Bible, Church, Doctrine, & Living

Pro-life

2011-11-30T19:15:00.000-06:00

We recognize that God is the Creator and Author of life. Children in the womb are His gift to a father and mother. They are His. He gives life, and life is His to take.

The slaughter of the innocents, the killing of little children in the womb, is a moral travesty, an incalcuably horrendous tragedy, and a great sin against God Himself.

We are pro-life because we recognize God's gracious gift of life, and because He has said that murder is wrong. The precious littles ones, in the most sacred place on earth (humanly speaking), are to be nurtured and protected, not discarded like garbage.

Please see my other blog post: "The Sin of Abortion". Also, great video: 180 movie.

SDG,
Dave

Pro-choice

2011-11-30T19:08:00.000-06:00

The very term baffles me. Pro-choice. Whose choice? The right choice?

Not all choices are good choices. The taking of an innocent human life is not a good choice, not a moral choice, not an acceptable choice.

To make a choice of death for another person, especially without that person's input, is unthinkable (unless that person has been duly convicted of a capital crime).

Why not use the more descriptive term? "Pro-death". That's more realistic. Or "anti-life". Or "person who is in favor of killing babies". Offended? Well, at least you're alive to be offended. Tens of millions of victims of "pro-choice" policy aren't alive to be offended.

Everyone who is "pro-choice" is still alive.

Please see my other blog post: "The Sin of Abortion". Also, great video: 180 movie.

SDG,
Dave

abortion

2011-11-30T19:00:00.000-06:00

This is not complicated. Abortion is the taking of a human life. A defenseless human life. It is a violation of the 6th Commandment, "You shall not commit murder". The child is not a blob, and he is not a piece of his mother's body. He is a small person, who needs his mother to survive.

Viability is not the issue. None of us are "viable" outside of our natural environments. If I held your head under water for a minute, you wouldn't be very viable. Your natural environment is a nitrogen/oxygen atmosphere, with certain temperature and air pressure requirements. A little baby's natural environment is the womb, and of course, he, like you, wouldn't survive outside of that environment.

The primary answer to this is spiritual. The gospel of Jesus Christ will change hearts and minds. That said, it is also right for us to work politically, to outlaw this slaughter of the innocents.

Please see my other blog post: The Sin of Abortion. Also, see this great video: 180 movie.

SDG,
Dave

Are you super-glued?

2011-11-29T09:23:00.004-06:00

We all know what Super Glue is. Many of us have benefitted from its usefulness. Some of us may have even experimented with it, seeing if it would really glue our fingers together. (It will!) Some have even used it on minor wounds, instead of going to the doctor’s office to get stitches.

One place it should never be used is your lips. The very thought is rather gruesome. BUT THAT’S EXACTLY what many of us have done. No, not literally. But in essence, when it comes to speaking to others about Christ, we might as well have our lips super-glued shut. Ouch.

It ought not be that way.

In the New Testament, in the early ministry of Christ, the Sermon on the Mount was introduced by Matthew with these words: "He opened His mouth and began to teach them..." (Matt. 5:2). The phrase is idiomatic for describing an official or solemn time of teaching. Can you imagine Jesus walking around and healing, but refusing to speak to people about the things of God? Of course not! His primary ministry, up to the cross, was speaking – teaching and preaching – sometimes to large crowds, sometimes to small groups, and sometimes to individuals. He spoke, and He spoke as no man had ever spoken before (John 7:46).

When Philip had an opportunity to witness to a traveler from Ethiopia, he “opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him” (Acts 8:35). No Super Glue in that verse!

You and I aren’t Philip, of course. But we have the same job description. We are to be witnesses for Christ. We may not have “the gift of evangelism”, but we’re still to do the work of an evangelist. It may not be preaching a sermon in church or open-air in public, but we can speak to people about Jesus Christ.

I didn’t say it would be easy – only that it is needful. Quite frankly, it wasn’t easy for Paul, at least some of the time. Did you know that he actually asked people to pray for him, that he would speak boldly? "Pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel" (Eph. 6:19).

Don’t be content to be a non-witness. Don’t keep being afraid to talk to others about Christ. Don’t act like your lips are duct-taped shut when it comes to spiritual things.

Get some glue and tape remover – Word & prayer, love for God and fellow man – and bring freedom to those lips of yours, with God’s help.

What are you afraid of? That someone will kill you? That someone will punch you? More likely, it’s that someone will think you’re foolish for believing the Bible’s message of sin and salvation in Christ alone. If the message were not true, we would indeed be foolish. But remind yourself that we have the most important message in the universe – a message that is true, because it is about the One who is the Truth (John 14:6). And it is a message that must be shared with others! Fear God a little more, fear man a little less, and you’ll be more apt to speak the things of God to the lost people around you.

So apply the glue-remover, yank the duct tape off your mouth, unzip your lips, and speak to someone about our Lord Jesus Christ. Make sure you include both sin and gospel, Law and Grace. For some evangelism tips, read this short article on The Cripplegate. For a good training source, get the Basic Training Course from Living Waters.

If you’re a Christian, someone spoke the gospel message to you. Can't you do the same?

And remember that success in evangelism isn’t a convert – it is an accurate communication of the gospel message, done with a right attitude. If you do that, you’re successful, even if the results aren’t what you might hope.

God has ordained that weak and frail vessels (like you and me) be the ones to take His glorious message to a lost and dying world. Let’s get busy, by the power of the Holy Spirit, and for the glory of the Son.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (Rom. 1:16)

SDG,

Dave
Grace Bible Church - evangelism page

P.S. Listed below are some quotes by men of God on the subject of evangelism. Please read them with a tender heart – and see if God might want you to learn something from them.

Believers who have the gospel keep mumbling it over and over to themselves. Meanwhile, millions who have never heard it once fall into the flames of eternal hell without ever hearing the salvation story. – K.P. Yohannan

Some want to live within the sound of Church or Chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell. – C.T. Studd

If you are not concerned about your neighbor’s salvation, then I am concerned for yours. – Ray Comfort

Nothing is more discouraging than evangelism. The mere mention of the word strikes fear in most people. If it is my goal when speaking in a church to make all my listeners uncomfortable and convicted, all I have to do is say, “evangelize!,” and the guilt quotient rises as fast as the heads drop. Beads of sweat appear on the pastor’s brow. It is the great undone command, and none of us like to be reminded of it. – Jim Elliff

Evangelism is the perpetual task of the whole church, and not the peculiar hobby of certain of its members. – E. Wilson Carlisle

To call a man evangelical who is not evangelistic is an utter contradiction. – G. Campbell Morgan

Let us make haste to spread the Gospel in the world, for the time is short, not long. – J.C. Ryle

I remember no one sin that my conscience doth so much accuse and judge me for as for doing so little for the saving of souls, and not for dealing with the lost soul ones more fervently and earnestly for their conversion. – Richard Baxter

We ought actually to go into the streets and lanes and highways, because there are lurkers in the hedges, tramps on the highway, street-walkers and lane-haunters, whom we shall never reach unless we pursue them into their own domains. – Charles Spurgeon

To win men to acceptance of Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord is the only reason Christians are left in this world. – R.A. Torrey

Could a mariner sit idle if he heard the drowning cry? Could a doctor sit in comfort and just let his patients die? Could a fireman sit idle, let men burn and give no hand? Can you sit at ease in Zion with the world around you damned? – Leonard Ravenhill

Compelled by this clear biblical mandate [Matt. 28: 19-20], Christians through the centuries have taken the saving message of the gospel to the ends of the earth. It’s the only reason we’re still here. True Christians are already saved and sealed for eternity. There’s no reason to leave us on earth, except for the responsibility of evangelism. – John MacArthur, in Hard to Believe

There are no easy steps to witnessing! No painless, unembarrassing methods! You must bring men to see that they are filthy sinners under the wrath of God who must flee to Christ for mercy. That is offensive. And there is no way to coat it with honey. – Walter J. Chantry

Reckon then that to acquire soul-winning power, you will have to go through mental torment and soul distress. You must go into the fire if you are going to pull others out of it, and you will have to dive into the floods if you are going to draw others out of the water. You cannot work a fire escape without feeling the scorch of the conflagration, nor man a lifeboat without being covered with the waves. – Charles Haddon Spurgeon

No man is interested in a piece of good news unless he has the consciousness of needing it; no man is interested in an offer of salvation unless he knows that there is something from which he needs to be saved. It is quite useless to ask a man to adopt the Christian view of the gospel unless he first has the Christian view of sin. – J. Gresham Machen

To be a soul winner is the happiest thing in this world. And with every soul you bring to Jesus Christ, you seem to get a new heaven here upon earth. – Charles Haddon Spurgeon

A foolish physician he is, and a most unfaithful friend, that will let a sick man die for fear of troubling him; and cruel wretches are we to our friends, that will rather suffer them to go quietly to hell, then we will anger them, or hazard our reputation with them. – Richard Baxter

If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. And if they will perish, let them perish with our arms around their knees, imploring them to stay. If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled with the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for. – Charles Haddon Spurgeon

I am contented to consume my body, to sacrifice to God’s service, and to spend all that I have, and to be spent myself, for the souls of men. – Richard Baxter

Faith is the gift of God – not the result of the persuasion of the evangelist. – Jerry Bridges

Oh, to realize that souls, precious, never dying souls, are perishing all around us, going out into the blackness of darkness and despair, eternally lost, and yet to feel no anguish, shed no tears, know no travail! How little we know of the compassion of Jesus! – Oswald J. Smith

The gospel is only good news if it gets there in time. – Carl F.H. Henry

Your one business in life is to lead men to believe in Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Every other thing should be made subservient to this one objective. – Charles Spurgeon

Some missionaries go to Africa – others travel to the Orient or to Europe. Every missionary goes somewhere. We all have a mission field, if only our own neighborhood or office building. Every corner of the world is a mission field. There are no boundaries in this world beyond which Christian witness is out of bounds. – R.C. Sproul

10/25/2011: 180movie distribution at Collin College

2011-10-25T10:01:00.000-05:00

The BIG DAY has finally arrived!

180 distribution is going on right now, at Collin College (TX), and also at over 100 other college and university campuses across the nation. 200,000 of these should be given away today!

If you haven't seen it, visit www.180movie.com.

More info at http://www.gbcallen.org/ministries/180movie/.

the Sin of Abortion

2011-10-13T07:59:00.007-05:00

I don't normally publish sermon text, but considering the importance of the topic of abortion, and being pro-choice or pro-life, here is part of my sermon from 9/25/2011 (audio is here). Sorry, it is a bit long, but I trust worthwhile.

We rightly see such actions [Herod's slaughter in Matthew 2] as an atrocity, as an heinous act of violence, as a crime worthy of significant punishment, perhaps even including the death penalty. And we would never allow such a thing to be acceptable in our country. Right?

We think we're more civilized than that in our day, yet in many countries, including our own, children younger than this are sacrificed to the gods of convenience, money, and “choice” every day. Was what happened back in [Matthew 2] verse 16 terrible? Yes it was. Yet our land is more deserving of judgment than even Herod.

Why? Because many people in our land don’t value human life, and they don’t even recognize human life. The child in the womb is… a child. A human person, made by God in the image of God.

Job is the oldest or at least one of the oldest books in the Bible. And Job knew better than so many in our day. In Job chapter 10, he said: "Your hands shaped me and made me . . . Did You not clothe me with skin and flesh and knit me together with bones and sinews? You gave me life" (Job 10:8–12). Later on, in Job 31, he said "Did not He who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same One form us both within our mothers?" (Job 31:15).

The prophet Isaiah knew that a person, a human life, lived inside the mother. In Isaiah 44, he wrote "This is what the Lord says—He who made you, who formed you in the womb…" (Isaiah 44:2a)

We read Psalm 139 earlier. Do you remember what part of it said? "For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb . . . Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be" (Psalm 139:13, 16).

Or go to the New Testament. We read about Elizabeth, who would give birth to John the Baptist, in Luke 1. Verse 41 says: “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.” The word for baby is brephos, which is the ordinary word for baby, or infant, the same word used for born babies, such as in Luke 2 in the manger. Then a few verses later in Luke 1:44, Elizabeth said: “for behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy”. Babies in the womb are babies. They are children. They are persons, immortal beings made in God’s image. To murder one is to destroy life, and it is an attack on the Giver of Life Himself.

We tell ourselves that we are cultured and clean, sanitized and civilized, that we’re above such cruelties that Herod commanded. But we fool ourselves if we believe that. The bloodguilt of our nation, and of many other nations, is great, for we have done what Herod did, only in a more sophisticated way, and in so much greater numbers. If God judges America for this great holocaust, we can only say that His patience was great, as we have deserved His righteous indignation for at least 38 years.

Our nation speaks of “choice”. And that it is. In fact, every sin is the choice of a person. We look at right and wrong, and so often choose that which is wrong. This is especially true of unbelievers, since they are dead in trespasses and sins, their will is held in bondage to sin, and their depravity manifests itself regularly. That doesn’t mean that unsaved people always do as badly as they could, or even that they choose sin every time, but that is their nature, their bent, their predisposition, because they love sin, and they love darkness rather than light.

But the righteous person, the believer in Christ, chooses sin sometimes, too, don’t we? We struggle against the flesh, the old nature, and we sin, thus the need for regular confession and asking God to cleanse us.

But calling something a “choice” doesn’t make it a right choice. People choose to do wrong all the time. As Proverbs 1:29 tells us, people hate knowledge and refuse to choose the fear of the Lord. Thus they condemn themselves. They choose for themselves to serve false gods, idols they have made up in their own minds, and unless they repent, their destruction will be certain.

As individuals, not all, but many, and as a nation, we have refused to abandon our sin. And the result is and will be the wrath of God, as He abandons us to our sin.

If the Lord has or will depart from us as a nation, and given us over to that which we craved, what sort of results do we expect? Do we really anticipate that the Lord will continue to bless our blood-stained land? Can we slaughter the closest thing we have to innocence, and not expect God’s righteous judgment? Do we really expect God to bless America, when we certainly don’t bless God and instead rebel against Him in so many different ways, including this sin of Herod, the slaughter of the innocents?

Do we expect blessing, economic or otherwise, on a nation that is in moral chaos? That thumbs its national nose against God and what He says in His Word? Do we expect God to cater to our whims, to give us more and more, heaped upon lots already, when we spurn His ways, and murder that which He has created?

If God isn’t actively judging our country, then at least He is letting us suffer the consequences of our own disobedience. The downward spiral happens as a people abandons God, and He abandons them, leaving them to their own devices, and since mankind has the problem of total depravity, he sins more and more, he degrades more and more, and the result is rampant wickedness, calling evil good and good evil, and an explosion of immorality of all kinds.

When a people don’t even protect their own children, yeah, even purposefully kill them instead, and even call it legal, how far away can we be from the righteous fury of God’s perfect wrath?

“God bless America.” People sing it at baseball games. Politicians close their speeches with it. But on what basis should God bless our country? Because we’re holy, and following the Lord, and obeying His commands? Not likely. I think the main reason why so many people expect God to bless America is because they are referring to the god of many people’s imaginations, which is an idol, by the way, because that man-made god just blesses everyone without regard to their behavior. But that god (little ‘g’) doesn’t exist, and cannot bless. As a nation, we’ve made our sinful choices, and we have spit in the face of the one true God. And we expect Him to bless us?

The most sacred place on the planet, humanly speaking, is invaded thousands of times per day, and children are sacrificed on the altars of choice, convenience, money, and self-centeredness. The safest place on the planet, where God has designed children to live for the first 9 months of their lives, becomes a killing ground, a blood-stained crime scene, a place where life is taken instead of preserved and nurtured.

Not only that, they don’t tolerate our anger against such sin. To speak up against such wickedness brings down the wrath of the unrighteous. We are labeled as the ones who are intolerant; we are declared to be the ones with hatred in our hearts. But this is to be expected, because unrighteousness hates that which is righteous, darkness hates the light, just as wickedness always hates God and His standards.

Herod did, essentially, though for different reason, as what God condemned at the time of Moses. In Deuteronomy 12, Israel was warned about not following after the surrounding nations. Deuteronomy 12:31 says, “You shall not behave thus toward the Lord your God, for every abominable act which the Lord hates they have done for their gods; for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.”

Our methods may be more sophisticated, and most people in our land don’t do this for a wooden or stone or metal idol, but they do it for the biggest idol of all, “self”. People don’t have statues that they bow down to, but they certainly worship the god they see in the bathroom mirror each day.

And just as Herod did everything in his power to ensure his sovereignty, so do people in our day, as they look out for number 1, as they do their best to please themselves, and whatever gets in the way, well, they do their best to get rid of it. And one result of that is that we live in a nation where the ground must be crying out because it is a nation of unrequited blood, a land that is a field of blood, and justice has not been done. Our nation babies the murderers, and murders the babies. And we think our economic difficulties is our biggest problem.

This is not a political statement. It is a moral one. The answer doesn’t lie in voting and laws. Please don’t misunderstand. I’m all for good and righteous politicians. I’m thankful that we have a few. I’m all for voting – it is a privilege that God has allowed us to have in our country. I’m thankful for good laws. But the real answer isn’t political.

What do we need to solve this problem? What do people involved in this sin need the most? Not condemnation, because they’re condemned already, if you believe John 3:18. Not merely politics or law, because an outward removal and enforcement of the protection of life, while good, does not fix the heart, and that is what is needed first and foremost. If we overturn Roe v. Wade, it would be a good thing, but if we convince everyone in America to protect the lives of the unborn, and they remain unconverted to Christ, we still have a nation headed to the pit. Pro-life people, if they don’t know Christ, if they haven’t repented of their own sins and turned in saving faith to Jesus Christ, these pro-life people end up in the same hell as the so-called doctors who commit these atrocities and the mothers who pay them to do it and the wicked politicians who vote to allow the slaughter.

The answer is the gospel of Jesus Christ! No other answer will suffice, no other answer will change the heart, redeem the person, and forgive all the sin.

That’s why I’m excited about this half-hour documentary that Living Waters is releasing. You may have seen the announcement about it, if nowhere else than at least in our bulletin these last few weeks. Perhaps you’ve seen it online already. It’s called 180, and it is an attempt to change people’s mind [to be pro-life], and not only that, it is a solid and biblical gospel presentation as well, because changing people’s minds so they vote differently is good, but sharing with them the bad news of sin and the good news of the gospel is essential. And 180 does both. I’m excited to see what the Lord might do with it. DVDs will be in-hand soon, and in case you haven’t heard it yet, we at Grace Bible Church are pleased to be a part of a team that, Lord willing, will distribute 1600 of these around Collin County next month. May it be for the glory of Christ. [click here for 180 info]

What Herod did was horribly evil. What people today do is horribly evil. I’d hate to be a so-called doctor who does such things. I wouldn’t want to be a father or mother who requested such a thing. And in particular, I wouldn’t want to be a politician or a judge who voted or ruled to legalize such a heinous thing on such a massive scale. And I certainly wouldn’t want to suffer the consequences in hell of being a mass-murderer. But even these people – medical providers, politicians, lobbyists, and the parents themselves, they can be changed by the power of God. This is not the unforgiveable sin. Jesus paid the penalty for sin, for ALL sin, yes, even for THIS sin, for those who repent and believe in Jesus Christ. [how: www.RUforgiven.org]

(by pastor Dave Dunbar, Grace Bible Church of Allen (TX), www.GBCallen.org, in a sermon "The Attempted Murder of the King", audio is here)

have you seen "180" ???

2011-10-05T20:40:00.000-05:00

Set aside the 33 minutes, and give it a view. It will be worth your time!

yesterday's sermon: includes topic of abortion

2011-09-26T06:02:00.000-05:00

We studied the latter half of Matthew 2 at church last night, including Herod's slaughter. Also included in the sermon: the topic of abortion. See http://www.gbcallen.org/resources/sermons/.

180 movie now available!

2011-09-26T05:57:00.002-05:00

180 is finally available in its entirety. Go to www.180movie.com and spend a worthwhile 33 minutes...

More details at http://www.gbcallen.org/ministries/180movie/ .

a SUPERB and short article by MacArthur & Spurgeon

2011-09-26T05:54:00.000-05:00

A common and very sad problem in our day -- this short article is well worth reading... "By All Means Save Some".

a church plant in Allen Texas

2011-08-02T18:16:00.000-05:00

We are now only a month away from the first service of Grace Bible Church of Allen (TX). Planning has been going on for months, and I'm excited (and trembling!) about it. I don't know what God might do -- anything from "no one shows up for months" (or ever) to a small and interested group right off the bat. No matter how long it lasts, may GBC be for the glory of Christ!

Details at www.GBCallen.org ; gospel web message at www.RUforgiven.org .

SDG,
Dave

What Happened to the NIV?

2011-04-03T17:51:00.000-05:00

A year ago, in a brief article about Bible translations, I made this statement: “The NIV is certainly useful, particularly for younger readers, and for reading the Old Testament narrative passages. Many choose it as their primary Bible. Note, thought, that the NIV is scheduled to be revised in the near future, and depending on those revisions, it is possible the updates could make it become an unacceptable translation.”

It is time to go back and see what they did with the NIV, because just a few months ago, the new NIV (2011) came out.

Before it came out, many conservative scholars were concerned. This is because Zondervan introduced a TNIV (Today’s NIV) back in 2005, and it was a blatantly gender-neutral translation, a dramatic change from the original NIV (1984), and which caused no small amount of controversy in the evangelical community. Many conservative scholars rightly blasted the TNIV, and it (thankfully) never really took off.

With the dramatic changes in the TNIV, many eyes were on Zondervan to see what they would do with the long-awaited revisions to the NIV. Note that the TNIV was never intended to replace the NIV – they would both be sold. But the newly revised NIV (2011) WOULD replace the old NIV (1984), meaning that the 1984 version would no longer be published. In other words, the new NIV would be much more important than the ill-fated TNIV.

To summarize, the NIV (2011) is not as bad as the TNIV, but it is problematic in similar ways. Some of the specific problems in the TNIV have been fixed (or partly fixed) in the new NIV, but many were not. The apparent goal of modest gender-neutrality has resulted in an NIV that is not nearly as faithful to the original languages as the old NIV was. If you’d like to see a full and semi-technical review of the NIV (2011), please go to the Council on Biblical Manhood & Womanhood website at http://www.cbmw.org/.

Just to give a few examples, in Psalm 1:1, “blessed is the man” (as found in NASB, NKJV, ESV, Berkley, RSV, NIV(1984) and most others) is now ‘translated’ as “blessed is the one” in the NIV 2011. The Hebrew word is a singular masculine noun, literally “the man”. Was it the intent of the songwriter to exclude women? I don’t think so, not at all. However, it is not the right of a translator to take a singular masculine and change it to a genderless plural. In my view, that’s not translation, that’s interpretation. God’s Word is too precise, too perfect, too verbally inspired, for anyone to be so loose with the wording. The problem of verse 1 continues to the succeeding verses, where “his delight” (most translations) is now rendered “whose delight”, and “he will be like a tree” has been changed to “that person will be like a tree”.

How about an example from the New Testament? Hebrews 12 verse 7, as rendered by the NIV 2011, states “... God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?” The obvious change is the word “children”, which is rightly translated “sons” in most every other translation. The original Greek word is a masculine word for a male child. The NIV (2011) folks are so committed to their ideology that in verse 8, they added “and daughters” to the end of the verse, apparently thinking that ending the verse with the word “sons” was somehow incomplete. “And daughters” is simply not in the Greek text.

A similar problem can be found in Luke 17 verse 3. The NIV (2011) changed the wording to this: “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them;”. But that isn’t what Jesus said. “Or sister” is not in the text. And the “them” isn’t really a them, it is a singular “him”. Many other instances of this and similar problems are found throughout the new NIV (2011).

In my opinion, if you have an original NIV, I’d encourage you to keep reading it. But if you’re looking for a new Bible, the updated NIV (2011) would not be on my list of preferred translations. With a number of better English Bibles available – better because they are more faithful to the original text – there is no need to settle for a translation that seems to have an egalitarian or feminist agenda. Suggested translations would include: ESV (English Standard Version), NASB (New American Standard Bible, my favorite), HCSB (Holman Christian Standard Bible), and the NKJV (New King James Version).

Is it sinful to read or own a new NIV? Of course not. But if we believe that God truly and fully inspired His Word (called verbal plenary inspiration), and that the smallest letters and strokes of the pen are all important (Matt. 5:18), then we would be wise to read English Bibles that carefully and faithfully translate the original text. The original Author has spoken clearly, and we should listen (and read, and translate) carefully.

SDG,
Dave

book review: What He Must Be... if he wants to marry my daughter

2010-07-26T10:35:00.000-05:00

(a review of "What He Must Be" by Voddie Baucham Jr.)

This is a book that (frankly) every Christian parent with a child 15 years old or more should read. Most of us are familiar with the whole courtship vs. dating topic that has been (rightly) brought forth in recent years. But there is MUCH more to the issue than merely committing to some form of a courtship model.

What sort of a man are we, as fathers of daughters, looking for in a future son-in-law? Do our daughters know how to rightly evaluate any potential suitors? What does the Bible say about the character and qualities of potential husbands-to-be and sons-in-law? Or on the other side of the equation, are we raising sons that will make excellent husbands?

Thankfully, Voddie Baucham (a Reformed and baptistic pastor in south Texas) answers these and other questions, and he does so biblically and with pastoral insight and experience.

First, he uses quite a few pages to describe the problem (broken families, lack of fathers), along with statistics. For those who already recognize this really is an issue, these pages may go on more than needed. However, he rightly concludes that a father is indeed responsible to help find and evaluate any potential suitors for his daughter.

He then goes on to show the importance of marriage before he covers the requirements for any young man that might want to marry his daughter (or my daughters, for that matter). Those requirements are the central part of the book.

First, he must be a Christian. From page 67:

In many areas I am willing to give and take when it comes to young men to whom I will give my blessing in pursuit of my daughter’s hand. I am willing to abide a short man, a poor man, an unattractive man, even a man who is not a Texan (Lord, forgive me). However, I cannot give my consent to a man who is not a follower of Christ. That would be absolutely unthinkable.

He is referring to, of course, a real Christian, a true follower of Christ, not just someone who calls himself a Christian but has little or no “proof” of the claim or any fruit to show for it. He mentions some basic signs of being a true Christian (regenerate, repentant, reformed) in this chapter, and he addresses some other specific things in later chapters. But this point, by itself, stands alone. In no case, ever, should a Christian woman marry a man who is not a Christian, period. Anyone who tries to make exceptions to that or excuses as to why it doesn’t apply in a certain situation is in very serious error.

Second, he must be prepared to lead. Voddie discusses the attack by feminism on male headship, and what that means biblically. Most of it won’t be new to the mature biblical Christian, but it is a message that often needs repeating. A young man who wants a wife must be prepared and willing to lead her as required by Scripture.

Third, he must lead like Christ. Different men lead in different ways, but the leadership the Bible requires is not that of a drill sergeant, or a self-serving dictator, but a leader like Christ. He discusses how one of the ways to lead is to lead in love. The young man must love (verb, not emotion) the young lady, which means he will treat her in certain ways, including doing what is right for her. He then tells a story, which is worth repeating, because it is such a common situation, and many of us can probably relate to it personally. Starting on page 107, Pastor Baucham wrote:

A year ago I had a familiar conversation with a man I met in a church where I happened to be preaching. He was on staff full-time, married with three children. One of his children, a daughter, was engaged to a young man she met in college. As he told me the story of what he called “their fairy-tale courtship,” he beamed with pride.

His daughter had met the young man a year earlier. They were in a study group together and caught one another’s eye. The young man was very interested, so he asked her out on a date. She said no, but he persisted until eventually she conceded. Their first date was ideal. He brought flowers, opened her door, pulled out her chair, and even got her back to her dorm at a decent hour. She knew right away that this young man was special.

Over the next several months they saw more and more of each other. Eventually things got serious; so they decided it was time for him to meet her folks. She was a good Christian girl, so she did not bring boys home unless it was serious. The two of them drove up for Thanksgiving break, and the meeting went fabulously. Both mom and dad approved. This one was a keeper. He was a Christian, he was smart, good-looking, well-liked, and he treated their daughter like a queen.

When the two of them left the house, her parents had a feeling that this was “the one”. A few months later they got another call. The couple was coming back to the house again. Dad knew what was up. The young man was going to ask for her hand in marriage. And that’s exactly what he did. He said, “Sir, I love your daughter more than anything in this world, and I want to ask her to marry me. Will you give me your permission?” The father was thrilled. He gave his permission, the young man proposed, and the two of them were engaged.

If I’ve heard this story once, I’ve heard it a thousand times. However, I must admit that I do not view this story with the same level of enthusiasm as the fathers who tell it. Every time I hear this story, I can’t help but wonder why this scenario has come to be considered acceptable, let alone exceptional. I think this story is a tragedy.

Now I realize that last sentence may be shocking to some. A few paragraphs later, the author calls this scenario a travesty. The author explains himself, of course, though I’m not going to reproduce that explanation here. You may read it for yourself, or if you ask me in person, I’d be happy to elaborate. But he is right. That is not how a suitor and a father are to act during the time of courting, and to be blunt, the young woman should know better as well.

Later in the same chapter, the author discusses intimacy (not sexual) in marriage, and he shows that his understanding of marriage is biblical and careful. It looks like he is familiar with NANC materials – but whether or not that is the case, he is certainly familiar with his Bible! Included in that discussion is a warning about child-centered families, an all-too-common problem even in evangelical churches.

Fourth, he must be committed to children. This includes having children, investing in children, and supporting children. He concludes the chapter by saying “Wanted: Husbands and Fathers… Others Need Not Apply”.

Fifth, he must practice the four P’s (protector, provider, prophet, priest), and he expounds on each area of responsibility. In the last section, he mentions the importance of family worship.

The next chapter is called “Don’t Send a Woman to Do a Man’s Job”. He discusses protecting your daughter’s heart (including an important section on biblical purity), her focus, and her hope. He also does an excellent job of addressing singleness, how everyone is single for a season, and how that time of singleness is to be used.

Voddie then encourages men to be involved in young men’s lives: “If you can’t find one, build one.” It is basic Christian discipleship, and it is critical.

Finally, in the concluding chapter, the author superbly addresses the issue of “race”. Voddie is very big and very black, and he answers the question of if a white man were to be interested in his daughter. He may have been listening to Ken Ham, because he states that we are all of one race (human), and that so-called racism is an ugly sin. He goes on to defend that position biblically, and concludes:

Thus, limiting our children’s options based on ethnicity is ultimately an affront to the redemptive work of Christ.

The remaining sections of his concluding chapter address how feminism is emasculating men, the goal is the gospel, and how the souls of his grandchildren outweigh their complexion.

As I stated at the beginning, if you have older teenagers, I certain that you’d be blessed and helped by reading this book. Check it out from the library (if it is available), or better yet, buy your own copy, because some of you may need to go through this more than just a few times (because you have more than a few children)! But do more than read it – put it into practice, both now (in preparation) and later when the time comes when you have a son or daughter interested in marriage.

the naked majesty of the Gospel

2010-06-05T14:58:00.002-05:00

While reading good books by current authors is certainly worthwhile, we err if we neglect our forefathers in the faith. God taught them some things, and we would do well to listen (read) and learn. One of the great ones, of course, is Charles H. Spurgeon. Here is a gem from one of his sermons -- particularly appropriate after attending the T4G conference recently.

“Many good people think that they ought to guard the Gospel, but it is never so safe as when it stands out in its own naked majesty. It needs no covering from us.

When we protect it with provisos, guard it with exceptions and qualify it with observations, it is like David in Saul’s armor—it is hampered and hindered and you may even hear it cry, ‘I cannot go with these.’

Let the Gospel alone and it will save! Qualify it and the salt has lost its savor.”

—Charles Spurgeon, “The Dying Thief in a New Light” (sermon on Luke 23:40-42, preached on August 23, 1885)

the dreaded "C" word

2010-03-05T15:24:00.002-06:00

It really is a dreaded word, ripe with all sorts of cultural connotations, most of them undesirable. It evicts images of embarrassment and failure. But it shouldn’t be that way! Some form of the dreaded word “counseling” is used over 80 times in Scripture.

Did you know that a person who seeks counsel isn’t a failure or a “loser” who can’t cut it himself? Not at all! Proverbs 12:15 tells us “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.” In other words, the guy who thinks he has it all figured out and refuses to hear advice is – you got it – a fool. Who among us is so smart, so wise, so godly, that he doesn’t need the counsel of trusted and godly friends?

According to Proverbs 1:5, “A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel…” It is the wise person that seeks wisdom from others. Indeed, the way he becomes wise is to listen to mature Christians who have gained wisdom in their Christian walk. Do you desire godly wisdom? Proverbs 19:20 tells us “Listen to counsel and accept discipline, That you may be wise the rest of your days.”

Our rugged, individualistic, self-sufficient culture frowns upon seeking counsel. But that is worldly wisdom. If you have an issue you’ve struggled with, a major decision coming up, or want to know how to deal with a particular situation, get with a mature brother or sister and talk. We are to bear one another's burdens (Gal. 6:2). Older women are to instruct younger ones in wisdom (Titus 2:4). Men are to sharpen one another (Prov. 27:17). The elders of the church are to instruct and exhort and encourage (2 Tim. 4:2), both publically and privately (Acts 20:20). We really do need one another.

Getting counsel may be a one-time conversation, or it may involve meetings over a longer period of time. It may be very informal, or it may be in a more formal setting. No matter the specifics, the Christian who seeks counsel is the one who exhibits wisdom and humility, because he knows he doesn’t have all the answers.

There is no need to dread the “C” word – indeed, there are many reasons to treasure it, for it is one of God’s ordained means to help us live in a way that is pleasing to Him. So, fellow Christian, when the hard challenges of life arise and the situation warrants, will you seek counsel?

(P.S. We practice and recommend only true biblical (nouthetic) counseling, ie NANC.)
SDG,
Dave

Christmas, the second time around

2009-12-21T16:58:00.003-06:00

We celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ in late December. Whether or not the date is correct really isn't a big issue. It is fine for us to rejoice in the coming of Christ in a God-honoring way.

But as we think about Jesus setting aside His glory and coming in humility, let's also remember this one astounding fact: He will come again. And it won't be in humility. Just as certainly as Christ came just over 2000 years ago, so He will come again in glory. And I hope we look forward to that day as much as we rejoice looking back 2000 years. I don't know when it will be. (Neither do you.) Let's not get so caught up in this world that we don't yearn for the Second Coming.

Come, Lord Jesus.

SDG,
Dave

book review: Pulpit Crimes

2009-12-05T11:16:00.005-06:00

It has been a while since I posted, and since I picked on a bad book not long ago, I thought I'd recommend an excellent one: Pulpit Crimes by James R. White.

Pulpit Crimes is a fascinating look into what is wrong not just with the church in general, but with the pulpit in particular. As has often been noted, as the leaders go, so goes the church. And nowhere is leadership as pronounced and influential as in the pulpit. By looking at preaching and pulpit errors, James White insightfully and accurately addresses a wide variety of “pulpit crimes” that plague the church.

The subtitle is “The Criminal Mishandling of God’s Word”. We’ve all heard preachers who mishandle the Bible. Many men have taken verses out of context, twisted the meaning, or failed to preach the whole counsel of God. The chapter titles are provocative; some of them are: Pandering to Pluralism, Cowardice Under Fire, Entertainment Without a License, Felonious Eisegesis, Body Count, and Warranty Fraud. Each of them addresses a real issue in the pulpit.

White doesn’t name names – which was a bit frustrating to me, because it is a pastor’s job to warn the flock of error, and it would be helpful to know just who is guilty of at least the most serious errors. However, it isn’t his point to get in a big argument or to stir up trouble, but to rightly address the issues, which he does very well.

This book is for every elder, every church leader, and indeed for all who love the church, the preaching of the Word, and most importantly the Savior of the church. It will increase your discernment and give you an appreciation for the faithful and regular teaching and preaching of Holy Scripture. And it will help you help your friends who may attend churches that violate some of these principles. It is worth your time to read.

A few quotes from the book may whet your appetite:

One of the greatest things the lay person can come to realize is their vital role in the worship of the church. By coming to the gathering of the body prepared, expectant, ready to hear from God and bless others, we add to the worship immeasurably. How often do we rob ourselves of blessings, and those around us as well, because we stumble into God’s presence almost by accident rather than approaching Him with purpose and preparation!

More directly to the issue is the reality that the New Testament speaks of church discipline, of putting people out of the fellowship for reasons of immorality, apostasy, and false teaching. It is hard to put someone “out” when you can’t define what it means to be “in”.

Minister, do you wish to have a clear conscience? Then proclaim the fullness of the message, even when you know men will be offended thereby. Who would you rather offend, sinful men, or the holy God?

There is something unnatural about speaking of eternal judgment, redemption, forgiveness, lordship, and life in the context of light-hearted entertainment and Hawaiian shirt informality.

While scandals used to be the big problem in this area, now the real perversity is shown in the open: unashamed teaching that it is God’s will that Christians be rich and possess the things of the world. The “name it and claim it” heresy is one of the greatest pulpit crimes of the modern era, and it is a sure sign of judgment upon our culture.

The pulpit is a sacred place where God meets with His people, instructs them, and gives them guidance as they worshipfully gather to hear His truth. To replace that high and divine purpose with the worldly and the commercial is high treason. … Yet this is exactly what we see in the largest portion of the church today: entertainment has replaced worship, amusement has replaced the sober contemplation of God and His ways. This is a pulpit crime of immense proportions.

SDG,
Dave

Homeschooling & academics -- the results are in (again)

2009-09-17T08:05:00.003-05:00

The HSLDA recently posted this article about how homeschoolers do academically on standardized tests. The results, which are consistent with studies done over a decade ago, speak for themselves. And that is done by spending much less money per child than the government school system does. Maybe it is time for the public school folks to start emulating some of what we homeschoolers are doing, instead of trying to force us into their mold...

The Shack vs. the Bible

2009-07-29T16:26:00.003-05:00

There is a book that has been on the best-seller charts for a while now, a book that is being talked about a lot, particularly by those in the Christian community. William Young’s work called The Shack is a novel – a work of fiction – but his portrayal of God is more than just bad fiction.

Al Mohler has called it “undiluted heresy”. And he is right. It misrepresents God – horribly so, blasphemously so. It denies the full deity of Christ. It claims the Father and the Spirit took on human nature and portrays them as female. It tells that the Father suffered like the Son on the cross, which is taught in a heresy called Modalistic Monarchianism (commonly called modalism, which is the ancient heresy called Sabellianism). The Shack removes wrath as an attribute of God, and promises no punishment and no hell. What the writer has created is a false god, an idol, a god he made up in his sinful imagination.

It subverts the written Word, and takes pot shots at such things as traditional (biblical) church, family worship, seminary, and even the term “Christian”. It includes people of all religions (or no religion) in salvation, saying that Christ is the “best way”, not the only way. It would appear the writer promotes universalism, which states that everyone will be saved. Since pluralism is so fashionable today, this book has enjoyed much popularity.

Should you read it? A mature Christian may choose to read it (though I wouldn’t particularly suggest it), for the purpose of knowing what it teaches, so as to better answer anyone who promotes the book. Frankly, any Christian who knows his Bible pretty well can easily recognize the errors and heresies put forth. I would strongly suggest that a young or immature Christian NOT read it, as it could cause much confusion and incorrect thinking.

One of the discouraging things about the book is the endorsement by musician Michael W. Smith. He ought to know better, and he ought to repent.

For a fuller review, I recommend Tim Challies’ lengthy but excellent article.

SDG,
Dave

The Doctrine of Eternal Hell

2009-06-08T19:15:00.006-05:00

I recently finished preaching the most difficult pair of sermons I've ever done. The Doctrine of Eternal Hell was a 2-part series, the outline of which is shown below. It is not pleasant in any way to think about it, but the Bible speaks much about it (more than heaven), so we must take heed to God's Word on this painful subject.

At the risk of sounding self-promoting (which is not my intent), I would encourage you to consider downloading the mp3 files and listening to them (found here: part 1, part 2).
Short outline for 2-part series on Hell:

I. The Rejection of hell
II. Reservations about the doctrine of hell
III. The Requisiteness of hell
IV. The Road to hell
V. The Residents of hell
VI. The Realities of hell
VII. The Response of the Christian to the doctrine of hell
VIII.The Rescue of the non-Christian from hell
IX. The Requirement for the unsure, the almost-Christian, and the fence-sitter

You can also get the full 3-page outline with sub-points and notes.

SDG,
Dave

Death

2009-06-08T18:14:00.005-05:00

We may think this a simple word – and a word we’d rather not think about much – but it is in the Bible frequently and it is a very important word. “Death” can be found over 460 times in our English Bibles, and the related word “dead” is there nearly 300 times. A proper treatment would obviously be lengthy, but we’ll summarize it briefly.

First, we can divide death into two parts: physical and spiritual. With increasing medical technology, the definition of physical death has been changing. Proof of death may involve looking at heartbeat, respiration, or more recently, brain activity. Though we never would wish to take a simplistic view of the hard decisions related to end-of-life issues, the Bible does define physical death for us. James 2:26 tells us “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.” In other words, when the person’s immaterial part (the soul or the spirit) leaves the body, the body is then dead. We cannot take that concept and then make a medical definition, though something related to brain activity may make sense.

One writer described this as the unnatural ripping of the soul out of the body. We were not designed to die – death came only after Adam’s sin. Our souls were not meant to exist apart from a physical body, though that is the case for everyone after they die, until the resurrection of the righteous unto eternal life, and the resurrection of the wicked to eternal punishment (Matt. 25:46), at which times the bodies will be raised and reunited with the departed souls.

Spiritual death is a completely separate matter. Every person, being conceived and born as a sinner, and being sinful by choice, is spiritually dead (Eph. 2:1). Only by faith alone in Christ alone can a person be born again (made alive spiritually) and given new spiritual life, eternal life, never to experience spiritual death again. The person who is in Christ may indeed experience physical death, but to be absent from the body (physically dead) is to be present with the Lord in paradise, awaiting the resurrection of the righteous. The person who does not come to faith in Christ will experience physical death, and it is at that time that the state of his spiritual death is sealed – his fate is fixed – and his existence will be to face God’s righteous wrath. The final resurrection and judgment of the wicked is called the “second death” (Rev. 20:14).

Death is an enemy, but a defeated enemy (1 Cor. 15:55-56), thanks to the work and power of Jesus Christ. Because of that, we can face death, even without fear, looking with confidence to the promised glory with Christ that is to come. Paul put it simply “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21).

SDG,
Dave

Sanctuary

2009-05-08T00:36:00.004-05:00

Let’s depart from rich theological terms for this month and consider instead a rather unusual (and often misused) term instead. This word occurs over 150 times in the Bible, and all but 3 of them are in the Old Testament.

Our word for this month is sanctuary. Although modern usage of the term can refer to part of a “church building”, biblical usage is much more restricted. It began in the book of Exodus, and referred to the Tabernacle that was to be made:
“Let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them. (Ex. 25:8)

This would be God’s dwelling place on earth, a holy and sacred place, a unique place on the planet.

As the years went on, the Temple would be built, with extremely strict specifications. This new sanctuary would replace the Tabernacle, and would be God’s house on earth. It, too, was a one-of-a-kind place.

Those Old Testament sanctuaries are referenced over and over again in the Old Testament. Of the three uses of the term in the New Testament, two of them refer directly to the Old Testament sanctuary, and the last one (Heb. 8:2) refers to the heavenly sanctuary, where Christ is.

Just as a meeting house (a church’s building) is not a “church”, so the big room in the meeting house is not a “sanctuary”. God doesn’t dwell there. There is no altar there. A criminal cannot enter it and “claim sanctuary” or request asylum to evade the police. It is not, in and of itself, a holy place.

The Old Testament sanctuary was a special and God-ordained place. However, it no longer exists and is not a part of the New Testament church. Why is that? I would suggest it is because of one terrible and glorious event of nearly 2000 years ago:
And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed His last.And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. (Mark 15:37-38)

Access to the inner sanctuary, the holy of holies, is now made directly by every Christian to Christ Himself. There is no more special class of priests, no more animal sacrifice, no more going to a certain place to meet God. Now all Christians are priests, the perfect and final sacrifice has been made, and the Holy Spirit dwells within each redeemed person, not in a building made with human hands.

SDG,

Dave

Perseverance

2009-04-13T06:23:00.005-05:00

Our word for this month is perseverance. That English word (in various forms) is used (as translated in the NASB) two dozen times in the Bible, all of them in the New Testament. Perseverance is a grand and encouraging word, when understood rightly.

The Bible is clear in stating that the person who has truly been born again, who is truly a Christian, will persevere in his faith until the end of his life. This doctrine constitutes the “P” in “TULIP”: the Perseverance of the Saints. (We covered the “T” for Total Depravity a few months ago.) We persevere, not because of our own strength or fortitude, but because of the keeping power of Jesus Christ. God, who began the work of salvation in us, will bring it to completion (Phil. 1:6).

Our future glorification is so certain that it is spoken of in the past tense in Romans 8:38-39. (For you Greek students, that is called a proleptic aorist.) Our inheritance is spoken of as imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven (1 Peter 1:3-5).

No one can snatch us from the Father’s hands (John 10:27-30). The Lord is able to guard our salvation (2 Tim. 1:12). We have moved from death to life. The outer man, the body, will someday die, unless the Rapture comes first. But even the dead body will some day be resurrected and reunited with the Christian’s spirit, which goes immediately to be with Christ at death (2 Cor. 5:8). We have eternal life (1 John 5:13), and that life will never end.

The Christian isn’t off the hook, however. He must be diligent to run the race and serve Christ and persevere by the strength of the Spirit. Romans 5:3-4 is clear that tribulation begets perseverance, which begets other good Christian virtues.

Perseverance is a command, a virtue, and a promise. The true Christian will persevere – not perfectly, of course – but he will endure to the end, for it is the one that endures to the end who will be saved (Matt. 10:22). Rejoice in the saving and the keeping power of our Lord. He saves, He sanctifies, and beloved, He will glorify all those who have come to faith in Christ.

SDG,
Dave

Cursed

2009-04-11T11:01:00.003-05:00

Cursed.

That is what we deserve to be, because none of us have obeyed God's law. And if that was the end of the story, all of us would be without hope, facing a just condemnation. But because of God's matchless grace in sending forth His Son, there is much more to the story. By faith alone (and never by our own works), we can be righteous before God, because of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.

The curse did not simply disappear -- rather, it was laid on Christ in our stead, not on us! On this Good Friday, remember the sufferings of the Savior who was cursed for all those who would believe. The few verses below from Galatians chapter 3 tell the story very well.

Galatians 3: 10 For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them.” 11 Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “The righteous man shall live by faith.” 12 However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, “He who practices them shall live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”— 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

When “Christian” isn’t

2009-04-07T21:27:00.003-05:00

Author and seminary professor Michael Horton, on his radio program called The White Horse Inn (named for an important place during the Reformation), lamented the overuse and abuse of the term “Christian”. He wished for a one-month moratorium on the use of “Christian” as an adjective. He may be on to something.

The word “Christian” is used only three times in the Bible – twice in Acts and once in 1 Peter. The end of Acts 11:26 says “the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch”. The Greek word, Christianus, according to what I’ve read, does not mean “little Christ” as is so commonly thought. “ianus” (shortened to "ian" in English) merely defines a group with an allegiance, and was commonly used to associate people in a group following a leader.

So the original use of the word “Christian”, including its usage in the New Testament, referred to a person or a group of people who followed the Lord Jesus Christ.

Using “Christian” as an adjective isn’t a wrong thing to do, but as Horton opined, it certainly is overused. We routinely hear about a Christian country, Christian schools, Christian bookstores, Christian music, Christian radio stations, and so on, ad infinitum.

Now don’t misunderstand me – having a true and biblical Christian influence is a good thing, as is having an institution that is devoted to Christ. However, much that is called “Christian” really isn’t devoted to a right understanding of Christ and His teaching. For example, people have called the United States a Christian nation, or a post-Christian nation, when in reality it was never a Christian nation at all. (I would argue there is no such thing.) The United States was founded on some Christian principles, with some of the founders being Christians, yes, but also founded by men some of whom cared not for Christ at all, and founded on some principles which are blatantly man-centered. The phrase “Christian nation” is, at best, misleading.

A “Christian bookstore” may sell religious books, but most so-called Christian bookstores sell more junk (books with significant error) than they do helpful books. It is not uncommon to walk into such a store and see a large pile of books with a smiling false teacher prominently displayed, to the hurt or demise of thousands. A Christian radio or TV station may have some good programming, but most of them also have all sorts of useless (or worse) programming with inaccurate teaching, false teaching, and the mingling of a heavy dose of man’s foolishness with a bit of God’s wisdom. Those same stations may play Christian music, some of which may be good or excellent, but some of which is weak at best, or worldly, sensual, and lyrically trite or downright unbiblical at worst. (Lord willing, we’ll have more on “Christian music” in a month or two.)

Just today, Texas "Christian" University accounced they are setting aside some on-campus apartments for a gay/lesbian/bi/etc group. That almost speaks for itself, but to summarize, it is obvious that university is no longer "Christian", and probably hasn't been for some time.

Just because something (or someone) is labeled with the term “Christian”, doesn’t mean that it is an accurate label. Make sure your discernment hat doesn’t come off just because something is so labeled – and always compare that which is heard or seen or read with what you find in God’s inerrant Word. Over and over again, the Lord Jesus warned His disciples about false teachers and false doctrine. He pulled no punches when denouncing false religion, and He often gave scathing rebukes to those who led people on the road to hell. Don’t let the label “Christian” make you drop your spiritual armor – for not everything that carries the label “Christian” is truly Christian.

SDG,
Dave

Repentance

2009-04-01T19:56:00.004-05:00

Last month, we took a look at the word depravity, and found that mankind (including all humans everywhere) is depraved, totally depraved, and helpless apart from the grace of God. This month’s word is repentance, which is necessary to bring a depraved sinner into a right relationship with God.

Repentance is often misunderstood. Let’s first see what repentance is not.

Repentance is not merely a feeling of sorrow for sin, though it will often include that. Repentance is not merely a change of mind, though that is certainly a part of it. Just as true saving faith is much more than a mere intellectual assent to the facts of the gospel, repentance involves more than a change in thinking.

True biblical repentance includes regret for sin and remorse for having broken God’s law. However, it is much more than just remorse. (Judas was remorseful, but it did him no good.) Repentance is much more than being sorry for the consequences of one’s sin (which is often mistaken for true repentance). Repentance includes a change in thinking, but also a real change that also affects behavior. A truly repentant person not only admits his sin, but turns directly away from it, for it becomes loathsome to him. It doesn’t mean he never sins again, of course, but when he does, he hates it.

Repentance is an essential part of the gospel; a person cannot be saved without it. Both John the Baptist and Jesus Himself came preaching “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.” A gospel presentation must include repentance. Consider the culmination of Paul’s sermon on Mars Hill: “God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent” (Acts 17:30b).

Repentance is a godly sorrow for one’s sin combined with a resolution to turn from it. But biblical repentance only starts there. Yes, it turns from sin, but it also turns toward the only remedy for sin – it turns to the Lord Jesus Christ. To turn from sin but not turn toward Christ is useless; to turn toward Christ without abandoning sin is hypocritical; neither of those things is true repentance.

Repentance is done as a person comes to saving faith in Christ. Repentance is also (or should be!) a frequent part of the Christian’s life, as he continually turns away from sin, confessing it when needed, and daily looking to Christ for his life and sustenance and joy.

Do you have a heart of repentance?

SDG,
Dave

The Passion of the Christ - film

2009-03-31T19:58:00.006-05:00

This post is really from February 2004, but due to some recent comments, I thought it worth posting 5 years later. Please don't misunderstand -- I make no judgment on anyone who has chosen to see the movie. It is completely up to the conscience of the individual Christian. I only mention it because of the issues or potential issues that one should think about, particularly if you did choose to see it. Personally, I have chosen not to see it, primarily for reason #3 below.

(Feb 2004)
Much hype has been made in recent days about a new movie that is coming out in a few days called "The Passion of the Christ", by Mel Gibson. Due to the nature of this film and the extensive news coverage it has received, I thought it appropriate to comment on it.

Much of the evangelical Christian community has come out on the side of the movie, believing it to be a great tool of witness for Christ. And indeed, it very well may open some doors, but I am afraid there are some things we should be cautious about when deciding whether or not to see it.

First, we cannot assume that Mel Gibson is a Christian. He is an old-school Roman Catholic. He even rejects Vatican II. He might or might not believe that salvation can be found only within the Roman Catholic church. In one article I read, he was quoted as saying that he thinks his wife might be going to hell, because she is Episcopalian (Anglican), not Roman. But in an interview I heard, he said "It is possible for people who are not even Christians to get into the kingdom of heaven", but that "It's just an easier ride where I am" [being a Christian]. There is no evidence that he personally understands what the gospel really is. Mel is very religious, in a very anti-religious industry, but that does not make him a Christian.

Second, the movie is long on emotion and short on a gospel message. John MacArthur was invited by Mel to see the movie, which he did. He told the GCC staff about it, saying "that it was a very, very powerful depiction of the last hours of Christ's life and extremely graphic. He said, however, that the film doesn't contain the gospel nor does it answer the question of why men would perform such a hideous crime against such an innocent man (John told us that the actress Cher was there when he viewed the film and was weeping saying, "why...why?" over and over again)." Having emotion, even great emotion, over such an event isn't wrong. In fact, we would be hard-hearted if we didn't. However, a response to the gospel of Christ will go beyond emotion and must include volition, and if indeed there is no gospel message in this film, then a person could not become a Christian by a response to this movie alone.

Third, and to me most troubling, is the aspect of faith vs. sight. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ (Rom 10:17). Jesus told Thomas (referring to the resurrection) "blessed are those who have not seen, yet believed". Beloved, the gospel is to be preached, it is to be taught, it is to be spoken, it is to be responded to in faith. Dramatizing it turns it in to something it was never meant to be -- a drama, with actors, with fallen and unregenerate man's view of what it might have been like, complete with truth, error, and giving us a view that contains both true and misleading pictures of what really happened. Turning it into "sight" isn't necessarily a good thing; saving faith, brethren, will not come by sight.

Fourth, it is an "R" rated movie. It is so rated solely because of graphic violence. A few comments I've read about it seem to suggest that the movie over-estimates the amount of violence of the actual event. This is disconcerting, because the actual event was indeed violent, and to over-do it would mean the movie must be extremely graphic. There are a number of things in Scripture that are proper to read about, that were extremely violent (or profane, or lewd), but that would be completely inappropriate to put into a video format. This goes along, of course, with the emotionalism aspect of what Hollywood does so well. Very few (if any) "R" rated movies are appropriate for adults, and even more so, for our children. Perhaps some of the gory details of the cross are not included in Holy Writ because those details are not edifying; they are certainly not needed for salvation.

Fifth, and perhaps most important of all, is that the suffering of Jesus is treated incompletely in this film. The magnitude of His physical suffering is portrayed, and is something we can almost fathom. None of us have been tortured, though some other men have, a few even more excruciatingly than Jesus. But with all the physical pain, it was not the primary suffering of our Lord. What the movie leaves out is the spiritual suffering, the primary suffering, that Jesus experienced. This suffering, unlike the physical, is quite inconceivable to us. From timeless eternity, the three persons of the self-existent triune God had perfect and complete fellowship within the Trinity, needing nothing. According to God's perfect plan, in response to sin, the Son would atone for the sins of men. This atonement included not merely physical suffering for a short while, but a breaking of the eternal fellowship that the Son had with the Father. In Matthew 27:46, "Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?' that is, 'My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?'" The Father could not look at sin, and the Son had become sin itself. The eternal, perfect fellowship of the Most High had been broken, as the Father turned His face away from the Son, leaving Jesus, for the first time, alone. Crucifixion makes exhaling very difficult; a man can inhale, but hanging on the cross would have made it hard to get the air out. Yet after great physical suffering, our Savior was able to cry out with a loud voice, for the inconceivable had happened -- the Father had turned from the Son. This, beloved, is what the movie does not, can not, portray. To make the cross a merely physical event does, in my view, a disservice to the sacrifice of the Son, and misses a large part of the message.

People should respond to the gospel by understanding their sin, God's holiness, and Christ's payment for their sins. They should respond because of the conviction of the Holy Spirit in the inner man. This movie will indeed get responses from non-Christians, but having a gut-wrenching emotional reaction (like Cher did) isn't going to bring about saving faith. In fact, I fear that many will have some sort of response, but something that is short of salvific, putting them in the place of thinking they are saved, when in fact that is not the case.

The cross is to be studied, understood, treasured. A better treatment of this subject would be MacArthur's book The Murder of Jesus, or Lloyd-Jones' The Cross, or Demarest's The Cross and Salvation, or The Cross of Christ by Stott, or several well-known smaller books by men named Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

SDG,
Dave

P.S. I highly recommend Tim Challies' review of the movie, found at Amazon.

Saturday night, Sunday morning

2009-03-28T13:35:00.002-05:00

Here is a great snippet from Alistair Begg on getting ready for church:

Do you think that you can spend all of Saturday on yourself and idle pursuits, go to bed late with your head full of nonsense, waken up slovenly, drag yourself finally into this building, and discover that as a result of somebody reading two verses from the book of Psalms, hey presto you just became a Spirit-filled worshipper? If you think that, you need to think again. Preparation is absolutely crucial in the process, and the way we spend our waking moments on the Lord’s Day sets the stall for the day.

Alistair Begg (in a sermon called “Concerning Worship”, Truth For Life)

SDG,
Dave

Technology, your kids, and purity

2009-03-28T09:41:00.006-05:00

Parents, this is for you. With the explosion of electronic devices and the digital age, our children have abilities which could barely be dreamed of when we were growing up. Often, the kids are the experts and we are “digital immigrants”, and it isn’t easy to keep up with them. We should be thankful for good and useful technology properly used for God’s glory, but we also need to be aware of potential misuses of the same technology.

For our brief purposes here, let’s talk about computer use and cell phone use by your children. First, they need to recognize that those things are probably not truly a necessity – they are useful and convenient, but they are also a privilege – a privilege that could be taken away if there is significant misuse.

As a parent, you do not have a right to inspect your kids’ computer or cell phone – you have (in my opinion) a DUTY to do so. If the child objects, that may very well be an indication of a larger problem. Every so often, I would encourage you to take the laptop and the phone, and spend some time with them. Check for things, including pictures and text messages on the phone. At my home, I do this without even having to touch the phone – with a laptop and Bluetooth (or a cable), the software supplied by the phone manufacturer allows me to look at or copy everything from the phone onto the computer. It would seem best to do this at unannounced times – and for the phone, do it right after some texting has been going on. One other thing you can do is log on to your wireless account on the cell vendor’s web site, and check out the numbers for your child’s phone for all calls and text messages. (The AT&T site allows this – I assume others do as well.) If you don’t recognize a number, you’ll probably want to find out who it is. Obviously, some children (who have proven themselves responsible and who have a desire for holiness) will need to be checked less often than others.

Computer use is best supervised to some degree – out in the open, or in a room with the door open and the screen facing the doorway. If there has been a time when some unsupervised computer usage has occurred, that is the perfect time to check the machine. If your older child is allowed to have a web site, please check it often – and make sure they don’t have a separate website somewhere that you don’t know about. Personally, I think that IM (instant messaging) should either be blocked or limited to known friends, and if allowed, IM logs should be checked.

There is usually no reason for public chat room access/usage. For computer safety, we recommend installing BESECUR / BSAFE Online on all household computers. There are other filters that may be acceptable as well.

Electronic and digital safety is much more than monitoring and filters, of course. They are helpful, they are necessary, and they can help eliminate accidental problems. However, they don’t fix the heart. The best means to ensure correct use of technology is to instill a heart that loves and fears God, to encourage a desire to obey Christ, and to teach about the ugliness and vileness of sin. If there is misuse, you may decide to take away the equipment for a period of time based on the severity of the problem, or perhaps other consequences would be in order. But don’t stop there – work with your child, instruct him spiritually – address the real issue of the heart.

If your child reads this and is offended, take that as an opportunity for instruction. I love them enough to say these things. You love them even more, so if you haven’t been doing some of these things, now is the time to show your love for them by exercising parental authority in this area. May the Lord bless and give wisdom! And if you have any questions, please ask someone you trust, perhaps an elder in your church – whether the questions are spiritual or technical.

SDG,
Dave

Are you hopeful? Why or why not?

2009-03-28T09:13:00.003-05:00

Let’s explore the difference between a theology of optimism (or a theology of pessimism) as compared to a theology of hope.

Looking at the current political climate, bible-believing Christians may be tempted to be distressed, downcast, and have little hope. Considering the economic state we’re in right now, that thinking may be greatly reinforced. In better times, the Christian may be very hopeful, if political conservatives are in control, or when the economy is hopping, or when things are going smoothly in one’s life.

Both miss the point of a biblical hope.

Our hope should never be in the status of our external circumstances. No matter who is in charge politically, no matter the value of the Dow Industrial average, and even in the midst of personal trials, the Christian can live in a hopeful victory, looking to the glorious future. This doesn’t mean there might not be challenges, hardships, or even sore trials, but those are things the Lord uses to sanctify us. In this short life, good or bad circumstances may come and go, but our real hope must be in the One who alone can give an eternal hope – the Lord Jesus Christ. And a biblical hope isn’t a wishy-washy thing, a “cross your fingers” wish, a “maybe things will be OK”, but a confident trust, a complete assurance that the Lord will bring about what He has promised, all in His perfect timing.

Frankly, we shouldn’t really expect the world to get better. There may be times that are good (from a human perspective), as history progresses, but the cycle of history is a downward spiral, not an upward one. As we look at God’s Word as it reveals bits of the future, we can easily see that the world is headed toward a hell on earth (Rev. 13), with extremely wicked men ruling the planet. Should it surprise us if the world embraces evil? Of course not. Rather, it should be expected. We’ve been blessed with some level of a Judeo-Christian ethic in our land for many years, but that is not guaranteed to last. In fact, we may expect a biblical world-view to diminish. While that may not be comfortable for us, we must realize that it is not a certain ethical system that saves – morality itself saves no one!

Jesus Christ is busy about the business of building His church (as He promised) – all over the world. And He will continue to do so in our country, no matter the political or economic conditions. In fact, a bit of persecution of the church may do wonders for her purity.

Let’s face it, the United States of America will someday fall. It is not an eternal country. All earthly kingdoms will eventually fail, and the eternal kingdom of the Son, a kingdom of righteousness, will be worldwide. How could we have a greater hope than that?

The songwriter had it right:
My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ the solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

The ancient songwriters (the sons of Korah) had it inerrantly right:
Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.
(Psalm 42:11)

SDG,
Dave

Oh My WHO? (The Third Commandment)

2009-03-26T17:24:00.006-05:00

(This article is particularly for younger people, but it certainly applies to all of us.)

It seems to me that the third commandment is being horribly broken in our day to such a degree that has never been before. It isn’t a commandment that even we as Christians give much consideration to, generally because we think that we don’t break that one – and hopefully that is the case. But let’s consider it briefly.

The third of the ten commandments reads like this:
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain. (Ex. 20:7, Deut. 5:11)
Some people may be inclined to think of this only as putting the word “God” in front of a curse. But there is much more to it than that. Any use of any of God’s names when not thinking of Him (in a right way) is a vain use and opens the abuser of the name to the punishment warned of in the commandment.

One significant way this commandment is broken is in our modern-day entertainment media. It would be hard to overestimate the influence that Hollywood has over American culture, ideas, and practices. And Hollywood, with very few exceptions, is no friend of Christianity. Although hard expletives may not be real common, their milder cousins are ubiquitous, both in movies and TV and in society. When a half-decent (and perhaps otherwise acceptable) movie is released, it is all-too-common to read the reviews and find the vain use of God’s name included in the script. This ought to grieve the heart of the Christian – having our Lord and Savior slandered and maligned in such a way is much worse than any name they might call us personally.

This flippancy about God’s name has worked its way into our culture. Perhaps the worst (or most common) phrase is abbreviated OMG. Chat and text messages often abbreviate many things, and of course this is an abbreviation of “oh my God”.

Christian, don’t allow yourself to so abuse God’s name! When this is said or typed, whether abbreviated or not, a vast majority of the time the person is not thinking about the Most High, but is merely being carelessly emphatic. This is wholly unacceptable. The Christian must not personally be so careless, and he should also be saddened when he hears or sees such abuse. There are also variations of that phrase as well as other phrases and acronyms that take the Lord’s name in vain.

Sometimes people will substitute the word “gosh” for “God”. This is called a minced oath or pseudo-profanity. Look up “gosh” in a dictionary – the etymology of the word tells us that it is simply a euphemism for “God”. The Christian who wishes to be above reproach in his speech would be wise to strike “gosh” from his vocabulary completely.

Beloved, strive to watch your lips carefully; be careful what you type. Be sensitive about the Lord’s name, and use it only with the most reverence and respect, thinking of Him and His magnanimous grace and mercy in your life. Don’t be a blasphemer, but instead your practice should be as the songwriter of old instructed:

From the rising of the sun to its setting
The name of the Lord is to be praised. (Ps. 113:3)

SDG,
Dave

P.S. John Piper addresess this question:

Entertained by Sin?

2009-03-25T18:28:00.004-05:00

Our culture is a culture of entertainment. We may rightly call it an idol that is worshipped by many. If that is hard to believe, we only need look at one TV show -- aptly entitled "American Idol". Or just take a careful glance at the magazines sold at major retailers near the checkout lines. Do they feature leading scientists, business leaders, or teachers? No, they feature (usually female) celebrities. Entertainers. People who make movies and music and TV shows.

Entertainment is not a wrong thing, but it is way out of balance in our country. Not only does it have way too much preeminence, it so often is marked by godlessness. Even if one finds an acceptable TV program to watch, the commercials are often inappropriate.

So now we must ask the question -- are you being entertained by sin? Is the Lord pleased with what you watch? Would you be embarrassed if asked to list the last five movies you saw?

We shouldn't let MPAA movie ratings be our sole guide, but they can be helpful. With only rare potential exceptions, what business does the Christian have in watching an "R" rated film? Taking one step down, what about PG-13? It may be possible that some PG-13 movies are acceptable, but much caution should be exercised. Profanity is often a problem. It is increasingly rare for such films to not take the name of the Lord in vain. Filthy talk and sensual behavior is commonplace. Are we to be entertained by blasphemy or immodesty or fornication?

Even PG movies can have the same issues, though to a lesser degree. It should not be assumed that PG movies are acceptable. Some are, some certainly are not.

Parents -- set high standards for yourself, and for your children. Honoring and glorifying God in our entertainment should be the goal. If you have failed in this area, then turn from low standards (repent), and ask the Lord to help you make this an area of your life that is pleasing to him.

SDG,
Dave

What is Depravity?

2009-03-24T19:55:00.006-05:00

Depravity is a term that describes our fallenness and our need for salvation. Depravity is an important word in Christian doctrine. It describes the state of man – of every man, woman, boy and girl.

We are not good. Mankind is a fallen race. The Bible is abundantly clear on that. Romans 3:12 states “All have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one.” Jesus Himself said the same thing when speaking with the rich young ruler: “No one is good except God alone”. This conflicts with modern psychological theories which believe that man is good or at least morally neutral. But Romans 3:23 is both clear and famous, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”.

To deny one’s own sinfulness is to remove all hope of salvation, for the person who denies the need for a savior will never turn to the Savior in saving faith. Indeed, conviction of sin – recognizing and feeling one’s own burden of sin – is one of the first steps on the road to salvation.

The Bible uses a form of the word depravity only five times (in the NASB). Three of those occurrences are in the New Testament, and in each case the Greek word is different. The words translated depraved can also be translated to terms or phrases such as: fail the test, rejected, unapproved, worthless, spoiled, corrupted, and destroyed.

The natural (unsaved, unregenerate, depraved) man is incapable of pleasing God. His fallen, sinful nature in no way can perform any meritorious works. Mankind is not only depraved, but he is totally depraved – every area of his life is affected and infected by sin. His physical being and his unseen immaterial spirit are both corrupted by his own choice of sin and by the sin of Adam.

Man’s only hope is to receive the grace of God that leads to salvation. He must be renewed and regenerated; he must receive a new heart (spiritually speaking), a heart of flesh. He must be given spiritual life, because he is spiritually dead in his trespasses and sins. He must receive this gift of God only by faith alone in Christ alone.

Christians must constantly be vigilant. False teachers with depraved minds will infiltrate churches (and other ministries). Writing of the wickedness of men in the last days, Paul reminded Timothy (in 2 Tim. 3:1-9) that he needed to be watchful and on guard. Verse 8 speaks of “men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith”.

But this same vigilance must be internal as well as external. The regenerate man, the person who is born again, the true Christian still recognizes the sinfulness of his own soul. He must confess often; his heart should be a heart of repentance. For this depravity that affects the whole world still affects him, to his grief. He says with Paul (Rom. 7:24), “wretched man that I am, who will free me from this body of death?”.

Some day, the Christian will shed his depravity, and what joy he will have on that day! This will occur at death, or at the Rapture of the church for Christians who are alive when that event occurs. In other words, the Christian will completely loose his depravity at his glorification. This fact should be remembered and rejoiced over often.

SDG,
Dave