a father who judges impartially

The kind of God who appeals to most people today would be easygoing in his tolerance of our offenses. He would be gentle, kind, accommodating, and would have no violent reactions. Unhappily, even in the church we seem to have lost the vision of the majesty of God. There is much shallowness and levity among us. Prophets and psalmists would probably say of us that "there is no fear of God before their eyes." In public worship our habit is to slouch or squat; we do not kneel nowadays, let alone prostrate ourselves in humility before God. It is more characteristic of us to clap our hands with joy than to blush with shame or tears. We saunter up to God to claim his patronage and friendship; it does not occur to us that he might send us away. We need to hear again the apostle Peter's sobering words: "Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives in reverent fear" (1 Pet. 1:17). In other words, if we dare to call our judge our Father, we must beware of presuming on him.

John R. W. Stott, The Cross of Christ, "The Problem of Forgiveness," p. 110

fear at once yields to assurance

When faith itself is wounded it is as if the soldier's shield were broken at some point from the thrust of the spear, but not in such a manner as to be pierced. For the godly mind will always rise up so as to say with David, "If I walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evils, for thou art with me" [Ps. 22:4, Vg.; 23:4, EV]. Surely it is terrifying to walk in the darkness of death; and believers, whatever their strength may be, cannot but be frightened by it. But since the thought prevails that they have God beside them, caring for their safety, fear at once yields to assurance. However great are the devices, as Augustine says, that the devil throws up against us, while he holds no lodgment in the heart, where faith dwells, he is cast out. Thus, if we may judge from the outcome, believers not only emerge safely from every battle, so that, having received fresh strength, they are shortly after ready to descend again into the arena; but besides, what John says in his canonical letter is also fulfilled: "This is the victory that overcomes the world, your faith" [I John 5:4 p.].

John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, ed. by John T. McNeill, Book III, Chapter II, Section 21, "The Word of God as the shield of faith," p. 567.

awake, sleeper

Discover yourself! If you are one of the poor self-deceived, awake! Is your confidence a self-confidence that you have the witness in yourself that you are a child a God, and thus defy all your enemies?

Alas! You are weighed in the balance and found lacking. The Word of the Lord has tried your soul and proved it to be reprobate silver. You are not lowly of heart, therefore you have not received the Spirit of Jesus. You are not gentle and meek, even tempered. Therefore, your joy is worth nothing; it is not joy in the Lord. You do not keep His commandments; therefore, you do not love Him, nor are you a partaker of the Holy Spirit. It is as certain and as evident as the Word of God can make it: His Spirit does not bear witness with your spirit that you are a child of God.

Cry unto Him that the scales may fall off your eyes, that you may know yourself as He knows you: a poor, undeserving, hell-bound sinner. Pray that you may receive the sentence of death within yourself, until you hear the voice that raises the dead, saying, "Be of good cheer. Your sins are forgiven. Go in peace; your faith has made you whole"; and His Spirit witnesses with your spirit that you are His child.

John Wesley, How to Pray: the best of John Wesley on prayer, "Praying Oneself Awake," p. 10

no preparation adequate

A boy and a girl become a husband and a wife, and suddenly they are a father and a mother, overnight as it were, without anything to ready them for the awesome task of fashioning the destiny of a soul. The awareness of inadequacy frightens the life out of many. One man told a TV audience he panicked. He wanted to run. "Well, yeah," he said. "He's cute, but if you want me, I'll be down at the bar." Down on his knees would be a better place to go to. The One who fashioned the child and gave him to these two people is ready to give the wisdom they know they lack, if only they ask.

Elisabeth Elliot, The Shaping of a Christian Family, "A Mother is a Chalice," p. 125-26

teaching the younger ones

Scripture teaches that older women have the responsibility of teaching younger ones to love their children. Love certainly involves attention to basic bodily needs, and in allowing me to share in her preparations, Mother was teaching me things I would remember perfectly when my own child came. She being the youngest in her family had not participated in the care of a baby, and her own mother was of course long dead by the time her children were born. Children don't come with a set of instructions, so mothers need help. It is sad that so few older women think of offering it to bewildered young mothers who hardly know where to begin. It's sad, too, that the young ones seldom think of asking.

Elisabeth Elliot, The Shaping of a Christian Family, "A Mother is a Chalice," p. 121

the law of human nature

The responsibility of men to care for and protect women is an ancient and deep-seated understanding, beautifully illustrated in a story William Oddie tells in his What Will Happen to God? (on feminism and the reconstruction of Christian belief). Charles Lightoller was one of the sailors put in charge of the lifeboats full of women and children when the Titanic sank. He told of his experience:

Arriving alongside the emergency boat, someone spoke out of the darkness and said, "There are men in that boat." I jumped in, and regret to say that there actually were . . . They hopped out mighty quickly, and I encouraged them verbally, also by vigorously flourishing my revolver.

Oddie's comment: "To Charles Lightoller [the priority of women and children] over men in such a situation seemed, quite simply, 'the law of human nature.'"

Elisabeth Elliot, The Shaping of a Christian Family, "Sacrificial Authority," p. 129-130

our whole salvation

We see that our whole salvation and all its parts are comprehended in Christ [Acts 4:12]. We should therefore take care not to derive the least portion of it from anywhere else. If we seek salvation, we are taught by the very name of Jesus that it is "of him" [I Cor. 1:30]. If we seek any other gifts of the Spirit, they will be found in his anointing. If we seek strength, it lies in his dominion; if purity, in his conception; if gentleness, it appears in his birth. For by his birth he was made like us in all respects [Heb. 2:17] that he might learn to feel our pain [cf. Heb. 5:2]. If we seek redemption, it lies in his passion; if acquittal, in his condemnation; if remission of the curse, in his cross [Gal. 3:13]; if satisfaction, in his sacrifice; if purification, in his blood; if reconciliation, in his descent into hell; if mortification of the flesh, in his tomb; if newness of life, in his resurrection; if immortality, in the same; if inheritance of the Heavenly Kingdom, in his entrance into heaven; if protection, if security, if abundant supply of all blessings, in his Kingdom; if untroubled expectation of judgment, in the power given to him to judge. In short, since rich store of every kind of good abounds in him, let us drink our fill from this fountain, and from no other.

John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, ed. John T. McNeill, Book II, Chapter 16, Section 19 - "Christ alone in all the clauses of the Creed," p. 527-28