Are Seminaries Hijacking a Local Church Mandate?

My friend Steve Camp is on one of his tirades again. As usual, Steve his aggressive, pointed, sometimes bombastic, and always thoughtful. Apparent throughout his articles and essays is a desire to bring Biblical principles to bear in the real world of life and ministry. I have never doubted Steve's passion for the sufficiency and authority of Scripture. This was apparent to me within minutes of picking him up at the airport the first time we met. I greatly appreciate his desire for a pure form of Christianity. Steve provides much fodder for debate among my friends and I.

In a recent post at Camp on This, regarding seminaries, Steve decries the fact the seminaries have assumed the responsiblities for training men for ministry and the local church has stood by to let this happen. I have not fully formed my thoughts on this, but have long held many of the same concerns. Please read the his post and share your comments to enlighten me. After I muse on it a bit more, I will share some of my thoughts.

By the way, this is exactly why I do a Blog. It has nothing to do with the fact that I think I have something of exceeding value to apss on to you. It has everything to do with interaction and mutual enlightenment. So please comment and let's encourage one another as iron sharpening iron.

Grace to You!

Is God still speaking?

The United Church of Christ has used the motto "God is still speaking", calling it their "Nationwide Identity Campaign," for some time now. They put forth the concept that the worldwide community of believers is to be accepting and embracing of all mankind. They believe that the Scriptures are part of God's revelation, but that God continues to speak as culture and society change. The universal concepts of grace and acceptance must be understood in light of a changing culture and evolving societal norms.

With these concepts providing the framework for discussion, debate and decision, the UCC meeting in General Synod voted overwhelmingly for the recognition of "marriage equality." This is completely consistent with the denominations long standing support for the homosexual lifestyle choice. They ask each UCC church to consider adopting a Wedding Policy that does not discriminate against couples based on gender.

This should not surprise us at all. During a survey of the churches website, I found very few Scripture references; those I did find took quite a bit of creative exegesis to be used the way they were. This conclusion, and many like it, are the natural results of dismissing the authority of the Word of God. When anything replaces the final authority of God's will, as revealed in the Word, pragmatism reigns supreme. This decision to endorse, even encourage, gay marriage is not a major jump. It is the next logical step for a group that has systematically denied the authority of Scripture.

We must be careful to examine our ministry and worldview decisions. What is our authoritative source? Might it be history, backed by proof texting? Perhaps a genuine desire to see people saved, but without regard to the methodology that would line up with Scripture? Motives are not always bad! But sincerity must be directed by the authority of God's Word. You've heard the saying, "It's alright to be sincere, but you can be sincerely wrong!"

Let's be very careful not to replace the authority and sufficiency of the Word of God with pragmatism, historical precedent, or even good, gracious motives, lest we begin to slide down the slippery slope of humanism like the UCC.

As always... Grace to You!

You are what you read...

You should always be reading at least one book.

Any of you that know me will not be surprised by that statement. I make a point in virtually every sermon I preach to recommend at least one book. Reading stimulates your mind. Even, especially perhaps, if you don't agree with the author. As a general rule, I am reading one book on theology and one biography. I am still working my way through The Biography of Robert Murray McCheyne, by Andrew Bonar. I am about to start a book I have wanted to read for a few years actually, but was recently given it as a gift from my good friend John Babri - Richard Baxter's The Reformed Pastor.

As important as reading is, one's reading diet must be carefully chosen. I do not advocate only reading books of your predisposed positions and ideas. Stretch your mind with the thoughts of those you might not agree with. For example, I have book in my TO READ stack (which is intimidatingly tall) called Why I Am Not a Calvinist, Jerry Walls and Joseph Dongell. Obviously, I will not agree with the conclusions of the authors, but I trust that my mind and presuppositions will be stretched.

My musing on this subject this afternoon was provoked by two recent Barna Group reports on the subject of reading. A report released on May 30, 2005, entitled Survey Reveals The Books and Authors That Have Most Influenced Pastors, was very enlightening regarding the state of our evangelical churches in America. "When pastors were asked to identify the three books that had been most helpful to them as a ministry leader during the past three years, more than two hundred different books were listed. However, only nine books were listed by at least 2% of all pastors," states the report. The top two books listed as most helpful to Pastors were The Purpose Driven Life (listed by 21% of Pastors) and the Purpose Driven Church (listed by 15% of Pastors. Now, don't misunderstand me. These aren't the worst books that a pastor can read... but THE MOST HELPFUL AS A MINISTRY LEADER??

The report indicated that "only seven additional books gained recognition from at least 2% of pastors – and each of those seven publications was chosen by 2%. Those books were What’s So Amazing About Grace? by Phillip Yancey; Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala; Wild At Heart by John Eldredge; Courageous Leadership by Bill Hybels; Spiritual Leadership by Henry Blackaby; Next Generation Leader by Andy Stanley; and the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell."

Even more of a concern was the type of books pastors spend their precious time reading. The chart below shows what category of books were chosen. The percentage indicates what portion of pastors polled listed at least one book in that category in their list of the three most helpful.

54% Personal Spiritual Growth
23 % Church Growth
22 % Leadership
9% Evangelism
6% Pastoring
5% Prayer
5% Charismatic Perspectives
4% Cultural Trends
3% Preaching

Only 3% of Pastors said they found a book on Preaching extremely helpful. Maybe they all have mastered the art of expositing God's Word before God's people week in and week out. Only 9 % have read a helpful book on Evangelism? I realize I am an Outreach Pastor, but I have read four books already this year on evangelism that have challenged and stretched me immensely. Perhaps I still have more to learn.

My concern is simply this, how can we expect evangelical Christians to be growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ when their pastors are spending more time reading books about methodolgy than theology. I understand that we need to package the goods in an attractive, understandable way. But when you don't even know what you are packaging, does the pretty wrapping paper even matter?

Why are Christian "Bookstores" so full of self help books? Book on methodology, psychology, church growth, etc... But if I want to find a book on soteriology, ecclesiology or the doctrine of God's sovereignty, I have to order it online? Because people, and their pastors, aren't reading books that stretch our minds and force us to interact with the theology of God.

What are you reading? I am try to make a list entitled 5 Must Read Books for Every Christian. I find in difficult to limit it to five. It may grow to 10. But I will popst it here soon. In the mean time, what are you reading? Even if it is the Purpose Driven Life, read something! And think about it as you read it!

Grace to You!

Which Theologian Are You?

Follow this link to a quick quiz to see which theologian your beliefs line up with. Not surprisingly, I ranked with Luther and Edwards. I was pretty close with Calvin - it was the padeobaptism that threw me off!

Click Here to take the quiz.

Have fun... and let me know what you find out!

Grace to You!

Martin Luther 80% Anselm 80% Jonathan Edwards 80% John Calvin 73% Karl Barth 67% Friedrich Schleiermacher 60% Charles Finney 33% Paul Tillich 20% Augustine 13% Jürgen Moltmann 13%

Which theologian are you?
created with QuizFarm.com

Why I Love the Church, part 2

NOTE: This the second part of a two part post. Scroll down to read the first two points contained in the previous post.

THURSDAY

Here we are again! This week we have been looking at the deep love that Christ has for the church. Author and Pastor John Stott commented, “If the church is central to God’s purpose as seen in both history and scripture, it must surely also be central to our lives. How can we take lightly what God takes so seriously? How dare we push to the circumference what God has placed at the center?” Challenging words, indeed. But we have already seen how much Christ loves the Church. Remember, Joh 6 teaches that the Church is that precious love gift given from God the Father to Christ His Son.

Let’s look again at our text, Ephesians 5.25-29. 25”Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. 28So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church”

The application we are seeking to draw from this text is our response to the Church. Do we love the Church like Christ loves the Church? To answer that question, we have to first understand how Christ loves the Church. There are at least four aspects of Christ’s love for the Church we find in this text. Tuesday we saw how Christ’s love was sacrificial, He laid down His life for the Church. As well, our love for our Church should be sacrificial.

Let’s look at a second aspect of Christ’s love for the Church that is found in 26 and 27. Christ’s love for the Church is INTENTIONAL. Christ’s love for the Church had a specific intention. According to verse 26, the focus of Christ’s love was to sanctify and purify the Church. Verse 26 says that Christ’s goal in His love was to sanctify the Church. To sanctify is to set apart, to purify. In other words, Christ wants a pure Church, a pure Bride. Verse 27 indicates that Christ will ultimately present the Church to Himself as His pure Bride. That is a reasonable expectation. We all desire a pure Bride. The text also indicates the means by which Christ would purify and sanctify His Church. Verse 26 makes reference to the washing of water with the Word. Christ is referencing the Old Testament imagery of the laver of water outside the place of sacrifice in the Old Testament Tabernacle. The picture is one of ceremonial cleansing. The water Christ uses to cleanse and sanctify His Church is the Word of God.

Now the tough application. If we love the Church like Christ loves the Church, we will have full expectation that the Word of God will be central to the ministry of the Church. The Word will be boldly proclaimed! It will faithfully taught! It will dominate the conversation among the corridors of our churches. If we love the Church like Christ loves the Church, the Word of God will be the final rule of faith and practice, not men’s traditions, preferences or history.

Let me speak as a pastor for a moment. What is your expectation of your Pastor? You should jealously guard the time your pastor has to study the Word of God in order to present it to the Church with the aim of the churches sanctification and purity. If you love the Church like Christ loves the Church, you will let that be your Pastor’s primary and undiluted responsibility.

Incidentally, the ministry of the Word of God is the responsibility of each and every Christian, not just pastors. See Col 3.16 and following where we are called to let the Word of Christ richly us as we admonish one another. If you love the Church as Christ loves the Church, you will be deliberate about ministering the Word of God the people of your church. Perhaps, in a card, a word of encouragement, a word of challenge or guidance, or in some other way, formally or informally.

Christ loves the Church SACRIFICIALLY and INENTIONALLY – do you?

FRIDAY

We have spent the week examining how Christ loves the Church and asking ourselves some penetrating questions. Do we really love the church like Christ loves the Church? I find that many of us often approach Church with a consumer mentality, instead of a passionate, relational mentality. What I mean is this… We are looking at we can get out of church much like we see what can get from a restaurant or a department store. Where will I get the best deal? Where will my needs be met best? Where will I find the best service? It doesn’t appear at all that Christ took this approach to the Church.

Let’s look a final time at our text for the week. Ephesians 5.25-29. 25”Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. 28So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church”

Christ loves the Church SACRIFICIALLY, that is he willingly laid down His life for the Church. Christ loves the Church INTENTIONALLY. That is to say He had a specific intent in His love for the Church, namely her sanctification and purity. Today we want to look at a third aspect of Christ’s love for the Church. Christ’s love the Church was UNCONDITIONAL. Though this thought is implied in our Eph 5 text, it is best expressed is Romans 5. Listen to the profound thoughts in these familiar verses… 6For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 8But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. . 10For while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son,”

Do you catch the thrust of those verses. Christ initiated the relationship with the Church apart from any overture or effort on the part of the Church. Christ was not seeking to get anything from the Church, because frankly, we have nothing to give. We are called dead in Christ, helpless, sinners, enemies. And yet Christ loved us, initiating a passionate love without reciprocation. In fact, Christ still passionately loves the Church and we often turn our back on Him and disappoint Him, yet he continues to love us.

Do we love the Church like Christ loves the Church? Do you love the Church because Christ loves the Church, or do you love the Church because you are (like a consumer) seeking what you can get from your church? I trust all of our churches give generously to spiritual aid and development of our people, but is that why you love the Church? Or do you, as Christ, love the Church unconditionally! These are tough thoughts, but we want to have the heart of Christ in regards to the Church. Christ loves the Church SACRIFICIALLY, INTENTIONALLY and UNCONDITIONALLY.

Let me wrap up with a little story. Dec 7, 1941, “a day that will live in infamy.” Japanese planes began dropping bombs on Pearl Harbor. By Monday morning, Dec 8, there were long lines at every armed services recruiting center in the country, people signing up without regards to future plans or any other obligations. They wanted to be part of what was happening in our country. Now, jump ahead 25 years… America finds herself in the middle of another conflict; however, this time we couldn’t get any volunteers. We had to draft people to serve by compulsion, and even then, many ran away. What made the difference? In 1941 people believed in the cause. In the 60’s and 70’s, people didn’t know or understand the cause enough to passionate jump on board.

Here is our challenge… we know the cause of the Church! Do you believe in it? Are you ready to commit to it and love the Church like Christ loves the Church? I hope you are!

Why I Love the Church, part 1

NOTE: I preached a sermon by this same title at my home church on May 15, 2005. I then attempted to deliver the same thoughts spread over five five-minute thoughts on a local Christian radio station. The quick devotional thougths could not fully capture the thrust of the message, but they do, I hope, give the essence of the thoughts. Here is the transcript of the radio broadcasts (given in two parts). But first the outline.

Why I Love the Church - Eph 5.25-33
Christ’s love for the Church was sacrificial (v25)Christ’s love for the Church was intentional (v26-27)
Christ’s love for the Church was nurturing (v28-30)
Christ’s love for the Church was unconditional (Rom 5.6,8,10)

Monday

In my house we have a … well, it’s an ugly flower pot. It is a little boy holding a fishing pole and there is this… what is supposed to look like a large weaved basket behind him. That is where the flowers go. It really is pretty ugly; certainly nothing I would ever buy. However, it is also not something that I would ever want to get rid of. You see… my father gave that flower pot to my mother the day I was born, almost 31 years ago. I remember that flower pot being all over the many houses I lived in growing up. Then almost 24 years to the day after my father gave it to my mother, my mother gave it to my wife, the day my first daughter was born. What makes that pot special is the giver. Surely you have items around your house that have been handed down through generations and are very precious to you.

This week, we are going to think a little bit about similarly, a very special gift. Let me read a few verses from the Bible. Ephesians 5. 25”Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. 28So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church,

Obviously, the primary application of this text is how a husband’s love for his wife should resemble the love that Christ has for his church. There is much to be said about that, however, this week, I want us to look at a secondary application. If a husband’s love for his wife should be based on Christ’s love for the church, it is necessary that we understand just how Christ did in fact love the church. The question of application I want us to consider then, this week, is simply this… “Do I love the church like Christ loves the Church?”

Remember our illustration of the ugly flower pot that is so special because of the giver? In a small way, that illustrates one of the primary reasons the church is so special and why Christ has such overwhelming love for the church. The church, that is, all born again believers who have trusted Christ alone for their salvation, that church, is a special love gift from God the Father to Christ His Son. Let me read a few verses to you from The Gospel of John 6.
37“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. 38“For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39“This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. 40“For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” 44“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.

You see what is going on there? Here is the picture I want to put into your mind this morning… God calls a people to give to Christ. Christ redeems this precious love-gift and nourishes it. The church is the precious love-gift that is passed from God the Father to Christ the Son as an expression of deep love. You see now why THE CHURCH IS OF GREAT SIGNIFICANCE TO CHRIST?

Christ loves the church and we should love the church likewise. In the next four mornings we are going to look at the verse we read from Eph 5 and discover four ways that Christ loves the church and ask ourselves: “Do we love the church like Christ loves the church?”

Remember today that your church is precious to Christ and it should be precious to you also. Do you love the Church like Christ loves the church?

TUESDAY
Yesterday morning we made an effort to express the fact that Christ loves the Church and we emphasized the reason He loves the Church. According to John 6, God calls a people to give to Christ. Christ redeems this precious love-gift and nourishes it. The church is the precious love-gift that is passed from God the Father to Christ the Son as an expression of deep love. You see now why THE CHURCH IS OF GREAT SIGNIFICANCE TO CHRIST?

In a wonderful little book entitled Stop Dating the Church Joshua Harris, Pastor of Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, MD states, “As Christians we are called to be imitators of God (Eph 5.1). We are to be conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8.29). Can there be any question that part of being like Christ is to love what He loves? Christians often speak of wanting God’s heart for the poor or the lost. These are good desires. But shouldn’t we also want God’s heart for the Church! If Jesus loves the Church, you and I should too. It’s that simple.”

So we must ask ourselves, “Do we love the Church like Christ loves the Church?” To answer that, of course we need to understand just how Christ loves his Church. Let’s look again at Eph 5.25 and following where will find at least four ways in which Christ loves the Church.

First we find in verse 25 that Christ loves the Church SACRIFICIALLY. Listen “25”Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her.” The word gave means to surrender or yield up. Christ surrendered His very life out of love for his Church. 1 Timothy 1.15 reminds us that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. That is the point of His coming. God put skin on in the person of Christ expressly to die. To Die and raise again victoriously over the power of sin and death to offer salvation to sinners like you and I. That is why he came.

It is worth noting also, in John 10.17-18 Jesus declares “I lay down my life … no one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord” Jesus was not a martyr. His life was not snuffed out too early. It was the perfect timing of His own choosing. No one had the power to take His life, He chose to lay it down to redeem the Church, the precious gift given to Him by his Father.

Clearly, Christs love for the Church was SACRIFICIAL. Now, do you and I love the Church like Christ loves the Church? Do we love the Church sacrificially? Some of us may be called to lay down our life for the furtherance of the Church, but most will not. We called to sacrifice in much smaller ways. We call it a sacrifice when we give a small percentage of our hard earned money to the church. We call it sacrifice when we get up early to go to a Saturday morning outreach event. We call it a sacrifice when we have to stand up to our friends who mock and scorn godliness and laugh at sin. These things we call sacrifices pale in comparison to what Christ sacrificed for the church – His very life.

Do you love the Church sacrificially? How is that demonstrated in your commitment to your church? Are you present to encourage and build up the flock when they gather for corporate worship? Are you there when a need arises in a ministry? Does your Pastors and ministry leaders have to stand in the pulpit and beg for people to help in various ministries while you sit in the pew and decide if you can give up an hour of your precious time to serve the Church?

These are tough questions I know. But friends, Christ loves the Church sacrificially and so should you and I. Maybe you should call you church today and see haw you can love that ministry today! Let’s Pray

The Greater Good??

I made a decision a couple of months ago to avoid musing about politics specifically on this Blog, however, this morning I need to make a few comments about local Toledo politics. This is essential at this time, because there are striking similarities between the local Democratic agenda and the issue of Evangelical Co-Belligerence that we have been discussing. Let me explain…

Toledo lawyer, and former City Councilman, Keith Wilkowski, a Democrat, has announced his bid to be Toledo’s next mayor. This shouldn’t be such interesting news. Toledo is, after all, dominated by the Democratic politicians, even in the midst of their own schism. In making his much expected announcement, Mr. Wilkowski said, “cannot stand by and watch this city continue to decline. It really is that straightforward. It's not about friendships or political alliances or which politicians support other politicians” “Why did Wilkowski have to mention friendships?” those of you lucky enough to not live in the Toledo area may ask. Well, let me give you a small insight into the local politics of Toledo. You see if there is an illustration of the current evangelical movement.

The local Democratic Party is experiencing a major schism (locally referred to as the “A Team” and “B Team”). Our mayor finds himself at the helm of the “A Team,” which is currently out of control of the Democratic Central Committee. Mr. Wilkowski was a member of the PAC that was created specifically to reelect Jack Ford as mayor of Toledo, in fact, he was the Treasurer. After multiple local polls indicated the Mr. Ford had virtually no chance to be reelected, Mr. Wilkowski announced his own bid. Wilkowski has been asked many times how he could be treasurer of a campaign for Jack Ford and now run against Mr. Ford. He is asked to comment on Mr. Ford’s record. What shortcomings of the Ford Administration led Mr. Wilkowski to run against him? Wilkowski is very nuanced in his answers. He refuses to be critical of Mayor Ford. Why? Because Mr. Wilkowski wants an A Team Democrat to be elected mayor, even if it is Jack Ford. Ford would be better than B Team Democrat, former Mayor Carty Finkbeiner, who appears poised to run again. And Ford would certainly be better, according to Mr. Wilkowski’s scheming, than stealth Republican candidate Rob Ludeman. If Mr. Ford somehow pulls out a victory over Mr. Wilkowski in the primaries (highly unlikely) than Mr. Wilkowski will have to throw his support BACK to Jack. He can’t offer any sound bites now that will be used against Jack in the general election later this fall.

If this is a bit confusing… welcome to Toledo politics! Let me sum up. Keith Wilkowski is not concerned about the best person to take Toledo forward. He is concerned solely about getting an A Team Democrat to occupy the Mayor’s chair. Therefore, he cannot say anything condemning his own primary opponent.

Do you see the connection yet to the confusion that is evangelicalism in America? Very well intentioned evangelical leaders, such as James Dobson, Pat Robertson, even Albert Mohler, seek to create a political atmosphere that is conducive to conservative morality. While I greatly appreciate these efforts, I have a deep concern that in this effort, there is a lack of clarity on the gospel. Evangelicals are linking arms with Catholics, Mormons, and many others who deny the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Is the greater concern the declaration of the Gospel to a lost and dying world or creating a cultural context that is fits our biblical convictions? In other words, are we more concerned for the greater good of mankind (i.e. the proclamation of the gospel) or that our team wins (conservative judges and politicians)?

I have been doing much thinking, studying, praying about passages such as 2 Cor 6.14-18, which contextually is linked to 2 Cor 5.16-21, where Paul charges us that our greatest is distinguishing those who are “in Christ” and those who are “without Christ.” I am afraid that many evangelical leaders today are more concerned over dividing those who think like we do from those who are more liberal than we are. In doing so, we blur the lines that the Gospel so clearly draws between those “in Christ” and those “without Christ.”

Just some humble thoughts for you to muse on this week. What are your thoughts on 2 Cor 5-6? What does it mean to be “unequally yoked?” What do phrases like “be separate from them” and “touch no unclean thing” mean? Your thoughts…

Let the Word of Christ richly dwell in you today….
Grace to You!

"User Friendly" gone off the deep end!

As if the whole idea of a "user friendly" church or a "seeker driven" church isn't inane enough, some churches are taking the philosophy to its next logical step. Churches offer "drive-thru" Sunday services is a telling news piece about the extreme ends to which a so called church will go to "reach people with the gospel." Is this what Paul meant when he mentioned becoming "all things to all people?"

I actually mentioned drive thru marriages in a recent post in a tongue in cheek manner. It appears I was not too far from making a true to culture comment.

Maybe the scariest comment is the very last sentence of the article, "God created us each and every one good, and we celebrate that." Is that not the underlying false theology that drives the whole "seeker" philosophy. Each human is good and has within themselves the ability to turn to God, we simple need to provide the impetus through gimmicks and the like?

What about Romans 3.20 "There is no one righteouss, no not one. There is none that seek God." People will not naturally turn to God until He draws them. The primary means he uses to draw men to himself is the bold preaching of His Word (John 17.17; Rom 10.17; 2 Tim 3.15).

Something for you to muse on this afternoon!

Grace to You!

There Are No Athiests!

EDITOR'S NOTE: This post is being republished. It was originally posted on Feb 23, 2005. In light of some recent study, I decided to repost it for your encouragement and interaction. Grace and Peace to you through our Lord Jesus Christ!

I teach a class at my church on Tuesday nights called Grace Evangelism. We meet at 6:00 PM for a time of study then go out on visitation. This week the topic of study was the evangelistic implications of Romans 1.18-20 and Romans 2.14-15.

Romans 1.18 "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse."

There are certain gospel truths that all humankind already know. God uniquely designed the entire universe to point to Himself. From creation, there are at least two attributes of God that all humanity have embedded on their minds. According to verse 20, all men clearly perceive God's eternal power and His divine nature.

God's eternal power is evidenced in His personal creation of all the world through the person of Jesus Christ and his moment by moment sustaining its very existence. Every man, woman and chiild who every lived or ever will live on this earth knwo that. Why do you think people instinctively call on God when an earthquake or a tsunami rattles their existence? Why do they call out to God when traumatic circumstance beset them? Because they instinctively know of the eternal power of God.

All humankind are also clearly aware of God's divine nature, that is His goodness and grace commonly spread to all humanity. To a limited degree, God's grace is made available to every person without regard to location, religion, gender, race, etc. He rains on the just and the unjust alike (cf Matt 5.45). This is why even the unsaved both plead for God to deliver rain and curse His name when they get too much of it. They know the divine nature of God.

Os, if the Bible is true, and I believe that it always is, there are no atheists! There may well be professing atheists, much as there are professing Christians who are not genuine. All men have the very existence of God already etched on their minds. According to verse 18, they "By their unrighteousness supress the truth." That means it is there, just pushed down under layers of disobedience, rebellion and denial. But it is there. I have a friend named John who claimed for many years to be an atheist. He is very intellectual, very sharp. The very beauty and order of the created world sent him on a religious search for the essence of reality and source of life. He eventually landed at the Gospel and God turned his life around. What was it in John that sent him searching for Truth? That's right, it was the very truth of God already inscribed on his heart.

What is the evangelistic implications of this truth? There are no atheists, so what of those who claim to be atheists? We do not argue for the existence of God or His authority. We rather confront the point of sinful rebellion by building on the foundation of truth God has already put in his heart. Evangelism is the work of God. We get to be His mouthpieces as He completes the work He began in creation!

Grace to You!

Blinded By Might

According the ever vocal John Gibson over at “Fair and Balanced” Fox News (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,155422,00.html) “The very same team that was helping to get John Kerry elected, muttering the whole time that Bush lied to get the country into a war…” are now helping Prime Minister Tony Blair in his bid for a third term by insisting that he did not lie about the war. Interesting how Bush was a conniving liar and Blair was simply mislead. But hey, don’t let the facts get in the way of an agenda, by all means!

This really shouldn’t come as a surprise. Democrats, like most politicians (I almost said “all,” but I am still optimistic that there are a few honest ones out there) get blinded by their grab for power and influence that they readily compromise integrity. They simply assume most American won’t pay attention to what is happening on the other side of the big pond. They can say one thing here and another thing over there and be growing their power bases in both places. This is all par for the political course.

The concern I have this morning is the parallel that I see between modern politicians and many evangelical leaders. Power and influence are dangerous weapons that, when possessed, can be wielded to effect far reaching change. This is just as true for evangelicals as it is for politicians. This proven fact is demonstrated throughout recent evangelical history. For the most obvious example, look at the influence that Rev. Billy Graham has had on numerous American presidents. His son and assumed heir, Franklin Graham is already beginning to wield that political power that comes as a result of his status as an evangelical leader. Jerry Falwell, Pat Buchanan, Gary Bauer, Tony Perkins, James Dobson and more recently Al Mohler, are all examples of how evangelical influence translates to political influence. This can all be well and good, even helpful to the greater cause of evangelicalism, namely the spread the gospel of faith alone in Christ alone – the good news that Christ appeased the wrath of God and opens the narrow door of heaven for all who would believe in Him alone.

The rub comes when evangelical leaders, like their political counterparts, begin to compromise their integrity, or worse, the integrity of the gospel, to gain political clout. Democratic leaders like Bob Shrum and Stan Greenberg blatantly call Bush a liar and then rush to wrap their arms around Blair precisely because it seems apparent the Blair will glide to an easy victory and the Democrats want a bit of influence with Blair and other Europeans. So what if their integrity is a bit compromised? The political clout they will gain far outweighs any potentially negative press they will get here in the States. Evangelical leaders like Dobson are doing the same thing. They are sidling up with Roman Catholics, as well as many liberal evangelicals, that deny the very claims of the gospel in the hopes of gaining political clout to effect change. Those changes would be helpful and well received by most of us evangelicals, but not at the expense of throwing the gospel out the window.

As I have commented before, (as has Steve Camp and James White much more fluently – and boldly – as I) there is nothing helpful or loving about fixing the cultural and political climate while denying the claims of the gospel – the only means to fix the real issue of lost people’s hearts. Once the evangelicals have hijacked the political system and effected the desired changes, how will they be able to come back and preach the gospel of grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone that they have marginalized for the last decade?

No doubt about it, there is much needed political change in America, starting right here in Toledo and going all the way to the Supreme Court and even the White House. I am working to effect that change in small, grass roots ways. I hope to help in some small way to get Rob Ludeman elected Mayor of Toledo. I hope to be a part of getting Kenneth Blackwell elected Governor of Ohio. But in this process, I must never compromise the heart of the Gospel or my own integrity to effect a temporal change.

May evangelicals everywhere be able to say as Paul, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe.” (Rom 1.16)

Grace to You!

Giving God Advice

Surely he was speaking tongue-in-cheek, but his comments were quite interesting. During an audience with German Catholics, Benedict XVI offered a bit of telling humor. "As the trend in the ballots slowly made me realize that — in a manner of speaking, the guillotine would fall on me — I started to feel quite dizzy," the 78-year-old Benedict told his countrymen, smiling and chuckling. "I thought that I had done my life's work and could now hope to live out my days in peace. "I told the Lord with deep conviction, 'Don't do this to me. You have younger and better (candidates) who could take up this great task with a totally different energy and with different strength.' Evidently, this time he didn't listen to me."

See the whole story here –
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=518&u=/ap/20050425/ap_on_re_eu/pope&printer=1

Again, in this immediate context, it is obvious that Benedict XVI was “working the crowd.” He was having some fun. But it is quite telling regarding his theological persuasion. Of course the Pope thinks he can not only give God advice, but actually add to or change the existing, authoritative and final Word of God. If you believe that theology evolves it must be interpreted by someone. The Catholic Church puts that onus on the Pope. He not only interprets the Scripture for the masses, he speaks authoritatively as the “vicar of Christ.” Thus, the development of Catholic Church traditions and writings are on even plain with the once delivered, final Word of God.

This is much like the so called progressive historians that believe the United States Constitution is an evolving document that must be interpreted and explain with each new generation. Thus, we have the oligarchy in black we call the Supreme Court that “interprets” (rather rewrites) the Constitution with each new case before them.
It is easy for us to take shots at the Catholic concept of giving God advice, however; we evangelicals as even worse. We claim to have a final authority in the Word and then live as though we can interpret that final authority based on our feelings or the relative circumstances of a given situation. How many times do we here comments like: “God has told me to…” “I feel God wants me to …” “God is leading me to …”

As Christians who claim to hold the view of the authority and sufficiency of Scripture, we must be careful to let the Word speak in its historical, grammatical, contextual reality first. Only then can we had an idea of what the Scripture calls us to do today. God only speaks through His Spirit revealing His Word to the minds of regenerate men and women.

I believe in the priesthood of every believer, but not the infallibility of every man’s feelings.
Some things to think about this morning!

Grace to You!

The Burden of Leadership

My friend Steve Camp has once again sounded the alarm for the recognized leaders of the Evangelical community to stand up and be counted on the side of the Gospel. Read his compelling plea at his web ministry Audience One in an article titled The New Religious Common Ground. http://a1m.org/index.php

Allow me to muse here regarding the burden I feel as one who has accepted a certain level of leadership in the evangelical world, much lesser than the likes of Steve Camp or the men he calls out in his article. Even less than my own Senior Pastor, however, a certain level of influence I do have and thus the burden is upon me properly exercise that influence.

Three passages come to my mind, so allow me to briefly comment on each.

James 3.1-2 speaks of leadership in terms of ones role as a communicator. “1Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2For we all stumble in many ways, and if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.” (ESV) Here we see the challenge of leadership to be one of controlling our tongue. The text goes on to emphasize the untamableness of the Herhuman tongue. The power and greatness of the spoken word ios referred to as a bit in horse’s mouth, a rudder on a ship, a small spark that ignites a devastating forest fire, and a wild beast. The context is clear, for in verse 13 James continues speaking of leadership and maturity in the area of wisdom. Therefore, one of the great challenges of leadership (i.e. “teaching”) is to be careful what you say and when and how you say it. As evangelical leaders, we must be unquestionably clear on, above all else, the heart of the gospel. Our tongues cannot spill forth words of praise for a man who teaches such heresies as papal infallibility and grace received from the Treasury of Merit dolled out in accordance to penance and yet speak of grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. As James 3.11-12 says “11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.” Clear, bold challenge for teachers/leaders to speak clearly the gospel.

2 Timothy 1.8-14 is Paul’s exhortation to Timothy to guard with great diligence the gospel that has been entrusted to him. “(8) Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God… (14) By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.” (ESV) There is in Scripture an overwhelming and oft repeated call for leaders to contend earnestly for the faith. This is the repeated theme throughout the pastoral epistles of Paul, as well as the overarching theme of Christian ministry in general. A leader can do a lot of things well, but if you fail to stand firmly for the doctrines of grace, you fail your role as a spiritual leader. As Steve Camp so aptly remarked, “it doesn’t matter if we work hard to get proper medical supplies, food and water to those who are starving to death in impoverished countries, but fail to provide them the nourishment needed for their starving souls—the Bread of Life—the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Matt 18.1-6 is perhaps the most grace and fearful of the challenges of leadership. In response to a question regarding greatness (i.e. leadership) in the kingdom of heaven, Jesus calls a little child to himself. He then uses this child to illustrate the humbleness needed to come to faith in Christ. After the question is answered, Christ uses the opportunity he created to emphasize the need for those who do humble come to faith in Christ like a child to be taught/lead. He gives this warning to those who would assume the role of leading these new humble Christians. “5Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.” The onus of faithful leadership is weighty.

Indeed, every individual believer will give an account for his beliefs and actions, but those who stand in leadership will be given a stricter judgment and have a weightier task of carefully choosing where, when and what to speak. May God graciously give to me the wisdom necessary for such a huge task.

Grace to You!

WHY DO I FEEL THE NEED TO DEFEND POPE BENEDICT XVI

The pope is a heretic. Catholic theology is heretical. They deny the sufficiency of the perfect sacrifice of Christ. The Scriptures calls for this kind of heresy to be an anathema. Why do I feel the need to go to the defense of Pope Benedict XVI?

It is amazing, though not surprising, the extremely negative, though guarded, opinions set forth regarding the elevation of Cardinal Ratzinger to the papacy on the editorial pages of the elite American media. A survey of April 20 editorials alone was telling. The New York Times had five articles focused on Benedict XVI. Four had extremely negative headlines and bias. They called him “conservative” eighteen times. 18! The Los Angeles Times said of Ratzinger, “serving as the pope's doctrinal enforcer... he has been a largely polarizing force in the church, coming down hard on Catholic leaders who sought social justice in Latin America or dissented from the Vatican in their teachings.” How dare the man charged with defending Catholic orthodoxy actually defend Catholic orthodoxy! What a… a… CONSERVATIVE. As if they couldn’t come up with a worse term. The Washington Post said, “we hope he'll weigh the possible benefits of new medical technologies, and not dismiss them out of hand,” referring to Ratzinger's long held argument against reproductive technology, human cloning, and stem cell research. The Boston Globe lamented the fact the Benedict XVI would continue the hard line regarding priestly celibacy and ordination of women, hinting that these were the chief reasons for the decline of the faithful American Catholics. Maureen Dowd, the ever honest and fair columnist (Gag me!) made a concerted effort to point out Ratzinger’s involvement in the Hitler Youth organization as a young teenager in Bavaria, Germany. She conveniently failed, however, to mention that in Bavaria participation was compulsory and that Ratzinger deserted the Nazi Army after being drafted at age 16. But hey, don’t let the facts get in the way of your bias, Maureen, that has never stopped you before!

Again, why am I rushing to the defense of a Catholic heretic? The elite, mainstream media will continue to disparage anyone with conviction. Anyone who has the audacity to claim to know a certain absolute truth will be marginalized and categorized as an extremist. Pope Benedict XVI is the not the first and will certainly not be the last to be called an extremist, anti-intellectual, right-wing, conservative, simply because he holds to the existence of absolute truth. Look at Rev. Jerry Falwell. He is frequently demonized for his public stance on conservative, biblical morality. Admittedly, his methods are often unnecessarily acerbic, however, his conviction of the absolute authority of the Word of God is what brings him the bulk of his criticism.

Scripture reminds us to preach the word in season and out of season, warning that people will not put up with sound doctrine, but rather gather teachers that feed their passions. Today the passions of Americans include promiscuity, the elevated role of women to leadership positions, denominational and even religious ecumenism and many others. Passions are what drive us. People gather unto themselves teachers that will tell them what they want to hear and make them feel good. Anyone who place authority outside of the individual passions of the people will be marginalized and demonized.

Any evangelical preacher worth his salt will understand what I am saying. If people have never been offended by the preaching of the word under your ministry, you are not unashamedly preaching the gospel. The cross and the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ alone offends the unbeliever, and many so-called believers as well.

Pope Benedict XVI will continue to be categorized as a polarizing figure. He will be cast as an un-enlightened old-school conservative. But remember, the “orthodoxy” that makes Benedict XVI such a polarizing figure is heresy. He holds that Mary is the Co-Repemptrix, the Church (meaning the papacy) is absolutely authoritative and the Priest, as a papal representative, can absolve the sin of the faithful who do proper penance.

We must continue to stand against the heresy of Romanism and guard our people from the wolves that present themselves in the sheep’s wool. However, we must be reminded from the elite media attention that Benedict is getting, we will be challenged, even demonized, when we stand for the absolute truth of God’s Word.

Stand firm my friends, the days are evil.

Grace to You!

Habemus Papum!

We have a Pope!

So went the cry of "the faithful" in The Vatican! With the selection of the German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as the new Pope, we can be fairly certain the Romanists will keep pace with the conservative cultural fight of the days. The Vatican will use its bully pulpit to argue against human cloning, abortion, birth control and ordination of women or homosexuals. For that we can be thankful.

We can, however, also be certain that Mary will continue to be worshipped, priests the world over will attempt to re-present the death of Christ at every mass and "the faithful" will continue to do penance for "the absolution of their sin."

I do not go on the record with predictions too often. However, let me offer my expectation that the Roman Catholic Church will see a quick and substantial influx of numbers attending mass. Then in short order the numbers will significantly decrease. The majority of Catholics, at least American Catholics, are far more cuturally liberal than John Paul II or Benedict XVI. They desire the ordination of women, if not homoselxuals. They do not practice the Catholic belief that birth control is wrong. They do not hold to a pro-life position. Just look at John Kerry or Ted Kennedy, or most any Catholic in your neighborhood. Catholics, much like most Americans, do not like the idea of someone having authority over them. As Ratzinger continues the tradition of the previous Pope of consolidating authority and control in Rome, the people in the pews will increasingly see the Church as irrelevant and outdated.

This bodes poorly for the Catholic Church. This same mentality, however, bodes poorly for evangelicals as well. I beleive the Bible teaches that the Church, as the pillar and ground of the Truth, has a certain authority in the lives of believers. People don't like that. When churches and pastors, preach authoritatively the doctrines of grace, people will flock away. Oh, some will come, as God continues to do the work of regeneration. But the statistics (usually) don't lie. More Americans are calling themselves religious, even "born-again." But less and less are actually darkening the doors of churchs (which gives at least one indicator of the genuinesness or lack thereof of their profession).

Anyway... there you go! Sorry to be negative today. But sometimes we must face reality. Preach the word in season and out of season... but do so with longsuffering. People will respond to God's word (He has promised that). They just might not do it as fast as we'd like!

Grace to you!

Do Romanist really believe the Pope is Holy Trinity?

As 115 Bishops gather in a secret conclave in the Sistine Chapel under the historic work of Michelangelo, the world waits to see who will be the next man to claim holy inerrancy. I find it interesting that by the vote of 115 bishops a man is declared to be, from that point forward, inerrant and assumes holy names for himself that the Scripture ascribes to God alone. I want to examine three of those here.

“The Holy Father”
How often do we hear on the news or read in the paper someone referring to John Paul II as the “Holy Father?” This name more than the others gives attention to the hierarchical structure of the Roman Catholic Church. They believe this man elected by other men to be the head of the Roman Church to be worthy of a title that Jesus says belongs to God alone. In Matthew 23.9 Jesus tells his followers, “Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.” Jesus is in the midst of exposing the gig of the Pharisees, who “say things and do not do them. They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger. But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, and respectful greetings in the market places” (v3-7) He warns of setting yourself up as one who claims to have superiority over others. Certainly we understand that within the structure of the Church, God has established order and structure; however, we must exercise such leadership with great care and in all humility. The name “Father” is reserved for God alone for it assumes not only positional headship but superiority of essence. Then to be so bold as to attach the descriptive “Holy!” I tremble when folks at our church call me “Pastor.” What a weight of responsibility! In assuming the adjective “Holy” the Pope is declaring a status the Scripture indicates we will not attain until we reach Glory.

"The Pontiff"
To pontificate means to “make a bridge” The etymology of the word is Latin, from pont-, “bridge” + facer “to make.” Therefore, assuming the title “Pontif” is to assume the right and responsibility to be one's bridge to God. The Pope claims to be the one who gives the faithful access to God. Thus the Pope, and the rest of the Holy Mafia, can offer forgiveness, absolution, etc in exchange for various indulgences. The Scripture teaches there is only one mediator between God and Man. That mediator is not Mary! It is the man Jesus Christ (1 Tim 2.5,6) In fact the writer of Hebrews also reminds us of the intercessory role of Christ. “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (4.14-16). Neither the Pope, nor anyone else, can take the mediatory role of Christ.

“The Vicar of Christ”
A “vicar” is one who serves as a substitute or agent. It comes from the Latin vicarius, also the root of the English word “vicarious,” as in the vicarious (substitutionary) atonement of Christ. By assuming this title, the pope actually claims to be the one who stands in the stead of Christ. This is how the pope, as well as other Roman Catholic clergy believe they have a right to delcare “Your sins are absolved!” to a faithful Catholic who observes the Sacrament of Penance. The Bible declares that it is Christ alone who stands as our Advocate before God. It is His privilege to deliver to us the absolution of our sins as a result of the once for all sacrifice He made on the cross. But the Pope claims to be standing in the stead of Christ. There is only one “vicar of Christ.” In John 16.5-15 Jesus promises, “But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.” Christ declares that the Holy Spirit will be His vicar. The Holy Spirit will stand in the stead of Christ. No man, no pope is ever to blasphemously claim to be the vicar of Christ.

Thus in assuming the three blasphemous names of “Holy Father,” “Vicar of Christ,” and “Pontificate,” the Pope is taking the role and assuming the very identity of the Holy Trinity - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Thus the origin of the historical claims of Biblical Protestants that the Papacy is the seat of the Antichrist. Whether Pope John Paul II is in fact THE Antichrist prophesied in Scripture is yet to be determine. It is, however, certain that The Pope, all popes, are antichrists. Drawing attention away from the real Savior Jesus Christ and redirecting it to the Church, Mary or The Pope himself.

As Bible believing Christians, we must continue to warn of the wolves in sheep's clothing and faithful proclaim the once for all, finished, sufficient sacrifice of Christ alone.

Grace to You!

Waking Up In Perdition

I wish I could be done writing about the passing of John Paul II, but the news will not let it go. There is coming soon the announcement of yet another man to assume the blasphemous titles of "Holy Father," "Vicar or Christ," and "Pontificate." In a soon coming post we will look at how the Bishop of Rome, in assuming these three names, presumptively takes upon himself the very names of the three persons of the Holy Trinity.

In th meantime, let me comment about a another evangelical leader that I greatly respect. In my role as Director of Operations at a Christian Camp and Retreat Center, I had the privilege of partnering in minstry with Steve Camp. Steve in a legend in Christian Music. I greatly appreciate thetheological depth and biblical commitment presented in his music. In the past few years I have come to appreciate Steve even more so as a bold, clear communicator of Truth. When many evangelical leaders are caving to ecumenism and blurring the truth of the gospel, Steve has been faithful in standing for the heart of the Gospel. He is truly a "no holds barred" proclaimer of Truth. See here his most recent posts of the final "resting place" of John Paul II. Warning! Reading this post will be dangerous to any inkling of ecumensim you might posses! Be challenged!

http://a1m.org/index.php

Grace to you!

Standing in the Tradition of Luther

The attempt to undo the Reformation continues full speed ahead. This time however, one evangelical leader that I greatly respect threw the gospel under the runaway bus of ecumenism and political clout. Dr. Al Mohler appeared on Focus on the Family with Dr. James Dobson and two prominent Catholics yesterday (4/6) and failed to defend the gospel. To be fair, Dr. Mohler did not acquiesce to the ecumenical heritage of Dobson, but he didn’t stand firm to call the pope the heretic that he was either. John Paul II blatantly denied the sufficiency of the gospel of Jesus Christ time and again in his encyclical writings, as I have presented the last couple of days. But Mohler passed on the opportunity to stand in the tradition of Luther and defend the heart of the gospel. Very disappointing indeed! Hear the discussion here: http://www.family.org/fmedia/broadcast/a0036100.cfm

My Senior Pastor Philip DeCourcy took full advantage of the necessary opportunity to point out the wolf in sheep’s clothing that was Pope John II. He went through some key theological heresies that appear in the Pope’s encyclical writings. He also dealt with the various blasphemous titles that the Pope took unto himself. Our folks responded very well to the gracious, yet firm, manner in which the material was presented.

While ultimately, a biblical heritage is fundamental, we must also remember the men on whose shoulders we evangelicals stand. These men, in the tradition of Luther, stood often to their death, for the grace of God in Christ alone. The London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689 in Section 26: Of the Church, line 4 states "The Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the church, in whom, by the appointment of the Father, all power for the calling, institution, order or government of the church, is invested in a supreme and sovereign manner; neither can the Pope of Rome in any sense be head thereof, but is that antichrist, that man of sin, and son of perdition, that exalteth himself in the church against Christ, and all that is called God; whom the Lord shall destroy with the brightness of his coming." Read for yourself here:
http://www.vor.org/truth/1689/1689bc00.html

Now it seems apparent that John Paul II is not The Antichrist - otherwise, he will be rising from the dead soon and my pre-tribulational rapture position is wrong! But it is quite clear that John Paul II and the Roman Catholic Church are anti-christ in the sense that they completely deny, from the Council of Trent all the way through Vatican II, the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.

Will evangelicals stand up for the gospel or melt into the mucky pool of theological compromise while grasping for political power? I will continue to stand with Luther to call the wolves within the fold of the church to repent. I will not stand with them to gain any political clout. Nor do I believe that we can best glorify God by joining hands for the purpose of promoting a "form of godliness while denying the power therof" with those who deny the sufficiency of the cross of Christ.

In Acts 20.29 Paul reminds the Ephesian elders that “fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.” May we be ever vigilant to guard our flocks from the wolves that infiltrate the ranks of true believers.

Grace to you!

There is One Mediator between God and Man

As I continue to watch (and mostly read) the coverage of the death of John Paul II, I am amazed (though I shouldn’t be) at the extent of the Marian Theology. It is cult-like and very scary. Let me remind you of the comments I made yesterday regarding the Pope’s high view of Mary as the Co-Redemptrix and Mediatrix.

From the “Redeemer of Man” – an encyclical letter of His Holiness John Paul II: “if we feel a special need, in this difficult and responsible phase of the history of the Church and of mankind, to turn to Christ, who is Lord of the Church and Lord of man's history on account of the mystery of the Redemption, we believe that nobody else can bring us as Mary can into the divine and human dimension of this mystery. Nobody has been brought into it by God Himself as Mary has. It is in this that the exceptional character of the grace of the divine Motherhood consists. Not only is the dignity of this Motherhood unique and unrepeatable in the history of the human race, but Mary's participation, due to this maternity, is God's plan for man's salvation through the mystery.”

You can read the whole of his encyclical letter on redemption here: http://www.cin.org/jp2ency/redeem.html

Did you catch that last comment? God’s plan for man’s salvation is Mary’s participation in bringing Christ to the world and participating in His suffering. She therefore becomes the Mother Grace. I actually heard another Vatican official comment the John Paul II was going to lay down his rewards at the feet of Mary! Presumably he believes that Mary will in turn lay his worship at the feet of God on his behalf. Hence the bad theology that Mary is the Mediatrix, or the mediator between God and Man. Read 1 Timothy 2.5,6: “5For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.” (ESV) Who has the Scripture declared to be the one mediator between God and man? There is only one! The “Man Jesus Christ.” The word here translated mediator is from Greek mesites. The idea is we have one who acts as the link between two parties for the purpose of peace. Jesus is the link between sinful man and Holy God. Jesus is the one who brings the peace. Romans 5.1,2 “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” How do we have peace with God? “Through Jesus Christ,” and by means of justification. It is this justification that allows us (verse 2) to “obtain access by faith into this grace.”

Without justification, there is no redemption. Justification comes at a cost. 2 Cor 5.21 is the most succinct and profound verse on the heart of the gospel. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Justification comes at the cost of imputation. Christ Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin on our behalf. He actually became the embodiment of sin itself, without ever sinning or diminishing His divine character. He did this to bear the totality of the God’s wrath against sin. Jesus paid the debt that appeased the wrath of God. Our sin was imputed to Christ Himself. But that is not all. There is another side to the coin of imputation. As our sin was imputed to Christ, His righteousness was imputed to us. Just as Christ never sinned, never became a sinner, never diminished His divine character, rather; He undeservedly bore the wrath of God in our substitution, we too undeservedly receive the righteousness of God. You cannot earn it, just as Christ could not earn the wrath of God. This imputation is initiated at the moment of faith.

Do you see how the false teaching that Mary might in anyway play a role as a Mediator nullifies the finished and sufficient work of Christ on the cross? Faith plus anything is indeed insufficient to save us from the wrath of God. By attempting to add to the already sufficient death of Christ as our propitiation, we in essence are denying the very power of that death. Faith plus baptism is not saving faith. Faith plus the sacraments is not saving faith. Faith plus church membership is not saving faith. Faith plus the work of Mary is not saving faith.

The cry of the Reformers is biblical and relevant in today’s world of mushy, “let’s just all get along” Christianity. “By Grade alone, through Faith alone, in Christ alone!”

Grace to you!

Did Mary Open the Door of Heaven for John Paul?

I heard on Fox News an official Vatican representative say that The Virgin Mary was holding open wide the doors of heaven for the Pope. At least we now know it isn’t St. Peter as all the jokes indicate! Shame on me, this is no laughing matter! Karol Wojtyla, from Wadowice, Poland died on Saturday afternoon EST. Mr. Woljtyla was popularly known as Pope John Paul II and was revered by the blasphemous name, “The Holy Father – vicar of Christ.” Don’t misunderstand me, please. There is good reason for us to respect and appreciate this good man. John Paul II was a key instrument, along with President Ronald Reagan and Prime Minsiter Margaret Thatcher, in bringing an end to Communism is the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. He was probably the bravest, boldest proponent of human dignity as any person in the 20th Century. He continued to voraciously argue against the ordination of women or homosexuals. He was a man who heralded peace. He sought to compensate for the failure of the Roman Catholic Church to fight against the slaughter of the Holocaust. By all accounts, John Paul II was a very good and influential man. If anyone could earn heaven, it was Karol Wojtyla.

However, we need to revisit the biblical doctrines of Justification, Imputation of Righteousness, Faith in Christ alone. Many evangelicals, such as Pat Robertson and Billy Graham, have continues to declare John Paul II a m"man of God" and assure us he is a "Christian." Even President Bush, who claims to be evangelical, said Saturday that the Pope had been ushered into his "well deserved eternal reward". Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said generally kind things regarding John Paul II, but they could not bring themselves to even hint that he might be in heaven. But we have the ever compassionate President Bush, who claims to be born again, sending John Paul straight to heaven, even though the Pope insisted that Mary was the “Mother of Grace” and the “Co Mediatrix” with Christ. Take a look at some of the beliefs of John Paul in his own words (emphasis mine):

1. September 8, 1982, Feast of the Birth of Mary, during a papal address to the sick: “Mary, though conceived and born without the taint of sin, participated in a marvelous way in the sufferings of her divine Son, in order to be Coredemptrix of humanity.”

2. From the “Redeemer of Man” – an encyclical letter of His Holiness John Paul II: “if we feel the feel a special need, in this difficult and responsible phase of the history of the Church and of mankind, to turn to Christ, who is Lord of the Church and Lord of man's history on account of the mystery of the Redemption, we believe that nobody else can bring us as Mary can into the divine and human dimension of this mystery. Nobody has been brought into it by God Himself as Mary has. It is in this that the exceptional character of the grace of the divine Motherhood consists. Not only is the dignity of this Motherhood unique and unrepeatable in the history of the human race, but Mary's participation, due to this maternity, in God's plan for man's salvation through the mystery.”

John Paul II had clearly declared his devotion to Mary “The Mother of God” and “Mother of the Church.” His own motto he chose for himself was "Totus tuus", "totally yours," addressed not to Jesus, but to Mary! For more from the very writing of John Paul II himself regarding his doctrine of redemption and the role of Mary see the following links:

http://www.cin.org/jp951213.html - Pope John Paul on Mary the Mediatrix

http://www.cin.org/JPIICoRedm.html - Pope on Mary Co Redemptrix

These thoughts ought to put great passion in your souls to share with your Catholic friends, neighbors and family members the true peace available from God in Christ alone. I will try to find time tomorrow to write regarding the doctrine of redemption and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness, but for now, please think for yourselves. On what grounds does one enter heaven? Will Mary be holding the door for anyone? Who is the “One Mediator between God and man?” Plenty to ponder.

Do not be “ashamed of the gospel of God, for it is the power of God for salvation to those who believe.” Now is the time to boldly proclaim the grace of God made available by Christ alone appropriated by Faith alone!

Grace to you!

Evangelistic Implications of Romans 1.18-20

I am teaching a class at my church on Tuesday nights called Grace Evangelism. We meet at 6:00 PM for a time of study then go out on visitation. This week the topic of study was the evangelistic implications of Romans 1.18-20 and Romans 2.14-15.

Romans 1.18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

There are certain gospel truths that all humankind already know. God uniquely designed the entire universe to point to Himself. From creation, there are at least two attributes of God that all humanity have embedded on their minds. According to verse 20, all men clearly perceive God's eternal power and His divine nature.

God's eternal power is evidenced in His personal creation of all the world through the person of Jesus Christ and his moment by moment sustaining its very existence. Every man, woman and chiild who every lived or ever will live on this earth knwo that. Why do you think people instinctively call on God when an earthquake or a tsunami rattles their existence? Why do they call out to God when traumatic circumstance beset them? Because they instinctively know of the eternal power of God.

All humankind are also clearly aware of God's divine nature, that is His goodness and grace commonly spread to all humanity. To a limited degree, God's grace is made available to every person without regard to location, religion, gender, race, etc. He rains on the just and the unjust alike (cf Matt 5.45). This is why even the unsaved both plead for God to deliver rain and curse His name when they get too much of it. They know the divine nature of God.

If the Bible is true, and I believe that it always is, there are no atheists! There may well be professing atheists, much as there are professing Christians who are not genuine. All men have the very existence of God already etched on their minds. According to verse 18, they "By their unrighteousness supress the truth." That means it is there, just pushed down under layers of disobedience, rebellion and denial. But it is there.

I have a young friend named John who claimed for many years to be an atheist. He is very intellectual, very sharp. The very beauty and order of the created world sent him on a religious search for the essence of reality and source of life. He eventually landed at the Gospel and God turned his life around. What was it in John that sent him searching for Truth? That's right, it was the very truth of God already inscribed on his heart.

What is the evangelistic implications of this truth? There are no atheists, so what of those who claim to be atheists? We do not argue for the existence of God or His authority. We rather confront the point of sinful rebellion by building on the foundation of truth God has already put in his heart.

Evangelism is the work of God. We get to be His mouthpieces, but He completes the work He began in creation!

In a future post we will look at the evangelistic implications of Romans 2.14-15. In the meantime, read it for yourself.

Grace to You!