A Stolen Throne

"Sin has many manifestations but its essence is one. A moral being, created to worship before the throne of God, sits on the throne of his own selfhood and from that elevated position declares, "I AM". That is sin in its concentrated essence; yet because it is natural it appears to be good. It is only when in the gospel the soul is brought before the face of the Most Holy One without the protective shield of ignorance that the frightful moral incongruity is brought home to the conscience.

In the language of evangelism the man who is thus confronted by the fiery presence of Almighty God is said to be under conviction. Christ referred to this when He said of the Spirit whom He would send to the world, "And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment".

The earliest fulfillment of these words of Christ was at Pentecost after Peter had preached the first great Christian sermon. "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?" This "What shall we do?" is the deep heart cry of every man who suddenly realizes that he is a usurper and sits on a stolen throne. However painful, it is precisely this acute moral consternation that produces true repentance and makes a robust Christian after the penitent has been dethroned and has found forgiveness and peace through the gospel".
--A. W. Tozer

Did God Cause the Fall of Man? A Response to Arminian Today Part 4

This is the 4th and final installment of a series of posts. I encourage you to go read parts 1, 2, and 3 as well as Arminian Today's article, "Did God Cause the Fall of Man."

In the final paragraph of his post Roy writes:

To me it is not a question of sovereignty as much as it is a question of God's love. If God truly loved humanity why would he want to grant by his own sovereign choice that Adam would Fall and that this would plummet mankind into a horrible existence marked by death, destruction, and decay?

This is a fair question that does need to be addressed by myself and others who hold my position that God predestined the fall of man. The question in my own words is, "how can a John 3:16 God predestine such a catastrophic event that would hurt so many people?" Let's look at how the Bible defines the love of God.

As I have written in the past, I do not believe that Calvinists can simply replace the word "world" that appears in John 3:16 with the word "elect." It seems to me that a natural reading of the text indicates a love of God for the world. However, I am troubled at the emphasis that the word "world" gets from so many people when discussing such a Christ centered verse. In light of the context it seems best to understand John 3:16 as a wonderful description of God's willingness to save people from such an evil world. Because the verses that follow 3:16 explicitly disallow for a universal understanding of salvation we must realize the difference between God's love for the world in a general sense and His love for those whom He has chosen to save.

It was important for me to go through all of that to make the distinction between God's love for the world and His love for the elect because I think we can clearly see how God's love fits perfectly with predestining the fall of man.

Here are 5 verses that show the greatness of God's love and the necessity of the fall for that love to be demonstrated:
Red= God's loving purpose.
Bold= Necessary consequence of the fall of man.

"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you." (John 15:13-14)

"Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline..." (Revelation 3:19)

"In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4:10)

"I have loved you,' says the LORD. But you say, 'How have you loved us?' 'Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?' declares the LORD. 'Yet I have loved Jacob but Esau I have hated." (Malachi 1:2-3)

"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish." (Ephesians 5:25-27)

"For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:6-8)

Just to recap. God's love is shown in:
Death.
Reproof and discipline (which doesn't happen without sin).
Loving people who don't love Him.
In contrast to those whom He does not love.
Removing wrath that was meant for sinners (that's what propitiation does).
The Church (the church is a called out assembly of believers in Christ).
Sanctification and cleansing (which doesn't happen to perfect people).
Our Weakness.
Our Ungodliness.
Our Sinfulness.

When we allow God to speak for Himself through the Scriptures it is clear how His love is best demonstrated. I am willing to accept the Arminian claim that they do not hold to their views because of free-will but, rather, because of their understanding of the love of God. However, I disagree that the Arminian understanding of God's love is the correct understanding. The Bible displays God's saving love as amazing for 3 reasons: (1) it is a love for such vile sinners, (2) it is a particular love for those whom He chose to love, and (3) it is a love with an infinite cost, namely, the death of the Son of God.


I think it is good for people to engage in civil debate from time to time. Roy and I would disagree on this subject whether I wrote a response to his post or not so I didn't think it would hurt to voice my disagreement. If you have questions or comments (whether positive or negative) I would love it if you would post them in the comment section.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Waiting for the Bride-Groom

Lately work life for my husband and I has been pretty hectic. More so for him than for me. One thing i appreciate about Jonathan is his work ethic, but with lots of work comes lots of time at the office. I am in the process of learning (i'm almost positive it will take me years) to be content and encouraging when my husband has days of long work hours that keep him from home. I guarantee you my first reaction on long nights is usually anything but enthusiastic (which im sure is a healthy sign, but selfish at the core). Rather than building up my husband with kind and encouraging words i usually add to his stress because now not only does he have tons of work, but a pouty wife who will guilt trip him later. Tonight is one of those not so selfish nights, where im not leaping for joy that i have the house to myself, but i understand and am therefore supportive.

One thing i have realized just in not seeing my husband tonight is how much i miss him and long for him to be here. At the slightest indication that he is home i get all excited and giddy. I'll stop there with the mushy stuff, but in thinking about how much i am anticipating my husband coming home after just one and half days, it makes me think of our longing to be with Christ.

Here we are on earth, saved, justified, and now were being sanctified. How often do i long for heaven or the return of christ to come and claim his bride? The giddyness that i experience just in missing my husband for barely over a day should pale in comparison to how much i should be longing for christ to be reunited with the church. i admit i fall short in this area. I get focused on life here on earth and enjoying God and his creation now that i sometimes forget that i have heaven to look forward to. The great thing about these two parallels is that i have the happy ending of both hope and promise that both my husband and Christ are coming back.

Grace and Peace
sarah b.

A Johnny Mac Sermon

I wanted to share this excerpt from a John McArthur Sermon I heard this week. This is part one. Next week is a little of my thoughts on the matter.

A few weeks ago there was an event here at Dodger Stadium with Joel Osteen, thirty-five thousand people at Dodger Stadium, something like that. He is now the largest, quote/unquote church...I’m using the word loosely...in America down in Houston. You need to understand that he is a pagan religionist in every sense. He’s a quasi-pantheist. Jesus is a footnote that satisfies his critics and deceives his followers. The idea of this whole thing is that men have the power in themselves to change their lives. In his definitive book, Your Best Life Now, he says...and that ought to be a dead giveaway since the only way this could be your best life is if you’re going to hell. He says that anyone can create by faith and words the dreams he desires...health, wealth, happiness, success...the list is always the same.

Here’s some quotes from his book Your Best Life Now. “If you develop an image of success, health, abundance, joy, peace, happiness, nothing on earth will be able to hold those things from you,” end quote. See, that’s....that’s the law of attraction that’s a part of this kind of system.

Here’s another quote, “All of us are born for earthly greatness. You were born to win.” Win what? “God wants you to live in abundance, you were born to be a champion. He wants to give you the desires of your heart.” “Before we were formed, He prepared us to live abundant lives, to be happy, healthy and whole. But when our thinking becomes contaminated, it’s no longer in line with God’s Word,” end quote. By the way, “God’s Word is not the Bible, God’s Word is that Word that comes to us mystically, spiritually, that tells us what we should want.”

Here’s another quote, “Get your thinking positive and He will bring your desires to pass. He regards you as a strong, courageous, successful person. You’re on your way to a new level of glory.” Hum...how do you get there? “Believe...he says...visualize, and speak out loud.” Same exact approach. Words release your power. Words give life to your dreams.

Here’s another quote. “Friend, there’s a miracle in your mouth.” I think Isaiah might object to that. He said, “I’m a man of unclean lips and I dwell amidst a people of unclean lips.”

Here’s Joel Osteen’s prayer. “I thank You, Father, that I have Your favor.” Wow! Did he meet the Pharisee in Luke 18, or what? “I thank You that I’m not like other people.”

Here’s another quote. “I know these principles are true because they work, for me and my wife.” Oh, so that’s the test of truth. Are you kidding? I know these things are true because they work for me and my wife? Sure, you’re at the top of the Ponzi scheme.

And then he said, “Even finding a perfect parking spot at the mall.” And I ask, “What about the little old lady you cut off to get into that parking? What about her dreams?” Maybe she was born to lose. I mean, it’s so silly, so bizarre.

He says, “God has already done everything He’s going to do, the ball’s in your court.” You have to take that part of God which exists in you and create your own reality.

What is the source of this? Where does this come from? Answer: Satan, this is satanic. This is satanic. This is not just off-centered, this is satanic.

Why do I say that? Because health, wealth, prosperity, the fulfillment of all your dreams and your desires, that’s what Satan always offers. That’s called temptation, based on the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. That’s exactly what corrupt fallen unregenerate people want. That’s why it works so well, right? You can go right into Satan’s system, make everybody feel religious and turn their desires, their temptations into somehow honorable desires. I mean, what did Satan say to Jesus? Grab some satisfaction, why are You hungry? You need to eat. You need to be healthy, whole. Why would You let Yourself be unpopular? Dive off the temple corner, whew, everybody will be wowed. You’ll be the winner, You’ll be the champion. You’ll be the Messiah. They’ll hail You. And by the way, if You just look over the kingdoms of the world, I’ll give those to You, too.

That’s satanic. So the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, 1 John 2:15 to 17, it’s all a part of the world and it’s all passing away. And why are these false teachers so successful at what they do? Because they’re in cahoots with the devil. Why is Satan successful? Because his temptations, although they might appear noble on the outside, are in perfect accord with all the fallen, corrupt, selfish, proud, evil desires of sinners. This is a false kind of Christianity and a false view of God. God is the one who reserves the right to make you well. “Have not I made the blind and the lame and the halt, He says? Or to allow you to be sick? God has the right to make you prosperous or to give you little. God reserves the right to control the circumstances and events and experiences of your life for His own ends and His own purpose.”

False religion is the most heinous of all sins because it’s a violation of the great commandment, “Love the Lord your God, the true one, with all your heart, soul, mind and strength,” and false religion that borrows His name but creates a false God and borrows the name of Christ but creates a false Christ is the worst kind of blasphemy.

May God be Gracious

May God be gracious to us and bless us

and make his face to shine upon us,

Selah

that your way may be known on earth,

your saving power among all nations.

Let the peoples praise you, O God;

let all the peoples praise you!

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,

for you judge the peoples with equity

and guide the nations upon earth.

Selah

Let the peoples praise you, O God;

let all the peoples praise you!

The earth has yielded its increase;

God, our God, shall bless us.

God shall bless us;

let all the ends of the earth fear him!

--Psalm 67

Did God Cause the Fall of Man? A Response to Arminian Today Part 3

Now that I have made myself clear on the issue of whether or not God predestined or decreed that the fall of man would happen I must defend my position by answering Roy’s main question, "Did God cause Adam to fall into sin?" This is not an easy question to answer but I do believe we can look to the Bible for guidance. Continuing the quote from Roy’s post:

“The Scriptures clearly teach that God does not tempt men (James 1:13). Adam fell through the act of his own free will…But if there is really no such thing as free will then Adam fell because God essentially made him sin. This is the only rational response to the problem of Adam's sin.”

Before I can even address the majority of the content previously quoted I must make some distinctions that Roy does not make in his post. He writes, “Now to be fair, there are many Calvinist who would deny that Calvinism teaches that God caused the Fall. Most Calvinist would stop short of saying that God predestined the Fall of humanity…” (emphasis added).

Roy uses several words interchangeably that should be distinguished from one another. To predestine, to cause, to make someone do something, and to tempt are all different things. The fact that God predestined the fall to happen does not negate the fact that Adam willingly sinned against God.

One thing I like about Roy’s post is that he appeals to direct statements in Scripture. Though I certainly disagree with him on many of his conclusions, I want to make it clear that he is most helpful when He goes to the inspired word of God and he does that quite often. It seems to me that his “knockout” verse is James 1:13. For the sake of context we will look at 13-15:

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

The seeming contradiction that Roy presents between this text and the idea that God predestined the fall can be resolved when we look at James’ definition of temptation. Look at the text again and you will see that temptation is defined as a luring and enticing which is done by a person’s own desire. This is remarkably similar to Genesis 3:6 which tells us that Eve desired the fruit. I am not arguing that God tempted Adam and Eve to sin against Him. I am arguing that His sovereign will was that the fall would happen for His plan and purpose, namely, to bring about redemption for His glory. So I reject the idea that God’s decree of the fall means He tempted anyone to sin or even forced them to sin.

Undoubtedly many of you are wondering how Adam and Even fell into sin by God’s decree apart from God being the one to somehow tempt or push them into it. My answer is simply that I don’t know what the nature of Adam’s will was in a pre-fall state. But I will say that I don’t think it is helpful to insist that he must have had the ability to go against God’s sovereign plan. I briefly demonstrated in a previous post that free will, as defined by Arminianism, is not described in the Bible. The existence of choices, wills, and responsibility does not necessitate the unrealistic view many hold of ultimate free will. So unlike some Calvinists and Arminians who have thought through these things before me I do not offer a positive explanation of what Adam’s will was like. The Bible is silent on how Adam was capable of sinning apart from being born into sin and so I am silent on the issue as well.

In conclusion, I think the question is too vague for a simple yes or no. In light of my distinctions I will answer this way: God did cause the fall in that He predestined that it would happen exactly the way it happened. It could not have happened any other way or (in the strictest sense) not have happened. He did not, however, cause the fall by being a direct agent in the execution of the temptation or the sin itself. Scripture speaks on the relation of God’s decree of sin and the murder of Christ in this way:

…for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. (Acts 4:27-28)

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Prosperity Gospel

Work

I recently have gone through Focus on the Family's "Truth Project". It was great being taught a Christian world perspective in different areas of life. One of those areas was work. I loved learning that God did in-fact create us to work. Post-fall it gets tiresome and dull sometimes and may bring on unwanted stress, but overall work is good for us and necessary. God wires each and every one of us different ways (we already knew that) and gives us different passion and talents that hopefully we can use as a means of work and provision. It would be good for me to clarify that we aren't meant to have work fulfill us or let it be just another thing where we place worth, nor should we be work-aholics, but just another outlet that God gets to use in our lives where we can glorify Him by working hard and with integrity.

Grace and Peace
sarah b

Free Bird

i recently listened to a sermon by matt chandler that was really challenging for me. it was challenging because as he was asking rhetorical questions i realized there are things that i desire that aren't completely to the glory of God. They aren't bad things, but just at this point in time i can't see how it would be beneficial to glorifying God the most. It's hard when i come to realizations like this.

When i have to give up something that i've been holding onto for so long. and yeah it may be maturity (im really not trying to sound puffed up) but even though i have freedoms as a christian doesn't mean that i always get to exercise those freedoms. And this is where im kinda stuck is that sometimes i still really want to. So im willing to give things up, Im just not jumping for joy about it yet, but maybe i will at some point. Praise God for time and sanctification.

Grace and Peace
Sarah b.

A book to read and a video to watch

I generally don't like doing two videos back to back but this one was a very close second to the video I put up last week.
I heard this and it has effected me as a church member. I know the book being advertised is for church planters but the video is very applicable to all church members. Step up men. I know I need to.

God and the Psalms

Reading through the Psalms in the Bible can often times be a shocking experience. The violence, the raw confession, the wildness, the dancing, the hatred, the doubt, the despair, the loneliness, the joy, the celebration, the death, the mystery...it is a very exciting and diverse collection of experiences and emotions. One particularly interesting topic that many of the Psalms deal with is sin.


Sometimes it can feel that the Psalmists can be "too honest". Whenever I am reading through a Psalm and I come across a verse that says "my iniquities have overtaken me, and I cannot see; they are more than the hairs of my head, my heart fails me" (Psalm 40:12) it takes me off guard no matter how familiar that experience is to my soul. It is amazing how often and how severely the Psalm writers deal with the struggles and evils in their lives. Psalm 38 verses three and four state "There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin. For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me". Psalm 51 shows David lamenting the reality of his sin being ever before him. When I read these passages I always think of Romans 7 where Paul says "For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing." (Romans 7:18b-19)


It is amazing sometimes to realize that the people who were living for God back then are just like us in their struggles, temptations, and sin. No Christ-follower misses the war. No one who has been rescued by God is exempt from dealing with the powers of darkness.


But why did the Psalmists write like this? Why did Paul write what he wrote in Romans 7? Because of who God is.


In Psalm 40 David knows His God is the one who "drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock". David knows that God will show steadfast love and faithfulness. The writer knew that our God is the God who gives us a new song to sing.

In Psalm 38 David again comes to the Lord for he believes that God is all knowing. He comes to God for He knows that the Lord "will answer." He calls out to the Creator for the Creator is our salvation. In Psalm 51 David cries out to his Father for he believes that He can give him a clean heart and the renewal of a right spirit. He comes to the Father of Lights because He trusts that this one at whose right hand are pleasures forevermore will be able to restore the joy of His salvation. Paul, in Romans 7, ends by saying "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!". In chapter 8 Paul writes those words that bring so much comfort, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."


The writers of these sections of the Bible spoke so honestly about their struggles because of the God they believed in. They trusted that the Lord Jesus who shed His blood for the glory of redemption would cover their sins. They trusted that the Father who loved the world and gave His only Son would forgive them. They walked by faith in the promises of God.


These sections in the Scriptures are very encouraging. They admit the sin, but they point to the gracious and merciful God who loves us. I hope that we will join with the Psalm writers and continue to point ourselves and others to the Maker of the heavens and the earth who offers to forgive sins.

Did God Cause the Fall of Man? A Response to Arminian Today Part 2

This is part 2 of a series of posts in response to the post on the blog Arminian Today entitled "Did God Cause the Fall of Man?" I suggest you begin by reading Roy's post and my introduction to the series.

Because of the issue we are dealing with I think it would be helpful to begin with a couple of questions that can guide us.

Did God have a purpose in creating man?
If so, what was that purpose?
Did God intend for Christ to come into the world?

If God is a God worthy of our worship (and He most certainly is) He doesn’t just create haphazardly. The Bible clearly indicates that God is a God of purpose. He doesn’t only have purpose in the world now but He had purpose in the world when He created it. In short, God’s purpose in creation was (and is) His glory (Isaiah 43:7). God is most glorified through the work of His Son, Christ Jesus, who is the “radiance of the glory of God” (Hebrews 1:3), for whom and through whom He created everything (Colossians 1:16-18). The glory of God in Jesus Christ shines most brightly in the work that he has done for us in redeeming such vile sinners (Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14, 2 Cor. 4:6).

In the post to which I am responding Roy states,

“God did foreknow that Adam would fall but he did not force the Fall (1 Peter 1:20). God foreknew that Adam would transgress but he did not predestine the Fall.”

Sandwiched between two statements is his reference to 1 Peter 1:20,

“He [Christ] was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God” (1:20-21).

In no way does this text give the impression that God did not predestine the fall. One cannot separate what God foreknows from what he decrees, especially in the case of Christ. If Christ was foreknown in the same way that Roy says the fall of man was foreknown then God must not have even planned the incarnation. But I suggest to you that Christ was foreknown as the one who would come to save us from our sins. I suggest to you that God not only knew the fall would happen but that this fallen world is leading to the best of all possible worlds that will glorify God because of what He has done through the God-man Jesus Christ.

My confidence in this belief that God's purpose in creation was the same before and after the fall is not merely derived from logic or what I believe about God. What seals this belief for me is the continuity of the existence of the gospel before and after the fall. If this is true we can confidently say that the fall did not alter God's original intention in creation in any way. Here are a couple of examples:

Genesis 2:24 gives us a pre-fall institution of marriage. Certainly marriage was affected by the fall because Adam and Eve and all of their descendants would be marred by sin. However, the purpose of marriage was not changed by sin. Rather, the purpose of marriage was fulfilled because of the existence of sin. In Ephesians Paul tells us exactly what God's purpose has always been for marriage. After quoting Genesis 2:24 in Ephesians 5:31 Paul gives this new understanding to an old institution, "This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church." The word "mystery" can be interpreted in the light of Ephesians 3:5 as something that was hidden to previous generations but now revealed.

In order for the argument that God "foreknew but did not predestine" something to make sense it should be demonstrated that God was not actively "predestining" something that was directly affected by the event in question. Revelation 13:8 tells us that the Book of Life was written before the foundation of the world. Not only that but it is the Book of Life of the Lamb who was Slain. For what purpose was the Lamb slain?

God's foreknowledge is not a passive taking in of the future. In fact, every instance of the word imply God activity and contradict the thought that He was passive.

Next week, in part 3, I will deal with the difference between God's decree of the fall and the charge that this would mean He "caused" the fall. In part 4 I will defend the Biblical concept of God's love in view of the fact that He predestined the fall of man.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Tim Keller On Hell

Idolatry

I have been reading the book "Counterfeit Gods" by Tim Keller recently and it is kind of kicking my butt. The more I've read it the more I've realized my tendencies towards idolatry in areas where I didn't think I struggled. I am glad our God is a merciful and forgiving God!

I would like to post an excerpt from the book where he is dealing with "hidden idols in our lives." Specifically, Keller goes after different idols that we have in religion. For a wonderful example of not doing what Keller is warning against, please see Steven Bean's post from yesterday. Steve's post was filled with grace, humility, and a desire for God's truth to be honored; which I really respect and I am looking forward to reading that series.

"An idol is something that we look to for things that only God can give. Idolatry functions widely inside religious communities when doctrinal truth is elevated to the position of a false god. This occurs when people rely on the rightness of their doctrine for their standing with God rather than on God himself and his grace. It is a subtle but deadly mistake. The sign that you have slipped into this form of self-justification is that you become what the book of Proverbs calls a "scoffer". Scoffers always show contempt and disdain for opponents rather than graciousness. This is a sign that they do not see themselves as sinners saved by grace. Instead, their trust in the rightness of their views make them feel superior"."

Did God Cause the Fall of Man? A Response to Arminian Today Part 1

Theology matters. It matters because it is the study of God. It matters because all of human history is tied up with the true God of the universe. Within Christian theology there are several disputed doctrines. There is hardly a doctrine that is not vital for saving knowledge of the gospel that has not been debated by faithful Christian men and women.

However, the fact that theology matters and that debate is important in settling issues does not negate the fact that humility, grace, and love should be characteristic of those debates. My attempt in this series is not to be mean spirited or hateful but, rather, loving and honest.

Roy, who writes the blog Arminian Today, is a good Christian guy. I discovered his blog after he commented on Jason Lapp's blog and Jason told me I had to look it up. I found Roy to be a good writer with a high view of God and Scripture and a gracious and loving tone. One thing about the blog struck me as odd, it was Arminian. Many of you have probably never heard a positive definition of Arminianism. Most probably know it as "not Calvinism" which is a good start but not a fair summary. However, rather than using this post to define Arminianism for you I simply commend Arminian Today for your research. I agree with many of the things Roy writes and appreciate even the things with which I would respectfully disagree. The point I want to make is that I had never read an Arminian that writes so much like my Calvinist friends and influences. It's great! I hope that you will read Roy's writing with the same discernment I expect you to use when reading my writing (which should be a lot!).

My next three posts will be a response to his article, "Did God Cause the Fall of Man?" Please read my tone as loving and honest. I will occasionally say that I flat out disagree with his interpretation or use of particular passages of Scripture. That does not mean that I am trying to be hateful or mean, it simply means that I disagree with him. This is a true response to him because he is fully aware of it. I hope that he can get the time to read this and respond a little but I have told him that it is not expected of him because he has a lot on his plate right now.

The fall of man is described in Genesis 3 and Romans 5:12-21. This is important stuff because I am making the case that God predestined the very event that put this world in a tailspin of sin and death. However, I see the Bible as presenting a God that decrees this kind of world so that He can rescue it for His glory.

Here is how the series will go:
Part 2- God Predestined the Fall
Part 3- Did God "Cause" the Fall?
Part 3- The Demonstration of God's Love After the Fall

Please read Roy's article before reading my response.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Ya just missed it!

Over the weekend my husband and i watched an incredible movie. Like most dramas, i was not interested but knew that once i saw it, i would be sorry i hadn't seen it sooner. I was correct. When the movie was over and a very important fact was revealed i wanted to watch it all over again. The movie...The Book of Eli with Denzel Washington. Now im not going to try and relate this movie to the gospel, far from it. And im not going to give the plot totally away, but i will say this...

Some catacalismic event has happened to the earth and populations are low. The "bad guy" send illiterate (yes, hardly anyone knows how to read) motorcycle gangs out to look for this book. Having the book will give him great power and make people do what he wants them to do. Guess what book he is looking for? You guessed it! The ONLY surviving copy of a King James Bible. Coincidentally Denzel aka Eli, has said book and is taking it somewhere that he believes he has to go to. I'll stop here to interject a few things.

1. You can gather from the movie that the bible is precious and very worthy to be protected. This is awesome but made me think seriously about how sad it would be if there were only 1 copy of God's work in the whold world and how often i forget to treasure the fact that i get the honor of carrying a bible with me everywhere i go.
2. At one point a scripture from Psalms is read aloud to someone and they are shocked at how beautiful and uplifting the words are. I would love to get back to that point. To be absolutely floored anytime i read in my bible.
3. the "bad guy" wanted to use this book to control people. It made me think how over time the name of christ has been dragged through the mud by people who wanted power and control and got it by falsely using God as a shield. I really don't like that.

Overall i was impressed with how the movie portrayed the bible as being such a good thing that was precious and worth fighting for.

What i did not like was when another character asked Eli what was so special about this book or why was is so meaningful to him. He replies "to do unto others as you would have done to you, that's what i got from it anyways" or some variation of that statement. WHAT?! Way to go Hollywood, once again you completely MISS what the gospel is about and just how truly precious the word of God is. No mention of Jesus, or the cross, nothing period!

I still enjoyed the movie, but what is the point of protecting God's word, and reading it everyday (because Eli did) if all you get from it is "do unto others...." yes that is a good point, but what about i am a sinner and i need a savior and the only chance of atonement i have is in christ? Huh hollywood, how about that for a movie?

grace and peace
sarah b.

The alter

This Sunday evening our pastor went through Psalm 26. The discussion over that passage was great and it was mentioned by our pastor how foul and amazing the alter must have been. Knowing how livestock smells and how an alter with multiple sacrifices would look like and smell like is quite discusting. And yet atonement is such a beautiful display of grace it makes you celebrate Christs sacrifice all the more. It brought this Spurgeon quote to mind.

Did it never strike you how the whole tabernacle must have been smeared with blood everywhere? Blood was on every side. The priest himself, when at his work, with garments on which showed every stain, must have looked as though all besmeared with gore. You could not look at his hands or at his vestments without seeing everywhere blood; indeed, when consecrated, he had blood on his ear, blood on his foot, blood on his hands; he could not be made a priest without it. The apostle says, “Almost everything under the law was sprinkled with blood.” It was blood, blood everywhere. Now, this could have been very far from a pleasant sight, except to the spiritual man who, as he looked at it, said, “What a holy God is the God of Israel!
How he hates sin! See, he will only permit sinners to approach him by the way of blood!” - Charles Spurgeon

Thoughts on the Salvation of Infants

Not too long ago I was asked about what happens to children and others who lack the mental capacity and/or awareness to believe in the gospel when they die. I also read a post from a blogger which criticized all those (which would include me) who don’t go as far as to say that absolutely every infant who dies goes to heaven without exception. In light of these things I thought it would be a good idea to repost some thoughts I had on the subject a while back. It doesn’t come to a total conclusion to the question but gives some known things from Scripture that can help guide one’s opinion:

1. When a person dies it is proof that they are guilty of sin. This is an unavoidable reality that there is no such thing as a truly innocent child before God.

2. There is Biblical reasoning to believe that God does not hold infants accountable in the same way that He holds one accountable who has not heard the gospel. Romans 1 is a clear indictment of all men whether they have heard the gospel or not. However, because Romans 1 focuses on creation and conscience it is reasonable to say that God may not hold infants accountable for their sin in the same way.

3. There are (though few) examples of the salvation of infants in the Bible. The first is in 2 Samuel 12 when David seems to indicate that his child who had just died would be in heaven. The second example is that John the Baptist was regenerate from the womb (Luke 1:15). These are not examples that should be taken universally but we can say that God seems to have saved infants in the past.

4. Jesus had much affection for Children and sought to protect them (see Matt. 18). Jesus loved to use children as an example of saving faith. The fact that children are unable to do much of anything apart from outside help is a great example of man's inability to come to God apart from the new birth. This is only helpful to us in knowing something about God, we cannot reach a conclusion based on this fact alone.

5. God is good and I trust Him. Was it man that first saw the need for salvation and devised a way for God to save us? Is man capable of coming to God on his own anymore than an infant? The answer to these questions is surely not. So I concede to God the right to decide what is most glorifying to Himself in this case.

The most important thing is that we cannot assume that God must save all infants. God is just to condemn any sinner. So ultimately we must say that we don't know if God saves all infants. People have their opinions and their interpretations of different Scriptures but the fact of the matter is that this is a gray area in Scriptures and we must cling to God's goodness and rightness in all things.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

churchy churches

I share another blog with some close girlfriends of mine where we can catch-up, vent, tell what good and bad things are going on in our lives and what prayer we need. its really refreshing and been such a blessing to still get to be a part of their lives even though we are all far away from each other.

Recently one of the gals posted on a church that her and her husband have been visiting and she was quite upset and saddened at the direction this pastor is taking his church. This pastor was really focused on "creating an environment"to bring people in and make them comfortable. I completely agree with her when she says that church is for believers and were christians go to be filled and gather together and grow, then we go out to make disciples. Please don't misunderstand, i am not in any way opposed to bringing the lost to church, but the service and programs don't need to be centered around making them happy, not hurting their feelings, or offending them. Services need to be centered around the gospel.

This pastor also talked about how he didn't like that christians have a "feed me" mentality and impersonated someone in a whiny voice, walking around all droopy and pathetic. What is pastors role if he isn't feeding his flock? I understand how some pastors get tired of people just coming to listen and be fed, but then don' t do anything which is a bad thing. But a pastor needs to be able to teach and feed the church members. there were a few other things that were bothersome, but it makes me realize that i dont' need to take my church and the teaching there for granted. and also that not every church is preaching the gospel. some churches are really just social justice projects cloaked with the "gospel" others fall under the all too common prosperity gospel and dont even mention sin and our need for the cross.

If you belong to a church that gives the whole gospel, be grateful and thank your pastor. If your searching for a church, be picky and find one that does give the whole gospel.

grace and peace
sarah

Does anybody know what Tim it is?

(This is no doubt the corniest title I've done. I'm not even going to justify it with artwork)

On my first time visiting the church I am a member of Timothy Allen was one of the last people that I met. I’m not exactly sure why but I was pretty sure that I wasn’t going to get along with him. Since then Tim has become a close friend and brother to me and continues to check in with me on my different aspects of life. Purity being the the foremost. He is always encouraging and wants to be right next to me if I’m going to go evangelize, pray, eat or get in trouble. He’s up for it all. If anyone in the church needs something he’s there. If there is an event going on he is there unless he has already promised that time to his wife.
As a guy who got married one week before him and am very close in age I’m blessed to have someone that God has placed around me like Tim. It might seem odd to randomly post about my friend but I believe that Godly men should be recognized not for what they have done but what God has done in them.
I enjoyed seeing how Tim has been given the opportunities just in the last year to be a leader at church, start seminary, buy a house and he and his wife are soon to have a new addition to the family. Please pray for Tim Allen of Little Rock... You can pray for the movie start too.

A lil Lewis

Most people, if they have really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that they do want, and want acutely, something that cannot be had in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise.

The longings which arise in us when we first fall in love, or first think of some foreign country, or first take up some subject that excites us, are longings which no marriage, no travel, no learning, can really satisfy.

I am not now speaking of what would be ordinarily called unsuccessful marriages, or holidays, or learned careers. I am speaking of the best possible ones. There was something we have grasped at, in that first moment of longing, which just fades away in the reality. I think everyone knows what I mean. The wife may be a good wife, and the hotels and scenery may have been excellent, and chemistry may be a very interesting job: but something has evaded us.
-C. S. Lewis

The Role of Christians and Heterosexuals in the Overturning of Proposition 8 Part 2

Last week I discussed how changes in America’s understanding of gender contributed heavily to a federal judges ability to overturn California’s proposition to define marriage as being between a man and a woman. This week I want to move to a discussion on how divorce has also contributed.

The word divorce shows up 25 times in the ruling document, which is a little ironic seeing as how it is a ruling on marriage. Some quotes:

“Blankenhorn identified changes [in the institution of marriage] that to him signify the deinstitutionalization of marriage, including an increase in births outside of marriage and an increasing divorce rate.” (14)

“Blankenhorn identified several manifestations of deinstitutionalization: out-of-wedlock childbearing, rising divorce rates, the rise of non-marital cohabitation, increasing use of assistive reproductive technologies and marriage for same-sex couples.” (45)

“The development of no-fault divorce laws made it simpler for spouses to end marriages...” (64)

Before I begin much commentary let me say that divorce is a difficult subject in the Bible. Many Christians have differing views on when it is permissible and whether or not remarriage can occur. But let me be clear, divorce is a horrific but not unpardonable sin. I also realize that there are so many different stories of how divorce occurred, many of which amount to one person having no choice in the matter, I do not place blame on those people for being victimized in this way.

There is no question that divorce is prevalent in our society. It is not merely a fact of life, it is a lucrative business. Some have divorce parties, some go for the “quick and painless” route, while others acknowledge it as a probability by creating a document to protect their things in case they can’t protect their marriage.

As one who is getting married in just under a month, I’m terrified of divorce. I hate everything about it. A 0.111111% chance that I could end up divorced is too much for me to handle. In my mind it’s not an option, but I have heard enough stories to know that I have to fight for my marriage from the first day.

I think the liberal side of the so-called “homosexual marriage” debate is correct when they say that the institution of marriage is under as much attack by straight people than it is by homosexuals. Homosexuals didn’t create no-fault divorce, they haven’t forced us to divorce, and they certainly aren’t responsible for the fact that those who claim Christianity get divorced at nearly the same rate as everyone else. That’s on us. It doesn’t make so-called “homosexual marriage” right, it just makes their case look better.

So, like last week, allow me to give some biblical points on marriage and divorce to encourage you to hate it as much as our Lord does:

God created the institution of marriage.

"Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male
and female, and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'?” (Matthew 19:4-5)

Divorce is the enemy of God’s purpose for marriage, namely, the display of the gospel in the relationship between husband and wife.

“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for
her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:25-27)

God has very harsh things to say about divorce.

“For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the LORD,the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the LORD of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.” (Malachi 2:16)

What do these texts tell us? I believe they tell us that God created marriage with an explicit purpose- one that cannot be fulfilled by so-called “homosexual marriage”- and that the act of divorce works against that purpose. Notice the harshness of the words in the last text I cited from Malachi. Many will look at this as being merely a hatred of an act, but we must accept the complex fact that God sees a man who has just divorced his wife like O.J. Simpson running from a crime scene. It’s not clean, it’s messy, and it’s selfish.

Thankfully there is another thing that God has to say to those who are divorced:

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may
not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins…” (1 John
2:1-2a)

These things should encourage us to hate divorce but if you have been divorced you are still not beyond the reach of Christ’s love and grace. As unrighteous as we are Christ is still more righteous. So trust him, love his gospel, and love the display of the gospel that is biblical marriage.

Grace and Peace…

Cordially,
Stephen A. Bean

Dietrich Delights

I have been reading through Dietrich Bonhoeffer's The Cost of Discipleship, well im only on chapter 4, and it has been utterly delightful. Sometimes it is a bit difficult to understand, but good substance.

I came across this one quote that is talking about the call to discipleship, Bonhoeffer write:
"Peter knows he dare not climb out of the ship in his own strenth-his very first step would be his undoing. And so he cries, "Lord, bid me come to thee upon the waters," and Jesus answers: "Come." Christ must first call him, for the step can only be taken at his word. This call ishis grace, which calls him out of death into the new life of obedience. But when once Christ has called him, Peter has no alternative- he must leavethe ship and come to him. In the end, the first step of obedience proves to be an act of faith in the word of Christ."

Bonhoeffer's main point throughout this chapter is that obedience and faith go together. And its seen even from the above quote. Peter desires faith, and its given, and with that faith comes obedience. But i love the last line in that peters first step of obedience towards christ, my first step of obedience towards christ was an act of faith that didn't come from me, but from God.

Grace and peace
sarah b.

comforts over rated

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Mars Hill Church in Seattle had a blog post recently entitled "

You could have God! And you chose light beer."

This might seem weird for me to say I took much from the article but it was pretty good. There was one line that impaled through my gut that I've heard before but just passed it off. "We worship a Guy who dies in His early 30's. We may not live a long life." That phrase made me realize that Christ not only lived a perfect life but did have a live that was much shorter than I have alway hoped to live. Peter, James and John all had lives cut short and its because they were living a life spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul states the meaning of his life when he greets the church "¹Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, ²which he promised beforehand^E)"> through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, ³concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh ⁴and was declared to be the Son of God^I)"> in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, ⁵through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, ⁶including you who are ^N)"> called to belong to Jesus Christ,"

Why must I sit back back and read this and complain when my air conditioning isn't quite as fast as my neighbors? Don't get me wrong... I love technology, but lets face it, I have perfected the art of complaint and am in desperate need of speaking the Truth all the time to anyone one with ears.
Being Created for the glory of God and not for the pleasure of myself is hard to get over. And I tend to forget that is the case. I pray that I pursue a life of joy glorifyinf Christ rather than joy filling time for 30+ years.

1. I need thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
 no tender voice like thine can peace afford.
Refrain:
 I need thee, O I need thee;
 every hour I need thee;
 O bless me now, my Savior, I come to thee.

2. I need thee every hour; stay thou nearby;
 temptations lose their power when thou art nigh.
 (Refrain)

3. I need thee every hour, in joy or pain;
 come quickly and abide, or life is vain.
 (Refrain)

4. I need thee every hour; teach me thy will;
 and thy rich promises in me fulfill.
 (Refrain)

5. I need thee every hour, most Holy One;
 O make me thine indeed, thou blessed Son.
 (Refrain)

The Role of Christians and Heterosexuals in the Overturning of Proposition 8

“PROPOSITION 8 IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL BECAUSE IT DENIES PLAINTIFFS A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT WITHOUT A LEGITIMATE (MUCH LESS COMPELLING)REASON”

This was the decision passed down by a federal judge in California on August 4th, 2010 which overturned the voters’ decision to define marriage as being between a man and a woman. When the law was initially passed there was a huge backlash from many social liberals, most prominently coming from Hollywood. Back in December of ’08 I wrote a response to the tone that was coming back at those who believe in a biblical view of marriage. (see Part 1, Part 2)

As I read the judges official statement I was surprised to find how easily I followed his logic (though I disagree with him on fundamental things that led to that logic). Setting aside the fact that he clearly has a bias that should have caused him to recuse himself from the decision, I felt like he has a good eye for how society has changed and he put together a very well written document. I would summarize the judges conclusion in this way:

Society has evolved in such a way that the only real difference between the genders is anatomical. Because marriage has never required the two parties to have the capacity of bearing children, and there is no difference in the roles of men and women in marriage, there is no reason to exclude homosexual couples from partaking in the institution.

Some quotes:

“The evidence shows that the movement of marriage away from a gendered institution and toward an institution free from state-mandated gender roles reflects an evolution in the understanding of gender rather than a change in marriage.” (113)

“As states moved to recognize the equality of the sexes, they eliminated laws and practices… that had made gender a proxy for a spouse’s role within a marriage.” (112)

“Rather, the exclusion exists as an artifact of a time when the genders were seen as having distinct roles in society and in marriage. That time has passed.” (113)

“Gender no longer forms an essential part of marriage; marriage under law is a union of equals.”
(113)

It is easy to see what the judge describes in American society. Complimentarianism- the view that men and women are equal in value but different in role- is now considered sexism. Egalitarianism- the view that men and women are equal in all things save some anatomical differences- is the norm. The latter view has infiltrated all areas of society including the home and the church.

In light of this let’s take a quick look at some important biblical truths:

Men and women are of equal worth in the sight of God.
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Gen. 1:27)

Men and women differ in their roles…

…in marriage
“…the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit everything to their husbands.” (Eph. 5:23-24)

…in the church
“Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior…and so train the young women to love their husbands and children…and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled…so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.” (Titus 2:3-8)

The attempt by men and women to reverse or exaggerate their roles is a result of the Fall.
“To the woman he said…Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you." (Gen. 3:16)

Next week I will discuss the role of divorce in this attempt to redefine marriage.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Valley of Vision Prayer on Desires

O thou that hearest prayer,
Teach me to pray, I confess that in religious exercises the language of my lips and the feelings of my heart have not always agreed, that i have frequently taken carelessly upon my tongue a name never pronounced above without reverence and humility, that i have often desired things which would have injured me, that i have depreciated some of my chief mercies, that i have erred both on the side of my hopes and also of my fears, That i am unfit to choose for myself, for it is not in me to direct my steps.

Let thy Spirit help my infirmities, for i know not what to pray for as i ought. Let him produce in me wise desires by which i may ask right things, then i shall know thou hearest me. May i never be importunate for temporal blessings, but always refer them to thy fatherly goodness, for thou knowest what i need before i ask; May i never think i prosper unless my soul prospers, or that i am rich unless rich toward thee, or that i am wise unless wise unto salvation.

May I seek first thy kingdom and its righteousness. May i value things in relation to eternity. May my spiritual welfare be my chief solicitude. May i be poor, afflicted, despised and have thy blessing, rather than be successful in enterprise, or have more than my heart can wish, or be admired by my fellow-men, if thereby these things make me forget thee. May i regard the world as dreams, lies, vanities, vexation of spirit, and desire to depart from it. And may i seek my happiness in thy favour, image, presence, service.

A whole new way of seeing God

I read this this morning by Tim Keller and it changed what I was going to write. So this is Tim Keller on A whole new way of seeing God.


"But Christians are those who have adopted a whole new system of approach to God.
They may have had both religious phases and irreligious phases in their lives. But
they have come to see that their entire reason for both their irreligion and their
religion was essentially the same and essentially wrong! Christians come to see that
both their sins and their best deeds have all really been ways of avoiding Jesus as
savior. They come to see that Christianity is not fundamentally an invitation to get
more religious. A Christian comes to say: "though I have often failed to obey the moral
law, the deeper problem was why I was trying to obey it! Even my efforts to obey it has
been just a way of seeking to be my own savior. In that mindset, even if I obey or ask
for forgiveness, I am really resisting the gospel and setting myself up as Savior." To
"get the gospel" is turn from self-justification and rely on Jesus' record for a
relationship with God. The irreligious don't repent at all, and the religious only repent
of sins. But Christians also repent of their righteousness. That is the distinction
between the three groups--Christian, moralists (religious), and pragmatists
(irreligious).
Summary. Without a knowledge of our extreme sin, the payment of the cross seems
trivial and does not electrify or transform. But without a knowledge of Christ's
completely satisfying life and death, the knowledge of sin would crush us or move us
to deny and repress it. Take away either the knowledge of sin or the knowledge of
grace and people's lives not changed. They will be crushed by the moral law or run
from it angrily. So the gospel is not that we go from being irreligious to being
religious, but that we realize that our reasons for both our religiosity and our
irreligiosity were essentially the same and essentially wrong. We were seeking to be
our own Saviors and thereby keep control of our own life. When we trust in Christ as
our Redeemer, we turn from trusting either self-determination or self-denial for our
salvation--from either moralism or hedonism."

Lead Me to it Soon

O LORD,
I live here as a fish in a vessel of water, only enough to keep me alive,
but in heaven I shall swim in the ocean.
Here I have a little air in me to keep me breathing,
but there I shall have sweet and fresh gales;
Here I have a beam of sun to lighten my darkness,
a warm ray to keep me from freezing;
yonder I shall live in light and warmth for ever.

My natural desires are corrupt and misguided,
and it is thy mercy to destroy them;
my spiritual longings are of thy planting,
and thou wilt water and increase them;
Quicken my hunger and thirst after the realm above.

Here I can have the world,
there I shall have thee in Christ;
Here is a life of longing and prayer,
there is assurance without suspicion, asking without refusal;
here are gross comforts, more burden than benefit,
there is joy without sorrow,
comfort without suffering,
love without inconstancy,
rest without weariness.

Give me to know that heaven is all love, where the eye affects the heart,
and the continual viewing of thy beauty keeps the soul in continual transports of delight.

Give me to know that heaven is all peace, where error, pride, rebellion, passion raise no head.

Give me to know that heaven is all joy,
the end of believing, fasting, praying, mourning, humbling, watching, fearing, repining;

And lead me to it soon.

--From The Valley of Vision: "Earth and Heaven"

Tiger Woods, Michael Vick, Ted Haggard?

This article was originally written for Jason Lapp's blog last week. I thought it would be helpful here as well.

It is difficult to put into words the emotions I felt as I read about Ted Haggard’s return to leadership in the local church. This article gives a summary of why Haggard was forced to leave his position as President of the National Society of Evangelical as well as pastor of his church. In this post Jason has asked me to respond to the sad picture painted in the article.

First of all let me say that reconciliation and restoration are both major themes in the Bible. D.A. Carson writes, “At the heart of salvation lies reconciliation to the God who made us and under whose just judgment we lie.” If we are to believe that the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ is the central theme of the Bible, and that the gospel is where that glory is most vividly expressed, it isn’t hard to say that reconciliation is EVERYWHERE in the Bible.

Restoration, on the other hand, is one of many applications of the gospel. In 2 Corinthians 2:5-11 Paul encourages the Corinthians to restore someone (presumably the sexually immoral person he told them to discipline in 1 Corinthians). We also have the example of Paul in 2 Timothy 4:11, in which he affirms Mark as useful after previously having argued against him going with Paul and Barnabus on their second missionary journey because he deserted them on the first journey. This tells us that there isn’t a “one strike and you’re out” rule in ministry.

The fact is there are many variables when it comes to faithfully applying scripture to a situation. In this case I think it is wise to observe some of the facts found in the article and see if they line up with what we know from Scripture. I want to look at three things in particular: Haggard’s view on his own repentance, the circumstances of his return to ministry, and the vision for his future ministry.

When it comes to repentance often times actions speak louder than words. Repentance isn’t easy. In fact, I can’t see myself writing about Mr. Haggard if he were still outside the ministry dealing with these things even if he admitted it’s still a struggle. Instead we see Haggard returning to what he considers his calling after a short time away. The article paints a sort of then-and-now picture. After all of this happened Haggard is said to have taken responsibility and committed himself to what his church saw best for him. Now that he has returned to the pulpit (or stack of buckets) he says his past self “over repented…” This term alone should be enough to consider Haggard unfit for gospel ministry. To assume that over-repentance is possible is to say that our sin is less than infinite treason against a Holy God. To repent carries the idea of having a change of heart and mind causing you to turn from sin, there is no overdoing that. Of course, if Haggard is unwilling to recognize the weight of what he did four years ago that doesn’t make him four years removed from the problem, it puts him right where he was then, unfit for ministry.

As Haggard returns there are just as many new concerns as old ones. The first concern being, his old church didn’t ask him back and doesn’t want him back. Their words, “we cannot endorse his return to vocational ministry.” So we know it must not have been his former church that commissioned this new plant and there is no evidence that any other church is behind Haggard’s efforts. If this is the case Haggard is going outside of the biblical example for church planting. His reason? Not reaching a community that doesn’t have a healthy church but leading a church is what he wants to do. His explaination, "Tiger Woods needs to golf. Michael Vick needs to be playing football… Ted Haggard…needs to be leading a church." Mr. Haggard made an interesting choice of examples, but he misapplies the comparison. Tiger Woods and Michael Vick both did things that have very little to do with their profession. What Mr. Haggard has done is better compared to Pete Rose and Tim Donaghy, who disqualified themselves from what they “need to be doing.”

Unfortunately we don’t only see problems that got Haggard to this point, but it seems that he will be moving forward in the wrong direction. The article concludes by telling us how Haggard now has an Joe Anybody image with his congregation. He uses the word “hell” in a cooler way than most preachers and makes people feel comfortable talking about their sin. I’ll leave those individual issues for another day. The big problem is what’s missing, namely, a commitment to proclaiming the gospel. Not only is the gospel not there but it can’t be there. As long as Haggard ignores the gospel, goes rogue in his approach to church ministry, and considers sin to be no big deal, he won’t be able to have much to do with the gospel.

Please Lord save Ted Haggard and protect us from the same sad state that he is in.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Steadfast Love in Forgiveness

Blessed is the one whose transgression are forgiven,

whose sin is covered.

Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity,

and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away

through my groaning all day long.

For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;

my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.

Selah

I acknowledged my sin to you,

and I did not cover my iniquity;

I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,"

and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.

Selah

Therefore let everyone who is godly

offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;

surely in the rush of great waters,

they shall not reach him.

You are a hiding place for me;

you preserve me from trouble;

you surround me with shouts of deliverance.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,

which must be curbed with bit and bridle,

or it will not stay near you.

Many are the sorrows of the wicked,

but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD.

Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous,

and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

be great

i remember a time in my life when i wanted to be remembered. i wanted to live a great life and do something incredible and be remembered for my greatness. it was absolutely selfish of me because i wanted to be remembered for me, for being Sarah not for living for the glory of God. Thankfully God has been merciful and taken that silly idea out of my heart and replaced it with wanting to live for him. To lose my life for his sake rather than gaining the world and losing my soul.

I am still reading through the 5 points of calvinism and came across another wonderful quote in the appendix called "the practical importance of predestination" by loraine boettner. It has much to do with God's sovereignty but also with making our lives count for the glory of God:
"When a person sees himself as one of the Lord's chosen and knows that every one of his acts has an eternal significance, he realizes more clearly how serious life is, and he is fired with a new determination tomake his life count for great things." I can't make my life count for anything, there is nothing that i can do that people will remember for forever and ever and ever and if i lived for myself what a waste that would be. But when i give my life to let God use for his purposes and trust that he is sovereign that opens up so many doors for God to do whatever brings him most glory. i can only pray that i will be open to where the lord guides and directs, no matter what the circumstance. and i definitely hope that my glory doesn't ever get in the way of that. don't be great for you, be great for God

Grace and Peace
sarah B.

O Lord of hosts, to Thee I cry

O Lord of hosts, to Thee I cry,
Our fathers’ God, to Thee;
Let my petition reach Thine ear,
My prayer accepted be.
O God our Shield, look Thou on us,
Reveal Thyself in grace,
And let Thine own anointed one
Behold Thee face to face.

A single day within Thy courts,
Where I Thy beauty see,
Is better than a thousand days,
My God, apart from Thee.
A lowly station in Thy house
Were dearer to my heart
Than in the tents of wickedness
To claim the chiefest part.

A Sun and Shield is God, the Lord,
To lighten and defend;
The Lord to such as look to Him
Will grace and glory send.
To those that walk in righteousness
No good will He deny.
O Lord of hosts, how blest are they
Who on Thy grace rely!

Carry Them Forever

To you, O LORD, I call;

my rock, be not deaf to me,

lest, if you be silent to me,

I become like those who go down to the pit.

Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy,

when I cry to you for help,

when I lift up my hands

toward your most holy sanctuary.

Do not drag me off with the wicked,

with the workers of evil,

who speak peace with their neighbors

while evil is in their hearts.

Give to them according to their work

and according to the evil of their deeds;

give to them according to the work of their hands;

render them their due reward.

Because they do not regard the works of the LORD

or the work of his hands,

he will tear them down and build them up no more.

Blessed be the LORD!

For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.

The LORD is my strength and my shield;

in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;

my heart exults,

and with my song I give thanks to him.

The LORD is the strength of his people;

he is the saving refuge of his anointed.

Oh, save your people and bless your heritage!

Be their shepherd and carry them forever.

-Psalm 28

5 Reasons I Love Hymns

1. "Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to the cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die."

2. "My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness;"

3. "And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain—
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?"

4. "Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned He stood;
Sealed my pardon with His blood.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!"

5. "Here is love, vast as the ocean
Lovingkindness as the flood
When the Prince of Life, our Ransom
Shed for us His precious blood
Who His love will not remember?
Who can cease to sing His praise?
He can never be forgotten
Throughout Heav'n's eternal days"

Had I not joined a church that sings mostly hymns I would not have learned many of these precious words. I thank God for the many hymn writers of the past who expressed so beautifully truths which make my heart sing. My favorite thing about a good hymn is that much of the stirring of my emotions is done by the lyrics rather than the music.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

thankfull

Its easy to get caught up in the daily grind and take things for granted. Sometimes i get so focused trying to get in a routine that when i get in one i forget to enjoy the small things in life. If i stop and think about it, i have A LOT to be thankful for number one being salvation and number two my sweet husband, but what about the breath that fills my lungs and that i get another day to live ( and hopefully live to the glory of God), or the fact that the sun actually came up. There's alot to be thankful for just in the fact that the order of the universe is still orderly and God is faithfull to keep it that way. anyways i know this is short and im sorry im not posting until after lunch, but what are you thankfull for?

grace and peace
sarah B.

Almost Thursday

I attended a wedding one time where one of the men who gave a speech started by saying that he loves to google stuff before he gives a speech or advice. For this post I thought I would try this method by “googling“ “the perfect woman“. Unfortunately the results wern’t very helpful or useful toward what I’m hoping to say.
Its almost Thursday July 15th which is the day we celebrate my wife Sarah’s birthday(because its her birthday). I want to take the time today to tell about the way God has blessed me with this woman.
Proverbs 31:10-31 since I was a young teen was what I was always told to seek in a wife. It seemed a bit strange to look for a girl that “is like merchant ships; She brings her food from afar”. I now know that this means the ability to shop at walmart while staying in budget. But seriously I’ve discovered that over the last year and (caugh) months that though my wife is a great cook (too good), a bright studier, great with money, beautiful, and a hard worker. The qualities that stick out the most that I never knew the weight of is her desire to read the word, theology books, and literally has the truth on her lips as well as speaking the truth constantly.
Just this week I realized that the only requests that she has asked of me in the last couple of months have simply been to spend a little bit more time together and to have a few more theological conversations. I think I can handle that. I pray that my wife never loses the love that she has for Christ and the cross.

She’s a blessing, my better half, and I hope you’ll wish her a happy 25 years of living.

So Shall Your God Rejoice Over You

Some thoughts from James Smith. I thought this was great.

"As the bridegroom rejoices over his bride--so shall your God rejoice over you!" Isaiah 62:5

That God should save a sinner at all--is a surprising display of unmerited grace! But that He should bring that sinner into the closest possible relation to Himself, and rejoice over him--is indeed most astonishing! And yet it is most true! For our Maker becomes our Husband! And as the bridegroom rejoices over his bride--so our God rejoices over us!

He set His heart upon us!

He encircled us with His infinite love!

He determined to raise us to His glorious throne!

He purposed to make us one with Himself!

He sent His only begotten Son to redeem us!

He sent His Holy Spirit to regenerate us!

He intends to raise us from the dead, perfect in holiness, and robed with immortality!

He will present us before His glorious presence with exceeding joy!

"He will rejoice over us with singing!" What exquisite joy will this impart! Jehovah singing with joy over His ransomed and restored creatures, as though their salvation could increase or perfect His happiness!

Let us meditate on this glorious fact, and prepare for the stupendous event!

"Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!" Revelation 19:9

"Come, I will show you the bride--the wife of the Lamb!" Revelation 21:9

An Infinite Sacrifice for an Infinite Crime

I tend to think that a person who has never question some aspects of their beliefs doesn’t have a very good understanding of their beliefs. This applies to faith, politics, business philosophies, etc… By that I am not saying that a person should doubt everything they believe, thus becoming a skeptic. I am saying that we should ask questions and be honest about things that we don’t understand very easily.

For example, last week Jonathan B. posted on the incommunicable attributes of God. I for one have often thought of the concept of eternity and it hurts to think about. I mean, I can’t imagine not existing because I’ve never done that before, but something about always existing is impossible for my brain to comprehend.

If we don’t ask ourselves and others these questions how will we ever “be ready to give a defense for the hope that is within us” (see 1 Peter 3:15)?

One of the questions that I had to think through and study long and hard was how the chronologically short-lived suffering of Jesus could atone for my sin which is deserving of eternity in hell. There isn’t a category in my brain for peculiar justice that immediately makes me understand God’s ways in redemption.

Could it be true, as Shai Linne says, that “forever will I tell in 3 hours Christ suffered more than any sinner ever would in hell”?

Because I asked the question, put in the time, I feel confident that “there is only one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Tim. 2:5)

My answer to this question is that finite punishment cannot satisfy the demands of an infinite sentence. Allow me to explain:

I. Why is Hell Eternal?

1. The honorability of the offended party increases the magnitude of the crime, the magnitude of the crime increases the level of punishment.

Is there a difference between the punishment for lying to an infant and lying to the President? Absolutely there is. Because we sin against the Holy God of the universe we deserve to be punished for an infinite crime, namely, cosmic treason.

2. There is no biblical evidence of the sinful nature being reversed when a person goes to hell.

We tend to assume that people repent in hell but it seems that their hearts are still hardened toward God (example, Luke 16:19-31 the rich man still sees himself as greater than Lazarus). Therefore, there is no reason to believe that cosmic treason ceases to be committed in Hell. A person cannot fulfill their sentence if they don’t stop committing punishable crime.

3. There is no biblical reason to assume that we can bear the full wrath of God.

This is where I believe many who believe in annihilationism get it wrong. They assume that a finite number of years (even in the millions) will eventually lead to a person bearing the full weight of the wrath of God for their sin. Even forgetting the first two points I just made, do we really believe we have that capacity? We can’t even look at God in the face without going blind, how will we bear His wrath sufficient to save ourselves?

II. How is the Suffering, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Sufficient to Save us from Eternal Punishment?

1. The value of the sacrifice (Christ) is equal to the value of the offended party (God).

It’s not easy to get my mind around this. In the same way that my crime against God is worthy of greater punishment than a crime against a person, Christ’s sufferings are worth more than my sufferings. Christ’s value makes him the sufficient savior for my sins, and not for mine only…(see 1 John 2:2)

2. Because Christ’s death purchased righteous standing before God, and eventual glorification for the saints, our crime against God has a stopping point.

Though we sin as Christians (more than we realize), and that sin can only be atoned for by Christ, we will eventually be given a new nature in which we will not sin. Therefore Christ’s infinite sacrifice atones for a finite number of sins.

3. There is every biblical reason to believe that Christ did bear the full wrath of God.

From the garden where he felt the weight of the cup of God’s wrath (see Luke 22:42), to his cry “it is finished” (John 19:30) Jesus suffered through what we are fully incapable of bearing, the wrath of God.

For these reasons and more we can be certain that Christ is the fully sufficient savior for the sins of mankind.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

The Wonder of the Cross

We sang this song in youth group on wednesday. It is one of my favorites and I wanted to post the lyrics, because they share the story of the gospel.


O precious sight, my Savior stands
Dying for me with outstretched hands
O precious sight, I love to gaze
Remembering salvation's day
Remembering salvation's day

Though my eyes linger on this scene
May passing time and years not steal
The power with which it impacts me
The freshness of it's mystery
The freshness of it's mystery

Chorus:
May I never lose the wonder
The wonder of the cross
May I see it like the first time
Standing as a sinner lost
Undone by mercy and left speechless
Watching wide eyed at the cost
May I never lose the wonder
The wonder of the cross

Behold the God - Man crucified
The perfect sinless sacrifice
As blood ran down those nails and wood
History was split in two
Yes, History was split in two

Behold the empty wooden tree
His body gone, alive and free
We sing with everlasting joy
For sin and death have been destroyed
Yes sin and death have been destroyed

My Lord i did not choose you

Unconditional election and limited atonement are difficult concepts to grasp. just when our human, finite minds think we've got it's back to square one and going over basic principles of who God is, who we are, the cross, and how we are dead in sins and can't nor wouldn't have chosen grace even if it bit us in the butt. It is only by Gods grace that we believe in Christ and we believe in christ by election.

I've been reading through The Five Points of Calvinism by David Steele, Curtis Thomas, and Lance Quinn and one of the appendix's is A Defense of Calvinism by Charles Spurgeon. There is one part that i keep going back to because it is so clear and rich and just good. Please enjoy this.

"John Newton used to tell a whimsical story, and laugh at it, too, of a good woman who said, in order to prove the doctrine of election, ' Ah! sir, the Lord must have loved me before i was born, or else He would not have seen anything in me to love afterwards.' I am sure it is true in my case; I believe the doctrine of election, because i am quite certain that, if God had not chosen me, I should never have chosen Him; and I am sure He chose me before i was born, or else He never would have chosen me afterwards; and He must have elected me for reasons unkown to me, for I never could find any reason in myself why He should have looked upon me with special love."

Praise God that he loves us just because and not for anything that we could do, for surely we are only capable of sin without Him.

Grace and Peace
sarah B.

No Comprende

Today I was reading some of my good buddy Wayne Grudem (and by good buddy I mean I enjoy reading his stuff and he seems to enjoy writing). The topic was on the Incommunicable attributes of God. It got me thinking about some of the things that we mention all the time that are not only indescribable but are typically unfathomable. One of the topics was time. Time is impossible to comprehend when you bring in the element that God is outside of time. There was no beginning nor will there be an end to God. Obviously I’m not the only person who has thought through time as it relates in eternity. But it does make history books seem like the snap of a finger in relation to the grandness of God. Back to the future suddenly has lost some excitement in the plot line. Even right now my mind is melting tying to type this.
The Unchangeableness of God was also difficult to think through. Psalm 102:25-27 was helpful here but just the fact that God never changes is weird to think through. This is defined as: God is unchanging in His being, perfections, purposes, and promises, yet God does act and feel emotions, and he acts and feels differently in response to different situations.

I recommend reading this chapter by My buddy http://books.google.ca/books?id=DA8xl4eagDcC&lpg=PP1&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false but more than anything I’m curious to know some things that are mind meltingly hard to grasp in relation to the attributes of God.

God is Love

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.
--1 John 4:7-9


God is love, and He has poured out His love upon the world in an amazing way. The Gospel shows us that God's love for the world is so strong that He came and died for the sins of the world! Sacrificial love is what brought deadness into life. And now (it should be no surprise) our perfect Father calls His children to be imitators of Him. His desire is that we walk in love (Ephesians 5:1-2). We are liberated so that we can be copy cats of God. We are given new life so that we can love. We are graced with freedom so that we can lay down our lives for our brothers. God calls His family to operate in a framework where love is our constant, consuming, joyous pursuit. We are called by God to love in such a way that baffles those who are not in Christ. Yes, they ought to know that we are Christians not by how smart we are, not by how well we can argue, not by how sinfully judgmental we are, but by our love!

Does this mean that we should love those that we disagree with?


Yes.


What if they are Christians but they don't line up with our theology like we think they should? Should we look down upon them? Should we mock their beliefs or interpretations of the Scriptures? Should we make their ideas or their concerns the butt of our jokes? Do we spend more time trying to defend our particular denomination or branch of theology than we do trying to creatively and affectionately serve our brothers and sisters? If so...why? Who are we really helping?


I believe that love ought to be the defining motive and mark in all of our interactions with those in the family of God. I think that friendly, helpful, and passionate debate is a wonderful thing; but if done without love, what is it really being done for? In 1 Corinthians chapter 13 we see some amazing thoughts. Paul writes to the believers in Corinth that if someone has prophetic powers, understands all mysteries, has all knowledge, or has a mountain-moving faith, but doesn't have love, that person is nothing. This is crazy! If you win the debate, but you don't have love, you are nothing. If you understand everything there is to ponder but you don't have love...you are nothing! It goes on to say that even if we give up everything to the point of giving up our body to be burned but don't have love, we are nothing. Romans chapter 12 also tells us that our love should be genuine as we seek to pour out brotherly affection. In fact we are instructed to "outdo one another in showing honor"!


In the book of Colossians we also see a huge emphasis on loving others. It commands the chosen ones of God to put on compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience. Paul continues on to say, "Above all these put on love which binds everything together in perfect harmony" (Colossians 3). Love for the family of God is absolutely not a side issue in the Christian life. Any theology that fails to put love front and center ought to be abandoned for the truth of God's Word. This is not some sort of thought that is trying to diminish the necessity or the importance of sound doctrine, rather, it is a sort of thought that is trying to flesh out the precious doctrines of the Bible into day-to-day living! I have heard it said, and I believe rightly, that "love is truth with legs on it". Biblical theology rightly understood ought to result in a greater love for our brothers and sisters in Christ.


These are not easy commands or concepts, but God continually shows His love towards repenters in forgiveness when we fail. I am so thankful that He continues to forgive when I don't love how I ought to. May it be our prayer that He strengthens us with supernatural love so that we might pursue this privilege and command to love all the more. What a beautiful way of living the Lord calls His children to.