brief-comments-blog

Excerpts from The Present Truth, Chapter 1, State of the Christian

Mon, 14 May 2012 01:16:19 +0100

The cultural elites have successfully deceived several generations into believing that truth is so abstract that it becomes practically useless. Mental assent is sufficient for most and for the rest if truth really surfaces, it is to be put on a shelf so it will not divide the ranks.

So where does this leave the state of the Christian? It leaves the Christian standing on the edge of a cliff about to fall into a neo dark age.

Debate and defend the truth as God illumines your mind. The great statesman, Henry Clay, was about to introduce a certain bill in Congress when a friend said, “If you do, Clay, it will kill your chance for the presidency.” “But is the measure right” Clay said, and being assured it was right he said, “I would rather be right than president.”

Where are the men like Henry Clay? Where is the culture that once believed that truth counts? I’ve encountered deep resistance to truth. I’ve known and encountered professing Christians who are experts at making a proposition sound like truth and take pride in it. For instance, someone could say there is a squirrel in the living room. Taken out of context that might mean that a squirrel is in my living room, when in reality (truth) there is no squirrel in my living room. I had one man tell me once “I take the ninth commandment too seriously.” As a sinner, just like you, I might break the ninth commandment, but how could a Christian say that someone took the ninth commandment too seriously? A statement like that is easy to understand, if you understand that the state of the Christian is more inclined to pietism than to the whole counsel of God. This is not the time for pietism or timidity.

The state of the Christian has not changed much through the centuries. There are new names, cultures have changed, technology has increased, but the report is much the same.

The Good News

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:41:44 +0100

Alfred Tennyson said, “Man is man and master of his fate”

If by fate he means chance, he is dead wrong.
If by fate he means destiny, he is right that man has a destiny.

If you’re interested in your destiny, I hope you will continue reading.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. God also created man with a body and soul. The body will die, but the soul will live forever. A man of great wisdom once said, “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul” (Matt. 10:28)

Most people work hard to save the body, which will eventually die. We should ask ourselves a very hard question. How much interest do we have for the soul that will live forever?

We can be sure that since we did not create the body or the soul, we cannot save the body and the soul.

Is there any hope? Yes, the Bible has the answers to the difficult questions of life.

God made a covenant with the first man. This man named Adam was God’s chosen representative for the human race. Adam broke God’s covenant. Then Adam sinned against God by worshipping other gods. Breaking that covenant provoked God’s anger against the human race. The Bible explains, “Through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Rom. 5:12).

God is holy. Man is a sinner. The Bible says, “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.”

The favorable peaceful relationship between God and man was broken when our father Adam rebelled against God, which provoked God’s wrath against sinful man. Since man did not create himself, man cannot save himself from the wrath of God.

The Lord Jesus Christ said, “He who believes the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36)

Let it be clearly understood that God is not merely angry with people because they are human beings. God pours out His wrath on the ungodliness and the unrighteousness of men. King David was a man after God’s own heart, yet King David confessed that he was sinful at birth, from the day his mother conceived him.

The bad news is that God is just and He must punish sin. The bad news is that you cannot save yourself.

The Bible says, “If by one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

The good news is that Jesus Christ, the 2nd person of the trinity, came in the form of bondservant, in the likeness of men, found in the appearance as a man, yet he humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Bible says Jesus will save His people from their sins (Matt. 1:21).

The good news is that sin may be forgiven and a favorable relationship may be restored with the one true and living God. Would you like to end the war and have peace with God?

The good news is that Jesus Christ purchased not only reconciliation with God, but also an everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of heaven, for all those whom the Father has given to Him.

Would you like to have peace with God? Would you like to have an everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of heaven?

Then ask God the Holy Spirit to make you willing and able to believe that Christ died for your sins. Ask God the Holy Spirit to enable you to receive and rest upon Him alone for salvation. Ask your Christian friends to pray for you. Study the Word of God and seek counsel from godly competent men who “hold fast the pattern of sound words” from the full counsel of God.

Wise Discernment of Life

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 18:07:28 +0100

So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12

Too often, I have not followed the biblical pattern. I understand the eternal essence and existence of God and I thank God for creating me. Unfortunately, I try to take over my life and use it for myself rather than the glory of God. I think I’m not the only one in the boat. I call it the Epicurean spirit of the age. Self-interest prevails while the spiritual nature of life becomes a utilitarian tool. Oh, there is plenty of interest in religious talk, especially from the pious few. Many people call themselves morally upright, but they interpret the moral code to fit their own personal agenda.

The Bible in general and this Psalm particularly says something different. This Psalm is not merely about how many days God has given you. It is about understanding life. It is about understanding reality. One of the ugly marks of sin is imperfect understanding, which is misunderstanding. Another ugly mark of sin is laziness. When you combine misunderstanding with laziness, the result is a notorious distortion of reality. Now to unscramble all this and re-state it; we don’t like to work to understand life. We tend to base our understanding of life on what we experience, rather than searching for what is really real. A wise resolution is to seek to understand life based on the Word of God.

The Psalmist said, “Teach us to number our days.” It does not mean that God wants us to count the days of this temporal life. It is not a question of whether our days are numbered; it is a question of understanding life for the number of days we live. It all starts with the Lord; “In the beginning God.” Our dwelling place here is temporary, but God is eternal. God is the eternal King. We are mere humans and subjects of the eternal King. God is unchangeable; we are always changing. What is man compared to God? James said, “For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4:14).

The question I ask is not from arrogance, but sincerity. Why do Christians treat life so lightly? I believe there are several reasons for the disrespect for life in this present age. The abandonment of a final and ultimate authority is probably on the top of the list. From family life, employment, and even ball games, there must be a final authority. The final and ultimate authority for life is God and He has given us His Word. With the abandonment of a final authority, comes the floodgate of privatized Christianity. Everyone has his or her own private creed, beliefs, and understanding of life. Somewhere along the way Christians forget, or were never taught, to “Hold fast the pattern of sound words…” (2 Timothy 1:13). It means to Have an outline of healthy words and healthy words are found in the Word of God. Healthy words are sound words and they are the foundation for sound doctrine. Unfortunately, the experiences of life and ungodly passions lead to words of confusion and words of strife rather than sound words. The result is forgotten sound doctrine. The abandonment of sound preaching and teaching is another reason Christians treat life so lightly. Life makes no sense when sermons are contradictory and Word of God is misrepresented. It is the ignorance and abuse of the first principles of Christianity that causes professing Christians to abandon the true understanding of life. As one Biblical scholar said, “Paul knew how ready men are to depart or fall off from pure doctrine. For this reason he earnestly cautions Timothy not to turn aside from that form of teaching which he had received, and to regulate his manner of teaching by the rule which had been laid down; not that we ought to be very scrupulous about words, but because to misrepresent doctrine, even in the smallest degree, is exceedingly injurious.” Life becomes a confusing mixture of hopelessness, strife, and contention when we abandon the essential marks of Christianity and embrace the values of personal relative thinking.

What is the answer to the confusion and despair of this life? Pray and ask God to teach us to number our days, with a sense of integrity, understanding that life on earth is brief. For that reason, it is measured by days. If we understand the brevity of this life, we will better understand eternal life.

Thanksgiving Sermon 2011

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:09:14 +0100

The biblical text is Nehemiah 9:6.

Although the 9th chapter of Nehemiah is a time of confession, prayer and worship, it gives us a picture of God's generous providence.

We must not disassociate God’s providence from our expressions of thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving seasons have a rich heritage in the history among God's people.

The people of God in the O. T. celebrated the Feast of Weeks, what we commonly call Pentecost, which is a form of thanksgiving.

After the first harvest of 1621, the American Pilgrims celebrated a day of Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Day became a tradition and eventually became a national holiday in this country.

In the Bible, we find that God commands thanksgiving as we worship.

Psa. 100:4 - "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name."

Thanksgiving is an act and expression from the saints of God for God’s divine providential care.

The providence of God is profound and sometimes seems so difficult that some preachers simply avoid the doctrine of God's providence.

It is a great privilege to examine the full counsel of God so we might discover the richness of God’s glory.

Before we consider this most wonderful doctrine, I should explain the meaning of the word providence as relates to God's economy

Providence - From Latin "pro" and "videre"
meaning to see before hand
Audio to hear video to see

God is not merely a spectator. He does not merely know in advance what will happen through his foreknowledge.

God knows your needs in advance because He plans in advance.

The late Dr. John Murray once said that there are occasions on which we may discover the divine reason of the events of providence.

The doctrine of God’s providence consists of four
sub-divisions.

Today I want to review these 4 sub-divisions relative to the providence of God so we may worship Him with a heart of thanksgiving.
(1) sustenance
(2) government
(3) provision
(4) concurrence

1) Sustenance - What God creates he sustains. He holds all things together.

The universe and everything within it is dependent upon the being and power of God for continuity of existence as well as origin of existence.

Acts 17:28 - "For in him we live and move and have our being."

The Universe was not created and left like a clock ticking away to point of expiration.

Not one molecule - Atom - sub-atomic particle is out of place.

God not only created you he sustains you - in the words of Jonathan Edwards "He is recreating you" by His power.

Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks to God for his sustaining power.

2) Government of God - God is the Supreme Governor who rules the world because of his
absolute authority and power to govern.

God's absolute authority gives Him the right to govern all that he creates.

God's power gives Him the ability to govern all that he creates.

Daniel 4:34-36 – God humiliated the great and powerful king so that Nebuchadnezzar ate grass like a cow.

When King Nebuchadnezzar came to his senses he said that:
God's dominion is an everlasting dominion
Kingdom endures from generation to generation

Jesus Christ, the living God, is king of the universe.

His government is the directing and disposing of all things that happen. There is no sphere in which God is not involved.

The adversarial disposition of man is to reject the government of God.

Natural man, without Christ, rejects the absolute authority and power of God.

Christians are called to respect the government of God.

At this Thanksgiving season let us give thanks to God for His governing hand over us.

God's providence consists not only of his:
1) sustenance
2) government
but also His: 3) Provision

God not only prepares for our future needs by sustaining and governing His people, but He actually meets all our needs.

God provided the ultimate need of his people by sending his only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to redeem his people.

The ultimate provision was the substitionary atonement of Jesus Christ to satisfy the wrath of God.

The biblical pattern is that the Lord provides and his people are grateful.

Thanksgiving is not possible for the atheist because the atheist has no reason to be thankful.

Why, because the atheist does not believe that God exists and therefore cannot thank a non-existent being.
i.e. - from nothing - comes nothing

Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks to God for his provision to his people.

So far: sustaining power – governing hand and abundant provision.
One concept of God's providence often overlooked:

4) Concurrence - God's plan is brought to pass by his sovereignty through human means.

i.e. Joseph and his brothers. Joseph sold by his brothers into slavery. (Gen 37)

40 years later Joseph told his brothers what they meant for evil, God meant for good.

Romans 8:28 - And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

When we come to understand God's providence, we can praise God.

Neh. 9:6 You alone are the LORD;
      You have made heaven,
      The heaven of heavens, with all their host,
      The earth and everything on it,
      The seas and all that is in them,
      And You preserve them all.
      The host of heaven worships You.

You offer thanksgiving to God first because He created you.

Then you offer thanksgiving to God because of His generous and His kind providence.

The prayer in Neh. 9 is an example of sinful people confessing their sins but, with a heart of thanksgiving, for God’s generous providence over them.

The prayer in Neh. 9 comes after 70 years of bondage. The Israelites had been slaves to the Babylonians for 70 years, but God used Ezra and Nehemiah to restore the Israelites to their land, rebuild the temple, and revive the city of Jerusalem.

Ezra's prayer in Neh. 9 reminds the people of God's grace and powerful providence.

Ezra reminds them of how God provided for them in Egypt, at the Red Sea, in the desert, at Sinai, during the conquest of Canaan, through the period of the Judges. He reminded them of their rebellion the consequences of their actions.

(The history of nearly 1500 yrs. of God’s generous providence.)

You will notice at the beginning of vs. 6 that God alone, without any pre-existing material created heavens and earth.

Just stop and think about the very nature of creation. Why would God create something and then not provide for it.

The material things in the universe do not continue on their own power or some dynamic principle of science. It is the will of God that all things will continue as God decreed that they would continue.

Jesus said: "Not a sparrow falls to the ground apart from the Father's will and even the very hairs of your head are numbered."

Have you ever thought about thanking God for the number of hairs on your head?

Have you ever thought about thanking God for every detail of life?

Have you ever thought about thanking God for every natural catastrophe, every sickness and everything that happens?

1 Thess 5:18 – in everything give thanks

Can we say like Job - "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him." (Job 13:15).

Or do we have the words on our lips like the Israelites in Ezekiel 18:29 - "But the house of Israel says, The way of the Lord is not right."

Our hearts should be filled with gratitude because of the prosperity and favorable circumstances of our estate.

Many professing Christians live with anxiety and distrust as they unnecessarily concern themselves about the necessities of life. Many professing Christians act as if God has neither the ability nor any interest in daily needs.

Our Lord Jesus said: "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth"

In another place the Lord said: "I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on.

Obviously our Lord does not mean that we should not work hard, because the Bible commands us to work hard. (Ex. 20:9; 34:21)

However you must not worship the work of your hands.

Sermon in a capsule: Worship God with thanksgiving for creating you and providing for you. Worship the Lord Jesus Christ because He provided salvation for your soul. Worship the Holy Spirit for empowering you to believe the gospel.

THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD AT THANKSGIVING

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 01:34:38 +0100

After the first harvest of 1621, the American Pilgrims celebrated a day of Thanksgiving. This eventful celebration has since become a national holiday. Although Christians set aside this special time to acknowledge that the gracious hand of God provides for all our needs, thanksgiving should be a daily celebration.

The word providence comes from two Latin words "pro" and "videre" which means "to see beforehand." God is not a mere spectator. He knows in advance because He plans in advance. The fulfillment of God's plan is known as the providence of God.

I want to consider four aspects of the providence of God that we should acknowledge every day, but especially the Thanksgiving holiday.

The first aspect is sustenance. What God creates he sustains. The universe and everything within it is dependent upon the being and power of God for continuity of existence. God holds all things together and for His sustenance we are thankful.

The second aspect is the government of God. God is the Supreme Governor who rules the world because of his absolute authority and power to govern. Since God created this world, He has the right to govern it. At this Thanksgiving season we can give thanks for God's governing hand over us.

The third aspect is God's provision. God, whose foreseeing of all things is based on his foreordination of all things, is the provider who prepares a future for His people. God provided the ultimate need of His people by sending His only Son to redeem His people. A true reason indeed to give thanks on Thanksgiving Day.

The fourth aspect is concurrence. God's plan is brought to pass by His sovereignty through human means. The most notable example of concurrence is when God uses evil to accomplish good. When his brothers sold Joseph, they intended it for evil, but God used the evil they did to bring about good.

We live in a time when there is an abundance of material wealth, but it does not seem to bring any permanent joy or happiness. The Thanksgiving season will bring temporary happiness for many as they give thanks for football, hunting, food, and many other self-indulgent desires. But, Thanksgiving will be over and then the return of despair and hopelessness. We are then challenged by the providence of God to believe and rest in the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The providence of God is the forethought of God. His plan and His preparation are good for those who walk in the ways of the Lord. "God is able to make all grace abound in you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed" (2 Corinthians. 9:8). Take time to thank God for His providential care. Thank Him for sustaining, governing, and providing for all your needs.

Reformation and Revival

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 22:06:11 +0100

The greatest revivalist since the apostolic times (to the mind of this writer) was Jonathan Edwards. There were several outbreaks of revival during his lengthy stay at Northampton. How could Edwards, who read his sermons and preached sermons (today they would be considered academic sermons) without much expression, be God's instrument for revival? In one of his post-revival sermons, Edwards said, "When any professing society is as a city set on a hill 'tis a great obligation upon them to honor religion in their practice." The obligation comes from TRUTH. It is the opinion of many that God granted revival because Edwards was an expositor of BIBLICAL TRUTH. It is the recovery of biblical truth (Reformation) that leads to the practice of biblical truth (Revival).

What truth does the church need to recover? First and most important they need to recover (or for some it may be a discovery) the authority upon which doctrinal or theological assertions may be debated. Martin Luther called it "sola scriptura" which is a Latin phrase meaning "by Scripture alone." Scripture is the final authority to teach the human race what they must believe about God and what God expects of them. We are standing on the precipice of a neo-dark age because "Scripture alone" is no longer the final authority in the Protestant church. The liberal theologians teach their students one gospel while the fundamentalists another gospel. The antinomians preach one gospel, while the legalists preach another gospel. The Calvinists preach one gospel, while the Arminians preach another gospel. The list of differences between evangelicals is endless! Then ask the question: What is your authority to preach this gospel? The answer is the Bible!

Until the differences are resolved, reformation will never take place and therefore revival will not take place. First, the individual Christian must resolve any internal struggles with the truth of the gospel (the gospel is the whole counsel of God). Once the truth of the gospel is recovered to the mind of an individual Christian, then reformation and revival may spread throughout the church.

This process is not easy. Ministers will be the most resistant to reformation and revival. It takes work, hard work, to draw out biblical truth. Then it takes conviction, an abundance of it, to preach biblical truth especially when one has been saturated by tradition and has not studied classical Christianity.

Will reformation and revival come to our churches? Yes, when we draw near to God, He will draw near to us (James 4:8). Search the Scriptures and pray that God will illumine your understanding of biblical reformation and revival.

Secularism Dominates the Western World

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 22:19:52 +0100

The western world can boast of an abundance of worldviews. The generality of the worldviews in our nation do not find their roots in religion, but rather in philosophy. It is particularly dangerous to believe that the United States is a Christian nation. Such thinking promotes the idea that the world views espoused by the majority of the citizens of this nation are rooted in Christianity.

Secularism is a worldview that encompasses many worldviews and is rapidly ascending in popularity. The western world has experienced a rise in secularism, as a worldview, during the 20th century. Secularism is the most influential philosophy in the western world. This is important for Christians to understand, because Secularism is in direct opposition to Christianity. The tragedy, is that during the last decade of the 20th century, Secularism is being widely accepted by Christians.

The root of the word Secularism is the word secular. The word secular describes the here and now. "Live for today, because there may not be a tomorrow," so says the Secularist. The aestheticians, the world of media (especially news media), and the literary artists of our age are overwhelmingly committed to Secularism. There is nothing wrong with secular; it simply defines the present time. The conflict with Christianity is when the secular claims to exclude the eternal. Christians are interested in the present world, but their primary concern ought to be the eternal. The Bible teaches that Christians must be involved in the secular, but Christians cannot deny the sacred. Secularism excludes the eternal. Secularism not only conflicts with Christianity, but by excluding the eternal, it rejects Christianity.

The secular is inseparably connected to the sacred or the eternal. The danger for Christians is to profess hope for the eternal, yet embrace Secularism and therefore reject the hope of the eternal. "For man goes to his eternal home while mourners go about in the street" (Ecclesiastes 12:5).

The Heart of the Church

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 13:20:09 +0100

On October 31^st in the year 1517 Dr. Martin Luther posted his 95 theses on the church door. He wanted to discuss the issues relative to salvation and the practice of the church. He wanted the church to be reformed by the Word of God by the power of the Holy Spirit. The purpose of this brief monograph to celebrate and encourage the church to be reformed by the word of God.

Reformation (the recovery of biblical truth) and revival (spiritual renewal) is much needed among churches and in the lives of individual Christians. The only authority for reformation in the church is Holy Scripture. What we believe will not bring reformation. What God believes will bring reformation! Christians are commanded "not to be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2). Think God's thoughts after Him. Have the mind of Jesus Christ. The renewing of your mind will not automatically take place. It is not like having a blood transfusion. You cannot have the mind of God by looking in the want ads, or a Walmart Supercenter, or by magic, but through serious and maybe even difficult inquiry into the Holy Scripture.

A powerful and influential church preceded the 16th century Reformation. It was through serious and agonizing inquiry into the word of God that provoked Dr. Martin Luther to stand against the most powerful church in the world. The church had replaced the central teachings of Scripture with church tradition and the imaginations of men. The modern evangelical church has fallen prey to the same error by replacing the central teachings of Scripture with church tradition, the tools of modernity, and postmodern concepts.

I wonder how many professing Christians could give a brief explanation of the following central doctrines of Scripture without consulting outside help. Dr. Martin Luther called these doctrines "cor ecclesia" or the "heart of the church." These doctrines are: 1) justification by faith alone and 2) salvation by grace alone. These central doctrines of Scripture have been lost. We must recover these central doctrines (reformation)!

While Christians of all ages have lived in fear of the nether world (and Hell is to be feared), the more pressing issue is the hither world. I find that Christians are more worried about committing a "mortal" sin in the present time than they are about how they will pay for the sin later. Either way its a losing battle. We are sinners and we know it, but we know that God requires perfection. What an awful dilemma!

Dr. Martin Luther faced this dilemma nearly 500 years ago and it nearly destroyed him. He tried every way possible to have a right standing with God and failed every time. The Roman Church had convinced Luther that he could do something to secure a right standing with God. Most churches teach, at least subtly, a similar doctrine today.

After a long, serious, and diligent inquiry into the word of God, Luther found his answer (reformation). "The righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, But the righteous man shall live by faith" (Romans 1:17). Luther came to realize that the operative word in that text is not faith. The operative word is "righteous." The righteous (and only the righteous) can live by faith. "The righteousness of God is revealed" is an act of God. The word "revealed" is a passive verb. God is taking the initiative to declare those He has called as righteous in His sight. This doctrine is called "justification by faith alone." God does not actually remove our sins, but he no longer counts them against us.

Is there anything we can do? Yes, believe and receive this declaration by faith. We receive this declaration by believing and resting in what Christ alone has accomplished for us. Even our faith is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8,9).

Dr. Luther called "justification by faith alone" the article by which the church stands or falls. The truth of this theological concept is unquestionable. Without "justification by faith alone" redemption and eternal salvation would not be possible. Luther is correct! However, in the evangelical church, justification has been replaced with human effort. If the church is to stand against corruption, evil, and error, it is time to recovery this essential doctrine. Receive, believe, and practice "justification" because it is a gift by God's grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:24).

Rugged individualism is the mark that characterizes American democracy. "All men are created equal. . .with certain unalienable rights. . .[like] life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Liberty and equality demands the structure commonly known as "of the people, by the people, and for the people." Luther struggled bitterly with the concept of "bondage and freedom." His flair for individualism provoked an internal battle, because despite his effort to free himself from sin, he found himself imprisoned to guilt and sin. His study of the book of Romans revealed the answer: "Justification by faith alone." But how did he obtain this declaration of freedom? Luther said it was, sola gratia, by grace alone.

The reformation of the church in the 16th century has radically affected our individual Christian lives as well as the life of the evangelical church. During the 16th and 17th centuries, the evangelical church realized and acknowledged that salvation came forth from an eternal and sovereign God and His inscrutable will was worthy of absolute trust for eternal salvation. Today the evangelical church has changed its theology and placed part of the process of salvation in the hands of fallen human beings. Like the Roman church of the 16th century, the majority of the evangelical church of the 20th century teaches that humans can, at least, cooperate in their salvation. The giants of classical Christianity have always taught that the human is enslaved by sin and Satan, until “God takes the initiative” and by His grace alone gives new life so that the human will can respond to the call of the gospel.

Yes, we're all born equal. At birth we are depraved sinners and just like the corpse at the mortuary, we are unable to raise ourselves from the dead. The people of God are given new life, “sola gratia”, by grace alone. "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast" (Eph. 2:8,9). God does not run a democracy. His government is not "of the people, by the people, and for the people." His government is absolute, sovereign, benevolent, and eternal. Trust God, because He alone can free you from prison and give you eternal life.

Martin Murphy

Dothan, Alabama

October 28, 2011

Looking at "Truth with Tears"

Sat, 15 Oct 2011 18:11:07 +0100

I listened to Steve Brown’s discourse titled “Truth with Tears.” He was my homiletics professor in the early 90’s and I have listened to him often since that time. He has a heart and passion for God and has the gift to express it with winsome and persuasive words. He has always caused me to muse over issues that other people seem to grasp without any effort.

I listened to “Truth with Tears” yesterday afternoon. I began my journey to discover the proximity of love to truth and mercy to reality. First, I realize that one has to love to demonstrate mercy. Mercy without love is a mere abstraction of, to use Steve’s words, “do-goodism”. It is merely to satisfy the ego of pride. I also realize that truth is not merely proximate to reality, but is necessary for ascending into reality. So far easy stuff; now for the final exam. How close is love and mercy to truth and reality? Steve says, “truth without love is arrogance.” True! Now how does it all work out in real time and space?

Obviously my predicament arises from my understanding of concepts that are expressed with single words like love, mercy, truth and reality. The dilemma is further complicated by the communication of these concepts. I remember one my seminary professors telling me that he believed, the single most contributing factor for the lack of theological discussion is a lack of adequate personal vocabulary thus making communication skills difficult at the best. (For clarification, love, truth, mercy, and reality are words that describe concepts.) He went on to say that memorizing words was not the solution; it takes a mastery of the concepts described by those words. Love, mercy, truth, and reality have a certain “isness” about them that ought to be expressed. Listen to “Truth with Tears” and tell me what you think. Now to muse a bit over my musing.

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Theological Integrity

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 20:26:06 +0100

Since words are important, let me define theological integrity. It refers to the truth of God’s nature and character and everything relative to the Lord, God almighty.

I have the same question for the church today that John Calvin had for the church over 400 years ago. "Do we hope for salvation from the gospel while no man is willing to run any risk in asserting its truth?" Calvin goes on to explain; "in so many cities and provinces the purity of Christianity is gone" (an excerpt from Calvin's treatise on The True Method of Giving Peace, and of Reforming the Church.) I do not intend to speak against the Bride of Christ. However, I am concerned about the condition of the church for the sake of this and coming generations. To put this in proper perspective, I believe the evangelical church, including conservative Bible believing churches are in the process of slipping into a neo-dark age. I have argued that the church growth movement is the primary reason for this dilemma along with the children of modernity. Pragmatism, consumerism, relativism and a dozen other world and life views have contributed to this neo-dark age plague. The postmodern concept now contributes another dark side to this dilemma; the abandonment of truth. The church cannot ignore this exponential slippage because at the root of all these problems is theological integrity. Have I misunderstood our culture or is my understanding of church history clouded by my own subjective ideas? Even if I have, that will not change the verity of my fundamental argument that theological integrity is the root of all our church problems.

In another place John Calvin said, "When Divine Truth is avowedly attacked, we must not tolerate the adulteration of one single iota of it. It is certainly not a trivial matter to see God's light extinguished by the devil's darkness; and besides, this matter is of greater moment than many suppose. Nor is it true, as they allege, that he who does not acquiesce in the errors of others, shows deadly hate by dissenting from them." Calvin's principle argument is as true today as it has been throughout the history of the church. Calvin was far more ambitious than we might anticipate in the church today. When theological integrity comes into the picture, it is foggy with feelings.

Theological integrity means that one vows (pledges, professes, or confesses) with a reasoning regenerated mind a belief system that works out consistently based on the Word of God. If your creedal statement(s) are the result of your understanding of the “full counsel of God” then your theological integrity will be demonstrated in human experience. It was theological integrity that brought Jesus to the point of a deadly confrontation with the right winged conservative religious leaders of his day (See John 8:37-59). He even accused them of being children of the devil, the father of lies, so they must have been childish liars. A childish liar is the opposite of theological integrity. Those religious leaders were not able to understand the truth. That is precisely correct. They were unable to understand the truth, thus they could not believe the truth. Was the inability a knowledge problem or was it a theological problem? It was both! There wills were slaves to the devil (John 8:44). They were very willing to sacrifice theological integrity because of the condition of their souls. Their minds were clouded because of their sin nature. How sad that the Pharisees could not understand what Jesus meant when He said, "take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness" (Luke 11:35). Theological integrity means that you must have clear revelation and a clear mind (Eph. 1:17).

The inspired, infallible and inerrant wisdom of Scripture says: "A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness will utter lies" (Proverbs 14:5). A lie is contrary to the truth. I just do not understand why Christians in general and church leaders in particular are so unconcerned about truth and ultimately theological integrity. The anti-confessional and anti-intellectual agendas are the primary agents leading the church away from theological integrity and into relativistic, humanistic, and pragmatic notions, all of which spell disaster for the future church.

Theological integrity is not the easy road. It was not easy for men like Martin Luther, John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, or J. Gresham Machen. They suffered because theological integrity was important. In fact the Bible tells us that "all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution" (2 Tim. 3:12). If you are not suffering persecution perhaps, you do not desire to live godly in Christ Jesus. We must not forget that Jesus said "you will be hated by all for My name's sake" (Matthew 10:22) and in another place Jesus said "If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you" (John 15:20). Theological integrity is not popular or attractive to the man-centered church growth movement, the broad evangelicals, or liberals, but theological integrity is necessary! Everyone will be held accountable on that day.

The genius of theological integrity is profoundly simple. The great 19th century theologian and church doctor James Henley Thornwell said: "We have minds that were made to know - we are constructed with a reference to truth” and then reminds us not to turn "from the temple of truth to worship at the shrine of ignorance, error and shame. . . .This love of truth, which I have been endeavoring to recommend, will be the very last importance to you to guard you against the deceits of the world. . . .The world, the flesh and hell all conspire by glozing falsehood to seduce us to perdition. A covering is spread upon the grave and the pit, and the ways of sin are adorned with all that can please the eye, fascinate the ear or enchant the heart. Our security against these dangers is conviction for the truth" (The Collected Writings of James Henley Thornwell, vol. 2, p. 494-495).

My prayer is that God will raise up someone like Martin Luther, John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, James Henley Thornwell, J. Gresham Machen or anyone willing to stand for theological integrity.. My prayer is that the church will be reformed by the power of the Holy Spirit according to the Word of God. My prayer for the church is found in Psalm 25:21-22: "Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for You. Redeem Israel, O God, Out of all their troubles!