What Christianity is all about

“Scripture, when it treats of justification by faith, leads us in a very different direction. Turning away our view from our own works, it bids us look only to the mercy of God and the perfection of Christ. The order of justification which it sets before us is this: first, God of his mere gratuitous goodness is pleased to embrace the sinner, in whom he sees nothing that can move him to mercy but wretchedness, because he sees him altogether naked and destitute of good works. He, therefore, seeks the cause of kindness in himself, that thus he may affect the sinner by a sense of his goodness, and induce him, in distrust of his own works, to cast himself entirely upon his mercy for salvation. This is the meaning of faith by which the sinner comes into the possession of salvation, when, according to the doctrine of the Gospel, he perceives that he is reconciled by God; when, by the intercession of Christ, he obtains the pardon of his sins, and is justified; and, though renewed by the Spirit of God, considers that, instead of leaning on his own works, he must look solely to the righteousness which is treasured up for him in Christ.”

John Calvin.  Institutes of the Christian religion. Book III, Chapter 11, paragraph 16. 

Death, where is your sting?

My father-in-law passed away last Wednesday, February 20^th, and we had the funeral on Monday February 25^th.  He was a man of God that went home to be with the Lord.  The funeral made me think some about life and death, eternity, and what lies beyond the world that we all know.  Some people will tell you that this life is all there is, and that death is the end.  However, for Christians, death is a result of sin, and beyond death is our eternal abode, whether with the Lord or forever without Him in torment and punishment for treason against a Holy and Righteous God.  Christians can be assured that we will be with the Lord when are no longer with the body.  Paul, in 1 Corinthians writing about the resurrection, states that we will be resurrected with a new imperishable body.  He writes,

⁵⁴ When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

  ”Death is swallowed up in victory.”

 ⁵⁵ ”O death, where is your victory?

O death, where is your sting?”

⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

My father-in-law is now with the Lord waiting for his resurrection.  He is now praising the Lord of Heaven and Earth, the Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.  Cancer does not inhabit his body any longer, but now only praise and worship and joy at the feet of Christ.  We will all miss him, but we will see him again one day.  Paul again writes in 1 Thessalonians 4, ¹³ But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. ¹⁴ For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.  We do not grieve like others who have no hope.  Our hope is in the Lord.  And just as Christ was dead, buried, and rose again, and conquered death, so will we one day reap the rewards of His conquest of death.  We miss you, “pawpaw,” but we know we will see you again. 

Loving Christ and Fleeing Temptation, by Andrew Gray

Books on Puritan sermons abound.  Many are great, while many are good in their own way but difficult to read and follow.  There are many books by Puritans that warm the soul, and speak to the Christian like a gentle parent to a son or daughter.  Loving Christ and Fleeing Temptation by Andrew Gray is one of those books I accidently (read: by the providence of God) that has already impacted my life.  This book is a collection of 50 sermons by Puritan Andrew Gray.  They are all centered around the topics of loving Christ, who He is, and what He has done for sinners like us, and fleeing temptation and killing sin in your life.  The bottom line is that if you have $22, definitely buy this book and read these sermons.  It is that good.

Each sermon is approximately 10 pages in length, and has been edited slightly to enhance readability.  It is not a reprint of an earlier edition, and is newly typeset and bound.  Gray is very theological, yet his theology does not overburden the text or the message.  He is more than anything a preacher, and proclaims the truth of Christ and yearns for sinners to recognize their sin and come to Christ.  He also exhorts Christians to better love and appreciate Christ and His work, and put away all of the idols of this world that, yes, even we as Christians hold onto.  Each sermon is easy to read, flows well, and speaks volumes to the reader’s heart in a way that is clearly missing from much of evangelicalism and Christianity in general today.  If these sermons were preached or even read in today’s churches, we would undoubtedly see many come to Christ.  They are sufficiently personal to speak to the “me” crowd in churches today, yet gospel-driven so as to cut to the quick and get right to the heart of the matter. 

Gray must have had some engineering school, because he spells everything out clearly and in lists.  IT is almost like a bullet point of the 17^th century.  He makes a number of points in each sermon, and spells them out numerically.  Within those points, he enumerates on his subpoints very clearly and in an organized fashion.  I think this is why he is so clear and succinct, with lots or meat.  He doesn’t go on and on down every little rabbit hole on every point, because most of his statements are quite frankly simple yet profound, thoughtful, and challenging.  Gray does not skimp on Scripture, but makes sure the reader (or hearer) gets the meaning and purpose and application of it in their lives. 

Dr. Joel Beeke writes, “Gray’s profound insights, poignant statements, and succinct summaries on the preciousness of Christ, resisting the devil, spiritual pride, temptation, prayer and many other truths are priceless. Gray is a master at presenting ‘old truth’ in fresh ways. With the Spirit’s blessing, let Gray’s sermons lead you to Christ, convict you of slothful-ness, prick your conscience, and urge you to godliness.”

Amen.  Get this book.

Belief and Knowledge

You can’t believe something you don’t know.  This makes perfect sense to me, but perhaps not to other people.  If I believe it is going to rain outside, then I have to know a few things first.  I need to know what rain is.  If I believe rain is snow, then I am not going to have correct thoughts and be seriously confused when it is actually raining.  Knowing the terms and facts first is the foundation for belief.  Even if I thought snow was rain, I still have knowledge, even though it is false. However, believing in something you don’t know is widespread in today’s Christian churches.  Let’s take for example two terms that every Bible-believing Christian should know, but most that I have spoken with don’t really know.  One is Jesus and the other is Gospel. 

In order to believe Jesus or believe in Jesus, one must know who Jesus was, is, and what he did.  I can say that I believe in Jesus without knowing these things, but those words have no meaning.  Mormons believe in Jesus; Jehovah’s Witnesses believe in Jesus; Muslims believe in Jesus; and Christians believe in Jesus.  However, every one of those is a different Jesus.  In order to have saving faith and knowledge, we must first believe in the correct Jesus.  This is why doctrine and Biblical knowledge is so important for Christians.  We must know the object of our faith.  We can’t trust Jesus and place our confidence in Him and His saving work if we don’t know what these things are and who He was.  I know this may seem redundant, but I can’t stress enough that if a person does not have the correct knowledge about Jesus Christ, then that person is not saved.  That is the critical implication here.  We all don’t have to be theologians to be saved, but we have to know some basic things in order to have true saving faith.  We can’t have saving faith if we don’t have true knowledge of the object of that saving faith. 

Another example is the gospel.  I have a test – ask yourself to explain the gospel.  What is the gospel?  I have asked many Christians this question and have sadly heard them stammer and stutter trying to explain it.  Most people will say that God loves you (or Jesus loves you) and has a wonderful plan for your life.  That is what they say the gospel is.  Unfortunately, people will go to Hell believing this gospel, because it is a false gospel.  We hear this word thrown about a lot in church, but the problem is that most Christians can’t tell you what it means!  Again, this is not just a doctrinal issue, but an eternal issue!  If we do not get the gospel right, then the consequences will be severe and eternal. 

So what is the gospel?  Let’s look at a few sections of Scripture to define it.  I want to look at 1 Corinthians 15:1 – 8, Acts 13:13 – 52, Acts 17:22 – 34, and Romans 3:21 – 31, and maybe Colossians 1:13 – 23. 

1 Corinthians 15:1-8 states Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, ² and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you-unless you believed in vain. ³ For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁵ and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. ⁶ Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. ⁷ Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. ⁸ Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

Let’s note some of the particulars about this passage.  First of all, notice that Paul is reminding the Corinthian Christians about the gospel, so obviously what he is about to say pertains to what the gospel is all about.  In addition, it is the gospel by which they are being saved, and it was the utmost importance.  What does Paul write? 

• Christ died for our sins.
• He was buried and raised from the dead.
• He appeared to many people.
• This was all done in accordance with the Scriptures.

Notice that the witness of the Scriptures is very important, because Paul mentions it twice in conjunction with the death and resurrection of Jesus.  These are all very major points of the gospel message, but we need to know what some terms mean that are used in these points. 

Paul uses the terms gospel, sin, forgiveness, saved (salvation), believe, Scriptures, and of course, death and resurrection (raised from the dead).  In order to understand the gospel, we need to understand what sin is, and why it is bad (why it needs to be forgiven).  What does “saved” mean?  Saved from what?  What are the Scriptures, and why is their witness so crucial? 

Let’s look at another section of Scripture.  Acts 17:22 – 31:

²⁴ The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, ²⁵ nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. ²⁶ And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, ^{27 }that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, ²⁸ for ” ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, ” ‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ ^{29 }Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. ^{30 }The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, ³¹ because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

What are some of the points Paul makes in this presentation of the gospel?

• God created heaven and earth and man.
• God is not served by human hands – he doesn’t need us – he is independent of creation.
• God is sovereign and determines the nations’ and man’s lives.
• Man should seek God, but has not done so.
• God is really not far from us.
• We have our existence in God; we are dependent.
• God is a real being, not an inanimate object.
• Idolatry is an offense to God.
• God has been patient, but now commands everyone everywhere to repent.
• God will judge the world based on His righteousness and the righteousness of Christ.
• He has declared Jesus to be His appointed by raising him from the dead.

This is a pretty complete picture of the gospel message given to an audience of religious idolaters and irreligious people.  Note the similarities between the content of this gospel presentation and the previous one in 1 Corinthians.  Paul does a nice job of defining terms like God (as creator, independent of creation, and sovereign over all), man’s situation (we should seek God but don’t, and we are dependent on God), idolatry (believing God is an inanimate object), and the consequences (either repent or be judged).  Remember this was a gospel presentation given not to the church but to a wide variety of people who were mostly religious, in some respect. 

One last section of Scripture goes into more detail about the gospel, Romans 3:21 – 31. 

²¹ But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it- ²² the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ^{24 }and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. ²⁶ It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. ²⁷ Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. ²⁸ For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. ²⁹ Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, ³⁰ since God is one-who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. ³¹ Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

This is a classic description of the gospel to a group of believers.  Again, what are some of the key characteristics of this presentation of the gospel?

• Scriptures bear witness to this plan of God.
• God’s righteousness is a key concept.
• The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ.
• For all who believe – not for everyone.
• Everyone has sinned and continue to fall short of God’s requirements.
• God sets things right by his grace.
• Grace is a gift.
• Jesus pays the price of redemption for us.
• Jesus’ sacrifice satisfies the wrath of God towards us sinners (propitiation).
• God is patient, passing over former sins.
• Now is the time to repent.
• Judgment is implied (it is stated elsewhere). 
• We cannot save ourselves by what we do; it is only by faith in Christ’s work.
• God’s gift of grace is for all people, regardless of nationality or race.

Again, we need to understand some key terms such as sin, faith, Jesus Christ, grace, law, and others, but we see almost all of the elements of the gospel are included. 

So let’s put together a definition of the gospel.  God created heaven and earth and man, not because He needed us, but out of His good pleasure and will.  God is sovereign.  Man rebelled against God, disobeying His commands, and thus sin entered the world and man.  Sin separates all mankind from God, who is Holy and Just.  No one can be reconciled back to God on their own because our thoughts and actions and even our nature are sinful. The penalty for disobedience against a holy infinite God is eternal death, but the reward for obedience is eternal life.  The good news is that God sent His son Jesus Christ into the world.  He lived the righteous life one cannot live, and died to satisfy the penalty that is due to sinners.  Jesus rose from the dead to demonstrate His power over death and sin.  Once a sinner accepts the work of Christ by faith and puts their trust and confidence in the person and work of Jesus Christ, they are reconciled back to God, adopted as sons and daughters of God, and considered righteous and holy through the work of Jesus.  Those that are saved by the grace of God through faith in Christ are promised eternal life with God.  Those that do not are judged by Christ and receive the eternal penalty they deserve.

I think this is petty much it in a nutshell.  Much different than “Jesus loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.”    

Comments?

Puritan Evangelism: A Biblical Approach, by Dr. Joel Beeke

Modern day evangelism is like day and night compared to evangelism of the Puritans and the early Reformers.  Today, most people don’t engage in evangelism, and when they do, it is more of a testimony about how God can make one’s life great, free from worry, or financially secure.  I would venture to say that one rarely mentions the gospel, if indeed the evangelist actually knows what he gospel is.  However, the Puritans were a different breed, serious about Christ and the gospel.  Puritan Evangelism is a short book, only 78 pages, about the motives, methods, and characteristics of the Puritan way to spread the gospel message. 

Beeke defines Puritan evangelism as “how the Puritans proclaimed what God’s Word counsels regarding the salvation of sinners from sin and its consequences.  That salvation is granted by grace, received by faith, grounded in Christ, and reflective of the glory of God. For the Puritans, evangelism not only involved presenting Christ so that by the power of the Spirit people come to God through Him; it equally involved so presenting Christ that the believer may grow in Him, and serve Him as Lord in the fellowship of His church and in the extension of His kingdom in the world.  Puritan evangelism involved declaring the entire economy of redemption by focusing on the saving work of all three Persons of the Trinity, while simultaneously calling sinners to a life of faith and commitment, and warning that the gospel will condemn forever those who persist in unbelief and impenitence.” 

Slightly different than the modern version which says that Jesus loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. 

Beeke’s first section focuses on Puritan preaching, with the following characteristics: 

• Thoroughly Biblical – it was all founded in the Word of God and not pop psychology.
• Unashamedly Doctrinal – it taught doctrine, and saw theology as practical, preaching the whole counsel of God.
• Experimentally Practical – explained how a Christian experiences Biblical truth in his life.
• Holistically Evangelistic – using all of scripture to confront the whole man.
• Studiously Symmetrical – well-rounded and well-balanced.

The second section deals with the method of Puritan evangelism, focusing on two important points:  plain preaching and catechetical evangelism.  Puritan preaching was doctrinal, yet in plain language of the day.  It was meant to proclaim and teach the whole counsel of God and shine the light on Christ, not to demonstrate how smart the preacher was or to show off his talent for speaking or creativity.  Catechism was also an important part of evangelism.  The Puritan pastor would visit many people in his town, believers and unbelievers alike, and question them about God and Christ to help them understand Christian doctrine.  Children through adults were taught the catechism in order to be thorough students of the gospel. 

The final section concerns the inward disposition of the Puritan evangelist, and highlights two points: dependency on the Holy Spirit and prayer.  Both serve to show that, again, Puritan preachers were humble men of God that understood that they brought no talent to the table except that which the Spirit provided.  Puritans were thorough Calvinists and knew that their job was to preach the gospel faithfully, and the Holy Spirit would work in the lives of men and women without fancy gimmicks, showmanship, and fancy speech.  Additionally, if the sermons and the evangelistic efforts were not born out of prayer, and if the preacher himself was not in constant prayer, the efforts were stillborn.  Prayer was a huge part of the evangelistic efforts, and not just a quick prayer to placate God while the evangelist all the while intends to depend on his own efforts.  Puritans understood that prayer was essential to any spiritual effort. 

I highly recommend this short introduction to the Puritan way of evangelism.  It is a far cry from what is practiced today, and I believe that we must be diligent to recover the true Biblical method of evangelism in order to harvest true converts that love the Lord and grow in spiritual wisdom and stature. 

Ten Tortured Words by Stephen Mansfield

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion….”  These are the first ten words of the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights.  With these words, the founding fathers sought to prevent the formal establishment of a national church, similar to the Church of England, which governed the religious practices of a nation.  However, over 200 years later, they have been twisted to prevent the involvement and support of religion in and by government.  Mansfield’s book, Ten Tortured Words, is a good overview of the issues surrounding the Establishment Clause and how it has been used and misused by people to make this clause mean something other than it originally meant.  While this is no in-depth history book, and is not meant to be, I believe that it covers the pertinent information well and describes the process by which the Establishment Clause has been taken out of context.  This is a controversial subject, to say the least, and usually fires up emotions on both sides of the issue, as illustrated by the varying ratings at Amazon.com.  But this book ought to be required reading by Christians as a short primer on what is at stake. 

The first chapter explains what the fathers founded.  Mansfield states in discussing the final version of the amendment, “Congress was not only forbidden to establish an official religion, but it was forbidden to make a law that even dealt with the issue of an establishment of religion.”  That said, there is no evidence in the debates that Congress intended with this amendment to establish a secular state.  The issue also was restricted to the national government.  It was the founders intent that the national government should have enumerated powers, but not so much that it encroached on the sovereignty and power of the individual states.  Of course today, the states have little to no real power, while the national government has all of the real power. 

The next chapter deals with the famous (or infamous, as the case may be) letter of the Danbury Baptists to President Thomas Jefferson and Jefferson’s response.  The famous clause (and metaphor) “building a wall of separation between Church and State…”  These seven words have provided the basis of contemporary law with respect to religion in America.  Unfortunately, they have been completely taken out of context.  Nowhere does Jefferson intend to prevent government support or encouragement of religion, but the context is such that he is reassuring the Baptists that the national government will make no law establishing a national religion, nor make any law that prohibits the free exercise of their religion, as they had feared.  Jefferson was assuring the Baptists that he would not, nor could Congress, prevent them from their free exercise of religion.  As Mansfield states, “Jefferson clearly believed that the wall of separation was not between all government and all religion, but rather between the national or federal  government and religion, leaving the states free to be as religious as the wanted to be.”  Mansfield later continues, “Fearing a national religion enforced by a centralized government, the Framers of the First Amendment had forbidden the federal government from passing any law that would create an established religion, meaning a State religion or a national church.” 

Chapters 3 and 4 deal with the turning point, and what he calls faith-based blackmail of the ACLU and Americans United for Separation of Church and State, among others.  Chapter 3 deals with the landmark case Everson vs. Board of Education in 1947.  Mansfield explains this case, why it was important, and the distorted logic and reasoning of Justice Hugo Black, who wrote the majority opinion of the case.  Unfortunately, Black grossly misused Jefferson’s wall statement, distorted the founding fathers and over 150 years of American historical and legal precedent, and created a situation in which religion, namely Christianity, was shut out of public life.  It also documents very briefly the shift of power after the Civil War from state power to federal power, something the founding fathers tried so hard to prevent, and what has only recently been a major shift in thinking.  Mansfield lists a number of cases in which this ruling has been used to literally shut out any vestige of religion from any public event.  It is tragic and sad, and made my stomach turn at times.  The very foundations of what this country was founded upon has been turned on its head and now religion has been deemed a public menace.  The law that was supposed to protect the free practice of religion has now been used to shut down the free practice of religion in the public square. 

Mansfield’s brief history of the ACLU is thoroughly enlightening, and has caused me to add some books on the history of this organization to my reading list.  The American Civil Liberties Union is anything but what its name implies. 

Mansfield includes some great appendices that should be required reading as well, particularly Justice William Rehnquist’s dissent in Wallace vs Jaffree.  This case was over an Alabama law that required each school day begin with a prayer or a moment of silent meditation.  The rule was upheld by the District Court but was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court because it violated the Establishment Clause.  Rehnquist’s dissent is a classic piece of argument that calls for the abandonment of Jefferson’s “wall of separation of church and state” metaphor and includes an overview of the original intentions of the founding fathers and a critical analysis of the court’s establishment Clause rulings. 

All in all, this is a great primer, though not perfect, of this issue.  It is very short, basically 150 pages or so, and I read it in an afternoon.  Some other recommended resources that provide more depth include Real Threat and Mere Shadow: Religious Liberty and the First Amendment by Daniel L. Dreisbach, and Separation of Church and State: Historical Fact and Current Fiction by Robert L. Cord.  Some other resources at American Vision include Myth of Separation Between Church and State by Dee Wampler, and Wall of Misconception by Peter Lillback. 

New Logos Upgrade

For those of you using Logos Libronix bible software, they have a free upgrade.  Here is the announcement:

We just recently launched a new version of our base packages. It wasn’t a normal release in that (1) we added only two new titles, the TNIV and the NIrV, to the base packages that include the NIV (all but Christian Home and Original Languages), and (2) the upgrade price is free (except for media and shipping).

You can upgrade by going to http://www.logos.com/upgrade. The media isn’t necessary and can be safely removed from your cart.

Many people don’t like the TNIV because of the gender neutrality translation.  I agree that this version is a bad translation, and driven by political correctness run amok.  That said, it is worth having in your library as a reference.  I upgraded last night, and would encourage others to do so if you have Libronix. 

Thanks to Logos for making such a great program.

Beliefs really do drive actions… or at least should

OK, so I am going to take a break from the Bible study series to get on my soapbox for a minute or two.  Super Tuesday and reading Al Mohler’s new book Culture Shift has reminded me that Christian means more than going to church on Sundays.  What a person believes, truly believes, really does drive their actions.  A person may profess one thing, yet consistently act in another way, and when this happens, it just demonstrates that the person is either a liar or is confused about their beliefs.  Yes, sin still permeates our nature even as born-again believes, and sometimes we as followers of Christ slip and do something stupid.  This is not what I am talking about.  What I am talking about here are people that claim to be Christians, and consistently act outside the bounds of Christianity and promote beliefs and activities that are clearly unbiblical.  After listing a long list of sins that are apparent when people reject the knowledge of God, Paul in Romans 1:32 states that these people that know God yet reject his knowledge and law not only do these things that they know deserve death, but encourage others to do these very things also.  I believe that there is a time coming in which the true Christians will be obviously separated from the non-Christians. 

Let’s take a couple of hot topics just to prove my point.  Abortion, for instance.  It doesn’t matter how one defines abortion, it is murder.  Period.  Abortion kills a living human being, and that is murder.  Abortion is no longer a medical issue, because medical science is now fully on the side of the pro-life group.  The fetus in a woman is a human being, genetically and otherwise.  Who in their right mind can dispute that?  The fetus is also a living thing, because the last time I checked, dead things don’t grow.  Abortion is not a medical issue; it is purely a moral issue and a political issue.  Biblically speaking, however, abortion is murder.  Biblically speaking, the baby is a God-given and God-created life, whether inside the womb or outside.  This can also be shown conclusively from Scripture.  Abortion should not be a Democrat or Republican issue; it is a moral issue and a theological issue. 

And here is my statement:  If you are pro-abortion, and claim to be a Christian, then you are either confused about the facts surrounding abortion, confused about the facts and doctrine of Christianity, or you are a liar that wants to believe what you want to believe but want to hold onto the label of Christian for other reasons.  I find it very difficult for a person to profess to be a Christian and be pro-abortion.  It is that simple.  Even some basic research into the Biblical texts and any objective research on abortion will show that abortion is murder, and murder is prohibited.  It will also show that life begins at conception. 

Let me make it clear: as Christians, we are commanded to love our enemies, pray for them, and speak to them the gospel message.  We are to love those that perform abortions, those that have abortions, and those that support abortion, because we are commanded to speak to them about the gospel and its truth.  They are people, and who knows, perhaps some of them may be drawn to Christ by the irresistible power of His Holy Spirit to the truth of the gospel. 

That said, those who profess to be Christians are obligated to know what they believe and why.  You can’t believe something that you don’t know.  You can’t be a Christian, a follower of Christ, unless you know what all that entails.  You don’t have to be a theologian, but that is no excuse for aspiring to be one!  Theology is the study of God, and Christians are called to commit themselves and devote themselves to Christ, and that means a life-long journey of study as well as devotion and worship.  Christianity is intolerant, by definition.  It is based on right and wrong, God and Satan, good and evil, and only one way.  There are right thoughts, beliefs, and actions, and wrong ones as well.  The Bible was given to us by God to help us understand who God is, what He expects, and how we obtain reconciliation with Him.  It is our standard for faith and life.  Faith AND life.  And getting back to the example, abortion is not a criteria for salvation, but it can be (I would say, it is) an indicator of a proper understanding of Christian thought and beliefs.  Our life and thought should be drawn towards the standards of the Bible.  We are not perfect, and won’t be, but our thoughts and actions should be as closely aligned with Biblical standards of thought and conduct as possible, and we should always strive to even closer alignment than we already are. 

Therefore, while abortion is not a criterion for salvation, it is a measure of Christian thought.  Those who profess to be followers of Christ should be or become pro-life.  Those who profess to be followers of Christ should exhibit pro-life thoughts and actions in life as well.  In conversations at school, at work, at home.  Through our checkbooks.  And at the polls.  If you profess to be a Christian, yet continue to vote for and support pro-abortion candidates, then I would argue that perhaps you are not really a Christian.  Yes, you read that right.  If one knowingly and consistently promotes and supports sin which is clearly contrary to Biblical teaching, then perhaps you don’t really believe Biblical Christianity, but some other watered-down man-centered religion that should not be called Christian. 

Quickly, evolution is another topic, and all of the implications that surround this issue.  The belief in creation is directly related to belief in God and Christ.  One cannot believe in evolution and be a Biblical Christian at the same time, because evolution is by definition naturalistic, non-supernatural, and by definition denies any act by God.  Christians MUST believe in Biblical creation.  If they do not, then perhaps they are confused about creation, evolution, or Biblical doctrine.  Or perhaps one wants the culturally acceptable label of Christian without the actual beliefs.  The problem is, don’t call yourself something that you are not.  Christians cannot believe in evolution because Biblical creation and naturalistic evolution are incompatible. 

I think it is time for true believes to stand up and live up to what it means to be a Christian, in both faith and life, and call others to the carpet for what they believe and how they live.  We can’t hold nonprofessing sinners accountable for Christian values, but we can and should and are commanded to hold brothers and sisters in Christ accountable for their actions and beliefs.  I will not be popular, and will be labeled intolerant, but so be it. 

Bible study and commentaries, part 8

Last time we talked about several different kinds of commentaries, and listed some of the different ones in each level of difficulty.  In this post, I would like to briefly go over how I use commentaries in my Bible study. 

Let’s say that I am studying a selected passage of Scripture, such as Romans 1:18-32.  After reading the passage and doing my own word studies and my own interpretation, I will then check my own work with that of others who are undoubtedly better equipped than I am to interpret Scripture.  I try and read the commentary on the selected passage in different types of commentaries, such as a technical one first (in this case such as Moo’s and/or Schreiner’s commentary on Romans), then try and determine each author’s line of thought and why he thinks and writes that way.  What does the writer believe is going on in this particular passage, and why does he think so.  Sometimes following the author’s logic can be difficult, so take your time and try and work out the thoughts and lines of reasoning. 

I will then take the time to look at other types o commentaries, such as the NAC commentary or Kistemaker/Hendrickson commentaries, which are less technical.  I will also read as a habit the Bible Speaks Today commentary, and in this case for Romans, I will read Boice’s expositional commentary and Martyn Lloyd-Jones’s expositional commentary both on the same passage.  The Reformed Expositional Commentary set is also a good expository view that is very helpful.  That way, I will get a good technical reading, and at the same time a good expositional reading, which may serve to clarify some of the technical points that I may not understand or that I may need some additional perspective.  I always try and read at least two commentaries on a particular passage in order to provide some checks and balances on the views of passages, especially problem passages. 

I will take additional notes from the commentaries on my notes pages, or in a separate notebook for this particular book.  Make sure you note which commentary and the page number for your notes so you can go back and find your sources. 

Especially with problem passages or passages that may have several interpretations, multiple commentaries provide a good overview of the different ways to look at these passages.  Good commentaries, such as Moo and Schreiner on Romans, offer multiple interpretations of problem passages, and discuss the pros and cons of each interpretation, while finally making a recommendation on a preferred interpretation.  Some things that a reader should look for are multiple interpretations, and the author’s reasons.  What kind of reasons does the author give for his readings?  What is the logic that he follows?  Do the arguments make sense?  What does he choose one over the others? 

Sometimes a commentator may same something like, “This means X because Paul never used this word in any other way in his other letters.” Or perhaps, “My interpretation is Y because of Scriptures A, B, and C.”  Double check the author’s work by looking up these Scriptures for yourself and see what they say.  This helps your understanding of the passage and your biblical knowledge.  How the Bible is a unified book, and how Scripture interprets Scripture, is an important part of Bible study. 

I use commentaries to check my own work, and use them to help me understand the issues and arguments surrounding problem or difficult passages.  I also use them to help me understand the historical context surrounding the writing of the text.  Sometimes, man times, the historical context helps to shed light on why the Biblical author wrote, what the issues were, and how those issues might be similar to what is happening today.  Chances are, our enemy is repackaging some of the same old temptations and problems in new clothing, and understanding how the Biblical writers dealt with issues in the church during their time may help us to deal with the same problems in our time.  Historical context helps me to bridge the gap between their time and my time. 

Many commentaries provide insights into the text that I would never have though of.  Deeper meanings of words and phrases, historical insights, grammatical constructs, cultural nuances that would not be apparent to a typical reader of the Bible, political, religious, and economic issues that may impact our understanding on the actions of Biblical characters are all things I look for in commentaries that I might otherwise not know.  Commentaries allow us to make use of the abundant knowledge of wise men and women who have gone before us, devoted their entire lives to the gospel and the Biblical texts, and have been blessed with insight and illumination by the Holy Spirit.  We cannot depend on these as a crutch or as an excuse for the lack of our own study, but we should definitely make use of them and the wisdom within them.