Am I a Calvinist? You tell me.

First of all I need to take care of a hat tip (ht) to my buddy Seth at Contending Earnestly. This posting is being created out of my thoughts triggered by this fellow blogger’s posting and comments. The posting is about being labeled a Calvinist, and the label or term being used as a dirty word.

I really didn’t know what I was until I started reading books on theology.  Speaking of theology; The word is much like the word doctrine, and Calvinism.  Theology has also been reduced to a dirty word. At least a drastically minimized word in terms of evangelical importance.

Theology – the study of God. Come on, what’s more important?

I didn’t think theology was important until I ran into some blatantly bad theology. For years I had been indoctrinated in meeting peoples needs above doctrine. Now, I believe, if you don’t have sound biblical doctrine and theology, how can you truly meet the peoples ultimate need? Their need is to hear the true gospel of Jesus Christ. What do I mean by the true gospel? Funny I should ask, because it brings up the point of this post.

When I heard about the Five Points of Calvinism I will admit I had heard the term or label Calvinism and immediately thought “one of them”,  and “I heard they don’t believe we have a free will.” But after reading these five points I basically recognized and interpreted it as the gospel. The gospel spoken of in scripture. These five points are also known as TULIP. This is an acronym which is defined below.

T otal Depravity – We suck. (a verb meaning we are sinners and do not seek God) (Ref. Romans 6:20, Romans 3:10-12)

U nconditional Election – God does the choosing. No matter who you are and what you’ve done. (Ref. Eph. 1:4-8)

L imited Atonement – Christ died and His blood covers those who the Father chose. (Ref. Eph. 5:25-27)

I rresistable Grace – God’s elect hear the gospel and the Holy Spirit works in the hearts and minds of the those elect and they willing come to God. (Ref. Romans 9:16, Phil. 2:12-13)

P erseverance of the Saints – The elect of God cannot lose their salvation. For heaven’s sake the elect didn’t do anything to earn salvation. God did the choosing. They are eternally secure. (Ref. Romans 8:26-39)

I think that pretty much sums up the gospel as it is told in scripture.

So, am I a Calvinsit? If you prefer a label or a badge, I will gladly wear it. I have one on my sidebar as a matter of fact. It looks like this:

Calvinist Cadet

A few months ago I found an article from a blogger that did a real good job of describing why he was a Calvinist. I give a high hat tip to Kevin DeYoung and his article.

Sin still dwells in me.

I am still thinking through this morning’s sermon from Pastor Pat. He preached through Romans 7:13-25. This used to be a confusing text for me until I understood that humans do not really do anything good or righteous. Even those folks who might call themselves “Christian”, think they are good now, but that is such a false assumption on their part. As the Apostle Paul states in the Romans 7, he does the very things that he desires not to do, and hates those things, and yet still does them. He has the desire to do what is right but not the ability to carry it out.

Now, come on, this is the Apostle Paul writing here. Surely if anyone had the ability to do good, it was him right? Not so, says the Apostle himself. For he states in verse 23 of chapter 7 that there is a war going on between the law of his mind (doing good) and the law of sin within his body. In the next verse he even refers to himself as a wretched man. Even as a follower of Christ.

He then poses the question that I did not totally grasp until later in life because I thought that since I became a Christian, I should now be doing righteous things. The question is this:

Who will deliver me from this body of death?

Or, who can save this wretched man that I am. The answer comes on the heels of the question in the form of gratitiude.

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

It is only through the finished work of Christ, his life, his death, and resurrection that good things happen through man. Try as he might, he cannot do the good on his own. It is work of the spirit of Christ in him. As Christians we should never, ever boast about the good that happens through us. It is only Christ Jesus doing that good through us. We have no righteousness of our own.

If you’d like to listen to the enlightening sermon online go here. If you’d like to download it and listen to it later go here.

Soli Deo Gloria!

The Answer – Everyday Demons

At the beginning of this year I was introduced to this amazing new band from Northern Ireland called The Answer. I was enthralled by their honest classic rock style and blogged about their debut album “Rise“. The Answer has been getting rock hallelujahs and gaining thousands of fans as a result of their current tour opening for AC/DC. They have not released an album in the U.S. until now, and yet they are gaining newer classic rock fans hand over air pumping fist. Their love for crafting head-banging guitar riffs and lyrical hooks like the legendary bands is a major part of their lure. In their debut album, released only in the U.K., The Answer poured out this classic rock formula like nobody’s business. But even while you blatantly notice the heavy influences of the legendary bands, The Answer is chiseling out their own unique niche of the classic rock genre.

The new album from The Answer is “Everyday Demons“. It was released in the U.S. on March 31st, 2009. I have listened to this album at least two times through now and I can honestly say that I do not see any weak points. In an interview from earlier this year lead vocalist Cormac Neeson underlined the theme of the new album as a cry to arms against the psychological and physical bullies of this world. The album begins with a Molly Hatchetesq guitar riff on the track “Demon Eyes”, a song that is right in scope with the theme mentioned. Cormac Neeson’s vocals scream into the track with lyrics that say:

Lookin’ out my narrow window
tell you what I see
pit bulls are on the street
and closing in on me

Could it be this paranoia
Is keeping me inside?
Lock the door and load my gun
This time I’m fighting back

The second track “Too Far Gone” displays the prowess of the band’s drummer James Heatley’s drumming and song writing skills. The blues fillers prior to the bridge point in the song are really cool. The third track is called “On And On”. It is the first single released for the album. The song is definitely worthy with a very catchy hook. “Cry Out” written by guitarist Paul Mahon is the next track. The song reminds me of classic Led Zeppelin blues rock, especially with the soulful vocals of Neeson.

Preaching the Word – Entry One

Last Wednesday I began a course offered in our local church for preaching. I am taking this course to be equipped for preaching and teaching prisoners, which is a ministry I am involved with. Through this course I will be studying expository preaching, which is preaching and teaching God’s word using a verse by verse format. I know there is more to it than that, and I will learn what it is. I plan to use this blog to post entries surrounding my equipping process. Lord willing I will be providing weekly posts. This course is being offered as part of the ongoing Institute for Biblical Studies (IBS) with my local church.

I have been part of a prison ministry for our local church, Omaha Bible Church, for two years now. The Lord has been directing me to me to not only look for family care opportunities with prisoner families but to go inside and participate in the monthly worship services our ministry does. As part of our ministry, we have a few men meeting regularly with prisoners who desire to be mentored and taught about Jesus Christ through God’s word. This is becoming a part of the ministry I desire to be a part of. God has been shaping my heart or desire for this after my first few visits for worship services inside the prison. I pray that God will use this course to strengthen me in proclaiming Jesus Christ through scriptures. As Paul wrote to Timothy:

1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. (2 Timothy 4:1-5 ESV)

I also pray that through this equipping, God will be sanctifying me for His service. I am already learning through my reading assignments what a weighty responsibility preachers and teachers have in teaching God’s word. Our first book is “Preaching: How To Preach Biblically” by John MacArthur and Master’s Seminary Faculty. I have a high respect for pastor John MacArthur and his knowledge for biblical preaching. I also have a high respect for our senior pastor Patrick Abendroth who is teaching us in the preaching class. Please pray for us all.

Soli Deo Gloria

U2 – No Line on the Horizon

Would the names Paul Hewson, or Dave Evans be synonymous with rock stardom? How about Bono (Paul), or The Edge (Dave)? I remember the first time I heard a song by their rock band U2. It was 1983 and the song was “40″. The song is a modified version of Psalm 40 in the bible. The lyrics and Psalm begin:

I waited patiently for the Lord
He inclined and heard my cry
He brought me up out of the pit
Out of the miry clay

This song and several others that had similar biblical content created a stir and hope among the Christian community that finally a well known band would be able to take their message to the masses. I think few people knew that early on the band had some serious reservations about their new found rock and roll lifestyle and how it would mix with their Christian faith. The crusade they did take up is pacifism and social-politico as evidenced in their album “War“, released in 1983. The album was their first commercially successful album. Many folks, including me, have wondered if the members have actually trusted in Christ. They are very serious about social causes but their frontman Bono has had some serious public profanity problems that has hurt his witness for Christ. But this posting is about their music.

Friday night @ the Knight’s

Last night my lovely bride and I braved a Nebraska snow storm to attend an event hosted by our friends Curt and Merissa Knight. The Knight’s are a wonderful family from our local church who, by the grace of God, are making an impact for the kingdom of Christ. The purpose of the event was to view a documentary film by Dan Merchant called “Lord, Save Us From Your Followers“, and then discuss it afterward.

The point of the movie, in my opinion, was to point out one of the primary, and often neglected, commands of Christ followers. The command to love your neighbor as yourself. I use the term Christ followers because, as the movie pointed out, the term Christian has become a negative term in our society. The term Christian has been associated with folks like Westboro Baptist Church and their pastor, Fred Phelps. You’ve heard of their famous tag line “God hates fags”. It is also the web address for their churches web site. They completely neglecting such biblical verses such as:

9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11 ESV)

They get the verse nine part, but seem to have forgotten what Paul states right after this. He states that those he is addressing were also among those who practiced the same unrighteousness.

Granted, Westboro Baptist is one of the extreme cases against the term Christian but the point is they are totally missing the second greatest commandment which is to love your neighbor as yourself. Loving your neighbor was exemplified in the life of Jesus Christ. When we, as Christ followers, point our fingers at those unrighteous folks practicing those things condemned within scripture without showing them the grace and the love of God, we indeed fall short. This is the very same love and grace that God has shown you even when you were His enemy. Yes, I said it, His enemy. Or do you not know:

9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. (Romans 5:9-10 ESV)

To summarize the film, I would have to say it did a great  job of pointing out this often neglected discipline of loving our neighbors. I would have to agree to disagree with some of the theology director Dan Merchant expressed briefly in the film. But the premise of the film was very successful. The concensus of those in attendance last night was that although those who focus only on the love discipline of Christ followers but neglect theology are doing harm to their neighbors by not also telling them about their condition before a holy God. In like manner, those Christ followers who only focus on theology and the doctrine of Christ and scripture without showing the love and compassion for those called enemies of God are totally missing the second greatest commandment. I would definitely recommend viewing this film. I would also recommend that you view it with others because it will prompt some interesting and stimulating conversation. I know it sure did with us.

Puritan Quote – John Owen

No heart can conceive that treasury of mercies which lies in this one privilege, in having liberty and ability to approach unto God at all times, according to his mind and will.

This quote from the Puritan John Owen was mentioned in his work  The Discourse of the Work of the Holy Spirit in Prayer. In the context of this work Owen follows with:

It is a matter of praise and glory to God, in an especial manner, that He hath granted an amplification of this privilege under the gospel. The spirit is now poured forth from above, and enlarged in His dispensation both intensively and extensively.

Which is to say that we, as believers, should not take lightly this treasure and resource from the Lord. To even imagine the wealth of wisdom and grace would be a fruitless effort on our part. In preaching to myself I would have to ask, what prevents me from participating in this freedom and going to the throne of grace? It is only sin that prevents me.  My old nature. By God’s grace alone I shed this old man and seek after His mind and His will.

Within Temptation – The Heart of Everything

I first heard about the band known as Within Temptation after checking out “those who purchased this also purchased this” suggestion section of Amazon.com while reading reviews of a Dream Theater album. Then while listening to one of Within Temptation’s more popular singles called “Angels” my sixteen year old daughter told me that she and her friend liked the song and had memorized the lyrics to it. Within Temptation, founded in 1996, is a band from the Netherlands categorized as symphonic metal/gothic metal. Lead vocalist and founding member Sharon del Adel in an interview stated “we consider ourselves more of a symphonic rock/metal band, we are in my opinion not a gothic band.” Most folks compare them to the more popular band Evanescence. There are some similarities, but while the multi-talented singer/song writer Amy Lee of Evanescence also has outstanding vocal pipes, Sharon del Adel can shatter crystal with her vocal chords.

Assuming the gospel

The above title was point number one in a series of sermons titled “The Death of a Church” delivered by our senior pastor Patrick Abendroth beginning two Sunday’s ago. What is meant by assuming the gospel is to assume the conversion of an individual. It is also to assume the flock, congregation, or church leadership can articulate the gospel of Jesus Christ. And also the assumption that the local church is standing firm in the faith, and striving together. This assumption of the gospel is one of several signs of a dying church mentioned in the sermon series.

Is the conversion of an individual down played? Does the church even discuss conversion? Jesus makes it very clear in Matthew 18:3. In the context of the disciples questioning Jesus about who the greatest in His kingdom. Jesus states:

Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (ESV)

Is conversion taken for granted? Is the assumption that salvation is passed down from previous generations? Whenever I think of this assumption, I think of a song I heard many years ago. The song was recorded by artist Nicole C. Mullen called “Granny’s Angel” which basically warns folks that you can’t get to heaven on Granny’s conversion. No one has ever been or will ever be born a Christian. No one automatically becomes a Christian at a certain age or after some series of classes are completed. One of the signs of a dying church is the assumption of the pastor, leadership, and congregation that those folks who attend and are involved in ministry are believers.

Which brings us to point number two in the signs. I will only briefly mention this one as I may blog about in more detail at a later date. Point number two is gospel ignorance. Do you know the gospel? Can you articulate the gospel? Pastor Mark Dever of Capital Hill Baptist Church and founder of 9Marks Ministry says that every believer should be able to articulate the gospel in one minute or less. The apostle Paul tells the Corinthian church in 1 Cor. 15:1-4 to hold fast to the gospel he preached to them.

1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,

We also should hold fast to this same gospel. If you can’t think of how to articulate it now, it can all be summed up in three words. God saves sinners! We can surely elaborate on that.

The Death of a Church

Calling all fans of Jonathan Edwards

Big kudos go out to that little private university in New Haven, Connecticut called Yale University. They have created a web site for The Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale University. When you link there, among the many resources you will find a sermon index, a multimedia library, an Edwards Wiki, online courses, and an online journal where you can submit your own material related to Jonathan Edwards.

The Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale University

HT – Tony Reinke