***** New Year!

I’ll let you guys choose how to spend 2010, but most people I know seem to hope for a better one. Anybody out there really happy with their 2009? Anybody?

It’s a huge joy to see that TMH has posted both at internetmonk.com and here. Prayers continue, obviously, but I hope TMH knows that some of us can be relied on for more concrete help as well. Just breathe the word. I know some folks have a lot of trouble asking for help, but it’s been a lot of years, and my email or phone is nearly always waiting to be answered. Don’t be shy.

BTW, I’ve turned off the Wii now that I’m back to work today. Cussing work. Shouldn’t complain, I know. I’m ungrateful. Good thing I’m a protestant!

By the way, false dichotomy much? Without context, it seems as if Bavinck was setting up a strawman or arbitrarily limiting choices. I’m against the idea of “righteousness by good doctrine” as much as anyone, but against the idea of “righteousness by good works” as well. As my buddy Paul put it:

If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more … as to the law, a Pharisee … as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith — that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Enjoy your righteousness by good works — I call it crap. You can rest on your righteousness by good doctrine if you want. Maybe you’re a better Pharisee than Paul, or more blameless than he, but I’ll depend on the righteousness of Christ, ’cause mine sucks.

It’s easy to get into a discussion about what sanctification looks like, and how works are a requirement of faith, and so on. I don’t disagree, but sometimes — some years — it’s all I can do to keep myself from denying Jesus as loudly as I can, trying to climb out of His arms, and joining the buddhists. If I’ve got to demonstrate proper sanctification on a weekly basis, or my salvation is dependent on good works (*or* good doctrine), I’m screwed.

And so are you.