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On Rick Warren, Women Pastors, and “Secondary Issues”

June 15, 2022 / / 1 Comment

On June 14, 2022, during the Southern Baptist Convention’s Annual Meeting in Anaheim, California, Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church was given the opportunity to speak at the Messengers’ microphone for approximately five minutes (more than any other Messenger at the time). Pastor Warren gave an impassioned statement about his love for the SBC and how being part of the Convention made his many accomplishments possible (a list he was only too proud to share). 

While much can be said about Pastor Warren’s braggadocios claims (and his apparent lack of self-awareness about how much he was making of himself rather than Christ) it was his conclusion that struck a rather interesting chord for some. As he finished his statement, Pastor Warren said, “are we going to keep bickering about secondary issues or are we going to keep the main thing the main thing. We need to finish the task and that will make God smile.”  Bickering over secondary issues. That is what Rick Warren challenged SBC Messengers to do, stop bickering over secondary issues. 

Just what kind of issues is he referring to? One of the primary matters of discussion at the Annual Meeting was the ordination of women as pastors, especially in light of the fact that Saddleback Church had recently, and very publicly, ordained three women to that office. So much of a discussion was this issue that a call for the disfellowshipping of Saddleback had been brought up (it didn’t happen) and an hour-long discussion over whether the Credentials Committee could take time to study what “pastor” meant occurred (thankfully, it did not pass). This particular issue was very much in view when Pastor Warren made his plea.

What is a secondary issue? It is a poorly phrased term (I’ll say why shortly) for those doctrinal issues that do not fall within the area of what can exclude someone from the faith by its denial.  In other words, certain doctrinal beliefs – such as the deity of Christ, the Triune nature of God, salvation by faith alone in Christ alone, and others – are of such importance that the denial of them prohibits the possibility of calling oneself a Christian. To deny that we are saved by Christ alone, for example, to espouse that there are other means of salvation, means we have denied the words of Christ alone when He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). You cannot deny these necessary truths and possess the salvation of Christ. These would be considered “primary” doctrines.

“Secondary” doctrines are important matters of faith where it is possible to be wrong or in error and yet still be saved. Such doctrines can include baptism (such as debates over infant or believer’s baptism), end-times doctrine (amil, postmil, premil, etc), and, to an extent, discussions over the nature of salvation (monergistic vs. synergistic). Included in that designation of “secondary” doctrines would be who can be appointed to the office of pastor. These are matters that Scripture speaks with authority and clarity, but can often be interpreted differently for a variety of reasons (ignorance, preconceptions, traditions, importation of personal ideologies, etc). As such, Christians will find themselves in debates over these matters, yet, in many cases still be able to call one another brethren.

Pastor Warren wants members of the SBC to see the ordination of women as simply a “secondary issue” over which “bickering” need not occur. That, rather than debating what Scripture says, they need to lay the matter aside, link arms in unity, and “keep the main thing the main thing.” In other words, stop worrying about whether Saddleback is right or wrong on this matter, just get back to evangelism, and bring bodies into the church. And for that, many gave him a standing ovation.

Here is the thing though, does a doctrine being a “secondary” issue relegate it to the realm of being unimportant? Should Christians simply disregard their differences on these matters for the sake of unity? Or are these doctrines still important enough that churches are called not only to determine what is right but actually apply and live by those doctrines? Of course, the correct answer is the last one. 

Pastor Warren, and many others like him, are simply wrong when they tell us to stop worrying about secondary doctrines. God’s Word is not a book of recommendations that we ought to pick through, using what we like and discarding what we do not. It is God’s inspired, inerrant, infallible, and all-sufficient revelation for all Christian life and practice (see 2 Timothy 3:16-17). We are to study it daily, conforming ourselves to its precepts and commands. We are to grow in our understanding, never being satisfied to think we somehow have mastered it all. We are to submit humbly to the Word, examine ourselves by it, and repent whenever we find ourselves in contradiction to what God has said.

That means that the so-called “secondary issues” have as much importance in our lives as the primary ones.  Remember, we are new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17) in Christ. When we were called to him in repentance and faith, we were told to be baptized and obey all that Christ has commanded us (Matthew 28:19-20). How do we know what He has commanded? By diligently studying His Word. Scripture, all of it in its entirety, is God’s revelation of Himself, His nature, and His work in us. Therefore, there are no unimportant doctrines. All of doctrine is important. 

This is why the term “secondary issues” is a train wreck. It gives a less than subtle implication that, because it is not “primary” or salvific, it does not matter what you believe. Nothing could be further from the truth. If God has commanded us in a given matter, we are obligated to believe and obey Him. To refuse to obey God is to be lawless, it is sin. When we have His Word before us, we are called to study and understand what His commands are and to commit them to our hearts and minds. And we are then to live by them. We do not have the freedom to stay ignorant. We do not have the freedom to relegate something as being unimportant. We have a duty to read, study, meditate on, and obey His word.

This is why debating these matters of doctrine is also important. Because we are fallible and prone to disobedience, it is incumbent upon all Christians and churches to examine our doctrine and practice regularly. This means that those other factors I mentioned earlier (ignorance, preconceptions, traditions, and ideologies) must be examined and challenged. If we love the church, if we truly care for the bride of Christ, we cannot simply sit by and not speak when we see professing brethren openly reject and disregard the Word of God. We must speak up, we must challenge, we must debate, and we must demand that we all conform ourselves to the Scriptures.

Rick Warren does not want his ordaining of women challenged. Yet, Scripture is clear. God has reserved the office of pastor to particularly qualified men (1 Timothy 2:12-14). While God does indeed give gifts and calls certain persons to given roles (Ephesians 4:7-11), He never contradicts Himself. If God calls a person to pastor, then He will call the very persons He has authorized in His Word. Pastor Warren wants to say that the gift of pastor and the office of pastor are different things. Yet, there is no such distinction in Scripture whatsoever. It is a rejection of the totality of the teaching of the Word to claim otherwise. And when called out for this, Pastor Warren says this is bickering. That the matter is secondary. That it is an obstacle to “the main thing.” 

What Pastor Warren is really saying is that he wants to ignore Scripture because it interferes with his preferred church business model. And he wants other Christians to quit telling him that he is disobeying the Word. Pastor Warren is elevating his personal ideologies above the clear commands of God and he is trying to recruit other Christians to do likewise.

Christians, “secondary issues” are still God’s commands to His church. They are not open to personal interpretation and application. And they are most certainly not open to rank disobedience because we do not like them. These doctrines inform us of the character and nature of our Lord and Savior. They call us to humble ourselves and submit to Christ that we might make much of Him. Our commitment to study and live in accordance with these doctrines brings glory to His name. They point the watching world to the Savior who is greater, more majestic, and more beautiful than anything we have to offer. To do anything but make a diligent effort to be transformed by these doctrines is to put ourselves over His Word. May this never be. Pastor Warren and those who applauded him need to humble themselves and repent. 

Secondary doctrines are important doctrines. Study them. Know them. Live by them. Be humbled by them. Glorify God in obeying them.

Book Review – Christianity and Wokeness

July 20, 2021 / / 0 Comments

I was fortunate to be part of the Launch Team for Owen Strachan’s new book, “Christianity and Wokeness.” As such, I was able to read an early edition of the book sent out to all Launch Team members to read and review prior to the release of the book. I must say that this text is not only an excellent treatment of the subject, but does a fantastic job of equipping Christians and Churches to respond biblically to “Wokeness.”

In “Christianity and Wokeness,” Owen Strachan provides the church with a much-needed resource. Christians are being challenged daily to take up the mantle of “wokeness” and “social justice” as a mandatory requirement of preaching the gospel, but should they be doing so? Owen Strachan pulls back the curtain to help Christians see exactly what “wokeness” is and why it is antithetical to biblical truth.

Strachan spends two chapters explaining what wokeness is and how it has infiltrated society at large and the church specifically. He then takes the time to break down the tenets of wokeness, drawing from the primary sources themselves. Contrasting these teachings with Scripture, he demonstrates that wokeness is an ungodly ideology that is wholly incompatible with the teachings of Scripture.

Strachan then takes his readers through a biblical analysis of identity and ethnicity as it is revealed in God’s Word. He provides the church with biblical answers as to who and what man truly is, the nature of sin (including partiality and ethnic hatred), and points to the only possible solution between God and men, the gospel.

“Christianity and Wokeness” is a great resource for Christians and the church. In a time when so many are trying to use the world’s definitions to explain equality, fairness, justice and love, Christians need to be reminded that God has already defined them in the Scriptures. “Christianity and Wokeness” will equip Christians to not only understand the issues at hand but to respond biblically when the world demands they acquiesce to their demands. I highly recommend this text to Christians and churches everywhere.

Encouragement for the Battle Weary

May 21, 2021 / / 0 Comments

I know a lot of us are weary of the current cultural warfare. Some of us simply never want to hear the terms Critical Race Theory, Intersectionality, Marxism, etc, ever again. If we could just wipe them out of lives, we would be happy beyond measure. I can identify with that. This seems to be all-consuming. It is everywhere. I would love to see and be part of just about any other conversation. Some days, it feels like it is never going to end and we are all battle weary.

Yet, at the same time, this battle is perhaps one of the most important we’ve engaged in for our generation. I’m not talking about the politics (though it is a huge component of what is going on), I’m referring to the spiritual. What this cultural war has revealed is the lack of spiritual maturity going on in the professing Church at large. Many self-identified Christians are either ignorant of Scripture or believe their personal feelings and experiences supplant Scripture. The very core of the cultural war is the battle for the sufficiency of Scripture.

There is little doubt that CRT and similar ideologies will one day collapse in on themselves. Critical Theory systems depend on the idea that there must always be oppressor and oppressed classes. Eventually, competing oppressed classes will come into conflict with one another. Somebody’s victim status is going to demand to be considered more important than another victim status. Thus, competition between victim classes will result in a new oppressor/oppressed battle within currently allied groups. When that happens, when they start eating their own (something that is already happening) the movement will begin to collapse.

Of course, should the Critical Theory promoters actually achieve their stated goals and create a Neo-Marxist “utopia,” then all victim groups will no longer be useful to those in control. They will be dismissed as dissidents to be pushed down, isolated, and ignored. All one needs is a cursory understanding of history to recognize this to be true. Only the willfully deluded will believe “that won’t happen this time.” In either scenario, the existing Critical Theory movement will diminish and fall apart.

But, that is not something we should settle for. Why? Because the very core beliefs that allow for the existence of such a movement will never go away. Critical Theory exists because it descends from previous leftist ideologies. Post-modernism, Neo-Marxism, the Frankfurt School, political activism, and more are the very progenitors of the existing Critical Theory system. Each rose and fell as an ideology or movement, but their very beliefs were passed down and retained within our cultural system. Much of how we think today has been affected. Even those of us who are opposed to Critical theory find ourselves speaking of having one’s own truth, not judging others, there not being only one way, etc. We may not realize it because it has become so ubiquitous, but much of Western Culture, and even the Christian church have been inculcated with the beliefs of these systems.

Once evidence of this is the failed “Emergent Church” movement. Emergent church “preachers” prided themselves in not knowing anything for certain. They asked all kinds of questions, but never really wanted solid answers. Certainty of anything was the only real sin. It was arrogant and prideful to believe anyone could know exactly what God had said. This movement was all the rage, for a time. Eventually, all questions and no answers mean you don’t really have anything to stand on. Without a firm foundation, you sink into the mire of your own creation. And such did the Emergent movement. But, not without leaving a lasting effect.

People may not have called themselves Emergent, but many professed Christians were impacted by its teachings. Uncertainty about the Word of God and a love for one’s own feelings grew in Evangelicalism. The leaven had taken root and grown in churches around America. People still take great pride in believing that it is humble to not stand firmly on doctrine. That genuine love is letting people find their own path and not insisting on believing all of God’s Word is true or sufficient.

Now, the impact from that system, the widespread roots of it are bearing fruit in the Woke Church. Since we need not believe God’s Word has the final say on all things, that our own feelings and lived experiences have equal authority, this became fertile ground to implant Woke ideology. Now, those that once believed we couldn’t be certain about God’s Word believe that people’s own stories can be given equal to or greater weight than Scripture. As Solomon wrote, “There is nothing new under the sun.”

The cultural battle is important because the war of worldviews is important. You either submit to the worldview of God in Scripture or you espouse the worldview of man. Christians cannot abdicate their place in this battle. We must be people of the Book. We must expose “plausible arguments” for the fraud they really are. We must tear down the strongholds of the world and shine the light of God’s gospel as revealed in His Word. I know you are weary, brethren. I know you wish the battle to end. But, until the final trumpet sounds and our Savior returns triumphant, we have much to do and disciples to make. Take heart, do not be weary in doing good. Your Savior and His gospel are worth it.

Math is Not Relative But Critical Theory Is

August 4, 2020 / / 2 Comments

It is a simple math equation, one we all learned in grade school, 2+2=4. It’s pretty much a universal constant, right?  If you take 2 apples and add 2 more apples, you get four apples. It really doesn’t get much more simple than that.  Unless you have an agenda that is.

Since the death of George Floyd, the issue of racism in America, specifically, the charge of systemic racism at all levels of culture, has been at a fever pitch.  Claims of racism in education, government, law enforcement, business, and much more have been levied by everyone with a perceived interest in the discussion.  Simply put, according to the doctrines of Critical Race Theory (CRT), everything in America is guilty of systemic racism.  This is because our nation was built by those who were white European slave owners who believed that white men should always reign supreme, according to the theory. Therefore, according to the theory, everything that the founding fathers established was meant to elevate the white man and never allow the black community to foster.  The argument is that there is nothing in our culture that has not been tainted by white supremacy.  As such, it must all be pulled down and rebuilt if racial equity can ever be established.

Now, we should recognize that cultural biases can exist and can be passed down from generation to generation.  Therefore, it is possible for our national culture today to have ideas and concepts that need self-examination.  Each person should be willing to look at what they believe about others, how they treat them, and why they do it.  For Christians, this really is a no brainer.  We are called to love God and to love others as we already love ourselves.  So treating people disrespectfully, especially due to their ethnic origin, should be foreign to us.  And if we find we are operating on personal biases, we ought to repent of this and make amends to any persons whom we have sinned against.

The problem lies in the fact that CRT assumes that, not only do biases exist but are so ingrained in the very fabric of our existence that any and all white persons in America are de facto racist if they are unwilling to acknowledge they have benefitted from a racist system.  It demands that all persons of Caucasian ethnicity not only admit they are privileged but actively work to divest themselves of said privilege and elevate persons of color to atone for their innate racism.  In order to continue to prove that systemic racism exists at all levels, CRT evangelists have taken to not only claiming government and businesses are infected, but even science, history, and religion are products of white colonialism.

It is important to understand how and why this is being taught.  CRT teaches the entire system is infected with racism and needs to be rebuilt.  For the Christian, however, this is entirely anti-biblical.  Christian doctrine teaches that individuals are responsible for their sin and will be condemned eternally as individuals.  Salvation is a personal matter between a person and God, whom he or she has sinned against.  That person must repent of their sin (of which racism would be included) and trust in the completed work of Christ to be forgiven before God.  As that person is saved, God gives him or her new life and new desires.  That person is a new creation and is free from the power of sin and death.  This means they can live lives of holiness before God and seek to make reconciliation with those whom they have sinned against. As more people come to Christ, they in turn share the gospel with others who get saved and become new creations.  In time, an entire culture can be changed from sinful reprobates to a people who love and care for others.

Historically, we saw this happen as the gospel was preached throughout Europe, and eventually the Americas, post-Reformation.  Missions, hospitals, schools, and churches were planted all around the world.  Christians went forth and not only preached the gospel but loved others to the point of seeking to care for them at every level.  This is the legacy of God’s work and power through the transforming preaching of the gospel.

The gospel does not require Christians to attack cultural biases and demand restructuring of power positions.  What it does demand is to call sinners to repentance and to love neighbors as oneself.  CRT evangelists find themselves at odds with biblical Christians who understand the doctrines of scripture and know that compromise with the world dilutes the gospel message.  Therefore, preachers of CRT seek to redefine what the scriptures teach and say in order to fit their narrative. For example, where the Bible speaks of justice, they redefine justice to mean that all persons must have equality of outcome. Those who repudiate such redefinitions are ridiculed for holding to a white colonialist view and are told they must divest themselves of such thinking in order to hold to a truly biblical view.

What does this have to do with mathematics?  Recently, many Critical Theorists have taken aim at those who claim 2+2 always equals 4.  Why? Because it represents objective truth, something that Critical Theory abhors.  As such, CT proponents have made numerous claims attempting to debunk the idea that math holds rock-solid, objective principals.  They have used examples such as: if two companies have two machines and each has the parts to make half of another machine, if they come together, they can build a third machine, meaning 1+1 = 3; or if you have 2 apples and 2 oranges, you don’t have 4 apples. These examples are meant to show that math isn’t quite so clear cut and allows doubt to be created in the minds of their readers. This is called deconstruction.  Its intended purpose it to break down actual definitions, create doubt in the meaning of things, and introduce new definitions.

But notice what the deconstructionist does.  He states that the actual word problem is two companies added together make three machines, in other words, 1 + 1 = 3.  He has taken two separate equations and mashed them into one, completely disregarding the details, and come to a wrong conclusion.  Yet, for the person who does not think critically, this creates confusion and doubt.  This allows the deconstructionist to redefine how math works and claims that traditional math is a function of a systemically flawed system, i.e. white colonialism.

Let’s look at the second equation: 2 apples plus 2 oranges does not equal 4 apples.  This is correct on the surface. You cannot claim that the two different classes of items added together equal 4 items of one class.  However, if the word problem were written as an actual math problem is traditionally presented, it would read: Billy has 2 apples in his lunchbox. His friend Johnny has 2 oranges.  How many pieces of fruit do Billy and Johnny have?  Of course, the answer is 4 pieces of fruit.  See, the deconstructionist purposely created a math equation that doesn’t exist.  No one with a functioning mind would believe adding apples to oranges makes more apples.  However, adding the number of apples and oranges together does tell us the total amount of fruit present.  The deconstructionist intentionally seeks to obfuscate the actual math problem by asking a question no one had and then uses it to “prove” that math isn’t as objective as we would like to believe.

The goal for attacking math is simple, it is an objective truth that can be tested and proven.  Critical Theorists, especially Critical Race Theorists, in America today cannot abide by having anything that is objectively true.  It destroys the very premise by which they can call for the destruction of our existing culture. In order to rebuild the American culture into something CRT apologists desire, our current way of life must be eradicated.  To do that, Americans must be made to believe that everything they know and believe in is racist and flawed.  But, if even a shred of objective truth exists, Americans can hold to that truth and resist efforts to tear everything down in order to build a Utopia. That is why history, science, math, and even religion must be cast into utter confusion. No truth can be allowed to stand in the path of the CRT agenda.

What can be done? Specifically, for the Christian church, we must resist all temptation to bow to the CRT idol, no matter how castigated we are by the culture at large.  The one true source of objective truth in this world is the Word of God.  It is not a white colonialist construct.  It is the revealed Word of God as given to His people, inspired by the Holy Spirit, through those authors whom He superintended to write what they did.  It is inspired, inerrant, infallible, and all-sufficient. We must stand firmly on His Word and never waiver.  We must preach His truth to the world and never apologize for it.  Additionally, when we look at God’s work in this world through the disciplines of science, mathematics, and even history, we must not waiver and be misled.  Science and math speak to the order and beauty of God’s creation. History, with its good and bad times, show His continued work throughout the ages. It reveals His mercy and kindness to a wicked people and His judgment on nations that refuse His rule over them.  We must never bow to the redefining and rewriting of truth by those who have a stated goal of overturning culture so that they may remake it in their own image.

However, should Western Culture one day fall (and I fear its end is quite near) we must always and forever preach the truth, hold that it is true and never waiver. God is our only sovereign and on His Word, we must always depend.

Obedience from Love

September 5, 2017 / / 0 Comments

Recently, my pastor taught from Romans 7, speaking of Paul’s inability to keep the law of his own accord and his realization of his need for a Savior. In the culmination of his teaching on the law, my pastor made a wonderful application about our obedience to God’s law: out of Christ, we cannot obey the law to merit God’s favor due to our sin nature; inside of Christ, we cannot be more loved of God by trying to prove how good we are through our obedience; thus our obedience can have only one motivation, our love for our Savior.

The Purpose of the Law

Scripture teaches us that the law is our guardian, or schoolmaster, leading us to Christ (Galatians 3:24). It is the reflection of the perfect nature of God Himself. God does not give us the law simply because He had the desire to make up a list of dos and donts. In order to be in fellowship with God, we would have to be perfect as He is perfect (Matthew 5:48). Thus the law is God’s standard of perfect righteousness. Anything less than utter moral perfection keeps us from His presence. This is because He cannot look on sin without judging it. To do so would be a grave injustice. In His divine forbearance, he allows us to continue in this earthly existence until the time of deaths. But none will escape His perfect justice on that day.

However, we often try to think of the law as something we can achieve, a means of meriting the favor of God. We see this played out in the gospels as Jesus took the Pharisees to task for adding their traditions to the law. Ceremonial cleansings, Sabbath limitations on what was considered work, tithing and more were subject to extensive writings by the Jewish leaders. They defined every aspect of the law to such an extent that they believed it was actually possible to merit the salvation of God by their very works. Christ repeatedly rebuked them for their traditions as it actually laid further burdens on the Jews, but did nothing to lessen the load. In doing so, the religious leaders barred the way of salvation to those who followed them.

The purpose of the law is not that we can achieve moral perfection before God. Scripture is again clear that, outside of Christ, every person is a slave to sin (Romans 6: 17, 20). We were born with a sin nature, therefore, we cannot help but sin. It has been said that we are not sinners because we sin, but we sin because we are sinners. Christ made this evident when He spoke of the fact that it is not what is outside of ourselves that we take in that makes us unclean. Rather, it is that we are unclean in our hearts which works itself out in what we think, say, and do (Mark 7: 18-23). That is why He taught that it is not only the outward acts of adultery and murder that were sinful but also the very inward lusts and anger that we feel as well (Matthew 5: 21-22, 27-28). Therefore, the law’s purpose is that it exposes our utter inability to be morally perfect like God. For every command we fail to follow, we only expose that the condition of our heart is evil continually.

Thus the point of the law is not to give us the “how to” of making it to Heaven. Instead, it is the means by which we come to know we are utterly incapable of meriting the favor of God and are deserving of His wrath. Unless we have Someone who intervenes on our behalf, the law only illuminates that we have no hope of eternal life. Thus, it is the spotlight which points us to the Cross of Calvary where there is One who took the penalty for our sins.


In Christ Alone…But We Can Still Earn It, Right?

The cross is the place of the great exchange (Romans 5: 12-20). Jesus, the Son of God, fully God and fully Man, willingly laid down His life, taking the full wrath of God for sinners. It is at the cross where justice and mercy meet. Christ had no sin of His own for which He was crucified. He was perfectly sinless, having always obeyed the will of His Father. Yet, Christ allowed sinful men, who were deserving of His condemnation, to whip Him mercilessly and nail Him to a cross to die. This was a penalty for the worst of criminals. It was not only the most painful means of capital punishment but the most humiliating. Why would the Son of God endure such ignominy? Because such is the wages of our sin (Romans 6:23). It is what we deserve for the rebellion we have committed against our Creator.

In His love for us, while we yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). His perfect love for us was played out in that Jesus took on Himself the full wrath that we deserve for our sins. And after being in the grave for three days, He rose again, defeating sin and death. Those who see the vileness of their sin through the law and repent, putting their full faith in the completed work of Christ, receive forgiveness for their sins. Not through any merit of their own, but because not only took our sin on Himself but because He gives us His righteousness. Now the believer not only has his sins paid in full, but he is made perfect in the eyes of God. It is as if the believer perfectly kept every aspect of the law, down to the smallest detail, because Christ Himself has done so.

When we receive salvation from Christ, we are receiving the full and perfect love of God Himself. We can never be more loved by God now or in the future because the Father’s love for the Son is perfect. And because we now have the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, we have the perfect love extended to us. This is the beauty of the cross, the great exchange that makes us the beloved of God.

The problem with us as Christians is that, while we have a new nature, we tend to still struggle with our old way of thinking. Where we once may have thought we could merit salvation from God through works, we now think that we can coax God into greater love or blessings by being really, really good. James teaches us that faith without works is dead (James 2: 20). And Paul made it clear the law still has a place in the life of the believer (Romans 3: 19, 6: 1-2). So it is indeed necessary that we seek to live our lives in obedience to the commands of God. Yet, we tend to think that our obedience earns us some kind of approval from God.

We can tend to believe that our times of study, prayer, worship, discipleship, etc. make God happier with us. As a result, we will credit any blessing in our lives to the fact that we have been obedient in these areas. Yet, when we fail to adhere to the spiritual disciplines we attribute any tribulation in our lives to these failures. As a result, we tend to think God blessed us because we were obedient, and gave us a smack down when we’re not. We find ourselves in another form of legalism that leads us to wrongly believe that God can still be bribed into blessing us through our good works.

This is not to say that God does not demand our obedience, or that He will not discipline us in our times of sin. Most certainly God desires to have us be conformed to the image of His son. And He will bring discipline into our lives when we sin against Him (Hebrews 12: 6). However, this is not a matter of quid pro quo. God isn’t nicer to us when we’re good and mad at us when we’re bad. He already loves us perfectly and has given us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3). Thus, His discipline is to draw us into a close relationship to Himself, purifying us and purging us of the sin that lingers in this flesh. We must disregard the notion that we can buy a greater love from God by our works. Christ already purchased that in full at Calvary, therefore, we are free to enjoy his great love and mercy now and into eternity.

So Why Should We Worry About Obedience?

In his letter to the Romans, Paul called on the church to pursue holiness and forsake unrighteousness. He rightly asked how believers, who had once been slaves to sin, continue in the very transgressions from which Christ freed them (Romans 6: 15-19). Continual repentance and the pursuit of holiness is not a work in which we merit salvation or approval from God. It is the conforming of ourselves to Christ, of whom we are now servants. And our desire to do so is motivated by our deep and abiding love for the One who set us free.

When Christ willingly surrendered His life at the cross, He took the wrath that we godless rebels deserve for our sins; past, present, and future. In other words, the price He paid for our salvation was the full wrath of God against every sin we would commit in our lifetimes. Every single one of them. Therefore, how can we have any desire to commit the thoughts and deeds, or speak the words which cause our Savior to be tortured and crucified? If we have no desire to obey the commands of our God, then we have no concept of what He did to redeem us. In the greatest act of love in all of history, Jesus willingly sacrificed Himself to save those who were yet in their sins. The only proper response to this act should be deep humility and undying gratitude from those who name Christ as Savior. Obedience should then be the result of our unceasing desire to be made like Him who died to purchase us.

When a condemned sinner turns from his lifestyle of sin and commits himself wholly to Christ in faith alone, He promised that the Holy Spirit would enter into that person and make them a new creation (2 Corinthians 5: 17). They are given a new heart, with new desires. The Holy Spirit then goes through the process of sanctifying the new man, conforming him to the image of Christ. The outworking of that sanctification should be that the Christian then pursues, out of love and humility, obedience to the commands of our Lord and Master. Thus, our good works are an extension of our salvation and sanctification, showing that God Himself has indwelt and changed us. Christians should care about obedience to God’s commands because it is that which helps us to see that we are bearing the fruits of the Spirit in our lives (Galatians 5: 22-24).

If there can be one takeaway from this article, it should be that you cannot in any way merit God’s redemption or approval by the works you commit through your own effort. However, if you are redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, one evidence of your saving faith is that God has worked in you an abiding desire to grow in your obedience toward Him. You will abhor the sin that condemned you more and more, and you will find yourself desiring to become more holy, just as He who saved you as holy. Christian, pursue good works, not that you may bribe God with some token effort, but that you may be conformed to Him that saved you by His precious shed blood.

Stop Reading Revelation With the Headlines in Hand

August 24, 2017 / / 0 Comments

Author’s Note: As a premillennial dispensationalist, I’m a bit of an enigma to my biblically conservative brethren. It tends to follow that if you are a believer in the doctrines of grace and in cessationism, you will likely be amillennial in your eschatology. However, there are still many of us who hold to a premillennial view and even believe in (gasp) a literal rapture of the church. The following article is not meant for those who hold to an alternate eschatological view. Nor is it an invitation to start an eschatology debate. There are proper places and forums for those discussions to occur. This is not to say if you disagree with my eschatology that you are not welcome here. You most certainly are. However, it is to say that I want to address an issue specifically that affects my premillennial brethren and do not want to obfuscate the issue with an unnecessary argument. Much thanks for your cooperation in advance.

As I type this article, it is August 21, 2017, and the first full solar eclipse in several decades has come and gone. Much to the dismay of many “end of the world” websites, nothing happened. Seriously, nothing. The eclipse came and went. Many families and schoolchildren got to experience the remarkable precision of God’s handiwork in the heavens. Some places in the United States experienced a darkening of the skies as the moon cast its shadow while passing before the sun. People wore specially made glasses that let them stare at the eclipse without burning their retinas to a cinder. But that was it. Nothing significant happened. The world did not end. World War III did not begin. The Middle East did not invade Israel and the Messiah did not return for His church. Just another celestial event occurred that allowed us to give glory to God for His marvelous handiwork.

Why do I make a point of this? Simply because, for as long as I can remember, there are those within the premillennial camp who seem to look for just about any event that they can point to that says Jesus is coming back. Not soon, or quickly, as in a biblical sense. But as in, tomorrow. No seriously, I mean tomorrow. As though we can pinpoint a day or hour that it is happening. That somehow there is a message in these events that we can discern the exact point of His return. All we need is the right Lucky Charms decoder ring and a little luck, and we can get this thing figured out. Oh, and that admonition that Christ gave us, that no one knows the day or the hour (Matt. 24-36)? That just means we have to figure out the correct Bible code first. Until then, we won’t really know.

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“I’m Offended!” – The Anti-Intellectual Argument

August 16, 2017 / / 0 Comments

Postmodern philosophy declares that all truth is valid truth. Since every person’s particular definition of truth is considered to be, in fact, true, there can be no competing ideologies. In other words, everyone can hold to their own personal ideology, regardless of whether or not it can be proven true, because it is true in the mind of the beholder. Since it is true to the person holding it, it is not necessary to actually prove or defend said truth, as it does not have to be true in the eyes of any other person. This results in creating a personal echo chamber wherein truth holders surrounds themselves with only that information which affirms their belief and never allows anything in that could challenge their thoughts.

The problem with the postmodern belief system is that it still allows other persons or groups to belief and espouse truths that contradict our own. Despite the fact that multitudes of people attempt to live in their personal echo chambers, opposing belief systems will ultimately crash into each other. To use an extreme example, if a person believed that traffic laws did not apply to them, and that they could drive on any side of the road they chose, a person who believed the opposite would one day have a face to face meeting with them. Likewise, our individual belief systems impact how we think, speak, and act. No matter how much culture says your beliefs can only be your own, and hence, should not impact others, the reality is that we will act out on our beliefs in our interactions with other people. Therefore, our personal echo chambers cannot filter out other belief systems no matter how hard we try to plug our ears.

Once we are confronted with truths that contradict our thinking, especially if we hear those truths espoused en masse, we are forced to defend what we believe. This is one of the most difficult aspects of the post modern philosophy to deal with in practicality. We cannot isolate ourselves from the rest of society, so we must live with the reality that ideas have consequences. Our personal truths do not exist in a vacuum. They impact our lives in how we live, how we work, how we vote, and so forth. When people are allowed to pursue whatever truth they wish, they ultimately we live out those truths around us. They will speak to us and act toward us in ways that are inconsistent with our personal truths. We are then forced into a series of options: we can remain consistent with post-modernism, allowing their actions to impact our lives in uncomfortable ways; we can abandon postmodernism, returning to the search for truth by debating which belief is actually true; or we can determine that competing belief systems are intolerant and offensive, thus are not deserving of protection in the postmodern philosophy. It is this last option that has been resoundingly accepted in our current culture.

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Christians and the Culture War – Love Your Enemy

June 17, 2017 / / 0 Comments

There is little doubt to anyone that our nation is heavily divided along socio-political lines. Some have argued that we may be more divided than we have ever been. While such a claim is one for the historians to determine, I certainly can state that I have never seen such animosity amongst opposing worldviews in my lifetime. It is no longer characteristic of our culture to have well informed debates over cultural topics. In times past we would lay out our case, making specific points to be heard and understood. We would have listened to our opponents, taking in what they said, and making counter points for consideration. Today, it is rare if such give and take occurs. Rather than seeking to win converts to our thinking through sound argumentaion, we seek their utter domination.

We now engage in debates with a winner take all mentality. No longer do we seek to hear the voices of those who disagree with us. In fact, to allow them to speak at all is considered tantamount to treason. After all, if they stand in opposition to what we believe, they cannot possibly have anything meaningful to say. Thus, rather than allow them a platform where their beliefs can be discussed, we seek to shut down any and all avenues where they can be heard. And if we cannot keep them from speaking, we must utterly destroy their character. For, if one is considered to be the most vile form of life, then there is no need to hear what they have to say. In fact, their worldview is to be considered so worthless that we claim to hold to it is to be mentally ill.

There is much that can be lain at the feet of this development in our culture. The philosophy of post-modernism, the idea that all truth is valid truth, certainly has its part to play. If truth is what I determine it to be, then no one can ever have a point that is counter to my own. If I can dismiss your argument by simply claiming it is your truth and not my own, then I never have to be challenged in my thinking.

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Book Review: “Cross Encounters: A Decade of Gospel Conversations” by Tony Miano

November 18, 2016 / / 0 Comments

tony-bookApproximately two months ago, my friend and mentor, Tony Miano, provided me with a copy of his book, “Cross Encounters: A Decade of Gospel Conversations.” I promised Tony a thorough read and a review for our followers. Unfortunately, I was a bit slow on the read part. Life as a law enforcement officer, a husband and father, a podcast host, and the fact I simply cannot read with noise around me, caused me to take longer than should have been warranted. I wish to extend an apology to Tony and those who awaited my review. I will work to serve all of you better in the future.

For purposes of transparency, I worked with Tony for nearly three years as co-host and chat room manager of Cross Encounters Radio. It was Tony who recruited and mentored me for that program. We went through many adventures during that time, some good, and some bad. But, not one day do I regret serving along side him in that capacity. Thus, some may feel that my positive review of this book is influenced by that relationship. I hope to assure you that simply is not the case. Tony himself will tell you that we did not always agree on matters and I had no qualms discussing those things, privately. Thus, my view on this book is it is worth the time to read because it is an excellent book.

Tony documents in “Cross Encounters” a plethora of one to one gospel conversations he has had on the street in his years of evangelism. His stated goal in this book is to encourage believers to be obedient to the command of Scripture to make disciples of every nation. I believe this book accomplishes that goal.

Rather than being an instructional manual, a “how to” guide on being an evangelist, “Cross Encounters” puts you in the shoes of a Christian desiring to see God glorified and lost souls saved. Each encounter is transcribed from audio or video recordings made by Tony as he witnessed to people. This gives the reader the feeling of being directly in the conversation and seeing the gospel message work in the hearts of unbelievers. More than being just scripts of two people talking, however, Tony includes his motivations and thoughts that occurred during the conversation. Not only do you hear the words spoken, but you see the mind of an evangelist at work. This is an important piece because it allows us to understand where our hearts and minds need to be when we share the gospel ourselves.

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Voice of Reason Radio Episode 17 Deeper Study Part 1: Evil and the Existence of God

October 2, 2016 / / 0 Comments

During the last episode of Voice of Reason Radio (VORR), we discussed, “Evil and the Existence of God.” Since the subject matter is so complex, and our time on air is limited, we want to provide you with some resources to help clarify and edify you on this most important topic.

Let’s begin with John MacArthur and a sermon he gave titled, “Why Does God Allow So Much Suffering and Evil?”

 

Reflect on This

  1.  How many types of evil are there in the world?
  2.  Can you list and name several different examples of evil?
  3.  Think of a time you were affected by a form of evil, how did you react?
  4.  Can you think of how an evil event brought you closer to Christ?
  5.  Paul was the Apostle of Suffering. How did Paul respond to suffering in 2 Corinthians 12?
  6.  Name one positive result in your life that was the result of suffering or hardship.
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