Be Loving God

"The love of God is required no less than our conversion and the keeping of all the commandments; for the love of God is our true conversion." - Martin Luther, The Bondage of the Will, Revell edition, page 164

I Trust Jesus; and Sometimes I Hate Him.

For we maintain that a man is justified by faith

apart from observing the law.

Romans 3:28

Still pondering the meaning of the Protestant Reformation, the above text comes to mind. It is faith alone that ties a person to God savingly. No wonder this came to Martin Luther as exceedingly good news, since he is known to have said that he sometimes hated God. You see, it is not your love for God that ties you to Him, or brings you into His family, or gets you a seat at the Father's table, or moves Him to welcome you in. It is your faith in His Son.

None of this is to belittle the great and first commandment that we love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Dt 6; Mt 22), or to minimize the sinfulness of hating the Lord. It is to distinguish correctly the most significant biblical categories of Law and Gospel. That we love God with all our being is a command, and command keeping does not bring us to God. That is the point of the Bible verse above. God justifies a person by faith alone without regard to one's command keeping.  Astounding. Unbelievable really, until He makes one believe. Salvation is gift, and that's why it is gospel (good news).

Saved THROUGH Faith, Not BY It

Perhaps one of the trickier matters of the Protestant Reformation, and our own day, was/is how to speak of the role of faith in salvation. During the Reformation this was highlighted due to the debate over the nature of justification. In simplest terms, the Reformers taught that a person is not justified because of his or her faith. In other words, God does not reward one's faith with then what is their due, namely justification, leading to a complete salvation. Instead, God gives faith to a person as the instrument through with he or she receives the gift of justification, leading to a full salvation. Faith adds nothing to God's saving work. It receives it. There is nothing in me, or about me, that commends me to God; not even my faith. It is my faith, in that it has been given to me to possess. Since it has been given to me, then of course it wasn't produced by me, or found in me, apart from being given to me.

On the last day I will not appear before God having anything natural to me in which I can boast. God saves a person without regard to his or her works, or worth. The gift is a true gift, meaning a free one. Their is no payment in it. There are no wages dispensed. There is no reward about it.

The Bondage of the Will

I was honored to write the forward for this special edition of one of the real classic Christian texts. Time is well spent learning church history in general, and the untamed Martin Luther in particular. Five hundred years later, this book still matters. It's for sale here

The Dead Do Live

"The gospel is not a gospel about bad people becoming better. The gospel is about dead people coming to life."  

Jason Meyer, preaching Ezekiel 37, to Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN. 

Hear the entire sermon here.

The Thrust of Christianity, The 2nd

The thrust of Christianity is not peace, even inner peace, which some, perhaps many, have gone so far as to make the measure of whether or not a person is actually right with God. Christian living is fraught with turmoils within and troubles without. We wrestle, we strive, we fight, we battle, we struggle, we mourn, and we die, in this world. The Apostle Paul (perhaps the most Christ-like person of all history) gives this testimony: "We are afflicted in every way. . .we are perplexed. . .we are persecuted. . .we are struck down. . .we are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake. . . (Excerpts from 2 Co 4:7-12).

Now, because of Jesus, there is good news, gospel news: "We are not crushed. . .not despairing. . .not forsaken. . .not destroyed. . .the life of Jesus is being manifested in our mortal flesh. . ." But the good news does not erase the hardships. It makes them fruitful, and sanctifying.

When I read the gospel narratives, I wonder which is most normal. Did Jesus relieve stress, or did He cause it?

Once converted to Christianity, for the first time a person is walking against his own sinfulness, against the world's influence, and against the devil himself. This tri-fold assault makes for quite a strain (See Jn 16, for example).

The Thrust of Christianity

"I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. . ." 

Ro 1:16

The thrust of Christianity is not moral transformation, or a better quality of life, or relationship improvements, or temporal success of any kind. The thrust of Christianity is salvation from the wrath of God. The gospel of Jesus Christ comes from outside ourselves, and asks of us no work or improvement. It is the redeeming energy of God. It does the work; and it makes the improvements.

Trinitarian Redemption

Concerning how the Trinity and salvation are related:

"Seeing how closely these two go together depends on seeing both Trinity and gospel as clearly as possible in a large enough perspective to discern their overall forms. When the outlines of both are clear, we should experience the shock of recognition: Trinity and gospel have the same shape! This is because the good news of salvation is ultimately that God opens his Trinitarian life to us. Every other blessing is either a preparation for that or a result of it, but the thing itself is God's graciously taking us into the fellowship of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to be our salvation." -- Fred Sanders, 21st Century

"The Father's love gave Christ to them, Christ's love gave Himself for them, and the Holy Ghost's love reveals and applies to them the salvation of God. . .We are taught in Scripture that our security flows from three great facts. The Father has loved us with an everlasting love--a love that never changes; Christ, who died for our sins, is now at God's right hand in resurrection glory and ever lives to make intercession for us, pleading His work finished and accepted; and God the Holy Ghost dwelleth in us." -- Marcus Rainsford, 19th Century

God, in 2014

"God the Father is my Father; I am in union with the Son; and

I am indwelt by the Holy Spirit.

This is not just meant to be doctrine; it is what I have now."

Francis Schaeffer, from his book "True Spirituality", pages 270-271

Christian salvation means we get God; but we don't get God in general; we get the Trinitarian God of the Bible - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He becomes more real to us than anything else there is.

Chistmas Is About Curse

"He comes to make His blessings flow 

far as the curse is found."  

From the hymn "Joy to the World" by Isaac Watts

On this Christmas morning 2013, more than ever I want to understand, and have my family understand, all that the Father was doing when He sent the Son by the Holy Spirit. (Redemption is a Trinitarian enterprise). And one of those things was reversing His curse ("Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us -- for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree'" - Ga 3:13). One day He will finish what He has begun ("Then He showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God, and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads" - Re 22:1-4).

What's In A Name?

And Moses said, "Please show me Your glory." Then God said, "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." But He said, "You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live."  -- Exodus 33:18-20

During our church's doctrinal intensive on Saturday, we explored why it was the Apostle Paul quoted from the text above when he wanted to defend God's justice in electing some, and not all, to salvation. His answer, from Romans 9, has to do with God's name. The reason, Paul argues, that God is just in His electing choice, is because it is God, and not we, who are free. We, says the Bible, are slaves of sin (Ro 6, 16, 17, 20), dead in sin (Ep 2:1), by nature children of wrath (Ep 2:3), and have hearts that are too twisted to be straightened (Je 17:9). It is the essence of deity however, to be free; radically free; sovereignly free.This is His name. 

When I consider this I think of that scene in Braveheart where Sir William Wallace (Mel Gibson) is laying on the torture table while his entrails are being removed in an effort to have him acknowledge his fault and guilt in leading his people on a quest for liberty in rebellion against the king. William gathers his strength, and with one final act of leadership proclaims with all of his might, FREEDOM!!! It's a wonderful scene.

When God reveals Himself to Moses as YAHWEH -- I AM WHO I AM; and in the above text where He again proclaims His name, He reveals His FREEDOM as an essence of His deity and glory.

God then, says Paul in Ro 9, is not unjust when He chooses Isaac and not Ishmael, Jacob and not Esau, Israel and not Egypt, the Gentiles and not the Jews; because when God chose He chose in perfect freedom. That means He chose with no consideration to the merits or sins of the ones chosen. His choices, Paul argues, are not made with regard to the chosen, but instead, come completely from within the Chooser. They are choices according to the counsel of His own will, so that His purpose according to election might stand (Ro 9:11). So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy (16). He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens (18).There is no injustice/unrighteousness with God (14)!

One reason this is such GOOD NEWS is because it means that since there are no conditions to be met by us to gain God's electing favor, neither then are we able to sin beyond His electing purpose. No one may rightly say that he or she has so sinned that they cannot be saved. Before the foundation of the world, when God elected His people, He did not consider their worthiness or unworthiness. His reasons in election are His secrets. But what is clear is that God, because He is God, chose freely. That's His name! That's what free justice and righteousness do! So whatever you or I may have done to dishonor God and harm ourselves and others does not put us out of His gracious reach. Anyone who wants Christ more than all others and objects can and will be saved (Jn 3:14-17, 6:37-40, 10:22-30). This is the wisdom of God.

Being elect though does not mean that a person is a Christian. It means he or she is chosen unto salvation. It does not negate the need to repent and believe the gospel, to be converted. A person that dies believing that he or she is elect, and so needs not to turn from sin to Christ in faith will be eternally condemned. While the need for conversion may sound like an elementary idea, it proves to be widely unknown. It seems that most people who believe in Heaven are convinced they will spend eternity there for one reason - they die. Pastor R. C. Sproul refers to this phenomenon as "justification by death". It goes like this: if I die I go to Heaven, period. Apparently, that's where dead people go. Not necessarily. The Bible teaches repeatedly and clearly that it is only the converted elect that spend eternity with Christ in Heaven. And all the elect will be converted. Jesus says so (see above referenced texts). I recently preached the funeral of a stranger. Nothing his family told me about him, or mentioned while talking about him, led me to believe he died a Christian. Nevertheless, it appeared that they and perhaps all of the funeral guests believed that Heaven was exactly where he went. It was an extraordinarily sad occasion. Hoping in the hopeless always is.

An Old Open Letter to a Former SBC President, for Toby

On Saturday I'm teaching our church's quarterly doctrinal intensive. In my short time with the church we have dealt, in these intensives, with the doctrine of God, Scripture, prayer, and sin. Now we turn to the doctrine of election. In discussing this earlier today with my friend Toby, he turned my attention to a 5 year old letter that I wrote to Dr Frank Page, a former president of our convention of churches. Without hearing or reading the message I am responding to, the letter loses some of its impact (if it has any). But know that when I quote Dr Page I use italics. That should help. So Toby, I post for you my Calvinist friend. May it prove helpful to those that labor for the proper representation of God.

I would have you know that I don't write such letters to defend my doctrinal position, but the ways and character of the God of Holy Scripture who has redeemed me by grace so that His purposes according to His choice might stand (Ro 9:11). Praise His holy name. And if at places the letter seems a bit harsh, that's OK; sometimes it's right to talk that way (see Jesus).

August 31, 2005

Dr. Page:

I am writing regarding your recently printed sermon from the Anderson On Leadership collection.  According to the collection, your sermon was preached in the Anderson College chapel on September 23, 2003.  As a pastor to students who attend Anderson College, I have some concerns.

First, I am a Calvinist; not unlike my Baptist forefathers who came out of the Reformed Congregationalist movement (not the Anabaptist movement) of England.  There is a long line of Evangelical Calvinists in our Southern Baptist History.  There is also a long list of Calvinists championing the causes of evangelism and missions.  Charles Spurgeon and William Carey are only two examples from the past.  So I would be careful of how I speak of Calvinism.  It is not new, but our old solid foundation.  If you want to see what a denomination looks like that was founded on Arminianism, take a peek at the Methodists.

In general Dr. Page, you simply misrepresent Calvinists in your sermon.  That tells me that either you have not read books which properly represent Calvinism or that you are dishonest in your comments.  Please permit me a brief explanation.

Calvinists do not disagree with you that the grace of God has appeared to all.  We do not disagree that God’s grace came to be redemptive.  We do not disagree that the good news of grace is that God has provided redemption for all of us who call on His name.  We do not disagree that salvation is available to all.  We do not disagree that salvation is a universal offer and must be presented by God’s missionary force of His people throughout this area to every living soul.  We also agree with great enthusiasm that a very important issue is the nature of God.  This last agreed upon statement is the reason for this letter – I must defend the character of God revealed in the Bible.

There are a number of statements in your sermon that I simply believe to be unbiblical, and therefore dishonoring to God.  If we misinterpret Scripture, we misrepresent God.  What could be worse?  I think the foundational problem is found in your statement referring to God’s creating us for fellowship with Him. You say He (God) would violate His own desire by making some have fellowship with Him and forcing others not to have fellowship with Him.  I question whether or not you have accurately represented God’s desire.  God’s chief desire is for God.  God does not exist for us Dr. Page; we exist for Him.  He made us for Himself (1 Co 8:6; Re 4:11; Jer 13:11; Is 43:7; Heb 2:10 etc).  God is not an idolater – He loves no one more than Himself.  And He does mean to be known.  But He means to be known in His entirety.  He does not mean for us to only know His mercy and goodness, but also His wrath and justice (Ro 9:9-13 & 17-24).  God means to display the totality of His attributes.   This is why He is willing to raise up a Pharaoh only to destroy him.  And when the Roman Christians ask Why does He still find fault?  For who resists His will (9:19)?  Paul simply replies with a question of his own: Who are you, O man, who answers back to God?  The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it?  Or does not the potter have a right over the clay (9:20-21a)?

My other problem with your statement is your use of the word force.  You say God forces others not to have fellowship with Him.  This is a tragic misunderstanding of Scripture.  God does not force anyone away from Himself.  The problem is not that people are coming to God for salvation and He is turning them away.  The problem is nobody wants God’s saving fellowship (Ro 3:9-20).  The question Calvinism attempts to answer is what makes a person want God?  Every one of us always does what he wants.  This is how God has made us.  A lost man can always do what he wants Dr. Page.  He just can’t do what he ought.  He can’t obey the command to repent and believe the gospel (Ac 17:30).  If he could he would need no grace.  And grace is not only God’s unmerited favor, it is God’s unmerited favor when we have merited His wrath.  This is the testimony of Scripture, that I deserve the worst He can give (Jn 3:36; Ro 1:18-2:29).  Am I free?  Sure.  I am free to do anything I desire.  But my desires operate within the confines of my nature.  And the nature of a lost man is not oriented toward God (Ro 8:5-8).  He might want the benefits of knowing God.  But be sure of this: he wants not the Person Who is Holy God.  Lost people live for their glory.

Your sermon reads like others I have read from those guys who believe God is under obligation to treat all people the same; that He is indeed not the Potter who has mercy on whom He will, and hardens whom He will (Ro 9:15).  Your words ring of the Adrian Rogers persuasion (I was a member of Bellevue for 1 year).  For example, you say let me state clearly that God has ordained the how, not the who.  This is not what the Bible says.  The Bible says those (the who) He foreknew, He predestined.  And these (the who) whom He predestined, He also called (Ro 8:29-30).  You speak repeatedly of God being arbitrary.  Watch your mouth Dr. Page.  You don’t get to call God such things.  Simply because His choice seems odd to you does not at all mean that in His mind it is arbitrary.  You seem to think really well of us humans.  You seem to think that what we need from God in order to be saved is just a nudge in the right direction.  When what the Bible declares we need is to be born again (Jn 3:1-21) & re-created (2 Co 4:6).  You therefore do not believe in total depravity, only depravity; and not much of that.

You speak of Jesus setting up the rich young ruler.  Have you read the Lord’s word of explanation as to why the young man could not enter the kingdom?  He said it’s impossible [unless it’s possible to put a camel through the eye of a needle (Mk 10:23-27)].  You can’t get in – without God that is:  for all things are possible with God.  I’m wondering how you would have handled the rich young ruler Dr. Page.  Would you have had him repeating a prayer after you?  Would you have told him to just believe?  Or would you have the heart to let him know that the demand of the gospel is to leave all and follow Jesus?  It’s only those who will sell all to buy the one infinitely valuable treasure that get the kingdom (Mt 13:45-46).  And what about Jesus’ words in Mt 11:25-30?

^25(A)At that time Jesus said, "I praise You, ^(B)Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that ^(C)You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. ²⁶"Yes, ^(D)Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.  ²⁷"^(E)All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father ^(F)except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. ²⁸"^(G)Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.  ²⁹"Take My yoke upon you and ^(H)learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and ^(I)YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. ³⁰"For ^(J)My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Jesus clearly believed that Father God was the one making some see truth while hiding truth from others.  Jesus did this in His own teaching (Mt 13:10-17).  And Jesus says it is Himself who determines who knows the Father.  It is the will of the Son that is determinate.  His criteria for entrance into the kingdom is poverty -  Blessed is the one who is poor in spirit; for his is the kingdom of heaven (Mt 5:3).  Blessed is the one who knows he has nothing to offer and so falls on the mercy of God.  This is the blessed man.  In the above text Jesus acknowledges Who it is that determines who enters His kingdom, then He offers the kingdom to anyone who will come.  That’s the model for evangelism.  The offer goes to everyone.  Most will not come.  They can’t, because they don’t want to.  Anyone who wants God gets God.  These are His terms.  But rich young rulers who only want the benefits of getting God, they get wrath.  During our lives in this world God is good to everyone (Mt 5:44f).  But at the judgment He is good to those who trust Him, and terrible to those who do not (Mt 25:31-46 & Re 6-19).

I want to mention also that Jesus did not come to provide a way of salvation.  He came to save.  He died for real persons to cover real and particular sins (He 2).  He died to save His own elect.  And last, I have 3 questions: 

(1) How is it that you who trumpet free will over God’s sovereignty can believe in what you call eternal security (this is not a Biblical term)?  How can it be that a “free” person can enter a covenant with God from which he can not get loose?  Can God keep us believing without violating our freedom?  The manifestation of the Son’s keeping power is clearly the basis of eternal security (Lk 22:31-38; Jn 6:39f; 1 Pet 1:5).  It just seems inconsistent to me to say we come to God of our own free will and then are made prisoners.  I mean who is free here, us or God?  Maybe He is freer than we.  Maybe it’s like when your children’s freedom bumps up against yours and they lose because you are freer than they are because of your fatherly authority.  Something to think about. 

                 

(2) How is it that you suggest that us Calvinists do not look clearly at the overall teachings of Scripture when you fail to deal with the far more numerous texts that support the doctrines of grace?  For example, in Romans 9 when Paul explains why it is that one man has faith and his brother does not, he writes it’s so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls (v11).  How about John 1:12f,

¹²But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become ^(A)children of God, even ^(B)to those who believe in His name,   ^13(C)who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

What of 1 Peter 1:1-5,

  ^1(A)Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as ^(B)aliens, ^(C)scattered throughout ^(D)Pontus, ^(E)Galatia, ^(F)Cappadocia, ^(G)Asia, and ^(H)Bithynia, ^(I)who (the who again) are chosen ²according to the ^(J)foreknowledge of God the Father, ^(K)by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to ^(L)obey Jesus Christ and be ^(M)sprinkled with His blood: ^(N)May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.  ^3(O)Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who ^(P)according to His great mercy ^(Q)has caused us to be born again to ^(R)a living hope through the ^(S)resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,   ⁴to obtain an ^(T)inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and ^(U)will not fade away, ^(V)reserved in heaven for you, ⁵who are ^(W)protected by the power of God ^(X)through faith for ^(Y)a salvation ready ^(Z)to be revealed in the last time.

And of course the Ephesians 1 passage you refer to in your text.  Let me just point out here that the reason for God’s saving anyone is given three times in the first 14 verses of this great chapter.  It is to the praise of the glory of His grace (v6), to the praise of His glory (v12), and to the praise of His glory (v14).  So we are back to where we started.  God saves people for God (Is 43:7).  God saves people to display His glory.  God saves people to make Himself known.  God saves people because God wants glory.  This is the most loving thing He can do for us.  Love gives what is best for the one loved.  And what is best for us is God.  No Dr. Page, God does not love everyone the same.  Just as you do not love other women the way you love your wife.  That would be wrong because you are only in covenant with your wife.  So you love your mother and your sisters and your female church members, but not like you love your covenant partner.  You chose her and set your affection on her and have entered into covenant marriage with her.  It is right to treat her differently.  This is what God does (Heb 2:9-18).  Hallelujah, what a mighty, good, and faithful God we have. 

(3) Is it possible to understand the saving work of God as you do and leave no room for boasting?  This is crucial.  The Bible is clear that when the issue is salvation, there is no room for man’s boasting (1 Co 1:26-31; Ep 2:9).  The Arminian understanding seems to me to make such room.  It implies that there is something in Jacob that commends him to God while Esau was less intelligent, or less willing, or had an inferior opportunity.  Paul’s words are clear, Jacob was saved so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand (Rm 9:11).

I submit to you Dr. Page that the big picture message of the Bible is that no one has any chance of salvation.  We are a world of humans running hard away from God.  And God then, in His mercy, has determined to save some.  This is not arbitrary or cold (your words).  It is warm and tender and gracious.  He is under no obligation to any of us.  So He has mercy on some and He hardens some.  This is according to His choice.  Some get grace, others get justice.  No one gets injustice.  There is no injustice with God (Dt 32:4; Ro 9:14).

The problem with your theology Dr. Page is that it is all about you.  It exalts you.  It does not guard the glory of God.  It guards the glory of man - and man is grass (Is 40:7), a vapor (Jas 4:14), dust (Ps 103:14) – all most inglorious.  Your theology does not make much of the kindness of God that leads us to repentance, but of the will of man which you seem to think has some redeeming feature.

Dr Page did not reply to my letter.