The Christian and depression #5

TEXT:    1 Timothy  1:12-17   ;  Phil 3:12-15

TITLE:   “How does a Christian deal with  that one  ‘sin’ committed in the past  and which keeps coming up in the present making  them depressed ? “

DATE:    THE LORD'S DAY  :  23/10 /2009   

Today I want  to highlight  another common problem   that appears  to trouble  the minds of many  Christians  . It is the problem of that ‘one sin’   committed in the past. This past  sin comes up in your mind time and again .  You  analyze it , scrutinize it  and condemn yourself because of it . It troubles you , and it robs you of joy and peace . Dr Martyn Lloyd  Jones  says : “ I would  say that in my experience in the ministry , extending now over many years, there is no more common difficulty .It is constantly recurring and I think that I have had to deal with more people over this particular thing than over  anything else .” [1] For some people  the thought of this one sin  makes them believe that they may have  committed  the unpardonable sin .

The effect of this recurring thought  is   joylessness  and unhappiness . They know  that they are Christians , but they also know that they are not experiencing  the joy  that they are supposed to have. Jesus said to His disciples : “  These things have I spoken to you , that my joy  may be in you , and that your joy may be full.” ( Jn  15:11 ; 16:24 ; 17:13)  . You are designed by God  for that happiness  . These are not simply empty , wishful  words from the lips of  a motivational speaker  . These are the  words that your Creator, your Saviour  speaks into your ear .

But  now that  joy seems illusive to you .  That one sin  does it for you .

We have asserted  previously that   an unhappy Christian is  a contradiction in terms . An unhappy Christian is no great ambassador  for  the  King  and His heavenly kingdom .   The ambassador does his very best to present his country’s  most winsome face . Some Christians , because of this  thing that is perpetually with them  ,  look  and act  as if they  did not  belong to the land  milk and honey  , but to the land of  vinegar  and  lemon juice!

The truth  is that  as  ambassadors of King Jesus   we are sent  into this world with good news . These good news are  spoken to set  people  free , and not to enslave them [2].  The  effect of the Christian gospel  is to give you joy in all circumstances [3] .  So , it is important to know  what to do with that “one sin “ from your past , which  robs you of your joy  and which makes you depressed  and ineffective as a Christian .

We  now turn to our text , and seek a biblical  example and  solution to this common problem. As we do so , we must  remember that   this joy  must be worked out in the midst  of  our life in a fallen world  .   Jesus said :  “ In this world you  will have tribulation“ ( Jn 16:33) .  We ought to be constantly amazed  by that superficial view that so many hold in our day , that  Christian  people  are somehow  exempt from  trials and tribulations  . That this is simply  not true . The Bible  , and life   is filled with   the examples of believers  who  suffer and who are in trouble for their faith .  The Bible  shows us that  trials and  unhappiness  are   a very common experience of the Christian  life . The Psalms are filled with it  .  Peter  says: “ Beloved do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you , as though something strange were happening to you.”  ( 1 Peter  4:12) . James says: “  Count it all joy , my brothers when you meet  trials of various kinds…” ( Jas. 1:2). 
Recently we had completed a study of 2^nd Corinthians in our evening service , in which we noted  the sufferings of the apostle  Paul . The sufferings of Jesus are  of course well known.  Jesus said :  “ If the world hates  you , know that it has hated me  before it hated you… if they persecuted me , they will also  persecute you …” ( Jn  15:18).  Sufferings  are part of our  Christian  experience .

Some sufferings  come about as a result of our own  stupidity ( 1 Pet 4:15)  . Other suffering  comes because  we are being sinned against . Whatever the case …

Here is  an important  message  for you  :  If you  are unhappy  or depressed  because of what  may have happened to you in the past  ,  that is no indication that you are not a Christian !  Yes , it  is not a  good thing to  live  in  a state of depression, but  the fact that you have troubles , and the fact that you are  depressed  is  not a sign   that you are not a  Christian .  In fact  , one  could argue  that if you had never experienced any trouble one might doubt that you are a Christian at all .  The  work of Satan  in the Christian is to keep  us obsessed with our   past and with our  troubles .  He  works hard  to keep non Christian  people  blinded to the truth  of Christ and his work  ( 2 Cor 4:4) . But  after  one becomes  a  Christian ,  his chief work is   to keep you from seeing  the light of the knowledge   of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ ( 2  Cor 4:6).  He  is committed to harass  you , and to  rob you of  the joy that you have in Jesus. He knows that  a joyless Christian cannot  really export  his  faith !

So  then we ought to know  HOW we may overcome our depression . We need to  know  HOW to live  as a Christian when  joylessness and  depression threaten to be  our longstanding  companions . We  need to  keep the realities of life  in this fallen world in mind .

I  refer you therefore to  the good example of one who  had come out of a real problematic past  - the apostle Paul .  Read again  what he  writes to Timothy  :  ( read vv 12-17  )  and ask the question  : 

How is the apostle Paul a good model  for those  people who feel  that their particular sin  has  passed the limit of  the grace and mercy of God , and for   whom this leads to  oppression and depression ? 

1. Paul  is a supreme example  of a forgiven sinner

He holds himself up as a supreme example  :  i.e. as the foremost sinner  (ESV) /  the worst  of sinners (NIV).   Notice how he  qualifies that  in  v.13  . He said that he was formerly  a blasphemer ,  a persecutor , a rude man  and   the foremost – the worst of sinners  ( vv 15,16) .

Was  he overstating the case ? Was  he being overly dramatic ?  No !  Think of how he blasphemed the Lord Jesus  Christ  before  he became a Christian ( Acts 9) . Think of how he persecuted the church  ( Ch 8 ; Gal  1:23)   giving approval to  the execution of  some of  the finest  Christian men and women  ( 8:1) .

Now here is  the first application for you :  Think of his case and say to yourself : “ Well , if he is the worst of sinners “,  then there must be hope for me  and my sin. I don’t have to  hang on to this ” .

2.  Paul’s  thinking  is not  dominated  by  depression because  he knows  the Saviour and His work   so well !  

How could  Paul be so sure  concerning  the forgiveness of his sin – so much so that he could  not be oppressed  by his past  sins  ?

Look at his language :

(i)                  I thank  Him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord  , because  He judged me faithful, appointing me to  His service …

(ii)                I received mercy because I  had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace  of our Lord  overflowed for me  with the faith and love  that are in Christ Jesus . The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus  came into the world to save sinners , of whom I am the foremost.

(iii)               But I received  mercy for this reason  , that in me  , as the foremost , Jesus Christ  might display   His perfect patience as an example to those who were  to believe  in Him for eternal life .

We see very clearly  that  Jesus was at the center  of  Paul’s  life.  He knew  what Jesus  had  done for him.  It is  because of that ,  that he could write to the Roman  Christians  in 8:1 “ There is  therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ  Jesus .”  Paul understood the doctrine of salvation  .

Here lies the big problem for so many Christians  who  keep on battling with their past sins . It is an ignorance of  the doctrine of salvation !

Dr Lloyd Jones   has  very helpful  counsel  at this point  : “  Let me put this  plainly and bluntly  in order that I may  emphasize it even at the risk of being misunderstood . There is a sense in which  the one thing that these people  who are in this condition  must not do  is to pray to be delivered from it ! That is what they always do … Now the Christian must always pray … but this is one  of those points  at which the Christian must stop praying  for a moment , and begin to think (! ) , for there are particular problems  in the Christian life concerning which I say ,  that if you do nothing but pray about them  you will never solve them . You must stop praying at times because your prayer may just be reminding you of the problem and keeping your mind fixed on it. So you must stop praying and think , and work out your doctrine .”[4]

So what must you think about ?  You must  think  biblically about the doctrine of salvation . You must  see how  Paul deals with it ,  firstly in his own life . Look at how he deals with his very sinful past . He clearly intends  his own experience to be an example  of Christ’s sufficient grace for every Christian !   You cannot read his testimony without realizing that Jesus  has  provided him with a  full , comprehensive salvation!   Christ  has given him strength  to  have faith ; Jesus  has given him mercy despite his  wickedness ; Jesus  came into the world to completely save the worst of sinners – and here , says Paul , am I , …a  perfect  example and proof  of that  free sufficient grace .

Some Christian  may interrupt at this point and say : “ Yes , but you don’t know how bad my sin was !”  What  you  are really saying is this : “My  sin was worse than Paul’s!  My sin  is even to big for Jesus  to handle !”  Do you really believe that ?  This is bad , unbiblical doctrine on your part !  

If you have not yet seen  in the scriptures  that  any sin ( no matter  how big or small)  is sufficient to condemn you , and if you have not seen yet that  the blood of Christ  is more powerful than all your sin  (  it can cover the  sin of this world and infinite   world’s over!) , then you must not be surprised that  the devil takes your poor theology and turns  it on you, so that you  are doomed  to be  perpetually down in the dumps ! 

Don’t let  a poor grasp of Scripture  / the person and work of Christ  send you back into bondage ! (*this  was ultimately the problem of the Galatians and the Corinthians) 

1. You need to know that   if you  believe that your sin cannot be  fully dealt with by Christ  then you  really do not believe the Scripture . So your ultimate trouble is unbelief . You are not  accepting the Word of God .  So don’t go on praying about that ‘one sin’  , seeking deliverance from it  from this faith healer or  that one . You have but one duty  : Believe  the Word of God . Don’t  ask  God for a message of forgiveness. He has given it to you . Your prayer may well be an expression of unbelief at this point.

2.  Make sure that  you understand  what Jesus achieved on that cross.  Remember that Jesus  purchased  salvation… full freedom.. for those that He came to save … for those that believe in Him . It is a finished work . There is nothing lacking . It is done . It is completed.

3.  Make sure that you understand  the nature of justification . We have dealt with that previously . Remember   when the death of Jesus is imputed to you,  you are righteous – permanently righteous . Your are clothed  with Christ’s righteousness. Your life is now hidden with Christ in God (Col 3:3)   

4.  Understand  the fact  of your union with Christ . You are one with Christ . That is what salvation amounts to . “ I have been crucified with Christ .  It is  no longer I who live , but  Christ  lives who lives in me.  And the life I now live in the flesh  I live by faith  in the son of God, who loved me and  gave Himself up for me .”  (Gal 2:20)  

Conclusion :

Never look at your past life in any way except that it leads you to magnify the grace of God in you . I challenge  you to do that . With Paul ,you must say “ That was my  former life!  I  am  forgetting that . I am straining  forward to what lies ahead"  ( Phil 3:13) . And never  forget  to praise God  for that completed work! ( 1 Tim 1:17  )  That is how Paul completes his thoughts  when he  writes in v.17  : " To the King of ages , immortal , invisible , the only God , be hnour and glory forever and ever.  Amen ! Amen !

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[1] D. Martyn Lloyd Jones : Spiritual depression: It’s causes and cure , p. 66

[2] This was the problem  found in the Galatian church . They were set free through Christ , but they allowed themselves to come under the yoke of the law again.  ( see Gal 5:1)

[3] Paul had learned this .( see  Phil  4:11-13)

[4] P. 69

The Christian and Depression #4

TEXT:    Mark 8: 22-26 

TITLE:   “The inability to see Truth clearly”   

DATE:     04/ 09/2009   

We continue with  the subject    “ The Christian and depression“,  as  I seek to help you to understand the  complex array of facets   and contributing factors to  this  very common  problem.

Our contention is that depression cannot be God glorifying. It can really present a very poor testimony to an unbeliever in search for meaning in life. A depressed, joyless Christian is a poor advertisement for the Saviour he/she professes to love and follow.

From the Scriptures we know that we are designed and destined for joy. Joy is the Christian’s birthright. This is what Jesus has purchased for us (see Jn 15:11; 16: 24; 17:13). This joy is not conditional upon ideal circumstances. It is possible to be joyful even in the midst of hardship.  1 Thess. 5:16-18 says: “Be joyful always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances for this is the ill of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

However , Christian joy is conditional upon having Christ   at our center. Joyless, depressed Christians usually cannot see how Jesus can be at their center. 

This brings me to the point of this  message from  Mark 8:22-26. In many ways this is a most peculiar story. We have no other    recollection in the NT where Jesus does a ‘two stage miracle’. Jesus’ miracles as a rule are always instantaneous and always complete!  A simple survey concerning the surrounding stories to our text confirms that:

• The daughter of the Syro-Phoenician woman is   delivered from the demon (7:24-30). 
• A deaf man  is instantaneously and completely healed. (7: 31-37)
• 4000 are fed through instantaneous provision ( 8:1-10)                                                            Why then this peculiar incident? I want to suggest that this is all part of   biblical logic, and all part of the divine inspiration of the Bible. What I am saying is that  the Holy Spirit caused this  story  not only to be recorded by Mark , but that He  caused it to be inserted right here  at this point .

 Explanation:

Why did the Lord Jesus decide to heal this man in two stages? I will show you that this was mainly for the benefit of His disciples.   He wanted to illustrate something that was happening in them at a spiritual level. He was helping them to see themselves.   

This miracle happened at a point in Jesus' ministry where many people who had been completely blind to God‘s presence and God’s work, were now starting to catch glimpses of something they had never seen before. They heard Jesus speak with great authority. They watched Him drive out demons. They saw Him do amazing miracles. They began to sense that there was something special about Jesus.  But they still didn't see clearly that Jesus was God in human flesh. They hadn’t yet grasped that He alone could deliver them from God’s wrath and into eternal life.  They were starting to see, but they needed to see better than that !

Just before our story, Jesus has a talk with His disciples in the boat (i.e. in the wake of the miraculous feeding of the 4000). They had forgotten to bring bread for the journey …they still didn't get it!  Here is the One who had just fed 4000 and 5000 miraculously, and so Jesus asks them: 'Do you still not understand?'  (v.21). They were seeing something – but they did not see completely. The words of the blind man in v. 24 were true for them.

So, it appears then that Jesus wanted to show them something about themselves.     A blind man was brought to Him. Oh, they knew that Jesus  could do something about that! Their struggle was more with who He was .  So Jesus took him and His disciples out of the city (probably to  avoid sensationalism).  Then He   did a peculiar thing - he spat on his eyes - and then asked him what he saw. The man said he saw blurred men – like trees walking.  He didn’t pretend that he saw clearly. Then Jesus laid His hands on his eyes again, and   now he saw everything clearly!

It is highly significant that this story is followed by Peter’s confession of Christ (Mk 8:27-30). Now you o could not have a clearer statement on who Jesus is!   Peter now clearly saw Christ for who He was. The miracle of the "two stage healing " from blindness to  partial sight to full sight has just occurred at a spiritual level in Peter.

The disciples   knew that Jesus was very unusual   in terms of His display  of power and authority. They were starting to see something, but now   at least one of them saw him clearly, "You are the Christ!”

 In Matt. 16:17 Jesus said to Peter, "Blessed are you . . . for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven". God alone, the Holy Spirit alone through His Word alone can give us the grace to see who Jesus Christ really is. We need something as miraculous as the opening the eyes of the blind man  , before we can see the Lord Jesus in this way.

What does this have to do with our subject on depression in Christians?

There are many Christian people who are like these disciples.  You may be one of them.   You feel drawn to Christ, you have seen something in Him, but somehow the significance of Jesus and the gospel are not yet very clear to you.   If you have sat through our ministry of the Word here at Eastside ,   you are certainly seeing more than you once did – but it may be that you have not yet been able to get it all in focus.  You’re not spiritually blind, but you don’t have clarity. You can't say for sure that you know that He is the Son of God and your Saviour.  While you won't say that you're definitely not a Christian, neither can you say that you are one. You know that you do see more than you once did, but it is not clear yet.  If that is   where you are, then you are precisely the person the Lord had in mind when He chose to do this miracle in this way. God is talking to you through this story in the Bible.

The man or woman who is at this point in their lives confesses generally that they are joyless and unhappy. They are living in the shadows and not in the sunshine of   God’s revelation.  Lack of clarity can make you very unhappy, unsure and miserable.  May the Holy Spirit be pleased today to give greater clarity and reveal the Lord Jesus in you!  Since Jesus is not with us in bodily form to explain Himself more clearly, we must know that He has not left us as orphans (Jn 14:18). He has left us His Spirit and His Word to   pierce through the dense fog of our human understanding, as we ask: [1]

a. Why can  I not see clearly?   (7 possibilities)

b. How can  I  be cured of this partial spiritual blindness? (3 encouragements)

 A.  WHY MAY  YOU NOT YET BE ABLE TO SEE CLEARLY? 

1.   You may lack clarity and understanding of certain principles:   You have seen Christ somehow. He seems familiar to you; you know that what He said and did is true. However you haven’t quite yet seen for yourself how He is your Saviour.   You are not clear about the purpose and necessity of His death for you.  You do not yet see why Christ had to die.  You are not yet clear about the doctrine and necessity of the new birth.  You find these things confusing.  You say, “I do not see how …”, and you are quite right!  The result is that you are troubled and unhappy and miserable. “

2.  You may not yet see clearly because your heart is not fully engaged.  I quote Dr Lloyd Jones: “Though they are able to see many things, they do not really find their happiness in Christianity and in the Christian position. Somehow or another they are not moved by it, they do not find real joy in it. They always have to remind themselves of it and are ever trying to pull themselves up to it. They are not happy; they still seem to find their joy, as far as they have any, somewhere else; their heart is not fully engaged. “

3.  Your will is divided.    Quoting Dr Lloyd Jones: “They are rebellious, they do not see why a man, because he calls himself a Christian, has got to do certain things and stop doing others. They think that is being narrow. Yet they denounce the old life and embrace the Christian life in general. They acknowledge Christ as Saviour and yet when it comes to the question of the application of His teaching through the will, there is confusion and they are not clear about it. They are always arguing about this, always asking if it is right for them to do this and that. There is a lack of ease in the realm of the will.”   This causes confusion and ultimately depression, because truth that is not properly applied cannot leave you satisfied.

4.  You may dislike clarity and certainty.  Some people   strangely object to clarity of thought and definition because of its demands. The most comfortable type of religion is always a vague religion, cluttered up with forms and ritual. There is nothing as uncomfortable as clear-cut biblical truths that demand decisions.   For this reason some such people become offended and say:  'You are being too precise, you are being too legalistic. No, no, I do not like this. I believe in Christianity, but you are being too rigid and too narrow “. But if you start with the theory that Christianity is not clear-cut, do not be surprised if you find yourself, like this man, seeing 'men as trees, walking'. If you start your Christian life and experience by saying that you do not want an exact focus or a precise definition in your picture, you probably will not have it.

5.  You may have a problem with accepting the teaching and the authority of the Scriptures.   That is ultimately that is the main cause of spiritual trouble.  You do not submit yourself utterly and absolutely to the Bible.  But you must come as little children and take it at face value and allow it to speak to you. If you did this, this sort of trouble would never arise.

Many people mix their own ideas with spiritual truth.  They accept certain Biblical ideas, but there are other ideas and philosophies which they desire to bring with them from their old life.  They claim that they believe in Christ as Saviour, but they argue that we must not go too far in these matters. Then they begin to modify the Scriptures. They refuse to accept it authoritatively in every respect. That  sort of thinking  leads you  ultimately  to  nothing  but misery  , and the worst aspect about this is that you  do not know why you are miserable , because you have just shut the only  window that would bring light to your soul and your understanding  .

6.  You may not be interested in doctrine.  Some people say that they like the Bible, but they do not like doctrine.  That is a strange thing to say.  What is the purpose of the Bible except to present doctrine – to present truth? What is the value of exposition unless it leads to truth?  It is not difficult to understand their position. It is the doctrine that hurts; it is the doctrine that brings issues into focus. Doctrine speaks to us and insists upon a decision.  It examines us and forces us to examine ourselves. So, if we start by objecting to doctrine as such, it is not surprising that we cannot see clearly and it is not surprising if we are unhappy and miserable. There is nothing that so clears a man's spiritual sight as the apprehension and understanding of the doctrines of the Bible . . .

7. You may not have placed the doctrines of the Scriptures in their right order.

If you take the doctrine of regeneration before the doctrine of the atonement you will be in trouble. If you are interested in the rebirth and having new life, before you are clear about your sin and your standing with God, you will go wrong and you will eventually be miserable. The same applies to placing sanctification before justification. The doctrines must be taken in their right order.

SUMMARY: The cause of unhappiness and depression in a Christian may be a refusal to think things right through. It is the fatal danger of wanting to enjoy something before you really grasp it and possess it.  Such people who refuse to think things right through, generally become victims of this spiritual confusion. .

B. HOW MAY WE BE CURED?

1. Do not claim too soon that your blindness is over.  Don’t say too soon:  "I can see. I'm all right."   People generally tend to say after some counselling : "I'm much better." Often people tell us what we want to hear.  This blind man was a different person. He could see men. There had been a change, but it was incomplete.  He needed  to see completely . He shouldn't testify before he had seen clearly. For this  very reason we  do not encourage young believers to be too quick  in terms of giving  a testimony  or to  engage in public teaching .  We should not encourage a celebrity  ,  a TV star, a politician, a sportsman, who has started to attend church and has even made a profession of faith to address meetings and give his testimony when he is still a novice. It might puff him  up . He may  be filled  with pride  and fall into the condemnation  of the devil  ( 1 Tim 3:6) . He is still  seeing men as trees walking.

Remember that we grow by inches spiritually as we do physically.  Let him mature before the spotlight is put on him.

 2.  Don't give up when you're not instantly transformed:  Sometimes people have seen some change, but it is not clear enough. Men seem like trees walking.  So they stop prayer, attendance at worship , and move to the fringes of the church. They a become confused and muddled people.

It is perfectly natural after conversion to discover the hidden wickedness of our hearts. God hides it from us in the first period of our lives, but then He tests us. "Do you still trust in me when things get tough? Do you still believe that I am working all things together for your good when these disasters happen? Do you believe that I am with you when people desert you and you feel so alone?"

3. Go to the Lord and be utterly honest with him.

 What saved this man was his honesty.  Let me close with these words from Martyn Lloyd Jones:  "Go to God. Stop asking questions. Start with the promises in their right order. Say: 'I want the truth whatever it costs me.' Bind yourself to it, submit yourself to it, come in utter submission as a little child and plead with him to give you clear sight, perfect vision, and to make you whole.

And as you do so it is my privilege to remind you that he can do it. Yea, more, I promise you in his Blessed Name that he will do it. He never leaves anything incomplete. That is the teaching. Listen to it. This man was healed and restored and 'saw every man clearly'. The Christian position is a clear position. We are not meant to be left in a state of doubt and misgiving, of uncertainty and unhappiness. Do you believe that the Son of God came from heaven and lived and did all he did on earth, that he died on a Cross and was buried and rose again, that he ascended into heaven and sent the Holy Spirit, in order to leave us in a state of confusion? It is impossible.

He came that we might see clearly, that we might know God. He came to give eternal life and 'This is eternal life that they may know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.' If you are unhappy about yourself as a result of this examination come to him, come to his Word, wait upon him, plead with him, hold on to him.  

May the God of Grace and mercy grant you your desire as you now come to Him in prayer. Amen

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[1] I am indebted to Martyn Lloyd Jones for most of these insights : “ Spiritual Depression , its Causes and  Cure “ , Chapter 3 pp 37ff

The Christian and Depression #3

TEXT:    Romans 3: 21-28

TITLE:   Towards a cure for Christian depression  

Understanding the  Foundation of your Salvation 

DATE:     27/ 09/2009   

One of the major discoveries  we had made in  our study of Psalm 42  is  that  the Psalmist was talking to himself about his depression. We saw that  he suffered from Deprivation , Exasperation , Desolation and Isolation . 

However,  we also saw that he was not allowing this depression to get to him.  I am indebted  to Dr Martyn Lloyd Jones   for this insight . He said  : “  We must talk  to ourselves instead of  allowing ourselves  to talk to us . We must take ourselves in hand, we must address ourselves as the psalmist addressed himself and his soul, and ask the question: “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?” (Psalm 42: 5, 11; 43:5). You have no right to be like this. Why are you depressed and cast down? He faces himself and talks to himself, he argues with himself and brings himself back to the position of faith. He exhorts himself to have faith in God, and then he is in a condition to pray to God.” [1]

Lloyd Jones then goes on to say:  “if we   are among those that never seem to know the joy of salvation and the joy of the Lord, we must discover the cause.

The causes of depression   may be  varied  and many   ,  and  like a good diagnostician we must  learn to deal with each possible cause  one by  one.  That may be hard work, but we must remember that God has given us all we need  for such an exercise  :  the Holy Spirit (the Counselor) and the Word as sufficient means for wisdom.

Today we are  going to consider a  particular  and fundamental problem  for many  depressed  Christians  : An inadequate  understanding  of the basis  and foundation of their salvation !  I will begin by helping you to see the problem before we apply the cure  with the help of  Romans 3:21ff.

Let me be quick to add this: Remember that we are never saved by our understanding. We are always and only ever saved through free, unmerited sovereign Grace. The Grace of God  alone   is the  instrument by which  people  ( young and old ,  simple minded  and  intelligent)  are brought  to salvation .  Salvation is a  free gift  given  by God the Father,  through  the  life and death  of  Jesus the Son  , effectually applied   and sealed  to the recipient  of grace  by the work of the Holy Spirit  . He convinces you of sin and helps you to see the only solution for your sin –  Jesus Christ  our  Saviour.  From that moment ,  when you  see Christ  as your Saviour,  you have become like  Christian in John Bunyan's "Pilgrim’s progress "  as he feels the great sin burden lifted   from his shoulders. 

When  you  become a Christian  however ,  you  are  rarely  aware  of the profundity  of this salvation . You  receive  and experience that free gift of  salvation , but if you  had to  explain  HOW that happened you might find that  you are like the blind man    in John 9  healed by Jesus ,   who when asked  to explain   what had happened  , said : “ …I don’t  know. One thing I do know , that though  I was blind  , now I see.” ( Jn  9:25)  . In many ways the profundity of our salvation  only becomes clear once we take up the Bible and read all about it, and  when  we have it explained by  our  pastor- teachers   .

It is sad to say that  there  may  be many  Christians   who have   never read the Bible systematically for themselves . They have  never  been  helped  by their  pastors and churches to understand the basis of their salvation . In some churches this does not happen because the necessity of salvation is not emphasized . People slide into church membership  through  infant baptism. And in many churches  the   great doctrines of Grace (i.e. those doctrines that  explain  the basis of  our salvation)  are never taught.

Therefore many Christians  have no idea  what their basis ( or ground) of faith is. They are taught  how to tithe  and how to pray  , how to sing and how to serve in the church – but there comes a time  when  such believers   invariably  become  disillusioned  or depressed, and they find their joy  vanishing  . It is a very common thing!

You may   find  some time after your conversion experience  that  your experience  of the Christian faith  is not as dynamic as the guy  or  girl down the road   who have been saved ‘ out of a real life of sin ‘.  Moreover, by now you have perhaps   seen other Christians more joyful, more committed and vibrant   than you.  You envy them , and you  conclude that your  faith is not as strong , and your joy not as visible , and  your commitment is not as  deep  as theirs .

And then , to make it even worse , you read   biographies  about  great  Christian men and women , or  perhaps you hear glowing testimonies   from  successful sports  , media or business people -    and  then  all of a sudden  you feel  that  you can’t be like this , and  now you’re down in the dumps .

So you go  to Christian conferences ,  courses ,  seminars or Youth retreats ,  always seeking the magic key that would  somehow unlock the door to a greater spiritual experience, but somehow it always eludes you.  Your soul is disturbed within you and you remain depressed and dissatisfied.  Many Christians are in this  condition  and  this partially explains why there is such a current  obsession among Christians  in Namibia   with attending  courses , seminars and camps . Not that these are necessarily bad in themselves  ,  and often  such an event  helps people . But there  are equally many  who  go to such seminars  and do not find the  ‘ magic solution’ and  therefore  they  remain depressed .

Understanding the fundamental principles of the Christian faith

Depressed Christians are very often frustrated about the lack of spiritual progress in their lives. They  may  need to know that  they   are to  focused on  their  spiritual progress ( sanctification)  ,  and  that they  are not sufficiently  grounded  in an understanding of their primary  experience  :  Justification  !  

Dr.  Lloyd Jones has a useful comment here[2]: “  They often concentrate on the question of sanctification  , but it does not help them  because they have not understood  justification … I am suggesting that this is the case  with  large numbers of people … They have assumed that they are right about their first things , but they have never  been right about their justification  , and it is  just here that the devil causes confusion . It suits him well that such people should be concerned about sanctification and holiness and various other things, but that they can never be right until they are right here, and that is why we must start with this.  It is no use dealing with the superstructure if the foundation is not right. We therefore start with this great doctrine. This confusion is an old trouble. In a sense it is the masterpiece of Satan. He will encourage us to be righteous as long as he has confused us on this point. That he is doing so at the present time is clear from the fact that the average person in the church seems to regard men as Christian simply because they do good works… It is an old trouble, and it was the essential trouble with the Jews. It was what our Lord was continually saying to the Jews, and it certainly was the major argument which the apostle Paul had with the Jews. They were entirely wrong with regard to the whole question of law“.

Now this  is where our text  from Romans  3: 21-28  becomes  an important counseling  tool: In the first   4 chapters of   his  letter to the  Romans ,   Paul expounds the doctrine of Justification by Faith alone . He was anxious  to  make sure that   his readers  would understand that  the  foundational  gospel  message  which he preached  (see Rom 1:16,17)    was  built upon  “ the righteousness of God  which is by faith in  Jesus Christ” .

Now,  remember that the prevailing view of the Jews   was that   one is justified before God by the keeping of the law- and that law was  ‘ skewed’  by the Pharisees  .  May I add that this is not the problem of the Jews only? It is the ‘default position' of all mankind. We are all legalists  in our thinking  about salvation until  the Scripture corrects that .

Sinful man always likes to deal with his need for atonement in his own way, instead of God’s way.  Now   both Jesus and Paul taught  God’s way : No sinner is ever  justified by law, but is justified by God’s Grace alone , through the gift of Faith alone ,  in the person and work of Christ alone!

Why is the doctrine of justification so fundamentally important?  Romans 3:21-28 teaches  that  the  doctrine of God’s  justification  of sinners robs  us  of any thought that our right standing with God is primarily achieved by   keeping the law  .

Now  lets apply this .  Here’s a man in our church who is converted.  He is filled with joy  , but  a few months later  his Christian life his zeal is waning.  What is happening? He is looking around.  He is comparing himself to others. He lacks  systematic  reading of Scripture  and prayer; he lacks discipline; and now he also begins to lack joy. This man desperately needs help. What help must we give him?  We need to help him to see where his foundation for Christian assurance is, and we will have to show him that the ground  of his assurance is  not in his works ( his keeping of the law)  , but in his justification – his faith in Christ! Yes , he does need discipline  , but he needs more than that . He needs Grace- He needs the Lord Jesus Himself   to help him .

Romans 3:21 -28   makes it very clear where the Christian is grounded.

• V. 21& 22 :   His faith is grounded on the righteousness that God imputes to him – the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus.  (Note: the law as a means of grace is excluded here).
• V 23 tells him that he and every other person in the world is a sinner. This means that he falls short of God’s glory. He deserves God’s wrath. V24 makes the point once again: How will this man be justified? “By God’s grace as a gift, through the redemption that comes through Christ “. Vv 25& 26 illustrates how God does it.  Do you see it ? He is  completely discouraged from seeing the basis of his salvation in  good works .
•   v.27  asks the important question: If Christ has done it all -  if Christ has secured his salvation  , then does this man have any grounds for boasting i.e. saying  “ I did it my way ?”  Has he done anything by which he might have justified himself in the eyes of God, and so feel good about that?
• V28  puts it very plainly  : “For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law”. There you are! What is the ground of your acceptance with God? Is it by what you do? Or is it by God’s free justification of you?  What is the foundation of your faith?

Now let me return to my poor depressed young Christian friend.  Where has this lack of focus and understanding led him? It has led him back to  a basis of works - the law ! And this poor fellow , now living by the law once again ,  not understanding  his  rich inheritance  from Christ  , not understanding His identity in  Christ  , looks  at  other people ,  seeking to justify himself  by  his own performance ( which  he sees is lacking) – only to find that he is desperately  unhappy ! 

Here’s a particular warning   to all of us. It has to do with something that I have been telling you for a long time. It has to do with the relationship between our justification and sanctification   . Remember that Justification is the ‘senior partner ‘to sanctification. It is  therefore vital that  we keep the relationship between these two in proper perspective .

Both are important, and are in fact indivisible. It follows that when you are justified,  there must also  be fruit – evidences of  sanctification .  But, remember that the fruit of the tree is not the measure of all things.  Christ in you is the measure of all things!  There are seasons when the tree bears no fruit. What must you then rely on?  You must rely on the Life that has been given to you by God in Christ through the Holy Spirit.

A tree may look dead in winter, but it has life in its roots, stem and branches.  The true Christian  has  the life of Christ  in his /her soul , even when   they  don’t  see and feel much evidence  in  their   life  .  Sometimes God  removes all  external evidences  to show us that  we must live in dependence on divine Grace alone ! The  true life of the Spirit  is first of all an internal matter , settled by  an external  fact – justification . Evidences of sanctification follow from this .

So my dear depressed Christian friend, what  parting counsel do I have for you?

1.      Get to understand and  to apply the basics of your salvation. Understand that the love of God for you is not rooted in your performance (or lack thereof). It is rooted in Christ’s finished work.  When you are in Christ  you  have  been  declared righteous ! (Unless you fail the test 2 Cor 13:5- in which case you are a dead tree with no life in its roots, stem and branches). Tests for  authentic  faith are  : Sorrow for sin and repentance from sin ; trusting in Christ ‘s finished work on the cross  and following  Him  in  confession of faith  ( baptism / communion)  and in the fellowship of His church . Is this true for you?  If so , be encouraged!

2.      Continue to live by Grace alone. Stop comparing yourself with others;  stop applying a legalistic framework by which you judge yourself. Let the life of Christ in you   lead you.  Make sure that you remain faithful in worship of Him at all cost and at all times. Remember that God intends to use you, your personality and His gifts in you (as small as they appear to be) for his glory. Stop living in a dream world, or by wishful thinking. Stop being unrealistic in your goals. Get to know  God ;  get to know yourself ( your strengths and weaknesses) ; get to know the  measure of the spiritual gift that God has placed in you  and be faithful to that .

And the God of all grace and peace with your spirit . AMEN !

---

[1] Martyn Lloyd Jones  : Spiritual Depression  -It’s  causes and cure , pp  23,24

[2] pp. 25 ,26

The Christian and Depression # 2

TEXT:Psalm 42

TITLE: “Causes and cures for spiritual depression”

DATE: 20/ 09/2009

Depression is not only a common human condition, it also commonly found among God’s people. We see it reflected in the Bible, particularly in the Psalms. Here we see godly people struggling with their problems and with themselves .We thank God for those insights for they are very helpful, not only in terms of helping us to understand the causes of depression, but more significantly – the cure for depression.

There are many competing theories for the ‘causes and cures ‘ of depression on the market. John White has written a book entitled, “The masks of melancholy“.  In one of the chapters , he outlines at least 10 major secular schools of thought which attempt to deal with the cause and cure of depression. I am not going to enter into a debate with these. They may all have some valid insights into the causes of depression.

My primary argument is that the Bible is an inspired collection of 66 books revealing the nature of God our Creator and the nature of man – and particularly fallen man. The Bible is a book that deals with the soul (Gr. psuche) of man. What interests us in particular is the fact that the Bible speaks prolifically about the causes and cures for depression in the life of a Christian!

In this regard we need to understand that modern psychology is in competition with the Bible as it too attempts to discover and heal the ailments of the human soul , - but without bringing God into the picture .

Paul Vitz , Associate Professor at New York University , in his book “Psychology as religion : The cult of self worship “ (1977) argues that “ psychology has in fact become a religion… a form of secular humanism based on the worship of self .”

I am convinced that careful reading and prayerful meditation on the Scripture will give us a sufficient picture concerning the causes and cure of depression, precisely because it brings God our Maker into the picture.

In my reading of many books on this subject, I have found particular benefit from the writings of Dr Martyn Lloyd Jones.

For those of you that have never heard or read of Martyn Lloyd Jones ( 1899 – 1981) : He was a promising young doctor , born in Wales. He was tutored by Lord Horder, physician to the king of England. He sensed a call to the ministry, left his promising medical career, and became the pastor of a humble church in Wales. After 11 years of remarkable ministry there, he became the pastor of Westminster Chapel in London, where he served almost until the end of his life . He used his great diagnostic skills ( learned from Lord Horder) with respect to the causes and cures of illnesses of the physical body , and applied these diagnostic skills to the cure of souls .

In order to make a good diagnosis of any physical illness, you need to understand the anatomy and physiology of the body. You need to understand the effects of various diseases upon the body.

Lloyd Jones used his acquired diagnostic skills effectively in the application to cure of souls.

In order to be a competent physician of the soul, one needs to have a good grasp of the whole Bible. Furthermore, one needs to have a good grasp of theology – e.g. what the Bible teaches about the nature of man (anthropology); the nature and effect of sin ( hamartiology) ; the work of Christ in salvation ( Christology ) by which man may be redeemed from the power and consequences of sin.

Lloyd Jones was unwaveringly committed to the authority of Scripture. He was a great student of the Bible. He read theology ( he leaned heavily on the Puritans) ; he was widely read in history , and he continued to read medical research and journals throughout his distinguished pastoral career.

His was a rare and powerful combination of piety and scholarship, and the Lord used this man powerfully in my life (and the lives of so many other pastors) in the 1980’s and 1990’s.

He preached a series of sermons on depression and these were edited and subsequently contained in a very helpful book entitled “ Spiritual Depression - its causes and cure “ .

In his foreword he writes : “ … unhappy Christians are to say the least , a poor recommendation for the Christian faith …” And in his first chapter , which is an exposition of Psalm 42 , he writes “… it is very sad to contemplate the fact that there are Christian people who live the greater part of their lives in such a condition . It does not mean that they are not Christians , but it does mean that they are missing a great deal…” ; “… in a sense a depressed Christian is a contradiction in terms , and he is a very poor recommendation for the gospel …” ; “…. nothing is more important therefore than we should be delivered from a condition which gives other people looking at us the impression that to be a Christian means to be unhappy, to be sad , to be morbid ….” “…. Therefore for the sake of the Kingdom of God and the glory of Christ whom we believe I, we ought to represent Him and His cause, His message and His power in such a way that men and women … will be drawn and attracted as they observe us , whatever our circumstances and condition . We must so live that they are compelled to say : Would to God that I could be like this ….! Obviously if we are depressed we are never going to function in that way …”

PSALM 42:

Last week we saw that the Psalmist in Psalm 42 was depressed. He says so three times: “Why are you cast down, O my soul?” (42: 5, 11; 43:5). I showed you that at least 4 factors contributed to this depression : Deprivation ; Exasperation ; Desolation; Isolation .

These are the causes of his depression, but what is the cure?

I showed you that he answers that himself - 3 times he says : “ Hope in God ; for I shall again praise Him …” ( 42 :5, 11; 43:5) . Please note that his hope is grounded and expressed in practical ways. Here are 5 things that we can learn from the Psalmist - 5  aspects  which may   lead to a cure our depression:

1. He expresses His thirst for God: (42:1) :  Note that he (unlike so many) does not give up on God. Quite to the contrary, he thirsts for God. He is longing for God. He knows that his experience of Deprivation; Exasperation; Desolation; Isolation will be solved once  he  knows that God is back at the centre of his life.  Once  you  know that God is with you  ‘in this’,  you  are able to withstand the fiercest attacks  of  the enemy. But when we don’t know, don’t see ,  and don’t feel his presence we become tentative and  uncertain. So it is right to go to God and say to Him: “Oh God - I need to experience you!” That is  the Christian's  ‘default position’, and nothing but a living encounter with God will take care of this! So, in practical terms, the last thing that you must do when depressed is to withdraw from God and fellowship. If anything,  your longing must be intensely expressed by taking your grieved, wounded and lonely soul to God in worship and into fellowship with your brothers and sisters.

2. He questions God: When? (42: 2) and Why? (42: 5, 9, 11; 43:2, 5).

Why is the process of questioning essentially  not a bad thing? Well, it shows that the Psalmist is in a relationship with God. God is his Father; God is his strong Abba (his ‘daddy’) – his refuge (43:2). So he is asking his heavenly Father, "Why am I being kept back from the place of worship? Why are my enemies taunting me? Why am I feeling so alone and isolated? Why have you forgotten me ?"

“Why?” , is  a legitimate question for the child of God? God generally does not chastise a person in the Bible for asking “why”. Think of Abraham (Gen 17:17) who questioned God when told that he was going to have a son of the covenant at the age of 100! Think of Moses who did so much questioning of his divine calling (Ex 3:11 ff). Think of Mary who was told that she was going to be the human mother of God’s son , and questioned the angel of the Lord in this regard ( Lk. 1: 34 ). People are never rebuked by God simply for asking why – except when people are deliberately defiant or unbelieving (e.g. Zechariah – Lk. 1:20 ) .

Let me encourage you then by the use of this example, not to retreat intro passivity when you are depressed. Engage your Heavenly Father. Ask Him. Plead with Him. Talk to Him. "Ask, seek, knock and the door shall be opened to you … " (Matt 7:7-11)

3. He remembers the past: v.4 “these things I remember …”  : He remembers the past. The Bible is full of past recollections of God’s triumphs (e.g. Psalm 44:1-5). What he remembers in particular are the times of corporate worship. We could say so much here about the importance of corporate worship in our lives. Don’t take these times together lightly !  What we do here  gathered  as God's people  in worship on the Lord's day is significant, and very often  our experiences in worship  today  preserve our faith in later times. It is important to draw upon one’s spiritual fat when the lean times come. How the Psalmist had previously feasted on God in corporate worship. And right now he is missing it. O how much more serious we should be about corporate worship. It is a sure means of grace.

4. He talks to himself - as he preaches the gospel to his own soul! (Vv 5, 11) :  “Why are you so cast down oh my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? “ . He addresses himself. He is talking to himself. He is having arguments with Himself – arguments that are no doubt informed by his rich knowledge of God.

Listen to how Martyn Lloyd Jones put this: “Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself? Take those thoughts that come to you the moment you wake up in the morning. You have not originated them but they are talking to you, they bring back the problems of yesterday, etc. Somebody is talking. Who is talking to you? Your self is talking to you. Now this man’s treatment was this: instead of allowing this self to talk to him, he starts talking to himself. “Why art thou cast down, O my soul?” he asks. His soul had been depressing him, crushing him. So he stands up and says, “Self, listen for moment, I will speak to you.” 

As he talks to himself he reminds himself of the steadfast love of the Lord (v.8). When depressed you must never loose your grip on the great truths about God. Therefore learn to soak yourselves in the Word of God. Underline and memorize the promises of God. Let them speak to you when you lie awake and afraid during the watches of the night (Ps 63:6)

5. He sings and prays God’s Word (v.8): Make no mistake. This is not a joyful song. This is a deep , heartfelt pouring out of biblical truth in rhythmic , poetic , musical form . Music and poetry is a wonderful gift from God , making it easy to memorize truth. Paul and Silas, with lacerated backs and imprisoned in stocks were singing songs in the night (Acts 16:25). When we sing our songs in the night, they are nothing but an expression of prayer – the language of dependence upon God. When depressed, sing songs of faith and hope to yourself.

SUMMARY &  CONCLUSION:

When you are in the slough of despondency , it helps to do these 5 things:
1.Cry out to God ( Pray!)  that He might restore your fellowship with Him ;

2. Do not be afraid to ask Him questions ;

3. Remember God’s goodness to you in the past ;

4. Talk to yourself – don’t let lies rule your thinking . Be transformed by the renewal of your mind;

5. Continue to pray and sing – even though you do not feel like it right now.

And the God of Grace will come to you at the right time –  and never too late! Amen.