If Anyone is Above Reproach

Immorality is the mark of fallen creatures. However, Christ demands that pastors are to display lives above reproach, or a reputation without blame (Titus 1:6). Does the Scripture not teach that we are justified by faith alone and not by works (Ephesians 2:8-10)?

If Anyone...
Not just anyone is called by God to oversee His people. Paul tells Titus if anyone is, then listing both in positive terms and negative terms specific qualifications that a Christian must meet before being appointed as a pastor. Qualifications for pastors are not to be confused with biblical teaching of justification by grace alone through faith alone. A person can be saved and yet not meet the appropriate standards for being a pastor.

Paul lays out these qualifications for the pastor so that Christians know that this position is not to be held by just anyone who wants to lead. Churches that affirm the ordination of pastors simply based on an inward call or experience pervert the Scripture as expressed in Titus, and break the biblical command to local churches not to be hasty in laying on hands; or, as the ISV puts it, "Do not ordain anyone hastily" (I Timothy 5:22).

This flies in the face of cultural understandings of good leadership. Many modern churches are looking for charismatic leaders who will bring more people and, thus, more revenue and influence to the church. Our entertainment-driven culture votes for the next American Idol styled preacher not on content, but on likeability.

The local church is to hold their leadership to the qualifications outlined in Scripture, regardless of cultural understandings or man-made documents (Proverbs 3:5-8). This is Christ's church; thus, Christ has full authority in heaven and on earth to establish the structure of His church. The reason, Paul informs Titus, is to avoid error in the teachings of empty talkers and deceivers with hearts rebellious to the authority of Christ (Titus 1:10).

The Christ-Centered Pastor
There are true followers of Jesus Christ that struggle with many of the characteristics pastors are to avoid. This is why it is important for a pastor to display a mature faith in Christ Jesus: that the pastor would lead biblically for sinful people to follow. The pastor is to display for the people he leads the transformative power of the gospel of Jesus Christ that matures toward Christ-likeness, a "knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness" (Titus 1:1).

When I was in seminary, I desired simply to study to become a research professor. This occupation demands my attention on a few select areas of research and teaching, providing ample time to prepare for lessons for students.

The pastorate is not similar to academic work in this regard. Although I would contend that the pastor ought to be a scholar and a scholar can be a pastor, the pastor is called to wear many hats and be competent in God's Word regarding many topics. Furthermore, the pastor can be and will be called upon without warning to perform. Broken marriages, sudden death of a loved one, a congregant's struggle with a passage, and grievous public sins are all encountered by pastors and demand bold, biblical understanding without time to prepare.

This is important for understanding such strict qualifications for pastors. Any false teaching or major character flaw that contradicts the maturing power of the gospel of Jesus Christ could lead a whole congregation toward destruction. The pastor's counsel and teaching will breathe from the air of his doctrine, which is to be observed in his living and reputation within and outside the church.

Experienced Pastors
So, we might observe that Paul places the bar fairly high for pastors. However, Paul is not expecting perfection rather than that the man of God be an honorable man ("above reproach"). The very reason the local church is not to ordain men hastily is for the people of God to observe his life before appointing him as overseer.

Although there are no age limits mentioned, the pastor is not to be a recent convert and, taking the qualifications as a whole, not to be someone inexperienced in life. Paul tells Timothy not to let the congregation despise him for his youth (I Timothy 4:12). This of course means that the office of pastor is not simply for men long in the tooth, but Paul's mentioning this to Timothy and not as a rebuke to the congregation does seem to suggest that Timothy's youth was an exception rather than standard. Furthermore, Paul tells young Timothy in this same verse that he is to be held to a standard of his speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity.

When I applied to hundreds of vocational church positions in seminary, the overwhelming majority of pastor search committees turned me down due to a lack of experience. Although frustrating, I understand the hesitation. Many small congregations are searching for a pastor rather than a preacher, and some of them had a rough separation from their previous leader. For the local church to ordain an honorable man of good repute, he must have displayed these qualifications in Scripture already. Local churches are to trust this man's reputation of mature Christian living prior to entering his pastoral ministry.

The pastorate is to be a noble task joyfully desired, but remains a laborious task. He is to know his theology and actively practice theology. Thus, the pastorate is open only to such qualified men of Christian experience in maturity.

Public scandals of grievous immorality of church leaders intrigues a mocking world that waits to promote evidence to the falsity of the Christian faith and use this evidence to justify their unbelief. At the very least, such scandalous acts of immorality ought to serve as disqualifiers for the pastorate. This does not suggest a loss of salvation, but no longer meeting Christ's standards to lead a local church He heads.

This is a presidential election year. Often, I hear phrases such as, "the person's private life has nothing to do with how he will lead the country." However, the pastor is to be an honest man worthy of honor in his reputation. He is not perfect, but the man of God is not ashamed of the Word he diligently studies and is equipped by (I Timothy 2:15), displaying for the church and the world the moral character of a mature Christian.


Image Credit: Vincent Van Gogh, "Shepherd with a Flock of Sheep," Soumaya Museum, Mexico City

He Must Hold Firm

This is the first lesson of several on a new series on the biblical qualifications for pastors, and I encourage you to read this article (click here) first.

Paul had written to Titus to appoint elders in Cretan towns just as Paul directed Titus. Paul was concerned about Crete. There were "many" teaching unsound doctrine in Christian circles that must be confronted, silenced, and rebuked sharply in hopes they will be sound in faith. Otherwise, these false teachers will lead some astray, just as they have already upset the brethren. Thus, Paul directs Titus to appoint pastors in local churches who "must hold firm to the trustworthy Word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it" (Titus 1:9).

I am certain that many in the laity today hold onto unsound doctrine while sitting under pastors of sound doctrine. I love the sheep that I am privileged by God to shepherd, yet I know that many of them believe doctrines contradictory to the Scriptures. I am deeply concerned for them, as we live in a digital age where we have instant access to information. Blogs, sermon mp3s, and teaching videos from celebrity pastors could easily upset the faith of the laity. Christian facebook pages put out Bible verses out of context or express fortune cookie, self-centered quips that contradict biblical truths. As a pastor, I am called to confront, silence, and sharply rebuke such teachers and teachings in favor of sound doctrine just as Paul instructed Titus.

This brings us to why Paul confronts teachers and not laity. Laity founds the faith on the Word of God preached, not the craftiness of the preacher. Christ commands that those in such position ought to hold firm to the true doctrines of Christianity so that those sitting under the preaching and teaching of the Word of God have a faith that comes by hearing the Word of God. Preachers and teachers are held to a higher account (James 3:1); therefore, not many are called to that position in the church. Many people will desire the position to teach and preach the Word, but few of those would meet the qualifications for the position.

In our society, we admire ambition and drive. We appoint people to leadership because they want the position so badly and perhaps have administrative qualities. If the person has a charismatic charm and a drive to succeed, well they are appointed to leadership. This not only speaks of the business world, but also in many churches. Business meetings and pastor search committees appoint Sunday School teachers, youth directors, and even pastors simply because someone wanted the position.

The problem with this is that many brethren will be upset in the faith and led astray if ambition rather than sound theology is the measuring stick to successful church leadership. If there is an important phrase for pastor search committees to learn from Scripture, it is that not all who desire church positions are qualified for those positions. Paul commands Titus to appoint pastors in local churches that hold firm to sound doctrine in the Word of God and meet certain qualifications. If the first (sound doctrine) is taken seriously, the second (meeting qualifications) will be heavily scrutinized during the search process for pastor positions in local churches.

It is important for Christians to know that the pastor is not just a preacher/teacher. If he is simply available to preach and teach at a building, he has neglected his position. Paul outlines characteristics that reveal maturity in the Word for pastors to meet prior to becoming a pastor. The pastor is the disciple-maker in chief, if you will. He is to be a one-woman man and manage his household well because the pastor is the local church counselor for marriage and the home with the Word of God and not worldly wisdom. He is not to be violent, quick-tempered, or a drunk because he will be teaching the Word of God to such sinners and calling for repentance. Thus, he is not to be a hypocrite.

The pastor is to hold firm to sound doctrine of the inerrant Word of God so as to teach only the truthful wisdom of God and not the wisdom of men. Often, many pastors cave into the temptation to teach simply from experience or personal perception, clouting the truth of God's Word and confusing those who listen to them, even if the hearers have their ears scratched and think they hear "simple truths." Paul warns us not to appoint such people as pastor. Pastors faithful to the Word of God as inerrant and authoritative are humble messengers who silence the "empty talkers and deceivers." The pastor is to be the example to the flock speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), being strong and courageous with the Word of God (Joshua 1:9). With the love of truth, the pastor is to encourage biblical godliness and rebuke sin and those contradicting biblical teachings.

Dear reader, is your pastor strong and courageous in the Word of God? Is he teaching the truth of the Word or his own experience/perception of it? Does his life reflect or contradict the truth of God's Word? Does he teach truth and correct error with the Bible or from his own thoughts and leaning on his own understanding? God commands to only appoint pastors over us that hold firm to the trustworthy, excellent, and perfect Word of God, teaching sound doctrine, giving counsel with the Word of God, and rebuking those who contradict the truth.

Qualifications for Elders

In Titus, the Apostle Paul outlines certain qualifications for local churches to observe to appoint a pastor. Paul tells Titus that he left him in Crete, an island known for immorality, to appoint elders in the local churches in each town to order the churches and protect them from false teachers and false teachings. Paul's care for the truth founds his apostolic command for Titus to appoint qualified pastors to lead.

Titus is an epistle from the heart of our loving Lord and Savior to structure His local churches toward Christ-likeness, a "knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness" (Titus 1:1). This truth is the Word of God. How we as Christians view the Bible will translate into how we view God, the gospel, and how we are protected from false teachers and false teachings.

The Word of God is a powerful word that surpasses our understanding. When we creatures think of being "creative," it is a mere reflection of reality or an imagined perception of reality. However, when God speaks, He brings something not reality into existence. He says, "let there be light," and light immediately appears. His Word is obeyed in His creation. When God speaks in His Bible, this Word is not a compilation of advice for creatures to decide to accept or not. Nor is God's Word like human law in which we like attorneys find loopholes to justify ourselves. God's Word is fully authoritative and expected to be observed and obeyed.

Jesus Himself commands His followers to take truth and false teachings serious. Jesus is rather impolite to false teachers, who were respected leaders in His day, calling them hypocrites, serpents, and even sons of hell who teach and lead more sons of hell (Matthew 23:15). Jesus compassion for the lost sheep of Israel recognizes that these astray sheep were without a shepherd (Matthew 9:36). Warning against false teachings and confronting false teachers is the work of our Lord, whose compassion shepherds us from these men which we are to avoid (Matthew 15:7-14).

Paul tells Titus that true teachings of the Word of God ("sound doctrine") is the knowledge of the truth that leads to holy living and rebukes error. We are to read and understand Scripture not as ideas to mesh into our worldview and culture, but transform our worldview and living according to the Word. 

God's Word in Titus is not to improve an existing structure in local churches, but to establish a structure. Christ is the Head of His church and structures His church to carry out His earthly mission and to protect His people from false teachers and false teachings. Paul tells us in I Timothy 3:1, "The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task." This inward desire is to match external qualifications outlined in Titus before being appointed as an elder/overseer.

In God's Word, far more attention is given to external qualifications than an inward "call," experience, or "leading of the Lord." Titus calls into question many modern notions of church growth and good leadership. In this series, I will outline the qualifications for pastors in the local church as found in Scripture.

Causing Division and Creating Obstacles

In the closing of his epistle to the Romans, Paul writes, "I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them" (Romans 16:17). Paul is not appealing that Christians avoid any division, but those divisions contrary to the truth of the Scripture. Paul is appealing for Christians to unite in the truth of Scripture and to separate from those challenging the Word of Truth.

Unity in Truth is True Unity
This is not the post-modern message in the West, which defines unity as avoiding any and all division in tolerance of all beliefs and doctrines as equally valid and acceptable. For the apostle Paul, unity is found only in "the doctrine that you have been taught." Christ perfects, equips, and gifts His people through the Word "divided accurately" (II Timothy 2:15) until "we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes" (Ephesians 4:13-14). Paul contends that the saints are not brought to "the fullness of Christ" and perfected by smart preachers or human wisdom, but by Christ Himself through His perfect Word.

In Colossians 3, Paul commands the local church to have hearts ruled by the peace of Christ and put on love, "which is the perfect bond of peace" (Colossians 3:14-15). Our understanding of true unity and peace and love of Christ are not to simply take verses out of context and redefine the meaning. Paul finishes in verse 16 with, "Let the Word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all teaching and admonishing one another..." Our peace and love of Christ is ruled ultimately by Scripture, which so abundantly takes up residence in our hearts that we teach and admonish one another. Christ washes His local church with His Word (Ephesians 5:26), and Paul commends the God-breathed Scripture for "teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness," which equips us for every good work (II Timothy 3:16-17).

Unity in the truth of Scripture is the only true unity Christ graces for His church. Unity in the truth means not to have a problem with authority of Christ in His perfect Word, but to have problems with authority from any other source, including a self-distrust.

The Singularity of Truth
Paul consistently speaks of the truth (singular, not plural) of Scripture. Paul states that unashamed believers can "rightly divide the Word of Truth," claiming Scripture to be one, cohesive, consistent, non-contradictory revelation of truth. Paul supposes that, although difficult to understand at times, the Scripture is clear and speaks of truth, giving full authority to the Word's Author and no authority to the reader. In other words, the reader is not permitted to suggest truth into Scripture that is not there, but the Author reveals truth to the reader that did not know. For instance, Paul commands the local church in Ephesus to "Speak the truth in love." Not truth(s), or kindly suggest an opinion and happily agree that everyone has their own opinion or "personal interpretation", or be kind and "lovingly" never confront anyone with the truth of Scripture, but speak the TRUTH.

The singularity of truth in Scripture contends that God is sovereign; in other words, God is in full control and fully capable of revealing truth to us in a clear manner. Our reading of Scripture must be of an attitude of complete dependence and trust in God to reveal truth to us, lest we claim partial or complete sovereignty of truth. Remember, Scripture tells us that without Christ we are blinded by Satan (II Corinthians 4:4), not dimly seeing. Without Christ we are dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1), not merely sick or wounded. To challenge truth with our opinions or to suggest parts that we do not like are antiquated or contradictory challenges God's sovereign authority in His Word, which causes divisions and sets up obstacles in the church.

Avoid Division
Paul goes so far as to command the local church in Rome to avoid those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the truth of Scripture. Avoid them. Paul suggests that in order to serve Christ and not be a people-pleaser, we are to be united in the gospel (again, singular) and reveals that if anyone including angels preaches another gospel contrary to Scripture, that person is eternally accursed (Galatians 1:6-10). Paul handed false teachers "over to Satan" for spinning a different teaching of the gospel.

To remove people from congregation in church discipline or to correct others with the Scripture seems intolerant or divisive in this day and age. However, biblically speaking, we are to unite in the truth of Scripture alone, and avoid and separate ourselves from those teaching otherwise. Some might suggest that Christians can unite with others to get work done. However, to compromise truth for pragmatism sets the church up for human cunning and deceitful schemes, placing what we do above the truth.

However, Paul does command the local church to be "eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4:3). We must yearn for unity, but unity is something the local church maintains (guard, keep) not creates. Unity in the truth of the Word of God is given to us by Christ, not made up by groups of people in our own opinions and suggestions while leaning on our own understanding. We must be eager, with gut-gripping yearning for the saints to be unified in peace bound by Christ's love and provided by His Word of Truth.

Praying for Power to Distrust Self

Today in my quiet time, I read from The Valley of Vision prayer entitled "The Infinite and the Finite." This line captivated me:
"Let me live a life of self-distrust..."
This prayer parallels Jeremiah 17, where the LORD says, "Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind" and "the heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick" (Jeremiah 17:5, 9). Our Savior instructs us, "out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders" (Matthew 15:19).

This worldview opposes what we are taught by our culture. Disney character Cinderella teaches us to "just follow your heart." The late Steve Jobs told college graduates that the "most important" thing to do is "have the courage to follow your heart and intuition." Yet, God tells us that our hearts are untrustworthy and wicked.

Self-distrust does not come naturally to sinful people. Such trust and such leaning on our our way of thinking and feeling about the world, people, and self is the corruption of our nature. The Word of God demands us to lay this trust entirely aside and be renewed in by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:22-24). Such a renewed mind is the good news of Jeremiah 17:7-8:

Blessed is the man who trusts in
     The LORD
And whose trust is the LORD.
For he will be like a tree planted
      by the water,
That extends its roots by a stream
And will not fear when the heat
      comes;
But its leaves will be green,
And it will not be anxious in a year
      of drought
Nor cease to yield fruit.

By grace through faith in Jesus Christ, we are blessed to trust not in our own heart nor be tossed by the winds of wisdom of this corrupt world, but our trust will be found in God. Our trust must not be found in the imperfect and temporary, but in the perfect and eternal. A heart that trusts in our majestic God trusts His eternal Word. As Isaiah 40:8 says, "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever." The wisdom of this world dries and shifts over time, but the Word of God is trustworthy and eternal.

May our gracious God renew our minds and hearts with His Word, not trusting in our own hearts nor allow us to reign over ourselves, but "teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12).

Igniting Hearts

In Luke 24, after Jesus' resurrection, two men were walking along the road to Emmaus discussing the events of Jesus' crucifixion and burial. Jesus walked near them and, having not been recognized by the two men, asked the two men a series of simple questions. The two men had hoped Jesus was the Messiah, but suffering and death seemingly quashed those hopes. Jesus answered His rhetorical question, "Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" with "beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself" (Luke 24:26-27).

The necessity of the sufferings of the Messiah before entering His glory is answered by biblical study into the Old Testament Scriptures. Jesus began with Moses (the Pentateuch) and all the Prophets (writing prophets) and interpreted all the Scriptures what the Messiah is said to fulfill in prophecy. No doubt, a great deal of biblical typology was utilized by our Lord to explain "the things concerning Himself." Along the nearly seven mile trek, Jesus informed these two men of all the Old Testament teachings on what the Messiah was to endure and how Jesus fulfilled all of the prophecies. The Old Testament is filled with Christ on every page!

After Jesus explained the Scriptures, the two men recognized Him and Jesus vanished. Then, the two men said, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” Their hearts burned during Jesus talking with them and during the explanation of the Scriptures. Before Jesus taught the Scriptures to them, these two men were discouraged and doubted that Jesus was the Messiah, even at the news of His empty tomb (Luke 24:21-24). How were their eyes opened and hearts ignited?

Word and Spirit

The Word of God alone has the power to open the eyes of the spiritually blind and grant to sinners the perfect righteousness from God (Romans 1:16-17). The faithful teachings of the Word of God is the mode Jesus used to open the eyes of these two men as well as His own disciples after His resurrection (Luke 24:44-45). Persuasive techniques and philosophy cannot open blind eyes. The saying heard often in churches today is modeling Christ for the world, also known as "living out the gospel." We are to display the greatness of the glory of Christ, but our moral modeling is not the gospel. Jesus did not play charades making the two men on the road to Emmaus guess what He was talking about. Jesus spoke to them and explained the Word of God to them. We are messengers of God with a message that is to be spoken. The gospel is a spoken event.

The Holy Spirit accompanies the Word of God spoken to give sight to the spiritually blind. The Apostle Paul told the church in Thessalonica, "For we know, brothers loved by God, that He has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake" (I Thessalonians 1:4-5). The power of the Holy Spirit regenerates (that is, cause to become born-again) the chosen people of God when the Word of God is spoken from a believer with full conviction. Acts 16:14-15 describes how Lydia had her heart opened by the Lord to understand the biblical teachings of Paul. Commenting on this passage, the reformer John Calvin said, "we see that not faith alone, but all understanding and knowledge of spiritual things, is the peculiar gift of God, and that the ministers do no good by teaching and speaking unless the inward calling of God be thereunto added." We must believe and speak of what we believe to ignite the regenerating fire within the hearts of sinners.

Seed Spreading

In the Parable of the Sower (or Soils), Jesus tells of four types of soil (hearts of people) that the seed (the Word of God) falls upon. Three of the four soils produce nothing that lasts, while the "good soil" is the person who hears the Word of God and understands it, then produces fruit for the glory of God (Matthew 13:23). Although the Word of God accompanied by the power of the Holy Spirit is the only way to ignite a sinner's heart toward repentance and faith in Christ Jesus, such evangelism is no guarantee that all will be saved. If we take the percentage of the soils (75% unsaved), the vast majority of the faithfully spoken Word of God falls on those who will never believe in Christ as Lord and Savior.

Does the Word of God thus fail? The LORD says in Isaiah 55:10-11,

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
   and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
   giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall My word be that goes out from My mouth;
   it shall not return to Me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
   and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

The Word of God accomplishes its mission of igniting the flame inside the heart of God's chosen people. The good news is that God's Word does not return to God empty at all, but returns with a most blessed harvest of once dead sinners now with clean hands and a pure heart gathering around His glorious throne praising Him!

The flip side to this good news of salvation is that God's Word purposes many to condemnation because of the hardness of their hearts. The temptation for the Christian is to change tactics or reword the gospel for to suit the taste of our hearers. When we are spreading the seeds of the Kingdom, we do not hinder the power of God in the gospel spoken by softening the impact on the hearts of sinners in any way. To pervert or peddle the Word of God, but we preach the whole counsel of God with full conviction that the Word of God would accomplish its purpose to save some and condemn others (II Corinthians 2:14-17).

Igniting the hearts of sinners toward a bright flame of repentance and faith in Christ Jesus is a supernatural wonder by the sovereign grace of our God. God has given us a message to spread to all people without hesitation, addition, or subtraction. The message with the Spirit has the power to save sinners for the glory of God! Let us resolve simply to grab the sack of seeds and sow. Nothing less will save sinners.

The Bible and Post-postmodernism

Yesterday, President Obama announced his endorsement for same-sex marriage. This is not a surprise, considering President Obama's actions against the Defense of Marriage Act as well as his enthusiasm toward the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell. What is most interesting about yesterday's announcement is the sign of the times that such a media hyped announcement regarding a politician's thought process is even necessary. Yet, this evolution of thought has been a long time coming for the American culture. America has stepped completely out of postmodernity and into the great unknown of post-postmodernism. The retreat of Christianity from American culture has been a devastating run as secularism took the field in postmodernism, claiming that words cannot be defined and the Bible can be interpreted based on each individual's opinions and experiences. Now with the approach of post-postmodernism, Christians who believe the world is still being viewed through the lens that words have no meaning are being crushed by secularists who have a new worldview that sees absolutes and ethics defined through an entirely different lens.

The Christian retreat has been called many words, not the least of which is the term liberal. However, liberal is a political term that usually divides the lines regarding American political ideology. The real underlying problem in Christianity is more broad, however. The battle is being waged along the line of the doctrine of Scripture. Is the Bible fully authoritative? Is the Bible sufficient for properly viewing the world and ethics? How are we to read Scripture?

The Post-postmodern President

The sense of this battle divide is found in the President's announcement. The President said,

"I have to tell you that over the course of several years as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors when I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together, when I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that Don't Ask Don't Tell is gone, because they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage, at a certain point I've just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married."

Let's break this down. Notice where authority comes from for ethics: family, friends, neighbors, and members of his staff who are homosexual. This is an appeal to authority, which is outside Obama, for ethical choices. Rather than that authority to be the Bible alone, ethics are drawn from the experiences and lifestyles of those around him. This is essentially postmodern. However, the President does not stop there. Before his affirmation, the President says, "I've concluded that for me personally..." The authority of the experiences and lifestyles of those around him made an absolute truth in conclusion to his ethical thought process. This is post-postmodern. The President is not saying that this is his personal opinion which has no effect on policy making. The President is saying that his decision is an absolute truth that everyone everywhere must accept. There will be policies and legislation passed that affects every American based on his "conclusion."

President Obama also defended his position against Christian opposition. President Obama said that he and his wife

"are both practicing Christians and obviously this position may be considered to put us at odds with the views of others but, you know, when we think about our faith, the thing at root that we think about is, not only Christ sacrificing himself on our behalf, but it's also the Golden Rule, you know, treat others the way you would want to be treated."

 The President claims to be a practicing Christian and knows that this position is "at odds" with other Christians. How does he remedy the battle divide? His ethic is driven by Christ's sacrifice on his behalf and the Golden Rule. However, Jesus did not teach in isolated and contradictory proverbs. Jesus' Golden Rule is one line in an entire Bible that claims itself full authority. The same authority Matthew 7:12a has on all of God's human creation is found in Leviticus 18:22. The only way to decide that the Golden Rule is authoritative and the rest of Scripture is not would be upon the interpreter rather than the Author. That is to say, the reader is the master over the text rather than the text is to be master over the reader.


Sola Scriptura and Post-postmodernism

In postmodernity, the cultural elites convinced Christians to keep religion in private devotion and maintain a secular worldview when in public view and discourse. This Christian retreat has led to a post-postmodern American culture that believes in absolute truths in total opposition to the teachings of the Bible. Without a worldview in total commitment to the absolute truths taught in Scripture, Christianity has no sword to fight with.

Creatures are not afforded the freedom to tell God His attributes and His Law. We are not attorneys finding loopholes in the Law of God to squeeze any camel of immorality into the needle head entrance to the Kingdom of God. President Obama would like to convince biblical Christians that the Golden Rule affirms same-sex marriage, so all Christianity should embrace his "conclusion." Matthew 7:12 states, "whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." Jesus says that the Golden Rule sums up the Torah and the writings of the prophets. To examine the details of the Golden Rule is then to affirm the entirety of the Old Testament, which has already been mentioned to condemn homosexuality as a practice. Jesus is here affirming His worldview which includes a high esteem for the authority and sufficiency of the Scripture.

The President's attempt to isolate Matthew 7:12a (without the part about the Law and the Prophets) as authoritative and ignore the remainder of Scripture is an eisegesis that claims the culture as authoritative in biblical interpretation. In other words, President Obama's conversations about the lifestyles and experiences of homosexuals around him gave him interpretive authority over the text. To formulate a worldview based on worldly wisdom then looking to Scripture for authority makes the reader the master.

In Matthew's Gospel, the very next verse reads, "enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many." Jesus not only gives us a brief line to recall the entire teachings of the Old Testament in the Golden Rule, but also a promise of His judgment that sends the majority of humanity to eternal damnation and a minority that maintains the narrow way into the narrow gate of life. The gate of cultural understandings of divinity, justice, and ethics are wide and lead to destruction. 

Colossians 3:5 reads, "Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry."Our earthly wisdom and urgings, yes even those we are born with, are to be put to death. Paul does not contend this to be a simple debate on ethics, but a battle divide of spirituality. Paul calls this practice idolatry. Practicing Christians are to put to death such idolatry, not encourage this behavior and thought.

The Christian Response

The post-postmodern worldview permeates both conservative and liberal politics. Such practice of eisegesis has slipped into many local churches and, eerily enough, even "conservative" seminaries. Yet, the Christian response is not simply analyzing the battle divide and retreating back to private devotion. The public Christian response is the same message that has been given to us by our Savior: repent and believe. Colossians 3:5 ("Put to death...sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry") is part of a passage that many on the side of post-postmodern eisegesis claim as "judge not lest ye be judged" when Paul says in verse 7, "in these you too once walked, when you were living in them." Yet, read this passage carefully. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul states that you once walked, that is past tense. Repentance is the key to understanding this passage. The Christian response to post-postmodern eisegesis is to affirm and to maintain the traditional doctrine of Scripture as authoritative, sufficient for every human creature, and the only absolutely true worldview.

Homosexuality is a sin, yet it is a sin that is forgivable by the amazing grace affording to us by faith alone through Christ alone for the glory of God alone. Homosexuality is not to be embraced as an acceptable practice simply because our culture seeks to have authority over the Word of God. The Word of God is to have full authority over all of God's creation. In this authoritative Word of God we read that Jesus "came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Sinners of any kind of idolatry, including homosexuals, cannot serve Christ in His efforts of grace. The Christian response is not "stop sinning and try harder at conforming to Christian ethic." The Christian response is to preach Christ and Him crucified.

If you are reading this and you are a homosexual, or perhaps a post-postmodern supporter of so-called same-sex marriage, you cannot justify yourself before God by twisting Scripture or arguing with other creatures your worldview. No matter how the cultural tides shift, no matter how many Christians you debate, God is an unchanging Rock and His Word endures forever. Repentance does not mean clean yourself up or pretend to change. Repentance is required for both the immoral unbelievers as well as the religiously moral. The gospel of Jesus Christ demands our full responsibility to the breaking of God's eternal law, then turning from our idolatrous practices such as immorality (like homosexuality), worldview shaped by culture over Scripture, and religious morality that claims oneself clean in any way apart from what Christ has done for us. Christ who is without sin has taken that punishment we deserved for our idolatrous and immoral practices to the cross. In return, Christ gave us His perfect righteousness. The new birth in Christ is not a lifestyle tainted with any sinful or idolatrous wisdom from the world, but is a new life founded by the Word of God alone. I pray that you believe this most glorious good news, that Christ reigns in His eternal kingdom over His creatures by His eternal and fully authoritative Word.

The Seat of Scoffers

My oldest son's memory verse for the week is Psalm 1:1-2 which reads,

Blessed is the man
   who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
   nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the LORD,
   and on his law he meditates day and night. 

What stands out is this idea of sitting in the "seat of scoffers." I am struck that I have no mental images nor references to the meaning of this phrase. What is the Psalmist illustrating? In this entry, I would like to share with you what I have discovered from this oft quoted but rarely understood portion of Scripture.

With the understanding of Hebrew parallelism, you might see the grouping of the blessedness of avoiding walking, standing, and then finally sitting with those in rebellion against the LORD. The first two involves movement: walking in the advise or plan of wicked people or standing in the pathway of sinners. When Jesus states, "I am the way," our Lord is telling us that He is the way of wisdom. We walk, not in the advice and planning of worldly wickedness, but that of the Word of God to inform our walk in life. We stand in the path of wisdom that is Christ, not the worldly way of sinners.

However, this idea of sitting down on a seat belonging to scoffers seems like an inaction. Looking closely to the Hebrew, however, reveals a more active avoidance. The word "sits" is יָשָֽׁב (ya'shab), which literally means to be settled. You might imagine someone settling down into a chair. Yet, the word translated "seat" is  וּבְמוֹשַׁ֥ב  (ube-moe-woe-shab) is an active sense of sitting in a group or assembly. The dynamic seems to me to read "nor settles down in the seat of an assembly of scoffers."

This leads to "scoffers" from לֵ֝צִ֗ים  (leh-tzim). This is an act of mocking. These are people in the act of mocking. I might imagine a group of people on a bench mocking someone (with or without that person present). Do not settle down with them on that bench! The Septuagint uses the Greek word λοιμῶν (loiphone), which literally means "plagued people" or "diseased people." Scoffers are a diseased people equal to those "in devotion to sin" and "wicked" in the previous parallels.

Lastly, notice the delight of people. There is not a neutral ground in this passage. Either your delight is in the law or instruction of YHWH and you meditate on His Word every hour of your life, or you delight in the wicked crowds. Living is daily action. The way of wisdom is not "to get better" or "try harder," it is having a delight in the Word of God. Christianity is not simply found in the doing of religion, but is found in the delight of God and His Word. You cannot come to this by force of will, but by being born-again. Divine joy comes to those who avoid joining the wicked crowds but delights in God and His Word.

Improving the First Adam

"You will not surely die." This Satanic verse not only fooled our first parents, but has been spewed throughout human history and has found its way into modernity through American pulpits and Christian bookstores. American Christianity appears content on improving the first Adam, whether by preaching moralism or the promise of the abundant and prosperous life. So, the gospel is then twisted from Christ dying for the glory of God to Christ dying so I might feel good and be the "real/authentic me." This ugliness builds local congregations into mega-churches and sells many books, but look closely and you might find dust clouds billowing from your preacher's mouth. My intent with this article is to reveal the false gospel that so many American Christians cling to and to present the sweet words of the real gospel of Christ Jesus.

Home Improvement

There is an older couple in my congregation that once lived in an old farmhouse that is on their property beside the home they currently reside in. This old farmhouse holds lots of memories of their long lives together, but the joists and frame of the old, wooden house is being plagued by termites. Many attempts to salvage the house has been thought of or tried to no avail. One could paint the house, spackle the dry wall cracks, and replace the carpet. The doom of the old farmhouse is inevitable, however. The house is slowly rotting and remains inhospitable.

The same could be said of our human life. Each of us are born with the inevitable reality of death. In many churches across the U.S., psychological improvement toward happiness and self-esteem has replaced the true gospel. In such churches, Christ died for your happiness and well-being. They paint the old farmhouse and move in new furniture and perhaps host a few parties inside, all while the termites keep feeding on the wood. What is even more depressing, when the consequence of termite damage to our souls find the walls collapsing and the roof caving in, the preacher espouses to keep a positive outlook and convince yourself of happiness.

Just as improving the old, decaying farmhouse is an absurdity, improving the old Adam with positive thinking is equally as absurd. Yet, visit the local Christian bookstore and you will find rows of self-improvement, books on your best life now, and so-called Bible studies that are more about human-centered abundant life through pop psychology rather than exalting God. What, then, is the true gospel?

The Death of Death

The farmhouse illustration is not enough. Many reading this consider their worldview outside that camp. However, many of you would suggest that Jesus died for your happiness in some form or another. If what you preach or listen to could be done without Jesus, then it is not the gospel. Plenty of people are happy; often this happiness, although worldly, is not what many might say is egregiously immoral. Positive thinking with works of charity and a care for the less-than-fortunate is a Christless effort. This Christless effort focuses on personal transformation. Such effort is being pushed in many American evangelical circles, both liberal and conservative alike. Yet, the gospel espouses something like what John Owen said is "the death of death in the death of Christ."

If the gospel is like painting a decaying farmhouse, or ridding one's heart of negative and destructive thoughts and replacing them with happy and positive thoughts, then all hope is lost. We did not introduce death and destruction into God's creation because we thought negatively about ourselves. We sinned and we sin against God. The old Adam dies and is at an infinite distance from the holiness of God. No positive thoughts about yourself or works of love will even get you on the first rung of a ladder to heaven. The Bible tells us that we are dead in our trespasses against God, not psychologically sick (Ephesians 2:1-2, Colossians 2:13-14).

In the death of Christ, however, is the death of the first Adam for those who believe (Romans 5:15). The resurrection of Christ is to walk in newness of life for those who believe (Romans 6:1-8). This is demolition to that old farmhouse and replacing it with a permanent structure not built by human hands. No longer are we combating sin with human effort. We are saved by the merit of Christ alone by faith alone through grace alone. This is not "Jesus gives me happy thoughts about myself." This is Jesus is exalted and highly praised for saving a wretched dead worm like me who could do nothing, not even take the first step of salvation. When you have been born-again by the Spirit, you no longer live life like a dead person - striving to do good and feel good - but live like a living, breathing person; that is, have the power of the Holy Spirit to put sin to death (Romans 8:12-13).

A Plea to End Moralism

Many people in the prosperity gospel camp, the abundant living churches, or the pop psychology feel-good circles of Christianity would not think that they are moralists. Yet the striving to change your own behavior, to replace negative thoughts and feelings for positive ones, and play make-believe that you are living the "abundant life" when your world continues to place stress upon your souls without relief, this is moralism.

Put down your paint brushes. Stop reading self-improvement books. Put an end to your attempts to exchange unhappy feelings for feel-good feelings about yourself. Trust not what you will get out of Christ to improve yourself, but what Christ has already done to make a new you. The glorious gospel of Jesus Christ is not about you and your psychological/emotional healthiness. The glorious gospel of Jesus Christ is about who Christ is and what He has done to resurrect dead sinners for the praise of our God of sovereign and free grace. The sweetness of the true gospel of Jesus Christ is that He has done for us what we could not do for ourselves.

We can change our behavior and think happy thoughts about ourselves apart from Christ, but we cannot make ourselves right in the just and perfect judgment of our holy God. Those with faith in self improvement change their own behavior and thinking without changing their status before God. Those with faith in Christ have their status before God changed by Christ, and the Spirit works in us to change our behavior and thinking to conform to Christ (Galatians 3:10-15).

God's Sovereign Providence And Fallen Tree Limbs

 Typically, I reserve my photography for my photoblog Seeing Through a New Lens; however, today I uploaded these photographs in my pastor's blog to teach a valuable theological lesson.

The last storm partially broke a large tree limb from 25 feet atop the propane tank at the rear of the parsonage. The connection of the limb to the tree held the heavy limb by threads of wood. Eventually, the limb would fall and the entirety of the weight of the limb might hit the propane tank. This spelled disaster in my mind.

So, I took a handsaw out to cut some of the smaller branches from the limb close to the ground. The first branch to cut, of course, is the branch atop the propane tank. I paid little attention to where I was standing. Also, I gave little thought to what might happen when I cut the branch from the limb.

I sawed through the branch and heard a thunderous snap from above me. A branch scratched my ribs and my left wrist as the massive limb and its branches crashed to the ground all around me. 

After the ordeal, I gathered myself and noticed that I stood in an island of grass completely surrounded by a large tree limb. I had survived without serious injury. Some might say that I was lucky. Perhaps others would even spiritualize that thought and call it a miracle or providence.

Yet God's sovereignty over every aspect of His creation in His providence is not to be held as a replacement word for "luck." We must not simply give credit to God for good fortune when events go our way. God controls each rain drop. God sustains even sparrows in the deepest woods which no human eye will ever gaze upon. God's providence is not limited to certain events or people. God's providence is His continued involvement with all of His creation.

The answer to question 11 in the Westminster Shorter Catechism states, "God’s works of providence are, his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures, and all their actions." God has control over all His creation, including falling tree limbs and my position on the ground.

God's protection was granted to me by grace. I prayed for His protection before I began the work. I did not pray in a cliche manner of protection, but with full understanding by God's Word that He is in control of all things. This is a good work of God. I would even suggest this is extraordinary that God protected me. Yet, let this event serve to us a reminder: God's providence over all things is not simply in this event or that action, but in all things to fulfill His purposes. I cannot plan out my day or a trip with full guarantee that I will succeed with my life (James 4:13-16). I pray to God knowing that each event throughout history is in His hands leading to fulfill His divine purposes. I say, "if the Lord wills, I will survive the day." Our faith unlocks understanding the truth that God provides and sustains all things, even the sparrows, directing each step throughout history to fulfill His purposes. Such a worldview is important. Your life is a vapor, but the Lord's sovereign providence in all things for His glory directs all things for His good pleasure.

What Does God Know?

Ask this question, "What does God know?", in Sunday School and you will receive a Sunday School answer: everything. Have you given much thought to what is included in the "everything" God knows? David writes in the 139th Psalm:

O LORD, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
   you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
   and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
   behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
You hem me in, behind and before,
   and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
   it is high; I cannot attain it.    
Where shall I go from your Spirit?
   Or where shall I flee from your presence?

God is closer to you than any other possible relationship. There are thoughts and activities you can hide even from your closest friend or your spouse! God knows every thought, every motive, and every action we take. We cannot attain such incredible knowledge, it is "too wonderful for me." God sees our wickedness. God sees how ugly we think of others, our true motives for doing any given task, and sinful deeds we commit in the dark.

There is good news. Grace is given by God that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:6-11). Although God knows everything you say, think, or do, even though God knows the massive amount of sin and your inability to atone for such wickedness, God's grace is that He sent His Son to make our payment and give us perfect righteousness instead.

A question for you, dear reader: do you hunger and thirst for righteousness? We hear our Savior preach how "blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied" (Matthew 5:6). Do you truly desire all sin and evil to make a hurried exit from your thoughts and your feelings? Then, pray with David at the end of this Psalm:

Search me, O God, and know my heart!
   Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
   and lead me in the way everlasting! 

This is a dangerous prayer! Oh, the trembling our flesh might experience if such prayer is answered! This is not a prayer for God to search you for something He is unaware of, for God knows everything. Beloved, this is a prayer for God to search you and find sin in places you have tried to hide it. This is a prayer for God to reveal sin you have given no thought to. This is a prayer to publish what you have tried to hide in private, either by will or by ignorance.

God's all-knowing attribute provides terror, not comfort, to those trying to make it on their own. Perhaps the very thought of an all-powerful deity gives nothing but dread and lament to some. Following Jesus from such a distance as to attend church services and scantily read their Bible, some might say, makes up for what is said in secret and done in nobody's presence. Be warned, God is an all-knowing God. Without the merit of Christ which produces the fruits of faithfulness, you stand in judgment on your own goodness. God sees all thoughts, all actions, and all words.

If the desire for your heart is being led in the way everlasting, the way of Christ-likeness, then your heart rejoices in God's examination and granting repentance. Confess your guilt and God is faithful to forgive you (I John 1:9). This is not a one-time confession, but a life of continual confession and utter dependence upon our sovereign, all-knowing God. Hiding sin or trading sins for other sins which are hidden more easily will not disguise your guilt before our all-knowing God. Acknowledge your guilt, pray for God to make public what sins are in private, and repent by the power of God.

Jesus, Our Sabbath Rest

The fourth commandment reads, "remember the Sabbath day, keep it holy." This is a command from God which reflects His rest from creation on the seventh day. Was God's intent simply to look back as human history moves forward? Is redemptive history that is founded upon the Messiah Jesus fulfill the Law of God in every respect save the Sabbath? In this article, we will discover the biblical truth of Jesus being our Sabbath rest.

"I'm so tired." An expression repeated often in this age of high-paced living. The very technology we manufactured for our benefit is the same technology that is speeding up our lives in favor of efficiency. The worldview of the mechanical universe in the industrial revolution has given way to the worldview of high-speed computers and fiber optics of nanotechnology. Man is but a speck on the motherboard of the universe built for high speed and efficiency until he is worn out. Such a worldview collectively exhausts us, leaving a wave of depression and despair. The eschatological view in this worldview is man works until he is worn, then dies into a black abyss of non-existence. The atheistic view that exalts human innovation and technology is a lonely, dark hell of existence.

The biblical worldview places Christ, not technology, as the highest praise and exaltation. And, in keeping with our worship of the Messiah, we look back and forward to the Sabbath rest. Jesus claims Himself to be the Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8). Matthew 12 is a continuation from the end of Matthew 11, where Jesus says,

Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.

Jesus says rest will be given and found by those who follow Him and learn from Him. When and where will this rest be given and found? Jesus allowed His disciples to gather grain and He Himself healed on the Sabbath in Matthew 12, revealing Himself Lord of the Sabbath. In Mark 2, Jesus states, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." The Sabbath is not a day of legalism and a focus on regulation, but a day for man's benefit to rest from the world. In both cases, Jesus claims to be greater than the Sabbath, which He teaches us was to be a blessing not a burden. In so doing, Jesus claims Himself our rest, and in that rest we are given blessing not a heavy burden.

Remember that the Kingdom of God is here already and not yet completed. At the Kingdom's consummation when the Lord Jesus Christ returns for His church, He will grant us perfect rest in Him. In opposition to the eschatological view prevalent in our secular culture (see above), Jesus gives us hope for that rest. We do not work ourselves to death into nothingness, we joyfully labor for Christ who gives us doctrine and commands that are not burdensome (Matthew 11:28-30) until He returns and completes our rest in Him. Any other work of moralism or pathway to righteousness is a law-keeping that is burdensome and you will burn out. Take upon you the teachings of Christ and He will grant you rest. He will grant you the desires of your heart and you will find joy in obedience. "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and your joy may be full" (John 15:11).

We must strive, then, to enter into our rest in Christ Jesus in the end having completed our labors. Do not mistake the Sabbath as a day to rest because you are tired. God "rested" after 6 days of creation, not because He was weary, but ceased in His creative labors in triumph that His glory has been displayed in His "very good" work of creation. By grace, God permits humanity to set apart the Sabbath and join Him in this celebration of His triumph not only in His creative labors (Exodus 16:23, Exodus 20:8), but also in looking forward to the rest the Church receives in Christ's triumph of His glorious work of which the Sabbath was a mere shadow of (Colossians 2:16-17). Let our work for Christ not cease until that day He returns for us. Let us strive to kill sin in our hearts and minds as well as to invited the lowly sinners to the banquet feast. At the Church's rest in Christ completed, our joy will be full and our rest found in God's triumph in the display of His glory to save sinners as His redemptive will rushed through human history to the praise of His glorious Name. As John Piper puts it, "with Christ, a decisive shift from separation ("come see") to declaration ("go tell") occurred in redemptive history" (Taste and See, 264). Now, go and tell the rich glories of Christ.

The Watchmaker

On Wednesday nights, we have been going chapter by chapter together through Arthur W. Pink's The Attributes of God. I thought that I would pen (or in this case, type) some thoughts together and share them with those of you who cannot attend.

When discussing God's solitariness, we must first understand that when our Triune God is alone, He has perfect relationship in Himself. Thus, He did not create the universe out of loneliness or an unfulfilled desire for praise. This would render our God imperfect considering that He is in need of something that He cannot provide for Himself. God is not in need of such things from His creatures because God has perfect praise and relationship within His three Persons. God created for His good pleasure, to display His magnificent glory. If perfection in relationship is found in God who is separate from His creation, what tremendous mercy is shown to sinners for whom Christ died to have reconciliation to God through Christ Jesus (Romans 5:10-11)! When we get away from the world and are "alone with God," we are indeed entering perfection. This perfection is alien to us (I Corinthians 1:30); in other words, entering into God's perfect relationship is not a substance or a work found in us, but given to us by Christ Jesus and His work.

How do we come to knowledge of this solitary, perfect, and Triune God? Pink describes the unhelpfulness of the illustration of the watchmaker. Consider a barbarian man in the amazon. He has never ventured further than two miles from his tribal village. He has never seen a photograph or an airplane. He has never known technology beyond that of a stick with a sharpened stone tied to its tip. Imagine this barbarian man walking along the beach and discovering a watch. He examines the watch and notices its fine details and inscriptions. He opens the watch and finds its intricate gear works. The complexity and fine detail would not bring even such a man as this to assume that the sands made this thing. He would not be so foolish as to believe erosion or time managed to form such fine and complex work (Psalm 14:1). This is what we observe with our universe. The complex design of this vast universe as well as the finer details of the human body such as the eye ball leaves humanity with no other understanding than that of intelligent design. The unhelpfulness Pink discusses in reference to this watchmaker is that studying the watch cannot tell us what the watchmaker is like. What are his characteristics? What brings him pleasure?

Studying the universe or sitting in a dark room thinking will not lead us to knowledge of our solitary, perfect, and Triune God. God is unsearchable (Psalm 145:3). Therefore, if we are to know God, He must reveal Himself to us, His creatures. God's glory must be revealed to us, and Christ Jesus reveals God's glory to whom He chooses (Matthew 11:27). The glory of God is observed in the face of Christ Jesus (II Corinthians 4:6). The Holy Spirit raises our dead hearts to a new life renewing our minds to witness the glory of God. Let us increase in the knowledge of God by reading, studying, and obeying the Word of God. The Scriptures tell us who God is, what He is like, and what pleases Him. The Scriptures tell us of our solitary, perfect, and Triune God.

Gambling in Kentucky

I have been watching the recent political struggles in our Commonwealth regarding Governor Beshear's desire to increase revenues by expanding gambling for some time. Today, Governor Beshear released his gambling bill which is endorsed by Senator Damon Thayer (R-District 17). In light of the recent controversy, Senator Thayer released this statement on his FaceBook page. I am writing this article in response to Senator Thayer.

Gambling is not directly spoken to in Scripture, and indirectly through stewardship commands we might infer that the act of gambling is sinful. Yet, this is not the most disturbing aspect to this bill. The most disturbing aspect to expanded gambling is that this bill allows government to profit from a social injustice. This bill is a desperate act of an over-spending and money hungry government that is predatory to the people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky in hopes to fill the state coffers while leaving a wake of devastation. As a pastor, all too often do I hear of ruined marriages and families due to gambling: husbands who take out loans to continue gambling, divorces over the financial straits gambling had placed on homes, and the destruction of whole towns around casinos into poverty. To think that anyone would introduce a bill to allow government and businesses to profit from such evil stands against conscience. The lack of any care for the poor, the forcing of others into poverty, and the view of people as prey for government revenue is altogether appalling.

Senator Thayer's position is simply to bring the issue up for voting by the people of Kentucky. To sponsor a bill is to support its content. Thus, I surmise that Senator Thayer has thought deeply about expanded gambling before signing his name in support of Governor Beshear's bill. I assume that by Senator Thayer's support of the content of the expanded gambling bill he disagrees with my approach toward expanded gambling and my view of the consequences to casinos. However, simply introducing a bill and sweeping its ramifications under the rug of "let the people decide" is outrageous. This is a bill that seeks to restore the horse industry and improve government revenue by what I view as a social injustice. All I ask Senator Thayer to do is state and defend his position in a public debate format.

Hershael York, pastor of Buck Run Baptist Church and a professor at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, has concerns to Senator Thayer's occupation which is linked to the speedway as well as the horse industry as a conflict of interest in sponsoring an expanded gambling bill. I believe this to be a legitimate concern, especially in light of my statement above regarding government and businesses profiting from social injustice. If Senator Thayer's business or any of his clients stands to profit from such a bill, then he should step aside and allow someone else to sponsor this legislation. This is a valid complaint which needs to be addressed in a public debate format.

If Senator Thayer disagrees with me and has full faith that this bill is good for the folks of Kentucky and he sees no conflict of interest in introducing the measure, then he should have no trepidations to debate Hershael York on the matter. If what Senator Thayer says is accurate that he does not intimidate easy, then he should have no problems debating the ideas before the people of the Commonwealth on KET's Kentucky Tonight (as requested by Hershael York in the comments of his FaceBook note).

To urge Senator Thayer to debate Hershael York regarding the gambling bill, post a comment on his FaceBook note and send him an e-mail. You may also write to Kentucky Tonight and request to see this debate.

Someone Greater than Shakespeare is Here

In I John 4:8, the Scripture reveals that "God is love." Greek does not have an indefinite article (Jehovah's Witnesses would do well to pay attention); thus, the verse is not read "God is a love," as if God is one form of many loves. There is no love that exists outside of God. In our modern secularized world, we have learned to compartmentalize "religious" love and the types of love in all other areas: marriage, children, peppered steak, etc. Valentine's Day stands as an example of the corruption sinful man has placed over this one word.

Movies and romance novels talk endlessly about finding "true love." This idea of love seems a mysterious force that, like the wind, is something that cannot be seen and is lost from our reaches. Love is reduced to a feeling, or primal sensation, which explodes in mutual pleasure when the mysterious "soul-mate" that this mysterious force fated for you is found. The world's view of love is utterly selfish in its nature and is founded on an idol god. True love, in this view, is an explosion of personal emotion and has its value solely upon personal pleasure. Have we any wonder, then, that people in the world "fall out of love" and never commit in marriage?

Instead of exhaustively displaying what love is not, allow me to suggest that the love of Christ is greater than the world's depiction of love. The world's love is prompted by something in someone outside of you: their attractiveness, their kindness, perfect characteristics, love poems, and the like. God loves us with a perfect and eternal love from His own perfect goodness (Psalm 25:6-7) and, therefore, His love is not dependent on any attribute of us (Deuteronomy 7:6-8). What marvelous good news! God's love remains on His chosen, not because we are great, wise, or sinless, but because God is good.

The world's love often fails to commit, and even if a commitment is made one can "fall out of love" and break that commitment Yet, because God's love is based solely on His goodness, God enters a covenant that we did not earn (Ephesians 2:8-9) and His commitment is eternal (Psalm 103:17). Follow Arthur W. Pink's logic:

God Himself is eternal, and God is love; therefore, as God Himself had no beginning, His love had none.

God will never fall out of love with His people. In I Corinthians 13:8-10, Paul describes how God's love is permanent against God's gifts. Two things we might infer from this passage about God's love:
(1) God's love is permanent.
(2) God's love is expressed in permanence and not gifts.
So, unlike many in the world where love is solely expressed in gift giving (like flowers and chocolate on Valentine's Day), God's love is displayed in how He changed our status before Him (from sinners to righteous) and His love's permanence rather than simply giving us stuff (such as fulfilling felt needs or speaking in tongues). The beloved of God cannot even begin to comprehend the joyous pleasure of receiving God's eternal love; however, our love is shown as worship to our loving God by faithful obedience to His commands (John 14:23-24).

The world's love parasitically feeds pleasure from others like leeches. God loves in such a way to include many who deserve His wrath. Jesus came and died for us to show us the greatest love by dying for His chosen. Before creation, He chose some of us freely out of His love that is founded solely upon His goodness and for His praise and not our characteristics (Ephesians 1:4-6). This praise we give by our faithful obedience to His commands because God lovingly gave us the gift of faith which enables our once dead hearts to have a desire to lovingly worship our God. So, the world may have Shakespearean love and extravagant princess-style weddings for selfish pleasure that is temporary. Someone greater than Shakespeare is here. "Love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:12-13). Thus, husbands love Christ by teaching Scripture to His wife and loving her as God loves him, not when she is nice to him or by anything she has or does, but because the man loves Christ. Likewise, wives love their husbands as Christ loves her, not for the gifts he brings or being "Mr. Right," but because of her love for Christ. Marital love is not an emotional sensation that explodes in carnal pleasure, but a mutual submission to and worship of the God who is love. The perfect gift to your spouse for today's celebration is having faith in Christ and "to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge"...every day.

Suggested Reading:
The Attributes of God  Chapter 15 entitled "The Love of God" by A.W. Pink

Joel Osteen's Gospel

In Wednesday's Christianity Today, Joel Osteen defended his theology against a theology that pushes people down and reveals "a God that you can’t measure up to." I described Osteen's doctrine of anthropology and theology in some detail yesterday. In this entry, I'd like to focus on Osteen's view of the gospel in particular as well as the danger of such a view in the contemporary church.

As stated in yesterday's entry, Osteen views the human condition radically different than what is defined in Scripture. Osteen's view of the human condition is to be made much of by God (man-centered). Osteen contends that God smiles down on us and has "a great plan" for people. This "great plan" is Osteen's gospel.

Osteen's Doctrine of Sin vs Biblical Doctrine of Sin
"You can overcome mistakes," says Osteen. Sin is viewed as a mistake in Osteen's view. Read this from Dictionary.com:

noun

1) an error in action, calculation, opinion, or judgment caused by poor reasoning, carelessness, insufficient knowledge, etc. 

2) a misunderstanding or misconception.

 So, Osteen's doctrine of sin is founded upon a lofty view of man and an anemic view of God. Man makes mistakes and God keeps on smiling and looking for the best for humanity. In other words, sin is not a breaking of God's Law deserving death as described in the Bible (Romans 6:23), but rather a mistake that people have the power to bounce back from. Osteen views people as those making errors or have a misunderstanding with God. This goes to why Osteen preaches "positives" rather than "fire and brimstone sermons," as he reports.
The biblical doctrine of sin is nicely defined by Wayne Grudem: "Sin is any failure to conform to the moral law of God in act, attitude, or nature." Sin is much more than mere action, such as making a mistake. Sin is who we are by nature and in our attitude toward God. The Bible depicts sin as totally corrupting in our thoughts and desires (Romans 7:18, Titus 1:15). The sinner is left utterly helpless to overcome sin, unlike in Osteen's view that "you can overcome mistakes." Because of humanity's sinful nature, all people are dead in their trespasses and sin (Ephesians 2:1). People are not sick in need of medicine or people who make mistakes that need help overcoming errors. The Bible says sinners are dead and utterly helpless to change. There is a lake of "fire and brimstone" for sinners (Revelation 21:8).


Osteen's Doctrine of Atonement vs Biblical Doctrine of Atonement
"You can overcome mistakes." Note, Osteen says you can overcome. Humanity has the power within themselves to invoke this change and "overcome mistakes." Also notice Osteen's absence of a human need for salvation and atonement. There is a total absence of any mentioning of Jesus, atonement, or sacrifice in a Christian magazine article about the gospel. That is not Christianity Today's fault; that is the fault of Osteen. Osteen's gospel has no need for atonement, nor Christ for that matter. If humans possess the power within themselves to change and God smiles down on us regardless, then we have no need of atonement for our "mistakes." So, in Osteen's view, people are not dead sinners in need of a Savior and perfect substitutionary atonement; rather, people are those with a misunderstanding of God and needs to hear positive messages about healthy relationships and healthy living. Osteen claims that such positive messages that avoid "fire and brimstone" are what "draws people to God." Thus, positive messages invites people who have the power to change themselves to draw themselves to God.
The Bible views man as sinners dead in their trespasses, utterly helpless, and deserving of eternal punishment by a just judgment from a perfectly holy God. People do not possess the power to reconcile themselves to God. This is the remarkable grace that is found in the true, biblical gospel. God initiates the change in position of the sinner (propitiation) and God Himself provides the power that sinners do not have to reconcile Christ's church to Himself (II Corinthians 5:19). When Christians preach the biblical gospel "be reconciled to God," we are preaching the God "made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God" (II Corinthians 5:20-21). In order for sinners to be reconciled to God, God Himself must draw the dead sinner to Himself through Christ who took our sin to the cross and in exchange we receive His perfect righteousness.


Osteen's Gospel Reward vs Biblical Gospel Reward
In Osteen's view of the gospel, God is reduced to a cosmic cheerleader "smiling down" on people that make mistakes, and God is the one rooting us on to bounce back from those mistakes and have a good life. Osteen admits his gospel is focused on prosperity, but "prosperity to me is more than money. It’s health and good relationships … peace of mind." So, God does want us to be prosperous, and prosperous in ways beyond our finances. Osteen summarizes that gospel reward out of God's desire for people to be happy and healthy: "God wants you to be blessed and have good relationships and be healthy." Osteen views the gospel reward as God meeting our felt needs, both emotionally and physically.

The Bible tells us that the gospel reward is God. The biblical gospel reward is salvation for our souls from the deserved punishment of our sin through Christ's atoning sacrifice and to, as the Westminster Confession puts it, "fully enjoy Him forever." The reward Christ gives us reconciliation to God and to find our full satisfaction in Him above all of His gifts. As John Piper puts it in God is the Gospel,

Jesus must be the supreme treasure of our lives, if we are true disciples of Jesus. Jesus died for us and rose again to make it possible for us to see him and savor him above all things with everlasting joy. This is the great good the gospel is meant to accomplish. (144)

Osteen challenges the biblical view of the gospel and views those preaching the biblical gospel reward as "some people want you to think you’re supposed to be poor and broke and suffer to show that you’re a Christian, and that’s just not the way I read the Scripture." To which Scripture are you referring to, Mr. Osteen? Remember this one, where Jesus says, "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great" (Matthew 5:12a)? So Jesus' great reward in heaven brings rejoicing and joy. To what was He referring to? "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me...for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matthew 5:11-12). Of course, Osteen's way of reading Scripture is in eisegesis. Osteen wants a God that meets his felt needs and preaches this way and does this by informing the Word of God what the gospel is. The Word of God is meant to inform Osteen and us what the gospel is (exegesis). Notice that Osteen views a gospel that offers no other gift but God as "you're supposed to be poor and broke and suffer." Osteen only accepts a God that gives you money and comfort. If money and comfort were stripped away in Osteen's gospel reward, you have nothing. Osteen views himself making God good by transforming God into an earthly gift-giver and not Himself. A gospel that gives God as the reward is not a good God, in this view. I see Christ as the Joy above all joys, Gift above all gifts, and long to see Him return for His church. I grieve that Osteen views this reward as unsatisfactory.

Osteen's Gospel and Your Church
Let's face it; it is easy to pick on Joel Osteen. He is over-the-top and is rather ineffective when questioned by the media. It is easy for most to point our Osteen's gospel as false, or those like him. For example, you could point at Joyce Meyer's speaking with all the profundity of fortune cookies at your local Chinese take-out. Perhaps you can easily ignore the likes of historical prosperity gospel preachers like Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, Kenneth Copeland, or Robert Shuller and his Crystal Cathedral. You may only be able to shew away Osteen's gospel because of his over-the-top church of 40,000. However, could you recognize a false gospel in a church of 40? How about in a book on a shelf at your local Christian bookstore? How does your pastor express the gospel from the pulpit?
It is my hope that I have clarified that Osteen's gospel is no gospel at all and is radically oppositional to the Bible. However, I am blogging for teaching reasons. To leave you here would leave you with the usual "you should evangelize" ending to a typical Sunday sermon. As Don Whitney puts it, "It does little good to encourage people to discipline themselves to evangelize if they do not know the gospel." You should know the gospel and hear the gospel from your pastor. You should be able to discern whether or not what you are hearing from the pulpit or reading in a book is the biblical gospel or another false gospel. The implications could be deadly (Matthew 7:15-20).