Holy Resistance

On All Hallow’s Eve (October 31), us Protestants recognize and remember this day in church history: The pivotal night a 16th century manic monk turned fiery reformer named Martin Luther posted his 95 thesis on a lone church door in 1517.   Luther is a man I continually relate to on so many levels—even if he did live several centuries before me.  He’s a man who understood the necessity of the gospel narrative and grasped a sliver of its wonder and beauty, he also possessed an uncanny ability to put those thoughts into words.  And so, I have assembled hundreds of favorite quotes by the man. 

 

Here’s one for the ages: 

 

There are some who have no understanding to hear the truth of freedom and insist upon their goodness as means for salvation. These people you must resist, do the very opposite, and offend them boldly lest by their impious views they drag many with them into error. For the sake of liberty of the faith do other things which they regarded as the greatest of sins… use your freedom constantly and consistently in the sight of and despite the tyrants and stubborn so that they may learn that they are impious, that their law and works are of no avail for righteousness, and that they had no right to set them up.

 

It’s no secret I love Luther… this small sampling might kind of help explain why.

 

Thoughts?

Keller on the Grand Demythologizer

The post earlier today brought this to mind. Haven’t had the privilege of attending any of the Gospel Coalition Conferences, but was able to recently catch this message by Tim Keller on sharing the gospel and consequently confronting idolatry.

Thoughts?

Winning Arguments, or Sharing Bread?

Update: Don’t do much updating to my posts but I was just listening to Michael Spencer’s weekly podcast #162 (aka imonk) and something he said kind of summed up in a sense the following post I wrote earlier this afternoon.  He was speaking about meeting an educated young man this past week and discussing evolution and how refreshing the conversation was and then stated, “…not going to change the minds of people, don’t even want to try. Because the cost would be too high to my ability to share the gospel, and the gospel is what puts all of these things into perspective. You’ll never know why we can have a different attitude about science than fundamentalists have if you don’t understand that the gospel is what adds the value to everything we do or takes away the value from what is not valuable.”  Bingo bango, Spencer is right on.   

Much of what I encounter in the “Christian” blogosphere seems to suggest that we can almost argue, reason, or push people into the Kingdom with a barrage of the most impressive explanations and the right combination of the slickest words and terms in the English language.  It’s as if the particular kind of bloggers I have in mind assume that in our interacting and conversing with unbelievers—if our theological acumen and scientific knowledge is only weighty and persuasive enough—we will render the unbeliever/skeptic speechless and bring him to his intellectual knees (and subsequently, to the place of genuine faith).    

Well, I beg to differ.

Some are quick to point to Paul conversing with the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers in Acts 17.  But even there “Paul’s evangelism again follows the pattern of ‘reasoning’ about Jesus and the resurrection (IVP New Testament Commentaries).”  When Peter writes “…always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you”, I get the feeling that he isn’t saying anything close to “Be ready to list 15 irrefutable reasons you believe in intelligent design”,

I’d Pick Calvin for My Team

Even though I no longer identify with the term “Calvinist” and haven’t for a few years now I still can appreciate many of the contributions he made to modern day Christianity—all his faults aside.  I consider myself a “hopeful Protestant” (as my bio says).  More than that, I identify with the following label over any other bar none—”Jesus-follower by the grace of God”.  That being said, I’d still pick John Calvin for my team if I were a captain and he was somehow available when I got to pick.

     

Without the gospel everything is useless and vain; without the gospel we are not Christians; without the gospel all riches is poverty, all wisdom folly before God; strength is weakness, and all the justice of man is under the condemnation of God. But by the knowledge of the gospel we are made children of God, brothers of Jesus Christ, fellow townsmen with the saints, citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, heirs of God with Jesus Christ, by whom the poor are made rich, the weak strong, the fools wise, the sinner justified, the desolate comforted, the doubting sure, and slaves free. It is the power of God for the salvation of all those who believe. 

      

~John Calvin, from the preface of Pierre Robert Olivétan’s French translation of the New Testament in 1534

                  

Thoughts?

 

HT: Tullian Tchividjian

 

Examining Two Enemies of the Gospel

…a Driscoll favorite out of my video archives, worth your time.

Thoughts?

The God We Fail to Remember

There’s no story within the entire bible that is more gospel rich if you ask me, and this story is personal for me, as it should be for all of us who know Christ.   I posted this a couple months back on another blog I do.  If you didn’t see it grab some Kleenex…

It’s for those of us who find ourselves wandering away from our loving heavenly Father in our every day lives from time to time.

Thoughts?

Memo to Gospel Preachers

Not sure how serious or accurate my friend and blogging mentor Michael Spencer (aka imonk) was when he said recently that “About 98% of the Christian blogosphere is written by preachers about preaching,” …but I do know that I don’t weigh in on the matter all that much (which I surely have my opinions about).  It could be that its been almost 15 years since I stepped into a pulpit.  Or simply—although Spencer is exagerating—there is some truth to what he says and I figure there’s no need to add my 3 cents worth since I don’t preach anymore (from the pulpit at least, but would surely consider). 

So I’m not turning a new leaf over just yet—just gonna pass on some wise advice that showed up in my inbox today.

A man may be called to preach the gospel in the same place for years, and he may, at times, feel burdened by the thought of having to address the same audience, on the same theme, week after week, month after month, year after year.  He may feel at times at a loss for something new, something fresh, some variety. …It will greatly help such to remember that the one grand theme of the preacher is Christ.  The power to handle that theme is the Holy Ghost; and the one to whom that theme is to be unfolded is the poor lost sinner.  Now Christ is ever new; the power of the Spirit is ever fresh; the soul’s condition and destiny ever intensely interesting. Furthermore, it is well for the preacher to bear in mind, on every fresh occasion to rising to preach, that those to whom he preaches are really ignorant of the gospel, and hence he should preach as though it were the very first time his audience had ever heard the message, and the first time he had ever delivered it. …To preach the gospel is really to unfold the heart of God, the person and work of Christ; and all this by the present energy of the Holy Ghost, from the exhaustless treasury of holy Scripture.  ~C.H. McIntosh, Notes on Numbers, 1869

I couldn’t have said it that well if I had tried.

Thoughts?

HT: Tom Wood

I Hate Religion Too

…this is a little dated I know (older than a year—ancient).  Mark Driscoll clearly and powerfully lays out a case against religion that deserves your consideration.  

Thoughts?

A Daily Cleansing

Tim Brister has been blogging about the lost habit of repentance the last several days and I have benefited from his doing so.  A couple weeks ago I ran across the following clip from Spurgeon (although I can’t seem to reference it) and the words came back to mind this evening thanks to Tim’s reminders. 

His compassions are new every morning, because every morning I commit fresh sins.  Strange creature that I am, I can scarcely open my eyes to the light ere my complex nature begins to display the darkness that still lingers within me.  Miserable mass of humanity that I am by nature, I can hardly breathe without offending in the thoughts and imaginations of my heart; and even though I may watch my eyes, and guard my tongue, and keep the members of my body pure, yet my heart still goes wandering, and my tongue before long speaks idle words.  Yet the mercy is that, with the new sin, there always comes new pardon, for ‘His compassions are new every morning’… We have been washed in the precious blood of Jesus, and we are clean in the sight of God, but we need to be daily cleansed from our daily defilements, and every morning brings us grace.  ~C.H. Spurgeon

Thoughts?

My Spiritual Superiority and the Gospel

One of the issues I go to lengths to address in the book I have been laboring away on is self-righteousness.  I call it old fashioned religion (and have titled a chapter as such).  Oddly, while writing, I have become increasingly aware of the Pharisee within myself, and not just how I “used to be” one, but how I continue to struggle to date.  When I began to write about the topic I was pretty much unaware of how often I fall into the role (and I will go as far as to say that I personally think it is the most unidentified sin).  Coming to grips with my tendency to play the Pharisee while feeling spiritually superior to others (as Tim Keller explains)—say a child molester or even my brother in Christ who does something “I’d never do”—has been eye opening as well as painful, and surprisingly freeing at the same time. 

It’s imperative if we would follow Jesus that we identify self-righteousness and assess the damage we do others—as well as ourselves—when we fall into the familiar trap. 

Tim Keller makes some great points on the subject here.

 

Thoughts?

HT: Tim Brister

Three Truths the Cross Enforces

Still wading through “The Cross of Christ”, and not because the book is boring but to the contrary—it’s eyeball deep in theological richness.  John Stott proposes, “the cross enforces three truths—about ourselves, about God, and about Jesus Christ.” 

First, our sin must be extremely horrible.  Nothing reveals the gravity of sin like the cross. For ultimately what sent Christ there was neither the greed of Judas, nor the envy of the priests, nor the vacillating cowardice of Pilate, but our own greed, envy, cowardice and other sins, and Christ’s resolve in love and mercy to bear their judgement and so put them away. It is impossible for us to face Christ’s cross with integrity and not to feel ashamed of ourselves. Apathy, selfishness and complacency blossom everywhere in the world except at the cross. There these noxious weeds shrivel and die. They are seen for the tatty, poisonous things they are. For if there was no way by which the righteous God could righteously forgive our unrighteousness, except that he should bear it himself in Christ, it must be serious indeed. It is only when we see this that, stripped of our self-righteousness and self-satisfaction, we are ready to put our trust in Jesus Christ as the Savior we urgently need.

Secondly, God’s love must be wonderful beyond comprehension.  God could have quite justly have abandoned us to our fate.

Filthy Roman Sponge

…a reminder today that the gospel isn’t about our goodness–it’s about the incredible, undeserved and unexplainable forgiveness that Christ offers to us despite our own filthy sponges.

Thoughts?

So, What’s the News?

Just what is the gospel, that is, what is the good news of Jesus Christ?  There has been much written and debated so I am ever searching for good solid definitions—since it’s imperative we get the gospel right. 

Theologian R.C. Sproul writes,

There is no greater message to be heard than that which we call the Gospel. But as important as that is, it is often given to massive distortions or over simplifications. People think they’re preaching the Gospel to you when they tell you, ‘you can have a purpose to your life’, or that ‘you can have meaning to your life’, or that ‘you can have a personal relationship with Jesus.’ All of those things are true, and they’re all important, but they don’t get to the heart of the Gospel. 

The Gospel is called the ‘good news’ because it addresses the most serious problem that you and I have as human beings, and that problem is simply this: God is holy and He is just, and I’m not.

Emergent Jesus: Changing Truth, Part 4

On a side note: I received a copy of Jim Belcher’s new book today from IVP, “Deep Church”—a third way beyond emerging and traditional.  I’m looking forward to reading it (he looks to be someone who understands the rift and yet offers solutions and hope).

 

Sacred cows surely need tipping from time to time.  And as Michael Spencer (aka the Internet monk) says, some even need barbecuing.  But as I continue this short series on the emergent movement, the question I want to pose is this: Does that mean our entire theological frame work needs re-engineering?

 

There have been movements within Christendom since the days of the early church, some useful and some detrimental.  Agree with the cause or not, Luther and the reformers made a lasting impact.  It’s safe to say that the Protestant Reformation and much of what ensued (i.e., the Radical Reformation, Anabaptists, etc.) was about calling the church to return to its origins.  Instead of deconstructing the church so much, they saw their mission as one of reclamation.  

 

Charles Finney is the father of modern day American evangelical pragmatism (in which techniques and results are valued over truth and in turn we make up our own truth), hyper-revivalism and sensationalism (where emotions run the table and trump solid doctrine), and what has been termed as “decision theology” (which leaves God’s sovereignty at the door and places salvation in the hands of man, see Jonah 2:9). The teachings and lack thereof espoused by Finney have sadly done more damage than can be measured.  

 

And then there was the “Jesus Movement” with its “Jesus people” which became groovy in the late 60’s and 70’s (which has more or less morphed into the mega church movement according to Michael Horton).

A Prophet Speaks from the Grave

…in a post-Christian world and in an often post-Christian church it is imperative to point out with love where apostasy lies. We must openly discuss with all who will listen, treating all men as fellow men, but we must call apostasy, apostasy.  If we do not do that, we are not ready for reformation, revival, and a revolutionary church in the power of the Holy Spirit. We are all too easily infiltrated with relativism and synthesis in our own day. We tend to lack antithesis.   ~Francis Schaeffer, Death in the City (1969)         

40 years later, Schaeffer’s assessment as well as his warning might eerily be all the more apropos.  While love can take on a thousand and one forms—love is never about accomidating lies and turning a deaf ear to truth—rather, love (the kind of love Jesus demonstrated) is commited to exposing lies and embracing the truth.  And it makes sense, because lies bring every kind of bondage and the truth (what Schaffer called “true truth”) is ever about setting people free.

Thoughts?

What in the World is the Gospel?

HT: reformation21

Why did Jesus Die?

I mentioned reading John Stott’s classic, ”The Cross of Christ” a few days back.  I was struck today by the simplicity with which Stott handles a question he poses, “What was there about the crucifixion of Jesus which, in spite of its horror, shame and pain, makes it so important that God planned it in advance and Christ came to endure it?”

First, Christ died for us.  In addition to being necessary and voluntary, his death was altruistic and beneficial.  He undertook it for our sake, not for his own, and he believed that through it he would secure for us a good that could secured for us in no other way.  The Good Shepherd, he said, was going to lay down his life “for the sheep,” for their benefit.  Similarly, the words he spoke in the upper room when giving the bread were,”This is my body given for you.”  The apostles picked up this simple concept and repeated it, sometimes making it more personal by changing it from second person to the first”"Christ died for us.” (1)  There is no explanation yet and no identification of the blessing he died to procure for us, but at least we are agreed over the “for you” and “for us.”

Grace and Judgement

If a message of grace tells us there was and is no judgment any more, and that God has simply put judgment on one side and has not exercised it, that cannot be the true grace of God. Surely the grace of God cannot stultify our human conscience like that! So we are haunted by mistrust, unless conscience be drowned in a haze of heart. We have always the feeling and fear that there is judgment to follow. How may I be sure that I may take the grace of God seriously and finally, how be sure that I have complete salvation, that I may entirely trust it through the worst my conscience may say? Only thus, that God is the Reconciler, that He reconciles in Christ’s Cross that the judgment of sin was there for good and all.  ~Peter T. Forsyth, The Work of Christ(London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1910), 167–8.

 

In other words, the cross represents the depths of God’s grace because of the terrible judgement of God it spares us of.  Jesus stood in our place condemned and endured the wrath of God on our behalf.  And it’s this same cross that is sufficient in erasing our guilt that makes the assurance of our salvation solid and the forgiveness of sins sure.

 

Grace without judgement is a nice favor at best.

 

HT: Jason Goroncy

The Jesus of Good Causes

For my 40th birthday this year my parents gave me a gift card to Borders Books (they know me by now).  A couple days later I was thumbing through shelves upon shelves lined with new books when I stumbled upon John Stott’s classic (The Cross of Christ, 1986), which was published the year before my life and entire outlook on everything was forever and radically altered one ordinary night at a car dealership in Phoenix, Arizona.  It was $25 (hardcover 20th anniversary edition) and so was my gift card.   

Last night I picked it up and started reading (I’d merely given it my customary casual glance several months back I do with 90% of the books I check out at the library, and the ones I bought when books were in the budget).  Stott tells of the famous British journalist and author Malcom Muggeridge and his conversion experience which included a turning away at first (taken from his book “Jesus Rediscovered”).  The only Jesus he knew growing up was a “Jesus of good causes.”  I could so relate.  Who I regretfuly spent most of my teenage years running from (a sort of deified Mister Rogers), turned out to be someone altogether different from the Jesus I’d envisioned even in my craziest dreams. 

Conversion’s Caveat

The archbishop William Temple (1881-1944) said, “The only thing of my own which I contribute to redemption is the sin from which I need to be redeemed.”  Conversion is nothing short of miraculous.  And it is something to which we contribute nothing of value.  Our fascination with what we must do, what we must stop doing, and what steps we must take in order to be converted is nothing new—Jesus himself shut the door on such an approach to conversion.

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”