Actor, comedian, law professor, pro-life activist and former Nixon speechwriter Ben Stein is helming a new documentary on the prejudice proponents of intelligent design face in acedemia and elsewhere. Checkout the link
http://www.expelledthemovie.com
Friday, November 2, 2007
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Small Group Shepherds
Brothers,
As we discussed, please check out the videos to your left, esp. the first video "The Good Soldier" by Pastor Mark Driscoll. YOU are the men that have been chosen for the task, the message is 1 Cor. 15 and the mission is the redemption of Scioto County for the glory of God!
Please also check out the resources contained in the links to the lower left.
Study the Word, pray for wisdom (James 1:5), fast (Matt 6:16ff) and prepare yourselves for the spiritual warfare ahead.
Please do not hestitate to ask any question. My personal email is matt_rawlings_33@hotmail.com.
May God bless you, May He keep you from the evil one and may He guard you from temptation.
In Christ,
Matthew
As we discussed, please check out the videos to your left, esp. the first video "The Good Soldier" by Pastor Mark Driscoll. YOU are the men that have been chosen for the task, the message is 1 Cor. 15 and the mission is the redemption of Scioto County for the glory of God!
Please also check out the resources contained in the links to the lower left.
Study the Word, pray for wisdom (James 1:5), fast (Matt 6:16ff) and prepare yourselves for the spiritual warfare ahead.
Please do not hestitate to ask any question. My personal email is matt_rawlings_33@hotmail.com.
May God bless you, May He keep you from the evil one and may He guard you from temptation.
In Christ,
Matthew
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Will We Be Judged By Our Works? Part Two.
The classical protestant view is that we are saved by faith not works, but lately Bishop N.T. Wright and well known author & mega-church pastor Rob Bell, as well as many others, have argued that while we are admitted into the body of Christ purely by grace, we stay there by doing "good works." This has evoked howls of protest from the likes of Calvinists such as John MacArthur, Mark Driscoll and John Piper. Yet, there are passages of Scripture like Matthew 25:31-46 in which Jesus casts into Hell all those who call Him Lord but do not care for "the least among us and 2 Cor. 5:10 which reads "For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil." On the other hand there are passages of Scripture that clearly state that we are justified by faith not by works (Gal. 2:16). So what’s the deal?
In order to accept Bishop Wright and Pastor Bell’s arguments, you have to totally redefine justification from the eternal declaration by God that a repentant sinner has been declared forgiven to the declaration by God that a repentant sinner has been declared forgiven for now but tomorrow is another day. Such a definition doesn’t seem to square with most of the New Testament or more than 2000 years of church tradition. So, how do you harmonize what Paul writes in Gal. 2:16 with what he writes in 2 Cor. 5:10?
John Calvin was one of the truly brilliant interpreters of Scripture the church has ever known and he saw this "dilemma" roughly 400 years ago. In his theological masterpiece, The Institutes of the Christian Religion he writes:
"For we dream neither of a faith devoid of good works nor of a justification that stands without them. This alone is of importance: having admitted that faith and good works must cleave together, we still lodge justification in faith, not in works. We have a ready explanation for doing this, provided we turn to Christ to whom our faith is directed and from whom it receives its full strength." (Institutes. III.16.1)
Calvin argued that the "predestined elect" are justified by faith and then we grow in holiness or godliness through the work of the Holy Spirit within us (often called "progressive sanctification") and that this is demonstrated by "good works." Therefore, if a person does not demonstrate "good works" then he or she never received the Holy Spirit which means they were never justified which means they were never saved!
But what about all of this stuff about receiving our just due in Heaven for what we have done whether good or evil?
Biblical scholar and theologian Wayne Grudem, following Calvin, argues that all Christians will receive rewards or "treasures" in Heaven (Matt. 6:1-24) for doing "good works." What are these rewards? What does a believer get for his or her "evil"? Will there be some type of punishment in heaven? The Bible simply doesn’t say.
As much respect as I have for Bishop Wright, I don’t think his view of works (and especially of justification) is correct. However, whether you agree with Bishop Wright or with Calvinists like John Piper (who is set to publish a formal response to Wright next month), it is clear that works matter. Whether you believe that "good works" are a sign of salvation or a means of retaining your salvation, it is clear that our Savior and King demands that we care for the "least among us." May we do so joyfully and to His glory.
In order to accept Bishop Wright and Pastor Bell’s arguments, you have to totally redefine justification from the eternal declaration by God that a repentant sinner has been declared forgiven to the declaration by God that a repentant sinner has been declared forgiven for now but tomorrow is another day. Such a definition doesn’t seem to square with most of the New Testament or more than 2000 years of church tradition. So, how do you harmonize what Paul writes in Gal. 2:16 with what he writes in 2 Cor. 5:10?
John Calvin was one of the truly brilliant interpreters of Scripture the church has ever known and he saw this "dilemma" roughly 400 years ago. In his theological masterpiece, The Institutes of the Christian Religion he writes:
"For we dream neither of a faith devoid of good works nor of a justification that stands without them. This alone is of importance: having admitted that faith and good works must cleave together, we still lodge justification in faith, not in works. We have a ready explanation for doing this, provided we turn to Christ to whom our faith is directed and from whom it receives its full strength." (Institutes. III.16.1)
Calvin argued that the "predestined elect" are justified by faith and then we grow in holiness or godliness through the work of the Holy Spirit within us (often called "progressive sanctification") and that this is demonstrated by "good works." Therefore, if a person does not demonstrate "good works" then he or she never received the Holy Spirit which means they were never justified which means they were never saved!
But what about all of this stuff about receiving our just due in Heaven for what we have done whether good or evil?
Biblical scholar and theologian Wayne Grudem, following Calvin, argues that all Christians will receive rewards or "treasures" in Heaven (Matt. 6:1-24) for doing "good works." What are these rewards? What does a believer get for his or her "evil"? Will there be some type of punishment in heaven? The Bible simply doesn’t say.
As much respect as I have for Bishop Wright, I don’t think his view of works (and especially of justification) is correct. However, whether you agree with Bishop Wright or with Calvinists like John Piper (who is set to publish a formal response to Wright next month), it is clear that works matter. Whether you believe that "good works" are a sign of salvation or a means of retaining your salvation, it is clear that our Savior and King demands that we care for the "least among us." May we do so joyfully and to His glory.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Will We By Judged By Our Works?
Judgment day. The trumpet sounds, Jesus somehow reveals himself to the world and God creates a new Heaven and a new Earth. The nations are arraigned before the Son of God. Among them are many people to Jesus' left who have attended church, dropped checks in the collection plate and sang countless hymns. They wait for the King of the New Creation to announce to them that because of their faith alone they are forgiven. They take deep breaths in great anticipation for the words from the throne "well done good and faithful servant, enter my Kingdom." They watch as the Christ turns to his right and tells all of the people gathered on the opposite side that they are blessed and may inherit eternity because they fed Jesus when He was hungry, gave Him something to drink when He was thirsty, welcomed Him when He was a stranger, clothed Him when He was in need, cared for Him when He was sick and even visited Him when He was in prison. The throngs to the Messiah's right look to their King in shock. Some murmur to themselves while others just yell out, "Lord, when did we do these things?" Jesus responds with a warm, appreciative smile, "What you did to the least among you…you did for me!"
Christ slowly turns to look to those at His left but his countenance has changed. He looks mad! Jesus says in a very strong, passionate tone, "You, on the other hand, are cursed! Away from me because you didn't feed me, welcome me, visit me, clothe me or take care of me." The crowd at the left scream in desperation "BUT LORD! When did we see you hungry or in need or sick or in prison…!" Jesus responds in a croaked voice tinged with both anger and sorrow, "what you didn't do to the least among you…you didn't do for me!"
Sound weird? Not what you were raised to expect from Judgment Day? Yet, this is exactly the picture presented by Matthew 25:31-46 (and anticipated in Matt. 25:14-30). BUT what about Jesus telling Nicodemus that one needs to be "born again" in order to be saved (John 3:3) or Peter telling the Jews gathered in Jerusalem that they need only to repent and be baptized to be saved (Acts 2:38) or Christ telling the thief on the cross that, apparently because of his simple confession, he would join Jesus in paradise that very day (Luke 23:39-43)? For goodness sakes, what about Paul telling the church that we are justified not by works but by faith alone (Gal. 2:16)?
Yet, there are also passages of Scripture like 2 Corinthians 5:10 ("For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil.") and Revelation 20:12 ("And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened, the book of life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done.") as well as Romans 2:6-10; 1 Cor. 4:5, etc.
So are we saved by faith or by works? This question stands at the center of a very heated and important debate going on in churches and seminaries across the world as we speak. It is important to note that it is not a debate between liberals and conservatives but largely conservatives versus conservatives. Evangelical scholars like N.T. Wright and megachurch pastors like Rob Bell have embraced a form of what is known as "The New Perspective on Paul" which teaches that Christians all enter the Kingdom by faith and the grace of God but that they stay there (or "keep the new Covenant") by "good works." This has drawn howls from very influential conservative Christians like John MacArthur, John Piper, Mark Driscoll and Professor Don Carson.
So, who has the better argument? What do folks like John MacArthur do with passages like Matthew 25:31-46? What does N.T. Wright do with Galatians 2:16? Do most Christians need to get out of their chairs and start feeding the poor to stay out of hell? Is it fair that a serial killer like Ted Bundy can "come to Christ" on death row and go to heaven and sit right next to Mother Theresa? If so, then what do you tell someone on their death bed who truly regrets their life and wants to accept Christ? Sorry, too late! Better pack sunscreen! And what about the poor who try to take advantage of you? Doesn't Paul say to the Thessalonians that those who don’t work, don't eat (2 Thess. 3:10)?
All I can tell you is to pick up your Bibles, start reading and click on this blog in a few weeks for more. Happy Bible wrestling!
Christ slowly turns to look to those at His left but his countenance has changed. He looks mad! Jesus says in a very strong, passionate tone, "You, on the other hand, are cursed! Away from me because you didn't feed me, welcome me, visit me, clothe me or take care of me." The crowd at the left scream in desperation "BUT LORD! When did we see you hungry or in need or sick or in prison…!" Jesus responds in a croaked voice tinged with both anger and sorrow, "what you didn't do to the least among you…you didn't do for me!"
Sound weird? Not what you were raised to expect from Judgment Day? Yet, this is exactly the picture presented by Matthew 25:31-46 (and anticipated in Matt. 25:14-30). BUT what about Jesus telling Nicodemus that one needs to be "born again" in order to be saved (John 3:3) or Peter telling the Jews gathered in Jerusalem that they need only to repent and be baptized to be saved (Acts 2:38) or Christ telling the thief on the cross that, apparently because of his simple confession, he would join Jesus in paradise that very day (Luke 23:39-43)? For goodness sakes, what about Paul telling the church that we are justified not by works but by faith alone (Gal. 2:16)?
Yet, there are also passages of Scripture like 2 Corinthians 5:10 ("For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil.") and Revelation 20:12 ("And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened, the book of life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done.") as well as Romans 2:6-10; 1 Cor. 4:5, etc.
So are we saved by faith or by works? This question stands at the center of a very heated and important debate going on in churches and seminaries across the world as we speak. It is important to note that it is not a debate between liberals and conservatives but largely conservatives versus conservatives. Evangelical scholars like N.T. Wright and megachurch pastors like Rob Bell have embraced a form of what is known as "The New Perspective on Paul" which teaches that Christians all enter the Kingdom by faith and the grace of God but that they stay there (or "keep the new Covenant") by "good works." This has drawn howls from very influential conservative Christians like John MacArthur, John Piper, Mark Driscoll and Professor Don Carson.
So, who has the better argument? What do folks like John MacArthur do with passages like Matthew 25:31-46? What does N.T. Wright do with Galatians 2:16? Do most Christians need to get out of their chairs and start feeding the poor to stay out of hell? Is it fair that a serial killer like Ted Bundy can "come to Christ" on death row and go to heaven and sit right next to Mother Theresa? If so, then what do you tell someone on their death bed who truly regrets their life and wants to accept Christ? Sorry, too late! Better pack sunscreen! And what about the poor who try to take advantage of you? Doesn't Paul say to the Thessalonians that those who don’t work, don't eat (2 Thess. 3:10)?
All I can tell you is to pick up your Bibles, start reading and click on this blog in a few weeks for more. Happy Bible wrestling!
Friday, September 14, 2007
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Justification & Righteousness--The Classical Reformed Perspective
In classical Reformed thought, justification and righteousness fall within the parameters of "bi-covenantalism." This is roughly how the story goes: (1) our very great grandfather Adam, who corporately represented all of humankind, disobeyed God's law which brought a curse upon the earth or "imputed" his sin to all of us; (2) God then sends Jesus, who, like Adam, represents all humankind but, unlike Adam, was fully obedient. His "passive obedience" on the cross resulted in the sins of the members of the church (for those who adhere to limited atonement) being paid in full. His "active obedience" (i.e., His sinless life or "righteousness") fulfilled the law and is imputed to us as well; (3) Thus, Christians are relieved of the unpayable debt of sin by Christ's substitutionary atonement on the cross and then declared "righteous" by way of Christ's obedience and our faith in Christ. This is the great Reformed doctrine of "Justification by Faith Alone."
The first schema involving Adam (and Israel) falls within a covenant of works (i.e., obedience = blessing and disobedience = a curse) while the second system is a covenant of grace (i.e., because we cannot pay the price, Jesus pays it for us and because we cannot obey, Jesus obeys and imputes his righteousness to us).
I am in the midst of re-reading all of Bishop N.T. Wright's works in order to outline his theology in full. Included in this outline will be his controversial re-definition of "Justification" and "Righteousness." Check back soon and God bless!
The first schema involving Adam (and Israel) falls within a covenant of works (i.e., obedience = blessing and disobedience = a curse) while the second system is a covenant of grace (i.e., because we cannot pay the price, Jesus pays it for us and because we cannot obey, Jesus obeys and imputes his righteousness to us).
I am in the midst of re-reading all of Bishop N.T. Wright's works in order to outline his theology in full. Included in this outline will be his controversial re-definition of "Justification" and "Righteousness." Check back soon and God bless!
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Blessed Podcasts
A brother in Christ recently purchased his very first iPod and asked me to recommend podcasts. Fortunately, there are a number of great (and free!) Christian podcasts that are available and that I listen to on a regular, if not a weekly, basis.
Check out (by typing into the iTunes store search engine):
1) Mars Hill Church. Not to be confused with Mars Hill Bible Church (where Rob Bell preaches and is drifting farther left every week), this is where Mark Driscoll preaches. Mark was immortalized by Donald Miller in his book "Blue Like Jazz" as the "Cussing Pastor." Mark, however, doesn't drop any F-bombs or anything during his weekly sermons that are uploaded on-line (sorry to dissapoint). Mark is, in my opinion, the best "emerging" preacher out there in that he is, in his own words, "theologically conservative but culturally liberal."
2) Relevant Magazine. A weekly podcast featuring the editorial staff of Relevant Magazine (which you should subscribe to!) pontificating on news of the weird, pop culture, etc. A lot of fun. I never miss it.
3) "Dirty Little Secrets" by the XXX Church. A weekly 1/2 hour podcast featuring Craig Gross of the XXX Church which is a ministry geared to converting those in the porn industry and ministering to those addicted to pornography. A great ministry that is shining Christ's light into the darkness. If you are a dude then go to their website (google it) and get their software which blocks porn on your computer. No reason to even have the temptation in your house. Also consider buying Bibles for them to hand out to those at porn conventions or buying their shirts which supports their ministry and feature slogans like "porn sucks" and "Christian Men Don't Masturbate." But be warned, these guys work for Christ in the gutter and their language reflects it.
4) Wallbuilders. A daily podcast featuring David Barton and Rick Green and focusing on a wide range of public policy issues from a theological and historical point-of-view. Fantastic stuff!
5) Desiring God. John Piper's weekly sermons and Piper is the MAN. 'nuff said!
If you are a theology geek like me then be sure to check out podcasts from Dallas Theological Seminary and Covenant Theological Seminary. Both feature deep theological discussions and/or Bible classes online. Great for a nerd like me.
There are many others that might interest you. Just click on "Podcasts" then "Religion & Spirituality" and then "Christianity" for a list of the top 20 Christian podcasts. You'll find some great stuff!
May God bless your downloads!
Be sure to check 'em out and tell them that Pastor Matt sent ya'.
Check out (by typing into the iTunes store search engine):
1) Mars Hill Church. Not to be confused with Mars Hill Bible Church (where Rob Bell preaches and is drifting farther left every week), this is where Mark Driscoll preaches. Mark was immortalized by Donald Miller in his book "Blue Like Jazz" as the "Cussing Pastor." Mark, however, doesn't drop any F-bombs or anything during his weekly sermons that are uploaded on-line (sorry to dissapoint). Mark is, in my opinion, the best "emerging" preacher out there in that he is, in his own words, "theologically conservative but culturally liberal."
2) Relevant Magazine. A weekly podcast featuring the editorial staff of Relevant Magazine (which you should subscribe to!) pontificating on news of the weird, pop culture, etc. A lot of fun. I never miss it.
3) "Dirty Little Secrets" by the XXX Church. A weekly 1/2 hour podcast featuring Craig Gross of the XXX Church which is a ministry geared to converting those in the porn industry and ministering to those addicted to pornography. A great ministry that is shining Christ's light into the darkness. If you are a dude then go to their website (google it) and get their software which blocks porn on your computer. No reason to even have the temptation in your house. Also consider buying Bibles for them to hand out to those at porn conventions or buying their shirts which supports their ministry and feature slogans like "porn sucks" and "Christian Men Don't Masturbate." But be warned, these guys work for Christ in the gutter and their language reflects it.
4) Wallbuilders. A daily podcast featuring David Barton and Rick Green and focusing on a wide range of public policy issues from a theological and historical point-of-view. Fantastic stuff!
5) Desiring God. John Piper's weekly sermons and Piper is the MAN. 'nuff said!
If you are a theology geek like me then be sure to check out podcasts from Dallas Theological Seminary and Covenant Theological Seminary. Both feature deep theological discussions and/or Bible classes online. Great for a nerd like me.
There are many others that might interest you. Just click on "Podcasts" then "Religion & Spirituality" and then "Christianity" for a list of the top 20 Christian podcasts. You'll find some great stuff!
May God bless your downloads!
Be sure to check 'em out and tell them that Pastor Matt sent ya'.
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