CAPTIVE THOUGHTS SOVEREIGN GRACE PCA QUARTERLY 2019.4 EDITION First Thoughts Rev. DeanDr. Turbeville John Currid ove is love is love is love is love is love The truth is, it is quite possible to sin in the is love is love; it cannot be killed or name of “love.” Sin is not an accidental and CAPTIVE L swept aside,” Hamilton mastermind Lin random slip-up in our behavior; it is always Manuel Miranda said as he accepted his Tony driven by some form of love: love for self, award for Best Score, shortly after the horrific love for country, even “love” for “God.” As Pulse nightclub shooting. Miranda’s speech Augustine, the Roman African church father EDITION 2019.4 EDITION THOUGHTS has since been simplified and summarized as from the 4th century famously said, our central “Love is love,” and it has become the newest problem is the issue of “disordered loves.” rallying cry for the expansion of marriage He defined virtue, or holy living, as a “rightly About Captive Thoughts Contents beyond the one-man, one-woman paradigm ordered love” (City of God, XV.23). of the ages. Captive Thoughts 1 is the quarterly magazine First Thoughts Christians believe that a holy life is love 2 Do I Love Jesus? of Sovereign Grace Presbyterian Church, But is all love the same? Is the love I have for rightly ordered in our hearts, and that such 4 Book Recommendation and is designed to enrich community in my wife the same as the love I have for my right ordering comes only through receiving 5 Come Thou Fount the church, keep members up-to-date, and children, or for my neighbor across the street, by faith the love of God for us. When that is provide devotional and edifying material 6 David Platt Quote 8 Who is your Hero? or my sisters, or for the elders at Sovereign from the pastors and others. Sovereign Grace? Is it the same as the “love” a polygamist Grace, a congregation of the Presbyterian 10 The Queen of Days 14 has for his many wives, or the “love” a white “In this issue of Captive Church in America (PCA), is a community in John Piper Quote 16 nationalist has for the Caucasian race? What Charlotte which has been transformed by the Using your Baptism Thoughts, each of our 18 Honesty and Art about the “love” of a pedophile? The moment Gospel of Jesus Christ and wants to know, 19 GPTS Conference you begin to reflect on the “love is love” claim, articles, in its own way, worship and live for God. For everything you 20 WIC: Equipping the absurdity of it becomes apparent. Yes, need to know about Sovereign Grace, visit 21 Missions there is a sense in which we are to love all speaks to love for Christ” sovereigngrace.org 22 Reflecting on Solihull who are made in the image of the one God. 24 R. C. Sproul Quote But it is imperative that we love others in a Connect 26 Life of the Church way that is suitable to their identity and true the case, our love for Christ will transcend all 28 Church Invitation Statistics need. The noun “love” is not a one-size-fits else. In this issue of Captive Thoughts, each of Email: [email protected] 30 Meet a Member - The Dryes all rhetorical hammer that should be used to our articles, in its own way, speaks to love for Web: sovereigngrace.org 32 Meet a Member - Kim Young flatten all resistance to the latest assault on Christ. Read with that in mind, and I think you Address: 3326 Archdale Drive, Charlotte, NC 33 Scottish Fellowship Evening biblical sexuality. will see what I mean! 01 ne of the great practical benefits of This is the essence of the “greatest “We just don’t love each other anymore” is the Love is the going forth of the heart celebrating the Advent season is it that commandment.” The statement, “Hear, excuse many give to justify divorce. Yet, defining unto the object beloved; and the love O should cause us to stop and reflect on O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is love by going to the opposite extreme is not which true Christians [have for] Jesus who Jesus is and what he has done. Throughout one” corresponds to the first of the Ten correct either. Action without emotion and joy Christ is a grace wrought by the Spirit December, we will be singing great hymns about Commandments, “You shall have no other is simply the loveless fulfilling of an obligation. in their hearts whereby, upon [grasping] the incarnation, God becoming man, and the gods before me.” God is first and preeminent and believing Christ’s infinite loveliness great love that Christ has for sinners. We will in our hearts and lives. The commandment The Puritan Thomas Watson, in his classic and excellency, His matchless love, also be singing “Messianic Psalms” that point to that follows, to love the Lord with all our work on the Ten Commandments, begins by grace, and mercy—their hearts go forth Christ. In addition, I will be preaching a series heart, soul, mind and strength, tells us that pointing out that the summation of the Ten towards Him in earnest desires after of sermons on the theme “Loving Christ.” At the this love is all-encompassing. It includes our Commandments is loving God and neighbor. union to Him, and communion with heart of what it means to be a Christian is to thoughts, our emotions, our actions. We He then goes on to describe love in this way: Him, wherein they take chief delight. love Christ. are to love God with all that we are and all “Love is the queen of graces. It shines and This is accompanied with a yielding and dedication of themselves unto His will A scribe once asked Jesus what the greatest and service. commandment was. He replied, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, Both of these “dour Puritans” (as I recently the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your heard someone say) refer to love in terms of God with all your heart and with all your soul and delight and the going forth of the heart. Our with all your mind and with all your strength’” love for Christ comes from the depth of our (Mark 12:29-30). As we draw near to the end of being. It requires finding joy and pleasure our study of 1 Corinthians, we will see that Paul in him. concludes the letter with these words, “If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed” Significantly, the scribe who asked Jesus (1Cor. 16:22). Similarly, Paul ends his letter to the about the greatest commandment was in Ephesians, “Grace be with all who love our Lord many ways attracted to Jesus. He had seen Jesus Christ with love incorruptible” (Eph. 6:24). that Jesus had answered well the questions God’s grace is with those who love Christ. from other Jewish leaders who were trying to trap him. And he went on to affirm that Jesus “Love” is prominent in John’s Gospel, especially was correct in how Jesus answered his own the necessity of loving Jesus. He tells his disciples, question. At the end of their conversation, “he who loves me will be loved by my Father, Jesus said to him, “You are not far from the and I will love him and manifest myself to him” kingdom of God” (34). (John 14:21). In a remarkable passage at the end of the Gospel, Jesus asks Peter three times, “Do Do I This scribe respected Jesus. He affirmed Jesus’ you love me?” Each time Peter answers that he teaching. He liked Jesus. Yet, he is “not far” loves Jesus, and Jesus responds by calling him from the Kingdom. He is not yet a Christian. to the ministry of feeding his flock (John 21:15- He does not yet recognize Jesus as “the Lord” 17). The third time that Jesus asks, “Do you love whom he is to love with heart, soul, mind and me?” Peter is grieved that he has asked him three Love strength. times, perhaps fearing that Jesus might think he is being insincere in his love for Jesus. Yet, Peter had Many people in the world admire Jesus. recently denied Jesus three times, so Jesus gives They like his teaching. They like the way Peter the opportunity to affirm three times that Jesus treated others—his compassion, his he really does love Jesus. Denying Jesus reflected Jesus? concern for the lowly and the outcast, his a defect in Peter’s love for Jesus. If someone were hatred of the hypocritical treatment of to point to my wife and ask, “Is that your wife?” others. They are moved by Jesus’ sacrificial and I replied no, it would show that I did not love death on the cross. Many call themselves her. “Oh yes,” with a smile and twinkle in my eye, “Christians.” But their lives show that they would show that I did. Dr. William Barcley do not love Jesus. Therefore, they are not truly Christians. Moreover, repetition in Scripture is for emphasis. Repeating words or phrases three times that we do. As Peter learned, the Christian’s sparkles in God’s eyes. The nature of love Throughout December, I will be preaching emphasizes them to the highest degree. “Holy, supreme love must be for Christ.