Son of a Son of a Sinner

"GENEVA" (Subtitle: "My Apologies to The Beach Boys")

2009-07-27T18:01:00.003-04:00

Here is my latest song parody. In keeping with the spirit of summer, it is sung to the tune of "Kokomo" by The Beach Boys. Open the YouTube link in a new tab for the music, and sing along with the new lyrics posted below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwuLFlp9Y7g

(Warning: The video has a few scenes from Cocktail that some may consider immodest, so view wisely)

Wittenberg, Westphalia, come where they won’t jail ya,
Strasbourg and Dordrecht, be ye English or Czech,
Zurich, Heidelberg, come and study The Word
Westminster

High in Alpine Peaks
There’s a place called Geneva.
That’s where you want to go to get away from it all.

Though his stay was unplanned, Calvin gave into Farel’s demands
His preaching brought reformation to the land
Down in Geneva.

(Chorus)
Wittenberg, Westphalia, come where they won’t jail ya,
To Strasbourg and Dordrecht, be ye English or Czech,
Zurich, Heidelberg, come and study The Word
Ooh, I wanna take you down to Geneva
To get there fast, take the shortcut through Bordeaux
Where the Romanists will not go
Way down in Geneva

(The view of the lake really takes the cake)

We'll all study
And we’ll perfect our theology
By and by we’ll defy some papal authority.

The Truth is our delight
Decry evil and stand for the right
As our salvation draws nigh
The Cross of Christ we will raise high
Way down in Geneva

(Chorus)
Wittenberg, Westphalia, come where they won’t jail ya,
To Strasbourg and Dordrecht, be ye English or Czech,
Zurich, Heidelberg, come and study The Word
Ooh, I wanna take you down to Geneva
To get there fast, take the shortcut through Bordeaux
Where the Anabaptists will not go
Way down in Geneva

(While at Worms, Brother Martin stood firm)

(Blasting sax solo from John Knox into the ear of Queen Mary)

Everybody knows a little place like Geneva
Now if you wanna go and get away from it all
Go down to Geneva.

(Chorus)
Wittenberg, Westphalia, come where they won’t jail ya,
To Strasbourg and Dordrecht, be ye English or Czech,
Zurich, Heidelberg, come and study The Word
Ooh, I wanna take you down to Geneva
To get there fast, take the shortcut through Bordeaux
Where the Pietists will not go
Way down in Geneva

Wittenberg, Westphalia, come where they won’t jail ya,
To Strasbourg and Dordrecht, be ye English or Czech,
Zurich, Heidelberg, come and study The Word
Wanna take you down to Geneva (fades)

FIN

Theology About Town

2009-01-29T22:49:00.009-05:00

I have the undeserved privilege of attending college in historic St. Augustine, FL. I walk streets once trodden by Timucuan Indians and Spanish explorers. I dine and learn in facilities that were once the playgrounds of Gilded Age elites and Presidents; I mean, my college is a certified national landmark! For history buffs like myself, St. Augustine’s siren song, carried on the warm ocean breeze, beacons me to explore her centuries old alleyways and discover her secrets. However, what deeper meaning and truth can one hope to uncover in this ancient city? From the many monuments, towering churches, and aged architecture, one can reflect on the Truth that is clearly articulated in Holy Scripture.

Why not start with the city’s namesake? Augustine of Hippo, the Doctor of Grace, was the foremost theologian of the church’s first one thousand years. He laid the theological groundwork for the doctrines of human depravity and salvation by God’s Grace alone that would later be expounded upon by the likes of Luther and Calvin during the Reformation. My favorite quote by Augustine is a prayer he had regarding his own chastity. He would pray to God, “God, make me chaste…but not yet.” Here was a flesh and blood saint who struggled through the same sin and temptation we all do, yet he was used by God to do great things for the Body of Christ. His major works include De Doctrina Christiana (On Christian Doctrine), De Trinitate (On the Trinity), The Confessions, and De Civitate Dei (The City of God). So, I implore everyone to “tolle lege, tolle lege” (take up and read, take up and read)!

Next, we have the City Gate. My mind immediately goes to two passages.

“Enter through the narrow gate, because the gate is wide and the way is spacious that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. But the gate is narrow and the way is difficult that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” –Matthew 7:13-14

"Jesus replied, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'” –John 14:6

Believing on Jesus Christ and following Him is difficult, but He is the only way to God the Father. We cannot try and come into God’s Heavenly Kingdom our own way on our own terms. This is the essence of all false worldviews, belief systems, and religions. The exclusivity of Christianity is a point of contention for many believers and nonbelievers. The logic follows that all non-Christians’ good works, no matter how noble, piety, no matter how devout, and beliefs, no matter how sincere, are not enough to escape eternal damnation. Tough stuff, I know. We may think that it is unfair, nay, evil, to condemn a seemingly “good” pagan into hell. However, there is one problem: sin. So, in reality, according to God’s standard of holiness, there is not one good person, no, not one! This includes Christians who are also sinners, but they are sinners who have received unmerited mercy and grace. Seeing that man was dead in sin and incapable of meeting the standard of the Law, God provided Christ to fulfill the Law and to atone for that sin. It was by faith in Christ’s perfect righteousness that we enter into God’s Kingdom. So, rather they reviling the exclusivity of Christ, embrace it; embrace Christ as the ultimate expression of God’s love and mercy to us fallen, wretched sinners. God had no responsibility or obligation to save us from His awesome wrath. We often cry to God for "justice"; few realize that true justice would only bring condemnation. We should instead cry "mercy, mercy!" Fall prostrate atop Calvary’s hill at the base of the cross and leave your transgressions and guilt there, Beloved. Then, comfort yourself with thoughts of one day treading the streets of gold in the presence of your Savior and Lord!

St. Augustine’s emblematic structure would have to be the Anastasia Lighthouse. You see it everywhere from storefronts to car dealerships, postcards to key chains, and clothing to paintings. Its black and white stripe pattern is instantly recognizable. It also reminds me of an oft-quoted verse:

"Then Jesus spoke out again, 'I am the light of the world. The one who follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'” –John 8:12

Jesus lights the dark corners of our hearts so that we may understand true godliness. So that we may clearly see our own sinfulness and God’s own righteousness. Jesus is the lamp of Truth in a dark world of falsehood and lies. There are other verses that come to mind:

“Arise! Shine! For your light arrives! The splendor of the Lord shines on you!”—Isaiah 60:1

“If then your whole body is full of light, with no part in the dark, it will be as full of light as when the light of a lamp shines on you.” –Luke 11:36

The lighthouse is a light source, much like God. God is the sun and we are the moon. We do not produce our own light; we are only capable of reflecting the light of God. The words Paul wrote to Timothy are also very pertinent:

“To do this you must hold firmly to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck in regard to the faith.” –1 Timothy 1:19.

Paul made long ocean voyages to evangelize the Gentiles. He knew all to well the dangerous possibility of a shipwreck. He was also aware of the Lighthouse at Alexandria, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. We must always look to Christ and His truth to avoid being run spiritually aground by false doctrine and sinful desires; He will guide us safely across the tumultuous seas of life. Though we are tossed by the waves, battered by the rain, and blown by the wind, by fixing our gaze upon His holy light, we will one day safely make port in paradise!

The other structure synonymous with St. Augustine is the Castillo de San Marcos. The fort was used as a defense against enemy attacks upon the city. Its massive coquina walls protected the soldiers within who stood on guard to fight any aggressor who would mount an attack upon St. Augustine. In a similar fashion, God is our refuge and strength who serves as protection against our three main enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil. These three are the REAL "Axis of Evil." I am immediately made to consider the 46th Pslam. However, my first thought went straight to what has been called both “the greatest hymn of the greatest man of the greatest period of German history” and the “Battle Hymn of the Reformation.” I speak of course of Luther’s famous hymn derived from the aforementioned Psalm: A Mighty Fortress is Our God. Take time to meditate upon these lyrics; they are very edifying:

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal!

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle!

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him!

That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever!

Lastly, we come to the Mission of Nombre de Dios and The Great Cross. For a brief history, go here. This mighty symbol stands like the Colossal of Rhodes above our fair city. It reminds us of Christ’s atoning sacrifice for us helpless sinners. The Crucifixion along with the Resurrection lie at the heart of the Gospel. It should be at the heart of our preaching. Paul makes it clear what we Christians proclaim:

“But we preach about a crucified Christ, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.”—1 Corinthians 1:23

The Cross confounds men. It goes against our grain. It cannot be rationally explained or comprehended. It contradicts all other religion that makes man the author of his own salvation. We seem to think that we are good enough to attain salvation: My good deeds outweigh my bad; surely God will let ME into heaven. Foolish sinners are we! Our faith we place in our own merit is ill-founded. Paul was a brilliant and pious Pharisee, but he did not brag about his own work, but rather be boasted in Christ’s work:

“But may I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”—Galatians 6:14

We Christians have no excuse for self-righteousness, since it is not by our own righteousness that we have justified but by Christ’s! Christianity is ultimately not about happy marriages, functional families, full back accounts, good health, or "your best life now." Christianity is all about Christ and Him cruicified.

Whenever you stroll through the quaint alleys of St. Augustine, take time to consider God’s holiness, mercy, and love for sinners embodied by Christ Jesus. This city’s charm will take on a whole new meaning!

Soli Deo Gloria!

*All Scripture citations come from the NET Bible at bible.org

Bumper Stickers: Some Thoughts

2009-01-29T21:52:00.005-05:00

I've always found some truth in the quote that claims bumper stickers represent both the highest and lowest aspects of American culture. I cannot recall who said it, and I'm too lazy to open a new tab and Google it, but it rang true while I was running today. Downtown St. Augustine does have its fair share of lefties and assorted political regressives. Most have a bumper sticker or two, or in the case today, twenty-seven. Being curious, I stopped to check'em out while running one day. The irony in liberal ideology is truly delicious. While some of the stickers decry Western religion, Christianity, and the church as repressive, backward, and superstitious, other stickers (on the same bumper mind you) exalt "mother earth" and claim "god is nature." What in the name of Gaia are people thinking? Historic, orthodox Christian theology (particularly in the magisterial reformed vein) is the most advanced and mentally engaging form of religion; "Christianity in full bloom," I've heard said. Where such beliefs take root, virtue, science, community, and liberty all flourish. Where such beliefs are cast aside, immortality, irrationality, and tyranny are soon to follow. For a historical example, take the French Revolution. Rather than acknowledging that Divine Providence is the fount of man's reason and liberty as the Americans had, the Jacobins claimed that man's reason WAS divine. The result: heads rolled and terror reigned.

Now, let’s go back to the bumper. Another was Einstein's oft-quoted phrase "Imagination is more important than knowledge." Now, I think this phrase is taken out of context and misunderstood by many. I don't think old Albert was calling imagination more real or reliable than scientific fact. In the quote, knowledge is more properly understood as information; facts that can be catalogued and looked up when needed. Examples include lists, statistics, measurements, dates, and the like. In other words, Einstein was saying that the ability to think abstractly was superior to having the ability to rattle off every president or every Super Bowl champion in chronological order. As a repository of useless knowledge myself, I gracefully accept Einstein's critique. I don't believe that if a liberal thinker can conceive of a socialist utopia whose very existence would require the very suspension of human nature that such an "imagined" idea is "more important than knowledge" or superior to objective reality.

One last point to tie everything together: let's assume that Einstein's quote is to be taken literally. Knowledge is inferior to imagination and should be subject to it. Imagination is important because it can change society for the better. Isn't that the goal of every liberal? Tear it all down, man, and rebuild a brave new world? After all, we’re just one big “human family”!* Then, if liberals hold to such a view, why do they decry religion? By liberals’ own assertions, shouldn't religion be superior to scientific reality in their eyes since religious belief is "all made up"? If imagination is more important than knowledge, and religion is all imagined, then religion is more important than knowledge.

Now, to close, I'll admit that we conservatives have our fair share of winners. One that springs to mind is the sage "I believe in the Big Bang Theory...God said it and BANG!, it Happened." It is little wonder that creationism and intelligent design aren’t gaining ground given the number of minivans brandishing this message about town. Another is the perennial favorite "If 10% is good enough for God, then it’s good enough for the government." I admire the intent, but I’ll read Milton Friedman for economic advice rather than take this tidbit to heart while waiting in line at a drive-thru.
Here’s one we can all get behind: Keep on trucking! Or, for liberals, keep on hybriding! I welcome anyone else with any pet bumper sticker slogans, political or otherwise to share them in a comment.

* Yeah, tell that to the jihadists who would slice our infants’ throats if they got the chance. Of course, liberals support such behavior, so long as it’s a woman’s choice to do it. Don’t tell Al Qaeda, but if they want to win the war on terror, they just need to tell liberals that they are blowing up their victims for the health of the mother. The only response the Democrats could muster would be “how much public funding do you need”?

The Forgotten Sola

2009-01-29T21:47:00.001-05:00

"Whatever you do whether you eat or drink, do unto the glory of God"
1 Corinthians 10:31

Being a Reformed Christian, I hold firm to the five solas: I am saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone according to Scripture alone and to God alone be the glory. "Solus Christus" and "Sola Gratia" are even held by Roman Catholics while "Sola Scriptura" and "Sola Fide" are the hallmarks of Protestantism. However, in this particular note, I want to concern myself with the last (but by all means not the least) sola: Soli Deo Gloria...To God Alone be the Glory.

For me, this sola is the one most identifiable with the Reformed faith. Now, many would say that the distinctiveness of Reformed Christianity lie in its emphasis on the holiness and the sovereignty of God to which I would offer a hearty "Amen." However, given the traditional Reformed view of both God's sovereignty and holiness, it necessarily follows that He and He alone must receive all of the glory. Everything in nature from atoms to supernovas can trace their cause to the Creator. The beauty and order, the intricacy and immensity of the Creation is glorious and that glory belongs to God because it finds its origin in God. Consider the fact that we are not sinners because we sin, but we sin because we are sinners. It is our nature. Likewise, God is not glorious because of His glorious creation; rather, His creation is glorious because God in His being is utterly glorious. (Not the best analogy, but I’m not the best wordsmith)

This brings us back to "Soli Deo Gloria." What bearing does that have for our Christian walk? I always saw Sunday morning worship (and for you Baptists, Sunday night and Wednesday night worship), daily prayer, fellowship, and Bible study as things that brought glory to God. I still believe they do, but I saw a major disconnect between the heavenly and the terrestrial; between the sacred and the secular. Homework, chores, work, and even amusement are all at their root "bad." I always felt like I was "being a friend of the world" by participated in such fleeting endeavors. I sincerely thought in my heart of hearts that the monks and nuns must have had it right when they resigned themselves of the world and its pollutions and sought the face God amidst poverty, seclusion, and self-denial. I even thought this after I had studied a plethora of Reformed resources. Then the Spirit of God moved in my heart.

One afternoon I was out picking up yard debris to make way for my dad and the mower. I had grown accustomed to the chore but had always hated it, especially at my family's old house where we had almost exclusively pine trees. Those pines meant pine cones. The worst were the spiny green pine cones which had to be handled very gingerly one at the time. This made the job tedious and thankless. However, I grew up and moved to a new house with just towering oaks. This afternoon was remarkably temperate; the sun shone brightly and the breeze blew nicely. As I collected the various sticks and fallen limbs to cast into the fire (I smell a parable) I found myself feeling accomplished and fulfilled. My dad was readying the mower and in passing thanked me and told me how proud he was to have me as his son. I then thought that my completion of mundane chores was fulfilling the commandment of honoring my father and mother. In effect, that was pleasing to my Father in heaven. Soli Deo Gloria was finally clear to me. My school work, chores, job, the exercise of my talents, and even my recreation can be honoring to God and bring Him glory! What a way to breed true greatness in individuals! It always strikes me as ironic when those outside Christ claim that submitting oneself to a higher power (particularly the one revealed in Scripture) will rob you of your true potential and stunt your creativity and ambition. What a devilish lie! Being made anew in Christ awakens one true potential, redefines ones ambitions, redirects ones talents, and ultimately quickens ones spirit. He is the master potter and we are the lowly clay.

Some closing thoughts. This sola should not be abused by those wishing to excuse sinful behavior since sinful behavior among God's elect does not bring glory but rather shame to God's good name. Also, I'm not promoting a pseudo-"your best life now" ethos. Success, improvement, and accomplishment are defined much differently by God than they are by the world. I hope that some of those who read this note will glean some insight from it. If anyone who reads this has any bits of advice or resources which relate to the topic of "Soli Deo Gloria,” please pass them along. Biblical reproof and correction are also humbly accepted!

Grace and peace,
Sam

Gerstner on Sola Fide

2009-01-29T21:41:00.004-05:00

Many of you may be asking, "Who is John Gerstner?" It's a shame such a great theologian and man of God remains in obscurity while the likes of T.D. Jakes, Benny Hinn, Robert Schuller, Joel O'Steen, Joyce Meyer, and Rod Parsley influence the faith of millions. I encourage anyone interested in seeing Biblical scholarship at its best to read anything from the pen of Gerstner. If you are a believer, you will gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of the truths you confess. If you are not yet a believer, then read Gerstner with caution. You might just, God willing, walk away a Christian!

And here is just a taste of his work:

Justification by Faith Alone (The Nature of Justifying Faith)
by John H. Gerstner

Eternal life depends on Christ alone?nothing, but nothing, else. Predestination will not bring it. Providence cannot produce it. It does not rest on foreknowledge, divine decrees, or even the atonement itself. Eternal life is Christ dwelling in His righteousness in the soul of the justified person. So eternal life is union with Jesus Christ. And the word for that union with Jesus Christ is faith. The sinner comes to Him, rests in Him, trusts in Him, is one with Him, abides in Him; and this is life because it never, ever, ends. The united soul abides in the Vine eternally. Weakness, sin, proneness to sin never brings separation, but only the Father?s pruning, which cements the union even and ever tighter.

This is the heart of the Bible. This is the heart of the gospel. This is the heart of Christianity. This is the heart of the saint. This is the heart of the Lord Jesus Christ. Those are the reasons it was the heart of the Reformation; and this is the reason the contemporary attempt of some Protestants to unite with those who do not even claim this heart of the life of Jesus Christ is to commit spiritual suicide. No lover of Jesus Christ can consent to this apostasy.

Faith is an Act but Not a Work

Faith means to trust in Jesus Christ. It is coming to Him. It is casting all your cares on Him. The old acrostic - Forsaking All I Trust Him? is theologically perfectly accurate. We all know the old Greek acrostic for fish: (icthus). I might coin a new acrostic on the Greek word for faith (pistis): Polluted I Surrender To Jesus Savior. No text of Holy Scripture tells it quite as well as Romans 4:5: 'To the man who does not work, but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.

Notice how many different ways (7) this Scripture teaches justification by faith alone in one verse:
The justified one does 'not work.'

The justified one 'trusts.'

The justified one trusts not in himself but in another: 'God.'

The justified one confesses himself to be 'wicked.'

The justified one does not have faith in his faith.

The justified one sees his faith only as 'credited' to him.

The justified one sees his faith credited as 'righteousness.'
The hymn does not exaggerate when it says, 'NOTHING in my hands I bring.'

A woman said to me after hearing me preach on sin, 'You make me feel so big (holding her fingers an inch apart).' I was shocked and replied, 'Lady, that is too big; much too big, fatally big. You and I are a minus quantity, and all fallen mankind with us. Justification can only be by faith alone.'

You see that faith is an act but it is not a work?a work of merit, that is. Faith is workless, worthless. According to Roman Catholicism, those works, so far from being worthless, are worth eternal life. They entitle a person who has perfected them to nothing less than eternal heaven.

I was debating a Romish priest once on this subject, and he seemed to be reluctant to admit how good his and his fellows? works were. The audience was largely Protestant. I guess he would have appeared to evangelicals to be bragging. I couldn?t get him to defend what he was there to defend (until I brought from my briefcase Schroeder's Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent and read from that source that works entitled a person to heaven). It was then that he acknowledged his church?s doctrine. Then, and only then, did he admit how good Roman Catholic works are thought to be.

Romanists many times fool Protestants by their claim to teach 'by grace alone' (sola gratia). And they sometimes fool themselves when they are more evangelical than a Romanist can honestly be. Romanists are saved by their works which come from grace, according to their teaching. It is not the grace but the works which come from it that save them! If a person believes that grace saves him he is a Protestant and belongs with us. He is in the wrong church if he believes the evangelical way and is not witnessing honestly. A dishonest person can never be saved, be he Protestant or Roman.

I was in an area where some Protestant ministers told me of a 'Father Joe' who, they said, was the most evangelical man in the whole area. I remarked that if that were so he was also the most dishonest man in the whole area. We have many Protestants today who are claiming to be one with Romanists as fellow evangelicals. Unless such Protestants are utterly ignorant of the meaning of evangelicalism, they cannot be Christians, much less Protestants or Roman Catholics. Christians are required to 'provide things honest in the sight of all men' (Romans 12:17). Labels are supposed to tell contents. If this is true of bottles of medicine that concern only this life, how much more of the medicine of immortality?the contents of the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Evangelicalism means the righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed to?not infused into?the believer.

So Scripture is teaching us that the faith which saves is not a work. It has no spiritual value in itself. Strictly speaking, the true Christian church does not teach justification by faith. It teaches justification by Christ. Where does the faith come in? It is simply the uniting with, joining, with, becoming one with, the Lord Jesus Christ. Being married to Christ, all that is His becomes His bride?s, the believer?s. A wife becomes a co-heir of all that belongs to her husband simply by being his wife, by her union with him in marriage. That is the fact: she is his wife. There is no virtue or merit in that. She simply possesses what now belongs to her by that relationship. Marriage is not a virtue that deserves a reward, but a relationship that brings the husband?s possessions along with him.

That is the meaning of the word 'reckons' or imputes or credits. The justified one 'does not work, but trusts God who justifies the wicked.'

This is why I claim Thomas Aquinas for Protestantism. He teaches the justificatio impii, the justification of the impious or wicked, just as Paul teaches in Romans 4:5. If the wicked are ever justified, it cannot be by works or faith AS A WORK. It is justification by Jesus Christ alone. It is His righteousness, which He achieved for His people by fulfilling all righteousness, that becomes theirs as His bride.

Some Romanists will say that they too teach justification by grace?by Christ?s righteousness, in fact. But the righteousness of Christ which they claim justifies is not Christ?s own personal righteousness reckoned or credited or given or imputed to believers. Romanists refer to the righteousness which Christ works into the life of the believer or infuses into him in his own living and behavior. It is not Christ?s personal righteousness but the believer?s personal righteousness, which he performs by the grace of God.

It is Christ's righteousness versus the believer's own righteousness. It is Christ's achievement versus the Christian's achievement. It is an imputed righteousness not an infused righteousness. It is a gift of God versus an accomplishment of man. These two righteousnesses are as different as righteousnesses could conceivably be.

It does come down to the way it has been popularly stated for the last four and a half centuries: Protestantism?s salvation by faith versus Rome?s salvation by works. That is not a technically accurate way to state this vital difference, But it points to the truth. The Protestant trusts Christ to save him and the Catholic trusts Christ to help him save himself. It is faith versus works. Or, as the Spirit of God puts it in Romans 4:16 (NIV), 'Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace, and may be guaranteed to all Abraham?s offspring.' It is 'by faith SO THAT IT MAY BE BY grace....'

If a Romanist wants to be saved by grace alone, it will have to be by faith alone. 'The promise comes by faith so that it may be by grace.' You can?t be saved 'sola gratia' except 'sola fide.' Every Roman Catholic who wants to be saved by grace must be saved by faith and join us.

And we want Romanists to be saved. We aren?t trying to win an argument but souls! How sad to see a banner raised against 'faith alone' when that is the only way to be saved by grace. We agree with Roman friends ? salvation is by grace. That is the reason it must be by faith. If it is a salvation based on works that come from grace, it is not based on grace but on the Christian's works that come from grace. The works that come from grace must prove grace but they cannot be grace. They may come from, be derivative of, a consequence of, but they cannot be identified with it. Faith is merely union with Christ who is our righteousness, our grace, our salvation. 1 Corinthians 1:30, 'It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus who has become for us wisdom from God,' that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Christ is our righteousness. Our righteousness does not result from His righteousness, it is His righteousness.

Faith is Not a Work, but it is Never without Work

Romanists have always tried to hang antinomianism on Protestantism. They seem incapable even of understanding 'justification is by faith alone, but not by the faith that is alone,' though that formula has been present since the Reformation.

If this were a true charge it would be a fatal one. If Protestantism thought that a sinner could be saved without becoming godly, it would be an absolute, damning lie. His name is 'Jesus' for He saves His people from their sins, not in them. And He saves His people not only from the guilt of sin but from its dominating power as well. If a believer is not changed, he is not a believer. No one can have Christ as Savior for one moment when he is not Lord as well. We can never say too often: 'Justification is by faith alone, but NOT by the faith that is alone.' Justification is by a WORKING faith.

Why does Rome continue to make that centuries-long misrepresentation of justification by faith alone? Because:
First, she knows that faith without works is dead.

Second, she hears Protestantism teach justification by faith alone 'apart' from works.

Third, she doesn?t listen when Protestantism explains that 'apart from works' means 'apart from the merit of works,' not 'apart from the presence of works.'

Fourth, she hears some Protestants, who also misunderstand Protestantism, teaching 'easy-believism.'

Fifth, she knows 'easy-believism' is an utterly overwhelming argument against Protestantism (which it would be if it were true).
Let me explain, therefore, once again what the Protestant biblical doctrine of justification by faith alone apart from works means. Justification with God is apart from the merit of works. That does not mean that justification is apart from the existence of works. Christianity teaches justification apart from the merit of works. Easy-believism teaches justification apart from the existence of works. Faith without the existence of works is dead. Faith without the merit of works is antinomianism. Faith with the merit of works is legalism.

A.H. Strong (Baptist Theologian, 1836-1921) uses the analogy of a locomotive engine, its cars, and couplings. All the power to move the cars is in the locomotive. None of the power is in the couplings. Yet the locomotive, with all its power, cannot move one car without the coupling.

Justification is by Works in One Sense

With all the clear biblicality and truth of justification by faith alone, there is still in human nature a gnawing sense of something lacking here. The Hindus call it 'karma,' or the law of works. My friends say, when I get a split on the bowling alley when I should have had a strike, 'You don?t live right.' Deuteronomy says, 'Your sins will find you out.' Hegel said that the Geschichte (history) of the world is the Gericht (judgment) of the world. The mills of the gods grind slowly but they grind exceedingly fine.

In other words, justification by faith alone seems to violate the built-in moral perception that each person must pay for his own bad deeds. He cannot be let off without penalty. God is not a respecter of persons. A moral being does not play favorites. Justice is blind.

So far is justification by faith alone from violating this principle that it honors it more than damnation itself. Christian heaven is gained in a way more just than what Jonathan Edwards calls 'The justice of God in the damnation of the wicked.'

This is implied in what has already been said about the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ. But let me be more explicit. Jesus Christ was punished in the elect sinner?s stead. The full wrath of God deserved by the sinner was poured out in full on the sinner?s Substitute. And that punishment undergone by the sinner in his substitute was more than the sinner would have suffered by an eternity in hell, for the sinner?s Substitute was no less than the fulness of the Godhead dwelling bodily (Colossians 2:9). God cannot die in His own infinite, spiritual, unchangeable, eternal nature, but He could and did die in the real human nature to which He united Himself for the very purpose of suffering and dying so that His people need never suffer ever at the hand of a holy and just God. Surely mercy and truth kissed each other in perfect justice.

Thus, the sinner was punished. No sinner ever escapes the justice of God?least of all those for whom Jesus Christ suffered, bled, and died. Christ descended into hell on the cross. Because Christ descended into hell, those for whom He died ascend into heaven. They went to hell with Him and they will go to heaven with Him. That is the perfect justice of pure grace.

Theologians often say that God shows His justice in hell and His mercy in heaven. But in so doing He shows more justice in heaven than in very hell. Hell must be eternal because its victims never can suffer sufficiently in a temporal hell. Heaven must be eternal because the redeemed can never receive the blessings their Savior has purchased for them in a temporal (of, say, only trillions of years) heaven. Edwards has poignantly written in an unpublished sermon on Mark 9:44: 'As sure as God is true, here will absolutely be no end to the miseries of hell.' He could add: As surely as God is true here will absolutely be no end to the joys of heaven.

Jesus earned all this. He paid for it with His blood. All Christians can say with the chief of saints, who called himself the chief of sinners Paul), 'I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

Justification is ultimately by works?the works of Jesus Christ! They are received by the justified sinner as his own works. Christ justified His people by His works as their works; works done by them in their Substitute.

Christ justified Himself by His works. He was justified (or vindicated) by the Spirit, according to I Timothy 3:16. Probably the best translation of Romans 4:25 is: 'He was delivered ever to death for our sins and was raised to life for (rather, 'because of') our justification.' Christ?s raising or resurrection showed that His redemption was successful. Christ 'through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.' (Romans 1:4)

Resurrection would not normally prove one to be the Son of God. All the dead are going to be resurrected at the last day of judgment. But Christ?s rising from death proved that He was the divine Savior He claimed to be and that His atonement had accomplished justification for those for whom He died. This was the New Covenant in His very blood shed for the remission of sins He had taken on Himself. Fulfilling all righteousness, He thus justified Himself and His people. Therefore, He was resurrected from death and ascended in glory for Himself and His people whom He brought in His train as He led captivity captive to heaven. Because of the justification of the Christians, the Lord Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, victor o?er the grave?His grave and His people?s. Hallelujah! Amen and Amen! Justification is by works?the works of Jesus Christ! and His people?s too (by faith)!

After Justification, the Works of Faith Merit Reward

'Leap for joy,' the Lord Jesus says, 'for great is your reward in heaven.' (Luke 6:23) So, there are going to be rewards?great rewards for the works of faith.

Are the Romanists right after all? Rewards for works? Salvation earned by the Christian?s deeds?

There can be no doubt that the Lord Jesus Christ teaches rewards for faith-works. Nor can there be any doubt that it is not the Roman doctrine of justification by works, and is the Protestant doctrine of justification by faith alone, But it takes some explaining.

First, rewards for works is not the Roman doctrine of justification by works. The Christian?s works are so imperfect that they could never merit justification, which they couldn?t merit if they were perfect.

Second, rewards in heaven for imperfect works on earth is perfectly compatible with the Protestant doctrine of justification by faith alone apart from works. Imperfect works (or even perfect works) could never remit guilt or earn justification. But imperfect works can merit the rewards in heaven that the Lord Jesus Christ says they will receive. Even a cup of cold water given in Jesus? name will have its eternal reward?deservedly! Why deservedly?

Christians will receive rewards in heaven for every one of their imperfect 'good' works for a very good reason. Those post-justification good works are not necessary for heaven because Jesus Christ purchased heaven for those in Him by faith. The works are necessary to prove the genuineness of professed faith but they are not necessary for earning heaven. They are real 'works of super-erogation,' if you wish. Anyone who goes to heaven does so for the merit of Christ?s work alone, apart from any merit in any and all of his own works of obedience. If faith could exist apart from works, which it cannot, the believer could go to heaven without ever doing one good work. As it is, he goes to heaven without one iota of merit in anything and everything he does. But every post-justification good work he ever does will merit, deserve, and receive its reward in heaven.

You protest, 'But post-justification works have sin in them, and therefore cannot merit any reward.' You forget that their guilt of sin has been removed. Moreover, do you dare impugn the justice of God by saying that He would 'reward' what did not deserve reward? (P.S. I confess my own and Augustine?s past error in using the oxymoron: 'rewards of grace.')

In conclusion, faith, as union with Christ, possesses Christ?s righteousness which justifies perfectly forever. Being true faith, it is inseparable from works which contribute zero to justification. But being unnecessary for heaven (which Christ?s merit alone purchases), works are meritorious and the Christian is now to leap for joy because every one of his weakest of works will deservedly receive an everlasting reward in heaven.

Reader, I urge you to seek God for faith and, if and when God finds you, to abound in the works of the Lord!

Author

Dr. John H. Gerstner earned his Ph.D. from Harvard University. He pastored several churches before accepting a professorship at Pittsburgh-Xenia theological Seminary, where he taught church history for over 30 years. He was a visiting professor at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Ill., and adjunct professor at Knox theological Seminary in ft. Lauderdale, FL. The author of many books and articles, his magnum opus is the three volume set, The Rational biblical Theology of Jonathan Edwards. He has written three books published by Soli Deo Gloria: Repent or Perish, Theology for Everyman, The ABC's of Assurance, and Primitive Theology which is a collection of Dr. Gerstner's past writings.

The article was taken from Justification by Faith Alone: Affirming the Doctrine By Which the Church and the Individual Stands of Falls, published by Soli Deo Gloria Publications; Morgan PA, 1995 and appears as chapter 4.

The Dark Knight: A Theological Review

2009-01-25T15:40:00.005-05:00

To preface this theological review of The Dark Knight, I think Christians tend to fall into opposite errors with respect to popular, secular culture. On the one hand, it is treated with paranoid suspicion or outright hostility by its detractors as a realm entirely controlled by Satan and his minions. On the other, it is wrongly treated as a suitable source for sermons and doctrine along with, or, in the worst cases, in lieu of, the Scriptures. I tend to take the middle road. Popular culture has its place, and its fruits can be enjoyed by Christians in their liberty with thanksgiving. Music, art, and storytelling in any medium can be entertaining, thought provoking, and even God-honoring. Beauty and truth can be creatively expressed even by those who are unregenerate. If one believes that God is sovereign, this should come as no surprise. Likewise, if enjoyment of such fair replaces our Christian duties of discipleship (Bible study, prayer, church attendance, good works, et al) they should be plucked out of our lives and cast from us as Christ commands. My goal with this review is to analyze some of the overarching themes (the nature of man, law, providence, morality, faith) raised in the film by looking at some of the crucial scenes. Caution: there are some spoilers.

I was reading an article where Christopher Nolan was describing his favorite scene in The Dark Knight: the interrogation scene between Batman and The Joker, hero vs. villain, good vs. evil. He said it was the hinge on which the whole movie turned. In it, The Joker presents his own brand of chaotic nihilism. He spoke of the goodness (or lack thereof) of Gotham's citizens,

“Their morals, their ‘code,’ it’s all a bad joke; dropped at the first sign of trouble. They're only as good as the world allows them to be. When the chips are down, these, uh, ‘civilized people’: they’ll eat each other. You see, I’m not a monster, I’m just ahead of the curve.”

When one grounds all hope and all authority in mankind, one must certainly reach The Joker’s bleak conclusions. If the law was conjured up within the mind of man, it is a bad joke. It is moral pretension. It has no ultimate power or intrinsic authority. However, the Scriptures declare that the moral law, the ultimate standard of goodness and purity, finds its origin in God. It is the product of the Ultimate Judge and is binding on all men. It is the bedrock for the laws of the state, itself instituted by God to bear the sword, to protect the innocent, and to punish the guilty. Civilization is a gift of God. It certainly is a means by which He restrains the evil of men.

Sadly, The Joker’s anthropology is more Biblical than that of many professing Christians. Man is NOT basically good. We are basically corrupt. Every aspect of our being is tainted and deformed by sin to one degree or another. This is often called total depravity, though a more apt term I’ve heard applied to it is radical corruption. We are not as evil as we could be, but there is not one aspect of our beings that is left unaffected by sin. Apart from God’s grace, we would indeed “eat each other.” So, too often, we see ourselves as “better” than the serial killers, the rapists, and the deviants of society. Horizontally, we may be better than The Jokers of the world. Vertically, however, we are all sinners deserving of God’s just condemnation. In comparison to God’s holy standard, we are all lawbreakers and criminals. We are the scum of society. That is why faith in Christ alone is so important. It is through faith in Christ, itself a gift from God, that Christ’s perfect righteousness is imputed to us. This allows us to stand before God blameless. For as Christ gives us His righteousness, so too did He take upon Himself our sin. He became sin and was crushed by God’s wrath that we might be saved from the Judgment. In terms of sin, we are all “monsters.” Despite this, God in His loving mercy still chose to save us.

The Joker continues to expound his twisted worldview in the hospital scene with Harvey Dent:

“I’m not a schemer. I like to show the schemers how pathetic their attempts to control things really are…You were a schemer. You had plans, and look where that gotcha.”

A quick point, I know it wasn’t the script writer’s intention, but there is a droplet of truth here. We are all schemers. We are going to attend college here, we are going to do this, we are going to marry when we’re this age, have this many kids, live here, travel here, do this, do that, ad nauseam. God is the one who often shows “how pathetic our attempts to control things really are.” He alone is sovereign. While we should plan diligently, we must not do so assuming that we have the final say. God has measured our days. We shouldn’t delude ourselves into thinking that we can plan the time and the means by which we will come to God for our eternal destiny. The Scriptures declare that today is the day of salvation, now is the time to believe. Likewise Christ is the only way by which we may gain both acceptance by God and entrance into His heaven. Walking an aisle, signing a card, saying a prayer, getting baptized, taking communion, joining a church, singing a hymn, doing good deeds, and “living a good life” won’t save the first soul from hell. Only God-given faith in Christ can accomplish such a feat.

The Joker goes on:

“See, I’ve noticed something. Nobody panics when things go 'according to plan,’ even if the plan is horrifying. If I told the press that tomorrow like a gangbanger would get shot, or a truck load of soldiers would be blown up, nobody panics, because it’s all ‘part of the plan.’ But if I say that one little old mayor will die, then everyone loses their minds! Introduce a little anarchy; upset the established order and everything becomes chaos. I’m an agent of chaos.”

Hear we see the philosophical conclusion of an atheistic worldview, or at least a worldview with a non-Biblical god. The Bible declares that God is dread sovereign over the entire universe. He has the hairs on our heads numbered; he knows when a sparrow falls to the ground dead. We may see mayhem erupt in riots, wars, and other violence, but God remains in total control of every atom in Creation. Though God is not the author of sin and evil, He still may use these things to accomplish His purposes. We need look no further than the Cross for evidence of this. The Crucifixion of Jesus was the most evil act ever perpetrated by the hand of man. Pure innocence was executed. Jesus was murdered. By killing Jesus, his accusers and executioners committed cold-blooded murder of the first degree. However, out of this murderous act, God brought salvation. Through the greatest sin, God brought the greatest good. What men meant for evil, God meant for good.

However, while The Joker is the antagonist of the film, the films hero has a faulty worldview as well. So do the other ‘good’ characters. In her letter to Bruce, Rachel, lets him know that she has chosen to marry Harvey. She also says something worst examining:

“If you lose your faith in me, please, don’t lose your faith in people.”

Now, this seems like a kind letter that seeks to “let Bruce off easy,” but this final statement is truly foolish. We must put no ultimate faith in people, starting with ourselves. We are people of deceitful hearts and unclean lips. It is in Christ alone in whom we must place our faith if we hope to endure trials and tribulations.

The end of the film has Batman delivering an interesting last line:

“Sometimes the truth isn’t good enough. Sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded. Sometimes people deserve more.”

Gordon and Batman had “bet it all” on Harvey Dent. The Joker told Batman that he had brought Gotham’s white knight down to “our level.” If people were to know the crimes of Two-Face, then they would lose hope in what Gordon and Batman stood for, or so the protagonists assumed.

That is the overarching flaw of the film’s outlook on human existence. If man is the measure of all things; if God is not given his proper place, then The Joker will ultimately have the last laugh. If we put our faith in our government, our military, our wealth, our health, our family, our spouse, our children, our own moral performance, our heritage, or ourselves we will be eternally disillusioned. All these things, though good, cannot provide ultimate satisfaction or security. Only God can do that. Truth, Biblical Truth, is always good enough. People do not need to have their faith rewarded if that faith’s object is anything but the Living Triune God. Such faith should be torn down and exposed for what it is: a lie. The faith of Christians is the only faith that will bring reward. Not because of the faith itself but because of whom that faith is in: Jesus. We may not deserve Jesus, but He is the “something more” we all desperately need.

One scene from which I do draw inspiration in my Christian walk is the scene in the Bat Bunker before Bruce decides to turn himself in:

-Bruce: People are dying, Alfred. What would you have me do?
-Alfred: Endure, Master Wayne. Take it. They'll hate you for it, but that's the point of Batman. He can make the choice no one else will make, the right choice.

Many Christians like me who struggle with assurance and sin would benefit if we would take to heart the numerous Biblical passages that tell us to persevere in the faith. Knowing that our salvation is a free gift and that we are free from both the dominion and condemnation of sin, what will we now do? Turn ourselves back over to the world, the flesh, and the devil? God forbid! The world may hate us for it, but we must take it.
Let us press on to the goal keeping our eyes fixed on the Cross. Let us endure.

In conclusion, I loved The Dark Knight. It is a cinematic masterpiece. It raises the right questions that most movies shy away from even if it doesn’t offer the right answers.

Soli Deo Gloria

RNC Day II: "Change" vs. "Reform", Fred vs. Barry, and the Untimely Death of Jerry

2008-09-02T23:02:00.009-04:00

After watching some of the Republican National Convention from the Twin Cities (that's John Piper's turf, so I'd be interested to hear his thoughts about the upcoming election), I came away with a few impressions.

-I noticed that the sea of signs and placards all read "Country First" and "Service" rather than "Change" as they had at the DNC. The former two slogans seem to proclaim objective values and ideals that are beneficial if believed and lived out by a the citizens of a nation. What exactly is "change?" Change is amoral. In fact, it is often times negative. If my house burns down, it has physically changed. Few would call such change positive except for some kooky neo-Ludites. G.K. Chesterton critiques the radical and the revolutionary in his great apologetic work, Orthodoxy. He sees the revolutionary as one who calls for change for the sake of bringing about a better socio-political order. Progressives can only bare that label if they are progressing towards something. Christians, therefore, are the consummate progressives because we have a definite vision for human flourishing towards which we are progressing though it will never be fully reached on this side of eternity. Despite this, we are commanded by our Lord and God to do good works in keeping with repentance through faith in Christ and to engage the culture with the Biblical Gospel. However, Chesterton notes, that in his age (and ours is not all that different) that rather than changing the world, progressives (so called) just keep changing the vision. It's much easier that actually solving problems. If a rebel has no set vision for the world, then there is no reason for his rebellion. As a Reformed Christian, I am called to be "always reforming" (semper reformanda): myself, the church, and the culture. My reforms are based upon the whole counsel of God within the Scriptures. That is the vision, the ideal to which God's people must aspire. Once it is achieved, it must be rigorously defended from doubters and naysayers. A revolutionary who succeeds ceases to be a revolutionary and becomes a conservative.

-Per my above post, the McCain campaign often speaks of "reform" rather than "change" which expresses a greater maturity in terms of thinking than the Obama camp. Once again, "reform" implies form. It implies set standards which we seek to live up to and reflect in our lives. "Change" is opaque and amorphous. It is relativistic and can mean many things to many people. It may be great for politicking, but it is still banal and shallow if not defined by methods of application.

-Fred Thompson...wow. Just WOW. If McCain wins, he owes much to the rich Southern baritone and straight talk of Fred who really took it to the "Dalai Bama" (h/t: Dan Phillips). He would make a spectacular press secretary. Don't just take my word for it, watch and listen for yourself:

-Poor Joe Lieberman had to follow Fred. I don't envy him one bit.

-I feel Joe should have emphasized national security more than he did. Isn't that the key issue on which Lieberman and the GOP completely agree? He mentioned natural disasters WAY too much...especially when he slipped and called 9/11 one by mistake. A small stumble to be sure, but I can't wait for the 9/11 Truthers and moonbat bloggers to overanalyze it. However, its good to have Joe at the convention...as long as he ain't on the ticket.

-Jerry Reed died? Man, now I'm bummed. I'll be praying for God the Holy Spirit to comfort his family. I hope that he was a believer, because he'd make a great addition to the heavenly choir!

Words of Wisdom for Spiritual Sailors from C.H.S.

2008-09-01T12:51:00.010-04:00

..."CHS" being Charles Haddon Spurgeon. My alma mater was Columbia High School, so I know the abbrieviation well. I always make use of Phil Johnson's Spurgeon Archive, particulary the Daily Meditation. Since my blog's theme is heavily influenced by the musicical stylings of Buffett, I thought that this excerpt from today's morning meditation was fitting to post.

"What were the mariner without his compass? And what were the Christian without the Bible? This is the unerring chart, the map in which every shoal is described, and all the channels from the quicksands of destruction to the haven of salvation mapped and marked by one who knows all the way. Blessed be Thou, O God, that we may trust Thee to guide us now, and guide us even to the end!"

Let us heed God's Word in all areas of life that, by faith, we may make our way through life's troubled waters and stormy sees to the eternal shores of Paradise.

Here's the link to the daily devotions:

http://www.spurgeon.org/daily.htm

Obama: I am Change, and so can YOU!

2008-08-20T17:25:00.003-04:00

I was recently home sick from work and was catching the final hour of Mike and Mike over on ESPN2. During one of the commercial breaks, a commercial came on for Crazy Fox which is one of these "work from home and make bank" deals. It is a front for Herbalife which sells vitamins and health products using "multilevel marketing" which is a euphemism for "pyramid scheme." Like its distant cousin, Quixtar, the recent incarnation of Amway, Herbalife preys on the ignorant and the gullible who somehow think that they can tell their boss to shove it and bring in six figures a year all while working from home. I admit, after the second commercial, I was tempted to at least visit the website. They promise financial freedom, flexible hours, and vocational autonomy. All they deliver are deceptive dreams and high priced "information kits" that tell you how great it is to work from home and be rich but never get around to explaining how the two are related. Then, I made a pretty fair observation: Barack Obama is the Crazy Fox of presidential candidates.

Obama’s campaign promises hope and change that we can believe in. He promises energy independence, economic prosperity, world peace, and global unity if he is elected President. That’s a pretty tall order for any man, let alone a freshmen senator from Illinois who only managed to advance his political career due to the corrupt Chicago political machine and the fact that his opponents were engulfed in numerous scandals. With his recent debate with McCain, Obama and his stirring oratory is proving to be just a bunch of sound and fury signifying nothing. Every Obama speech that is televised should be required to display fine print on the bottom of the screen that reads “results not typical.”

Really, it’s not just Obama. The entire liberal establishment (particularly the Democrat party) is a pyramid scheme. It promises the desperate masses everything they desire in exchange for liberty. The ones at the top get away with all the money and the power while the rest of us have to buy into the hype that our quality of life is better now that government has intervened. Sure, it’s a load of horse dung, but it’s packaged so well!

Now, if Obama and the Democrats are Herbalife, who are their loyal base? Well, the foolish suckers who buy into the lofty rhetoric despite evidence to the contrary provided by basic economics and the plain facts of history. So reason and experience are barred from the discussion in favor of feelings. It saddens me to see so many people my age flocking to Obama as if he is someone who transcends politics. I don’t think those who do this are dumb, per say. I think many people my age are knowledgeable; they know lots of stuff. However, they don’t know how to think; they come to wrong conclusions with the knowledge they have. They are illogical, irrational, and smug: that’s a toxic mixture.

So, is McCain perfect? Hell to the no. However, McCain never claimed to be. Obama on the other hand...

*The second photo is a work from John Cox. All rights reserved.

Theology: What's It Good For? An Introduction

2008-01-17T14:58:00.001-05:00

A chief concern of Christianity in our age (well, in all ages) is theology. We are happy to discuss worship, fellowship, and drama but seldom do we discuss the “queen of the sciences.” I believe there are a variety of reasons people shy away from this most pertinent of topics. I assert that the foremost reason is ignorance. Many people are not well versed in the details of the Trinity, the Incarnation, or the Atonement. I’m not saying they are not true Christians. Many of these believers eagerly confess the aforementioned truths without fully understanding them. In fact, the place to start with sound theology is that the subject of study, God, is not fully understandable. The way many theologians have put it: we can apprehend God but we cannot comprehend God. No one, not pastor, priest, or Pope can come to an exhaustive knowledge of Almighty God. We can know God insofar as He has revealed Himself to us through both general revelation (the Creation) and special revelation (the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament). Many an agnostic will assert that God, being infinite, cannot even be apprehended by us finite beings. In short, God is unknowable. To those who hold this view, be careful what you assert. If God is unknowable, how did you come to know this? Unknowablility is an attribute you ascribe to God who, you claim, cannot be known. Your statement is self-contradictory.

ANYWAY, back to my main point. Theology and sound doctrine are also avoided for fear of division within the Body of Christ. When you start defining what beliefs are right and what beliefs are wrong, you’re bound to step on some toes. These well-meaning but misguided Christians cite texts such 1 Corinthians 12:25, “as so that there may be no division in the body, but the members may have mutual concern for one another.” I could cite Christ words in Luke 12:51, “Do you think I have come to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!” The division spoken of in the epistles seems to refer to needless division that arises due to bigotry, gossip, grudges, pride, and other fruit of the flesh. Christ tells that He and His message will tear people apart. The Gospel is good news to those who are being saved but is ominous to those who are perishing. There are plenty of passages in the New Testament that we Christians need to be separate from the world. Not separate in the sense of hunkering down in a fallout shelter or joining the Amish, but being separate in our convictions and in our actions. We are to be in the world but not of the world.

Thirdly, sound doctrine is deemphasized by those who can’t see the relevance of what they see as modern-day scholasticism arguing over theological minutiae that has no bearing in their walk with Christ. I do admit that we Christians often strain out gnats while swallowing camels (Matthew 23:24), but this is precisely why theological training is needed in the churches! We need to learn the sine qua non (Latin for “without which not”) doctrines of the Christian faith. Those doctrines, which, if not believed fully and properly by someone, make them unchristian. Many will cry out that they “believe the Bible.” Well, so do many cults. The best heresies come from Scripture. We Christians need to rediscover the dynamism and beauty of Truth so that we may make disciples of all the nations. We think the clear and bold proclamation of eternal truth will drive people from the church. It may, but perhaps they weren’t the right people. Skits, dramas, self-esteem sermons may draw a crowd for a time, but only Truth will put the right people in the seats for the long haul. My first article that will deal with theology in everyday life will be focused on “Truth About Town: Seeing Theology in Nation’s Oldest City.” So, when you’re stuck in the library between classes, take some time to check it out.
As always, Soli Deo Gloria and Semper Reformanda!

*For some introductory theology check out these links:
http://www.reclaimingthemind.org/268theologyquestions?s=c1f7e682313f17d7b878c2d52ca3b648
http://www.ligonier.org
http://www.monergism.com/
For anyone with iTunes, go to iTunesU and search for RTS-Reformed Theological Seminary. They have whole classes for FREE; very edifying source.

*In regards to the picture, this is the Reformation Wall (or Reformers' Wall) in Geneva, Switzerland. It depicts four titans of the Reformation. From left: Guillaume Farel, John Calvin, Theodore Beza, and John Knox. Farel was the man who persuaded John Calvin to remain in Geneva. Calvin is the foremost theologian associated with Reformed Theology. Beza was one of Calvin's stellar students. Knox was the fiery preacher who brought the Reformation to Scotland.

Message to the EMC: STOP TALKING! START DOING!

2008-01-13T00:09:00.000-05:00

I figured I won’t have an official Christian blog until I touch on the issue of the Emerging/Emergent/Postmodern/Seeker Sensitive Church Movement (EMC). So, in the spirit of the EMC, I wanted to use a popular ad campaign to make my point. Watch this IBM ad and then read my commentary:

The ad captures the overall mentality of the Emerging Church. They are so busy trying to stay on the cutting edge of the culture, that they ultimately accomplish nothing. They chatter on endlessly about new paradigms and perspectives and go nowhere.

I am all for communicating the Gospel as clearly as possible to the current culture. Paul was all things to all people for the sake of Christ. However, as much as I don’t want to frontload the Gospel, I also don’t want to mangle the message to the point where we are left with a false Gospel. By trying to keep our finger on the pulse of the culture, the culture ends up having us (the church) by the throat. We get trapped in a fruitless cycle of trying to stay relevent. Rather than changing the culture, it changes us. The essence of the euangelion is foolishness to those who are perishing. If we preach the Gospel once delivered to the saints boldly and with charity, then God will by His Grace grant the increase! The ECM try to cast themselves as modern day Martin Luther's bringing about much needed reformation. Here is where I agree with the EC: reformation is long overdue. Unfortunately, the EC goes about it all wrong. The Reformers looked back to the past for their inspiration and direction; to Augustine and to the Scriptures. The ECM wants to sever all ties with the past and live permanently in the present. They are foolishlessly building their house on the sand of fad rather than on the rock of Truth. Here is where the Reformed tradition can teach the emergents a great deal. If one believes in the sovereignty of God and that salvation is God’s work from start to finish, there is no need to camouflage or dilute the Gospel. God will do the saving; he merely asks us to do the preaching.

So, if there are those within the ranks of the ECM who hold fast to historic Christianity (Apostles Creed, Nicene Creed, et al) but merely like sipping lattes, wearing square-rimmed glasses, and sporting soul patches, fine. I’m no fan of “cookie cutter” Christians or superficial similarities. I welcome diversity so far as sound doctrine is left intact. However, if you hold truth to be relative and core doctrines pertaining to the Trinity, the Incarnation, the sinfulness of man, and the Resurrection of Christ from the dead as being up for grabs, then you need to humble yourself and submit to full council of God as revealed in the Scriptures (repent and believe). If not, quit calling your gatherings “church” and quit calling yourself a “Christian”.

So, to all you Emerladies and –gents, STOP TALKING and START DOING!

As always, Soli Deo Gloria and Semper Reformanda!

Augustine, Pears, Norm MacDonald, and Human Depravity

2008-01-12T13:56:00.000-05:00

I recently finished listening to the audiobook of Saint Augustine's timeless work, The Confessions. I encourage all Christians and non-Christians to read (or listen to) this book at some point. It paints such an intimate portrait of the spiritual struggles of one of the greatest theologians of Church history. By showing us the depths of his depravity, Augustine puts a mirror to our own hearts so tainted by sin. One noted event in the book and in the life of Augustine is the infamous stealing of the pears. Augustine recounts a time in his youth where he and some friends were looking for kicks one night and ended up stealing pears from a stranger's pear tree. Finding them sub par, Augustine and his coterie of ne'er-do-wells proceeded to throw the fruit away.
Most people today, and I venture to say, most people then, view Augustine's antics as a harmless prank. Augustine, looking back on this event, saw much deeper spiritual implications. Why did he steal the pears? He could have bought plenty of pears of much higher quality by his own means. Did he steal because of a sense of camaraderie among his partners in crime? Well, somewhat, but what was the root of his action? Augustine came to the conclusion that it was the natural affection we humans have for sin itself. Sure, we all sin for the pleasure or benefit derived from our unrighteous action. We lust and commit fornication for the pleasure derived from sex (Augustine knew plenty about this as well, but that's a whole 'nother issue!); we cheat and steal for what money and filthy lucre can get us. However, the severity Augustine saw in his sin of stealing those pears was the utter pointlessness of the act. He derived no pleasure or gratification from the pears. He sinned for the sake of sinning. And we are no different. Augustine saw humans as riding a bucking bronco that was our sinful nature. We do not have hold of any reins but only a whip. We can only store up more sin and thereby store up more wrath for ourselves on the day of judgment.
BUT, God has graciously made a provision on our behalf. He has given us a way to dismount the stead, as it were: it is the person and work of Jesus Christ. Though by Adam sin entered into the world, in Christ, sin is conquered. In Adam all die; in Christ all live and live more abundantly. God demands moral perfection that no man can attain (no, not one). So, God sent His son to live the life we could not and die the death of a criminal thereby atoning for all the sins of those who would come to believe. Christ's shed blood washes all our sins away, and His righteousness is imputed to all those who believe so when God looks at us, He no longer sees our iniquity but rather sees the perfect righteousness of Christ.
To all those who do not yet rest in Christ, I earnestly exhort you to repent of your sins and believe the gospel. We Christians tend to wrongly cast our heroes of the faith as marble statues who know nothing of human frailty. Nothing could be further from the truth! Augustine knew and struggled with sins few church-going Christians can mention without blushing. Augustine's example shows us that God shows mercy upon whom He will show mercy. God at times chooses the worst and most wicked among us in order to accomplish His sovereign purposes. Augustine knew this first hand. That is why he did not boast or seek salvation through his own devices and neither should we. He sought refuge in Christ and Christ alone. As a Christian who struggles at times with assurance of salvation, I always look to the Cross for true peace and to the Word for true solace. I am reminded that God's promises to those whom He has saved are not "yes and no" but "yes and amen"!
Now, on a lighter note, here is Norm MacDonald talking about lying for no good reason. He makes a valid point that reflects Augustine's sentiments regarding the theft of the pears. The part about lying begins about 45 seconds in...Enjoy!

Table Talk: Potpourri

2008-01-12T13:51:00.000-05:00

I wanted to hit on a variety of topics today ranging from the serious to the frivolous. So let's pull up a chair at Dr. Martin's table and bend an ear:

OF SINS
CCLI.A magistrate, a father or mother, a master or dame, tradesmen and others, must now and then look through the fingers at their citizens, children, and servants, if their faults and offences be not too gross and frequent; for where we will have summum jus, there follows often summa injuria, so that all must go to wreck. Neither do they which are in office always hit it aright, but err and sin themselves, and must therefore desire the forgiveness of sins.God forgives sins merely out of grace for Christ's sake; but we must not abuse the grace of God. God has given signs and tokens enough, that our sins shall be forgiven; namely, the preaching of the gospel, baptism, the Lord's Supper, and the Holy Ghost in our hearts.Now it is also needful we testify in our works that we have received the forgiveness of sins, by each forgiving the faults of his brother. There is no comparison between God's remitting of sins and ours. For what are one hundred pence, in comparison with ten thousand pounds? as Christ says, naught. And although we deserve nothing by our forgiving, yet we must forgive that thereby we may prove and give testimony that we from God have received forgiveness of our sins.The forgiveness of sins is declared only in God's Word, and there we must seek it; for it is grounded on God's promises. God forgives thee thy sins, not because thou feelest them and art sorry, for this sin itself produces, without deserving, but he forgives thy sins because he is merciful, and because he has promised to forgive for Christ's sake.(Here, Luther is speaking againt what we might call "easy-believism". So many people want the freedom from God's wrath that Christ offers without desiring the freedom from sin that is a necessary and crucial part to saving faith. We should "work out our own salvation in fear and trembling" Philippians 2:12. A saving faith must bear fruit!)

OF TEMPTATION AND TRIBULATION

DCXXXIV.It is impossible for a human heart, without crosses and tribulations, to think upon God.
DCXLIII.Ah! how willingly would I now die, for I am faint and overwrought, and at this time I have a joyful and peaceable heart and conscience. I know full well, so soon as I shall be again in health, I neither shall have peace nor rest, but sorrow, weariness, and tribulations. But even that great man, St Paul, could not be exempt from tribulations.
DCLII.My tribulations are more necessary for me than meat and drink; and all they feel them ought to accustom themselves thereunto, and learn to bear them.If Satan had not so plagued and exercised me, I should not have been so great an enemy unto him, or have been able to do him such hurt. Tribulations keep us from pride, and therewith increase the acknowledgment of Christ and of God's gifts and benefits. For, from the time I began to be in tribulation, God have me the victory of overcoming that confounded, cursed, and blasphemous life wherein I lived in popedom. God did the business in such a way, that neither the emperor nor the pope was able to suppress me, but the devil must come and set upon me, to the end God's strength may be known in my weakness.

OF GOD'S WORKS
CXVII.The devil, too, has his amusement and pleasure, which consists in suppressing God's work, and tormenting those that love God's Word, and hold fast thereby; so the true Christians, being God's kingdom, must be tormented and oppressed. A true Christian must have evil days, and suffer much; our Adam's flesh and blood must have good and easy days, and suffer nothing. How may these agree together? Our flesh is given over to death and hell: if our flesh is to be delivered from death, hell and the devil, it must keep and hold to God's commandments - i.e., must believe in Christ Jesus, that he is the Son of God and our Redeemer, and must cleave fast to his Word, believing that he will not suffer us to be plagued everlastingly, but will deliver and remove us out of this life into life eternal; giving us at the same time, patience under the cross, and to bear with the weakness of another, who is also under the cross, and holds with Christ.Therefore, he that will boast himself to be Christ's disciple, a true Christian, and saved, must not expect good days; but all his faith, hope, and love must be directed to God, and to his neighbor, that so his whole life be nothing else than the cross, persecution, adversity, and tribulation.
XC.God delights in our temptations, and yet hates them; he delights in them when they drive us to prayer; he hates them when they drive us to despair. The Psalm says: "An humble and contrite heart is an acceptable sacrifice to God," etc. Therefore, when it goes well with you, sing and praise God with a hymn: goes it evil, that is, does temptation come, then pray: "For the Lord has pleasure in those that fear him;" and that which follows is better: "and in them that hope in his goodness," for God helps the lowly and humble, seeing he says: "Thinkest thou my hand is shortened that I cannot help?" He that feels himself weak in faith, let him always have a desire to be strong therein, for that is a nourishment which God relishes in us.(I think suffering is far more beneficial than we give it credit for. We must remember that God chasens those whom he loves. I always seek a "quick fix"; instant alleviation of my pain whether it be through medication, distraction, or amusement. When I grow physically ill or feel overwhelmed with school or worldly matters, I should use that hardship to meditate on God's mercy and providence. I consider that though I am a wretched sinner, God by His grace has saved me and will allow nothing to snatch me out of His hand! That's why, when I die, if it be God's Will, I pray mine to be a slow death for the sake of my own sanctification. No amount of mental anguish or carnal agony can eclipse the glory and majesty of what is prepared for me by Christ!)

Now, Luther's lighter side:

ON GOD'S WORKS
XCII.`Tis wonderful how God has put such excellent physic in mere muck; we know by experience that swine's dung stints the blood; horse's serves for the pleurisy; man's heals wounds and black blotches; asses' is used for the bloody flux, and cow's with preserved roses, for epilepsy, or for convulsions of children.(I don't think exegesis of this excerpt is necessary!)--Soli Deo Gloria

Table Talk: On God's Word

2008-01-12T13:49:00.000-05:00

Martin Luther, the German reformer, often had friends and guests over to his house for some beer, food, and rousing discussions of theology, politics, science, and life. I am going to be posting some excerpts from Luther's Table Talk...I would encourage you to set aside some time and reflect on the musings of this famous reformer:

I.That the Bible is God's Word and book I prove thus: All things that have been, and are, in the world, and the manner of their being, are described in the first book of Moses on the creation; even as God made and shaped the world, so does it stand to this day. Infinite potentates have raged against this book, and sought to destroy and uproot it - king Alexander the Great, the princes of Egypt and of Babylon, the monarchs of Persia, of Greece, and of Rome, the emperors Julius and Augustus - but they nothing prevailed; they are all gone and vanished, while the book remains, and will remain for ever and ever, perfect and entire, as it was declared at first. Who has thus helped it - who has thus protected it against such mighty forces? No one, surely, but God himself, who is the master of all things. And `tis no small miracle how God has so long preserved and protected this book; for the devil and the world are sore foes to it. I believe that the devil has destroyed many good books of the church, as, aforetime, he killed and crushed many holy persons, the memory of whom has now passed away; but the Bible he was fain to leave subsisting. In like manner have baptism, the sacrament of the altar, of the true body and blood of Christ, and the office of preaching remained unto us, despite the infinitude of tyrants and heretic persecutors. God, with singular strength, has upheld these things; let us, then, baptize, administer the sacrament, and preach, fearless of impediment. Homer, Virgil, and other noble, fine, and profitable writers, have left us books of great antiquity, but they are naught to the Bible. While the Romish church stood, the Bible was never given to the people in such a shape that they could clearly, understandingly, surely, and easily read it, as they now can in the German translation, which, thank God, we have prepared here at Wittenberg.

Government+Atheism=Disaster

2008-01-12T13:43:00.000-05:00

One of the many 2006 Campaign Issues on Facebook that caught my eye was the "Government+Religion=Disaster". I read through the description only to find many weak arguments that show a semi-paranoid view of religion (fundamentalist Christianity, I'm guessing), selective ignorance of history, and misunderstanding of the facts. I will start with the first line.

"Where would be now if it weren't for right-wing religious fundamentalist (sic)?"

This opening is ambiguous. I would assume fundamentalist Christianity is what is being referenced. I suspect that some members of this issue group would also include fundamentalist Islam or any other branch of religious fanaticism. If I were to answer this question as someone who could be described as a "right-wing religious fundamentalist," I would say we would be praying to Mecca about now. A Christian West is the only force that has managed to withstand Islamic aggression. A secular socialist Europe is proving incapable of doing what their Christian fore fathers did when Muslim armies were conquering, killing, and converting the world for Allah in the 7th and 8th senturies. Were it not for the victory of the Christian forces under Charles Martel at Tours in 732, Muslims would have swallowed up the whole of Europe. As a Sola Scriptura Protestant, I do not feel obligated to answer for the two most often cited "Christian" atrocities: The Crusades and The Spanish Inquisition. These were doings of the Roman Church. However, the Crusades themselves were not wars whose goal was to slaughter as many Jews and Muslims as possible; they were defensive in nature. What liberal historians forget about the Crusades is that the Holy Land, Asia Minor (Modern Day Turkey), and North Africa were all Christian lands for centuries before they were conquered by Muslims. Why don't liberals call for an apology from every imam, mullah, and sheik this side of the Euphrates? Any idea? Would admitting that the Muslim Arabs were the aggressors and that the Christian Europeans were the freedom fighters destroy a ready-made agenda that holds white Christians as bad and non-white everybody else as good? Now, what would be labeled as war crimes today were committed during the Crusades by people claiming to be Christians. However, if the tenets and doctrines of Christianity clearly condemn their actions, how can one logically cast aside Christianity altogether? I know many of you avowed secularists still see fundamentalist Christianity and fundamentalist Islam as being two sides to the same coin. I suggest you read my note on fundamentalism for my take on this subject.The description continues:

"Stem cells save lives!!!! We have the cures and methods to ensure longevity and good health but can't because of someones opinion, not GOD's by the way."

I agree stem cells save lives...adult stem cells. Liberals are the ones accusing conservatives of never wanting to compromise. Well, let's compromise: Federal funding of adult stem cell research! Science is supported, embryos are not terminated. Why wouldn't liberals go for this? Do they just like killing babies or what? Excuse my sardonic humor, but adult stem cells have proven as promising, if not more promising than embryonic stem cells. Liberals would call this a bold faced lie. Remember, folks, the devil is in the details. Embryonic stem cell research is NOT ILLEGAL; it is just not funded by the federal government. Now, if it is as promising an endeavor as liberals want us to believe, why would it have trouble finding private backers? Surely, the first company to cure paralysis using embryonic stem cells would reap billions upon billions of dollars. The answer: embryonic stem cells aren't the miracles liberals want them to be, nor is it likely they will ever be. Then again, when have facts ever stopped a liberal's agenda? So, in short, we DO NOT "have the cures." If someone did, he/she would have sold them to a major pharmeceutical company for billions by now. I may not understand stem cells as much as you, Konrad, but I do understand economics, and people aren't buying into embryonic stem cells.

"How can people as sinners define sin anyways?"

I'm not sure; I would guess, maybe, the Holy Bible would be a starting point? I won't get into the arguments of the Bible's marks of authenticity (let's save that for another day), but this argument above is hollow and childish. How can we as sinners lock up a murderer, rapist, child molester, thief? How can WE define sin? How "hypocritical" of us! Liberals love to pick and choose which Biblical morals to tout as worthy of observance. (I suppose that secular humanists can not define sin seeing as they have no objective standard to go by.)

"Think of where society would be if religion and government had never met, how people would have gotten along through the centuries without bias, without hate because of misunderstanding, and without having to live in pain or unfortunate circumstance because of what a few people THOUGHT was 'right.'"

This above excerpt reminds me of the time when noted pamphleteer Thomas Paine who had roused American spirits during the Revolution with Common Sense (which borrowed from Enlightenment ideals and Holy Scripture) came out with The Age of Reason. In this work, religion, particularly the Judeo-Christian tradition, is lambasted by Paine. Not surprisingly, it was not received well. Ben Franklin, himself no religious fundamentalist, even noted, "He who spits against the wind spits in his own face. If men are wicked with religion, what would they be without it?" So, has religion been used to justify repression, murder, torture, slavery, wife-beating, and greed? Yes. However, these evils occur even if (especially if) religion is erased from a population. In 17th century American history, the Salem witch trials claimed around twenty victims. During the 20th century, godless Communism killed about 100 million victims, and pagan Nazism killed 11 million people. It should be noted that Karl Marx, Mao Zedong, Josef Stalin, and Adolf Hitler were all strict adherents to Darwinism. Would anyone like to extol the virtues of secular humanism now?

"We have the power to move forward, we can cure disease, we can help children grow up without the inheritable diseases through gene modification, that is, we could someday, if we would dump these narrow minded ways."

Cure disease? Help children? Why would I, as a rational human being, who doesn't espouse "narrow minded ways", want to save those who are obviously, genetically inferior? (Survival of the fittest!) You see? Philosophically, if you put your faith in the god of reason and science, you have no basis for helping others. As a Christian, I share your desire to aide those suffering because I myself was spiritually healed by the Great Physician. I was created by an unchanging God who has given me a brain to help find cures and treatments for various afflictions by understanding his universe which is governed by observable, measurable physical laws and forces. I would also point out that Reason itself was deified during the French Revolution, and heads still rolled. So if you dump "these narrow minded ways," be aware of all you are dumping.

"Without change, we are a nation standing still. Through scientific advancement, social acceptance, and equality, we are a nation moving forward."

I am not adverse to change. However, though change is inevitable, it is not always beneficial. If you try to label me as backward for being a Christian, I am in pretty good company. Galileo, Newton, Pasteur, and (George Washington) Carver were all godly men who believed in their Creator. They were thinking God's thoughts after Him. Even Einstein knew the more he discovered, the more he knew he could never know. When God is removed as a basis for scientific study, as the Creator of the Universe and the Author of Life, you have ideas such as "inferior races", eugenics, and blood letting being touted as progressive "proven" truths. I am no advocate of a theocracy. I believe that church and state should occupy their own spheres. However, acknowledging God's sovereignty as the Author of Liberty was not a taboo practice among our founders and past leaders. We all need to remember that the belief in Divine Providence is what has fueled scientific enquiry for centuries since the time of Newton. Thanks for tolerating by wordiness. I gotta go watch some Conan.

Fruit Without the Root

2008-01-12T13:37:00.000-05:00

(Once again, I have grown much in my faith since I wrote this. I still hold to a six day creation, but it is not an issue which I will break fellowship over. Don't get me wrong, a belief in special creation by God ex nihilo is essensial, but I can allow for various interpretaions as to how He did it)
As a Biblical creationist, I seem to be in the minority. I know of very few issues that Christians will compromise over as much as Creationism. I fear that many professed Christians would rather be ripped asunder by lions than be seen as "scientifically" backward. I would remind my brothers and sisters in Christ to remember Paul's teaching to the Corinthians: "Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?...For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength." I would like speak on morality and how it relates to evolutionary thought. For those of the Judeo-Christian persuasion, we have an objective standard for truth: God. God is the foundation; Christ is the cornerstone. His Word is the Rock upon which we base our beliefs on what is right and wrong; good and evil. The evolutionist/materialist has a problem. They believe in a universe that came into being on its own; there is no supernatural cause. It follows that without a cause, there is no purpose. Likewise, there is no true definition of right and wrong. They themselves are concepts that have evolved chemically in the brains of man.Now, nearly all who you ask, religious or not, will condemn the death camps of the Nazis, the gulags of Stalin, and the killing fields of Pol Pot. Now, why would I, as a Christian, condemn these acts? Simple, I know that murder is immoral. According to what? Answer: God's Word. Why would they condemn these acts?...no answer. The fact is that logically, the acts of Hitler and Stalin can be fully justified by the tenets of Darwinism, but only condemned by the teachings of Christianity. Rape, murder, genocide, theft, and violence are all equally condemned by believers and nonbelievers. It is safe to say that even nonbelievers can see the merits of Christian morality. However, it is fickle and utterly subjective to pick and chose parts of the Bible to hold as useful or applicable. Thomas Jefferson did this with the New Testament by removing all of the supernatural aspects of the Gospels, leaving only Jesus' teachings on morality and ethics. How could a bright, knowledgeable man like Jefferson see some part of the Bible as reliable and reject what he did not care for? Unfortunately, too many people engage in this "cafeteria Christianity." I find that liberal Christians are mostly guilty of this. "Do unto others"? Sounds good. "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father but by Me"? Uhhh, not so good. Liberals, who too often condemn conservatives as Nazis and/or Theocrats, are quick to use Jesus' words that extol the virtue of giving to the poor as justification for social welfare. As a conservative Christian (with libertarian tendencies), I still am lost on the Nazi comparison. Nazis, first off, were pagans. Hitler was a teetotaler who favored euthanasia and animal rights. The central tenet of Nazism is the hatred of the Jews. Who is the most outspoken supporter of the Jewish people? Conservative Christians. Who is openly opposed to Israel, supports animal rights, and embraces trendy pagan beliefs (New Age, Wicca, etc.)? I'd have to go with modern day, socialistic liberals. Back to my point, how can willful, personal acts of charity be compared to an involuntary, impersonal welfare state? Redistribution of wealth is a tenet of Karl Marx, not Jesus Christ. But, if liberal humanists want to legislate morality, let’s start by banning homosexuality, abortion, and extramarital sex. No? Then I suggest they leave people's hard earned money alone.All who read and study the Holy Scriptures come to what C.S. Lewis called the Trilemma. Jesus is either Lord, liar, or lunatic. He can not be just a great prophet; He can not be just a wise teacher; He can not be a pacifistic moralist. He is either a deluded megalomaniac who could turn a phrase or the Promised Messiah who reigns in glory forever and ever. There is no middle ground. Evolution holds that progress, advancement, and higher order come only through death, strife, and chaos. Yet, even most evolutionists don't like to acknowledge these inevitable consequences of their flawed world view. Jesus' teachings have shaped the world for the better. The fruits of his teachings are human rights, compassion, mercy, charity, forgiveness, and loving-kindness. However, if you enjoy these fruits, you must accept the root (or should I say, the "True Vine"?).

Top Ten Stand-Ups

2008-01-12T13:30:00.000-05:00

Like many, I love a good top ten list! The best, worst, the grestest: I can't get enough! I thought I would start to rank certain things according to my expert opinion. I will start with stand-up comedy. Since I started watching Comedy Central, I have become a "stand-up guy" you could say. I have learned so much about the history of stand-up; from its days as Vaudeville filler, to its recent renaissance. I have developed a very discriminating comedy palette; it's not too mainstream and it's not too snobby. I feel it's personal and unique. It is the standard by which I will order my top ten stand-up comediens.

1. Jerry Seinfeld: The king of "didya-ever-notice-that..." He was the first stand-up I have seen live. I laughed non stop for the entire hour. If you only know Jerry from his show, you need to see his stand-up. He once remarked on when he was starting out that he did not have a gimmick, props, or a catchy name; all he had were jokes. Their quality came first. His material is so extensive, clever, and so innoffensive. Jerry himself holds to the belief that comics who use lots of profanity are equal to race car drivers who cut across midfield; they cheat their way to getting laughs. I fully agree. You may think Jerry isn't the best, "not that there's anything wrong with that..."

2. Jim Gaffigan: There are few ways you could tie manatees, Hot Pockets, the Pope, and recessive genes together, unless you add Jim Gaffigan to the mix. His material I compare to fine wine; it gets better with time. When you first here him, you may just chuckle, but if you listen to him again in a week or so, you'll be howling. His delivery is one of a kind (when you hear him, you'll understand). Also, he touches on my two favorite subjects: sleep and food. Give this pale comedien a chance.

3. Chris Rock: Unlike Jim Gaffigan, Chris Rock will make you double over with laughter the instant he opens his foul mouth (though, in my opinion, his material doesn't age very well). His social commentary especially on race, is the most honest in the biz. His bits on OJ Simpson (black people too happy, white people too mad), affirmative action, welfare, and "the civil war between black people" are funnier than any sitcom and more revelvent than any news show. His constant profanity I find excessive, but it often helps drive his points across.

4. Ron White: With scotch in hand, and cigar in mouth, "Tater Salad" is by far the funniest on the Blue Collar Comedy Tour. His material is not necessarily the best, but his delivery is second to none. His true talent is best displayed on his CD Drunk in Public.

5. Brian Regan/ Rodney Dangerfield: YOU, TOO! If you know Brian Regan, than you are probably laughing right now. His comedy is silly, inoffensive, and devoid of profanity. But it is hilarious! Now let's talk about one of the most beloved comics in istory: Rodney Dangerfield. I started to listen to Dangerfield after his death. He truly is more than just his trademark catchphrase. Trust me, with his pan-generational appeal, slew of one liners, and his undeniable contributions to the medium, Rodney definitely has my respect!

6. Dave Attell: Old Dave could be described as the anti-Brian Regan. His material is lude, crude, offensive, and explicit. However, he is like Regan in one respect: he's funny.

7. Kevin James: Most of you may know this guy from King of Queens. As funny as that show may be, it pales in comparison to his stand-up routine. His Comedy Central special had me rolling in the aisles (well, on my living room floor). I hope to see more from him as far as stand-up goes.

8. Mitch Hedberg: I would like to thank my friend Josh Simmons for showing me the error of my ways. Mitch had one of the most unique senses of humor in stand-up. It is truly tragic that he met his untimely demise just as his star began to shine. The weirdest guy we have left is Steven Wright. Mitch was truly a comic's comic.

9. Dave Chappelle: Before his show, there was his stand-up. Dave now bares the mantle of black comedy; from Foxx (that's Redd, not Jamie to all you youngins), to Pryor, to Murphy, to Rock, to Chappelle.

10. George Carlin: I strongly disagree with Carlin's politics and beliefs, but his material that deals with farts and the mundane are the most well-crafted pieces of stand-up ever.

Runners Up: Steve Martin, Jeff Foxworthy, Bernie Mac, Denis Leary, Gilbert Gottfried, Eddie Murphy, Dom Irrera, Larry The Cable Guy. I'm sorry; I don't find Richard Pryor all that funny. He may have been cutting edge thirty years ago, but I identify much more with Chris Rock and Eddie Murphy. I did not make my decisions based on how much impact the comic made on the medium itself, I simply picked who made me laugh. As some great man once said, laughter is something you can't fake.Also, anyone who thinks I'm sexist because I didn't list any comediennes needs to find me a female stand-up who's funny. I have yet to find ONE.

You Fundamentalists Are All The Same...

2008-01-12T13:23:00.002-05:00

(When I use the word "fundamentalist" in this article, its connotation means "orthodox"; as a Reformed Christian I see card-playin', movie-goin', dancin', smokin', and drinkin' as issues of Christian liberty...so I just wanted to put that out there)
As I write this article, I would like the reader to know, I am writing it as a Bible-believing (six literal days, global flood, Jonah swallowed by whale, etc.; the whole sha-bang), fundamentalist Christian. Many secularists, even those with a conservative outlook, see fundamentalism within any religion as bigoted, restrictive, intolerant, and dangerous to liberty. However, "fundamentalism" is simply a "point of view characterized by a return to fundamental principles, by rigid adherence to those principles, and often by intolerance of other views and opposition to secularism." (dictionary.com). As far as "intolerance" goes, the definition should say "unacceptance." Christians are to tolerate other beliefs in that they should respect someone's right to espouse those beliefs. However, Christians cannot hold Christ to be THE Way, THE Truth, and THE Life if they accept alternate faiths and beliefs as equally valid and true. Now before you secularists cringe at the thought of theocracy, you must first assess a religion's basic tenets. Take Biblical Christianity: supreme authority of Scripture (Sola Scriptura), serve God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and treat others as you would like to be treated. Having a large section of the population believe this seems harmless if not beneficial (before you accuse me of advocating the replacement of the U.S. Constitution with the Bible, first remember the Bible itself dictates to "render unto Caesar what is Caesar's, and render unto God what is God's"; which actually advocates the separation of church and state). Those who bomb abortion clinics, call for the extermination of "mongrel" races, and practice hypocrisy are in no way supported by the Bible; in fact, they are condemned by Exodus 20:13, Romans 2:11, and Matthew 12:34 respectively. Therefore, don't fear those who practice true fundamental Christianity, fear those religious types who don't.Now let's switch gears to Islam. Fundamental Islam calls for Muslims to convert, tax, or kill the entire world for Allah. That is what the Quran says; therefore, fundamentalist Muslims, true Muslims are obligated to do this. Christians are called to preach the gospel with love, Muslims are called to force their "gospel" with the sword and kill those who resist. Christians are commanded to pray for their enemies; Muslims are commanded to slay all their enemies.Why would Christians kill nonbelievers? The Christian's fight is a spiritual one that seeks to win souls for Christ. Christians know that while conversion and rebirth is instant, the decision to convert may take a while. Christians "plant the seeds" in peoples' hearts and "God gives the increase." For example, I abhor abortion and condemn those who perform or undergo them, but if I believe that a fetus is a human life, than I can be assured that those who have been aborted are in heaven with God. The "aborter" and the "abortee" are souls in need of the living waters of God's grace, not a Molotov cocktail. They are sinners (like me) who need to repent and believe the gospel. Christians believe Jesus will return and reign "in power and glory" when the last weary soul accepts Christ as Lord and Savior. Muslims believe Allahs kingdom will come when they have established a global theocracy; a "heaven on earth" if you are fond of the conditions of 7th Century Arabia.Fundamentalism indeed has a negative connotation. The word itself, however, is amoral. It is only as dangerous as the religion from which it is spawned. I hope it is clear that all fundamentalists are not created equal.

The Seductive Nature of Socialism

2008-01-12T13:23:00.001-05:00

(Originally written in Fall 2005)
This semester at Flagler I am enrolled in Contemporary Social Problems with Mr. Stephen Jones. I knew I was in for a contentious semester when my books included Stupid White Men by The Stupidest of White Men, Michael Moore and Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal by Eric Scholosser. Both books clearly state their pro-socialist position. The textbook for the course is nauseatingly biased. It basically argues that the United States government and multinational corporations are to blame for all inequality, economic or otherwise, environmental degradation, and oppression the world over. Tyrannical dictators, Muslim Fundamentalists, and terrorists of all stripes are actually misunderstood freedom fighters simply expressing their well-justified rage at the American Satan and the demonic spirit of capitalism. The book uses vaguely defined statistics, weak emotional arguments, and conspiratorial fear-mongering to malign America as I know it as a failed experiment in need of the progressive ideas of socialism. Nevermind the realities of the welfare state, universal healthcare, and social justice (i.e. Cuba, China, Europe, and Canada). Liberals will be damned before they abandon a utopian vision because of something as petty as reality. Socialism is the forbidden fruit of government. It seems so the tempting: everyone's needs will be satisfied and true equality will be realized. There is one problem: human nature. No one's needs are ever satisfied; that's economics 101. Socialism, though contrary to human nature, has been and continues to be applied in numerous nations. What are the results? One example is a lazy, unmotivated dependent citizenry who, as Sallust stated, prefer a just master to true freedom. In worse cases, communist dictatorships arise in the name of equality and social justice.Admittedly, capitalism is far from perfect, but, unlike socialism, it never claims to be. Socialism promises communal bliss while in reality only spreads the misery of those who live in poverty. Socialists claim that capitalism is founded on greed. Perhaps. However, socialism is founded on envy. Envy is a perfectly natural reaction, especially when one views the irresponsible and self-centered debauchery of Paris Hilton and the inexcusable pride and avarice of the Enron and WorldCom executives. However, capitalism has produced the likes of Thomas Edison, John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, Henry Flagler, Henry Ford, and Bill Gates. These men have all given back to humanity in so many ways. Edison's genius ushered in the modern age. Rockefeller, Carnegie, and Ford turned America into the industrialized powerhouse it is today and whose immense fortunes continue to fund altruistic foundations that bear their names (ironically enough, most of these foundations are uberliberal). Henry Flagler's drive transformed the swampy state of Florida into one of the most populous and fastest growing states in the Union. Bill Gates continuously donates huge sums of money to AIDS research among other philanthropic causes. Capitalism gave them the freedom to rise to the top. Everyone in every generation deserves such a chance.Socialism does no such thing. It discourages individual creativity and success because that leads to inequality. The individual is marginalized in favor of the "collective cause" which is too often defined by an envious majority, elitist bureaucracy, or oppressive autocracy. Socialism must face the truth: it needs capitalism to survive. It needs the wealth and technological innovations that are created in a free market to fund its harsh experiment on a certain population (i.e. China using the thriving open port of Hong Kong). America continues to flirt with socialism. Both Democrats and Republicans see the forbidden fruit of socialism and government spending as a way to achieve a better country. They each promise to use the larger more powerful government for the good of the people. All we the people have to do is surrender rights, property, and privacy for the enlightened vision of career politicians. I'll leave you, the reader with this word of advice: The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Liberals Against Liberty

2008-01-12T13:19:00.000-05:00

So many things in this post-9/11 world confound me. For example: Why do Islamists get so upset over a few whimsical cartoon representations of Muhammed? Don't get me wrong, if I lived in a hot, desolate hell hole live many fundamentalist Muslims, it would not take much to get my turban in a twist. But does a Danish doodler deserve death? Alliteration aside, I am even more vexxed by another paradox: Professed progressives who do not believe in the defense of freedom.Consider this: when you see peace protests that equate America with Nazi Germany, Bush with Hitler, and Republicans with fascists, who constitures the crowd? Answer: Aging hippies long past their prime in a baked stupor trying to recapture a long defunct dream of social revolution and bland, asexual youth who know nothing of history and enjoy sipping on mochachinnos at bookstore cafes. Of course, among the unkempt and "over-hemped" rabble, you will find many well-meaning bleeding hearts oozing liberal guilt from every orafice. These Americans or, should I say, anti-Americans are the citizens who use our nation's freedoms to their fullest. They support the freedom for gays to marry, the freedom to say whatever they want whenever they want, the freedom to protest whomever and whatever they want, the freedom to mutilate their body so as to achieve what gender they "feel" like. I could go on and on. As much as they defame, disparage, and disgrace this nation and the instituition's upon which it is founded, they seem to thoroughly enjoy the freedoms this nation has to offer. Why then, do they decry our nation for defending itself from a culture that seeks to dominate the globe and extinguish all personal liberty?The sad truth is, the decadent degenerates who claim to be against "American Imperialism" need our nation's militarism. Without the security that America's armed forces provide, these smarmy Quisslings would be the first to be beheaded by the forces of Radical (Orthodox) Islam. Why is it that most "flag-waving" Americans who support our fight for personal freedom here and abroad, often do not make use of many of the freedoms for which they fight? They fight for the freedom to mutilate oneself, to burn our flag, and to not be forced to worship any god. Yet, many and I would dare say most of America's fighting mean and women are straight-laced, God-fearing individuals who practice disipline and self-control. How ironic.In conclusion, I exhort all progressives to dawn yellow ribbons and drop those passe' peace signs. Your hedonistic lifestyles need B2 bombers to back them up whether you like it or not. So, unless you want to be forced to get on your knees and pray to Mecca five times a day (instead of getting on your knees for other reasons), replace your socialism with jingoism.