humble broken-hearted

From an Edwards-chomping friend abroad:

"All gracious affections that are a sweet odour to Christ, and that fill the soul of a Christian with a heavenly sweetness and fragrancy, are broken-hearted affections. A truly Christian love, either to God or men, is a humble broken-hearted love. The desires of the saints, however earnest, are humble desires. Their hope is a humble hope; and their joy, even when it is unspeakable and full of glory, is a humble broken-hearted joy, and leaves the Christian more poor in spirit, and more like a little child, and more disposed to a universal lowliness of behavior." (266)

At FBC we've been meditating on the story of the Samaritan Woman at the well. How could we read that story, or interact with people like that, that is, everyone, in church and out of it, without feeling a gravitas breaking our hearts and humbling our joys?

HT: dh

more secret and gradual

"It is true, that for any to expect to receive the saving influences of the appointed means of grace, is unreasonable presumption...It is also undoubtedly true that the Spirit of God is very various in the manner and circumstances of His operations, and that sometimes He operates in a way more secret and gradual, and from smaller beginnings, than at others." (The Religious Affections, Jonathan Edwards, 65)

prngrphy

Pornography is evil in so many ways.
There's the people involved, often there against their will or for lack of better options.
There's the people who spend money on it, who worship worthlessness.
There's the marriages it wrecks.
There's the single people who cannot form normal relationships with the opposite sex because their understanding of gender and sexuality has been misshapen by pornography.
There's the believer who's walk with the Lord and effectiveness in ministry is governed by guilt and shame.

Must Read: Porn-Again Christian, by Mark Driscoll
Get Help: Covenant Eyes
Get Friends: xxxChurch
Other Readings: John Piper material, CCEF material, Gospel Coalition material on Temptation and Sexuality.