Why I'm Not Taking the Time or Spending the Energy to Debate the Trinity

Most commenters on this blog stay on topic. I appreciate that. One of the unwritten rules of blog interaction is that the topic of the post should also be the topic of the comments.

A few times recently at least one commenter has repeatedly called into question the doctrine of the Trinity. This would be fine if I had, in fact, been blogging about the Trinity. However, I was not (and thus I did not post all of the anti-Trinity comments). It has been a long time since the Trinity was the primary focus of any blog post of mine.

While I love the Trinity, I have no intention of taking the time or spending the energy on debating this doctrine. Why not? There are several reasons. First and primarily, I believe the doctrine is very clear according to scripture. One great example occurs at Jesus' baptism. I could go on and on. It is so clear that debating it is pointless.

Furthermore, within the church as a whole this is a largely settled debate. The church has agreed on the truth of the Trinity for hundreds upon hundreds of years. This is different, for example, from the debate about ecclesiology. Numerous dissenters have always existed against institutional Christianity since very early on (see here for more on that). Not so for the Trinity. I'm not suggesting that all Christians have always been convinced of the truth of the Trinity, but rather that no significant number has failed to adhere to it.

I'm also not going to debate the Trinity because plenty of other paces exist to do so. If you desire to bring up the topic, please do so there. Beyond that, I simply see no benefit in the debate. I don't know what can be gained by discussing in detail something that is, at least in my mind, so clear scripturally. I'd rather talk about, and wrangle over, something that needs to be discussed: the state of the church.

So there it is. If you want to debate the Trinity please do so in other forums. This is not the place. Thank you.

Yep

Thanks Tim.

20 Cognitive Biases That Affect Your Decisions

Good stuff here from Mental Floss. The first step in avoiding these pitfalls is being aware of them.

From the Department of Redundancy Department?

I've been told by some who shall remain nameless that I say the same things over and over on my blog. In essence, the accusation is that I'm being redundant. Is this true? If so, is it a problem?

Is my blogging from the Department of Redundancy Department?

I admit to spending a good amount of time pointing out the numerous problems embedded within institutional Christianity. I make no apology for this. However, I also write about other issues such as family and culture. Additionally, other posts look at positives we see in scripture as far as the church is concerned. I attempt to then make application to today's church. Finally, sometimes I blog about simple church practices and activities that I find both important and interesting. To sum up, this blog looks at much more than just institutional problems.

For the sake of argument, let's just say that my posts focus more on the institution and its absurdities than on anything else. Is this a problem? I think not. Here's why. First, each week institutional Christianity rolls along, largely unimpeded. The pastors do their thing. The people sit quietly. The offering plate fills up. Society is not changed. Because of this, at least some of us outside the institution must point out the problems. Blogging is one of the few avenues I have. As long as the institution keeps up its traditional nonsense, I will discuss the unbiblical nature of what I see. The institution's redundancy leads to my redundancy. We must keep these issues in the minds of other Christians. Otherwise, no change will come within the church.

Second, many bloggers who prefer simple church and are willing to discuss institutional problems also have another problem: they are weak doctrinally. I'm not sure why it is, but a lot of those outside the institutional walls hold unbiblical positions on issues such as homosexuality, gender roles, the atonement, and Hell to name a few. Many also border on universalism. The term "squishy" is a good way to describe their doctrine. Therefore, I'm part of an odd, small number of bloggers who hold orthodox Christian beliefs and also reject institutional church practices (Arthur is another in this odd camp). Since our number is so small, we must continue to bang the same drum.

If this seems like redundancy, then so be it. Nobody is forced to read anybody's blog.

Take the Trinity Test

Tim Challies and Rebecca Stark have put together a very solid little quiz that focuses on the doctrine of the Trinity. Since it's only made up of 33 questions it doesn't take long. While some of the questions were easy, a few made me stop and think. I managed to get all 33 correct, but I had a little uncertainty along the way.

I encourage you to take it. Click here to do so.

Questions and Answers

I've been gradually answering a series of questions that I raised back in May in the post entitled Sorry, But I Can't Stop Asking Questions. We've made it to July, and I'm still answering them. This is dragging on too long. Therefore, I'm going to finish the final six questions right now.

Why do so many simple church folks have poorly-defined doctrine?

Having swum in the simple church waters for a while now, I realize that a significant number of these Christians have fairly poor or at least poorly-defined doctrine. I'm referring to significant issues such as the gospel itself (obviously the most important), the reality of Hell, homosexuality, women's roles, etc. Why has this happened? While I'm sure many different reasons exist, the primary one may be that many simple church people tend to "go it alone" when coming to their own beliefs. They pick and choose whatever they feel comfortable with, not bothering to compare those beliefs to historic Christianity. I'm all for studying the scriptures to find what is true; however, this ought to be done in primarily in community as opposed to isolation.

One further thought: plenty of institutional Christians have poor doctrine. This stems from drinking the Kool-Aid of bad teaching from the pulpit. Denomination after denomination in this country has stated beliefs and practices that have little to nothing to do with the bible. Just take a quick look, for example, at the Episcopalian Church. They hardly resemble Christianity at all.

The truth is that poor doctrine exists everywhere. We must let the bible drive what we believe and come to those beliefs within the setting that is the body of Christ.

Why do churches spend so much money on themselves?

This is an easy one to answer. The institutionalized church has one great, often unstated goal: self-preservation. This is why it spends almost all of its tithes and offerings on paying its own bills. After paying the pastoral salaries and building expenses there is little left over to give to anyone in need. An additional factor is that American Christians like comfort; the buildings must be nice.

Why do churches deny any Christians access to the Lord's table?

I believe this is done with good but ignorant intentions. It also occurs not within the New Testament's model of a full meal, but rather during the ceremonial Lord's Suppers that feel like funerals.

Some pastors are afraid that non-believers will partake of the small cup of juice and the stale cracker. Therefore, they only allow "local church members" to eat it. In doing so, they are denying access to the table. What a mockery this is! Who is the pastor to deny access to the Lord's table to any believer? It is the Lord's after all.

Within institutional Christianity the entire Lord's Supper has become a big mess. It does not even remotely resemble the joyful family meals we read about in the New Testament. It needs an entire reformation.

Why do many Christians invest so much in secular politics?

The answer is that many believe that the USA is some sort of second Israel. "God is going to change the world through the red, white, and blue!" Wrong! God has never made any promises to America. Also, these Christians simply do not understand (or refuse to) that the church should function outside of politics. The church is a spiritual reality. It operates according to God's principles. To mesh with politics always brings harm and disappointment to the church.

Why do we divide over so many inconsequential issues?

We divide because we want to be right. We do not believe that we can stand united with other Christians who believe differently than we do on doctrines of secondary importance. Division is the easy thing to do; it's a much more challenging task to live peaceably with those who disagree with us. Also, we don't take God's commands for unity seriously; we act as if they are optional.

Why do we expect secularists to care about Christian principles?

I'm always amused when I hear Christians bemoan the state of our society. I cannot figure out why Christians think that a secular culture would care at all about what God has to say about anything. Frankly, what amazes me is that the USA is not worse off morally and ethically than it is. The fact is that man's heart is cold to the things of God until God works the miracle of regeneration. We ought to expect a lot less from society and a lot more from the church. The church alone can see with spiritual eyes. We alone should be caring for what God wants. We tend to hold society to too high a standard while we give the church a free pass. The church ought to be the beacon God intends it to be. Let's hold each other to a higher standard.

Cherishing the Substitutionary Atonement of Jesus Christ

Few doctrines are as important as Jesus Christ's substitutionary atonement (which is defined well in the graphic above). I love Jesus for both who he is and for what he has done. Therefore, I cherish the atoning work as my substitute sacrifice on the cross.

In the bible we see a consistent pattern of substitutionary sacrifice. For example, just before the Hebrews escaped from Egypt after years of captivity they killed a lamb without blemish and put the blood over their doors. If anyone failed to do this (the Egyptians), the firstborn was killed.

During the hundreds of years of tabernacle and then temple sacrifices the people understood that the sacrifices paid what they owed (for example).

In Isaiah 53:4-6, the high point of the final Suffering Servant passage, we read the following prophecy:

4 Surely he has borne our griefs
  and carried our sorrows;
  yet we esteemed him stricken,
  smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions;
  he was crushed for our iniquities;
  upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
  and with his wounds we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
  we have turned—every one—to his own way;
  and the Lord has laid on him
  the iniquity of us all.

In the New Testament we see Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of the O.T. prophecies. One of my favorite verses in the entire bible is II Corinthians 5:21. Paul tells us, "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." We see that Jesus became sin (took on our sin), and in this great exchange we receive his righteousness. What an amazing gift!

In I Peter 2:24 we read, "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed." Jesus was our substitute, taking our sins upon himself. He was the spotless lamb, executed in our place.

Elsewhere Paul writes, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us — for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree' — so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith" (Gal. 3:13-14). This description of Christ's work informs us that Jesus bought us back from our impossible sin debt by becoming the curse we deserve.

In Colossians 2:13-14 we see the following, "And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross." God has made us spiritually alive by cancelling the legal debt we could not pay. How? He accomplished this by nailing it to the cross (specifically by nailing Christ to the cross).

I cherish Christ's finished and accomplished work at Calvary because it is at the center of salvation. Jesus atoned for our wretched sinfulness by becoming that sin for us. He stood in our place and took what we deserved. He became the curse we could not pay. He, the perfect lamb, gave himself up as our atoning sacrifice.

Jesus Christ is our one and only, infinitely perfect substitute sacrifice! All praise and honor are due his name!

5 Blog Themes for 2015

Bloggers must blog about what they care about. Otherwise, their writing will be lifeless, without passion, and dull. Much like in 2014, I plan to blog about a wide range of topics in 2015. However, five topics that I care about deeply will receive quite a bit of my attention. I'll be regularly writing on the following five themes:


1. Church Body Life

It's no surprise that I'm a big proponent of simple church life. Within this framework body life is critical and can flourish. Mutual edification is the prime reason for gathering. Every person involved matters and is, therefore, expected to be an active participant. Each member can and should carry out the "one anothers" we see described in the New Testament. This is an extremely important issue because healthy body life is directly related to maturity in Christ.


2. Biblical Interpretation

The bible is a book (obviously). Although it was written for all of us to understand, many Christians fail to do so correctly. Much of the reason for this is that we read our traditions back into scripture. Additionally, we often see what we want to see rather than simply letting the bible speak. In order to be the church God wants, we need to interpret the scriptures accurately.


3. The Atonement of Christ

Jesus Christ died for the sins of his people. However, what does this mean? What took place when this occurred? Did he die as substitute or only as example? The church is currently all over the place on this issue. Since I believe this doctrine sits at the core of the gospel itself, I plan to write about it quite a bit. Additionally, for whatever reason the atonement has always fascinated me.


4. Doctrinal Concerns

The more I read in the Christian blogosphere, the more vague doctrine I see. Increasing numbers appear to believe that doctrine doesn't really matter. I'm talking about core issues (such as the atonement mentioned above). The truth is that doctrine does, in fact, matter. For example, we must follow Jesus Christ. But which one? The one described by the Jehovah's Witnesses who knocked on my door last week? Of course not. Rather, we follow the Jesus of the bible. Correct doctrine is one facet of following Christ.


5. Nonresistance

This will likely be the least popular of the five topics. Oh well. As I read the bible, in particular about the life of Christ, I see a pattern of nonresistance. This is a lifestyle that I hope the church at least begins to think about. I'm tired of how both the Republican Party and the National Rifle Association impact the church in this country. Jesus didn't go down with guns blazing. Rather, he did not resist when arrested, tortured, and executed. When can and must learn from this.

Unity or Uniformity?

Is the call for unity within Christ's church the same as a call for uniformity?

This question is an important one because it directly impacts whether or not we even understand what unity is. I'm convinced that a better understanding of unity within the body will lead to an increase in actual unity of the body.

What is uniformity? Uniformity is the demand that everyone in a group thinks and acts the same way. It allows for little to no variation. A good example of this is the military. Everyone is basically expected to think and act the same. If any variation exists, it is both small and inconsequential.

Is uniformity the same as unity? In a word - NO.

What then is unity? I suppose we could come up with a number of definitions. Here's mine: unity is a togetherness of mind and spirit that looks to the good of the group without demanding sameness within the group. Any group of any kind can have unity. The church is only one of many. However, since the church is led by the Holy Spirit, it should be easier for the church to have unity than any other sort of group. How sad it is, then, that the church struggles so much to be united.

One thing that leads to this struggle for unity is the faulty expectation of uniformity. When we look in the bible, we don't ever read demands for uniformity. For example, only a relatively small number of core doctrines must be believed in order for a person to be part of the church. As for what we might refer to as secondary doctrines, there's no demand for uniformity. We appear to have some measure of freedom in what we believe about these. We are never told that unity can or should be sacrificed over non-salvation issue doctrines.

Another issue is worship style. Related to this is music. Frankly, these don't really matter when the church gathers. As far as I'm concerned, just do whatever is edifying in the Lord. Just don't let preferences get in the way of unity.

As the body of Christ, if we are truly looking out for the good of others then we will be united. I might hold many differences in doctrine and/or practice with a brother, but if I am striving to edify him in Christ, then those differences won't really matter. However, if I demand that we believe and act exactly the same way, it will actually drive a wedge between us.

Striving for uniformity leads to division.

Striving for unity leads, not surprisingly, to unity.

In the end we see that unity and uniformity are actually closer to being opposite than the same. Because of this, let's jettison any expectations of uniformity within the family of Christ. Instead, let's live united despite our differences.

Let's Get Excited About Unity

I really like the photo of that kid to the left. I have no idea who he is, but one thing is for certain: he is excited!

As followers of Jesus Christ, we have a tendency to get excited about a wide variety of things. It may be a specific doctrine such as the atonement, predestination, baptism, etc. It may be aspects of church life such as teaching, giving, or missions. It may be specific family-related issues. It may be cultural happenings or political events. We get excited about all sorts of stuff.

The one thing that I don't hear much excitement about is the unity of the body of Christ. Specifically, I haven't ever heard much talk about the importance Christ's church as a whole. Usually the conversation is relegated to how critical it is for local bodies to be united. While that is important, I believe it is equally important that all believers everywhere live as Christ demanded: as one.

I've heard of something called The World Council of Churches. This organization, among other things, strives for unity among believers. That's fine, but in this post I'm seeking something beyond an organization. I'm hoping for a movement in the church toward unity. My desire is to see Christians everywhere desire, talk about, seek out, and behave in such a way that brings about unity.

I appreciate John Armstrong's blog because he discusses unity on a regular basis. I don't agree with all he says, but it's a blog worth reading.

Please let me be clear: I'm not talking about sacrificing doctrine. Rather, I'm hoping for an embrace of a long ignored doctrine: the oneness of Christ's family. We generally act as if Jesus has given us an option here. He hasn't. Our Lord has told us what he expects. It is clear in the New Testament in both the gospels and epistles that Jesus demands unity.

Let's remember that Jesus demands what is ultimately good for us. He wants us to have sweet fellowship within the church. Christ does this for his glory and for our good. Therefore, let's embrace unity as Jesus expects. It is a source of great joy. Now that's something to get excited about!

"Who Makes Sure You Have Correct Doctrine?"

Since we departed from institutional church life, my wife and I have run into the "correct doctrine" question several times. Specifically, we're asked who makes sure our church body has correct doctrine.

The implication, of course, is that we must be in danger of incorrect doctrine because we don't have a pastor in the traditional sense. This is just silly. Numerous churches have blasphemous doctrine and also have traditional pastors.

When we look in Acts 20 we see Paul charge the elders from the church in Ephesus to protect the flock from false teachers. Therefore, the older men in any church family do bear some responsibility in defending the gospel. However, Paul never says that only the elders have this responsibility.

As Christians we are all priests to God. This is a dual gift and responsibility. As part of mutual edification, we should care deeply that each member of the church family holds correct beliefs about the gospel. Directly related to this, we must look out for each other in our relationships with Christ.

I know how I plan to answer the next time I'm asked who makes sure we have correct doctrine. I'm simply going to say, "We all do."

I'm Not Saved Because...

The passing of another year makes me think back on my life. The most important person in my life is Jesus Christ. What matters most is the gospel.

I'm saved because of Jesus alone.

I'm not saved because I was born into a "Christian home."

I'm not saved because most everyone in my extended family is saved.

I'm not saved because I've been "in church" for as long as I can remember.

I'm not saved because my dad taught at a Christian college.

I'm not saved because I was raised in a town where most everyone goes to church.

I'm not saved because I can't remember when I gave my life to Christ.

I'm not saved because several of my family members are foreign missionaries.

I'm not saved because I won a memory verse competition in Sunday School in first grade.

I'm not saved because I was a Boy Scout (never made it to Eagle).

I'm not saved because I went to youth group some of the time (and survived).

I'm not saved because I went to Christian camps in the summer.

I'm not saved because I went to a Christian high school.

I'm not saved because I didn't get kicked out of my Christian high school.

I'm not saved because I attended a Christian college.

I'm not saved because I married a Christian woman who was an MK (missionary kid).

I'm not saved because we have more than two kids.

I'm not saved because we were Southern Baptists.

I'm not saved because I attended seminary.

I'm not saved because I'm ordained (or if I wasn't).

I'm not saved because we went to South Asia as missionaries.

I'm not saved because God healed our son from Lymphoma.

I'm not saved because I was a pastor.

I'm not saved because I resigned from being a pastor.

I'm not saved because I'm now part of a simple church.

I'm not saved because we reside in the "Bible Belt."

I'm not saved because I now work a regular job.

I'm not saved because of this blog.

I'm not saved because of any good works I've done.

I'm not saved because of anything I've done.

I'm not saved because of me.


I am saved because of the grace of God alone through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross alone. 


Praise the Lord!


My guess is that you have a list something like this. What's yours look like?

On Being Siblings and the Priesthood of Believers

I absolutely love the fact that Paul uses the word "brothers" to refer to his fellow Christians (Paul wrote in NT Greek, but the translation is "brothers"). Here are five examples:

Romans 12:1, "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."

I Corinthians 14:26, "What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up."

Galatians 6:1, "Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted."

Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

Colossians 4:15, "Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house."

Doctrine Matters. So Does Unity.

We have all seen many Christians divide over doctrinal matters.  This is the primary reason for most of today's denominations.

Because of dissatisfaction with the disunity in the church, other Christians have downplayed the importance of doctrine altogether.  What we have is a false "either-or" situation; some Christians believe we must separate in order to preserve doctrine, while others emphasize unity to the point of ignoring doctrinal importance.

We must reject both of these extremes.  Doctrine is important.  So is unity.  In fact, the unity of the church is an important doctrine.  All  we have to do is read passages such as John 17 and I Corinthians 1 to see this.

Thinking Outside the Reformed Box

About seven years ago I began to embrace the biblical truth of God’s sovereignty over salvation. Prior to that, I had always believed that man has free will and therefore ultimately makes the decision about whether or not to surrender to Jesus Christ. After searching the scriptures for several months in 2003-2004, I came to see and love God’s sovereign choice in salvation.

I still love the doctrines of election and predestination. I also continue to embrace the Doctrines of Grace and the 5 Solas of the Reformation.

Something else has happened to me, however, during the last few years. I’ve realized that in this country amongst the Reformed there are certain topics that dominate conversations. There are also certain topics that are basically ignored. This is not healthy or balanced (and it's especially dangerous and prevalent among seminary students).

Why I Love the Five Solas

Why do I love the five solas of the Reformation? I love them because they are truths that focus on the person and work of Jesus Christ in bringing glory to God.

These doctrines should not be divisive among Christians. All the focus is upon Christ. Man is given no credit for his salvation. God receives the glory - as it should be.

As I ponder the five solas, this is what I believe they mean and how they should impact our lives.

1. Sola Scriptura

This is the starting point because the bible is the primary way we know the triune God. Apart from scripture, we could only know enough to be condemned but not saved.

The bible testifies to its own inspiration, permanence, and truthfulness. The bible is full of wonderful truths about God that are continuous blessings from God to us.

Psalm 119:18 says, "Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law."

Later in Psalm 119:105 we see, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

In light of the inspiration and truth of scripture, the bible must be the primary and final authority in the life and practice of the individual Christian and the church as a whole.

I do not believe that this automatically means we have to jettison all man-constructed creeds and traditions. However, these must all fall under the authority of the bible. If they in any way conflict with the scriptures, they must be abandoned.

The bible is our ultimate foundation.

2. Sola Gratia

Sola Gratia emphasizes that salvation is completely a gift of God's grace.

God has done all the work required for salvation. We can do nothing to merit being forgiven and knowing God. Therefore, salvation has to be a gift from His gracious hand.

The wonderful verses from Ephesians 2:8-9 inform us, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."

We must understand that this means God has done all the work of salvation. We have done none of it. Even our faith is a gift.

The beauty of this is that we can rest in His grace while He gets the glory for accomplishing salvation.

3. Sola Fide

One of the primary cries of the Protestant Reformation was "Justification by faith alone." The reason for this cry was that the Roman Catholic Church had for hundreds of years been teaching what amounted to a works-based salvation. The Reformers found faith alone in the bible.

For example, Galatians 2:16 says, "Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified."

This is a beautiful truth for us to embrace. We do not have to continually be working for our salvation because it is not something we can earn. We are declared just before holy God not because of any works we do (which could never be good enough), but because of faith.

4. Solus Christus

Jesus Christ is the sole provider of salvation. No one else is needed or even involved. It is Christ and Him alone who stands as our Mediator before His Father.

I Timothy 2:5, "For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."

Speaking of Jesus, Peter said in Acts 4:12, "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Salvation was accomplished on the cross by Jesus Christ. Through this gracious act we are saved. Our faith links us to Christ. Christ stands in our place.

5. Soli Deo Gloria

This is the end goal and result of everything: that God receives the glory.

Jesus Christ's work on the cross and His subsequent resurrection and ascension were for this very purpose:

Philippians 2:9-11, "Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Everything we do, in joyful response to Christ, should have the end goal of glorifying God:

I Corinthians 10:31 tells us, "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

I Peter 4:11, "...whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."

The end goal of the church is the glory of God:

Ephesians 3:20-21, "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

Paul sums it all up well when he writes in Romans 11:36, "For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen."

(Click here to read about why I love the Doctrines of Grace.)

More Than a Little Skeptical

I apologize up front for the negative sounding post title. You'll see why in just a bit.

Let me back up a little. It is odd being Reformed in one sense of the word, but definitely not in another sense. I'm enthusiastically Reformed when it comes to the doctrine of salvation. Count me in as far as God's sovereignty is concerned related to the salvation of sinners. I love the doctrines of grace and the 5 solas. I realize that none of this is news, but I just wanted to state it again.

On the other hand, count me out when it comes to the Reformed doctrine of the church. While I certainly think men like Luther and Calvin made some very good changes of Roman Catholic Church practices, they still kept too many of the problems. For example, they kept both the ceremony and the focus on one person. They also kept baptizing babies. The nonviolent Anabaptists, despite their troubles, were much more biblical ecclesiologically than were the Magisterial Reformers.

In light of this, I'm more than a little skeptical about a new post at the Ligonier Ministries blog. In a piece entitled, "Doctrine of the Church: Recommended Reading," we can find numerous books on the church. So what's the problem? All these books look at the church through a Reformed lens. Some will do this more than others, but in the end they will all be very much the same. I highly doubt that any will really challenge the sacred cows of today's churches. It's one thing to say that the church should be, "one, holy, catholic, and apostolic." It's another thing to say that the church should be biblical in both what it believes and what it does.

Embracing the Sufficiency of Scripture

As was growing up in the evangelical world, I was taught that the bible was inspired, authoritative, infallible, and inerrant. I'm sure those exact words weren't always used, but the concepts behind them were ingrained in me. There was never any doubt that the bible was a different kind of book. It was very special. It was given by God to us to instruct us in what He has done for us and how we should live in light of this. These truths were drilled into me. I'm glad they were.

There is another truth about the bible that I was never taught about as a child or teen. In fact, I never really thought about it until the last decade or so. The truth I'm talking about is the sufficiency of scripture. Frankly, I only began thinking seriously about this issue when I went to seminary. I suppose that's because our chapel speakers preached about it a lot.

What we are talking about is whether or not the bible tells us all we need to know about what we as Christians should believe and how we should live this out. In other words, is the bible enough or do we need other things?

This got me asking what the bible has to say about itself in this area. Does the bible tell us that it is sufficient?

Below are a few verses that I believe do tell us that scripture is sufficient for us:

Acts 17:25, "...nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything." (emphasis mine)

II Timothy 3:14-17, "But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 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. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." (emphasis mine)

II Peter 1:3, "His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue." (emphasis mine)

These passages seem to tell us that the bible is, in fact, sufficient for us in knowing what we must believe and how we must live.

As I have mentioned before, Protestant churches in this country have been terribly inconsistent in their view of the sufficiency of scripture. These churches typically hold to sufficiency when it comes to issues of salvation, but reject sufficiency when it comes to the practice of the church. They may not admit this, but any quick look at the modern, institutional church will show that it doesn't look much like what we see in the bible. (I've written previously about sufficiency as it relates specifically to the church).

As I look at my own life, I realize that I've been inconsistent, too. My beliefs (virgin birth, deity of Christ, Jesus' literal bodily resurrection, second coming, heaven and hell, etc.) line up nicely with scripture. As far as I know, what I believe suggests that the bible is sufficient.

Like the church in general, where I fall short of sufficiency is in how I live my life. In other words, I live in a way that is not consistent with the teachings of scripture. Let me list for you some verses just from the Sermon on the Mount that I quite simply have not been living out:

Matthew 5:38-44, "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away. You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you."

Matthew 6:31-33, "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."

Matthew 7:12, "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."

These above verses are very convicting to me because I haven't been living them out. I need to do so.

There is a direct connection between the sufficiency of scripture and obedience.

If we say we believe that scripture is sufficient, but we don't live according to this, then we either haven't thought things through or we are just disobeying (or both).

What then should we do?

I'm determined to embrace the sufficiency of the bible. I won't have to alter much of what I believe about the great doctrines of the faith. However, I do need to make some changes in how I treat other people. I know that I need to love others much more than I do now - and that with sacrificial, self-giving love.

As for church practice, I'm determined to look to the scriptures alone as well. These changes aren't so easy to make because they involve more people than just me. It will undoubtedly lead to some interesting conversations.

To sum up, I'm tired of substituting man's ideas into my life in place of God's truths. This applies to how I live individually and as part of the church.

I'm determined to embrace the sufficiency of scripture in a real way. What about you?

"Fear Not!"

In our pluralistic society there are many, many different views on what happens when we die. In part because of this diversity (and in part because of biblical ignorance), Christians hold wide-ranging views on what we can expect in death and the life after. Ligon Duncan has written a short book to help clear up this mess of beliefs.

In Fear Not! Death and the Afterlife from a Christian Perspective, Duncan addresses five key questions related to death and eternal life. He deals with these in chapters entitled:

1. What is Death?

2. What Happens After Death?

3. What Happens When Christ Returns?

4. What is the Final Judgment?

5. What is Heaven?

This book is ideal for folks who are confused about what the bible has to say about these issues. Duncan deals strictly with what we can know from scripture. He does not delve into more speculative issues such as the timing of the rapture, the meaning of the 1,000 years, etc. Because of this, Fear Not! is easy to understand for all Christians.

I recommend this book. It is excellent for anyone to read to make sure that what he believes lines up with what scripture teaches. If, however, you are looking for an in-depth study of eschatology, this is not the book for you.

Angry About Sola Scriptura

I don't post all of the comments that people leave on this blog. The reason for this is that some are very angry in tone. Interestingly, some of the angriest people are those who oppose the doctrine of sola scriptura (When I use the term "sola scriptura," I'm referring to the belief that scripture alone is authoritative for belief and practice).

I find the whole thing fascinating. I've written several posts dealing with sola scriptura, and almost every time a few folks leave comments that are clearly driven by anger. I suppose the reason for this is that sola scriptura opposes unbiblical traditions. We all know that people, regardless of denomination, do not like it at all when you call their favored traditions into question.

As far as I can remember, the angry commenters have almost all been Roman Catholics. This is no surprise in light of Rome's multitude of traditions that have no biblical basis. The interesting part is that these Catholics have all tried to use scripture to make the case that sola scriptura is not, in fact, biblical. This seems inconsistent to me. If they don't hold to sola scriptura, then why are they basing their arguments on scripture in the first place? It seems like they would refer instead to a statement from the Vatican about scripture and tradition both being authoritative.

The reality is that the bible can be an inconvenient book. It calls us to lives of self-sacrifice and suffering. In general, we don't like this. Instead, we create traditions around ourselves that make us feel comfortable. Roman Catholics are clearly guilty of this; this is why they despise the doctrine of sola scriptura. If Catholics suddenly adopted sola scriptura as true, they would have to immediately jettison many of their dearly held beliefs and practices.

Before we Protestants get too happy with ourselves, we had better be honest. Although we may say we believe in sola scriptura, we also have plenty of traditions that are based more on personal preference than on scripture. One example that I talk about quite a bit on this blog is church gatherings. What we see happen in most churches on Sundays bears little resemblance to what we see in scripture of the gathering of the church. Why the big difference? Traditions have developed over the years that we like. We don't challenge these.

I'll say this for Catholics: they are consistent. They say they don't believe in sola scriptura and act like they don't believe it.

We Protestants say we hold to sola scriptura, but we don't really act like we believe it. If we did, many of our traditions would quickly have to become extinct.

Instead of getting angry, let's be willing to really live according to sola scriptura. Let's compare all our beliefs and practices with what we see in the bible. Let's honestly keep what is biblical and get rid of the rest.

Let's be careful not to be like the Pharisees of Mark 7. In Mark 7:8, Jesus says, "You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men."

Let's reject traditions and instead truly hold to scripture alone.