Church Shopping?

That was the sign I saw at a church here in town last week. The second half of the sign read "We're open Sundays!" I don't know anything about this church in particular but a sign like that seems to me to make light of the seriousness of church attendance, not to mention church membership. I saw the sign and I thought it is an incredibly sad thing when a church who claims to be part of the Bride of the risen Christ decides to jump right into the Consumer Driven Culture. Is that what the Church is all about, appealing to "Christians" who only care about "Having it their own way", or "Getting What you Want, How you Want it, and When you want it?" Its tough when you go to a new area and are seeking a church family to join. What should you look for when you do? Should you look for what does the most for you? I started thinking about this, and I jumped to the question of why we should even join a church in the first place.

After all, in this day and age, I wonder if it is too far fetched to think that people might rather go to several different churches instead of devoting themselves to just one. After all, Church A might have a better Sunday Service, while Church B definitely has it going on when it comes to Youth programs, and Church C has the best Weeknight Bible Studies. Why join one when you can get the best of all worlds?

There is a great article over at the 9Marks website on why we should join a church. I thought this was a great, insightful way to approach just how important church membership is. The Three major points are that you should join a church because:

1. "Your spiritual survival depends on it. In those churches where the fellowship always seems positive and upbeat, but no membership procedure is established, there may be a willingness to confront sin in a biblical manner, but there is no authority to take Christian accountability to its final degree when necessary."

2. "It is an act of obedience to the commands of Christ and His New Testament Apostles. Where people come and go as they please, never demonstrating any kind of dedication or true commitment to a particular body of brothers and sisters in Christ, the church cannot be in subjection to Christ its Head; Christians cannot fulfill their purpose."

3. "By committing yourself in that way you will help to fulfill your purpose as a Christian. It seems pretty obvious from these biblical metaphors of building stones and body parts that the Christian life was not meant to be lived alone. You, as a Christian, were designed and created by God, not for a life of individuality and self-will, but to fill a niche in the spiritual building called the church."

This is something we really ought to consider, especially in a day and age where individualism, and the "Have it your way" mentality reign supreme. Check the article out. He expounds on those three points, showing how they come straight from Scripture.
Let's take this matter seriously, and not present to the world some kind of silly slogan where we should be at our most sincere.

The New Baptist Theology of the Christian Faith - God; part 2

In this section of the 2000 BF&M, we will see the first of five descriptions of God that we need to understand. The BF&M Says:

There is one and only one living and true God.

God is Unique.[1] This is one of the simplest and yet most profound statements in the entire BF&M. We believe that there is one God. We believe that this one God is alive. We believe that He is the true God. The Bible is replete with this testimony:

† There is but one God (Exodus 15:11; Deuteronomy 4:35 & 39; 6:4; 32:39; 1 Kings 8:59-60; Psalm 86:10; Isaiah 43:10; 44:6; 45:14, 18, 21-22; 46:9; Mark 12:32; Romans 3:29-30; 1 Corinthians 8:4; Ephesians 4:4-6; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; James 2:19).

† YHWH is a Living God (Deuteronomy 5:26; Joshua 3:10; 1 Samuel 17:26 & 36; 2 Kings 19:4 & 16; Psalm 42:2; 84:2; Isaiah 37:4 & 17; Jeremiah 10:10; 23:36; Daniel 6:20 & 26; Hosea 1:10; Matthew 16:16; 26:63; John 6:69; Romans 9:26; 2 Corinthians 3:3; 6:16; 1 Thessalonians 1:9; 1 Timothy 3:15; 4:10; 6:17; Hebrews 3:12; 9:14; 10:31; 12:22; Revelation 7:2).

† YHWH is the True God (1 Kings 18:36-37; 2 Chronicles 15:3; Jeremiah 10:10; Jonah 3:33; John 17:3; Romans 3:4; 2 Corinthians 1:18; 1 John 5:20; Revelation 15:3).

No where is this statement proven in a more dramatic way than in the confrontation between Elijah and the prophets of baal. Elijah prays that God would show His glory so that the people would know His identity. Immediately following the powerful demonstration the people cry out “the Lord, He is God, the Lord, He is God.” (1 Kings 18:36-39). “This is not the only such contest reported in the Bible but it is certainly the most striking one.”[2] God, YHWH, is this True God.
This statement is in desperate need of some cogent, concise, and concentrated defense in our culture. The rampant idolatry and the blatant blasphemy that passes for ‘modern’ worship is an affront to this truth. One day the church will wake up to see that God is unique in His own being, not a god of our own understanding. This wake-up call will come when this God, this actual, historical, real, living Deity appears to demonstrate the trueness of His revelation in Christ. God help us all on that day.

Article II of the 2000 BF&M rejects atheism (the belief that there is no God) and polytheism (the belief in and worship of many gods) and it accepts the existence of only one God (monotheism).

‘...Holy Scripture teaches...that human beings do not need to have their Creator’s existence proven to them, because (1) He has revealed Himself to them through natural revelation (Psalm 19:1; Romans 1:19-20) and (2) they understand that revelation because it is clearly seen by them (Romans 1:20-21, 32; 2:14-15). Nevertheless, they neither glorify Him as God nor are they thankful to Him and are therefore without excuse before Him (Romans 1:26). And, far from being neutral, they are doing everything they can in their sinfulness, because it is their nature to do so, to suppress that knowledge, bringing God’s wrath down upon them as the result (Romans 1:18). All this means that there is no such thing among mankind as an actual atheist. There are only theists, some of whom claim to be atheists. But God’s Word declares that these “atheists” are not real atheists; they only attempt to live as though there is no God. But they know in their hearts that He is “there” and that He will some day judge them for their sin. As we have said, they are theists who hate, and attempt to do everything they can to suppress, their innate theism. These “practicing atheists” insist that the burden of proof lies with the theist to prove God’s existence to them. But the burden of proof actually is theirs to prove that the physical world is the only reality and that no supernatural spiritual being anywhere exists. This, of course, they cannot do. Thus their “atheism” is their unproven “grand assumption” – an assumption, by the way which they cannot consistently live![3]
Jeremiah 17:9 tells us of the deceitful tendencies of our dark hearts. Until we are brought to know and trust God for who He is based solely on what He has said in His Word, even our righteousness will be as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6) and our worship shall be idolatry (1 Samuel 15:23; Isaiah 58:4).

[1] Webster’s definition: being the only one; producing only one result; being without a like or equal.
[2] Robert Culver, Systematic Theology; Biblical & Historical, page 15.
[3] Reymond, Theology, page 143. Bold emphasis is mine.

T.V or not T.V....is NOT the question!

"Oh Steeeee...eeeeevvvvvee! Stteeevvve! Guess what? I touched Michael Tate's hand! I actually touched Michael Tate's hand!"

These words greeted me as I walked into the sanctuary that morning. As the morning progressed I was going to learn several things that I had only assumed until then. The first thing I learned was that Michael Tate was in the group DC Talk. The second thing I learned was that DC Talk was a music group. (Didn't I realize that my youth had spent hundreds of dollars on their albums because they are like the very best in the whole world?) The third thing I learned was that Michael had been at Western Kentucky University the night before and several in my youth group had recognized him and... touched his hand! The fourth thing I learned was that idols come in many shapes and sizes. (As their superior youth minister I took it as my responsibility to point this out to them in no uncertain terms.)

As I looked down my nasal cavity in all of my arrogance and pride at these pagans, I told them that they were to have no other gods before the True God. How dare they get so very excited about a human? Repent! Repent!

They paid me as much attention as normal. I was satisfied with their token acknowledgment and sorrow. They were very sorry and I was glad that I had played such a part in bringing them to their senses!

Later that spring, however, we attended the Billy Graham crusade in the Tennessee Titan's home facility. Guess who was headlining? That's right.... DC Talk!!!! Once again, in all of my blind ignorance, I had no idea. I wanted to go to the crusade because I had a new book that I was going to spend some time reading while the kids were watching the show. There we were, sitting right over the entrance for the performers and all of my kids were hanging over the walkway screaming for Michael and the rest. Oh my!!! I thought. They have backslidden! They were acting like crazy people. Yelling at ME to come and see him? Of all the gall!

Well, from that moment on I was preparing my lessons on idolatry. Once again they were rebuffed and rebuked. They were honestly chastised and life went on with me, the superior blind man, leading the inferior blind youth. I had finally made them realize that they never need to give another human being that much reverence and awe. God will not share His glory with another!

(Lest you fail to recognize that I have struggled to tell this story with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek, I will continue on to the part that my wife always reminds me of when I get a little too big for my britches.)

Later on in the very same year I found out that at one time I had come into contact with the lady who is now Ravi Zacharias' personal secretary. Her son had been my supervisor at UPS at the Pleasantdale Hub in Atlanta, Georgia. I had dinner with them, house sat for them, and made a total nuisance of myself. Anyway... I got in tough with her and found out that Ravi was going to be speaking in Nashville soon. I could hardly contain myself! Finally my youth could hear someone good! I got the group together with several others from our church and we went to see RAVI!

Well, I hope I don't have to spell this out for you too much, but there I was. I made certain we got there early. We were at the very front of the line at the Gaylord Entertainment Center. When the gates opened... you guessed it, I was the first down the aisle to the very front row on the side of the auditorium. We were sooooo close to the stage. I had also brought a book to read during the wait but how in the world could someone read when RAVI was going to be here?!?! You won't believe how good it felt when I finally saw that stark white lock of hair come onto the floor through the doorway under our seats!

So what did yours truly do? You got it: "RAVI!!! There he is! Look! There's Ravi!!!"

As I turned around I caught myself wondering why my youth were looking at me that way. Couldn't they see that this was Ravi Zacharias. Didn't they realize that I have spent several hundred dollars buying his books and tapes because he is like the very best in the whole world?

Right them it hit me. Call me a hypocrit. How could I have been so blind? Each of us have our own idols. Each of us need to be very careful to determine what or who it is that we have attributed more worth than they rightfully deserve. (Let's not mention all the time I have waited in line to get Sproul, James White, John Frame, just to name a few, to sign a copy of their books for me!)

Honestly though, my youth did not look down at me from on top of Mt. Nostril. Somehow the lesson was much easier for them to see in me then during the two fire and brimstone tirades I took them on earlier in the year. Boy... talk about pride going before destruction. I was destroyed!

"Father, help my heart to see in you and in your powerful Son, the worth and value of all eternity. Help me to recognize your holiness and my own impurity. Help me to cling to you inspite of all my blasphemous desires. You are worthy. You are Glorious! Help us to worship and enjoy you you above all things!"
SDG

Tagged? Well, I never!....

Okay, so Dee tagged me this morning, and I will answer!! Let it never be said that Kevin Morse ran from a tagging (although I've never even heard of tagging before...okay, so here we go:

Four jobs I've had:
1. general errand boy and go getter in my dad's business
2. fry boy at McDonald's
3. Valet and Bellman for the Opryland Hotel
4. loader for UPS

Four Movies I would watch on repeat:
1. Braveheart
2. A River Runs Through It
3. We Were Soldiers
4. LOTR

Four Vacation Locales I'd like to hit:
1. The Rocky Mountains (ok...maybe just live there.)
2. Europe (kill about 6 birds with one stone here, eh?)
3. The trout rivers of montana, wyoming, and colorado
4. Scotland

Four Websites I visit daily:
1. My Yahoo!
2. www.amazon.com (yes, i am a window shopper from the comfort of my own home)
3. www.wikipedia.com (now this is entertainment!)
4. the Itunes music store

Four Foods I Lust After:
1. Barbecue (meat..)
2. Ribs (Meat!)
3. Steak (MEAT!!!)
4. Ramono's Lobster Filled Ravioli (It's got meat in it...)

Four Changes I'd Make to the House (ie- apartment)
1. More Bookshelves
2. Bigger Library for my new bookshelves
3. Less girly stuff so I have more room for books
4. A hot tub.

Four Beers I Like: oohhh, I'm afraid to answer this one, so I'll say why I won't be drinking anytime soon
1. I want to graduate in May
2. I like my school a whole lot, and want it to like me too.
3. I really like this guy
4. ...I do like Root Beer.

Four Books I would recommend:
1. Desiring God by John Piper
2. No Little People by Francis Schaeffer
3. Lord of the Rings by J...( I mean, really? do I have to finish?)
4. A Quest for Godliness by J.I. Packer

Four places I eat regularly (because of health and safety reasons, I'm going to change this to 4 places i eat at regularly)
1. home
2. Panera Bread Company (they have this grilled chicken sandwich thing that is amazing)
3. Ramono's Macaroni Grill (may I recommend the Mushroom stuffed Ravioli?)
4. Java Brewing Co. (I know, not technically food, but I'm there enough)

Four Reasons to read my blog:
1. I don't.
2. My brother writes a lot of stuff.
3. We have a cool name.
4. I'll read yours.


Four things I will ask God when I get to heaven: (these answers might be slightly facetious because when it comes down to it, i'll probably have other things on my mind when it happens.)
1. Where's the library?
2. so....six days huh? are those literal ones or...?
3. I was wondering about when you said in Revelation....
4. Can I get an autograph?

Four people I will tag (play if you dare!)
1. my brother
2. Daniel Randle
3. A.J. Caldwell
4. John Wooten

And for kicks lets add one more category: Four books I would NOT recommend

What is Your Feature Presentation?

So, this morning I finally read my brother's post about watching TV, and my knee jerk reaction was to say "hang on, I watch some TV shows I like, and I know that my brother and I have talked about Lost before, so what's up with this sacrificing our children to idols?" But when I did some back research, I saw that the discussion was on the inappropriate content that is inescapable when watching the TV and the danger of hardening our spirits by watching said content.. And I have to agree. Its not safe to just turn on the TV and see what's on. We don't really get anything good out of the TV. Yet, its so easy to just sit on the couch and flip channels as the hours tick by. So I started thinking about how idols take hold in our lives.
Yeah, i'll grant that I have a lot of questions about the benefits of watching T.V. I'm afraid that we have allowed the T.V., and Hollywood, to dictate to us how we are to live, look, and interact with one another. Not only that, but there is so much on the T.V. that is simply inappropriate..for anyone. We sacrifice the ability to really interact with one another, with our families, and with our own minds by sitting for hours in front of the T.V. Go read a book. I think that the T.V. has a very real danger in it, but I think that danger plays heavily on the fact that we as humans will find idols somewhere, and if we can't find them, we'll make them. Many of the idols present in our lives have an addictive quality, but the problem starts with us, and our rebellion against the one who deserves all worship. All too often, we run the risk of exchanging the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man (Rom. 1:23), and that's very dangerous ground to walk on.
We desire to gratify ourselves through things like TV, golf, computers, football, blogs or anything else for that matter. We begin to serve the creature rather than the creator, and we get sucked in. I don't have to back up that statement because its something that has happened, and is happening in all of our lives. And its incredibly dangerous. It is a deadly serious matter, one that calls for us to examine ourselves daily to see where our commitment and devotion lies. So I agree that the TV is more often than not inappropriate, and an idol for many people. But let's not stop there. There is only one who deserves our worship, and He does not share His glory with any other.

The New Baptist Theology of the Christian Faith - God; Part 1

It is no coincidence that the Baptist Faith & Message follows up the study of Scriptures with the doctrine of God. The very idea of a divine revelation identifies the priority: God’s revelation of Himself to man. In this and the following 3 chapters I have taken the liberty to divide Article II down into its natural subheadings with a chapter on God, the Trinity followed by a chapter on each of the members of the Trinity.

The study of God is, by definition, theology; anything having to do with understanding, knowing, or explaining God. There is not any higher study available and nothing is ever more important to know. God tells the prophet Jeremiah that man should not presume to boast in what they are, have, or do. Man’s only appropriate boast is that he knows who God is and what He is and does (Jeremiah 9:23-25). ‘For no intellectual pursuit will prove to be more rewarding ultimately than the acquisition of a knowledge of God and of His ways and works.’[1] Without any reservations I believe that the current pragmatic state of the modern Baptist church is a direct reflection on our lazy participation in the study of God. Whether we speak of the current trend of church turnover or lack of personal holiness within the body, what we are seeing is the result of decades of Ophraesque theological relativism. What we need is to come back to the anchor of our Faith. We need to ask our fathers what those stones are for (Joshua 4). ‘A right conception of God is basic not only to systematic theology but to practical Christian living as well. It is to worship what the foundation is to the temple; where it is inadequate or out of plumb the whole structure must sooner or later collapse. I believe there is scarcely an error in doctrine or a failing in applying Christian ethics that cannot be traced finally to imperfect and ignoble thoughts about God.’[2]

As we proceed through this chapter we will come to see more clearly what Daniel Akin meant when he wrote that ‘Genesis 1:1 teaches us, “In the beginning God...” Southern Baptists speak with one voice in giving affirmation to this proposition and all others in Holy Scripture that reveal to us the real and true truth about the God who has created us in his image, redeemed us through his Son and made us spiritually alive by his Spirit.’[3]

In the following days we will see that there are 5 descriptions about God that we need to understand.

[1] Robert Reymond, New Chriatian Theology, page xxxi.
[2] A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy, (San Fransisco: HarperSanFransisco, 1992) page 2-3.
[3] Daniel Akin, An Exposition from the Faculty of the SBTS on the 2000 BF&M, page 3.

T.V. or not T.V.?

Recently on Challies.com I commented on his post about Advertising and Cable TV. For whatever reason this topic breeds a form of knee-jerk reaction that I cannot really understand. It seems as though people are just waiting to get defensive when someone else decides to put the American Idol (TV) away! Choose this day whom you will serve! As for me and my house we will serve the Lord! Don't get all worked up because I have removed my Ashtoreth poles. You worship on your own high places. I no longer want to sacrifice my children to Molech.
Today I read a good article by David Alan Black. Read it and tell me what you think.
I cannot tell you how much I have gained mentally, physically, and Spiritually in the past 5 years of TV freedom! Now I need to work on the rest of my idles (idols).
In Christ, my Rock!
SDG

The New Baptist Theology of the Christian Faith - Scriptures; Conclusion

Conclusion:
One of the most important things to remember, as we bring this chapter to a conclusion and prepare to look at the remainder of the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message, is that we do so with the understanding that all of the knowledge we have concerning the rest of this study is based wholly on the revelation of God in His Holy Word. This present chapter has served as the foundation for the rest of the 2000 BF&M.

In their Contemporary Restatement of the Historic Baptist View of Scripture, L. Russ Bush and Tom Nettles make a very concise closing statement. They say that “the Bible is the ultimate arbiter of theological controversies. Scripture is the unique and only authoritative source of religious doctrines. The biblical worldview is to be accepted as the correct framework for evaluating and directing the philosophical enterprise, for interpreting history, for understanding the natural universe, and for establishing a valid decision-making process regarding ethical issues. Human reason and human opinion must submit to biblical authority because Scripture, all Scripture, and Scripture only mediates the divine mind to modern man. The word and the message of Scripture is the word and message of God. The Bible is the only basis for Christian unity in this age, and it will not be superceded until Christ Jesus returns personally in glory to consummate the kingdom of God.”[1]

[1] L. Russ Bush & Tom Nettles, Baptists and the Bible; Revised and Expanded (Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman & Holman: 1999) page 395-396.

A Blog, A Request, A Need.

It has been an incredibly long time since I have posted anything, and I have allowed my brother to run rampant with his posts. However, I am posting today for a very important reason. Before my wife and I moved to Louisville, we had become friends with a family in Nashville. My wife had taken care of their children several times, and the father, who is an excellent musician, sang for us at our wedding. They have four absolutely wonderful children who are, like many kids, energetic, excited, and simply a lot of fun to be around. Three of those children have been diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, and the oldest one is currently struggling because of a mold in their house. They are attempting to raise enough money to build a new Allergen Free house so that their children can be safe. Greg, the father, had at one time been on a sure road to success with his music career, but he gave it up to care for his family. Now he is putting together a CD, produced by some big people in Nashville. He is selling this CD solely for the purpose of raising support to build a house for the children. They really need to move out of their house, and simply do not have the means to do so quickly. Please visit their website, and buy the CD.

The Website is located at

www.ahouseformykids.com

A Pathetic Attempt at a Free Book

Eric Schumacher has made an offer of a free book in celebration of his blog's one year anniversary. In order to qualify I have to post this link. I hope to win!

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Christian Unity

I am still working through the second volume of Murray's biography on ML-J. Do you remember how much I thought of the first volume? Well I have been thoroughly enjoying this one.

As I posted earlier this month, Christian unity is something that everyone wants but is so hard to achieve. Lloyd-Jones said something about Christian unity that rings so true to me. He says:

"There is no real fellowship and unity in a group of people where some believe in 'the wrath of God against sin' and that it has already been 'revealed from heaven' (Romans 1:18), and others not only do not believe in the wrath of God at all, but say that it is almost blasphemous to teach such a thing, and that they cannot believe in a God who is capable of wrath. Fellowship exists only among those who believe, as a result of the operation of the Holy Spirit, these essential truths concerning man's lost estate... how ridiculous it is to suggest that there can be fellowship and unity between those who believe that they are saved and have access into God's presence solely because in His great love He made His own Son 'to be sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21) and spared Him not but delivered Him up for us all (Romans 8:32), and those who believe that the death of Christ was a great tragedy, but that God forgives us even that, and that ultimately we save ourselves by our obedience, good works and our practice of religion."

How true? I love to talk to people about these things. I like to dialogue (some people think it is called arguing) about the doctrines of salvation, but in a group of pastors who 1) already know everything, 2) already know how bad I am for believing sometihng different than they do, and 3) wouldn't believe it if Christ, Himself were to tell them (which, ironically He does in His Word). Lloyd-Jones has all of his ducks in a row in this discussion. I appreciate his simplicity and forthright presentation of the truth. He has taught me a lot in this area. I hope that I can give glory to God as I try to bring unity in out community (unity in doctrine not in emotion).

The New Baptist Theology of the Christian Faith - Scriptures; part 4

As I conclude this section on the Scriptures I want to remind you that the actual wording of the 2000 BF&M in bold and italic.

The 2000 BF&M says that:

It reveals the principles by which God judges us, and therefore is, and will remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried.

The Scriptures are Correct and this book is Permanent. As the one true Revelation of God, this book is the sole authority on God’s decrees, purpose, and desires. There is nothing that will ever be able to override its authority. That is not to say that we have no other authorities. Rather we have numerous authorities: parents (Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16), governments (Romans 13:1-7; Titus 3:1), husbands (Ephesians 5:22-33), and employers. It is to say that none of these authorities, or any other, will ever have as much authority as the very Word of God recorded in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.

As God’s Word, the Scriptures are ‘the supreme judge by which all controversies of religion are to be determined, and all decrees of councils, doctrines of men, and private spirits, are to be examined, and in whose sentence we are to rest…’[1] As God’s revelation to men it gives us His purposes, requirements, and decrees. It is His Word (2 Timothy 3:16).

This Book Impacts the Church. John Macarthur says it well: ‘many of the trends in the evangelical church today stem from a willful abandonment of the perspective reflected in Psalm 19. Because Christians have lost their commitment to the sufficiency of Scripture, they have embraced worldviews that are not truly biblical. That is why Christians are leaving the Word of God (the mind of Christ) in order to chase after all kinds of worldly ideas. Even though they claim to believe in the truthfulness of Scripture, they apparently do not believe the Word is sufficient to meet all their needs and those of the people they target. They demonstrate such a lack of faith because they have never really been noble like the Bereans, who daily searched the Scriptures (Acts 17:11). They have treated the Bible in a cursory way and have never enjoyed the power of its rich and profound truths. The church’s message must not be the Bible plus the world, but the message that the Bible alone is sufficient. Too many people in evangelical churches and schools today simply assume that certain difficult problems they encounter are beyond the purview of Scripture. The real problem is that they are not really devoted to Scripture. They haven’t committed themselves to the daily reading and application of the Word of God. Thus they lack genuine discernment and biblical understanding. If they truly studied Scripture, they would know that it is the Christian’s one true source of spiritual strength and wisdom. It is the all-comprehensive resource God has given us for dealing with the issues of life. When Christians abandon that resource, it is no wonder that they struggle spiritually.’[2]

Testimonies for Authority:
† Jesus’ use of the Scriptures demonstrates their authority over all discussions: Matthew 15:1-9; Matthew 22:31; Luke 24:27.
† Luke, in Acts, demonstrates the Scripture’s authority over all discussions: 1:16ff (Peter and the disciples); 2:16ff, 3:18ff, 6:4 (Peter); 7 (Stephen); 8:35 (Phillip); 9:22 (Saul); 10:43 (Peter to Cornelius). In these passages the Scriptures are used as proof texts. It is obvious that a response is expected simply because of their authority.

One of the most telling problems in our churches today is not necessarily a lack of acknowledging the Scripture’s authority. The most telling problem is the lack of recognizing the Word’s sufficiency.

The 2000 BF&M concludes its section on the Scriptures with the following statement:

All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation.

The Scriptures are Christian. From the beginning to the end the Scriptures point to the message and work of God in the man Jesus Christ. Everything in the Bible finds its accomplishment in Christ. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities- all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross (Colossians 1:15).

It is worth recognizing that the Old Testament looks forward to Christ in many ways. Notice the following prophecies of the coming Christ:
Seed of Woman; Genesis 3:15
Seed of Abraham; Genesis 12:1-3
Tribe of Judah; Genesis 49:10
House of David; 2 Samuel 7:14; Jeremiah 23:5; Psalm 132:11
Born of a Virgin; Isaiah 7:14
Born in Bethlehem; Micah 5:2
Prophet; Deuteronomy 18:18
Priest; Psalm 110
King; 2 Samuel 7:14, Psalm 2, Isaiah 9:6, Zechariah 9:9,
Suffering Servant; Psalm 22, Isaiah 53
Son of Man; Daniel 7:13-14

The prophecies mentioned above are directly fulfilled in the life and ministry of Christ. Whereas the Old Testament looked toward Christ, New Testament shows forth Christ:
Seed of Woman: Galatians 4:4; Luke 2:7
Seed of Abraham: Matthew 1:1; Luke 3:34; Galatians 3:16
Tribe of Judah: Luke 3:23, 33; Matthew 1:2; Hebrews 7:14
House of David: Luke 3:23, 31; Matthew 1:1, 9:27, 15:22, 20:30, 31, 21:9, 15, 22:41-46; Mark: 9:10, 10:47, 48; Luke 18:38, 39; Acts 13:22, 23; Revelation 22:16
Born of a Virgin: Matthew 1:18, 4, 25; Luke 1:26-35
Born in Bethlehem: Matthew 2:1, 4-8; John 7:42; Luke 2:4-7
Prophet: Matthew 21:11; Luke 7:16; John 4:19, 6:14, 7:40 (cf. Luke 9:35; Matthew 17:5; Mark 9:7)
Priest: Hebrews 3:1, 5:5-6
King: Matthew 27:37, 21:5; John 18:33-38
Suffering Servant: Matthew 27:12, 26, 31, 38; Luke 23:33; John 20:25;
Son of Man: Matthew 8:20; Acts 7:56; Revelation 1:13

[1] Second London Confession, Chapter I section 10.
[2] John MacArthur, Think Biblically; Recovering a Biblical Worldview (Wheaton Illinois: Crossway Books, 2003) page 34.

The New Baptist Theology study update:

As you have noticed, I am posting my study notes for the 2000 BF&M class that I have been teaching on Wednesday evenings. We started on the 5th section last Wednesday evening. Section 5 of the BF&M is God's Purpose of Grace.
I asked the 30-35 people attending if they had ever heard a sermon or been taught on the doctrine of God's election. Most, if not all, answered in the negative. Isn't that remarkable?
I was nervous as I prepared and spent the first night simply introducing the doctrine. You know what? It went great! I cannot wait til next week.
As you read this commentary on the BF&M please comment. I would love your input.

The New Baptist Theology of the Christian Faith - Scriptures; Part 3

Throughout the conservative resurgence 2 words were used to define the conservative stance: ‘inerrant’ & ‘infallible.’ In the section below we will see how these words ought to be understood and used. God’s Word is perfectly consistent and worthy of our study and obedience.

(The 2000 BF&M is written in italic bold. For the complete text follow this link.)

It (Scripture) is a perfect treasure of divine instruction.

From this we see that the Scriptures are Consistent.

The Scriptures are a perfect treasure because of the author, subject, and integrity. Each of these give the Word of God its uniqueness, vitality, power, and perfection. The Scriptures communicate a message that is entirely constant throughout. No part of the Bible contradicts any other. The Word that God has given us in His Revelation fits together perfectly within itself. Can you imagine the value of this treasure? Can you fathom the reality that God has spoken to you and has provided you with His perfect provision for His glory?

In the next 3 sections we will examine the Scripture's consistency:

It has God for its author,

The Scriptures are consistent because of their Maker.

Having God as its Maker connects the Scriptures securely to His Power. Throughout the Scriptures the Word of the Lord accomplishes what it sets out to. ‘The Bible makes it clear that the Word is not merely powerful; it is without peer. The Word of God creates (Genesis 1:3; Psalm 33:9), controls (Psalm 147:15-18), persuades (Jeremiah 23:28-29), performs His purposes (Isaiah 55:10-11), and overrides human motives (Philippians 1:18).’[1]

The Scriptures consistently and comprehensively demonstrate that they claim divine authorship. ‘The Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament) contains at least 680 claims to divine inspiration. Such claims are found 418 times in the historical books, 195 times in the poetic books, and 1307 times in the prophetic books. The New Testament contains more than 300 direct quotations and at least 1000 indirect references from the Old Testament, almost all of them declaring or implying that they were God’s own Word.’[2] The human author’s testimony is that they are recording the Word of God. ‘It is both remarkable and significant that, although most, if not all, of the human writers were aware they were recording Scripture and sometimes were overwhelmed by the truths God revealed to them, they exhibit a total lack of self-consciousness or apology, in the common sense of that word. Together, the biblical writers make some 4,000 claims to be writing God’s Word, yet they offer no defense for being employed by God in such an elevated function. Despite their realization of their own sinfulness and fallibility, they wrote with the utter confidence that they spoke for God and that His revelation itself is its own best and irrefutable defense.’[3]

... salvation for its end,

The Scriptures are consistent in their Message.

From the introduction to the conclusion God’s grace for His glory is the object of His Word. His grace is declared from Genesis to Revelation. The message of the Old Testament points to the salvation that God, by His grace, is preparing in Christ for His people. This message is fulfilled in the message of the good news found in the New Testament. Salvation is found in Christ and this is the Good News that the prophets prepared, the Lord fulfilled, the Apostles proclaimed, and the church expresses.

...and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter.

The Scriptures are consistent in their Matter.

Definition of inerrancy: It is not wrong in any area of history, science, geology, or faith.

‘To say that Scripture is truthful in everything it says is to say that it is “inerrant”; it (the Scripture) does not affirm anything that is contrary to fact.’[4] ‘Perhaps it has not been stated emphatically enough that nowhere in the Old Testament or in the New Testament does any writer give any hint of a tendency to distrust or consider slightly unreliable any other part of Scripture. Hundreds of texts encourage God’s people to trust Scripture completely, but no text encourages any doubt or even slight mistrust of Scripture. To rely on the “inerrancy” of every historical detail affirmed in Scripture is not to adopt a “twentieth-century view” of truth or error; it is to follow the teaching and practice of the biblical authors themselves. It is to adopt a biblical view of truth and error.’[5] Throughout the Bible the message is the same. It all points to the Glorious Majesty of the Work of Christ; Ephesians 1:3-12.

Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy.

The Scriptures are Compelling.

Definition of Infallible: It cannot be wrong in any area of history, science, geology, or faith. ‘...Scripture will never lead us astray in what we are to believe or obey (“matters of faith and practice”).’[6]

Not only is the Word never in error (inerrant), the Word can never be in error. The Bible testifies to this in several ways.

1. God cannot lie or speak falsely (Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18; Numbers 23:19).
2. All the words in Scripture are completely true and without error in any part (Psalm 12:6; Proverbs 30:5).
3. God’s words are the ultimate standard of truth (John 17:17; John 14:6).[7]
4. God’s Word is alive and powerful, sustaining those who delight in it (Hebrews 4:12; Psalm 1:3).

[1] Bryan Chapell, Christ-centered Preaching, page 18-19.
[2] John MacArthur, II Timothy, 146.
[3] John MacArthur, II Timothy, 147.
[4] Grudem, Scripture and Truth, page 58.
[5] Wayne Grudem, Scripture and Truth, page 58-59.
[6] Wayne Grudem, Scripture and Truth, page 58.
[7] Grudem, Systematic Theology, page 83.

The New Baptist Theology of the Christian Faith - Scriptures; Part 2

The 2000 Baptist Faith and Message begins, quite properly, at the very source for all of our understanding: The Holy Scriptures. Throughout these posts I will present a phrase from the BF&M and then comment on it. (If you want to read the entire 2000 BF&M go to this link.)

The 2000 BF&M starts with:

The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God's revelation of Himself to man.

The historical word for the final collection of Scriptures is ‘canon’.

Definition of canon: A rule or standard. ‘The term itself is a Greek word that referred to a staff or straight rod used as a means of measurement. The term soon came to mean a “rule” or “standard.” In the history of the Christian church the term came to be used with respect to the books that were judged to be the “standard” by which the church should live.’[1] ‘The word canon today refers to a “collection or list of books accepted as an authoritative rule of faith and practice.’[2]

The Bible is our Rule. It is our Standard for life:

How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word. Psalm 119:9

I will never forget your precepts,
for by them you have given me life. Psalm 119:93

Process of the canon:
Because God did not simply drop the completed Bible out of heaven into the laps of those who have gone on before, we need to understand the process that He took to reveal Himself to His people. How did these specific books come to be recognized as the standard or ruler for the People of God? ‘The Scripture itself bears witness to the historical development of the canon.’[3]

Hebrews 1:1-2 gives an indication of the process when it tells us that 'long ago, at many time and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son...' In the Old Testament God spoke to His people through men called prophets. These men recorded His Word and collected it so that the Coming One would be revealed. It is through this means that the promise of Christ came to the world. The New Testament even bears witness of this process. Paul says in Romans 1:2 that the gospel of God was 'promised beforehand through the prophets in the Holy Scriptures.' Peter testifies in 2 Peter 1:21 that 'men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Spirit.' In the following section we will see in greater detail the witness of the Old and New Testaments concerning this process.

The Old Testament bears witness to the process of the developing of the writings that were recognized as the standard of God; His Word:

† Everything began with the voice of God (Genesis 1:3).

† The first collection of the words of God are the Ten ‘Words’ (commandments)(Exodus 20:1ff; Deuteronomy 5ff). These were written by the finger of God (Exodus 31:18) hence they carry the full authority of God over His creation.

† The next collection of words were recorded by Moses and deposited in the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord so that it would be there for a witness against the Israelites (Deuteronomy 31:24-26: cf. Exodus 17:14, 24:4; 34:27; Numbers 33:2; Deuteronomy 31:22). Moses recorded the first five books of our canon.

† Joshua recorded what happened after Moses died (Joshua 24:26).

There are numerous other individuals who are listed as ‘writers’ of the Old Testament:

† The prophet Samuel in 1 Samuel 10:25.
† The prophet Nathan in 1 Chronicles 29:29.
† The prophet Isaiah in 2 Chronicles 26:22.
† The prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 30:2.

The Old Testament was cherished and protected by God and His People for many centuries.

The completed Canon (collection of authorized books) of the Old Testament is recognized early (as early as 250-200BC there is evidence that the Old Testament was recognized as a completed collection of the Words of God). This is seen in the writings of early Jewish historians. It is confirmed in the New Testament writings by the fact that ‘Jesus and the New Testament authors quote various parts of the Old Testament Scriptures as divinely authoritative over 295 times, but not once do they cite any statement from the books of the Apocrypha or any other writings as having divine authority.’[4]

The New Testament also bears witness to the process of the developing of the writings that were recognized as the standard of God; His Word:

We may summarize the concept of revelation in the New Testament age with six points: [5]
1) Jesus of Nazareth is revealed as True God and He spoke with authority. In the Gospels, Christ the incarnate Word, whom John announced as the Messiah of the Old Testament, claims to have supreme, ultimate, and absolute authority, the authority of the Lord God Himself (see Matthew 9:2; 11:27; 28:18; Luke 21:33).

2) Jesus of Nazareth authorizes His disciples to speak for Him. In the Gospels, Christ calls, equips, and sends out apostles to speak and act with His authority, and provides for their continuing authoritative witness (Luke 6:13; 9:1-6 [here they are assigned an “internship” in exercising this authority], John 14:25-2616:12-15; 17:20 [here they are assured that they need not rely on their memories for knowledge and accuracy; the Holy Spirit will aid them; here also, as church missionaries, they are to go forth as Christ’s “plenipotentatires,” having His authority]).

3) God continues to authenticate the message of the Apostles throughout Acts. In the New Testament age, following the resurrection and ascension of Christ, the apostles are authenticated as Christ’s authoritative representatives by the “marks of the apostle” (Acts 5:12; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Hebrews 2:4).

4) The message of the Apostles was considered the authority and was collected and studied by the church. The apostolic witness, which was in the first instance and for the most part oral, progressively culminated in the written apostolic tradition, which in turn became authoritative and normative in the church for faith and practice (1 Thessalonians 2:13; 5:27; 2 Thessalonians 2:15; 3:6, 14; 2 Corinthians 10:8; 13:10; Ephesians 3:1-4; Colossians 4:16; 1 John 1:1-4; 4:6; John 20:30-31).

5) The Church made no distinction between the Old Testament Scriptures and the Apostles writings. The Church received these apostolic writings as being on a par with the Old Testament Scriptures (explicitly stated in 1 Timothy 5:18 [see Luke 10:7]; 2 Peter 3:16; implicitly stated in 1 Thessalonians 5:27; Colossians 4:16; 1 Timothy 4:13; Revelation 1:3).

6) The New Testament writings were not authorized by the Church but were the authority of the Church. The postapostolic church did not “canonize’ the New Testament Scriptures but only declared that it had received them as authoritative and thus normative from the beginning as an inspired body of literature. The earliest list containing only the 27 New Testament books occurs in a letter of Athanasius, A.D. 367; the first council to affirm the 27 New Testament books was the Third Council of Carthage, A.D. 397.

The Church did not make the books of the New Testament canonical. ‘Ultimately it is the creative life of Jesus Christ, not the evangelists or the Church, that originates, controls and gives essential unity to the documents through which witness is borne to His achievement as the Messiah, the Son of God.’[6] The Church simply recognized which books were in fact "the rule of faith," i.e., the inspired Scriptures. The N.T. is therefore a collection of authoritative books rather than an authoritative collection of books.[7]

How then did the writings come about? How do we know that they are true?

Importance of inspiration: The Bible is actually God speaking.

‘Our word 'inspired' comes from a Latin root meaning, “to breathe in.” Unfortunately, that does not convey the true meaning of the Greek term for “inspired” that is used in Scripture. Actually the concept of breathing in is not found in 2 Timothy 3:16 (“All Scripture is inspired by God”). Reading this meaning in has misled many people about the true meaning of inspiration. They have assumed that God breathed some kind of divine life into the words of those who penned the original documents of Scripture. But the Greek term for inspiration is theopneustos, which means “God-breathed.” Literally the verse says, All Scripture is God-breathed” – that is, Scripture is not the words of man into which God puffed divine life. It is the very breath of God! Scripture is God Himself speaking.’[8]

Even when one of His servants speaks in the power of God, His Word accomplishes It's task. 'When Peter said to the lame man, "in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up, and walk," the voice which spoke was Peter's, but the power which restored the ankle bones, was God's. The words, though Peter's, were spoken under divine influence, or the divine power would not have accompanied them.'[9]

Importance of revelation: The Bible reveals something we cannot know on our own.

'Because all other means of knowledge are insufficient to bring men to holiness and happiness, God has been pleased, in pity to our race, to make known His will by special revelation. Besides His voice in conscience and in Nature, He utters His voice from heaven. This revelation was anciently made by prophets, who were commissioned to speak to men in His name, and afterwards by His Son from heaven. To us, in these latter days, He speaks in His written Word, the Bible, which is the perfect source of religious knowledge, and the infallible standard of religious truth.'[10]

The very word 'revelation' implies that there is something beyond our knowledge. We have been refused disclosure. It must then be revealed to us. Without God’s gracious revelation of it we are hopeless. It was a secret. God kept it to Himself. It was His eternal plan (Isaiah 6:9-10; Romans 11:7-10, 25ff). He kept it secluded for ages and generations. If it was concealed for ages that means it has been there over the years (ages) and throughout the relationship God had with His people (generations). Jesus, in Matthew 11:25 and Luke 10:21, speaks of this hiding. He showed it to His saints. He revealed it. Revelation has everything to do with Him and His will. We did not, nor could ever, 'figure it all out' and then make the connections. He had to open our eyes so that we could see! He showed it to us. Where? In His Word! (2 Peter 1:16ff; Titus 1:9). The whole idea of Revelation presupposes some kind of content already existent and a pre-existent Revealer.

Have you asked this Revealer to open your eyes to see wonderful things from His law (Psalm 119:18)? Have you just assumed in your ignorance and on his kindness? Open His Word and see His face today!

[1] Robert Stein, A Basic Guide to Interpreting the Bible; Playing by the Rules (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 1994) page 63.
[2] Paul D. Wegner, The Journey from Texts to Translations; The Origin and Development of the Bible (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 1999) page 101.
[3] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology; An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1994) page 54. I depended on this chapter of Grudem’s book very heavily for this section.
[4] Ibid, 57, Italics mine.
[5] Robert Reymond, A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith, page 10-11.
[6] William L. Lane, The Gospel of Mark, page 7.
[7] Robert Stein, Lecture on the Canon of Scripture.
[8] John MacArthur, Charismatic Chaos, page59-60.
[9] J.L. Dagg, Manual of Theology, pages 22-23.
[10] J.L. Dagg, Manual of Theology, page 21.

2000 Baptist Faith & Message Posts

Friends, as you can see I am posting on the 2000 BF&M. These posts are the content of a study that I am taking my church through. I would love your input. I hope to someday publish this material in the form of a Baptist Theology. Any help would be appreciated.

The New Baptist Theology of the Christian Faith - Chapter 1 - Scriptures

We are bombarded from all sides in every area of our lives with authorities that claim, rather they demand, our allegiance. In most cases these authorities have subtly but convincingly become the very foundation for every decision we make. Rather than thinking about how ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ something might be we tend to think about what such and such a person would think about it or more likely how it makes us feel. We tend to ignore, sometimes even willfully reject, any objective standard, replacing truth with our own desire for satisfaction. This antinomian (lawlessness) attitude has come to be the very bedrock for every single decision we have to make.

John Bright, in The Kingdom of God (pg 7-8) says that “it is unnecessary to furnish proof that there exists, even among Christians, a widespread biblical illiteracy, and gratuitous to deplore that fact as disastrous. Indeed, one might go so far as to say that Protestantism will not survive if steps cannot be taken to remedy it. We may not forget that the Protestant churches all began in a very biblical protest, have always claimed the Bible as the final source of authority, and have never allowed that any hierarchy may stand between the believer and that Bible to bar his way to it or to mediate its interpretation. Uprooted from the Bible we have no proper place to stand; we cannot, in fact, be Protestant. It is therefore no light thing that the Bible should have become so strange a book to the average churchgoer and (tell it not in Gath!) to many ministers as well.’[1]

Baptists have always held a high view of the Word of God. The Bible has always been our central authority. This is more than evident in many of the writings of prominent Baptist theologians. It is evident in our creeds and confessions. J.M. Pendleton writes in 1867 that “All who believe the Scriptures to be divinely inspired consider them the fountain of religious truth. The Bible contains the revelation of God to man. It is the supreme standard of faith and practice. Whatever conforms to this standard is right – whatever deviates from it is wrong. It is a duty incumbent upon all to ‘search the Scriptures’ and learn what they teach.”[2]

As Southern Baptists we have seen in the recent history of our convention that at this point in time we are most in need of a solid understanding of the doctrine of sola scriptura (Scripture alone). In view of the pragmatism that has taken hold on our churches what we need most of all is a return to the bedrock of our faith: The Truth of God’s Word! We have no hope apart from this revelation of God’s work through Christ on our behalf. We need to grasp the singular reality that God has given us His Word as the complete authority concerning His will here on earth. I will admit that there are many, many passages in the Bible that are difficult to understand. They require diligence of study and dependence upon God for any kind of illumination.

While I am not saying that the Bible contains exhaustive information on every single area of truth, nor that God only communicates truth through it, what I am saying is that ‘the protestant position...is that all things necessary for salvation and concerning faith and life are taught in the Bible clearly enough for the ordinary believer to find it there and understand.’[3] Before we neglect the precious beauty and power of the forest of the Word because we cannot see through some of the trees of the difficult passages, let us read and study with grateful hearts, rejoicing because He has not left us to wander alone! He has given us His Spirit to open our eyes! Let’s hold firm to this Word and follow as It guides us to life!

As we venture into our study of the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message I have taken the liberty to break down the sections into more manageable segments. As much as I can, I will work to keep the division as logical as possible.

In the following sections we will see that there are 8 things that we need to understand about the Scriptures. I will be posting these divisions as separate post unless they can be easily combined

Soli Deo Gloria!

[1] John Bright, The Kingdom of God, page 7-8.
[2] J.M. Pendleton, Baptist Church Manual, page 41.
[3] Dr. W. Robert Godfrey, Sola Scriptura, page 3.

The New Baptist Theology of the Christian Faith - Introduction; Part 3

The more I move around in ‘pastoral circles’ the more I am saddened by the state of doctrinal apathy (‘who cares about what you believe? I just want you to really, really, believe it with all of your heart!’) that I experience. How many times have you attended a community prayer meeting or other ecumenical service and wondered what it was exactly that made it ‘Christian’? We hear of the need for unity in service, fellowship, and even purpose. We are told that those things that we believe, those things that identify us, aren’t as important as doing things together. We don’t need to get caught up in the doctrines, that’s personal, we need to be caught up in service, that’s public! After all, they say, “in the New Testament we don’t see all of these denominations. In the New Testament the Christians just loved, served, and shared the gospel (How can we be certain that we are even sharing the right Gospel?)! Let’s not get distracted by all of these things that didn’t even exist back them!”

I guess that sounds good to some people. I, myself, like for things to be kept as simple as possible. I also long to return to the purity of the Early Church, but as I read the New Testament I don’t see the church unified in their fellowship until they were unified in their scholarship. Despite all of our efforts to gloss over our denominational differences and to ignore our disagreements we will never be truly unified until we are willing to discuss the truths that are revealed in the Word of God. That is what the Early Church invested their time in. Look in the book of Acts. Over 33% of the entire book is doctrinal preaching! Look at the primary activities of the church. Prior to fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer the Early Church was devoted to the Apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42). I am not saying that fellowship, breaking bread, or prayer isn’t important. What I am saying is that they are a response to the Apostles’ teaching. How else would they know what these things mean? How else would they grasp their significance? Throughout the New Testament we see challenges to believe specific things (Galatians 1:6-9; Ephesians 4:11-16; Colossians 1:28; 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus).

Everywhere I turn there is a cry for ‘unity, unity, UNITY,’ and yet I am becoming more and more convinced that what we are seeing is empty tolerance, tolerance, TOLERANCE! Historically confessions served to protect ‘Christian’ unity by stating the specific doctrines (essentials) that the Bible calls us to be unified around. Confessions only have authority where they reflect the Bible’s teaching. Confessions are changed and expanded when and where they are found to be insufficient to reflect what the church recognizes as being necessary to communicate the truth to their culture. They are great tools for instruction and identity. Our unity is not supposed to be unity at all costs. Rather it is to be the Truth, as revealed in God’s Word, at all costs. It is with this definition of Christian unity that we proceed with our study of the 2000 BF&M.

Throughout this study we will find that the Christian Faith has content. It is not simply a verb. It is a noun! Come back and see what we, as Baptists, believe about the Word of God! SDG

A New Baptist Theology of the Christian Faith - Introduction; part 2

"I have no creed. Baptists don’t believe in creeds. My creed is the Bible!” The gentleman who spoke these words then went on to tell me exactly what it was in the Bible that he believed. Isn’t that funny? He did believe in creeds. The very word ‘credo’ simply means ‘I believe!” The more we think about it though, it isn’t funny. This gentleman’s creed, actually his confession of faith, wasn’t based upon what the Bible said.

Although he said that the Bible was his final source for everything he believed, he constantly referred to what he had always heard in the Southern Baptist Churches that he had attended over his lifetime. Do you see what he was doing? There were 2 things that had authority in his theology: 1) his age, and 2) the pastors that he agreed with in the past. The only time this gentleman opened his mouth was when he had some form of disagreement with what I was teaching at that time (which turned out to be more often than not). When I would explain the text, pretext, and context of a passage of Scripture he would invariably disagree. When I would ask him to interact with me on the passage he would refer to the above mentioned arguments: 1) he has been around longer than I (by a long shot!) and 2) he had never heard that before in his life (whether he had ever listened to anyone other than himself can be debated). He couldn’t be tied down with lengthy discussion. He had no time for explanations. Just tell him what he wanted to hear and leave it at that.

I tried another tactic with him. I thought that I would then appeal to Baptist witnesses that were older than him (although I am not certain how much older). I appealed to several historic Baptist confessions of faith. His response is quoted above. He wasn’t interested in what anyone else had to say. He wanted to be able to rest secure in his own position.

The longer I am in the pastorate the more I come to the conclusion that the reason this gentleman, and most others, reject creeds and written confessions of faith is because creeds are static, recorded presentations of biblical instruction and doctrines. They serve to bring together the basic doctrines of our faith in a simple, yet thorough way. They also provide the Biblical message in a format from which to quickly define and frame a response to those who are seeking answers. This, for me, is one of the primary reasons I believe that an understanding of the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message is necessary for the development of our church member’s faith. These confessions were all developed to respond to something. Whether we are speaking of the oldest creeds of Christendom such as the Apostle's and Nicene or the latter creeds of the Reformation, each one is a presentation of doctrines that respond to some attack on the knowledge of Christ's Truth being made at that time. These creeds were developed around such areas as the person and work of Christ or the Trinity in the early centuries of the church to areas of ecclesiology and salvation during the Reformation and now to areas of family and cooperation today. It is this clarity and simplicity of response that makes the 2000 BF&M such a useful tool for the discipleship of our churches.

Please continue to follow with me as I present to you more reasons that creeds are important and then proceed into the 2000 BF&M in the following weeks and months.

A Baptist Theology of the Christian Faith - Introduction

“I just want you to know that I love Jesus!” These words greeted me as I walked across the church parking lot towards the office. The man who said them was standing by our cars and smiling his greeting. “Jesus is all there is to me!” he said with his hand outstretched. I thought to myself that either he was on fire for the Lord or else he really wanted something. I am not certain what made me uncomfortable about this gentleman but something about his next words made me pause.

“I mean it brothers,” he said, “Jesus is everything to me.”

On the surface this is what I would love for each of my church members to say as they greet one another. More than that I would love for it to be what they say to everyone else they come into contact with too, but there was something about this man that made me uncomfortable. So I decided to find out what he meant by ‘everything.’ So I said to him “what do you mean by ‘everything”?

That started an hour and a half long conversation in the parking lot. When he said everything, he meant everything. First of all he meant that he didn’t believe in the Trinity. He believed that God was the Father in the Old Testament and the Son in the New. (This belief is called modalism. It is the belief that God’s name now is Jesus and that He is the Father of the Old Testament.) In his church this was taught and so he believed all kinds of false things. Somehow when he said that Jesus was everything he meant that baptism in Jesus name was necessary for salvation and the conversation went downhill even further from there.

This man was so passionate about what he believed and even sounded ‘Christian’ in his wording but what a mess he had made of the gospel! As we talked to him we tried to logically present the biblical message of the Trinity, salvation by faith alone – not works, and even baptism (which ironically he didn’t think we, Baptists, understood). He left shaking his head. He said that 'we were just confused.' "We were driving ourselves mad with all of our learning. Didn’t we know that he really ‘felt’ this in his heart?"

I don’t know what it was that prompted me to question him other than the gracious presence of the Holy Spirit but from that day on I wanted to prepare myself and my congregation to be able to communicate what we, as Christians, as Baptist, Christians believe. My preparation took me to the Reformation and on to the historical practice of the development of confessions of faith. What follows is the result of this search:

A Baptist Theology of the Christian Faith; A study of the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message.

In the coming weeks and months I will be posting the content of this study. I am taking my present congregation through this study and we are seeing the fruit of a deeper grasp of God's precious Word in the form of these fundamental doctrines.

The Preaching-Driven Church!

John Piper certainly has a way of writing things that make me wish that I had written them. An example is found on page 21 of Seeing and Savoring Christ.

He writes: "Indeed, what could be more ludicrous in a vast and glorious universe like this than a human being, on the speck called earth, standing in front of a mirror trying to find significance in his own self-image?"

This quote is one of my most favorite of all times. I have a habit of writing down, on note cards, quotes so that I can reread them to others without having to waste any time looking them back up and this is one of them. Today, reading Piper's The Supremacy of God in Preacing, on page 26-27 I found what will definitely become another note card favorite:

"The keynote in the mouth of every prophet-preacher, whether in Isaiah's day or Jesus' day or our day, is "Your God reigns!" God is the king of the universe. He has absolute Creator rights over this world and everyone in it. But there is rebellion and mutiny on all sides, and his authority is scorned by millions. So the Lord sends preachers into the world to cry out that God reigns, that he will not suffer his glory to be scorned indefinitely, that he will vindicate his name in great and terrible wrath, but that for now a full and free amnesty is offered to all the rebel subjects who will turn from their rebellion, call on him for mercy, bow before his throne, and swear allegiance and fealty to him forever. The amnesty is signed in the blood of his Son."

Praise the Lord. I am so challenged as I prepare to preach on Sunday. Oh God, help my heart to remember you glory and your grace as I minister to your sheep! Help me to remind them, again, that they are yours and you are sovereign! Speak to us, change us, and make us faithful!

Baby Calvinists Should Be Shackled!

I wonder if it would be a good idea for those who are new to Calvinism to have to study, take a test, and get a license before they are allowed to share the Doctrines of Grace?

I remember when God first captivated my heart and mind with the powerful doctrines of Grace! I struggled with my employer over the doctrine of predestination! He was for it and boy was I 'agin' it! I thought to myself: "How could anyone believe that God was the One who 'chose' someone over someone else? Didn't God give us 'free will?'"

I remember fighting and fighting and fighting within myself. I was so... upset... that anyone could think that we didn't have 'freedom.' I knew that I 'chose' everyday!

I remember my employer telling me to just read Romans 9 and Ephesians 1. I tried to... but I literally couldn't do it! My mind just could not grasp what it was reading! That God could love one person and hate another?!? That, so that His purpose of election could stand, he chose Jacob over Esau! Not that Pharoah had hardened his own heart but that God had hardened it because He 'will have mercy on who he has mercy!' For several years I just ignored those chapters.

Really... I would read the Bible through but when I came to those passages I would skip over them! Then the Lord exposed me to some men who didn't even try to push 'Calvinism' on me. They simply told me what the Bible said and asked me to back up what I believed.

That was the end. My father holds to 2 doctrines very deeply: the Authority and Sufficiency of God Word and that God is God, He is the Sovereign! (ironically my father still holds to some form of autonomy while each of his 4 children are firm Calvinists!) How could I avoid it now? I had to humble myself and believe God's Word!

I could not get enough of it! Once the Lord opened my eyes... everything became clearer! I read the Word like never before! It was truly alive! All Iwanted to do was to show everyone else what I had been missing!

Thus the title of this post: Baby Calvinists Should Be Shackled! I wasn't persuaded by the arguments of baby calvinists who are so excited and usually so tactless! I retreated before them and hid in my libertarian shell. I was persuaded (through the work and power of the Holy Spirit of course) by the patient, carefully, simple interaction of mature, patient men who cared for my heart and my mind. These men pointed me to the Word, time after time, and let me move at my own pace. They didn't attack me everytime I used the word 'free' or 'freedom'. They weren't reading Libertarianism into every 'choose' or 'choice' that I uttered.

I wish that we, young Calivinists, would realize that 'having begun by the Spirit' we are not being perfected by the flesh (Galatians 3:3). Let's grow up in our faith. Let's study, grow up, and get licensed to share!

God, Alone, Saves!