“Why Bill Nye Lost the Creation Debate” (by Paul Jenkins)

Well, I was planning on writing up a more thorough analysis of the Bill Nye and Ken Ham debate sometime soon.  I still might; but a lot of what I intended on discussing has already been written by Paul Jenkins, blogging over at Laodecia Press.  In his article, “Why Bill Nye Lost the Creation Debate,” Jenkins highlights a number of “face palms” that Nye committed during the debate, such as demonstrating an ignorance of the Bible, which was sure to be discussed at some point during the debate,  and various inconsistencies in his own worldview.  Basically, Jenkins picks up on the foundational issue of the debate, showing how the naturalistic presuppositions cannot hold water.  In the end, while atheists/evolutionists might want to further the good of our society, as Nye repeatedly stated as his concern, their worldview simply won’t allow it.  I conclude with these words by Jenkins:

Ham rightly framed the debate as not only impacting our view on origins, but also knowledge, morality, science, marriage, and life itself. If you believe that you are just really old soup, there is no transcendent purpose to your life. Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die. There is no truth, no objective, unchanging morality, no foundation for logic, and no foundation for the scientific method – namely the uniformity of nature.

Some Thoughts on the Bill Nye & Ken Ham Debate

While I could comment generally on the debate as a whole, my focus will be on a few things that Bill Nye said in the debate that really stood out to me (problematically).  I am sure to watch this debate numerous times, however, and therefore may write another post that is more in-depth and thorough at a later time.

First, what seems to be Nye’s primary concern is that the U.S.A. keep on producing scientists that will be able to further the technological and sociological progress for the future good of our nation.  His main contention seemed to be that those who hold to the biblical model of creation will only hinder this future progress.  There are, however, two problems with Nye’s concern.  First, Ken Ham clearly demonstrated that creationists can be and are good scientists that further the progress of discovery and invention for the good of society.  No doubt Ham could’ve listed more Scientists than he did if time permitted.  Apparently, Nye thinks that one must hold to an atheistic evolutionary worldview in order to think critically, research, discover, invent, develop, advance, etc.  Such is absolutely ridiculous, and as far as I see it, is nothing but evolutionary snobbery.  Second, and more foundational, is that Nye’s atheistic evolutionary worldview cannot substantiate such a conviction and concern for science, society, and the future.  What do I mean?  Simple.  When Nye says that we need to be working toward the progressive good of our future, he is assuming that there is a purpose or meaning to life!  He is assuming that we’re hear for a reason, and that reason is to progress toward the good (whatever that may be)!  But why Nye?  If evolution is true, then we’re the product of mindless matter, blind chance.  We are an accident, and there’s no purpose or meaning to life.  We’re simply here.  I’m thankful that Nye wants to further the progress of science and technology for the good of our society, but he’s got one foot in the Christian’s biblical worldview when he says that.  According to the Bible, God created all things, and therefore there is purpose or meaning to life (Gen. 1:1, 26-27; Ps. 33:6-9; Rev. 4:11).  It is this biblical foundation that allows for consistent scientific endeavor.

Second, when speaking about “survival of the fittest,” Nye said it has to do with those who “fit in” with nature.  I can’t help but think that this amounts to saying that not every human being is equal in dignity.  The more one “fits in,” the more dignity that person has.  Those who are more dignified will continue to survive, whereas those who are less dignified will eventually disappear.  It is of course a natural conclusion from the evolutionary worldview, but that’s the problem!

In conclusion, let us remember what the thesis of the debate was: “Is creation a viable model of origins in today’s modern, scientific era?”  In answer to the question, the creation model of origins tells us that we are not here by blind chance and mindless matter, but by God’s sovereign power and decree.  Therefore, in contrast to the atheistic evolutionary worldview, life actually has meaning or purpose.  This is all the more reason to strive toward furthering our scientific and technological progress in the future for the good of society, and all to the glory of God (Rev. 4:11).  The ultimate reason why man embraces evolutionary thinking is because they hate the idea of being accountable to God; but they can only fool themselves for so long (Ps. 14:1; Rom. 1:18-23; Heb. 4:13; 9:27; Rev. 21:8).  What the evolutionary worldview gives us is not progress, but destruction: destruction of the family; destruction of unborn babies; destruction of moral standards; and given enough time (though we need not wait millions or billions of years for this one), destruction of society as we know it.  In short, any good that evolutionary scientists do for society, they do it by standing on the biblical worldview, whether they realize it or not.

Creation/Evolution Debate: Ken Ham vs. Bill Nye (Tonight)

As many already know, tonight (2/4/2014) is the widely anticipated debate between Ken Ham (young earth creationist) and Bill Nye (atheistic evolutionist).  I want to direct people’s attention to Creation Today.  They will be having a pre-debate discussion/show and a post-debate discussion/show.  You can view these HERE.  The actual debate can also be viewed at that same link.

Let us pray for our brother Ken Ham, and pray that the Lord will use this debate to demonstrate the foolishness of evolution (e.g. Ps. 14:1; Rom. 1:18-23) and to save many souls for His glory.

Exclusivism vs. Inclusivism: A Brief Case for the Exclusive Nature of the Gospel & Salvation

The following is my post in response to a Discussion Board question posed in my Theology I class as an assignment.  I have decided to post it here because I believe it to be a very important issue in the church today.  You can tell how important I believe this to be simply by the length of the post.  We are required to post a minimum of 300 words.  I have over 2,000.  You can view a PDF of this post HERE.

Can a person be saved by Christ if all they have is universal [i.e. general] revelation?

I believe the answer to this question is rather simple, as it is explicitly taught in Scripture.  The answer, simply put, is NO.  People must come in contact with the gospel if they are to be saved.  Yet, it troubles me how often I have come across (evangelical) Christians who respond with a YES.  In this post I hope to defend the exclusive characteristic of the gospel and salvation—that people must have a knowledge of Christ as revealed in the gospel, and believe in this gospel if they are to be saved.  I would recommend the following books for anyone wanting to engage in further study on this issue:

Faith Comes by Hearing (edited by Christopher Morgan and Robert Peterson)

Jesus: The Only Way to God: Must You Hear the Gospel to Be Saved? (by John Piper)

Is Jesus the Only Savior? (by Ronal Nash)

The following post consists of a brief look at Psalm 19 and Romans 1:18-20 as supporting the exclusivist position, followed by further arguments for the exclusivist position.  Real quickly, inclusivism is the belief that general revelation (nature; constitution of man; history)[1] is sufficient to save, whereas exclusivism is the belief that people must come into contact with the saving knowledge of the gospel to be saved.  I personally do not like this terminology, as “exclusivist” has negative connotations.  In reality, the gospel is inclusivistic in one sense (for all people; the free offer of the gospel), but exclusivistic in another sense (the only means of salvation, and people must come in contact with it).  In this post I have tried to focus on what I have perceived to be foundational and critical issues.

Psalm 19

Verses 1-6.  There are at least four essential things that need to be noticed in this passage.  First, we do find that something of the glory of God is communicated to mankind by means of this general revelation: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (v. 1).  However, we are not told what exactly this knowledge consists of.  Second, this is a non-verbal revelation, and only so much can be communicated non-verbally.  Third, notice that David (the psalmist) uses “God” in this passage.  This word is not unique to the one true God and can be used to refer to the gods of the nations.  Fourth, there are no spiritual blessings mentioned in this passage.

Verses 7-14. Again, there are at least four essential things to notice in this passage.  First, we are now dealing with verbal revelation (the law of God).  More knowledge can be communicated verbally, than non-verbally.  Second, David does not use “God” in this passage, but he uses “LORD” (i.e. Yahweh), the covenant name of God.  This name is unique to the one true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  Third, spiritual blessings are mentioned in this passage as the result of this special revelation (e.g. “reviving the soul;” “making wise the simple;” “rejoicing the heart;” “enlightening the eyes”).  Finally, in verse 14 the LORD is specifically referred to as the Redeemer.

Romans 1:18-20

There are a few things we must take note of in this text as well.  Obviously, Paul’s focus is on general revelation (v. 20).  Now, what does Paul say this general revelation reveals?  The wrath of God.  Now, I think it’s rather obvious that general revelation does not inherently reveal the wrath of God.  In other words, there’s nothing inherent in the nature of general revelation that necessitates it revealing God’s wrath.  Rather, the wrath of God is revealed from nature because sinful mankind suppresses the truth of God in unrighteousness.  In other words, mankind instinctively knows that God exists and that He is the Creator of all things.  However, they live in continual disobedience to Him.  Therefore, mankind knows, instinctively, that they are worthy of God’s judgment.  It’s as if nature testifies against them!  Further, the knowledge of God revealed in nature is minimal: “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived….”  While man may garner some understanding of what God is like by observing nature (just think of the ancient Greek philosophers), such knowledge is minimal and open to all sorts of twisting within man’s religions (again, just think of the ancient Greek philosophers).  What little knowledge of God is revealed in creation is suppressed by fallen mankind.  Yet, just because it is in the sinful nature of mankind to suppress such truth (e.g. Eph. 2:1-3) doesn’t mean that they are not held accountable, no matter how minimal the revelation.  Notice also that there are no salvific blessings mentioned with regard to general revelation, which is the same thing we saw in Psalm 19:1-6.

But this is Paul’s point!  Remember what Paul just stated before this passage: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith’” (vv. 16-17).  This is Paul’s thesis of his letter.  Romans is essentially an apologetic for missions (preaching the gospel among the nations, especially to those who have yet to hear; cf. Rom. 10:14-17; 15:23-24).  In short, Paul is making the case that mankind is hopeless apart from the saving knowledge of the gospel.  I will attempt to develop this in more detail below.

Further Arguments for Exclusivism

1. General revelation is insufficient to save, first and foremost, because it is rooted in or founded from the very beginning (of creation), prior to the need of redemption.  This may very well be one of the most overlooked characteristics of general revelation by inclusivists.

Some within the inclusivist perspective have questioned, in an attempt at ridiculing the exclusivists, “What kind of God would reveal enough knowledge of Himself to condemn mankind, but not to save it?”  At first glance such a question may seem to have some merit.  However, there is a fundamental flaw present within.  It assumes that general revelation, which exclusivists belief is enough to condemn and not save, was given sometime after the Fall of man.  This, of course, is not the case.  What is revealed in general revelation today is what was revealed in general revelation from the moment of creation; and, of course, there was no need of redemption when God created.  Indeed, He made all things very good (Gen. 1:31).  It’s not until Genesis 3 that man sins and so casts all of humanity after them into spiritual depravity.  Now special revelation is necessary (e.g. Gen. 3:15, 21), for special revelation communicates that knowledge of salvation not present within general revelation.  In short, it was never God’s intention that general revelation communicate knowledge unto salvation.

2. General revelation fails to respond to the sinful nature of mankind.  Of course, as already noted, general revelation was never intended to “respond” to mankind’s problem of sin and condemnation.  But this is why it is not sufficient to save.  According to Scripture, mankind is evil, corrupt, wicked, darkened, hard-hearted, by nature children of wrath, etc. (e.g. Gen. 6:5, 11-12; Jer. 17:9; Mk. 7:20-23; Eph. 2:1-3; 4:17-19).  What fallen, sinful mankind needs is a radical, powerful transformation; they need to be born again (Jn. 3:3-5).  Yet, it is not in the power of general revelation, as glorious as it may be, to do such a thing.  Rather, the gospel is the power of God unto salvation, specifically because the righteousness of God received by faith is revealed in it (Rom. 1:16-17).  Further, the Holy Spirit works through the proclamation of the gospel to bring about regeneration, repentance, and faith (e.g. 1 Thess. 1:4-5; 2 Thess. 2:13-14); but this cannot be said with regard to general revelation.  In short, general revelation does not communicate the saving knowledge of the gospel, and therefore does not have the power to save.

3. The Scriptures specifically teach that men and women must come into contact with the gospel if they are to believe and be saved.  Perhaps one of the most striking passages is Romans 10:13-17 (please read).  The text is rather straight-forward; people must call on the name of the Lord in faith if they are to be saved.  But Paul then notes what must logically take place for this to happen: People can’t call on the Lord if they haven’t believed in Him; they can’t believe in Him if they haven’t heard of Him; they can’t hear without a preacher; and a preacher can’t preach unless he is sent.  Then comes the capstone of the text, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (v. 17).  In short, people must come into contact with the gospel if they are to be saved.  Note these other passages as well:

1 John 1:1-4 “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.  And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.” (Emphasis added.)

2 Timothy 2:8-10 “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal.  But the word of God is not bound!  Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.” (Emphasis added.)

Before drawing to a close, let me briefly respond to what seems to be a common question posed by inclusivists to exclusivists.  I have heard and seen it asked (in various ways), “What about Old Testament saints?  If people have to come in contact with the gospel to be saved, then how were they saved?”  Simple, they were likewise saved by the gospel.  Let us not forget that the Israelites were God’s specially chosen people from among the nations.  They were surrounded with special revelation (e.g. prophets; the tabernacle along with its sacrifices).  Their revelation of the gospel certainly wasn’t as full as it has been since the first advent of Jesus Christ, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t have the gospel.  In fact, Paul explicitly tells us that they were saved in the same way (Rom. 3:19-26; note especially v. 26; cf. Gal. 3:8).  Whereas they looked forward to the promises of God as revealed by the prophets and the tabernacle sacrifices (etc.), we look back to the finished work of Christ recorded for us in the New Testament.

Concluding Remarks

I believe a fundamental problem that leads to the inclusivist position is the denial of God’s sovereignty in salvation.  Many within the inclusivist perspective speak as if God owes salvation, or at least a “chance” at it, to mankind, as if God would be unjust not to make it universally accessible.  Such, of course, goes against the very concept of grace.  Grace cannot be merited or demanded, otherwise it is no longer grace.  Second, those within the inclusivist perspective typically have a less-than-biblical view of mankind.  They typically believe man to be better than he is actually presented in the Bible.  I get the sense that many inclusivists view mankind as victims in the world (or God’s court), rather than suspects.  People think that mankind deserves salvation, but we don’t.  That’s what’s so amazing about it, that God would choose to save any (amazing grace!).  Finally, I believe many inclusivists have an unbalanced view of God’s character, often focusing on His love, to the exclusion or minimization of His other attributes (e.g. holy; righteous).

The reason I wrote so much is because of the great importance of this subject, and because of the many supposedly evangelical, conservative Christians that believe salvation can be found outside of explicit faith in Jesus Christ as revealed in the gospel.  We must stand up and defend and proclaim the exclusive nature of the gospel and salvation.  People must hear the gospel if they are to be saved, and Christ has commissioned His church to take it to the world (e.g. Mt. 28:18-20; Lk. 24:44-49).  The gospel is the means by which God saves!

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[1] Please note that history can include special revelation.  After all, the Christian faith is a historical faith; that is to say that it is grounded in historical events (e.g. the exodus; crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus).

Video: “Where Does Sin Come From?” (by Tim Conway)

In this video Tim Conway, pastor of Grace Community Church (San Antonio, TX), responds to the question “Where does sin come from?”.  This question ultimately pertains to the relationship of man’s sin and God’s sovereignty.  Conway’s approach in answering this important question is sound and his conclusion biblical.  First he points out the errors people make in attempting to answer this question, then he allows Scripture to speak for itself.  He goes through a plethora of Scriptures that clearly demonstrate the sovereignty of God over all things, including the sin of man, though God is not the author of sin, but man is responsible for the sinful decisions they make.  If this is a question you’re struggling with, then I highly recommend you watch this video.

The Trinity & Deity of Jesus in the Writings of Ante-Nicene Fathers

[This is the first installment for the new section on my Apologetics Page, “Bible Inserts”.  You can view a PDF of this post there.  It is intended to be printed as a half-sheet, placed in your Bible, and used as an apologetics guide or reference for evangelism.]

Introduction
The following is a brief selection of the Ante-Nicene (before Nicaea) testimony to these fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith, thus demonstrating that the doctrines of the Trinity and Deity of Jesus were not later inventions of the church at the Council of Nicaea (A.D. 325), as is frequently asserted by various cults.[1]

Ignatius: (Wrote in the early 2^nd Century)
“There is only one physician, who is both flesh and spirit, born and unborn, God in man, true life in death, both from Mary and from God, first subject to suffering and then beyond it, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Epistle to the Ephesians, vii.)

“…because you are stones of a temple, prepared beforehand for the building of God the Father, hoisted up to the heights by the crane of Jesus Christ, which is the cross, using as a rope the Holy Spirit….” (Epistle to the Ephesians, ix.)

“For our God, Jesus the Christ, was conceived by Mary according to God’s plan, both from the seed of David and of the Holy Spirit.” (Epistle to the Ephesians, xviii.)

“…when God appeared in human form to bring the newness of eternal life.” (Epistle to the Ephesians, xix.)

“I glorify Jesus Christ, the God who made you so wise,…he is truly of the family of David with respect to human descent, Son of God with respect to the divine will and power….” (Epistle to the Smyrnaeans, i.)

“…in accordance with faith in and love for Jesus Christ our God…. heartiest greetings blamelessly in Jesus Christ our God.” (Epistle to the Romans, Salutation.)

Polycarp: (Wrote in the early 2^nd Century)
“…and to all those under heaven who will yet believe in our Lord and God Jesus Christ and in his Father who raised him from the dead.” (Epistle to the Philippians, xii.)

Hippolytus: (Wrote during the late 2^nd Century to early 3^rd Century)
“These things then, brethren, are declared by the Scriptures. And the blessed John, in the testimony of his Gospel, gives us an account of this economy (disposition) and acknowledges this Word as God, when he says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” If, then, the Word was with God, and was also God, what follows? Would one say that he speaks of two Gods? I shall not indeed speak of two Gods, but of one; of two Persons however, and of a third economy (disposition), viz., the grace of the Holy Ghost. For the Father indeed is One, but there are two Persons, because there is also the Son; and then there is the third, the Holy Spirit. The Father decrees, the Word executes, and the Son is manifested, through whom the Father is believed on. The economy of harmony is led back to one God; for God is One. It is the Father who commands, and the Son who obeys, and the Holy Spirit who gives understanding: the Father who is above all, and the Son who is through all, and the Holy Spirit who is in all. And we cannot otherwise think of one God, but by believing in truth in Father and Son and Holy Spirit. For the Jews glorified the Father, but gave Him not thanks, for they did not recognise the Son. The disciples recognised the Son, but not in the Holy Ghost; wherefore they also denied Him. The Father’s Word, therefore, knowing the economy (disposition) and the will of the Father, to wit, that the Father seeks to be worshipped in none other way than this, gave this charge to the disciples after He rose from the dead: “Go ye and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” (Mtt. 28:19) And by this He showed, that whosoever omitted any one of these, failed in glorifying God perfectly. For it is through this Trinity that the Father is glorified. For the Father willed, the Son did, the Spirit manifested. The whole Scriptures, then, proclaim this truth.” (Against the Heresy of Noetus, xiv.)

“Let us believe then, dear brethren, according to the tradition of the apostles, that God the Word came down from heaven, (and entered) into the holy Virgin Mary, in order that, taking the flesh from her, and assuming also a human, by which I mean a rational soul, and becoming thus all that man is with the exception of sin, He might save fallen man, and confer immortality on men who believe on His name.” (Against the Heresy of Noetus, xvii.)

 

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[1] All quotations, except those of Hippolytus, are from The Apostolic Fathers: Greek Texts and English Translations, 3^rd Edition, by Michael W. Holmes.  The Hippolytus quotations are from Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 5.

“Who Invented the Trinity?”: Defending the Triune Nature of God as Revealed in His Word

Not that long ago I responded to an Islamic article entitled “Is Jesus Really God?”.  You can read my response here: “Is Jesus Really God?”: Defending the Eternal Glory of Jesus against the Objections of Islam.  I just finished my response to a related article entitled “Who Invented the Trinity?”.  You can read my response to this article here: “Who Invented the Trinity?”: Defending the Triune Nature of God as Revealed in His Word.  May these articles be a blessing to God’s people, strengthening them in the truth of God’s word; and may it be a blessing to Muslims, opening their eyes to the truth of the Bible, and bring them to the obedience of faith in the gospel of Christ.

The Baptist Catechism: Q. 11 (The Application of God’s Eternal Decree)

Q. 11: How does God execute His decrees?
Answer: God executes His decrees in the works of creation and providence.
Scripture: [Scriptural testimony fleshed out in the next four Q/A’s]

Comment: By “executes” is meant the application of God’s eternal decree.  The “works” of God refer to the manifestation of His power in time, thus bringing about what He has decreed in all eternity.  These works may be summed up as creation (bringing the entire universe and all it contains into existence by His word) and providence (the sustaining and governing of the created order).  Questions 12 and 13 go into detail on God’s work of creation, whereas questions 14 and 15 go into detail on God’s work of providence.  One may wonder why the work of redemption is not included in the execution of God’s decree; for it certainly could be included, and it is often included by theologians.  It is not that the catechism denies this, but that it is slowly leading into the biblical testimony of God’s work of redemption.  This transition becomes evident with question 15 and those questions that follow, which speak of sin and the fall of man.  However, while God’s work of redemption may be thought of as distinct from His work of creation and providence, and therefore could be included as a third part to this answer, in reality, the work of redemption is made up of both creation and providence.  It pertains to creation because it consists of a new creation of the created order, especially fallen man (e.g. Rom. 8:19-25; 2 Cor. 5:17).  It also consists of providence because it may be considered a special or particular act of God’s providence, in the life and death of Christ, and the conversion of the believer, which is the realization of God’s gracious predestination in eternity (e.g. Acts 2:23-24; 4:27-28; 10; Rom. 8:28-30).

Video: Debate On Predestination, Election & the Will of God (James White vs. Michael Brown)

It is the battle of the colors: White vs. Brown.  While I disagree with Michael Brown’s position in this debate, I do have great respect for the man; and this debate is a good example of why.  Unlike so many others who have debated the Calvinist position, Brown truly seeks to accurately represent Calvinism and argue from a well thought out study (i.e. exegesis) of Scripture.  While I think James White does a wonderful job pointing out Brown’s inconsistencies and short-falls, Brown certainly brings something to the table.  Another pleasant reality to the debate is that James White and Michael Brown are close friends who have worked together in the stance for biblical truth and the biblical gospel.  They are friends, and this comes out in the debate.  That being said, their differences are important, and both of them approach the debate with a serious demeanor.

A couple problems I have with Brown’s argumentation is that he repeatedly refers to the Calvinist position as a view that God “programs” what will take place.  This is a poor choice of words that doesn’t properly speak to the Calvinist belief in God’s sovereignty in all things.  Let us not forget that Calvinists do believe in the moral and personal responsibility of mankind, a concept not communicated in the “program” accusation.  Further, Brown does briefly fall into the poor argumentation found in so many other rebuttals by non-Calvinists, that we Calvinists can’t go up to someone and say, “Christ died for you.”  This is an argument that begs the question and is without any Scriptural basis (the apostles never witnessed like that).

Overall, this is a friendly and engaging debate on some very key issues.  Both sides reference Scripture extensively and seek to accurately represent the opposing viewpoint.

Video: The Forgotten Trinity (by James White)

This lecture by James White is based on his book, The Forgotten Trinity.  He discusses the three foundational truths or teachings of the doctrine of the Trinity, that if you eliminate just one of them, you go off into some heretical error.  Learn these foundations!  Then he spends some time explaining how to explain or defend the Trinity when talking with adherents of other religions (e.g. Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses).  This is a really important and educational lecture.  Also, if you don’t already have his book, then I highly recommend it.  The Trinity is a central doctrine of the Christian faith, yet far too few Christians understand its Scriptural basis and can defend it.  You may also check out a blog post I did on the Trinity a while back: Trinity: A Practical Overview & Encouragement for Further Study.

The Baptist Catechism: Q. 10 (God’s Decrees)

Q. 10: What are the decrees of God?
Answer: The decrees of God are His eternal purpose according to the counsel of His will, whereby, for His own glory, He has foreordained whatsoever comes to pass.
Scripture: Eph. 1:4,11; Rom. 9:22-24; Gen. 5:20; Prov. 19:21; Isa. 46:9-11; Lam. 3:37-38

Comment: This truth, as evidenced from the Scriptures given (and many others), speaks to God’s sovereignty over all of creation, working out the affairs of history according to His plan and for the accomplishment of His purposes.  This, however, is in complete agreement with the free agency and responsibility of mankind.  All of Scripture bears these things out – God is in control and will accomplish His purposes, and man makes real choices and bears their consequences, whether good or bad.  Even sinful actions are according to God’s plan, and yet God cannot be said to be the author of sin, for those who engage in the sin do so willingly, not by force (this is known as “secondary means or causes” and compatiblism).  Perhaps the most striking and significant example of this is the crucifixion of Jesus.  It was according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, and yet those who wanted and had Jesus crucified are still held accountable for this sin of condemning the righteous and holy One to death (see Acts 2:23; 3:13-19; 4:24-28).   Although there exists a degree of mystery to these things, the presence of mystery is no reason to deny or question what is so plainly revealed in the Scriptures.  In the end, we must simply give all glory and the benefit of any doubt to the all-wise and all-good God.[1]

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[1] Sam Waldron, in his A Modern Exposition of the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith [Chapter 3, Of God’s Decrees], provides sound words on the care we must take with the biblical testimony of God’s decrees:

“The Confession affirms both the absolute sovereignty of God and the reality of human freedom.  Deny or mitigate either truth and Calvinistic Christianity will wither and die.  Thus there are two rationalistic extremes which will kill biblical Calvinism wherever they arise.

1. There is the minimizing or denial of the reality of human freedom in the interests of preserving the sovereignty of God.  This will lead to a rigid hyper-Calvinism and, so to speak, freeze the water of life.
2. There is the minimizing of God’s sovereignty to preserve human freedom.  This will lead to Arminianism and to the ‘evaporation’ of the water of life.

The common assumption of both extremes is that somehow divine sovereignty and human freedom are inconsistent and mutually exclusive principles [which they are not]….  This surely is the biblical truth of the matter.  The lesson is to avoid the rationalistic alternatives of Hyper-Calvinism and Arminianism and subject our minds to the clear teaching of the Word of God.” [65-66]

The Trinity: A Practical Overview & Encouragement for Further Study

Christianity, through and through, is trinitarian in nature.  The Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) is central and indeed essential to the Christian faith and life.  Yet, there seems to be little study, conversation, and thought on this wondrous reality of God’s nature and the way in which each Person of the Trinity relates to each other and the Christian.  So I want to encourage my fellow brethren to take up this study.  I want to encourage you to read and study the Scriptures with the Trinity in the forefront of your mind.  As you do so, you will begin to see and grow in your understanding and appreciation of the Trinity in the Christian faith and life.  Just look at these three passages, as examples, of the importance of the Trinity in relation to salvation, prayer, and worship.

Hebrews 9:14 “how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”

Romans 15:30 “I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf.”

Philippians 3:3 “For we are the real circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.”

From these few examples alone we see the essential and central nature of this doctrine in the Christian faith and life.  The gospel is trinitarian; worship is trinitarian; prayer is trinitarian; etc.

I hope these things will encourage you to engage in an in-depth study on the Trinity.  I therefore make these resources available to you.  May you be greatly encouraged in your faith and immensely blessed as you engage in this awesome (reverential) study.

The Trinitarian Nature of Christianity (This is a simple overview of the doctrine of the Trinity, with particular focus on the practical significance of the Trinity in our faith and life.  Suggested resources for further study are given at the end of the lesson.)

The Trinity (Handout Sheet) (This is simply an accompanying handout sheet if you so wish to teach on the Trinity in Sunday school or Bible study.  There are also resources suggested on this sheet).

Book: The One True God (by Paul Washer)

It is not an overstatement when I say, the study of the doctrine of God is one of the most important studies a Christian can engage in.  In fact, it is a study that all Christians should take up.  Something I like to say is, a biblical knowledge of God leads to a biblical knowledge of man, which in turn leads to a biblical knowledge of Christ and the cross.  These are foundational doctrines, and the doctrine of God is preeminent.

Paul Washer’s book, The One True God, is a wonderful resource to help God’s people in this most important study.  Perhaps what is most significant about this book is its format.  It’s not your typical book.  You can’t just sit down, kick up your feet and read.  That may turn many people off, but please keep reading.  Paul Washer wants the Christian to go beyond reading and to enter the realm of studying.  He forces you to look up key Scriptures, think through them, and then communicate the truths they proclaim.  In fact, this book is more of a workbook (emphasis on work).  Read with pen or pencil in hand!  While this may turn many off, we must be willing to put effort into such an important study.  We must be willing to diligently think through this doctrine.  Washer’s words are helpful and pointed [from the Introduction]:

The study of doctrine is both an intellectual and devotional discipline.  It is a passionate search for God that should always lead the student to greater personal transformation, obedience, and heartfelt worhsip.  Therefore, the student should be on guard against the great error of seeking only impersonal knowledge, and not the person of God.  Neither mindless devotion nor mere intellectual pursuits are profitable, for in either case, God is lost.

In other words, the point of such a study isn’t simply to make you more knowledgeable about biblical facts about God, but to draw you closer to the God of whom you are studying about.  This study , if performed with a humble heart and true faith, will indeed draw you closer to God, transform the way you look at life, and mature your worship.

There are fourteen chapters in the book:

1. God Is One
2. God Is Spirit
3. God Is Great and Perfect
4. God Is Eternal, Self-Existent, and Immutable
5. God Is Omnipotent, Omnipresent, and Omniscient
6. God Is Holy
7. God Is Righteous
8. God Is True and Truthful
9. God Is Faithful
10. God Is Love
11. God Is Creator and Sustainer
12. God Is Lord Over All
13. God Is Lawgiver and Judge
14. The Names of God

Marks of a Christian: Delight in God

The transition one experiences when they become a Christian could be described in many different ways.  One way by which we can describe this transition is in the sense of delight.  A change of affections has taken place, from delighting in self and the world to delighting in God and His ways.

What, then, does it mean to delight in something?  To delight in something is to have an intense amount of pleasure or enjoyment in that thing.  In other words, that which captivates your affections is that which you delight in.  While it is good for us to delight in many things, such as creation, family, and friends, our ultimate delight is to be found in the Creator and Provider of all these—God.

This mark brings us to the primary purpose of our existence.  The first question of the Shorter Catechism asks,

Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

Both glorifying and enjoying God go hand-in-hand.  When we take pleasure and enjoyment in God, then God is glorified in us.  This is the purpose for which God created us, to delight in (glorify and enjoy) Him.  Take a look at these Scripture passages on delighting in God:

Psalm 16:11 “You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever.”

Psalm 73:25, 28 “Whom have I in heaven but You?  And besides You, I desire nothing on earth… But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works.”

Philippians 4:4 (cf. 3:1) “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!”

This transition we have experienced—from delighting in self and the world to delighting in God and His ways—is due to the blessing of the Gospel.  The grace and power of the Gospel causes us to live in this great and glorious delight in God.  This is, after all, the end of the Gospel—that we would be brought near to God and delight in Him (Rom. 5:2; 1 Pet. 3:18).  Through Christ we have come to exult (rejoice exceedingly) in the glory of God (Rom. 5:8-11).  The Bible knows of no Christian devotion that is devoid of joy, pleasure, and delight in the God who has stooped down from His heavenly abode to love, serve, and save corrupt, wicked, undeserving sinners.  The sheer grace and mercy exhibited to us in and through the Gospel of Christ causes to well up within us a concentration of delight, bursting forth in a symphony of adoration.  True devotion and worship consists of delighting in the One to whom devotion and worship is due—God (Rev. 4:11).

The Baptist Catechism: Q. 9 (The Trinity)

Q. 9: How many persons are there in the Godhead?
Answer: There are three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one God, the same in essence, equal in power and glory.
Scripture: Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14

Comment: The doctrine of the Trinity—one God in three distinct, co-equal, and co-eternal Persons—is an essential doctrine of the Christian faith.  In fact, the Christian faith and life is Trinitarian through and through.  It is difficult to think of one area of Christianity that is not Trinitarian in some regards.  For instance, the scope of redemption is Trinitarian (Eph. 1:3-14; 1 Pet. 1:1-2).  The work of Creation is Trinitarian (Gen. 1:2; Ps. 33:6; Jn. 1:3).  The resurrection of Christ is Trinitarian (Rom. 1:4).  Baptism is Trinitarian (Matt. 28:19).  The kingdom is Trinitarian (Rom. 14:17-18; Eph. 5:5).  Worship is Trinitarian (Jn. 4:24; Phil. 3:3).  Prayer is Trinitarian (Jn. 16:23-24; Rom. 8:26-27).  The scope of the Christian life is Trinitarian (2 Cor. 13:14; Jude vv. 20-21).  We could go on and on.  Everywhere we look we see Father, Son, and Holy Spirit manifesting, at the same time, their co-equality and distinct roles in these various ways.  The more we understand the doctrine of the Trinity and its implications for our faith and life, the more invigorating we will become in our devotion and service in the various aspects of the Christian life.  Let the Trinity inform your faith and life.

The Baptist Catechism: Q. 8 (One, True God)

Q. 8: Are there more gods than one?
Answer: There is but one only, the living and true God.
Scriptures: Deut. 6:4; Jer. 10:10

Comment: Christianity is a monotheistic religion. We believe there is one true God, and this one true God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Exod. 3:6). He is the Creator of the heavens and the earth (Gen. 1:1), and our Redeemer (Isa. 47:4). Indeed, there is none like Him (Isa. 44:6; 46:9). All other gods are false, made by man from things like wood, stone, silver and gold, and the heart; and those who worship false gods are foolish and deceived (Isa. 44:20). Perhaps the best place in all of Scripture on the glory of God, in contrast to idols and those who make them, is found in Isaiah 40-46. While we may not worship a material image of a false god, it is possible for us to worship other things in place of God. For example, we may worship money and the material things that money buys (i.e. consumerism), or fame (i.e. ourselves), or a concept of God other than what is taught in Scripture (e.g. God is love, but not wrathful or condemning toward sin).

The God-Centeredness of the Bible

When I say that the Bible is God-centered, what I mean is that God is the central figure of Scripture; His nature, character, works, plan, and purpose are the central foci of Scripture.  This being the case, the purpose of the Bible is to bring glory to God and draw us to Him.  The Westminster Shorter Catechism has nicely captured this God-centered nature of the Bible in its third question and answer:

Q. 3. What do the Scriptures principally teach?

A. The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.[1]    

This is an important question, and the answer we give to it is even more important.  It helps to know what the Bible primarily communicates to us.  It gives us a better sense of direction in our reading and studying of Scripture if we know what we’re looking for.  If we confuse the principle teaching of Scripture for something other than its primary emphasis, then our studying and theological formulation will become skewed—perhaps not heretical, but at least weak and lacking.  If I believe that the Bible principally teaches what we are to believe concerning the “heroes of the faith” (i.e. Old and New Testament saints), and what moralistic duties are required of us in light of these heroes, then my studying of Scripture will center on these men and my theological formulation will tend to have a man-centered and legalistic nature about it.  What we must understand is that the Scriptures principally teach us about God—His character and works—and what He requires of us as His redeemed people.

God’s Majesty & Wonderful Works
I absolutely love Psalm 145:5!  It has become somewhat of a theological beacon to me, and I reflect on it daily as I study the Scriptures and continually improve upon my theology.  We must keep this central focus in our hearts and minds.  The psalmist, David, says to the LORD: “I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works.”  In this verse we see the content of David’s meditations.  The object of these meditations is God.  The two things about God that occupy David’s mind are His majesty and works.  In short, David is meditating on what we would call the doctrine of God; for the doctrine of God is the summation of who God is and what He has done/is doing/will do.  David is absolutely caught up in God’s greatness and goodness; and it is essentially this—God’s majesty and wonderful works—that we see throughout the entire Bible.

From Genesis to Revelation
From the opening of Genesis to the closing of Revelation we are confronted with the nature, character, plan, and works of God.  The Bible begins “In the beginning God….” (Gen. 1:1a; emphasis added).  No time is wasted in getting to the point.  God is central; He is primary; He is preeminent.  We are immediately confronted with the eternal, self-existing God.  But how does the first verse finish?  “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Gen. 1:1; emphasis added).  We are not merely presented from the start with the self-existing God, but with the self-existing God in His creative power and sovereignty.  The first two chapters of Genesis are spent explaining the historical account of creation—God creating by the sheer power of His word (1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24), and exercising Lordship over His creation (2:15-17).  So, in Chapters Two and Three of Genesis we primarily see God as eternally existing (self-existent), powerful, sovereign Lord, and Creator.

Chapter Three, however, brings to the table a new emphasis and revelation about God that will penetrate just about every page of Scripture from here on out, even to the close of Revelation.  In Chapter Three we find Adam and Eve together in the garden of Eden.  All is well until the serpent—Satan—deceives Eve into eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil (3:1-6a).  Eve also gave the fruit to Adam, and he ate (3:6b).  The immediate consequence of their sinful action—disobeying God’s command not to eat from the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil (2:16-17)—was spiritual death.  God could have, right then and there, condemned them to eternal punishment; but He didn’t.  God had a plan; He had a purpose.  God is not only Creator, but He is also Redeemer.  In His judgment upon the serpent, God gives a promise of a future Savior from the seed of the woman.  In bringing redemption and restoring what was lost through the sin of Adam and Eve, this Savior would bring a crushing blow to Satan; but He himself would receive a fatal wound in the process (3:15).  Moving further along in redemptive history, we now know that this promise was a prophecy of Jesus Christ and His redeeming work on the cross.

Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. (Hebrews 2:14-15)

And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us.  And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.  Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. (Colossians 2:13-15)

God lovingly sent His Son to die in the place of sinners, bearing the sin of His people on that cross, and delivering a crushing blow to the devil.  Such is the lovingkindness, mercifulness, graciousness, and faithfulness of God; and this is emphasized throughout the entire Bible.

The Bible not only begins in a gloriously God-centered way, it also ends in a gloriously God-centered way.  We have just looked at the God-centered beginning of Genesis, and the God-centered nature of the gospel.  Let us now look at the God-centered ending of Revelation.  We are merely standing back here and observing and admiring some of the emphases of God in this letter.  No matter your eschatological[2] interpretation of Revelation, you should be able to find hardy agreement with what is said.

Revelation is said to be the Revelation of Jesus Christ, from God, to His servants, concerning the things that would soon take place (Rev. 1:1).  It is a book that is intended to prepare and fortify the Church in steadfastness of hope and holiness, despite the attacks of the enemy.[3]  The ground of this steadfastness of hope and holiness is grounded in the victory of the slain Lamb of God—Jesus Christ.  The Church need not fear, for God has the victory through His Christ (Messiah).  This is perhaps the greatest emphasis throughout the book of Revelation.  Though it may seem, for the time being, that Satan has the upper hand, it is God who is in control and who has the victory in and through Christ.  All of this is accompanied with praise and worship of God and the Lamb.  Dennis Johnson has noted this emphasis well:

Revelation is a book permeated by worship and punctuated throughout with songs of praise and celebration.  Its worship not only extols God for his eternal attributes and creative power (Rev. 4:8, 11) but also especially celebrates God’s redemptive triumph through the Lamb over the enemies that have threatened his church and challenged his supreme worthiness.  Preeminently the scenes of worship and songs of praise celebrate the victory of Jesus the Lamb of God, the defeat and destruction of his and our enemies, the vindication of his martyrs, and the inauguration of the new heavens and earth (5:9-10, 12, 13; 7:10-12; 11:15-18; 15:3-4; 16:5-7; 19:1-7).

Though the enemies’ might is portrayed in all its hideousness, Revelation’s last word is not about the destructive power of the ‘prince of darkness grim’ but rather about the joyful celebration of those redeemed by Jesus, the Lord’s Messiah.  This hope motivates the suffering church to endure tribulation and the tempted church to remain a pure bride for her Groom.[4]

The primary figures in Genesis are God and His Redeemer, Jesus Christ.  This God-centered emphasis is not in Genesis and Revelation alone; it permeates the entire body of Scripture.  Throughout the Bible we are confronted with the nature, character, plan, and works of God, especially in regards to redemption.  Every book of the Bible is to be approached, read, studied, meditated upon, preached, taught, and obeyed with this God-centered perspective.  It is the God of the Bible that we must primarily see as we read, study, and meditate upon it.

Conclusion
What does all of this mean?  All of this means that Christianity is itself God-centered and Christians are to be God-centered people.  If we align ourselves with the Holy Scriptures and ever seek to sit under its authority, then such will be the case.  As we read, study, meditate upon, preach, and teach God’s word, let us do so with a deep-seated conviction of the God-centered nature of the Bible.

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[1]   Lee, Dong Hee. Understanding and Application of Westminster Shorter Catechism (VA: Xulon Press, 2002), 8.

[2]   Eschatology, which comes from the Greek eschatos (last) and logia (saying) or logos (word), is the theological term that refers to the study of last things, or end times.

[3]   Johnson, Dennis E. Triumph of the Lamb (NJ: Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing, 2001), 16.

[4]   Ibid., 21-22.

Knowing God

The Christian life is a life that begins in and continues in a true and living knowledge of God.

Introduction: The Christian’s knowledge of God is not a cold, lifeless knowledge.  It is a true knowledge—according to God’s word.  It is a living knowledge—produces fruit.

The Importance of the Knowledge of God The knowledge of God is important to us for at least five reasons.

1. Eternal Life—Salvation First of all, when the Bible speaks of knowing God it does so in regards to salvation.  Jesus makes this clear when He says, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (Jn. 17:3).  He essentially equates eternal life with knowing God and Himself.  Why is it also important that we know Jesus for salvation?  Because Jesus is the means by which we come to know God (Jn. 1:1-3,14-18; 2 Cor. 4:3-6; 1 Jn. 5:20).

This is the most important aspect of the knowledge of God.  God created us to know Him, to commune or fellowship with Him (Gen. 1-2).  When man sinned, however, this produced a breach in the relationship between God and man (Gen. 3).  God has mended this breach in and through Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:13).  Whereas unsaved man is spoken of as being alienated from the life of God, because their ignorance (Eph. 4:18), the saved are spoken of as being taught by Christ (4:20,21).  Further, many profess to know God, but deny Him by their works (Tit. 1:16).

2. Knowledge of Ourselves This point is closely tied to the first.  As we come to a true understanding of who God is (e.g. holy, righteous, true, just, good) we will begin to understand ourselves (e.g. sinful, held accountable).  A high view of God humbles our pride.  When we understand God to be holy, it leads us to see ourselves as we truly are—wicked and corrupt.  This was the prophet Isaiah’s own experience:

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.  Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.  And one cried to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!’  And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.  So I said: ‘Woe is me, for I am undone!  Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.’ (Isaiah 6:1-5)

The prophet Isaiah came to truly understand himself as he gazed upon the glory of God and as the angels proclaimed the three-fold holiness of God.  Isaiah was instantly humbled.  Certainly, Isaiah’s sin consisted of more than unclean lips.  This confession, however, has the understanding that sin is a heart issue, that our hearts are corrupt (Matt. 15:18,19).  He saw his sin for what it truly is—an offense against God.  I can see Isaiah giving an “Amen!” to Paul’s words in Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Until we understand ourselves as sinful and accountable to God, we will not flee to Him (at least with proper motives) for forgiveness.

3. Knowledge of the World This point is closely related to the previous point.  As we come to understand ourselves in light of the knowledge of God, we also come to understand the world around us, for the world is made up of individuals just like us.  This is why Isaiah could also proclaim, “and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips.”

When we have a true knowledge of God it allows us to have a true knowledge of the world—a right or biblical worldview.  We understand that God is the Creator of all things and that we are accountable to Him (Gen. 1-2).  We understand that we live in a fallen world (Gen. 3; Eph. 2:1-3).  We understand that God sustains the world and providentially governs the affairs of man (Ps. 135:6; Isa. 46:9-11; Eph. 1:11).  Further, the knowledge of God is the foundation of morality and ethics (Exod. 20:1-17; Prov. 2).  When we have a true knowledge of God we start to look at the world as He sees it.

4. Personal Holiness Lastly, and tying all of these points together, is the truth that a true knowledge of God enables us to live lives in conformity to God’s will (Rom. 12:1,2).  This is what I mean when I say a true and living knowledge of God.  It is not only living knowledge in the sense that true knowledge of God consists of eternal life, but it is living knowledge in that its goal is to produce holiness of life to the glory of God.  When we understand that God is holy and has called us to holiness, then we are exhorted and encouraged to live holy lives ourselves (1 Pet. 1:13-16).  We understand that God’s will for us is our sanctification (1 Thess. 4:1-8), which is the process of growing in holiness, becoming more and more like Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:29).

5. Strength & Perseverance Those Christians who have a firm and thorough knowledge of God may be strong.  A group of strong Christians is a strong church.  “…the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits” (Dan. 11:32).

Perhaps the primary way in which the knowledge of God strengthens believers is in the way that God’s character and attributes comfort us.  For example, God’s love brings peace to us as we reflect on the greatest expression of His love in the death of His son on the cross (Rom. 5:8; 8:31-39; 1 Jn. 4:10); God’s faithfulness to His promises gives us hope as we consider our tendencies toward unfaithfulness (1 Cor. 1:4-9; 10:13); and God’s sovereignty comforts us as we encounter fiery ordeals, for we know that God is in control and works all things for our good (Rom. 8:28; Matt. 6:25-34; 10:27-31).

Other Scriptures

Jeremiah 9:23,24 “Thus says the LORD: ‘Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindess, judgment [or justice], and righteousness in the earth.  For in these I delight,’ says the LORD.”

Comment: Wisdom, strength, and wealth are nothing apart from knowing God.  True wisdom, true strength, and true wealth are found in God through Jesus Christ (Col. 2:3).  We must further understand that the wisdom, strength, and possessions that we do have are from the Lord, and therefore praise and thanksgiving are due to Him (Rom. 11:36).  The lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness that God exercises is what He expects His people to exercise.

2 Peter 1:2-4 “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

Comment: The Christian life consists of continually growing in our knowledge of God and Christ.  His power in us enables us to live in godliness, which is according to this knowledge of God, and we do so by standing on the gospel promises (2 Cor. 1:18-22).

Evangelism & the Sovereignty of God

There have, in our time, been numerous books written on evangelism—both encouraging the zeal and describing the methods of it.  These books are certainly needed.  Besides a lack of zeal and ignorance of evangelistic approaches, however, there exists another contemporary problem, which involves no small debate among Christians.  This seemingly difficult problem has to do with the sovereignty of God, the responsibility of man, and the nature and necessity of evangelism.  Leave it to J. I. Packer to take upon himself such a task and to avoid straying off course (which can be very tempting in this theological debate).

In this book Packer refuses to impose himself, and any man’s thoughts and feelings, upon God’s way of doing things—he simply accepts the clear teachings of Scripture on these doctrinal points as is, not embracing one to the neglect of the other.  Packer brings to clarity this God-ordained relationship between God’s sovereign grace and man’s ethical responsibility in the Christian’s right, duty, and privilege of evangelism.  He not only emphasizes the responsibility of the one evangelizing, but the one being evangelized.  In no way, he argues, does God’s sovereignty in the salvation of sinners negate our responsibility to evangelize the lost, nor does it negate the responsibility of the lost to repent and believe the gospel.  Those who don’t are held accountable.  The moral responsibility of the lost to repent and believe the gospel is not nullified by God’s sovereignty, nor by their inability due to their sinful nature.

The book is divided into four chapters: Chapter One—Divine Sovereignty; Chapter Two—Divine Sovereignty & Human Responsibility; Chapter Three—Evangelism; Chapter Four—Divine Sovereignty & Evangelism.

In Chapter One Packer states what it is he is not arguing for; for, as he declares, “I know that, if you are a Christian, you believe this already.”[1]  These points upon which he does not intend to argue are God’s sovereignty in His world—basically, a belief in God’s general sovereignty—and God’s sovereignty in salvation.  He notes that all Christians already believe these two aspects of God’s sovereignty based on their dependence of God in prayer and the fact that they give thanks to God for their salvation—they do not boast in themselves.

This second point, however, provides some difficulty for at least two reasons.  First, I would have to disagree that all Christians believe so firmly in God’s sovereignty in salvation.  Packer says, “What is true is that all Christians believe in divine sovereignty, but some are not aware that they do, and mistakenly imagine and insist that they reject it.”[2]  I must disagree with him on this statement, for there are many who understand the teaching of God’s sovereignty in salvation and clearly reject it (e.g. Arminians).  I do not believe that if a Christian gives thanks to God for their salvation and at the same time believes that they had the final say in whether or not they would be saved by repenting and believing in Christ (having worked it up within themselves to do so), that they are therefore believers in God’s sovereignty in salvation.  At best they are theologically inconsistent, and at worst they believe man’s responsibility trumps God’s sovereignty—perhaps only giving thanks to God for making salvation a “possibility,” that without this possibility they would have no chance of being saved.

Second, Packer in fact does argue that God is sovereign in salvation, as we will see, by presenting the biblical evidence that the conversion of souls—the working of repentance and faith in an individual—is wholly the work of God.  Overall, however, Packer’s main point of this book is to explain and demonstrate the relation between God’s sovereignty and human responsibility in the realm of evangelism, not necessarily to argue for God’s sovereignty in salvation.  So, while his main emphasis is not to argue the biblical teaching of God’s sovereignty in salvation, it is inevitably discussed and supported from Scripture in this context.

In Chapter Two he makes the case that God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility is not a paradox—a play on words meant to unite two opposite ideas—but is in fact an antinomy—an apparent incompatibility between two truths that are in fact truths and cannot be denied.[3]  Packer discusses the two temptations that are easily succumbed to when approaching this antinomy.  It is tempting to exclusively concern oneself with human responsibility to the neglect of God’s sovereignty.  Such thinking, he argues, leads one to think himself fitted with the responsibility and ability to bring about the salvation of sinners (including his own salvation).  It is up to the one evangelizing, in other words, to manipulate and secure the salvation of the lost.[4]  This theological perspective is certainly the root of the many entertainment-driven ministries and shallow gospel presentations so prevalent in America today (contrast with 2 Cor. 4:1-6).

The other temptation is to exclusively concern oneself with God’s sovereignty to the neglect of man’s responsibility—commonly referred to as Hyper-Calvinism.  By an overzealousness of God’s sovereignty, and a deep desire to not detract any glory from God, many wrongfully conclude that evangelism is not necessary.  Surely, God will save His elect without our help, they may claim.[5]  Packer rightly notes that such who think this way have forgotten that “God’s way of saving men is to send out His servants to tell them the gospel, and that the Church has been charged to go into all the world for that very purpose.”[6]  In other words, God uses means—the means of the Church in the proclamation of the gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation (Rom. 1:16; cf. 1 Thess. 1:4,5; 2 Thess. 2:14,15).

After laying these foundational points, Packer moves on to discuss the biblical gospel and the nitty-gritty of evangelism in light of the sovereignty of God in Chapters Three and Four.

Chapter Three focuses on evangelism.  Packer points out that evangelism is to be defined in terms of the message delivered—the gospel—not in terms of results.[7]  Evangelism involves sharing the message of Jesus Christ, who is Lord and Saviour, as the only means of salvation; and it also involves calling on people to respond with repentance and belief.[8]  In regards to the biblical teaching of the Christian’s responsibility and God’s sovereignty, Packer declares: “Evangelism is man’s work, but the giving of faith is God’s.”[9]  Indeed, evangelism, argues Packer, is the responsibility of all believers, in various degrees, not a duty of a select few.

The remainder of this chapter consists of an examination of the apostle Paul’s own understanding of his evangelistic duties, an examination of evangelistic meetings, the contents of the evangelistic message, the motivation of evangelism, and the means and methods of evangelism.

Chapter Four deals with the duty of evangelism in relation to God’s sovereignty.  How does the fixation of all things by the decree of God bear on our duty to evangelize?  This is indeed a troubling question, and if answered too hastily, without looking to the Scriptures, we will most likely end up in one of the two extremes discussed in Chapter Two—an exclusive embrace of man’s responsibility or an exclusive embrace of God’s sovereignty.

Packer examines the biblical evidence in the way of two propositions—one negative and one positive.[10]  In the first proposition Packer states, “The sovereignty of God in grace does not affect anything that we have said about the nature and duty of evangelism.”[11]  What he means by this is that the command of God to share the gospel is His revealed will to us and therefore does not negate our duty as Christians to spread the Good News, not only out of obedience, but out of joy.

Second, Packer says, “The sovereignty of God in grace gives us our only hope of success in evangelism.”[12]  Instead of deterring evangelism, the sovereignty of God actually compels evangelism.  Apart from God’s sovereignty in the salvation of sinners, there would be none to respond in repentance and faith; for, as the apostle Paul declares, “those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Rom. 8:8; cf. Eph. 2:1-5).  In fact, if God were not sovereign in salvation, then there would be no Christians to perform evangelism, for none would be saved!  The only reason we have any hope of success in our evangelistic duties is the biblical teaching and truth that God is sovereign in salvation.

J. I. Packer has produced an excellent work that fairly examines the biblical evidence in regards to these two apparent contradictory teachings.  Instead of running from it, he boldly holds both truths to be equally valid—man is responsible and God is sovereign.  Packer’s underlying point is that such clear teaching ought to increase our zeal, urgency, and confidence to evangelize, not confuse or hinder us in the matter.  This book has served to open my eyes all the wider to these glorious truths of God’s word, and as a result has been a blessing to me in evangelism.  May it be so to you as well.

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[1]   Ibid., 11, 12.

[2]   Ibid., 16.

[3]   Ibid., 18, 19.

[4]   Ibid., 27.

[5]   Ibid.; 29-32.

[6]   Ibid.; 33.

[7]   Ibid.; 37.

[8]   Ibid.; 39.

[9]   Ibid.; 40.

[10]   Ibid.; 96.

[11]   Ibid.; 96.  Emphasis his.

[12]   Ibid.; 106.  Emphasis his.

Sanctification: The Promises of God & the Fear of God

2 Corinthians 7:1 “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Our sanctification must be built on gospel promises, in reverent obedience to God. The only way we will progress in this sanctification, overcoming the sins of the flesh (those committed with the body) and the spirit (those committed in the heart and mind), is by standing on the promises of God and walking in the fear of God.  Note how the apostle Paul emphasizes this truth earlier on in 2 Corinthians:

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us-by me, Silvanus, and Timothy–was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes.  For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.  Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. (vv. 19-22)

As a side note, notice that Paul speaks of God, Christ, and the Spirit as playing a part in this.  Just as much as the gospel is Trinitarian (Eph. 1:3-14), so too our progress in sanctification is Trinitarian.  This only makes sense, for if our pursuit of holiness is grounded in and built on the gospel, and the gospel itself is Trinitarian, then our sanctification too must be Trinitarian.

Further, the fear of God is essential to our pursuit of holiness (Prov. 2:1-9).  The person who fears not God, fears not sin and its consequences.  “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil….” (Prov. 8:13a).  The person who fears not God, fears not that all our sins are fully known and seen by Him to whom we must give an account (Heb. 4:13).  Let us walk in the fear of the Lord then, knowing that we have been redeemed with the precious blood of Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 1:17-19).