William Wilberforce turns 250

// August 24th, 2009 // Affection, Doctrine, Life

Today is the 250th birthday of William Wilberforce.

Here’s a nice 10-minute video overview of his life.

John Piper has been Twittering about the man and his beliefs all day today:

  1. JohnPiper: William Wilberforce’s 250th birthday: “He was a most cheerful Christian. His harp appeared to be always in tune.” (about 3 hours ago)
  2. JohnPiper: Wilberforce: “William insisted on eating as many meals as possible with the children, and he joined in their games.” (about 3 hours ago)
  3. JohnPiper: A Duke to Wilberforce: “You have made me so entirely forget you are a great man by seeming to forget it yourself.” (about 3 hours ago)
  4. JohnPiper: Oh to be like him! Best quote about Wilberforce: “His presence was as fatal to dullness as to immorality.”
  5. JohnPiper: Wilberforce the Christian Hedonist: “Joy is enjoined on us as our bounden duty and commended to us as acceptable worship.” (about 2 hours ago)
  6. JohnPiper: True Christianity: “Holiness does not precede reconciliation to God as its CAUSE; but FOLLOWS it, as its EFFECT” Wilberforce (about 2 hours ago)
  7. JohnPiper: Christian: “When all around is dark, he can lift an eye to Heaven, radiant with hope, glistening with gratitude.” Wilberforce (about 2 hours ago)
  8. JohnPiper: That’s all on Wilberforce for now. All the quotes are documented at http://ow.ly/laAj (about 2 hours ago)

Piper has also written a brief article emphasizing Wilberforce’s theological understanding of  the doctrines of justification and reconciliation as the basis for the entire Christian life. Here is an excerpt from the article:

William Wilberforce: The Gigantic Truths of the Gospel

By John Piper

Author of Amazing Grace in the Life of William Wilberforce

CBN.com – The main burden of Wilberforce’s book A Practical View of Christianity is to show that true Christianity, which consists in these new, indomitable spiritual affections for Christ, is rooted in the great doctrines of the Bible about sin and Christ and faith.1 “Let him then who would abound and grow in this Christian principle, be much conversant with the great doctrines of the Gospel.”2 “From the neglect of these peculiar doctrines arise the main practical errors of the bulk of professed Christians. These gigantic truths retained in view, would put to shame the littleness of their dwarfish morality. . . . The whole superstructure of Christian morals is grounded on their deep and ample basis.”3 There is a “perfect harmony between the leading doctrines and the practical precepts of Christianity.”4 And thus it is a “fatal habit”-so common in his day and ours-”to consider Christian morals as distinct from Christian doctrines.”5

Christ Our Righteousness

More specifically, it is the achievement of God through the death of Christ that is at the center of “these gigantic truths” leading to the personal and political reformation of morals. The indomitable joy that carries the day in time of temptation and trial is rooted in the cross of Christ. If we would fight for joy and endure to the end in our struggle with sin, we must know and embrace the full meaning of the cross.

If we would . . . rejoice in [Christ] as triumphantly as the first Christians did; we must learn, like them to repose our entire trust in him and to adopt the language of the apostle, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of Jesus Christ” [Gal. 6:14], “who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” [1 Cor. 1:30].6

In other words, the joy that triumphs over all obstacles and perseveres to the end in the battle for justice is rooted most centrally in the doctrine of justification by faith. Wilberforce says that all the spiritual and practical errors of the nominal Christians of his age-the lack of true religious affections and moral reformation-

RESULT FROM THE MISTAKEN CONCEPTION ENTERTAINED OF THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF CHRISTIANITY. They consider not that Christianity is a scheme “for justifying the ungodly” [Rom. 4:5], by Christ’s dying for them “when yet sinners” [Rom. 5:6-8], a scheme “for reconciling us to God-when enemies [Rom. 5:10]; and for making the fruits of holiness the effects, not the cause, of our being justified and reconciled.7

Read the rest here:
http://www.cbn.com/special/amazingGrace/Articles/piper_Wilberforce2.aspx?option=print

Amazing Grace in the Life of William Wilberforce

Download this book (PDF).

“Against great obstacles William Wilberforce, an evangelical member of Parliament, fought for the abolition of the African slave trade and against slavery itself until they were both illegal in the British Empire. Many are aware of Wilberforce’s role in bringing an end to slavery in Great Britain, but few have taken the time to examine his beliefs and motivations that spurred him on for decades. In this concise volume, John Piper tells the story of Wilberforce’s transformation from an unbelieving young politician into a radically God-centered Christian and how his deep spirituality helped to change the moral outlook of a nation.

As world leaders debate over how to deal with a host of social justice and humanitarian crises, a closer look at Wilberforce’s life and faith serves as an encouragement and an example to all believers. “

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