life because it was the way by which he would
bring his many brethren to glory.
The right light, then, in which every true believer ought to view his
loneliness is the light which shines out of the life of our Lord. Live
Christians not only do not have fellowship with the world – they
cannot. Light and darkness have no fellowship with one another.
More still, live Christians cannot have fellowship with ‘Christians’
who are so in name only. This, probably, is the loneliest of all lone-
linesses: to meet a professed Christian and to discover that we have
little or nothing in common with him. It happens, alas, and it leaves
our souls empty and deeply troubled.
The prophet Micah refers to this experience of spiritual hunger:
‘Woe is me! For I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits
. . . my soul desireth the first ripe fruit. The good man is perished out
of the earth . . . Trust ye not in a friend . . . ’ (Mic. 7:1–5). This holy
man of God longed for fellowship with others of like mind in his day,
but he found none to whom he could open his heart.

18
Comfort for the Lonely Christian
In evil days this is a very real thing in the lives of God’s people.
Indeed, sometimes our experience is that of the Psalmist: ‘Mine own
familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath
lifted up his heel against me’ (Psa. 41:9). Did our Lord not say it
would be so? ‘Then shall many be offended, and shall betray one
another, and shall hate one another’ (Matt. 24:10). There are times
in life when the genuine followers of Christ are given the ‘cold
shoulder’ by those who were once their church friends, perhaps even
their bosom companions. All such things increase a Christian’s
loneliness.

The Lessons of Loneliness

There are, however, good things to learn from the hardest of trials,
and the experience of loneliness is no exception. To this aspect of our
theme, finally, we may now turn. What are the lessons learnt from
loneliness?
First, loneliness must be looked at as a thing which throws us from
all earthly friends and drives us to look only to God for help. We
much need this lesson, as we are all apt to look too much to man. In
times of loneliness, however, we come to learn the truth of such
words as these: ‘It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence
in man’ (Psa. 118:8).
Secondly, loneliness affords an opportunity to read and study.
Many a minister in his lonely sphere of labour would say that his best
friends are the writers of the books on his shelves! What good friends
they are too! Hours with commentators like Calvin, Matthew Poole
and Matthew Henry are golden. Let every lonely Christian who can
do so get down his best books in lonely hours. And if his collection
of books is little larger than his Bible, let him use his lonely hours
poring over the Law, the Prophets, the Gospels and the Epistles. Such
reading will turn a child into a man, and transform a man into a
senator.
Finally, loneliness can be blessed to us to give us increased
spirituality of mind. With Solomon, when loneliness is our teacher,
we may see that all things under the sun are but ‘vanity’ and ‘striving
after wind’. This is not pessimism but realism. It is to see that nothing
is of any real importance except what brings us to know ourselves to

19
 The Banner of Truth
be ignorant sinners in need of a Saviour. And nothing is of real value
that does not bring us to love God more, or to seek to serve God’s
people better in this life. Those whom God loves he chastens. Often
this chastening includes being shut out from this world’s noise and
bluster so that we are forced to delight ourselves in God as we never
did before. Thus do we learn to grow in faith and prayer. Thus do we
also learn to long to be with Christ in the glory of heaven.

The Jerusalem Sinner Saved, or, Good News for the Vilest of Men,
John Bunyan (ISBN 0 85151 914 8, 127 pp., pbk, £5.00/$10.00.
This slim volume – originally published in the year of Bunyan’s death and
probably a digest of multiple sermons – is the fruit of a lifetime’s earnest
labour and pastoral engagement on a precious theme.
Bunyan’s premise is that Christ’s command to preach the gospel
‘beginning at Jerusalem’ demonstrates his desire that mercy first of all be
offered to and received by the greatest sinners. As a great sinner himself,
saved by God’s abounding grace, Bunyan is eager that others should taste
and see that the Lord is good. Bunyan reverses the unbiblical assumptions
that many of us make in imagining that the ‘best’ of sinners are somehow
most entitled to grace, showing us rather that the worst men are best
qualified for mercy, to the glory of God’s grace in Christ. Bunyan patrols the
highways and byways like the hound of heaven, tracking down and exposing
great sinners and then stripping away every doubt and fear about their
coming to Christ in order to be saved. Sin here is something that drives us
to Christ, not from him.
With its slightly modernized language and helpful analysis of the
structure, this single-volume publication makes Bunyan’s work more
accessible. Pastors should read it as a model of close, faithful dealing with
wounded souls, although Bunyan’s bluntness may shock some modern
sensibilities; it enhances a preacher’s confidence in telling the gospel to
sinners, and is a fine example of direct dealing with the unconverted;
Christians more generally will have their thinking clarified; those tortured by
guilt – either as professing believers or convinced unbelievers – will be
pointed directly to Christ by one who has trodden a similar road.
Bunyan’s profound sense of sin and grace glorifies God’s mercy in Christ,
and throws the good news into wonderfully sharp relief. It is sincerely to be
hoped that, in the reading of this book, Bunyan’s original wish as a vile
sinner who had obtained mercy would be met once more: to have ‘my
companions in sin partake of mercy too’.
JEREMY WALKER

20
Sanctifying the Ordinary

SANCTIFYING THE ORDINARY1

A. W. Tozer

A Christian poet2 of a bygone generation wrote a rather long

hymn around a single idea: You can, by three little words, turn
every common act of your life into an offering acceptable to God.
The words are ‘For Thy sake’.
The hymn is no longer familiar to the Christian public. Its form is
rather old-fashioned and its mood foreign to the psychology of the
busy believers who scurry about so nervously these days. Scarcely
one in ten thousand of them would have the patience to read it if it
were placed in their hands; yet its simple message is so wonderful
that it should never be allowed to be lost. Rather it should be rescued
from oblivion and given back to the sons of the kingdom as a
precious treasure they can ill afford longer to neglect.
Today more than ever we Christians need to learn how to sanctify
the ordinary. This is a blasé generation. People have been over
stimulated to the place where their nerves are jaded and their tastes
corrupted. Natural things have been rejected to make room for things
artificial. The sacred has been secularized, the holy vulgarized and
worship converted into a form of entertainment. A dopey, blear-
eyed generation seeks constantly for some new excitement powerful
enough to bring a thrill to its worn-out and benumbed sensibilities.
So many wonders have been discovered or invented that nothing on
earth is any longer wonderful. Everything is common and almost
everything boring.
Like it or not, that is the world in which we find ourselves, and we
are charged with the responsibility to live soberly, righteously and
godly right in the middle of it. The danger is that we allow ourselves
to be too much affected by the degenerate tastes and low views of the
Hittites and Jebusites among whom we dwell and so learn the ways
of the nations, to our own undoing, as Israel did before us.
1
Chapter 16 of Born After Midnight, Christian Publications, 1959.
2
George Herbert (1593–1633). The poem or hymn is known as ‘The Elixir’ and begins,
‘Teach me, my God and King’.

21
 The Banner of Truth
When the whole moral and psychological atmosphere is secular
and common how can we escape its deadly effects? How can we
sanctify the ordinary and find true spiritual meaning in the common
things of life? The answer has already been suggested. It is to
consecrate the whole of life to Christ and begin to do everything in
His name and for His sake.
Fénelon teaches that to make our deeds acceptable to God it is not
necessary that we change our occupation (if it is honest), but only
that we begin to do for Christ’s sake what we had formerly been
doing for our own. To some of us this will seem too tame and
ordinary. We want to do great things for God, to hazard our lives in
dramatic acts of devotion that will attract the attention of fellow
Christians and perhaps of the larger world outside.
Visions of Huss at the stake, Luther at the Diet of Worms or
Livingstone in the heart of Africa flit before our minds as we think on
spiritual things. Plain, workaday Christians like us – how can we
rise to such heroic heights? With our families to support, with our
lot cast in the dull routine of the commonplace, with no one
threatening us with imprisonment or death: how can we live lives
acceptable to God? What can we do to satisfy the heart of our Father
in heaven?
The answer is near thee, even in thy mouth. Vacate the throne
room of your heart and enthrone Jesus there. Set Him in the focus of
your heart’s attention and stop wanting to be a hero. Make Him your
all in all and try yourself to become less and less. Dedicate your entire
life to His honour alone and shift the motives of your life from self
to God. Let the reason back of your daily conduct be Christ and His
glory, not yourself, nor your family, nor your country, nor your
church. In all things let Him have the preeminence.
All this seems too simple to be true, but Scripture and experience
agree to declare that it is indeed the way to sanctify the ordinary. ‘For
thy sake’ will rescue the little, empty things from vanity and give
them eternal meaning. The lowly paths of routine living will, by these
words, be elevated to the level of a bright highway. The humdrum of
our daily lives will take on the quality of a worship service, and the
thousand irksome duties we must perform will become offerings and
sacrifices acceptable to God by Christ Jesus.

22
Sanctifying the Ordinary
To God there are no small offerings if they are made in the Name
of His Son. Conversely, nothing appears great to Him that is given
for any other reason than for Jesus’ sake. If we cannot die for Christ
we can live for Him, and sometimes this is more heroic and will bring
a larger reward.
‘For thy sake.’ These are the wondrous words which, when they
are found in the heart as well as in the mouth, turn water into wine
and every base metal into gold.

NEW BANNER TITLES (concluded from p. 25)

We couldn’t agree more with Spurgeon’s comment, when he
said, ‘The mere marginal notes of Brooks are more valuable than
pages of ordinary writers . . . of all the Puritans he is the most
readable’ (ISBN 0 85151 924 5, 304 pp., paperback, £6.25/$10).
Finally – as to completely new publications – Alec Taylor’s The
Promise comprises thirty-one carefully selected readings from the
Bible. Designed for daily use, it will introduce the reader to the over-
arching message of the Bible during the space of one month. It is
aimed at those who may have recently become Christians or who
may simply be interested in knowing more about the Christian faith,
and we hope it will be widely used to introduce others to Jesus
Christ, the Saviour promised by God (ISBN 0 85151 925 3, 112 pp.,
paperback, £5.00/$7).
There are also two notable reprints to report. Reissued in a new
and attractive larger format, A Summary of Christian Doctrine by
Louis Berkhof remains without equal as a popular handbook of
Christian doctrine, written from an evangelical and Reformed
standpoint. The Summary has proved ideal for personal and group
study. Passages for memorization and questions for review at the
close of each chapter enhance the book’s value for the student (ISBN 0
85151 055 8, 170 pp., paperback, £6.75/$9).
Reappearing after a long absence is Letters of Samuel Rutherford,
edited by Andrew Bonar (ISBN 0 85151 388 3, 764 pp., clothbound,
£18.50/$39). See the note on p. 6 of this issue.

23
 The Banner of Truth

NEW BANNER TITLES

Jonathan Watson

W e would like to draw the attention of readers to several new

titles from the Trust. Robert Oliver’s History of the English
Calvinistic Baptists, 1771–1892 is a major new study of English
Particular Baptist history and is sure to appeal to a wide range of
Banner readers. It traces a number of important developments within
this community during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. These
include questions regarding the Lord’s Supper, the role of the law in
the Christian life, and the biblical warrant for making free offers in
the gospel. The author introduces us not just to the great figures of
the period – theological giants like Gill, Fuller, Gadsby, and
Spurgeon, but also to the lesser known characters like the hymn
writer Benjamin Beddome, the eccentric John Collett Ryland,
Abraham Booth and John Stevens. Wide and deep reading in the
writings of these men has given Dr Oliver an excellent understanding
of their various theological perspectives and the spiritual vitality of
their churches (ISBN 0 85151 920 2, 432 pp. clothbound, £16.50/
$27).
In Authentic Christianity, Volume 5, we have 18 evangelistic
sermons preached by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones at Westminster Chapel
on Sunday evenings between March and July 1967. According to the
Doctor, one reason why the contemporary church has lost its power
is because it has become so much like the world. An alarming
lowering of standards has taken place on every hand and the Holy
Spirit has been grieved and quenched. Behind all this is the ‘foolish’
notion that Christians can win the world by becoming like it. Yet, in
spite of all, the world remains unchanged and the church is seen as
an irrelevance. The striking feature about these sermons, based on
Acts 7:30–60, is the amazing contrast between Stephen and his
opponents. This particular Christian is so different from the world –
so Christlike, uncompromising, and faithful, yet so full of the Spirit
and power that the impact of his witness on the world is still being

24
New Banner Titles
felt 2000 years later! As in the other volumes in this series, Lloyd-
Jones directs our attention away from the bankruptcy and confusion
of modern thought to the only source of hope for our generation, the
unchanging ‘gospel of God, concerning his Son, Jesus Christ our
Lord’ (ISBN 0 85151 922 9, 304 pp. clothbound, £15.75; not available
in the U.S.A.).
A number of titles by A. W. Pink have been published by the Trust
over the years, including The Life of Elijah, Profiting from the Word,
and The Sovereignty of God. We would also remind readers of the
revised and enlarged edition of Iain Murray’s Life of A. W. Pink,
recently published in 2004. Gleanings From Paul is the latest title to
be added to this list. Consisting of 33 chapters, this book is a careful
study of the prayers of the apostle and application of their lessons to
the life of the reader. Ranging from Paul’s words of praise and prayer
in Romans 1:8-10 to his prayer for Philemon in Philem. 4-6, Pink
supplies us with many practical insights into the subject matter of
God-honouring prayer. It is in the practical and devotional field that
Pink really comes into his own, and that he is almost uniformly
uplifting, stimulating and often inspiring – Iain H. Murray (ISBN 0
85151 923 7, 496 pp. clothbound, £16.00/$28).
It is a source of great encouragement that our Puritan Paperback
series continues to remain popular, selling consistently well,
especially in the U.S. This series also continues to grow! One of our
American friends recently asked us to consider reprinting Thomas
Brooks’ The Privy Key to Heaven in a more accessible format. This
we have done under the new title of The Secret Key to Heaven: The
Vital Importance of Private Prayer. Reset in a clear, attractive and
easy-to-read type the book conveys the author’s conviction that ‘The
power of religion and godliness lives, thrives, or dies, as closet prayer
lives, thrives, or dies.’ Brooks feared that many Christians do not
understand the ‘necessity, excellency, and usefulness’ of private
prayer, and live in ‘too great a neglect of this indispensable duty.’
Taking up our Lord’s words about ‘closet-prayer’ in Matthew 6:6,
this gifted Puritan pastor supplies us with a masterful treatment of
this vitally important aspect of the Christian’s life. Always intensely
practical, his aim is ‘to preserve and keep up the power of religion
and godliness both in men’s houses, hearts, and lives.’
(concluded on p. 23)
25

BOOK REVIEWS
For the Love of India. The Story of
Henry Martyn
Jim Cromarty
Evangelical Press, 2005, 384 pp.,
£9.95/$17.99.
ISBN: 0 85234 598 4
In the preface to this book the author
writes: ‘The life of Henry Martyn
should be compulsory reading for
every believer.’
I agree, and in this book Jim
Cromarty has provided a comprehen-
sive, popularly written account of the
life of one of the church’s greatest mis-
sionaries. It is particularly relevant
today when Islam is strongly reassert-
ing itself, for Henry Martyn (1781–
1812) was in the words of his biogra-
pher George Smith ‘the first modern
apostle to the Mohammedans’. His
conversion at Cambridge, the high
academic honours he won there, his
brilliance in mastering and translating
oriental languages, his moving love
story, his passionate love for Christ
and dedication to His service, his
saintly life, his longing for conver-
sions, and his lonely and painful
death far from friends or anyone who
could sympathize with him, all make
for a thrilling story of Christian devo-
tion and endeavour that comes out
clearly in this book.
Martyn’s journal is one of the great
Christian classics, and Jim Cromarty
quotes extensively from it. The Life
and Letters of Henry Martyn by his
friend John Sargent was republished
by the Banner of Truth in 1985 and is
still available (ISBN 0 85151 468 5,
480 pp., pbk.). Anyone who wishes
to know more of this saintly man
should get it and read it. Finally, it is
26
The Banner of Truth
especially pleasing that the author
has included one of Henry Martyn’s
sermons. Perhaps in a later edition he
will say when and where it was
preached.
IAN S. BARTER
Heavenly Love: The Song of Songs
(Welwyn Commentary Series)
Gary Brady
Evangelical Press, 2006, 224 pp.,
£8.95.
ISBN-13: 978 0 85234 606 8
The Song of Songs ranks high among
the most hotly-debated books of the
Bible when it comes to how it should
be understood. The history of its in-
terpretation reflects the whole spec-
trum of views from pure allegory to,
in some cases, the crudely literal.
Gary Brady (reflecting the balance of
Reformed scholarship past and
present) takes a via media and argues
that the Song is primarily a Hebrew
love poem, but one, in the context of
the wider message of Scripture, that
leads us inevitably to the glorious
marriage between Christ and his
church.
It is plain from the outset that the
author has not only researched his
material thoroughly, but that he
presents it thoughtfully. Given the
range (and often the tensions) be-
tween the different interpretations
through the ages and throughout the
church, he is both sensitive and per-
suasive in the way he makes the case
for his particular approach.
He wrestles with the many conun-
drums that surround the book, not
least the issue of authorship. He also
acknowledges the difficulties arising
from the fact that it is poetry and not
prose. From an exegetical point of
view, poetry is notoriously difficult to
pin down (hence the amazing diver-
sity in interpretation of particular
Book Reviews
passages – even among those within
the same broad framework). How-
ever, his chief contention is that, if this
is indeed primarily a book about hu-
man love and ultimately marriage,
then it must of necessity also be a book
about Christ and the church (the meta-
phor that underpins the latter depends
upon the reality expressed in the
former).
In taking this line, Gary Brady
homes in on the beauty of the Song’s
relevance and application. It speaks
clearly about the importance of the
bond of love between a man and a
woman that has been so tragically dis-
torted, especially in our world today.
But at the same time it speaks exqui-
sitely about the even greater bond
between Christ and his people, which
is eternal. Here is a book that speaks
to everyone in a way that touches the
depths of human need. Gary Brady’s
commentary is an excellent means of
getting to the heart of the Song’s mes-
sage and application.
MARK G. JOHNSTON
Defence of the Truth: Contending for
the Faith Yesterday and Today
Michael Haykin
Evangelical Press, 2004
160 pp, pbk, £7.95
ISBN: 0-85234-554-2
The life of the ancient church (circa
AD 100–600) is the mine from which
Dr Haykin draws the gems which
constitute this brief training course in
Scriptural apologetics. Shortly after
the ministry of the apostles in person
had ceased, God raised up a variety
of men to lay hold of the apostolic
ministry committed to writing and to
defend the truth which was then
under assault. The author’s six short
essays concentrate on six characteris-
tic stands for the truth.
These studies cover a balanced
range of topics. They deal with the
rebuttal of pagan error concerning the
Christian church in the Letter to
Diognetus, and Irenaeus of Lyons’
assault on Gnosticism; there is an in-
teresting chapter on millennial views
in the early church; we see Athanasius
and the Cappadocian fathers defend-
ing the doctrine of the Trinity, and
Augustine setting forth a Christian
view of history in The City of God;
we learn, too, of Patrick of Ireland’s
evangelistic zeal. Some of these names
and episodes are far from being com-
mon knowledge in the present-day
church, and this ought not to be so.
Defence of the Truth brings these
occasions and individuals to our at-
tention as facts to be remembered,
brethren to be esteemed, and exam-
ples to be followed.
Each of these vibrant sketches ends
with a brief applicatory passage (to-
gether with recommendations for
further reading), in which the author
seeks to press home some of the more
obvious lessons from the episode just
considered. If there is any particular
disappointment with the book, it is
that these exhortatory sections were
not more fully developed.
The men held up for our instruction
in these pages were fallen and sinful,
and we are not asked to pretend oth-
erwise. At points we see good men
differing, and the author points out
where some were perhaps mistaken,
or where a particular emphasis in
their writing (even one profitable in
their own time) sadly became the
seedbed of error in the church many
years afterward.
Nevertheless, we should be stirred
up as we see men, valiant for truth,
standing firm for Christ and his king-
dom in an age when – much like our
27

own – the things they loved were un-
der assault. It would be worth our
while to take up this training course
and to seek to learn from it how bet-
ter to serve the cause of Christ in our
own generation.
JEREMY WALKER
Divine Redemption and the Refuge of
Faith
Douglas Vickers
Reformation Heritage Books, 2005,
212 pp., pbk., US $18.00.
ISBN: 1 892777 40 1
The author’s objective in writing is
‘to raise a number of questions that
press with some urgency on the con-
temporary theological and cultural
state of affairs’. He explains that our
first parents had covenantal obliga-
tions which they and we have
repudiated. He thus deals at some
length with the covenant of works
and how this concept has fallen on
hard times in theological literature.
He shows that the coming of the Son
of God into the world was ‘as the sin-
ner’s substitute to fulfil the previously
unfulfilled obligations of the cov-
enant of works. In that, he was our
substitute prophet, priest and king.’
The chapters deal with the state of
our day, with the covenant of works
and the dissent from it, and therein
Vickers takes issue with the advocates
of Open Theism as well as with Dan-
iel Fuller and John Piper. The status
of the will occupies another chapter,
which leads to a further one on the
possibility of redemption. The author
argues that ‘the expansive literature
of Reformed theology stands on the
shoulders of Athanasius, Augustine
and Anselm . . . to bring to emphasis
the threefold issues bearing on our
present discussion. Athanasius stood
for the defence of the doctrine of the
autotheotic nature of Christ as the
28
The Banner of Truth
Second Person of the Godhead. Augus-
tine defended the biblical revelation of
the state of man in sin . . . And Anselm
gave us an early statement of the
necessity for the atonement and of the
“satisfaction theory” of the atone-
ment of Christ’ (p. 5).
Two important chapters follow.
One is on The Cosmic Significance of
Christ in which we are shown how
Christ ‘by his work of redemption
that has cleansed the universe of sin,
makes possible God’s ultimate estab-
lishment of the new heaven and the
new earth’ (p. 144). The other chap-
ter concerns The Church: Its Identity
and Office and here is demonstrated
‘the need for the ordained leaders of
the church to consider the false teach-
ing that has been referred to as the
“openness of God”’ (p. 170). This is
a helpful discussion on the doctrine
of the church but not all will agree
with the distinctions made between
the visible and invisible aspects of the
church, nor with the rejection of the
Independent view of the church.
Perhaps the best final comment on
this book is Joel Beeke’s in the Fore-
word: ‘If you are looking for a
clear-headed, sure-footed, and warm-
hearted guide on the cardinal issues
of Christianity in every age, read this
book repeatedly. It will provide you
with solid theological moorings in a
world that is groping in the dark for
truth’. (Note the word ‘repeatedly’!)
DAVID BUGDEN
Readers will understand that we are
not able to supply books reviewed.
Please order through your Christian
bookshop.
An Elderly Man Offers Noble Service

AN ELDERLY MAN OFFERS NOBLE

SERVICE: 2 SAMUEL 19:32–40
Walter J. Chantry

W hen the rebellion had been subdued, the victorious king

retraced his route of flight. As he travelled from Mahanaim
to Jerusalem, people far and wide recognized that David’s re-crossing
of the Jordan River would be symbolic of triumph and of the joyful
restitution of his reign. That scene is described in great detail in
2 Samuel. At the fords of the Jordan a multitude met David. We are
given a vivid picture of the events that occurred.
There was Shimei who had brazenly cursed David as he left
Jerusalem. As David approached this grand moment, Shimei with
equal brazenness cried out with abject pleas for pardon. David
cautiously spared his life.
Then came Ziba and Mephibosheth, who sounded in the king’s ear
conflicting accounts of a dispute between them, each hoping to
secure the ruler’s favour. David’s meeting with Mephibosheth was
accompanied by tense conversation. The king asked Jonathan’s son
why he had not gone into hiding with him. When he had been fleeing
from Jerusalem, David had heard Ziba’s account of Mephibosheth’s
absence. Only upon his return did the lame man have opportunity to
give David his account of that event. His assertions were two: First,
Ziba had disobeyed his orders and had taken advantage of his
disability to leave Mephibosheth stranded in Jerusalem. Secondly,
Ziba had slandered Jonathan’s son in David’s hearing.
Thus two men who pledged loyalty to David had conflicting
accounts. The facts lay hidden between the contending parties.
Seasoned judges have no access to hearts to observe who is speaking
truth and who falsehood. It should not surprise us that even wise
men cannot get to the bottom of personal quarrels. David ordered the
two men, Ziba and Mephibosheth, to share equally in Saul’s estate.
Having no further information, even-handedness was the best that
he could do.

29
 The Banner of Truth
God knows whether Ziba slandered Mephibosheth in order to
steal half of his estate or whether Mephibosheth cleverly lied his way
out of blame for thankless behaviour toward the king. Scripture does
not clearly vindicate or assign guilt to either man. At times there is no
satisfying justice in human courts. Yet God knows all and will set all
things right in the last day. Slander is a serious offence in God’s eyes.
In addition various leaders of Judah and of Israel assembled there
to argue with one another in David’s presence, each one hoping
to gain political advantage. In the midst of these sharp discordant
noises, Sheba initiated another armed insurgence before the very face
of the monarch. There would be swift bloodshed to end this rebellion
lest, as David said, ‘Sheba do us more harm than Absalom’ (2 Sam.
29:16).

Quiet Dignity
While the tumult of strife and the clamour made by individuals
seeking personal assistance increased in penetrating volume, David’s
eye was attracted to a more quiet company of mounted men. These
men had no political agenda to argue and no favours to request. At
their head was the familiar face of an octogenarian. It was Barzillai
who had only become known to the king a short time before. He, his
family and his friends had heaped food and comforts upon the king
and his household-in-exile. David had met this gentleman in an hour
of need and had been the recipient of his generous charity, freely
offered.
Now, at the Jordan, he had come once more to give to David.
Barzillai, his sons and perhaps his grandsons sat in silent dignity
observing the return of the kingdom to David. They had travelled to
this important event to salute the Champion of Israel. They had come
to give honour to their sovereign as he rode in power and majesty
toward his palaces.
Do we not often approach assemblies of the Son of David our King
– Jesus? How many seek advantages there! If needs are great our
Lord’s grace and power are such that he can meet them all. Others,
perhaps not sensing great need, nonetheless draw near in hopes of
increasing a party and identifying it with the Saviour. How few
approach consciously longing only to give unto the Lord at God’s

30
An Elderly Man Offers Noble Service
right hand all glory and honour and blessing. Should we not come to
offer first our hearts and then our praises? It is thus that we may
enjoy the Lord’s presence and his advancing kingdom.
David singled out of the swirling masses the elderly Barzillai.
A royal invitation was given: ‘Come across with me, and I will
provide for you while you are with me in Jerusalem’ (2 Sam. 19:33).
Barzillai was personally chosen by David to be his honour guard
from the Jordan to Jerusalem and then to be his guest so long as he
pleased.

The Psychology of the Elderly

In their brief discussion on horseback Barzillai told the king of his
condition, which is the common experience of most who reach the
neighbourhood of four-score years in age. For younger acquaintances
of the elderly, there is a need to understand that these among us may
not be made to act and feel young again.
For Barzillai the ability to enjoy sensual pleasures was greatly
diminished. ‘Can I discern between the good and bad? Can your
servant taste what I eat or what I drink? Can I hear any longer the
voice of singing men and singing women?’ (2 Sam. 19:35). This does
not mean that there are no satisfying pleasures for the elderly. ‘Even
though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being
renewed day by day’ (2 Cor. 4:16).While the sensual strengths fade,
spiritual powers and enjoyments may be increased. But it is no use
recruiting the elderly for youthful parties or palatial feasts.
It should not have surprised David that Barzillai would feel out of
place in the festivities of the king’s court. The gates of his senses no
longer opened wide to material delights. The hinges were rusted. Yet
Barzillai did not hold in contempt the good things which the young
can enjoy. Not despising the king’s offer, he asked that his son (or
grandson) Chimham replace him in experiencing the offered
privilege.
Also Barzillai felt that he was a burden to others. ‘Why then
should your servant be a further burden to my lord the king?’ (2 Sam.
19:35). How could Barzillai, eighty years old, keep pace with the
king in riding? Yes, he would cross the Jordan as David’s honour
guard. But then he would turn back so as not to impede the king’s

31
 The Banner of Truth
ascent to Jerusalem. This feeling that others are held back in order to
include the elderly is not a misimpression. The aged who are still
keen of mind know that their stride keeps others from travelling at
the rate which they would enjoy.
Barzillai illustrates that the godly elderly are thinking about and
preparing for death. Nothing is as unbecoming to the elderly as to
put the subject out of mind. ‘How long have I to live? . . . Let your
servant turn back again, that I may die in my own city, near the grave
of my father and mother’ (2 Sam. 19:34, 37).
Most would like to die at their own homes where there are
peculiar comforts and familiar surroundings. They have chosen a
place of burial. The young should not be disturbed by this com-
bination of thoughts.

The Usefulness of the Elderly

Barzillai was not just folding his hands and waiting to die. There was
still much that he was doing and that he could do exceedingly well.
If he was slow in riding horses, he was as quick as anyone to leap
at an opportunity for benevolent acts toward the saints. How he
comforted David and his family in their distress!
If there was honour to be given to his king, Barzillai would be at
the head of his clan. He was still leading his family. He was instruct-
ing his sons and grandsons in dignified behaviour in the presence
of rulers. Would the younger heads of his house have entered the
political arguments at the Jordan if the patriarch had not been there?
Would they have kept their sights on the most important issue of the
moment without his example? It was not a day to secure things for
themselves but to give support to the king in his glory.
‘The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree; he shall grow like a
cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord
shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in
old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing’ (Psa. 92:12–14).
Although elderly children of God can recall having had greater
powers in youth, and thus they do not ‘feel’ themselves to be ‘fresh
and flourishing’, yet to God and to other men there is appreciation of
their vintage services. If there is a day left on earth, it may be used to
lay up treasure in heaven.

32
An Elderly Man Offers Noble Service
In David’s eyes Barzillai’s contribution was the crème de la crème
of faithfulness to a ruler. David rode by his side across the Jordan.
Then ‘the king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he returned to
his own place’ (east of the Jordan) (2 Sam. 19:39).
Even so does our Lord Jesus cherish the service of his loyal elderly
servants. Of their faithful attendance on their Lord’s worship and of
their giving to the needy in his Name, Christ takes note. Of their
enduring to the end in family duties and community service, Christ is
tenderly appreciative.
Even godly thought of dying is for the Lord. ‘If we live, we live to
the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord’ (Rom. 14:8). We do not
die to satisfy some strange desire in ourselves. We are ready to die if
it be his will. That too will be for him. Perhaps in crossing the Jordan
of death the Lord himself will ride beside us.

The Earthly Reward of the Elderly

The depth of David’s appreciation for Barzillai was shown in actions
toward his son Chimham. In just the same way David had been
showing his love for Jonathan in his treatment of Mephibosheth.
When Barzillai turned back ‘to his own place’ ‘The king went on
to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him’ (2 Sam. 19:40). What
greater blessing can our Lord give us than to accept our children in
his service when we are too weak to go on!
The account in Samuel closes as David and Chimham ride into
Gilgal together. There is little doubt that Chimham continued on to
Jerusalem, there to enjoy the delights of the king’s court that had
been offered to his father. Perhaps David even took Chimham under
his wing as something of a replacement for the lost affection of
Absalom. It is within the realm of possibility that Chimham would
have been granted a portion of David’s personal estate as well.
Four hundred years later, in Jeremiah 41:17, we read of ‘the
habitation of Chimham, which is near Bethlehem’. What blessings
fall to later generations through the continued steadfastness of the
elderly! We all feel a special love for Zacharias and Elizabeth, for
Simeon, and for Anna. When younger generations had forgotten to
look for the Messiah, elderly saints gave masterful service to him. So
may elderly saints always be cherished and useful in all the churches
of Christ.
33
 Issue 512 May 2006 £1.85 or $3.50

Sanctification: 5 – Obedience – Legal or Evangelical?

(Luke 15:17–32)
Walter J. Chantry
page 1

Sanctification: 6 – ‘And Then – To Rest Forever.’

Hywel R. Jones
page 7

News and Comment

page 14

Comfort for the Lonely Christian

Maurice Roberts
page 16

Sanctifying the Ordinary

A. W. Tozer
page 21

New Banner Titles

Jonathan Watson
page 24

Book Reviews
page 26

An Elderly Man Offers Noble Service

(2 Samuel 19:32– 40)
Walter J. Chantry
page 29

THE BANNER OF TRUTH TRUST

THE GREY HOUSE P.O. BOX 621 P.O. BOX 29
3 MURRAYFIELD ROAD CARLISLE SYLVANIA SOUTHGATE
EDINBURGH PA 17013 N.S.W. 2224
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An extract from Douglas Milne’s Let’s Study Luke,
recently published by the Trust (ISBN 0 85151 896 6)

Luke’s Gospel – introductory questions

Who was Luke?

Judging from the quality of his writing Luke was a well-
educated Greek-speaker, perhaps from the cultured centre
of Antioch (that is the tradition about him) or from
Philippi which he seems to have known well (Acts 16).
Luke accompanied Paul on some of his journeys around
the Mediterranean if the ‘we’ passages (Acts 16:10-17;
20:5-16; 21:1-18; 27:1-28:16) are taken seriously as
including the author of Acts. He is called a physician (Col.
4:14), which would explain his intense and sympathetic
interest and treatment of people throughout his Gospel
(and Acts).
He introduces himself in his preface to the Gospel (Luke
1:1-4), unlike the other Gospel writers who remain
anonymous. Judged from his writing as a whole Luke was
a caring, learned and artistically gifted individual who was
committed, like Jesus, to the welfare of the men and
women of his world. His outstanding quality was his
feeling for people.
When and why did he write his Gospel?
An earlier rather than later date for the writing of Luke’s
Gospel seems preferable. This means a date around the
60s AD since no event later that that is mentioned by Luke
in his second writing in Acts (e.g. the death of Paul or the
destruction of Jerusalem).
Luke wrote for Theophilus as one educated Greek-speaker
to another (Luke 1:1 – 4). Following the practice in
Hellenistic writings of that time Luke dedicates his Gospel
to Theophilus as his patron and publisher. Theophilus may
have been either a new convert to Christianity or a serious
enquirer about it. Either way Luke has composed his
Gospel for him and all like him, who want to learn about
the reliable facts of the beginnings of Christianity so as to
have a well-grounded faith of their own.
What are the special themes of Luke’s Gospel?
As a narrative theologian Luke has special interest themes
that run through his Gospel. He has picked these up from
the life and teaching of Jesus and woven them artistically
into the fabric of his writing. They give the reader a clear
indication of what salvation means and how it ought to
impact human lives. Some of the major themes are
salvation (1:76-79; 2:10-11, 30-32; 19:10), under-classes
(2:8-20; 7:11-12, 36-50; 8:1-3; 10:38-42; 14:12-14; 15:1-
2; 19:1-6; 21:1-4), wealth (1:53; 6:24; 12:16-21; 16:1-12,
19-35; 19:1-10; 18:18-27), prayer (2:28-32; 5:16; 11:1-13;
18:9-14; 23:34, 46), joyful praise (1:46-55, 67-79; 2:13-
14; 10:21-22; 19:37-40; 24:52-53), the Holy Spirit (1:35,
41-42, 67; 2:26-27, 3:16, 21-22; 4:1, 14, 18; 10:21; 11:13;
24:49), hospitality (1:39; 2:6; 4:16-30; 7:36-48; 10:30-37,
38-41; 14:15-24; 15:11-32; 19:1-10; 22:14-20; 23:42-43;
24:28-31), faith, repentance and forgiveness (1:26-38, 45;
5:17-25, 32; 7:1-10, 48-50; 8:41-50; 13:1-5; 15:11-24;
17:5-6; 18:8; 24:46-47), discipleship (5:8-11; 9:23-26, 57-
62; 14:25-34).
How should we read his Gospel?
Luke’s Gospel is well suited to 21st century readers
because he has written in a narrative style that appeals to
the imagination, deals with people’s lives, is easy to read
and wholly enjoyable. Through his narratives / stories
Luke has made Jesus come alive and be accessible for
anyone who seriously reads him. This is narrative
theology at its best.
Modern writers who have studied the place and power of
narratives in human life and culture have come up with the
opinion that human beings need authoritative narratives to
identify themselves by and to bring organisation and
meaning into their existence. A postmodern and
relativistic age delights in stories but disowns
metanarratives, the big stories that provide a total
framework for giving meaning to existence and the future
by speaking with final authority. But in the absence of
such narratives men and women suffer irreparably by
losing hope and something to believe in that transcends
themselves. The story of Jesus is the best and brightest of
all the metanarratives, one that more than any other has
the power to shape our destinies and remake us in his own
moral and spiritual likeness.
Luke’s Gospel is like an extended story made up of a
patchwork of many shorter stories taken from the life of
Jesus, who is the central figure through every narrative.
Luke retells in his own selective way the leading incidents
from the lifetime of Jesus beginning with his birth and
going right through to his death. But the storyline does not
stop there because Jesus is no ordinary human being; he is
the pre-existent Son of God who came into this world to
claim his father David’s throne over the whole of time and
space. As a result his story does not stop at his death but
takes on a new beginning with his resurrection and
ascension into God’s heavenly presence where the
crucified one now rules as Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36).
Luke wants his readers to enter sympathetically into his
narratives and through this contact with Jesus to know,
love and trust him as Lord and Saviour. Through
experiencing the grace and forgiveness of Jesus readers of
the Gospel, like the individuals who met Jesus in the
Gospel narratives, will find the other relationships of their
lives restored as well. In fact, their whole humanity will
come alive as they experience the joy and freedom of
God’s salvation.
The narratives of Luke’s Gospel are not only the stories
about Jesus but Jesus’ own stories told in his parables.
This means that the reader must be able to read narrative
in a way that is true to the style and purpose of narrative
writing. This means reading each section of the Gospel by
itself as a single unit and at a single sitting. The parts of
the story or the teaching must be viewed in the light of the
whole unit and interpreted in a way that is consistent with
the whole.
Every narrative contains its own clues to the main
meaning and message. This may take the form of editorial
comment from Luke (19:11), a single theme (23:50-56), a
preliminary request or question (17:5), Jesus’ own
explanation (8:11-15), Old Testament background (11:29-
32), the focus of the narrative (18:18), a particular context
(4:14-15) and so on. The reader should look out for these
and draw the lessons of each narrative from there. Even
with these keys some narratives and sayings of Jesus
remain a challenge to interpretation and application
(11:33-36). Above all, the narratives appeal to a human
interest factor that we all share.
These narratives about and by Jesus form part of the total
biblical narrative that is the story of God’s saving acts in
the world. The story of Jesus is the high-point of that story
that reaches back to the beginning of creation (3:23-38),
moves through the history of Israel (1:67-79), interacts
with Roman and Jewish first century history (2:1-2; 3:1)
and reaches forward to the end of the age and the new
creation (20:34-38). Within this total framework the
stories about Jesus are the middle of God’s saving plan for
the world. Above all Jesus’ death, resurrection and
ascension lay the foundation of the kingdom of God
(24:44-49). Believing the gospel means identifying with
the biblical accounts about Jesus so as to make them our
own, the foundation of our existence and our view of the
world.
The narrative of Jesus begins with a virgin’s miraculous
conception of a holy child and climaxes some thirty-three
years later on a gallows, a rough cross of wood erected
outside the holy city of Jerusalem under the imperial rule
of Tiberius Caesar. Nor did his life story stop there for
Luke discerns that there is a mid-point of the story of
Jesus in his ascension from earth to heaven, when he
finally exchanged the humble forms of earth for the regal
powers of heaven. Through his faithful witness, Luke, and
his orderly account, the risen and crowned Jesus calls
modern readers to take up their cross and follow him into
servanthood, suffering and obedience, then to receive the
servant’s crown and a gracious share in the eternal glories
of his Father’s kingdom.
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