I count 6 boasts of every Christian described in Romans 5:1-11 - Here they are, with the text underneath. Enjoy -
An Unshakable Foundation (Romans 5:1-2a)
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand
An Invincible Destination (5:2b-4)
and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;
An Undeniable Consolation (5:5)
and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
An Inexplicable Demonstration (5:6-8)
For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
An Unbreakable Connection (5:9-10)
Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
An Unmistakable Exultation (5:11)
And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
Every one of these boasts was earned by Christ on our behalf!
Friday, January 22, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Eldership Testimonial - Hope Bible Church
Here's a nice testimonial to the value of eldership from Maryland:
Hope Bible Church , Columbia , MD
Check out their web page and pastor, Tom Leake:
http://www.hopebiblechurch.org/
I submit myself to elder-governed churches because, assuming the church follows strict biblical guidelines for selecting elders, you know that men of spiritual maturity and integrity are leading the flock. Unlike congregation-governed churches, you do not have immature Christians (or sometimes unbelievers) making critical spiritual decisions for the church. Since the majority of the responsibility falls on the shoulders of the elders, this fosters discernment as well as humility among the elders of the church. Under this type of leadership, the members are properly cared for (no one puts his personal agenda ahead of the work of the church) and spiritually led (mature men making spirit-filled decisions), and Christ is glorified in the relationship between the leaders and members of the church.
Check out their web page and pastor, Tom Leake:
http://www.hopebiblechurch.org/
Monday, January 11, 2010
Generation Malachi - Malachi 2:13-16
Every Generation Malachi likes two things, religion and marriage. As long as both worship and marriage are formed to meet their wants, Generation Malachi comes back for more. As long as worship and marriage remain tools to manipulate God and spouse, Generation Malachi will invest millions of dollars and thousands of hours to get what they want.
Through religion, God is manipulated to gain spiritual gratification. Through marriage, one’s spouse is manipulated to gain relational gratification. But when either God or spouse lets you down, you do what you have to in order to gain a more satisfying experience, and if that means exchanging either of them, then so be it. Let it be done.
This is Generation Malachi.
Check out http://www.gracechurchministry.org/ after January 11, 2010.
Through religion, God is manipulated to gain spiritual gratification. Through marriage, one’s spouse is manipulated to gain relational gratification. But when either God or spouse lets you down, you do what you have to in order to gain a more satisfying experience, and if that means exchanging either of them, then so be it. Let it be done.
This is Generation Malachi.
Check out http://www.gracechurchministry.org/ after January 11, 2010.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Eldership Testimonial - Redeemer Bible Church
One of the great things about elder-led churches is the effect it has on people’s lives. Check out this testimonial below from a woman at Redeemer Bible Church in Minnetonka, MN. This church is led by a wonderful group of mature men, including one special pastor, Bob Glenn – check them out at http://www.redeemerbiblechurch.com.
Until I came to Redeemer four years ago, I had attended congregational model evangelical churches. In one case, the pastor was a weak leader. The "church council" was composed of men who served brief (one or two year) elected terms. They were well intentioned men who loved the Lord, but they had no training in leadership and no long term commitment to their roles. Many were not talented or gifted in the areas in which they were serving. In retrospect, I see that the life of the church was essentially ruled by the strong personalities within the congregation. The brethren were not shepherded, and there was little growth in grace among us. There was no attempt at church discipline. Personal crises among the members were met with sympathy, but no constructive counsel or true help.
In the second case, the senior pastor was a very strong leader. The elected Board of Elders functioned as a sort of friendly Board of Directors to support his initiatives. Over time, those initiatives became less concerned with the Biblical mandates for God's Church in the world and more concerned with his own power, prestige, and popularity. He was not held accountable by the Board, who were allowed no real window into his heart or life. The elders had no shepherding role within the congregation. Church life was chaotic and strongly dependent on the individual to seek out true teaching and shepherding from within or often from outside of the church.
Despite having been an adult Christian for almost a quarter of a century, I came to Redeemer with no idea of what true Biblical leadership looked like. I have been blessed beyond measure to live, serve, and grow under that type of leadership over the past four years. Our elders are men who sense God's call on their lives to vocational or avocational leadership. Their gifts and calling are evaluated and confirmed by other leaders and brethren. They are extensively educated, trained, and discipled as leaders by the current eldership. They are given increasing shepherding responsibilities as they grow in their roles. They serve together as a plurality, making decisions by consensus. They are openly accountable to one another and to the congregation as a whole, not only for their leadership decisions but for the whole of their lives. They proactively and sacrificially care for and bear the burdens of their sheepfolds. With the goals of repentance and restoration, they engage in the process of church discipline when necessary. They are purposeful in teaching and modeling the one another’s of Scripture. They do not 'serve a term,' but rather are ordained to a position of authority in the local congregation that continues indefinitely.
Our elders have been used by God to contribute in significant ways to my own growth in grace. During a time of upheaval and conflict in our small group, my husband and I requested to transfer to a different group, earnestly believing this would result in the best possible outcome to the situation. The elders denied our request, but also committed to stand by the group and work to resolve the situation Biblically. An elder actually took over leadership of our group for a season. He patiently taught all of us, during small group meetings and at other times, about conflict and our own hearts, desires, and idols. Our group came through the process intact, each of us with greater insight into our own sin and God's work on our behalf and with greater love for one another. Even now, two years later, I am continuing to learn and see more things about myself through these events and their resolution. During another time of painful personal decision making, an elder listened carefully to my dilemma, challenged my thinking and expressed personal care and concern for my difficulty. He displayed great wisdom as he discerned my true need in the situation and gently but persistently pointed me to Christ through it. I thank God for my church and for the elders that God has called to serve us.
CC, Redeemer Bible Church, Minnetonka MN
Until I came to Redeemer four years ago, I had attended congregational model evangelical churches. In one case, the pastor was a weak leader. The "church council" was composed of men who served brief (one or two year) elected terms. They were well intentioned men who loved the Lord, but they had no training in leadership and no long term commitment to their roles. Many were not talented or gifted in the areas in which they were serving. In retrospect, I see that the life of the church was essentially ruled by the strong personalities within the congregation. The brethren were not shepherded, and there was little growth in grace among us. There was no attempt at church discipline. Personal crises among the members were met with sympathy, but no constructive counsel or true help.
In the second case, the senior pastor was a very strong leader. The elected Board of Elders functioned as a sort of friendly Board of Directors to support his initiatives. Over time, those initiatives became less concerned with the Biblical mandates for God's Church in the world and more concerned with his own power, prestige, and popularity. He was not held accountable by the Board, who were allowed no real window into his heart or life. The elders had no shepherding role within the congregation. Church life was chaotic and strongly dependent on the individual to seek out true teaching and shepherding from within or often from outside of the church.
Despite having been an adult Christian for almost a quarter of a century, I came to Redeemer with no idea of what true Biblical leadership looked like. I have been blessed beyond measure to live, serve, and grow under that type of leadership over the past four years. Our elders are men who sense God's call on their lives to vocational or avocational leadership. Their gifts and calling are evaluated and confirmed by other leaders and brethren. They are extensively educated, trained, and discipled as leaders by the current eldership. They are given increasing shepherding responsibilities as they grow in their roles. They serve together as a plurality, making decisions by consensus. They are openly accountable to one another and to the congregation as a whole, not only for their leadership decisions but for the whole of their lives. They proactively and sacrificially care for and bear the burdens of their sheepfolds. With the goals of repentance and restoration, they engage in the process of church discipline when necessary. They are purposeful in teaching and modeling the one another’s of Scripture. They do not 'serve a term,' but rather are ordained to a position of authority in the local congregation that continues indefinitely.
Our elders have been used by God to contribute in significant ways to my own growth in grace. During a time of upheaval and conflict in our small group, my husband and I requested to transfer to a different group, earnestly believing this would result in the best possible outcome to the situation. The elders denied our request, but also committed to stand by the group and work to resolve the situation Biblically. An elder actually took over leadership of our group for a season. He patiently taught all of us, during small group meetings and at other times, about conflict and our own hearts, desires, and idols. Our group came through the process intact, each of us with greater insight into our own sin and God's work on our behalf and with greater love for one another. Even now, two years later, I am continuing to learn and see more things about myself through these events and their resolution. During another time of painful personal decision making, an elder listened carefully to my dilemma, challenged my thinking and expressed personal care and concern for my difficulty. He displayed great wisdom as he discerned my true need in the situation and gently but persistently pointed me to Christ through it. I thank God for my church and for the elders that God has called to serve us.
CC, Redeemer Bible Church, Minnetonka MN
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
The Manhattan Declaration's "Common Ground"
Again, leave it to the New York Times. They display the emperor's clothes of the Manhattan Declaration which many dear brethren have signed:
Notice the phrase “They are principles that can be known and honored by men and women of good will even apart from divine revelation,” Rigali said. “They are principles of right reason and natural law.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/20/magazine/20george-t.html
That quote above isn't neutrality to Scripture, and the wisdom of God. That's opposition, in the form of human pride. This is why it was a mistake for any regenerate person to sign on to the MD. Its a compromise of our stance that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Fools despise wisdom and instruction, even if they come to a right conclusion or two based on human reason (see Proverbs 1:7).
Notice the phrase “They are principles that can be known and honored by men and women of good will even apart from divine revelation,” Rigali said. “They are principles of right reason and natural law.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/20/magazine/20george-t.html
That quote above isn't neutrality to Scripture, and the wisdom of God. That's opposition, in the form of human pride. This is why it was a mistake for any regenerate person to sign on to the MD. Its a compromise of our stance that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Fools despise wisdom and instruction, even if they come to a right conclusion or two based on human reason (see Proverbs 1:7).
Avatar Review in NYT
For as silly and liberal as the New York Times can be, occasionally it redeems itself.
Check out the op-ed review (yes, you read that right) on Avatar. Beyond brilliant.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/21/opinion/21douthat1.html?_r=3&ref=opinion
Check out the op-ed review (yes, you read that right) on Avatar. Beyond brilliant.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/21/opinion/21douthat1.html?_r=3&ref=opinion
Saturday, December 5, 2009
The Manhattan Declaration
Am I out of touch, weird, or just suspicious? I've read the Manhattan Declaration (MD), and, I don’t know. It just doesn’t resonate with me. But it does with so many who are smarter and wiser than a fool like I.
Not that I don’t understand it. I do. Even more, I have preached on every social topic it describes. Except maybe the “intrinsic dignity of each and every person” thing, which requires nuancing, if you ask me.
So why am I so out of touch with it? I thought about it and I find three reasons:
1) The MD presents itself as a statement of Christian discernment, but it is fundamentally undiscerning.
The document quotes Martin Luther King, the great civil rights figure of US history. I happen to think MLK was a great American man, on the level of a Lincoln, or a Jefferson. I’ve visited the site where he was assassinated.
But he explicitly denied most of the Christian faith – including the deity of Christ. This is all well documented. And the framers of the MD would know this. So why include MLK in their document?
The MD is also undiscerning as to what the gospel is, and what saving faith is. Many others have pointed this out. If we don’t share common ground in regeneration, we don’t share common ground. Period. We may agree on certain theological and moral propositions, but for radically different reasons.
The MD even equates it’s du jour moral issues with those who died for the faith in prior centuries. Get real.
2) The MD’s use of Scripture is puerile.
Rendering to Caesar (Matthew 22:21) is not at stake in the MD, though they say it is. Look, when Caesar keeps Christians from worshipping the Trinity, or begins killing us, then let’s talk about Caesar. Until then, keep your trap shut and bow your face in the dust (1 Peter 2:20-21, Titus 3:1-3).
But that's silly, right? So go fight your culture wars. Just keep Holy Scripture out of your temporal agenda. And by the way. When Caesar starts killing us Christians again, we'll still keep our mouths shut in obedience to the apostles (1 Peter 2:23).
The MD actually uses Christ’s marriage to His bride, the church, as a public policy lever (Ephesians 5:32-33). This is actually said: “And so just as Christ was willing, out of love, to give Himself up for the church in a complete sacrifice, we are willing, lovingly, to make whatever sacrifices are required of us for the sake of the inestimable treasure that is marriage.”
That’s nonsensical. It’s like saying, I love my children, and will raise them in the fear and admonition of the Lord. So too, I’ll stand up to the death for a free press. Hey, admonishment is protected by free speech, right? Weird.
Then Isaiah 61:1 is used to defend religious liberty – you know:
“The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners. ”
Never mind that Jesus quoted this about Himself, and never in the context of religious liberty. For Jesus, this was about the gospel. For the MD folks, its about freedom of conscience. Weird.
They quote the apostle’s words, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20). This is used in the MD concerning the defense of free speech and civil disobedience.
Gee, guys. Thanks for honoring Peter's and John's bravery so highly.
3) The MD over-reaches.
Take the following statement:
“A truly prophetic Christian witness will insistently call on those who have been entrusted with temporal power to fulfill the first responsibility of government: to protect the weak and vulnerable against violent attack, and to do so with no favoritism, partiality, or discrimination.”
Oh really? Which of the prophets in the New Testament, who we know spoke by the power of God, ever spoke to any government any such thing? Sheesh.
Here’s another case. Speaking of their own involvement in putting together the MD, they say:
“We act together in obedience to the one true God…”
To what command of God are they gathered, that they may know their gathering and acting together is in obedience to Him?
And if they are in obedience to Him (which I question), then all who do not sign the statement are in disobedience. Obedience to God applies to all.
And if the MD is obedience to God, then how often should we all obey him in this way – the way of public declarations? Once a year, once a day? And who should write them?
If you are going to proclaim your obedience to God, you ought to defend it out of Scripture. Either that or we may just suppose we see some arbitrary and self-assigned righteousness in the writers of the MD.
Check this one out:
“We are Christians who have joined together across historic lines of ecclesial differences to affirm our right—and, more importantly, to embrace our obligation—to speak and act in defense of these truths”
Any time I read professing Christians talk about defending their rights, I know I've left the cross of Christ and it's singular boast (Galatians 6:14).
By “these truths” they mean the sanctity of human life, the dignity of marriage, and the freedom of conscience. So who gave them the right to speak out for these? Not God. Let us be persecuted for proclaiming Christ and His gospel, but not these little temporal things.
I lost all my rights on the cross of Jesus Christ. My only right left is to serve His will, not mine. I do not have a right to speak to the social and moral injustices of the day without biblical warrant, which must come by the text of Holy Scripture.
Would the apostle Paul have signed the MD, were he alive today? Well, do we have any trace in his writings of him addressing social injustices, of which there were many?
No. Paul, and Jesus, addressed themselves to all men as fundamentally religious beings who suppresses the truth of God in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18). And given half a chance, every one will use his ecclesial flavor of the Christian religion to do it.
So it just doesn’t resonate with me. Call me a troglodyte and a naysayer. But I’m here to shepherd the souls of people desperately broken by indwelling sin (like my own). And for that, only the Word of God, and the Spirit of God, will do.
And no, I didn't sign it. I wasn't even tempted.
Not that I don’t understand it. I do. Even more, I have preached on every social topic it describes. Except maybe the “intrinsic dignity of each and every person” thing, which requires nuancing, if you ask me.
So why am I so out of touch with it? I thought about it and I find three reasons:
1) The MD presents itself as a statement of Christian discernment, but it is fundamentally undiscerning.
The document quotes Martin Luther King, the great civil rights figure of US history. I happen to think MLK was a great American man, on the level of a Lincoln, or a Jefferson. I’ve visited the site where he was assassinated.
But he explicitly denied most of the Christian faith – including the deity of Christ. This is all well documented. And the framers of the MD would know this. So why include MLK in their document?
The MD is also undiscerning as to what the gospel is, and what saving faith is. Many others have pointed this out. If we don’t share common ground in regeneration, we don’t share common ground. Period. We may agree on certain theological and moral propositions, but for radically different reasons.
The MD even equates it’s du jour moral issues with those who died for the faith in prior centuries. Get real.
2) The MD’s use of Scripture is puerile.
Rendering to Caesar (Matthew 22:21) is not at stake in the MD, though they say it is. Look, when Caesar keeps Christians from worshipping the Trinity, or begins killing us, then let’s talk about Caesar. Until then, keep your trap shut and bow your face in the dust (1 Peter 2:20-21, Titus 3:1-3).
But that's silly, right? So go fight your culture wars. Just keep Holy Scripture out of your temporal agenda. And by the way. When Caesar starts killing us Christians again, we'll still keep our mouths shut in obedience to the apostles (1 Peter 2:23).
The MD actually uses Christ’s marriage to His bride, the church, as a public policy lever (Ephesians 5:32-33). This is actually said: “And so just as Christ was willing, out of love, to give Himself up for the church in a complete sacrifice, we are willing, lovingly, to make whatever sacrifices are required of us for the sake of the inestimable treasure that is marriage.”
That’s nonsensical. It’s like saying, I love my children, and will raise them in the fear and admonition of the Lord. So too, I’ll stand up to the death for a free press. Hey, admonishment is protected by free speech, right? Weird.
Then Isaiah 61:1 is used to defend religious liberty – you know:
“The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners. ”
Never mind that Jesus quoted this about Himself, and never in the context of religious liberty. For Jesus, this was about the gospel. For the MD folks, its about freedom of conscience. Weird.
They quote the apostle’s words, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20). This is used in the MD concerning the defense of free speech and civil disobedience.
Gee, guys. Thanks for honoring Peter's and John's bravery so highly.
3) The MD over-reaches.
Take the following statement:
“A truly prophetic Christian witness will insistently call on those who have been entrusted with temporal power to fulfill the first responsibility of government: to protect the weak and vulnerable against violent attack, and to do so with no favoritism, partiality, or discrimination.”
Oh really? Which of the prophets in the New Testament, who we know spoke by the power of God, ever spoke to any government any such thing? Sheesh.
Here’s another case. Speaking of their own involvement in putting together the MD, they say:
“We act together in obedience to the one true God…”
To what command of God are they gathered, that they may know their gathering and acting together is in obedience to Him?
And if they are in obedience to Him (which I question), then all who do not sign the statement are in disobedience. Obedience to God applies to all.
And if the MD is obedience to God, then how often should we all obey him in this way – the way of public declarations? Once a year, once a day? And who should write them?
If you are going to proclaim your obedience to God, you ought to defend it out of Scripture. Either that or we may just suppose we see some arbitrary and self-assigned righteousness in the writers of the MD.
Check this one out:
“We are Christians who have joined together across historic lines of ecclesial differences to affirm our right—and, more importantly, to embrace our obligation—to speak and act in defense of these truths”
Any time I read professing Christians talk about defending their rights, I know I've left the cross of Christ and it's singular boast (Galatians 6:14).
By “these truths” they mean the sanctity of human life, the dignity of marriage, and the freedom of conscience. So who gave them the right to speak out for these? Not God. Let us be persecuted for proclaiming Christ and His gospel, but not these little temporal things.
I lost all my rights on the cross of Jesus Christ. My only right left is to serve His will, not mine. I do not have a right to speak to the social and moral injustices of the day without biblical warrant, which must come by the text of Holy Scripture.
Would the apostle Paul have signed the MD, were he alive today? Well, do we have any trace in his writings of him addressing social injustices, of which there were many?
No. Paul, and Jesus, addressed themselves to all men as fundamentally religious beings who suppresses the truth of God in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18). And given half a chance, every one will use his ecclesial flavor of the Christian religion to do it.
So it just doesn’t resonate with me. Call me a troglodyte and a naysayer. But I’m here to shepherd the souls of people desperately broken by indwelling sin (like my own). And for that, only the Word of God, and the Spirit of God, will do.
And no, I didn't sign it. I wasn't even tempted.
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