Our brief look at the Five Solas continues with a discussion of the next sola known as Sola Gratia, or Grace Alone. It is important for me to note that some of what is discussed in this doctrine overlaps rather nicely with the Reformed or Calvinist doctrine known as Unconditional Election, which I will address sometime in the not too distant future. In addition, there is some of this same overlap within any treatment of the five solas as well with respect to the question of man's good works. It is nearly impossible to avoid discussing the good works of men as not contributing to salvation in a treatment of Sola Gratia as well as Solus Christus and Sola Fide (the next post). However, it simply becomes a matter of emphasis and the place a discussion of a man's works has under the umbrella of a particular Sola or a particular point of Calvinism.
When Reformed theologians speak of Sola Gratia, i.e., grace alone, they are simply saying that mankind has no claim upon God at all. God does not owe sinful man anything much less salvation unto eternal life. The only thing that God owes to man - because man has earned it - is punishment for sin and rebellion against God. Thus if God is to save you, me, or anyone else it is on account of His grace and His grace alone. During the medieval period leading up to the Protestant Reformation, the Roman Catholic Church did emphasize the need for grace in salvation; this cannot be denied. However, Rome believed that man had to do his own part to cooperate with that grace, so while Rome did believe that grace was necessary, she did not believe grace was sufficient. Today's saying "God helps those who help themselves" is an echo of the same belief and modern Evangelicalism has bought into this way of thinking. Modern Evangelicalism has bought into the belief that God owes everyone a chance to be saved and should a person be saved it is because of our own free-will decision to accept Jesus into our heart. A simple way to put this is that the grace of God only goes so far and man must meet it halfway for it to be effective.
The Reformers in reaction against such thinking insisted on grace alone because they rightly believed that man is incapable of coming to faith by any methods, plans, or techniques done on his part. The Bible clearly teaches us that faith itself is a gift from God. "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV; cf., Philippians 1:29). Focus on the phrase "this is not your own doing" for just a moment and ask yourself, "what is not my own doing?" Paul's "this" refers the whole previous phrase, i.e., salvation by grace through faith; salvation is not your doing and not a result any contributing works on your part. Knowing that your salvation is by grace alone ought to prevent every Christian from boasting; such a fact ought to humble us and stimulate us to give all glory to whom it is due - the God who saves in Christ Jesus by grace.
This discussion is missing something that we take for granted far too often - the meaning of grace. Some may define grace as unmerited favor and this is a decent definition as far as it goes. Grace can be illustrated or demonstrated by the giving of a gift to someone who did not do anything to deserve it. However, grace as it is found and explained in the Bible goes much, much deeper than this. Grace in the Bible is the unmerited favor of God in spite of what you deserve from Him. What is it that you and I deserve from God? Nothing less than His eternal wrath and punishment. According to Leon Morris in an entry he wrote on "Propitiation" in the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, the idea of God's wrath is "stubbornly rooted in the Old Testament where it is referred to 585 times." The New Testament does not shy away from the idea of God's wrath despite what many may claim to the contrary. The Apostle Paul, for example, reminds us that it is the wrath of God that is revealed to men against all ungodliness (Romans 1:18). It is this truth, it is this reality that makes grace so amazing! There is no hope for sinners apart from His love and grace - a grace that He owes to no one, yet He gives freely because He pays the debt we owe fully in Christ who bore His Father's wrath in our place. Let this truth stimulate a deep love for our God because of the grace He has given to you in Christ though you deserved the opposite! May God grant us the ability to grasp the depth and riches of His love that comes to us Sola Gratia - by grace alone.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
The Importance of the Five Solas - Solus Christus
Biblical Christianity is unique. Every other religion requires a man to contribute something to his eternal destiny in heaven, yet true Christianity following the word of God in proclaiming that mankind cannot contribute anything to merit entrance into heaven. For the Christian, it is through Christ alone that one can enter into eternal life in the new heavens and the new earth. Indeed, Christianity is centered on Christ. The Apostle Paul stressed this truth when he said, "For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (1 Corinthians 2:2; ESV). His chief concern for the Church was not to make the world a better place (as good as that would be), but for them to know Christ and what He did for His people. This is the doctrine of Solus Christus or Christ alone. From beginning to end, the Bible is about Christ and His redemption.
As noted in the previous post, the five solas of the Protestant Reformation were doctrines set forth by the Reformers in an attempt to return to biblical Christianity and the teachings found in Scripture. At the time of the Reformation, the Roman Catholic Church taught that in addition to Christ's work, a man must contribute his own good works toward his salvation (e.g., see session six of the Council of Trent, On Justification, Canon XXXII). The Reformers rightly noted that the Bible stresses clearly that it is only through Christ and His work that one is saved; man does not and cannot contribute anything toward his salvation because he is a sinner. It is precisely because man cannot contribute to his salvation that Christ had to come and die on the cross for the sins of His people in order to save them. It is important to note that the Second Person of the Trinity did not have to take to Himself a human nature and save anyone. However, since God determined to save people to Himself there was no other way that this could be accomplished except through Christ's sacrifice. Therein lies the beauty of the gospel message: Christ died for sinners and though He was under no obligation to do so He loved them and died for them because there was no other way to save them. To put it simply, Christ did not have to save anyone, but the only way for God to save sinners was for His Son to take a human nature and die in their place for their sins.
There are many in the world today who think that Christianity is an arrogant religion because it claims that there is no other way to heaven except through Christ. We live in such a pluralistic society that says all roads lead to heaven and Jesus is just one of many ways to get there; to say that Jesus is the only way is not fair since one religion is just as good as another. Sadly, there are many who profess Christianity who believe just as so much of the world does, namely that Jesus is just one way and not the only way. Such thinking is full of problems. First of all the Bible makes it clear that all other religions are false and this means that there cannot be another way to heaven; there is no other god except the Living and True God of the Bible (cf., Deut. 4:35, 39). The only way to heaven is God's way - the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself declared, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). Peter, speaking of Jesus, declared to the Jewish leaders of his day, "there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). The Bible is clear - the way to heaven is found in Christ alone.
As to the question of fairness, that topic is something people really do not consider carefully enough. Do you really want God to treat you fairly? Think about it for a moment. If God were to treat us all fairly, we would all suffer His holy and just wrath for all eternity because we are sinners. Please note that I am not saying that God is some kind of sadistic despot sitting in heaven waiting to zap someone just for kicks. Yes, I know that God is love, but He is also holy and just. His wrath and punishment that will be poured out is a wrath and punishment that mankind deserves and because He is just, sinners must be punished for their sin and for their guilt; divine justice must be satisfied. Sin is an affront to a thrice holy God. Is it fair that there is only one way to heaven? No, it isn't fair.... it's grace!! I am so very thankful that God does not treat me fairly; I am thankful that God loved sinners enough to save them from the judgment they deserve - sinners like me. I am thankful that God sent His only begotten and beloved Son into this world and poured out His wrath on Him in my place, thus satisfying divine justice. The world at large finds the claims that Christ to be the only way of salvation to be a horrid thing. My friends, here's the reality: it is an amazing, beautiful, loving, and gracious thing that God has provided any way of salvation. This is the good news! There is a way of salvation - a salvation that is found Solus Christus, in Christ alone.
As noted in the previous post, the five solas of the Protestant Reformation were doctrines set forth by the Reformers in an attempt to return to biblical Christianity and the teachings found in Scripture. At the time of the Reformation, the Roman Catholic Church taught that in addition to Christ's work, a man must contribute his own good works toward his salvation (e.g., see session six of the Council of Trent, On Justification, Canon XXXII). The Reformers rightly noted that the Bible stresses clearly that it is only through Christ and His work that one is saved; man does not and cannot contribute anything toward his salvation because he is a sinner. It is precisely because man cannot contribute to his salvation that Christ had to come and die on the cross for the sins of His people in order to save them. It is important to note that the Second Person of the Trinity did not have to take to Himself a human nature and save anyone. However, since God determined to save people to Himself there was no other way that this could be accomplished except through Christ's sacrifice. Therein lies the beauty of the gospel message: Christ died for sinners and though He was under no obligation to do so He loved them and died for them because there was no other way to save them. To put it simply, Christ did not have to save anyone, but the only way for God to save sinners was for His Son to take a human nature and die in their place for their sins.
There are many in the world today who think that Christianity is an arrogant religion because it claims that there is no other way to heaven except through Christ. We live in such a pluralistic society that says all roads lead to heaven and Jesus is just one of many ways to get there; to say that Jesus is the only way is not fair since one religion is just as good as another. Sadly, there are many who profess Christianity who believe just as so much of the world does, namely that Jesus is just one way and not the only way. Such thinking is full of problems. First of all the Bible makes it clear that all other religions are false and this means that there cannot be another way to heaven; there is no other god except the Living and True God of the Bible (cf., Deut. 4:35, 39). The only way to heaven is God's way - the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself declared, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). Peter, speaking of Jesus, declared to the Jewish leaders of his day, "there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). The Bible is clear - the way to heaven is found in Christ alone.
As to the question of fairness, that topic is something people really do not consider carefully enough. Do you really want God to treat you fairly? Think about it for a moment. If God were to treat us all fairly, we would all suffer His holy and just wrath for all eternity because we are sinners. Please note that I am not saying that God is some kind of sadistic despot sitting in heaven waiting to zap someone just for kicks. Yes, I know that God is love, but He is also holy and just. His wrath and punishment that will be poured out is a wrath and punishment that mankind deserves and because He is just, sinners must be punished for their sin and for their guilt; divine justice must be satisfied. Sin is an affront to a thrice holy God. Is it fair that there is only one way to heaven? No, it isn't fair.... it's grace!! I am so very thankful that God does not treat me fairly; I am thankful that God loved sinners enough to save them from the judgment they deserve - sinners like me. I am thankful that God sent His only begotten and beloved Son into this world and poured out His wrath on Him in my place, thus satisfying divine justice. The world at large finds the claims that Christ to be the only way of salvation to be a horrid thing. My friends, here's the reality: it is an amazing, beautiful, loving, and gracious thing that God has provided any way of salvation. This is the good news! There is a way of salvation - a salvation that is found Solus Christus, in Christ alone.
Saturday, July 20, 2013
The Importance of the Five Solas - Sola Scriptura
Previously, I had indicated that I was going to give a brief description of the Reformed faith. One post will simply not do the trick. While I do intend to keep my posts brief (relatively speaking), it is a topic that is by no means small. Thus what I hope to do is start here with a series of posts on the Five Solas of the Protestant Reformation followed by what is commonly known as the Five Points of Calvinism.
To begin with, what are the Five Solas? Those of you that are friends of mine on Facebook have probably noticed on Reformation Day (October 31) I would post something like this: "I am justified by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone to the glory of God alone according to Scripture alone." In that one sentence we have the Five Solas. They can be identified as follows:
What do we mean by Sola Scriptura or Scripture alone? Simply put, the phrase indicates that Scripture (i.e., the Old and New Testaments in the Bible, not the Apochrypha) is the ultimate authority in all matters of faith and life. I want to be clear on this; it does not mean that it is the only authority. As a Presbyterian minister, I vowed to receive and adopt the Westminster Standards (i.e., the Confession of Faith and the Larger & Shorter Catechisms) as containing the system of doctrine taught in Scripture. Thus, the Westminster Standards are an authority, but they are not and can never be the ultimate or absolute authority as God's word is. If it could be legitimately demonstrated that Scripture conflicts with something in those Standards, Scripture wins. Period. Every other authority whether confession, creed, or council must be subordinate to the authority of Scripture alone because they are inferior to Scripture. This doctrine became a rally cry of the Protestant Reformation in the sixteenth century because the Roman Catholic Church placed the Church itself along with her councils and traditions at the same level (at the very least!) of Scripture and determined that she was the only true and final interpreter of Scripture. According to Rome at the Council of Trent, Scripture cannot be interpreted in any way that she does not approve. This led to all kinds of abuses of church power leading up to the time of the Reformation. It must be noted that the Reformers did not invent this doctrine of Sola Scriptura, but rather brought it back to light. I admit, this is a simplistic explanation, but it should be sufficient for our purposes here.
Why is Scripture the ultimate and absolute authority? The Bible is God's word in written form and therefore cannot be anything but absolutely authoritative. When you open the pages of the Bible, the content of those pages is God speaking to you in that word. Scripture alone shows the way of salvation found in Jesus Christ. Thus the Bible is God's redemptive word. Scripture alone has the final say in what God requires of man. While it is certainly true that human authors penned the words, the ultimate author is God Himself. "All Scripture is breathed out by God...." (2 Tim. 3:16 ESV; see also 2 Peter 1:20-21). In the original Greek, that description of Scripture is a single word — God-breathed; many English translations use some form of the word "inspired." It is precisely for this reason that the Bible is inerrant (free from error) and infallible (free from error in teaching). Thus Scripture is the final and ultimate authority in matters of faith and life.
Now for the practical side of the discussion. At the time of the Protestant Reformation the key issue was the level of authority Scripture had in the life of believers compared to other authorities, specifically the authority of the Church. The authority of the Bible is certainly questioned by many today, yet even within the church itself it has also become a question of the sufficiency of Scripture among those who testify that the Bible has ultimate authority. As James Montgomery Boice noted, today's battle is against those who would use worldly means to do God's work (Whatever Happened to the Gospel of Grace?, 66). So many in the Church today look to other means for evangelism, guidance, and growth in grace in order to make the Church and Christianity appear more relevant. My friends, what could possibly be more relevant for such things than God's perfect word? In the desire to seem relevant, so many doctrines of Scripture get watered down or simply ignored. Psalm 19 describes God's word as perfect, sure, right, pure, clean, true, and altogether righteous; God's word revives the soul, makes men wise, makes the heart rejoice, enlightens the eyes, and endures forever; we ought to desire His word more than fine gold for it is sweeter than honey from the comb. Seek God's word to guide and comfort you. Look to God's word to deepen your love of Christ. Your church ought to make the word of God and His gospel message central in its ministry. Why did the Reformers emphasize so strongly this wonderful doctrine? In the pages of Scripture there is light for a darkened world; in them is a soothing balm for a scraped and sore heart; in them is a bubbling spring for a dry and parched soul; in them is life - life eternal found in the Lord Jesus Christ!
To begin with, what are the Five Solas? Those of you that are friends of mine on Facebook have probably noticed on Reformation Day (October 31) I would post something like this: "I am justified by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone to the glory of God alone according to Scripture alone." In that one sentence we have the Five Solas. They can be identified as follows:
- Sola Scriptura - Scripture Alone
- Solus Christus - Christ Alone
- Sola Gratia - Grace Alone
- Sola Fide - Faith Alone
- Soli Deo Gloria - The Glory of God Alone
What do we mean by Sola Scriptura or Scripture alone? Simply put, the phrase indicates that Scripture (i.e., the Old and New Testaments in the Bible, not the Apochrypha) is the ultimate authority in all matters of faith and life. I want to be clear on this; it does not mean that it is the only authority. As a Presbyterian minister, I vowed to receive and adopt the Westminster Standards (i.e., the Confession of Faith and the Larger & Shorter Catechisms) as containing the system of doctrine taught in Scripture. Thus, the Westminster Standards are an authority, but they are not and can never be the ultimate or absolute authority as God's word is. If it could be legitimately demonstrated that Scripture conflicts with something in those Standards, Scripture wins. Period. Every other authority whether confession, creed, or council must be subordinate to the authority of Scripture alone because they are inferior to Scripture. This doctrine became a rally cry of the Protestant Reformation in the sixteenth century because the Roman Catholic Church placed the Church itself along with her councils and traditions at the same level (at the very least!) of Scripture and determined that she was the only true and final interpreter of Scripture. According to Rome at the Council of Trent, Scripture cannot be interpreted in any way that she does not approve. This led to all kinds of abuses of church power leading up to the time of the Reformation. It must be noted that the Reformers did not invent this doctrine of Sola Scriptura, but rather brought it back to light. I admit, this is a simplistic explanation, but it should be sufficient for our purposes here.
Why is Scripture the ultimate and absolute authority? The Bible is God's word in written form and therefore cannot be anything but absolutely authoritative. When you open the pages of the Bible, the content of those pages is God speaking to you in that word. Scripture alone shows the way of salvation found in Jesus Christ. Thus the Bible is God's redemptive word. Scripture alone has the final say in what God requires of man. While it is certainly true that human authors penned the words, the ultimate author is God Himself. "All Scripture is breathed out by God...." (2 Tim. 3:16 ESV; see also 2 Peter 1:20-21). In the original Greek, that description of Scripture is a single word — God-breathed; many English translations use some form of the word "inspired." It is precisely for this reason that the Bible is inerrant (free from error) and infallible (free from error in teaching). Thus Scripture is the final and ultimate authority in matters of faith and life.
Now for the practical side of the discussion. At the time of the Protestant Reformation the key issue was the level of authority Scripture had in the life of believers compared to other authorities, specifically the authority of the Church. The authority of the Bible is certainly questioned by many today, yet even within the church itself it has also become a question of the sufficiency of Scripture among those who testify that the Bible has ultimate authority. As James Montgomery Boice noted, today's battle is against those who would use worldly means to do God's work (Whatever Happened to the Gospel of Grace?, 66). So many in the Church today look to other means for evangelism, guidance, and growth in grace in order to make the Church and Christianity appear more relevant. My friends, what could possibly be more relevant for such things than God's perfect word? In the desire to seem relevant, so many doctrines of Scripture get watered down or simply ignored. Psalm 19 describes God's word as perfect, sure, right, pure, clean, true, and altogether righteous; God's word revives the soul, makes men wise, makes the heart rejoice, enlightens the eyes, and endures forever; we ought to desire His word more than fine gold for it is sweeter than honey from the comb. Seek God's word to guide and comfort you. Look to God's word to deepen your love of Christ. Your church ought to make the word of God and His gospel message central in its ministry. Why did the Reformers emphasize so strongly this wonderful doctrine? In the pages of Scripture there is light for a darkened world; in them is a soothing balm for a scraped and sore heart; in them is a bubbling spring for a dry and parched soul; in them is life - life eternal found in the Lord Jesus Christ!
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Eating from the Theological Dumpster?
What follows is an edited version of a "note" I had posted on Facebook about two years ago - long before I really gave much thought to doing a blog. I have mentioned "Reformed" theology on more than one occasion. A subsequent post will be an attempt at a basic description of Reformed theology for those who may not be familiar with it.
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I like a good steak. I like it cooked medium and seared to perfection. I like going to a classy restaurant and ordering a nice filet mignon. I love it when it comes to my table and I take the knife and make that first cut into the middle, watching the juices spread out on my plate. I love taking that first bite and savoring the goodness of quality beef, slowly chewing it as it practically melts in my mouth. Hungry yet? Well let's fix that...
Imagine for a moment someone comes up to you and offers you a rather small portion of a steak that appears to have been cut already. You ask them, "Where did you get this?" You ask him this not because the steak looks bad in and of itself, but because it looks, well.... a bit used. What's left looks fine, but you're curious and ask your eager friend where he got that steak. He answers with bubbling excitement, "Oh, I went behind the restaurant and rummaged through the dumpster and found this after seeing the bus boy take the trash out. Ain't it great!?! Have some! There's plenty more where it came from!"
This seems rather absurd for anyone save the starving and homeless. Why would anyone do such a thing? Sure, one can rummage around the trash of a dumpster and find nuggets of leftovers that were tossed and make an adequate meal of it. But I ask again: Why would anyone do such a thing? After all, it was in the dumpster!
This is meant to illustrate a point that all Christians need to contemplate. In today's day and age there is an endless supply of Christian books aimed at providing help for people. Help with loss; help with abuse; help with marriage; help with parenting; help with determining God's will; help with finances; help with helping helpers; and on and on it goes. Unfortunately, so much of what is produced today is at best fluff. When I was in seminary, one of my professors told my fellow students and me that the 20th century saw very few solid theological and practical books. A couple of exceptions are Packer's Knowing God and Sproul's The Holiness of God. He probably mentioned others, but I remember these specifically because I own them. They were instrumental in bringing me to a deeper knowledge of God. They helped plant in me a desire to know who God is and how we relate to him - all of which we learn from His word. In other words, they stirred in me a desire for good theology. The problem today is that not only is so much of what passes as 'Christian' nothing more than fluff and feel-good-fuzzy stuff, it is just theologically wrong and unbiblical. In some cases, it is downright heretical - which can be eternally damaging to one's well-being.
Over the years, I've had discussions with fellow believers about various Christian authors, seminars, conferences, etc. One thing that folks usually will tell me is that I don't have to agree with everything I read from these authors, but just try to find those nuggets of truth and goodness in it; then they will usually ask me, "After all, you don't believe everything in your favorite authors, do you?" To be fair, there is something to this. It is true, I don't agree with everything that my favorite Reformed authors say. Nevertheless I would still recommend many of these Reformed works because of the benefit these writings can be to people - writings from those who strive to be true to the teachings of Scripture.
What I am writing about are those authors & speakers who are clearly portraying God as something other than what He has revealed Himself to be in His word, clearly portraying man (especially themselves) to be something other than what God has revealed about man in His word, and clearly portraying God's requirements for man to be something other than what God has revealed in His word. We must not compromise those doctrines which are foundational to the Christian faith as God has revealed them to us in His word. Sure, occasionally we can find some good things out of these kinds of authors. That's because we're all made in God's image and by His common grace we are not all evil all of the time. After all, even Hitler did some good things, but do we look to him at all as an example.... for anything? Granted, it's an extreme example, but the principle is the same. Why settle for theological junk? If your expectations are low, they will probably be met with ease. A broken clock may be right twice a day, but it is still a broken clock that is only right twice a day.
Friends, I write this because of concern. You and I need to feast on quality doctrines. You and I need to savor theologically and practically rich material for our benefit and growth in grace. We ought to be fed in such a way that it will drive us to our knees in thankfulness and praise to our most gracious God in heaven. So where does one begin? Well, one obvious place is the Bible itself. Learn it well; meditate on it; chew its cud; love it. I would also refer you to R.C. Sproul's Essential Truths of the Christian Faith. In it you will find brief but helpful explanations of many doctrines found in Scripture; thus it is a good starting place for those who are new to the study of theology and in particular Reformed theology. Think of it as a mini Systematic Theology. Sproul included a recommended bibliography in the back of the book to get you started on the filet mignons of theology as opposed to the corn dogs that are all over the shelves of Christian bookstores today. That bibliography alone may be worth the price of the book. Go and seek out rich theological food for the nourishment of your soul and growth in grace.
"Open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of your law." -Psalm 119:18
Blessings....
**********************
I like a good steak. I like it cooked medium and seared to perfection. I like going to a classy restaurant and ordering a nice filet mignon. I love it when it comes to my table and I take the knife and make that first cut into the middle, watching the juices spread out on my plate. I love taking that first bite and savoring the goodness of quality beef, slowly chewing it as it practically melts in my mouth. Hungry yet? Well let's fix that...
Imagine for a moment someone comes up to you and offers you a rather small portion of a steak that appears to have been cut already. You ask them, "Where did you get this?" You ask him this not because the steak looks bad in and of itself, but because it looks, well.... a bit used. What's left looks fine, but you're curious and ask your eager friend where he got that steak. He answers with bubbling excitement, "Oh, I went behind the restaurant and rummaged through the dumpster and found this after seeing the bus boy take the trash out. Ain't it great!?! Have some! There's plenty more where it came from!"
This seems rather absurd for anyone save the starving and homeless. Why would anyone do such a thing? Sure, one can rummage around the trash of a dumpster and find nuggets of leftovers that were tossed and make an adequate meal of it. But I ask again: Why would anyone do such a thing? After all, it was in the dumpster!
This is meant to illustrate a point that all Christians need to contemplate. In today's day and age there is an endless supply of Christian books aimed at providing help for people. Help with loss; help with abuse; help with marriage; help with parenting; help with determining God's will; help with finances; help with helping helpers; and on and on it goes. Unfortunately, so much of what is produced today is at best fluff. When I was in seminary, one of my professors told my fellow students and me that the 20th century saw very few solid theological and practical books. A couple of exceptions are Packer's Knowing God and Sproul's The Holiness of God. He probably mentioned others, but I remember these specifically because I own them. They were instrumental in bringing me to a deeper knowledge of God. They helped plant in me a desire to know who God is and how we relate to him - all of which we learn from His word. In other words, they stirred in me a desire for good theology. The problem today is that not only is so much of what passes as 'Christian' nothing more than fluff and feel-good-fuzzy stuff, it is just theologically wrong and unbiblical. In some cases, it is downright heretical - which can be eternally damaging to one's well-being.
Over the years, I've had discussions with fellow believers about various Christian authors, seminars, conferences, etc. One thing that folks usually will tell me is that I don't have to agree with everything I read from these authors, but just try to find those nuggets of truth and goodness in it; then they will usually ask me, "After all, you don't believe everything in your favorite authors, do you?" To be fair, there is something to this. It is true, I don't agree with everything that my favorite Reformed authors say. Nevertheless I would still recommend many of these Reformed works because of the benefit these writings can be to people - writings from those who strive to be true to the teachings of Scripture.
What I am writing about are those authors & speakers who are clearly portraying God as something other than what He has revealed Himself to be in His word, clearly portraying man (especially themselves) to be something other than what God has revealed about man in His word, and clearly portraying God's requirements for man to be something other than what God has revealed in His word. We must not compromise those doctrines which are foundational to the Christian faith as God has revealed them to us in His word. Sure, occasionally we can find some good things out of these kinds of authors. That's because we're all made in God's image and by His common grace we are not all evil all of the time. After all, even Hitler did some good things, but do we look to him at all as an example.... for anything? Granted, it's an extreme example, but the principle is the same. Why settle for theological junk? If your expectations are low, they will probably be met with ease. A broken clock may be right twice a day, but it is still a broken clock that is only right twice a day.
Friends, I write this because of concern. You and I need to feast on quality doctrines. You and I need to savor theologically and practically rich material for our benefit and growth in grace. We ought to be fed in such a way that it will drive us to our knees in thankfulness and praise to our most gracious God in heaven. So where does one begin? Well, one obvious place is the Bible itself. Learn it well; meditate on it; chew its cud; love it. I would also refer you to R.C. Sproul's Essential Truths of the Christian Faith. In it you will find brief but helpful explanations of many doctrines found in Scripture; thus it is a good starting place for those who are new to the study of theology and in particular Reformed theology. Think of it as a mini Systematic Theology. Sproul included a recommended bibliography in the back of the book to get you started on the filet mignons of theology as opposed to the corn dogs that are all over the shelves of Christian bookstores today. That bibliography alone may be worth the price of the book. Go and seek out rich theological food for the nourishment of your soul and growth in grace.
"Open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of your law." -Psalm 119:18
Blessings....
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Welcome to My Blog!
Welcome to my blog! My purpose for creating this blog is to reflect on theological matters. Some of these matters may be rather complex, while other matters may be simple and practical. So why did I start a blog? Are there not enough blogs out there that deal with theology? Unquestionably that is true and this will just be another addition to the world of theological blogging. Originally, my wife and I had considered doing a blog together where she would write on matters of the home and I would write on theological topics. However, after further discussion we decided that each of us should write our own with those ideas. Her blog can be found here. Another reason for this blog is a bit selfish. It gives me a better opportunity to improve my writing abilities which are currently less than scholarly to say the least. Grammar nazis are likely to have a conniption fit or three. Don't say I didn't warn you; corrections are certainly welcome.
A bit about myself: I am a recently ordained minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC) serving as the organizing pastor of Providence Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I graduated from Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary last year. The OPC has been described by some as the little denomination with the big mouth and Greenville Seminary has been described by some as the little seminary with the big mouth. No doubt many who have known me a long time would say that I fit right in. I tend to be a bull in a china shop in discussions and thus many of my posts may sound rather blunt. Please know that I share my musings for the benefit of others and not their detriment. I hope to discuss ideas and do not wish to disparage people.
That being said it's time to go down the Reformed Path. My own interest in studying theology was sparked by a book by Dr. RC Sproul entitled Essential Truths of the Christian Faith. Interestingly, it was not the main body of the book, but rather the introduction that convicted me. In it, Sproul provided ten causes he believed led many to spurn theology with the result of very little growth in spiritual maturity. Not all ten applied to me and no doubt the ones that did will not necessarily apply to the readers of this blog. Back then, I almost never read introductions to books, and I don't recall what piqued my curiosity to read it for this book. Which items convicted me? Well, let's leave that out for now since I'd rather you read that introduction yourself and see what may apply to your own life. Since reading Sproul's book, I have studied a lot of Reformed theology and am grateful to God for the opportunity to study formally at Greenville Seminary.
So why bother with the study theology? Why can't it just be me and Jesus? Theology just causes all kinds of controversies and schisms, so can't we all just sit around the campfire, hold hands, and sing "Kumbaya?" Theology is just not that important. Or is it?
Stop and think about this for a minute. What does the word "theology" mean? Simply put, theology means the study of God. Similarly, my trusty iMac's included Oxford American Dictionary defines theology this way: the study of the nature of God and religious belief. Now take either of these definitions and substitute it for the word "theology" in the underlined sentence just above. What is the result? "The study of God is just not that important" or "the study of the nature of God and religious belief is just not that important." Well now, that ought to give all of us pause. Do any of us really believe and want to say that the study of God is unimportant? If you are one who feels that theology (i.e., the study of God) is unimportant, are you prepared to tell Him that?
All of us who love God and His word ought to be students of theology in some way, shape, or form. Granted, not all of us are called to be professional theologians and ministers. All of us have different abilities, jobs, time constraints, etc., and many of these are clearly legitimate. Nevertheless, if you believe in our heart of hearts that man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, then you need to study God and His nature in order to know how best to glorify and enjoy Him. Thus the purpose of studying theology is that you may delight God and delight in God. Studying theology can be hard; it takes diligence, time, and energy. Think of it as an exercise program; it can be difficult at first, but in the long run the rewards will be worth it. May God grant all of us the grace and desire to study Him so that we might glorify Him and enjoy Him both now and forevermore.
A bit about myself: I am a recently ordained minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC) serving as the organizing pastor of Providence Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I graduated from Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary last year. The OPC has been described by some as the little denomination with the big mouth and Greenville Seminary has been described by some as the little seminary with the big mouth. No doubt many who have known me a long time would say that I fit right in. I tend to be a bull in a china shop in discussions and thus many of my posts may sound rather blunt. Please know that I share my musings for the benefit of others and not their detriment. I hope to discuss ideas and do not wish to disparage people.
That being said it's time to go down the Reformed Path. My own interest in studying theology was sparked by a book by Dr. RC Sproul entitled Essential Truths of the Christian Faith. Interestingly, it was not the main body of the book, but rather the introduction that convicted me. In it, Sproul provided ten causes he believed led many to spurn theology with the result of very little growth in spiritual maturity. Not all ten applied to me and no doubt the ones that did will not necessarily apply to the readers of this blog. Back then, I almost never read introductions to books, and I don't recall what piqued my curiosity to read it for this book. Which items convicted me? Well, let's leave that out for now since I'd rather you read that introduction yourself and see what may apply to your own life. Since reading Sproul's book, I have studied a lot of Reformed theology and am grateful to God for the opportunity to study formally at Greenville Seminary.
So why bother with the study theology? Why can't it just be me and Jesus? Theology just causes all kinds of controversies and schisms, so can't we all just sit around the campfire, hold hands, and sing "Kumbaya?" Theology is just not that important. Or is it?
Stop and think about this for a minute. What does the word "theology" mean? Simply put, theology means the study of God. Similarly, my trusty iMac's included Oxford American Dictionary defines theology this way: the study of the nature of God and religious belief. Now take either of these definitions and substitute it for the word "theology" in the underlined sentence just above. What is the result? "The study of God is just not that important" or "the study of the nature of God and religious belief is just not that important." Well now, that ought to give all of us pause. Do any of us really believe and want to say that the study of God is unimportant? If you are one who feels that theology (i.e., the study of God) is unimportant, are you prepared to tell Him that?
All of us who love God and His word ought to be students of theology in some way, shape, or form. Granted, not all of us are called to be professional theologians and ministers. All of us have different abilities, jobs, time constraints, etc., and many of these are clearly legitimate. Nevertheless, if you believe in our heart of hearts that man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, then you need to study God and His nature in order to know how best to glorify and enjoy Him. Thus the purpose of studying theology is that you may delight God and delight in God. Studying theology can be hard; it takes diligence, time, and energy. Think of it as an exercise program; it can be difficult at first, but in the long run the rewards will be worth it. May God grant all of us the grace and desire to study Him so that we might glorify Him and enjoy Him both now and forevermore.
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