Justification by faith alone,
but not by the faith that is alone.
but not by the faith that is alone.
Ephesians 2:8-9
Romans 3:28
Galatians 2:16
James 2:14-18
James 2:26
Matthew 7:16-17
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
The Sufficiency of Scripture
2 Timothy 3:15-17
15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
The chief purpose of the Holy Scriptures are to make men “wise unto salvation” (2Tim 3:15-16). Indeed, the gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Rom. 1:18). The Scriptures were literally breathed out by God, and as such intrinsically possess God’s authority and inerrancy. The Bible has the power to make the man of God complete, lacking nothing. All of Scripture is profitable, and is able to equip the believer for every good work. If there is a good work that God desires a Christian to perform, this passage indicates that God has made a provision in His word for training the Christian in it. Thus, there is no good work God requires of us that is not taught in Scripture.
The Bible is adequate to guide us in all matters of faith and conduct. Believers do not need to look for other sources of truth. The Bible is a one-stop-shop of all the information and instructions required for salvation and godly living.
Psalm 19 is a powerful testament to the sufficiency of God’s revelation. It begins by declaring God’s general revelation. General revelation is God’s testament to Himself through creation. It points to God the creator, but does not reveal the path of redemption. The first six verses of the Psalm praise God’s general revelation.
Psalm 19:1
1 The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Verses 7 through 9 describe God’s specific revelation, His self-disclosure in the scriptures. These verses are written in a three-pronged format describing a title for God’s Word, a characteristic of God’s Word, and a benefit of God’s Word.
Psalm 19:7-9
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; 8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
God’s law (torah) refers to divine teaching and instruction. It is perfect, whole, and sufficient, lacking nothing (cf. James 1:25). It is able to transform and revive the soul. God’s perfect teaching gives life to the dead. Indeed it is the power of God to make one wise unto salvation and eternal life.
God’s testimony is His witness to the truth. It is sure, and makes the simple wise. The word
“sure” means unwavering and immovable, similar to a rock climber searching for a sure foot hold. It is like the wise man who built his house upon the solid, firm rock. God’s testimony gives wisdom to the simple. The Hebrew word for simple literally means “open door.” Like an open door the simple minded let everything in and let everything out. They lack discernment concerning the thoughts and ideas to keep out of their mind, and the ones to hold on to.
God’s commandments, His divine and authoritative orders, are pure, meaning cle
ar and lucid. God’s will for our lives is clearly laid out in Scripture. His commands are not murky or muddled like the Neches River. Read the Ten Commandments and notice how straightforward they are. God’s marching orders are clear, and it enlightens the eyes (cf. Ps. 119:105).
The fear of the Lord refers to reverence and awe of God. The Bible is indeed an instruction manual on worship. The worship of God is clean, unspotted and unstained by the sin of the world, and it is eternal (cf. 1Pet. 1:23).
God is the ultimate authority, the Supreme Court Justice of the universe. The Bible contains His official judicial decrees, and they are true. Not only are they true, but they are the definition of truth (John 17:17). The result of the truthfulness of God’s Word is comprehensive righteousness.
The Bible is perfect and complete. It can stand alone without the aid of modern science or philosophy. The Bible is the ultimate standard for judging all other knowledge. This does not mean that extrabiblical knowledge is not useful. For example, archeological finds have been consistent with the history and geography described in the Bible. Creeds, commentaries, and Christian literature (and blogs) can provide valuable insight and information. However, these are all secondary to the Bible. Scripture is the ultimate authority, and all of the peripherals should be tested against the truth of Scripture.
For every problem, decision, and situation encountered in life, we can approach Scripture with the confidence that God has provided clear guidance. This doesn’t necessarily mean that we will be spoon fed the answers. We must search the Scriptures diligently, and pray for illumination from the Spirit to determine God’s will. God has laid out clear commands, such as thou shalt not covet and let no uunwholesome word proceed out of your mouth. He has also given more general principles that guide in godly wisdom, such as love your enemy and do all to the glory of God. In His word, God has provided the resources for every moral and nonmoral decision in our lives.
The sufficiency of Scripture also implies that we are to consider no other writings equal to Scripture. This is the tactic of all the cults. First, they declare that the Bible alone is not enough, and so they add their own new book or revelation. By undermining the sufficiency of scripture, the door opens to all sorts of false doctrines and false religions.
The sufficiency of Scripture also affirms that God does not require us to believe or obey anything not found in Scripture. Many people are burdened by following rules and regulations God never commanded. God promised victory over sin, but not victory over unbiblical edicts. God does not require us to follow the whims of the pope, or the new revelations from the televangelist. We are to believe and obey only what is written in the pages of Scripture.
Scripture Alone is sufficient for every aspect of salvation, Christian living, and obedience to God’s will. There are no deficiencies in Scripture, and it does not need to be supplemented with traditions, pronouncements of the pope, new revelations, psychology, new interpretations, political correctness, dreams and visions, words of knowledge, contextualization, seeker centered methods, rock music, signs and wonders, or human philosophy.
for His glory,
DJ
15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
The chief purpose of the Holy Scriptures are to make men “wise unto salvation” (2Tim 3:15-16). Indeed, the gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Rom. 1:18). The Scriptures were literally breathed out by God, and as such intrinsically possess God’s authority and inerrancy. The Bible has the power to make the man of God complete, lacking nothing. All of Scripture is profitable, and is able to equip the believer for every good work. If there is a good work that God desires a Christian to perform, this passage indicates that God has made a provision in His word for training the Christian in it. Thus, there is no good work God requires of us that is not taught in Scripture.
The Bible is adequate to guide us in all matters of faith and conduct. Believers do not need to look for other sources of truth. The Bible is a one-stop-shop of all the information and instructions required for salvation and godly living.
Psalm 19 is a powerful testament to the sufficiency of God’s revelation. It begins by declaring God’s general revelation. General revelation is God’s testament to Himself through creation. It points to God the creator, but does not reveal the path of redemption. The first six verses of the Psalm praise God’s general revelation.
Psalm 19:1
1 The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Verses 7 through 9 describe God’s specific revelation, His self-disclosure in the scriptures. These verses are written in a three-pronged format describing a title for God’s Word, a characteristic of God’s Word, and a benefit of God’s Word.
Psalm 19:7-9
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; 8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
God’s law (torah) refers to divine teaching and instruction. It is perfect, whole, and sufficient, lacking nothing (cf. James 1:25). It is able to transform and revive the soul. God’s perfect teaching gives life to the dead. Indeed it is the power of God to make one wise unto salvation and eternal life.
God’s testimony is His witness to the truth. It is sure, and makes the simple wise. The word
“sure” means unwavering and immovable, similar to a rock climber searching for a sure foot hold. It is like the wise man who built his house upon the solid, firm rock. God’s testimony gives wisdom to the simple. The Hebrew word for simple literally means “open door.” Like an open door the simple minded let everything in and let everything out. They lack discernment concerning the thoughts and ideas to keep out of their mind, and the ones to hold on to.God’s commandments, His divine and authoritative orders, are pure, meaning cle
ar and lucid. God’s will for our lives is clearly laid out in Scripture. His commands are not murky or muddled like the Neches River. Read the Ten Commandments and notice how straightforward they are. God’s marching orders are clear, and it enlightens the eyes (cf. Ps. 119:105).The fear of the Lord refers to reverence and awe of God. The Bible is indeed an instruction manual on worship. The worship of God is clean, unspotted and unstained by the sin of the world, and it is eternal (cf. 1Pet. 1:23).
God is the ultimate authority, the Supreme Court Justice of the universe. The Bible contains His official judicial decrees, and they are true. Not only are they true, but they are the definition of truth (John 17:17). The result of the truthfulness of God’s Word is comprehensive righteousness.
The Bible is perfect and complete. It can stand alone without the aid of modern science or philosophy. The Bible is the ultimate standard for judging all other knowledge. This does not mean that extrabiblical knowledge is not useful. For example, archeological finds have been consistent with the history and geography described in the Bible. Creeds, commentaries, and Christian literature (and blogs) can provide valuable insight and information. However, these are all secondary to the Bible. Scripture is the ultimate authority, and all of the peripherals should be tested against the truth of Scripture.
For every problem, decision, and situation encountered in life, we can approach Scripture with the confidence that God has provided clear guidance. This doesn’t necessarily mean that we will be spoon fed the answers. We must search the Scriptures diligently, and pray for illumination from the Spirit to determine God’s will. God has laid out clear commands, such as thou shalt not covet and let no uunwholesome word proceed out of your mouth. He has also given more general principles that guide in godly wisdom, such as love your enemy and do all to the glory of God. In His word, God has provided the resources for every moral and nonmoral decision in our lives.
The sufficiency of Scripture also implies that we are to consider no other writings equal to Scripture. This is the tactic of all the cults. First, they declare that the Bible alone is not enough, and so they add their own new book or revelation. By undermining the sufficiency of scripture, the door opens to all sorts of false doctrines and false religions.
The sufficiency of Scripture also affirms that God does not require us to believe or obey anything not found in Scripture. Many people are burdened by following rules and regulations God never commanded. God promised victory over sin, but not victory over unbiblical edicts. God does not require us to follow the whims of the pope, or the new revelations from the televangelist. We are to believe and obey only what is written in the pages of Scripture.
Scripture Alone is sufficient for every aspect of salvation, Christian living, and obedience to God’s will. There are no deficiencies in Scripture, and it does not need to be supplemented with traditions, pronouncements of the pope, new revelations, psychology, new interpretations, political correctness, dreams and visions, words of knowledge, contextualization, seeker centered methods, rock music, signs and wonders, or human philosophy.
for His glory,
DJ
Friday, May 14, 2010
Of Free Will
Since the birth of Protestantism, the debate over the doctrine of man’s free will has raged like a perpetual forest fire. At some point every believer is confronted with this fundamentally challenging doctrine. The doctrine of man’s free will is foundational to one’s theology and worldview. It directly affects one’s perspective of God, man, and the relationship between them. Therefore, I propose the same question that has been asked for hundreds of years; does mankind inherently possess free will?
To find the answer I look to the ultimate source of truth (no its not wikipedia), The Bible, God’s inspired, infallible and inerrant word.
A quick search of the term “free will” results in several passages. The bulk of these are Old Testament verses referring to freewill offerings. In the Levitical sacrificial system, a freewill offering is a voluntary sacrifice to God, as opposed to one in consequence of a vow or as an amends for an offense. The Hebrew word translated “freewill” literally means “spontaneous”. This idea is not the concept of our query, but it does provide some insight into the definition of our term. Another verse containing our phrase is Philemon 14. In the context, Paul is explaining why he is sending Onesimus, the runaway slave and new Christian convert, back to his master Philemon. Paul did not want Onesimus to stay and minister to Paul on Philemon’s behalf without Philemons consent so that his goodness might not be by compulsion but of his own free will (Phil. 14). Therefore, free will can be further defined as a choice or action that is done willfully and not under compulsion.
The doctrine of man’s free will contends that while God is omnipotent, individuals have the power to ultimately chose or reject everything. In this paradigm God foreknows every decision and choice, but He never violates man’s will by compulsion. In other words, a man’s choices are his own, and are not controlled or influenced by God.
Two scriptures often used to support this doctrine are Deuteronomy 30:9 and Joshua 24:15. Both of these verses urge Israel to choose God and not evil. The logical jump is that if God commands us to choose, then we obviously must have the ability to do so.
Not exactly. There are numerous commands in Scripture that we cannot possibly follow on our own, without the assistance of God. For example, we are commanded to be holy because God is holy (1 Pet. 1:16). I don’t know about you, but my level of holiness falls astronomically below God’s standards. In fact, all of mankind falls short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). So why would God give a command that is impossible for us to obey on our own? Simple, He created us to have a relationship with Him. By design, mankind must depend on God and His holiness. He never intended us to go it alone. Our inability to obtain God’s standard of holiness forces us to rely on Him. Therefore, God commands the impossible.
Mankind does certainly have the cognitive capacity of choice. We all make dozens of decisions every day. So the real question is, does the natural, unregenerate man have the ability and freedom to choose God over evil?
According to Romans 3:10-12, individuals never seek after God, and never do good. The unbeliever is unable to choose God on his own. Jesus himself said that the natural man loves darkness and hates the light of God because his deeds are evil (John 3:19-20). The unregenerate man does not seek the righteousness of God. Instead, he runs after the lusts and passions of his wicked heart, seeking only to satisfy his flesh.
Psalm 14:1-3
1The fool says in his heart, "There is no God."
They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds,
there is none who does good.
2The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man,
to see if there are any who understand,
who seek after God.
3They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt;
there is none who does good,
not even one.
The natural man does not choose God. He does not, because he cannot. Everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin (John 8:34). Sin is deceitful and hardens the heart (Heb. 3:13), resulting in further lawlessness (Rom. 6:19). Like a simple snowball rolling down a snowy hillside, sin grows exponentially until it is an overwhelming avalanche of death and destruction. A person is a slave to that which they obey (Rom. 6:16) and to anything by which they are overcome (2 Peter 2:19). We (believers) were all formerly slaves to sin, presenting the members of our body as instruments of unrighteousness (Rom. 6:13, 17). In our fallen, unredeemed state, we were incapable of righteousness (Rom. 6:20). Sin was our master, reigning in our mortal bodies so that we obeyed its lusts (Rom. 6:12). But God demonstrated His great love toward His elect, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us, redeeming us from the bondage of sin (Rom. 5:8). And having been freed from sin, we became slaves to righteousness (Rom 6:18), resulting in sanctification and eternal life (Rom. 6:22).
The will of man is not free. In fact, the opposite seems to be true. Slaves do not perform their own will, but that of their master. The unregenerate are in bondage to the ruler of this world and to their own ungodly passions. They are in rebellion toward their creator, suppressing the truth in unrighteousness. For the knowledge of God is evident within them and within creation, and they are without excuse. Therefore, because of their unbelief and idolatry, the wrath of God is upon them (Rom. 1:18-23). They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped the created thing (themselves) instead of the creator (Rom. 1:25). Therefore, God gave them over to the lusts of their hearts, and to a depraved, useless mind. In their rebellion, God lifts His restraining grace, and allows mankind to zealously pursue the damning desires of their deceitfully wicked heart. They become the victims of themselves, led by their passions to perdition.
Mankind is not free. Mankind is enslaved, unable to leave the path of death and destruction without the intervention of God. No one can come to Jesus unless the Father grants and enables them (John 6:65).
The natural man is not only a slave, he is something far worse: a corpse.
Ephesians 2:1-3
1And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
Apart from God, we are all dead. It is only by the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us that we have life. His rich mercy and His great love compel Him to redeem the unrighteous. It is not of our own doing, or of our inherent merit. It is not a result of works or good deeds. Even when we were dead in our trespasses, God made us alive. God did the doing. God was responsible for the redemptive work, not us. We are hopelessly incapable of turning away from wickedness and seeking God without His intervention into our heart, mind, and will. God gave life to us, the elect, and transformed us into new creations. We have been given the free gift of faith and salvation. We are His masterpiece, created for His glory.
In conclusion, I return to the original question, does mankind possess free will? The Biblical answer is clear. While men have the capacity to choose, they will always choose evil over God. The natural man is enslaved, in bondage to the lusts of his heart. His understanding is darkened, blinded by Satan. Apart from God, mankind is spiritually dead. But praise and glory be to God, in that while we His elect were yet sinners, dead in our trespasses and sins, Christ died as a sacrifice for us so that we may be alive together with Him forevermore.
for His glory,
DJ
To find the answer I look to the ultimate source of truth (no its not wikipedia), The Bible, God’s inspired, infallible and inerrant word.
A quick search of the term “free will” results in several passages. The bulk of these are Old Testament verses referring to freewill offerings. In the Levitical sacrificial system, a freewill offering is a voluntary sacrifice to God, as opposed to one in consequence of a vow or as an amends for an offense. The Hebrew word translated “freewill” literally means “spontaneous”. This idea is not the concept of our query, but it does provide some insight into the definition of our term. Another verse containing our phrase is Philemon 14. In the context, Paul is explaining why he is sending Onesimus, the runaway slave and new Christian convert, back to his master Philemon. Paul did not want Onesimus to stay and minister to Paul on Philemon’s behalf without Philemons consent so that his goodness might not be by compulsion but of his own free will (Phil. 14). Therefore, free will can be further defined as a choice or action that is done willfully and not under compulsion.
The doctrine of man’s free will contends that while God is omnipotent, individuals have the power to ultimately chose or reject everything. In this paradigm God foreknows every decision and choice, but He never violates man’s will by compulsion. In other words, a man’s choices are his own, and are not controlled or influenced by God.
Two scriptures often used to support this doctrine are Deuteronomy 30:9 and Joshua 24:15. Both of these verses urge Israel to choose God and not evil. The logical jump is that if God commands us to choose, then we obviously must have the ability to do so.
Not exactly. There are numerous commands in Scripture that we cannot possibly follow on our own, without the assistance of God. For example, we are commanded to be holy because God is holy (1 Pet. 1:16). I don’t know about you, but my level of holiness falls astronomically below God’s standards. In fact, all of mankind falls short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). So why would God give a command that is impossible for us to obey on our own? Simple, He created us to have a relationship with Him. By design, mankind must depend on God and His holiness. He never intended us to go it alone. Our inability to obtain God’s standard of holiness forces us to rely on Him. Therefore, God commands the impossible.
Mankind does certainly have the cognitive capacity of choice. We all make dozens of decisions every day. So the real question is, does the natural, unregenerate man have the ability and freedom to choose God over evil?
According to Romans 3:10-12, individuals never seek after God, and never do good. The unbeliever is unable to choose God on his own. Jesus himself said that the natural man loves darkness and hates the light of God because his deeds are evil (John 3:19-20). The unregenerate man does not seek the righteousness of God. Instead, he runs after the lusts and passions of his wicked heart, seeking only to satisfy his flesh.
Psalm 14:1-3
1The fool says in his heart, "There is no God."
They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds,
there is none who does good.
2The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man,
to see if there are any who understand,
who seek after God.
3They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt;
there is none who does good,
not even one.
The natural man does not choose God. He does not, because he cannot. Everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin (John 8:34). Sin is deceitful and hardens the heart (Heb. 3:13), resulting in further lawlessness (Rom. 6:19). Like a simple snowball rolling down a snowy hillside, sin grows exponentially until it is an overwhelming avalanche of death and destruction. A person is a slave to that which they obey (Rom. 6:16) and to anything by which they are overcome (2 Peter 2:19). We (believers) were all formerly slaves to sin, presenting the members of our body as instruments of unrighteousness (Rom. 6:13, 17). In our fallen, unredeemed state, we were incapable of righteousness (Rom. 6:20). Sin was our master, reigning in our mortal bodies so that we obeyed its lusts (Rom. 6:12). But God demonstrated His great love toward His elect, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us, redeeming us from the bondage of sin (Rom. 5:8). And having been freed from sin, we became slaves to righteousness (Rom 6:18), resulting in sanctification and eternal life (Rom. 6:22).
The will of man is not free. In fact, the opposite seems to be true. Slaves do not perform their own will, but that of their master. The unregenerate are in bondage to the ruler of this world and to their own ungodly passions. They are in rebellion toward their creator, suppressing the truth in unrighteousness. For the knowledge of God is evident within them and within creation, and they are without excuse. Therefore, because of their unbelief and idolatry, the wrath of God is upon them (Rom. 1:18-23). They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped the created thing (themselves) instead of the creator (Rom. 1:25). Therefore, God gave them over to the lusts of their hearts, and to a depraved, useless mind. In their rebellion, God lifts His restraining grace, and allows mankind to zealously pursue the damning desires of their deceitfully wicked heart. They become the victims of themselves, led by their passions to perdition.
Mankind is not free. Mankind is enslaved, unable to leave the path of death and destruction without the intervention of God. No one can come to Jesus unless the Father grants and enables them (John 6:65).
The natural man is not only a slave, he is something far worse: a corpse.
Ephesians 2:1-3
1And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
Apart from God, we are all dead. It is only by the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us that we have life. His rich mercy and His great love compel Him to redeem the unrighteous. It is not of our own doing, or of our inherent merit. It is not a result of works or good deeds. Even when we were dead in our trespasses, God made us alive. God did the doing. God was responsible for the redemptive work, not us. We are hopelessly incapable of turning away from wickedness and seeking God without His intervention into our heart, mind, and will. God gave life to us, the elect, and transformed us into new creations. We have been given the free gift of faith and salvation. We are His masterpiece, created for His glory.
In conclusion, I return to the original question, does mankind possess free will? The Biblical answer is clear. While men have the capacity to choose, they will always choose evil over God. The natural man is enslaved, in bondage to the lusts of his heart. His understanding is darkened, blinded by Satan. Apart from God, mankind is spiritually dead. But praise and glory be to God, in that while we His elect were yet sinners, dead in our trespasses and sins, Christ died as a sacrifice for us so that we may be alive together with Him forevermore.
for His glory,
DJ
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Funny Story
This happened about a year ago. I had an appointment at the doctor's office to get an allergy shot. Afterwards, I have to wait for 30 minutes in the waiting room to ensure that my arm doesn't fall off or I have a heart atttack or whatever. The room was empty, so I picked out a chair in the corner of the room up against the wall. It had been a particularly hard week and I was exhausted. I rested my head against the wall and and was soon fast asleep.
After what seemed to be about two seconds (in reality it was more like twenty minutes) I startled awake to find the waiting room full of people. They were all staring strangely at me. Even the people who were seated in chairs facing away from me were turned around looking at me. Embarrassed, I grabbed the closest magazine and tried to act cool and nonchalant.
I found out later from a college friend who just so happened to be in the room that when I awoke, I sat up suddenly in my chair and let out a load, blood-curdling shout.
Moral of the story: Don't sleep in public.
After what seemed to be about two seconds (in reality it was more like twenty minutes) I startled awake to find the waiting room full of people. They were all staring strangely at me. Even the people who were seated in chairs facing away from me were turned around looking at me. Embarrassed, I grabbed the closest magazine and tried to act cool and nonchalant.
I found out later from a college friend who just so happened to be in the room that when I awoke, I sat up suddenly in my chair and let out a load, blood-curdling shout.
Moral of the story: Don't sleep in public.
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