Children of a Lesser God?

Posted by Dan C. on

No, I am not referring to the 1986 film that earned several prestigious awards from the film industry. The film’s title had no question mark. I am actually just asking a question:

“Are many of today’s professing believers, for all practical purposes, children of a lesser God?”

First of all, let me calm any fears that I have become a heretic and somehow think that God could ever become ‘less’ than he always has been, is now, and ever will be. Again, this is a question; one that I cannot get out of my head. I ask it for several reasons based on a combination of study of evangelicalism, examining the depth of doctrine and theology taught in the church over the last century, and into this one, as well as personal observation.

Evangelicalism. Today’s brand seems to have taken on much of the character of the ‘social gospel’  that placed social action/concerns on a higher level of importance than the gospel of Christ. That tendency seemed to have taken hold around the turn of the twentieth century and gave birth to the National Association of Evangelicals, in order to combat creeping liberalism in the church.

Theology and Doctrine. They are both disappearing from not only the substance of what is taught and preached in churches throughout the land, but from many seminaries that are called (by God) to prepare men for ministry!

Observations. Of the churches I have visited and in which I have had the privilege of serving in some capacity, as well as those I have studied via other means, both of the above comments ring true. And while there does seem to be a ‘remnant’ of older believers that still clings to “The Old Rugged Cross”, as well as a growing number of younger believers who are returning to the doctrines of the Reformation and the Five Solas.

Secondly, let me assure you that I am in no way passing any sort of judgment on anyone. This post is not about any specific individual(s), except for yours truly. I can look backward in time with the 20/20 hindsight we all seem to have and see more than a couple of years of worshipping a ‘lesser’ God, not the mighty and awesome God of Scripture.

Everyone is in many ways a product of his/her upbringing, including Christians. Unless they are in the habit of applying the gold standard of Scripture to what they listen to from pulpits, are taught in their small groups, read in books ‘about’ Scripture, and/or are fed from the world of televangelism, they will become to large measure what they feed upon.

At the core of the matter, I believe,  is a man-centered Christianity that has replaced the God-centric faith of years gone by. It is not something that one morning just ‘happened’ to the church, but it took years to develop. Perhaps a significant milestone in the development of self-centered, humanistic Christianity was the entrance of all of the ‘self-esteem’ driven popular psychology that seemed to take root in the mid-fifties. However, the ‘why/how’ are not what we need to be dwelling upon as of first importance.

This old soldier is convinced that we have a generation or so of Christ followers who have been exposed to, and taught, a ‘lesser God’ than the God of Holy Scripture, and they don’t even know it!

The best way to discover if we are sailing along in that boat is to read The Book. That is my encouragement to everyone who reads these ramblings of an old soldier, including this one.

Creed and Scripture

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“If there is a text of scripture you dare not meet, humble yourself till you can. If your creed and the Bible do not agree, cut your creed to pieces, but make it agree with this book. If there is anything in the church to which you belong which is contrary to the inspired Word, leave that church.” – Charles Spurgeon

 Found online here.

The Clarity of Scripture

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“The Old Testament and New Testament frequently affirm that Scripture is written in such a way that its teachings are able to be understood by ordinary believers.” – Wayne Grudem, Ph. D., Phoenix Seminary

The Bible frequently affirms its own clarity.

1) In the OT, the people were expected to be able to understand the words of Scripture.

Deut. 6:6-7: And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

Ps. 1:1-2: Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

Ps. 19:7: The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;

Ps. 119:130: The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.

2) In the NT, both Jesus and the apostles have the same expectation.

  • Jesus never blames people’s confusion on the obscurity of Scripture.

Matt. 12:3: He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him:

Matt. 21:42: Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “ ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

Matt. 22:29: But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.

  • Most of the NT epistles are written to entire congregations.

1 Cor. 1:2: To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

Gal. 1:2: and all the brothers who are with me, To the churches of Galatia:

Phil. 1:1: Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:

Col. 4:16: And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea.

  • NT authors expect that their Gentile audience would familiarize themselves with a translation of the OT (in their common language – Greek)

Rom. 15:4: For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

2 Tim. 3:16-17: All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

Dr. Grudem’s complete definition for the clarity of Scripture as presented in his Christian Essentials classes:

“The clarity of Scripture means that the Bible is written in such a way that its teachings are able to be understood by all  who will read it seeking God’s help and being willing to follow it.”

Since the teachings of scripture can be understood by believers who apply themselves, he further provides as the three most important points to remember for rightly interpreting the Bible are: 1) Read it, 2) Read it, and 3) Read it.

Now that could make some false teachers out there, who depend on their flock fleecing expertise to stay in business, a bit nervous. When there is an entire religious organization/structure  that proclaims itself the only ‘capable’ interpreter of scripture, and adherence to what the ‘church’ teaches is how the masses are kept in bondage, even more is at state. Sometimes folks get tossed out of the church – ask Martin Luther.

One last point here. Most, if not all ‘former’ somethings that I know became formers by reading Scripture for themselves.

The Sovereignty of God Among the Nations

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The Apostle Paul,  in at the Areopagus, in Athens, spoke these words concerning the “unknown god” for whom there was a “just in case” idol:

“And he (God) made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” – Acts 17: 26-31, ESV

What an awesome testimony of God’s sovereignty over all things, especially the nations, all the nations of the earth! In these few words, Paul summarized the activity of God concerning the nations, from creation to final judgment!

Listening to the various forms of rhetoric concerning the state of our nation, one hears just about everything from the far left to the far right, and everywhere in between. I have my own opinions about things, and it is very difficult to remain silent at times and remember that God is sovereign over all the affairs of men. this is not to say that the voice of an old soldier will not be heard by way of the ballot box, but only to say that God is sovereign and all moaning and complaining will not change his divine purposes.

I am also reminded of how many times in the book of Ezekiel alone God spoke the words “Then they will know that I am the Lord!” Depending on the translation, those words, or words like them, were spoken between 25 and 30 times. God spoke them when he was blessing his people and when he punished his people, claiming divine responsibility for both the blessing and the punishment. God spoke those words over pagan nations he caused to rise up as the instrument of divine discipline, and when he caused the very nations he used as divine instruments to be themselves destroyed as his enemies.

God WILL have his way with the nations, and he WILL gather his elect, the remnant out of all the nations, chosen for Himself before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4 & Rev 5:9).

What are we, as Christians, to do in this time? What is our reason for remaining ‘among the nations”?

There is but one answer in the heart of this old soldier – the gospel of Jesus Christ! We have the great privilege of being used of God to take the gospel to all the nations – the gospel that Christ died for our sins for our justification and was raised up again, as we are raised up in Him as we yet live, and will one day be glorified with Him in the final resurrection.

Our mission – the Great Commission – has never changed.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” – Matt 28:19-20

Perhaps this is a time when we, as individual believers and as the Bride of Christ, should ask ourselves. “How are we doing?”

Question: "Are Catholics Christians?"

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Answer: “Some are. . .”

The question was asked of a teacher of systematic theology. The answer was his. Actually, you can substitute “Protestants” and the answer is the same, “Some are. . .” There might be a difference in percentages, but that’s God’s business, not mine.

The test of whether or not a specific individual is a Christian is a depends on which Gospel he/she believed, or are believing in for for salvation. Was it the gospel of grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, or was it a gospel of grace, through faith in Christ plus other stuff?

Even then, who is, or isn’t, a true Christian is still God’s business. He knows, I don’t.

If you ask however, “Is Catholicism, or Protestantism a “Christian religion?”, we have a slightly different issue. That would depend on the gospel that either adheres to and preaches, again grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, or grace and faith in Christ plus other stuff?

Paul had some very specific things to say about ‘other’ gospels. See Galatians 1:8-9. Even better, read the entire chapter, maybe the whole book.

Key Problems with Understanding Free Will – Problem 2

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Defining Free Will

So what do we mean by free will?

Free will is defined as the power of making free choices unconstrained by external agencies or coercion; the ability to determine one’s own fate or course of action without compulsion, also referred to as self-determination.

Jonathan Edwards defined an act of the will:

“The faculty of the will is that faculty or power, or principle of minds, by which it is capable of choosing: an act of the will is the same as an act of choosing or choice.”

Edward’s major premise is this:

“A man never, in any instance, wills any thing contrary to his desires, or desires any thing contrary to his will.”

What a man desires is determined by his nature. He can do anything he pleases, but what he pleases is always determined by his nature. Edwards considered the notion that man is capable of ‘uncaused’ acts of the will absurd. Edwards concludes, “Thus, this … notion of liberty of the will, consisting in the will’s self-determination, is repugnant to itself, and shouts itself wholly out of the world.”

Bob DeWaay provides this summary:

“Those who assert absolute self-determining freedom of the will have serious problems. Dependent human beings, coming into the world with their own desires and inclinations, will not choose contrary to their own natures. For example, a person who utterly loathes beef liver (for whatever reason) will not choose to eat it. Whatever it is about that person’s nature that makes him hate liver, also causes him to choose not to eat it. The human will does not show up out of nowhere, uncaused, sovereign (to use Finney’s term for it) and fully capable of self-determination. Whatever makes a person the way he is causes him to choose as he does.”

So what’s the bottom line? How ‘free’ is the human will? Human Is it completely free and self-determined, or it is constrained by the ‘nature’ of a man. Contrary to what most people think, free will is not specifically spoken of outside of the context of Jewish law and offerings made after the obligatory offerings requirements were met. Does a command to ‘choose’  necessitate the ability to choose ?

“Free” will is not as easy a topic to discuss as we like to think. We need to be asking, “What is in the nature of a man?” and take it from there. Now that subject the Bible does specifically address!

____________________

Key Problems with Understanding Free Will – Problem 1

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Two Definitions

Here are two alternative definitions of free will. The first is the typical definition demanded by Arminians (those who believe that a free will choice to believe brings about salvation): “The ability to choose between options, either of which could be actualized by the act of choosing.” The second definition was proposed by Jonathan Edwards: “The ability to choose as one pleases.” I will explain these in the pages that follow and defend the second one. In so doing I will discuss several problems that arise in seeking to understand free will.

The Bible Does Not Directly Address Free Will

Free will is assumed from passages that teach human responsibility.

Free will is never directly addressed in the Bible. Even in passages where prophets and others asked God why He allowed so much evil to harm the innocent, it was not discussed. The answer was never that God was committed to the principle of free will and determined that allowing evil was a necessary by-product of free will. The will of humans is discussed in the Bible and the New Testament has a Greek word for it, but its relative freedom of choice is not directly discussed. To derive our understanding we have to go by implications from other Scriptures.

The bible clearly teaches that humans are responsible, and the ‘free will’ assumption is that, if we are responsible, we must have free choice in the matter.  However, if we say that in order for a person to be responsible, that person must be perfectly able to make correct choices to obey God—it is the same as rejecting the teaching of the Bible. The Bible teaches that humans are both responsible for their sin and in bondage to their sin. It teaches that God’s grace is necessary to deliver us from sin. If man were free to perfectly choose obedience, then someone other than Christ could have lived a sinless life and escape judgment based on human merit. That idea denies Paul’s teaching in Romans 3:9-18. Also, Paul teaches in Galatians 3 that the command to obey all of the Law or be cursed proves that those who are under the Law are cursed. Logically, if people had the ability to obey the Law perfectly, then it would not follow that being under the Law insured that they would be cursed. But Paul said that it did. This provides a fatal counterexample to any universal claim that responsibility implies ability.

Most free will theology is based on philosophical considerations that are imported to the discussion from outside the Bible. Since the Bible does not directly discuss the meaning of “free will,” the concept must be derived from passages about human bondage to sin and human responsibility and culpability before the Law of God.

________________

Above adapted from Critical Issues Commentary, Issue 92 – January / February 2006

Gospel Definitions from Christians in the Present – No. 2

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John Piper

“The heart of the gospel is the good news that Christ died for our sins and was raised from the dead. What makes this good news is that Christ’s death accomplished a perfect righteousness before God and suffered a perfect condemnation from God, both of which are counted as ours through faith alone, so that we have eternal life with God in the new heavens and the new earth.” – Christianity Today, June 2009

Tim Keller
The ‘gospel’ is the good news that through Christ the power of God’s kingdom has entered history to renew the whole world. When we believe and rely on Jesus’ work and record (rather than ours) for our relationship to God, that kingdom power comes upon us and begins to work through us.”

Alistair Begg

Here’s the gospel in a phrase. Because Christ died for us, those who trust in him may know that their guilt has been pardoned once and for all. What will we have to say before the bar of God’s judgment? Only one thing. Christ died in my place. That’s the gospel.

Mark Dever

“Here is what I understand the good news to be: the good news is that the one and only God, who is holy, made us in his image to know him. But we sinned and cut ourselves off from him. In his great love, God became a man in Jesus, lived a perfect life, and died on the cross, thus fulfilling the law himself and taking
on himself the punishment for the sins of all those who would ever turn and trust in him. He rose again from the dead, showing that God accepted Christ’s sacrifice and that God’s wrath against us had been exhausted. He now calls us to repent of our sins and to trust in Christ alone for our forgiveness. If we repent of our sins and trust in Christ, we are born again into a new life, an eternal life with God. Now that is good news.” – from The Gospel and Personal Evangelism

Derek Thomas

“The gospel is not ‘God loves us,’ but ‘God loves us at the cost of his Son.’”

Let the Bible Speak -It’s God Talking

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Sometimes there is a theme or topic in scripture that can be found throughout the Bible. Sometimes passages can be gathered together that speak to a theme or topic, not to “prove” something we want the Bible to say, but to more clearly articulate what just might be a very important doctrine. One must be very careful in doing this, I think, because the human heart is still deceitful beyond measure (Jer 17:9), although as believers we also have the indwelling Holy Spirit. Are these some of those passages that go to important doctrine?

Isa 55:10-11 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

Eph 1:4-6 “…even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. “

Joh 6:37 “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.”

Joh 6:44 – “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”

Joh 6:65 “And he said, ‘This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.’”

I am just asking here. The answer to the question might be a matter of further study. If these passages of scripture us to further study concerning what they might be pointing to – mission accomplished.

Gospel Definitions from Christians in the Present – No. 1

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R.C. Sproul
“There is no greater message to be heard than that which we call the Gospel. But as important as that is, it is often given to massive distortions or over simplifications. People think they’re preaching the Gospel to you when they tell you, ‘you can have a purpose to your life’, or that ‘you can have meaning to your life’, or that ‘you can have a personal relationship with Jesus.’ All of those things are true, and they’re all important, but they don’t get to the heart of the Gospel.

The Gospel is called the ‘good news’ because it addresses the most serious problem that you and I have as human beings, and that problem is simply this: God is holy and He is just, and I’m not. And at the end of my life, I’m going to stand before a just and holy God, and I’ll be judged. And I’ll be judged either on the basis of my own righteousness – or lack of it – or the righteousness of another.

The good news of the Gospel is that Jesus lived a life of perfect righteousness, of perfect obedience to God, not for His own well being but for His people. He has done for me what I couldn’t possibly do for myself. But not only has He lived that life of perfect obedience, He offered Himself as a perfect sacrifice to satisfy the justice and the righteousness of God.

The great misconception in our day is this: that God isn’t concerned to protect His own integrity. He’s a kind of wishy-washy deity, who just waves a wand of forgiveness over everybody. No. For God to forgive you is a very costly matter. It cost the sacrifice of His own Son. So valuable was that sacrifice that God pronounced it valuable by raising Him from the dead – so that Christ died for us, He was raised for our justification. So the Gospel is something objective. It is the message of who Jesus is and what He did.

And it also has a subjective dimension. How are the benefits of Jesus subjectively appropriated to us? How do I get it? The Bible makes it clear that we are justified not by our works, not by our efforts, not by our deeds, but by faith – and by faith alone. The only way you can receive the benefit of Christ’s life and death is by putting your trust in Him – and in Him alone. You do that, you’re declared just by God, you’re adopted into His family, you’re forgiven of all of your sins, and you have begun your pilgrimage for eternity.”