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What is Darius’ Decree?

Darius’ Decree is a custom web search for finding information about the Bible, theology, and Christian life. There are a group of sites that I have found very reliable for providing good, solid information. Darius’ Decree allows me (and you!) to search those sites easily. Want to find information on Parables? The Second Temple? The popular book The Shack? Find it easily, without the chaff that accompanies searching the entire internet.

See the About Darius’ Decree page for more info, or start using the search engine here.

The first man, caught in the first sin, turns to blame his wife. And he extends the blame to God as well! He implies that he would have remained innocent if God hadn’t put Eve in the garden with him.

The blame-shifting in the Garden continues today. Our proud hearts send us desperately looking for someone else to point to every time we’re confronted with our own sin. There must be someone else—our spouse, sibling, parent, boss, co-worker, pastor, friend, or God, himself.

We are so desperate to justify ourselves that we become irrational. Here are 12 examples.

Read more.

Just started reading D. A. Carson’s Christ and Culture Revisited. A couple of quotes thus far:

In much of the Western world, despite the fact that Christianity was one of the forces that shaped what the West became (along with the Enlightenment, and a host of less dominant powers), culture is not only moving away from Christianity, it is frequently openly hostile toward it. Christianity can be tolerated, provided it is entirely private: Christian belief that intrudes itself into the public square, especially if it is trying to influence public policy, is most often taken, without examination, as prima facie evidence for bigotry and intolerance.

and

Inevitably Christians respond [to culture] in various ways. Some advocate one form or another of withdrawal. Others want to gain more access to the media. Still others put forth valiant efforts to influence government and pass appropriate legislation. Some, whether consciously or unconsciously, develop a two-tier mentality, one for Christians and church functions, and one for the broader cultural encounters that take up most of the rest of the week. Still others think little about these matters but simply want to get on with evangelism and church planting.

More nuggets to come, I’m sure…

It is very hard - nearly impossible I would say - to lead a child to a meaningful spiritual experience through entertainment.

What makes this quote even more interesting is who said it.

[The] atonement involves the imputation of our sins to the Lord Jesus, and the imputation of the Lord Jesus’ righteousness to us.

He is wounded for our transgressions. He is pierced for our iniquities . He takes what is ours, and it’s counted to Him. And when He goes to the cross, as “one who knew no sin,” He goes to the cross as one who is there going to be made sin. He is going to “bear our sins on His own body [on] the tree,” as Simon Peter says.

And yet, marvelously, when he makes his soul an offering for sin, “by his knowledge,” verse 11, “the righteous one, my servant, will make many” not just to be accounted innocent. You understand, there is a difference between the gospel, and what happens in an ordinary law court. Unless that law court happens to be in Scotland, where there are 3 verdicts that can be given, you are either going to receive a guilty verdict or a not guilty verdict. Don’t transfer that to the gospel as though that’s all the gospel gives you.

No, what the gospel gives you is this: that your sins are imputed to the Lord Jesus Christ. He’s wounded for transgressions that are ours, and iniquities that are ours, and a dispeace that is ours, and a sickness that is ours, and it becomes His, and He takes it. He takes all the judgment against my sin, takes all the judgment of His holy Father against the sin of all His people.

But when you come to faith in Jesus Christ, you’re not just pronounced not guilty, as though to say, “You’re free now, start again, try again.” No. “By His righteous knowledge.” Perhaps, “By the knowledge of his righteousness, He will account many to be righteous.”

“By his righteousness.” His life of obedience, His obedience to the death of the cross.

It’s so important for us to understand that what Jesus is doing throughout the whole course of His life is obeying His Father in our place, not just that He may then be qualified to be the perfect sacrifice who’s able to bear the judgment of His Father against our sin, but, in order that when we come to faith in Jesus Christ the Righteous One, not only do we understand that our sins are being imputed to Him, but we understand that His perfect righteousness is counted as ours as we trust in Him.

I love to say, and I love to think, and I love to say it again, that you and I can stand before the judgment seat of an infinitely holy God, as righteous as the Lord Jesus Christ, because the only righteousness you have to stand before that throne is His righteousness. Isn’t that glorious?

- Sinclair Ferguson, The Substitutionary Atonement of Christ, Ligonier Ministries National Conference 2008

(Emphasis added.)

Also available, currently, via the Ligonier Ministries Renewing Your Mind podcast, or streaming on the RYM website.