In, a Gospel-Driven Life, The: Being Good News People in a Bad News World, Michael Horton makes a confession about his Christmas shopping to which many of us can relate.
Early in my marriage, I learned a hard lesson about love – – a lesson that I am still trying to learn. Saturated with crazy American ideas of love as a spontaneous feeling that I wanted to express in my own way, I routinely gave my wife gifts at Christmas and her birthday that she did not want. As an act of kindness, she told me what she wanted, but I bristled. I wanted to give her what I thought she would like, not what she told me she liked . My “giving” was actually a form of selfishness. I was greedier for my own self-satisfaction at having my choices vindicated than I was at bring delight to my wife. That’s how deep our sin goes: even doing things for and giving things to others becomes opportunities for us to assert our pride.
It is sort of like the sacrifice that Cain brought to god, which was not the sacrifice that God commanded. When God rejected Cain and his sacrifice in favor of Abel and his offering of a lamb, jealousy turned to murder. Later in the story, the sons of Aaron—priests in God’s tabernacle –offered and unauthorized fire in God’s worship. They were just being “spontaneous,” adding their own personal touch to God’s worship, but God had not appointed it and therefore he took their lives and then and there.
My wife is a sinner as I am, so she tends to more more lenient. God, however, is holy and will not greet our “spontaneous” offerings of creative and self-authorized worship with the indulgent shrug, “Well, it’s the thought that counts.” It’s the thought that is perverse.
I’ve been looking for a book to get my brother for Christmas. I haven’t read this one yet, would you recommend this one?
I think so. But, it would be good to read John Frame’s review of it – – he has some concerns. Trevin Wax then does a nice job interacting with Frame. Does your brother have Tim Keller’s book on idols?
Where might I find said review and interaction? I doubt he has Keller’s book. Is that “Counterfeit Gods”?
Good one?
Any other ideas?
Google John Frame review of Horton and you will be in the zone. Yes, I think Keller’s book is well worth reading – – Counterfeit Gods. Also, Prodigal God and the Reason for Faith.