We Love God But Not Like We Love Our Freedom

The 1689 LBC has this to say about the Fall:

Although God created man upright and perfect, and gave him a righteous law, which had been unto life had he kept it, and threatened death upon the breach thereof, yet he did not long abide in this honour; Satan using the subtlety of the serpent to subdue Eve, then by her seducing Adam, who, without any compulsion, did willfully transgress the law of their creation, and the command given unto them, in eating the forbidden fruit, which God was pleased, according to his wise and holy counsel to permit, having purposed to order it to his own glory.
( Genesis 2:16, 17; Genesis 3:12,13; 2 Corinthians 11:3 )

Along with this I will include the 1689 statement on the will.

One of the things that is often breezed by is the nature of the fall, pre and post condition of man. It will take some development to establish what I am going to say later about a notable Southern Baptist whose influence must be widely credited with the establishment of the SBC majoritarian party’s doctrinal position, today. Right now I have to establish a framework.

First, we need to discover what the estate of man was prior to the fall. The 1689 states:

After God had made all other creatures, he created man, male and female, with reasonable and immortal souls, rendering them fit unto that life to God for which they were created; being made after the image of God, in knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness; having the law of God written in their hearts, and power to fulfil it, and yet under a possibility of transgressing, being left to the liberty of their own will, which was subject to change…Besides the law written in their hearts, they received a command not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, which whilst they kept, they were happy in their communion with God, and had dominion over the creatures.

Things that need to be noticed here are: image, fit, immortality, knowledge, righteousness, true holiness. There is much more to the likeness. Let’s take a look at these, but briefly, since what I want to establish is that man was created after the image of God. He was not created, god, but after the image of God. Like all things in creation, man shows forth God’s glory, Romans 1 and elsewhere. To sum it up man was made perfectly perfect as a expression of God’s creation.

The character and attributes of God are developed throughout Scripture, and here we see some as expressed in the make up of man. This immediately throws us upon a dilemma. We know from the commandments that we are not to make images of the likeness of God. We are told that God is not a man. Therefore we need a definition of image that is compatible. The descriptors actually give us that definition, with some qualifications. The qualifications can be summed up in the fact that man is a creature, a product of creation and by definition cannot be what created it. He can be like the maker, but not the maker.

Qualifications:

Immortality is not inherent in man. Eternal life is inherent only in God; 1 John 5:11; 1 John 5:20. In him alone is life. Man is made, and being made is mortal. The continuance of the soul of man is established, not in man, but in the power of God to sustain it. In other words if God so chose, he could destroy the soul. And, I for one believe that he does, for believers in the new birth. But I digress.

Knowledge again is not something that is inherent in man. God alone is the ground of all knowledge. What man does know is what God has given him; Job 21:22. That too can be taken or added according to God’s good pleasure.

Righteousness and true holiness are again not inherent in man, they have their beginning and terminus in God. The One who alone is good; Luke 18:19, is also the One who alone is righteous; Isaiah 45:24. But here we must pause and question the difference between righteousness and holiness. If we want we might capture the sense of difference as that which Jesus said,

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

Holiness we might say is that which does, and righteousness, that which is done. Holiness and righteousness are not without each other. Again, though, what we have is man created who is not inherently these things, but he is made to be this image or likeness.

The beginning quote contains this incredible statement:

God created man upright and perfect

As I have tried to emphasize, what is inherent in God is not inherent in man. But there is an image, or likeness, that was perfect. It was perfect in the reflection of the communicable attributes of God, it was perfectly made, suited, “fit” the word used in the confession, to glorify God in his creation. As the apex, all that was made had been perfected in man, to be the summation of all that God wanted to communicate with man about Himself. We find him upright. Later though we will find him fallen. The NT term for resurrection, anastasis means to stand one again upon his feet. Though man was meant to worship his God in the humility of heart that is fitting a creature of his creator, God had created man to stand in his presence.

That is enough to get us started. We will look next at the nature of God so that we might learn more about man and what really took place and what was the tragedy and extent of the fall.

How Free Is God

It was said at Reformed Mafia

“Now as far as God overriding the will to cause “evil” decisions, I think we would both want to distance ourselves from such assertions.”

But now let us consider:

Isaiah 6:9-10

Mark 4 10-12

Matthew 13:10-17

Ezekiel 36:27

Isaiah 63:17

Each of these deals with the salvation of God’s people. What stands out is that God not only repeatedly tells us that he is the one who has caused these events to come about, they all lead to actions evil. The question that must be asked is why would God will to blind men to the truth so that they would do what is sinful? In Paul’s writing we find that it is the god of this world that has blinded men. Still, we have the previous declaration, that no matter how God did it, either by direct agency or indirect, he is still the primal causal agent. We Calvinists do not have a hard time saying that God is the author of sin if what is meant is that he is the one who has ordained it and all the means that will bring it about and not that he does it. We also understand that God has created man in the image of God, an agent responsible, with volition. We understand also that as Isaiah says, as Jesus demonstrated, and which is repeated by Paul in Romans, it is the very sign of the spirit of rebellion which speaks back to its maker accusing God of sin in making man as he sees fit as either vessels of wrath or vessels of mercy. The key word is vessels; tools by which he brings himself glory. The pride filled heart does not like it when God calls him nothing, clay to be molded, dust to be spit upon to give eyes to the blind. Yet, that is the Truth.

Jeremiah 18:12 It is the evil heart that will not have anything to do with what God forms. He calls it vain, and as Isaiah said, it is because they believe God does not know what is best for them:

“You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be regarded as the clay, that the thing made should say of its maker, “He did not make me”; or the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding”?

1 Corinthians 2:8 And this is where it all comes together. It was God who purposed that Christ would go to Calvary. It was he who bruised the Son. It was he who killed him. It was the Father who provided the Lamb, and spilled his blood for the sacrifice. It was by the hands of evil men that he did so. And, he accomplished that by blinding their understanding. In all this God is innocent of sin, yet from before the world began, Jesus was the Lamb slain; before man was created, before he fell, it was ordained, in the eternal councils, the Word, that Judas would betray him. Those very actions that evil men carried out, each and every one, are exemplified in all the prophecies that were fulfilled in the passion. Each one demonstrating that God does indeed superintend the thoughts, actions, and outcomes of men’s lives.

It is uncomfortable for the flesh to accept this because it requires that a man die to himself, his self-determination, and bow the Lordship of the sovereign God who creates and orchestrates all minutial things for his glory. The natural man cannot receive this, because God has blinded their hearts. Indeed it is a wisdom above man’s logic so that man cannot glory in it at all. It is impossible for the natural man to submit to it. But, God in his mercy grants, that is gives repentance, and he does that just the same way that he gave to some the knowledge of the parables and kept it from others.

So, You Think You’re Southern Baptist?

Two Worlds Collide

Belive It Or Not A Worship Song

                                                

 

Here in Cheyenne we have a church that is a bit STRANGE. It is called Element Church. Though it is a plant church that issues out of an extreme Wesleyan Holiness background, this plant is steeped in the cult heritage that is now all the rave and typically named Emergent. If you go to Element’s worship page you will find a list of favorite books which include new age and Emergent author’s (Velvet Elvis- Rob Bell; Waking the Dead- John Eldredge). Then it makes sense, doesn’t it, that AC/DC would contextualize the sermon?

If you missed it there is a fine conversation on contextualization that has just ended at Pyromaniacs. There seems to be some confusion about just when we are and are not supposed to wield the sword, but Scripture seems to indicate that it is to be in and out of season. We have a job to do, and it is not always pretty. In fact it is pure hell we are beating down the gates of, taking the Kingdom as we are with violence.

“We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ…

The be all and end all of extending the kingdom is that we win the argument. Honestly! Some would have us to believe that it is just a conversation we’re having here so there is no need for harsh talk and name calling (labeling in pomospeak). But, winning the argument isn’t the end, it is just the beginning.

You see, it depends on what you mean. Paul seemed to think that the winning of the argument was the purpose he was sent. Funny how this chapter begins with:

“Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ –I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent!”

What fools to think that it was mere words, a mere argument of a mortal. So they thought it all about words, words, words, when in reality, it was about the Word of Truth.

kathaireo: to pull down, demolish
the subtle reasonings (of opponents) likened to a fortress, i.e. to refute, to destroy

logismos: a reasoning such as is hostile to the Christian faith

gnosis ho theos: the perfect knowledge of God.

Tying it together: We are pulling down and demolishing the subtle reasonings of the opponents of the perfect knowledge of God and the Christian faith, destroying completely their fortresses by thoroughly refuting them with reasoning. We are to take those thoughts that are enemies of God captive and force them to be obedient to Christ, leaving no survivors.

Aye, then sound the trumpet in Zion, rouse the troops for war, for the end of the argument is our God.

While it is true there is a time for silence, there is also a time to speak. Or, have you not heard what this uncircumcised Philistine is saying about God? The sole purpose is to win the argument with a shot right between the eyes. But, there is more to it than that. It is the Name under whose banner we march that makes the difference.

The be all and end all is putting an end to all arguments that exalt themselves above the knowledge of God. If that is the end of all, the glory of God, then let there be blood…

You see what Element Church is doing is deceptive and in many ways blatantly blasphemous. Just like so many Emergent Style Church God’s word is ground underfoot for the convenience of appeal and to accomodate the culture in an effort to increase attendance without the slightest concern about what is really at stake. It is fair then to let them be anathema, is it not, as well as those who are connected to, approving of, and promoting the dragging of Christ’s name though dog’s vomit?

(pomospeak: the language type used by postmoderns; the typical language of emergers)

Packer’s First Point « 2 Worlds Collide

Packer’s First Point « 2 Worlds Collide

Phil Johnson on the Great Exchange

                                                  

Paula White is a Heretic

No doubt about it, and Huch too!

centuri0n blog spot: aka Mr. Winkie Eye Calls Rick Warren a Polygamist Magister

                                            

“centuri0n” …blog …saying that Rick Warren has 3 wives and practices Shinto in his basement at an altar to his father’s father

Can I get away with this redaction? I mean, the popular media gets away with it all the time. There are 1.4 billion people online, and it was reported that in 2005 there were 50 million blogs growing at one per second. You can say just about anything about people with little accountability.

With the advent of drums messages traveled at the speed of sound with a one note band witdh, but hey, it was an improvement over yelling or running to the next village. Still, it mattered what rhyme was in the rhythm.

One of the advantages of the internet is the full spectrum access to information. No generation has known the likes. While the advantage is obvious, the dangers loom large as well. HD has not arrived when it comes to information dependability.

 Anyone who is familiar with the tug and toe of the popular media is familiar with the claims that opposing sides make about bias. Accusations are made. Things are taken out of context and reproduced as matter of fact. The danger of internet traffic is considerably more dynamic when we add blogs to the mix. It is an economy of scale. It may be bigger and cheaper, mass produced as it is, but not necessarily better or safer and is subject to more vulnerabilities of  market place competition and fraud than a conversation behind closed doors with someone you know. Just how one navigates these waters and arrives safely on shore begins to take on proportions similar to navigating mined waters in a hurricane.

 For those of us on this side of the great echange:  we need more than just a few keyboard strokes to be able to discern the truth. And here’s the problem, once we have found the truth we have no option but to tell everyone:

And we have another problem, we have to know its the truth. This post though is not so much about that, but what we do with the truth presented to us:

 If you’ve managed to get through Mr. Turk’s reasoning then listen to Driscoll and ask yourself: “What?” His advice is better than Warren’s! We only wish he would take his own:

Driscoll needs to, and he needs to go deeper. By remaining in the pulpit though, he has done what centuri0n lists as Warren instruction:

Shout louder than your critics to define yourself and do not allow them to define you.

And he has shown over the half year or so since his humility teaching  that he has done very little to implement his own instruction. But, I will leave it to you to decide. There is good criticism and bad, bad receivers of it and good. What Driscoll outlines here is good, what Warren instructs, is bad.

The point of this post: How then shall we put the right answers with the right questions that critics ask so that we might avoid self deception:

 To be a rock and not to role by everywind of doctrine and the cunning and craftiness of men by which the lie in wait to decieve. But that is not the point here, the point is how are we to understand criticism.Which is another way of saying, how are we to be discipled and are we ever above it?

Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and with meekness receive the implanted word which is able to save your souls.

After The Handbasket

After The Handbasket

 These Guys are lonely. Go see em at God’s speed.

Resurrection And Progressive Revelation

It was said:

by the same argument, revelation does not always dictate truth or otherwise someone without a bible could not understand for he lacks the revelation.

Funny thing is, without the Bible men of old spoke as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. But, equally as interesting. We only know that because what they spoke, they wrote down.

Here is the progression. All things remain the same as they were in the beginning. What can be know of God has been revealed. Paul said so in Romans, but let’s see what he was talking about: John said in John 1

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Mose wrote:

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good.

Jesus said:

No one is good except God alone… I am the light of the world.

John also bore witness that Jesus was the light.

The Gospel is proclaimed in the opening verses of Genesis. It is written that the Heavens and the Earth declare his Glory. Of Jesus it is said:

He is the radiance of the glory of God.

It is not the revelation that progresses, it is eternal, for it is of God himself, eternal. Time progresses but the revelation remains unchanged without shadow or turning, from the very first to the very end, the Alpha and Omega, beginning and end. To the wise this remains hidden and it has pleased God to reveal it to babes. Jesus said unless a man is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God. The conclusion is that the revelation is always there in its fulness, but the ability of man to see requires that it be unveiled by the new birth. It was said that in many ways, and in diversity, God revealed himself, but, when in the fullness of time, God finally, in the final analysis, has spoken in his Son. Not a new revelation, not a new light, but the same light in which God dwells, unapproachable.

Revelation does not continue in flux, changing, progressing. Revelation is timeless. It is the prologue and the epilogue, the Revelation of Jesus Christ which is the Spirit of Prophecy. It should not surprise anyone that the blind cannot see that which has always been, for a rational man would understand that blindness is not the voiding of the revelation, nor is sight the creation of it. But, blindness is the veil which God has drawn over the corpses of men born dead so that they cannot perceive that which is in front of them all the time. And except that they are created anew, they cannot see. The law, that is the prophecy spoken or written, by the stars or by men below is meaningless to those who have not been made anew from above. Only those given new eyes, the renting of the veil by God coming down to deliver a new man with a new life can see what has always been. That it is to God to whom all glory belongs, who has revealed himself in his creation so that no man has any excuse but to fall upon his face is awe of him who is the creator.

In the beginning the waters were upon the deep and out of them he brought forth the life of man on earth where there was no life. Out of the floods of child birth he brought for the fruit of life from the womb of one who was dead. Out of the waters of the flood he brought forth Noah and set him on high, seated in the heavens as it were with God, bringing him forth from the womb of an ark made from the earth which was dead. Out of the Nile he brought a child as one born a second time from waters of death to life. Out of the sea Moses brought a people who were as dead men in a land of firstborn men put to death. Out of the Jordan he brought forth Jesus, a man born from the womb of one who was as dead. It was he who would lead all who he would make to live by his death, through the vail of his flesh that gushed out water and blood. Through the tears of those who mourned until he rose, through his resurrection, he brought his people to live evermore, never to die again. It was he, who having come through a baptism that no other could, finally stood upon the mountain of the Lord where he ascended to be seated on high forever as God. Nothing has changed. God still today reveals himself as he did in the beginning. He comes to the children in the Garden to give them new garments of life, washed clean from the waters of death, birthed anew. But, the dead cannot see, though they watch on. Even though Revelation of God stands before them, revealed in heaven and earth eternally the Truth, the dead cannot receive the reality that is before their eyes, for their eyes are veiled in death, their eyes see only evil continually.