Eye Candy

 A recent Newsweek article states, “Little girls’ Halloween costumes are looking more like they were designed by Victoria’s Secret every year. Are we prudes or is this practically kiddie porn?”  In another article, Skank-o-ween 2007: Costume Trend for Young Girls is All About Being Sexy by Kristen Fyfe, states, “It is no surprise, given the sexualized media messages that inundate them, that these same girls want to be “Midnight Fairy Rock Girl” or “Scar-let Pirate.” Folks handing out candy to trick-or-treaters tomorrow night can expect to see lots of young girls showing skin on their doorstep.” Unfortunately, this is not just teenagers.  The Newsweek article states, It’s not just 10- and 12-year-olds who have gone Halloween trampy. Now 6- and 7-year-old models are featured in catalogs wearing child-sized versions of skimpy costumes that used to be reserved for adult boudoirs. If you think we’re exaggerating, note that they’re actually selling something called a “Child’s Chamber Maid Costume.” And, many of the tween girls in the photographs are wearing more make-up than Christina Aguilera on awards night. More disturbing may be their expressions–they look as if they’ve been told to give the camera their best “sexy” gaze.

The Newsweek article quotes an American Psychological Association report on the sexualization of girls.  Their report, issued in February, declared that, “Throughout U.S. culture, and particularly in mainstream media, women and girls are depicted in a sexualized manner.”  The APA task force’s team of psychologists linked oversexualization with three of the most common mental health problems for women 18 and older: eating disorders, low self-esteem and depression. And there is evidence that the effect is trickling down the age brackets. “Clinicians are reporting that younger and younger girls are presenting with eating disorders and are on diets,” says Dr. Eileen Zurbriggen, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, who last year chaired the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls.

As a parent of 2 girls, we have always taught our kids about modesty.  However, even on TV shows from Disney that are supposed to be for younger kids, I have found that the girls are becoming more and more sexy, getting to the point where they look like tramps.  And that is in style! Last year one couple I know let their 13 year old dress up with black leather, fishnet stockings, revealing chest, and plenty of sexy makeup.  Elvira would have been proud!  But she was 13!   What ever happened to modesty, and confidence based on who you are, not what you look like?  Nowadays, even 12-13 year old girls, with plenty of help from their parents, are dressing up like skanks and going through the motions of looking for love.  What happens when they find it?

Birth control pills in middle schools (Portland, Maine, among others), condoms in elementary schools through high schools, the sexualization of girl toys such as Bratz, girl role models on children’s and tween TV shows, and racy Halloween costumes are liked together.  There is no grand conspiracy, but I think we need to look at the confluence of all of these trends and the results on our kids.  They are all related.  Kids that dress up and act like sluts, whose goal is to be sexy and be the object of worship of little boys, will eventually act out these desires in sexual activities at a younger and younger age.  In teaching our girls that their goal should be the sexual attraction of boys, and teaching boys that their goal is to be sexually attracted to slutty girls, we are creating a huge problem for them now and in the future.  In essence, we are teaching our children that sexual promiscuity is not only acceptable, but encouraged. We are feeding the insatiable appetite for desire, sex, and pleasure.  The media has picked up on this and is using the power of marketing to mold and shape our kids’ attitudes and actions, and parents are going along with it. 

The Bible has much to say about modesty and matters of the heart as opposed to superficialities.  1 Timothy 2:8-10 states, 8 I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; 9 likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, 10 but with what is proper for women who profess godliness-with good works. 

Paul in 1 Corinthians 6 states, 8 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.   He was previously writing about sexual immorality with a prostitute, but the context is revealing.  Note Paul equates sexual immorality as sins against our own bodies.  Isn’t this exactly the opposite of what the world teaches?  We dress up like sluts in order to feel good about ourselves and be sexy.  Yet Paul is stating that sexual sins are against our own body.  As Christians, our bodies are not our own.  We normally take these verses and apply them against a number of other vices, but in context Paul is specifically addressing sexual sins.  He admonishes us in his final sentence to glorify God in our bodies. 

We can’t control the world nor judge the world for what it does.  Those who don’t know Christ only do what their nature and desires drive them to do.  When our nature is in rebellion against God, then we act that out in numerous ways, including skanky costumes.  However, as Christians, we are no longer slaves of our flesh, but now we walk in the Spirit.  Our actions, as well as our dress, should not be based on the desires of the flesh, but of the desires of the Spirit.  We do not idiolize the body, or sex, or desires of the flesh, but we worship God and walk in His Spirit. 

Romans 1:8 – 13

 ⁸ First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. ⁹ For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you ¹⁰ always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. ¹¹ For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you- ¹² that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. ¹³ I want you to know, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles.

            Before Paul jumps head first into the content of his letter, he wants to thank God for the church in Rome.  Look who Paul thanks and how.  Paul thanks God, meaning God the Father.  Notice that Paul uses the possessive “my,” showing us his intimate relationship with God.  Paul doesn’t refer to God as “a God” or “the God,” but as “my God.”  Paul, remember from verse 1, is a slave of Jesus Christ.  Paul is owned by God, and this term “my” is indicative of Paul’s ownership. 

            But he prays to God the Father through Jesus Christ.  We approach God through the work of Jesus.  Remember, He is our mediator.  Paul writes in 1 Timothy 2 that, 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.  The writer to the Hebrews also refers to Jesus as our mediator, stating ¹⁵Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.  The American Heritage Dictionary defines mediator as “one that reconciles differences between disputants.” This is what Jesus did on the cross; he reconciled God’s differences with man, and now through the man Jesus we can approach God with our prayers, petitions, and thanksgiving.  Jesus is the way in which God reached out to us, and the way in which we now can approach God.  Paul gives thanks to God for the Roman Christians through the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Book review: 1776, by David McCullough

Ok, so this is not a theology book.  But sometimes you have to take a break and read widely.  I can’t say that I read really widely, but I love history, especially military history and American history.  This book has been out for some time.  However, if you haven’t read it yet, I would highly recommend it.  1776 is a fast-paced and readable look at the military and to some extent the political side of the pivotal year of 1776.  Many people do not truly understand that 1776 was a crucial year for the American Revolution, one that almost saw the end of the fight.  When the year began, the Continental Army was not in the best of spirits and certainly not equipped and fed for a long campaign with the best army in the world at that time.  1776 witnessed one of the strongest defeats of the Continentals, the Battle of Brooklyn, and throughout the spring, summer, and fall, the Continentals were being pushed back on all fronts.  When the Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence, the British were knocking at their doors in Philadelphia. 

McCullough is also a master storyteller, making this tumultuous year come alive with events, personalities, and conflicts.  There is not much detail as one would expect of a book just at 400 pages that covers one of the most important years in American history.  However, it is great if one wants to understand the situation on both sides of the fight.  Some of the personalities on both sides, such as Washington, and several of the British generals, are brought to the forefront.  If one wants to understand war, one must understand the people that fought it.  The American Revolution is a classic case in point.  The British were well-equipped, well-armed, and well-trained, yet morale was not the best.  The Continental Army was constantly starving, ill-equipped, ill-fed, yet led by some of the most brilliant men ever to have lived in this country. 

McCullough shows that it was Washington who literally held the nation and the army together for the entire fight, but especially during this crucial year.  Washington was not the best general, nor the best tactician, nor the best politician, but he was truly the best leader we could have had.  He was the right person for the right time, and his tenacity and perseverance did more to hold the army and the country together than any other person in the colonies.  1776 is a great study of a most important year, but it is also a great portrait of a man that deserves even more credit than he is given typically in America today.  It was literally Washington who was the pivotal personality. 

The turning point of this year came at the very end.  There are only a few pages on the battles of Trenton and Princeton, but these two minor victories gave the colonies and the army a significant morale boost just when they needed it most.  These two battles showed that Washington could be a brilliant tactician, and stunned the British militarily.  While the victories were minor in the grand scheme of things militarily, they provided a big impetus for more recruits, extended enlistments, and a boost in morale for the Continental Army at a time when they desperately needed all three.  For a more in-depth study of these battles and the events surrounding them, I would heartily recommend David Hackett Fischer’s Washington’s Crossing.  

 

I am looking forward to reading American Creation by Joseph J. Ellis next, due out mid-November.  

Ruth 3: 1- 18 – Expectation, or Midnight Rendezvous, but it’s not what you think!

Ruth 3: 1- 18

3 Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you? ² Is not Boaz our relative, with whose young women you were? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. ³ Wash therefore and anoint yourself, and put on your cloak and go down to the threshing floor, but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. ⁴ But when he lies down, observe the place where he lies. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down, and he will tell you what to do.” ⁵ And she replied, “All that you say I will do.”

⁶ So she went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother-in-law had commanded her. ⁷ And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then she came softly and uncovered his feet and lay down. ⁸ At midnight the man was startled and turned over, and behold, a woman lay at his feet! ⁹ He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer.” ¹⁰ And he said, “May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. ¹¹ And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman. ¹² And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I. ¹³ Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.”

¹⁴ So she lay at his feet until the morning, but arose before one could recognize another. And he said, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” ¹⁵ And he said, “Bring the garment you are wearing and hold it out.” So she held it, and he measured out six measures of barley and put it on her. Then she went into the city. ¹⁶ And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “How did you fare, my daughter?” Then she told her all that the man had done for her, ¹⁷ saying, “These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said to me, ‘You must not go back empty-handed to your mother-in-law.’ ” ¹⁸ She replied, “Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest but will settle the matter today.”

            Ruth has stayed with Naomi during the barley and wheat harvests, and has been gleaning from the fields of Boaz for these last two months.  During this time, Naomi’s attitude has to have undergone a change from when she first arrived.  When Naomi first arrived back in Bethlehem, she wanted to be called bitter.  She was a bitter old woman who felt that God had cursed her and made her life miserable.  Now, at the beginning of chapter 3, we start to see a change of heart and a change of attitude in Naomi.  Chapter 3 is, I believe, the turning point in the whole book of Ruth.  Naomi has now come out of her depression and is thinking of how she can ensure that Ruth has a good husband.

            Chapter 2 radiated with a budding relationship between Ruth and Boaz.  We are introduced to the warrior hero, Knight-like Boaz, who was a follower of Yahweh, a man of integrity, and a generous provider for all of his people.  We were captivated at how Boaz noticed Ruth, and blessed her with an incredible hesed that went beyond the law and could only be defined by grace.  We are led to believe that Boaz is attracted to Ruth, perhaps not in a physical nature, but perhaps by her godliness, her disposition, and her reputation.  She is obviously younger than Boaz, and perhaps very attractive even in the fields since he has to warn his male laborers to keep heir hands off of her.  We have the making of a budding relationship that seems to be moving forward at a quick pace. 

Romans 1:1 – 7, the Gospel of God

1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, ² which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, ³ concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh ⁴ and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, ⁵ through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, ⁶ including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,

⁷ To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

In the first seven verses of Romans, Paul pens his introduction to his letter to the Christians in Rome.  However, because it is the introduction, one may be tempted to read over these verses quickly to get to the meat of the letter.  Please don’t!  These verses contain so much theology that one could write a book just on these seven verses alone. Because words have meaning, we want to look at each word, each phrase, and the whole section in order to get everything out of it we can.  It is through this introduction that Paul sets the stage for the rest of the letter, introducing some key terms and establishing the background for what is to come. 

The author of this letter puts his name up front, as is customary for a letter in the 1^st century.  Paul, formerly Saul of Tarsus, was a Jewish Pharisee of great learning and zeal for the Jewish faith until Jesus met him on the road to Damascus and changed his life forever.  Saul was on a mission to Damascus to harass, capture, convert, and kill if necessary Christians in defense of the Jewish faith.  However, God had other plans for his life.  Acts 9 describes the conversion of Saul, a man turned from a hater of the church into one of its greatest apostles.  Put into today’s terms, this conversion would be tantamount to Osama bin Laden meeting Jesus on the road to Kabul and becoming a Christian. The conversion of Saul into Paul just goes to show us that with God, nothing is impossible.  As much as we run from the Holy Spirit, reject Him, or persecute Him, if God wants us, He will have us, all in His good time. 

Book Review: The Shape of Sola Scriptura by Keith A. Mathison

In The Shape of Sola Scriptura, Keith Mathison intends to accomplish two purposes regarding the doctrine of sola scriptura.  One purpose he attempts is to clear away some of the historical and theological misconceptions surrounding the debate about sola scriptura.  Much of the debate, he contends, on both sides of the argument, is marred by confusion from unclear or contradictory definitions, mishandling of the historical facts and evidence, and in many cases arguments that knock down only straw men.  Mathison’s second purpose is to present a clear and consistent doctrine of sola scriptura.  Mathison accomplishes these purposes by organizing his book into four parts.  Part One consists of a historical survey from the times of the apostles to beyond the reformation of the doctrine of Scripture.  This part is the majority of the book.  Part Two is a discussion of what Scripture states about itself, tradition, and the church.  Part Three is a discussion of the theological necessity of sola scriptura, consisting of critiques of Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Modern Evangelical positions, and an exposition of the proper doctrine of sola scriptura.  Part Four is a brief objection and answer section, and a brief but weighty discussion of the importance of the Canon, the Church, and Creeds. 

Ruth 2:5 – 23: Blessing, or What a Difference a Day Makes

Ruth 2:5 – 23  ESV

⁵ Then Boaz said to his young man who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?” ⁶ And the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, “She is the young Moabite woman, who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. ⁷ She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the reapers.’ So she came, and she has continued from early morning until now, except for a short rest.” 

⁸ Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Now, listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. ⁹ Let your eyes be on the field that they are reaping, and go after them. Have I not charged the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink what the young men have drawn.” ¹⁰ Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” ¹¹ But Boaz answered her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. ¹² The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!” ¹³ Then she said, “I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not one of your servants.”

¹⁴ And at mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here and eat some bread and dip your morsel in the wine.” So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed to her roasted grain. And she ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left over. ¹⁵ When she rose to glean, Boaz instructed his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. ¹⁶ And also pull out some from the bundles for her and leave it for her to glean, and do not rebuke her.”

¹⁷ So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah⁴ of barley. ¹⁸ And she took it up and went into the city. Her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She also brought out and gave her what food she had left over after being satisfied. ¹⁹ And her mother-in-law said to her, “Where did you glean today? And where have you worked? Blessed be the man who took notice of you.” So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, “The man’s name with whom I worked today is Boaz.” ²⁰ And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!” Naomi also said to her, “The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers.” ²¹ And Ruth the Moabite said, “Besides, he said to me, ‘You shall keep close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest.’ ” ²² And Naomi said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, lest in another field you be assaulted.” ²³ So she kept close to the young women of Boaz, gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat harvests. And she lived with her mother-in-law.

            The first chapter of Ruth takes place over the course of 10 years, and maybe more.  However the second chapter of Ruth takes place in one day.  And what a difference a day makes!  God, through His providence and sovereignty, works through the lives of Ruth and Boaz so that they meet in the fields.  God is seen in this section pouring out his blessing on Ruth, Naomi, as well as Boaz.  Ruth’s reputation as a woman of integrity is known to Boaz, and Boaz shows his kindness and blessing to Ruth and her family.  The two widows’ situation, which before seemed hopeless, now appears to have some glimmer of hope.  What does God have in store for them?  2 Peter 3:8 states that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.  In other words, God is above and beyond all time.  In the space of one day, he brings together two unlikely people, who will, according to God’s plan, be part of an eternal blessing.

The atheist indoctrination project

This seems to be a very interesting article by Dinesh D’Souza regarding regarding atheist’s attempts to educate religion out of existence.  He uses a lot of quotes, and provides some food for thought. While I think that the situation is not as organized and widespread as he makes it out to be, it does provide another reason why we as Christians should read, study, and understand the Bible, its history, culture, and context so that we all can defend it against such blatant attempts to simply push it aside as fantasy.  Christianity is the most substantiated, documented, and reliable religion on the planet for good reason, because we have a God that has given us truth, and will ensure that it does not fade away. 

Theology determines Ecclesiology

 Theology determines one’s ecclesiology.  In other words, what one believes about God directly impacts and determines church life and practice.  Let me explain using several examples.  One is the seeker sensitive movement.  Now, basically, the seeker movement is fundamentally well-intended.  It was born out of a heart of pastors and Christians to reach people who did not know Christ, and to reach them and communicate the gospel to them in a way that they would be able to understand.  This is commendable, and frankly Biblical.  However, what has happened is that this movement has become man-centered rather than God-centered.  Why is that?For one, the seeker movement was born out of and found success in Arminian churches, and this theology has driven the seeker movement.  Rick Warren wrote this in his Purpose Driven Church book, “It is my deep conviction that anybody can be won to Christ if you discover the key to his or her heart, and the most likely place to start looking for that key is within the person’s felt needs.”  If one believes that they can truly persuade someone to become a Christian, then it follows that they will gear their church and all of its activities toward that persuasion.  It will be marketing-based, and it will be consumer-driven.  Why?  Because if I can truly convince someone to become a Christian, then everything I do must be towards that end.  And if I believe that felt-needs are a key to making that persuasion, then my ministry will revolve around people and meeting their felt-needs.  This is the heart of the seeker movement today.  I can persuade people to become Christian, therefore I must gear my ministry around those means of persuasion.  It is that simple, and makes perfect sense. 

This is an Arminian/Pelagian theology, though.  If I believe that I can convince people to become Christian, and people have the free will to actually make that decision within themselves, then the seeker movement is a logical outcome from this theology.  The problem with this theology is that it is not Biblical.

The marketing and consumer-driven pragmatic philosophies that underlie the seeker movement also drive church practice.  People do not usually respond to negative marketing, but instead respond to selfishly-motivated needs and desires.  As a marketing professional (and I use that term loosely!) I understand that a vast majority of today’s advertising and marketing campaigns are geared towards the fulfillment of a person’s selfish desires.  And Americans are especially gullible to these kinds of marketing schemes.  We are independent, wealthy (compared to the rest of the world), do-it-yourselfers, who all live to climb that corporate ladder, get that better job, make more money, become better people, and save the world.  The focus of all of that is ourselves.  And marketing and advertising pinpoints that selfishness and takes advantage of it. 

The problem is that now, the seeker model of ecclesiology has adopted that marketing model and has essentially replaced a sacrificial Christianity with a selfish Christianity.  The seeker model gets people to come to church by marketing to their selfish base desires.  You can be a better person of you come to church.  You can have financial security if you accept Christ.  Christ will save your marriage if you love Him.  Joel Osteen’s book, Your Best Life Now, is a great expression of this mentality.  It is a best-seller because it markets to the selfish heart of Americans who want to have their best life now, and throws in a few Scriptures to make it spiritual.  But it glorifies man by appealing to his inner nature to be successful and independent now.  Instead of glorifying God, God is used as a marketing tool to enhance the status and success of man. 

Reformed Biblical theology, on the other hand, attempts to place God at the center of all church life and practice.  Soli Deo Gloria, For the Glory of God Alone, was a rallying cry for the Reformation.  Reformational theology holds that man cannot persuade man to become a Christian.  Man is dead in sin, and has no ability to choose God on his own.  Man chooses gods, according to his liking, but suppresses the truth of the Almighty God.  Man’s will must be completely changed before he can see the truth of the gospel.  The Holy Spirit draws people to Christ and opens their eyes, not man.  Only those drawn by the Spirit will come to believe Christ.  And the Spirit only draws certain people based on God’s plan established before the creation of the world. 

The what part does man play?  Yes, man does play a part.  God has not called us to persuade, convince, or save people.  He has called us to preach the gospel message to the world, and He will do the rest.  He has called us to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves.  Christians should have a special bond among ourselves as the Body of Christ that is apparent to the rest of the world, but is obviously something they don’t have.  But the bottom line is that Christians, followers of Christ, are called not to persuade with fine sounding arguments, but to preach and proclaim the gospel of Christ to the world and know that the Spirit will do His work. 

If this is the case, then, church practice will look different than the seeker model.  The church will still strive to communicate in a language and way that the culture around it will understand, but it will be adamant about communicating the gospel in its entirety.  The gospel is a hard message in today’s America.  It teaches we are separated from God, and can’t do anything about it.  It teaches judgment from a holy God for those that do not believe, and is therefore not tolerant.  It teaches God chose some people and not others, which is certainly not democratic and often offensive.  It teaches sacrifice rather than selfishness.  It teaches humility and servanthood rather than independence and do-it-yourself for yourself.  It teaches a different definition of success.  It in fact teaches that all will not believe, and that the Bible can only be fully understood by those of the Spirit. 

So churches that follow the Biblical example rather than the seeker example will do things differently.  After all, the Bible teaches that there are no real seekers!  Biblical churches will proclaim and preach the whole Bible and the whole gospel, constantly.  They will proclaim sin, the Holiness of God, the Love of God through His Son, sacrificial atonement, justification, man’s inability and God’s grace, judgment, heaven, and hell, among others.  Christ is the center of the Bible, and every sermon will proclaim Christ.  They will not be entertainment-based because the gospel is serious business, as people’s eternal destinies are involved.  They will be a praying church, because the Holy Spirit is the one that regenerates and changes lives.  They will hold themselves accountable and practice church discipline.  They will evangelize, because that is what God has called His people to do, and faith comes by hearing the Word of Christ.  They will completely depend on God, because He is the one who ultimately does the persuasion and calling.

Therefore, one must be careful if called to preach the Word of God.  Ministers are people who primarily proclaim and defend the Word of God, in its entirety.  Consequently, ministers, but also all Christians, must strive to have a Biblical theology that is consistent with the Word of God.  That theology determines church life and practice, and determines what love is and how we love.  If one’s theology is faulty, then someone may wind up with a church full of people who think they are right with God but in fact believe a different gospel and serve another god. 

Spurgeon on the gospel

 I have always considered, with Luther and Calvin, that the sum and substance of the gospel lies in that word Substitution, – Christ standing in the stead of man. If I understand the gospel, it is this: I deserve to be lost forever; the only reason why I should not be damned is, that Christ was punished in my stead, and there is no need to execute a sentence twice for sin. On the other hand, I know I cannot enter Heaven unless I have a perfect righteousness; I am absolutely certain I shall never have one of my own, for I find I sin everyday; but then Christ had a perfect righteousness, and He said, “There, poor sinner, take My garment, and put it on; you shall stand before God as if you were Christ, and I will stand before God as if I had been the sinner; I will suffer in the sinner’s stead, and you shall be rewarded for works which you did not do, but which I did for you.” I find it very convenient everyday to come to Christ as a sinner, as I came at the first. “You are no saint,” says the devil. Well, if I am not, I am a sinner, and Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. Sink or swim, I go to Him; other hope I have none. By looking to Him, I received all the faith which inspired me with confidence in His grace; and the word that first drew my soul – “Look unto Me,” – still rings its clarion note in my ears. There I once found conversion, and there I shall ever find refreshing and renewal.  Charles H. Spurgeon, Autobiography, volume 1, page 119 – 120.