Hard Verses: Free from the Law?

"But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law." (Rom. 7:6 NIV)

Many Christians celebrate that they are "free from the law," based on Paul's teaching in Romans 7. Now, I do believe that I am free from the law, but, what does "law" refer to in this verse? If you believe it is the "Old Testament Law," or the "Law of Moses," or anything like that, I want to urge you to reconsider. I am not free from that law, and neither are you, and that's a really good thing!

Consider a few verses for context. The Bible teaches that it is the Word of God. Paul himself says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." (2 Tim. 3:16 NIV) He is not only including, but focusing on the Old Testament in this passage because the New Testament was only beginning to be recognized as Scripture at this point.

What does the Old Testament say about the laws that are found there?:

"Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful." (Jos. 1:8 NIV)

"Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither-- whatever they do prospers. (Ps. 1:1-3 NIV)

"Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD." (Ps. 119:1 NIV)

Verses that speak highly of the law and the blessings it brings are abundant in the Old Testament. I simply chose three examples above. The same is true in the New Testament.

James wrote, "But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it-- not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it-- they will be blessed in what they do." (Jas. 1:25 NIV)

Paul himself added, "So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. (Rom. 7:12 NIV)

Now, John did say, "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (Jn. 1:17 NIV) Christians often quote this verse to say, "See, we used to have to follow the law, but now we are under grace." However, look at what John said in the previous verse: "Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given." (Jn. 1:17 NIV) John was saying that "grace and truth" came through Jesus Christ in addition to the "grace already given," meaning the law given through Moses.

Jesus unequivocally said, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 5:17 NIV)

So what was Paul saying in Romans 7?

Let's trace the whole line of his argument, starting in the beginning of Romans:

1. Romans 1:18-3:20: Jews and Gentiles alike are guilty of sin and are condemned by "The Law," even if they don't know specifically about the Law of Moses:

"Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin." (Rom. 3:19-20 NIV)

2. Romans 3:21-4:25: Both Jews and Gentiles are made righteous through faith and not by keeping all of the commandments of the law. The idea of salvation through faith was always in place, both before and after the Law of Moses was given. In fact, the Law itself teaches this:

"But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify." (Rom. 3:21 NIV)

"For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law." (Rom. 3:28 NIV)

"It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith." (Rom. 4:13 NIV)

3. Then, in Romans 6 Paul teaches that we "have died to sin," (Rom. 6:2 NIV) "our old self was crucified," (Rom. 6:6 NIV) and "sin shall no longer be your master." (Rom. 6:14 NIV) He never implies that the law has died or that the law is no longer a guide for believers who want to enjoy the blessings of following the law, or that any part of the law has been replaced by a different law.

In Romans 7, Paul uses an illustration to explain more. He says that a married woman cannot marry another man while her husband is still living. If she did, she would break the law, "Thou shalt not commit adultery." But if her husband dies, she is now free to marry another man without breaking that law. Paul concludes,

"So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God." (Rom. 7:4 NIV) He goes on to say that we have been "released from the law." (Rom. 7:6 NIV)

Now, in this illustration, note that the law itself does not die, only the woman's relationship to it. It was still a sin to commit adultery both before and after her husband died. Paul is talking about being bound to the law in a way that leads us to condemnation (see Rom. 3:19-20 above). As long as we pursue righteousness through works of the law, we cannot pursue it through faith in Jesus Christ. When we die with Christ, we are released from our slavery to works-based righteousness that produced death in us, and we can now pursue it through faith in Christ, resulting in obedience to the commands under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. (See Romans 8)

What "died" is not the Old Testament Law, but "another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me." (Rom. 7:23) We are now set free from "the law of sin and death," (Rom. 8:2) not the "holy, righteous and good" commandments of God. 

The closest the Bible comes to saying that any commands have been done away with is in Hebrews 8:

"By calling this covenant "new," he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear." (Heb. 8:13 NIV)

"Obsolete" should probably be translated "old" here, which is how the word is used earlier in Hebrews and the author is using it to contrast with "new" in this verse. Here, the author is specifically talking about the Old Testament sacrificial system. He identifies that the problem was not with the system, but with the people themselves. The New Covenant is a better covenant, so the Old Covenant system is no longer as important as it was before. Eventually, it will no longer serve any purpose. But note that even here the author says it will "soon disappear." He recognizes that a role (albeit a diminished one) still exists for the Old Testament sacrificial system. He is saying nothing at all about the other commands in the Old Testament.

Does this mean that all Christians need to keep all the commands in the Old Testament, including strict restrictions on Sabbath day activities and dietary laws? For more on this, see my post, "Hard Verses: Be Perfect??"

In short, because we have died to the "law of sin and death" we are now free to "delight in God's law" (meaning all the commands in the whole Bible) (Rom. 8:2, 7:22). 

Trust the Bible's purpose is to grow your confidence that the Bible is true and the ultimate resource for life." You can join the Facebook group by clicking here. Trust the Bible is a weekday radio program that begins at about 8:10 each morning on WDOG 93.5 in Allendale, SC. Listen to previous programs online: www.fairfaxfbc.org/trust-the-bible.html

Hard Verses: Be Perfect??

"Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matt. 5:48 NIV)

The church today emphasizes that we can come to Jesus, "Just As I Am," and that the church is full of "imperfect people" who need God's grace. I believe it is right to say this, but then why does Jesus tell us to "Be perfect"? In our culture, we look down on being a perfectionist because it indicates an unhealthy obsession with achievement or conformity. What did Jesus mean?

Let's examine the context of the passage. It comes in the middle of Jesus' "Sermon on the Mount." Earlier in the sermon, Jesus said, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. (Matt. 5:17 NIV) He even adds, "For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matt. 5:20 NIV) The disciples would have been overwhelmed. They probably asked themselves, "How can we possibly compete with the righteousness of the Pharisees, who are more faithful in following the commandments then anyone else?" As Christians, we may wonder the same things. In addition, we wonder why Jesus would say he didn't come to abolish the Law. Aren't many of the commands in the Law and the Prophets like restrictions on eating pork and shrimp done away with? 

Many Christians are troubled by these statements, especially when joined with "Be perfect." As a result, many interpret these three verses to mean that Jesus is saying something like this: Let me teach you how hard it is to follow the law. When interpreted correctly, no one can do it. No one can be perfect, no one can have the level of righteousness necessary to enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, I will do it for you. I will keep all the law, including the Old Testament laws for you (thus "fulfilling it"). That way, you don't have to keep the law. You will be righteous without worrying yourself about following all the commandments. You can be perfect only by trusting in me and letting me give you your perfect righteousness."

Now, it is true that Jesus offers to be our righteousness. The trouble is that that is not what Jesus is talking about in this sermon. According to Matthew, this sermon is an example of Jesus' regular call for repentance (Matt. 4:17). 

Jesus adds, "Anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 5:19 NIV) Here, "these commands," refers to all the commands in the Old Testament. 

Jesus ends the Sermon on the Mount by saying, "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock." (Matt. 7:24 NIV) "These words of mine" are his authoritative interpretation of how to follow the Old Testament commands, which he quotes from extensively in his sermon.

Jesus ends his earthly ministry by calling on his disciples to "Make disciples of all nations...teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." (Matt. 28:19 NIV)

When read in context, there can be no doubt that Jesus calls on all his disciples to carefully obey everything they are commanded to do in the entire Bible. There is no hint that laws are done away with or that Jesus wants us to relax in our striving to follow the laws because he has done it for us.

So, do we have to be perfect in following every command in the Bible, having our own righteousness that surpasses that of the Pharisees, if we are going to enter the kingdom of heaven? Not at all! We have to understand Jesus' words in the context of all Scripture.

First, Jesus was not saying we must have a certain amount of righteousness in order to be saved. He is saying that those who are saved will have this kind of righteousness. Paul explains in great detail in Romans 6-8 (I will post on this soon) that we must be saved in order to have this kind of righteousness. Jesus calls on us to follow the commands not as a means to becoming righteous, but in order to experience the joy and peace that come with following the commands.

Second, Jesus is not saying that Gentiles must follow all the commands God gave the Israelites at Mount Sinai. The Old Testament gives many commands to Jews and Gentiles, but some commands are only given to the Israelites. Even among the commands given to the Israelites, some are just for the Levites, and some are just for men, while others are just for women. No one who has ever lived was ever addressed by all 613 commandments in the Old Testament. Even in the New Testament, Paul gives some commands to men and some to women, some to parents and some to children, and so forth. God calls on us to learn from all commandments, but to live by only those commands addressed to us. While I believe Jewish followers of Jesus are still called to follow all the commands that address the Israelites, Gentile Christians are not required, and never have been required, to follow all the specific laws about dietary restriction and Sabbath day prohibitions found in the Old Testament. Context is key in determining which commands we must follow. However, none of the laws have been done away with.

Third, Jesus is not saying that we must (or even that we can) follow the laws perfectly. Throughout the book of Matthew, Jesus makes the following points related to the verse about being "perfect" and having a righteousness surpassing the Pharisees:

1. The Pharisees weren't very righteous. Yes, they had an outward form of righteousness. They knew how to impress people with their prayers, Sabbath observance, and meticulous following of religious customs like washing hands. However, he proclaims that on the "inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence." (Matt. 23:25) That is why he said "The tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you." (Matt. 21:31) Disciples of Christ need to have more righteousness than the Pharisees in order to enter heaven, but not more than the tax collectors and prostitutes who were responding to Jesus message with repentance and faith. (I say "need" meaning that those who are saved will have the fruit of repentance in their life, not that it is necessary to be saved.)

2. Jesus was emphasizing an inner righteousness in the Sermon on the Mount. The word translated "perfect" in Matthew 5:48 can also mean "complete." Jesus had just given many examples of having hearts that follow the law completely, not just a form of external compliance. So we are not truly following the command "You shall not murder," simply by refraining from literally killing someone. We must also avoid being "angry with a brother," in our heart. (Matt. 5:22) Jesus says that it is not enough to "Love your neighbor and hate your enemy." Rather, you must "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven." (Matt. 5:44-45) Jesus is not changing or adding to the Law here, but telling us what the Law always taught. (The Law says to love your neighbor but does not say to hate your enemy.) 

Then Jesus adds, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." This means we are to love others inwardly and outwardly, whether they are nice to us or are our enemies. We need to have complete righteousness, not merely practice what we think is the minimum outward compliance (which is what the Pharisees were doing). 

Jesus does not say that we have to do this to be saved or that those who are saved will be perfect in doing this. But he does make this the model of what all disciples of Jesus will strive for in their life because they love Jesus and trust that his commands are given in love. The commands guide us to live the kind of lives we really want to live. 

Trust the Bible's purpose is to grow your confidence that the Bible is true and the ultimate resource for life." You can join the Facebook group by clicking here. Trust the Bible is a weekday radio program that begins at about 8:10 each morning on WDOG 93.5 in Allendale, SC. Listen to previous programs online: www.fairfaxfbc.org/trust-the-bible.html

Living Biblically

The purpose of Trust the Bible is "to grow your confidence that the Bible is true and the ultimate resource for life." That means I want to encourage you to live biblically. Naturally, I'm interested in the new television show called Living Biblically (CBS, Mondays at 9:30) and the book the show is based on.

The premise of the show is that the main character, Chip, suddenly decides to live by the Bible. He wants to follow every command literally. At one point, Chip throws a rock at a co-worker he knows is committing adultery. He believes that if he is living biblically, he must "stone" adulterers. The assumption of the show is that living biblically is absurd. No one can follow everything commanded in the Bible, right? This is 21st Century America! While giving an overall positive view of Chip's intentions and plan, the underlying message is that no one can actually live biblically. If someone were to try it would merely provide great entertainment for everyone else. Even the priest in the show laughs hysterically when he hears what Chip is doing. 

As for the quality of the show itself, it is okay. I think the book is genuinely funny. I'm not as impressed with the sitcom adaptation. However, I do think both the book and the show raise some serious issues in a humorous way. What does it really mean to "live biblically?" Is it impossible to live biblically today? Don't we all just pick and choose which commands to follow in the Bible? 

First, I do believe we should live biblically. This is what it means to be a Christian! This was the core of Jesus' teaching. A Christian's mission is to make disciples, "teaching them to obey everything" Jesus had commanded. Jesus upheld the authority of the entire Bible. "Until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished." (Matthew 5:18) Being a follower of Jesus means seeking to live biblically, and I do mean everything that the Bible commands us to do.

Now, does that mean we should throw rocks at adulterers, carefully avoid wearing anything that isn't made 100% out of one type of material (Chip wears 100% cotton on the show because of Leviticus 19:19) and avoid eating pork? Absolutely not. Why not? Because the Bible doesn't tell us to do these things. In fact, this is the opposite of living biblically. The book and the show have a very distorted way of reading that leads to the wrong assumptions of what it means to live biblically.

Whenever you read anything, you must put phrases and sentences in their context to interpret them correctly. Should we stone adulterers? No. The key passage is Deuteronomy 22:22, which actually doesn't mention stoning, but does say an adulterers should be put to death. Throwing a rock at someone does not count as following the command literally because it doesn't even follow the act described in the verse (putting to death). But in another sense, it is not following the command at all. That is because the context shows that this verse was given to Israelites living in the nation of Israel who were living under the covenant with Moses and acting as a governing community. An individual was never commanded to stone an adulterer. A Gentile was never commanded to stone an adulterer. A Jew living in a foreign country was never commanded to stone an adulterer. Today, even if you are a Jew, even if you are in Israel, even if you are acting as part of a governing community, the government of Israel just isn't set up to reestablish Mosaic law as the law for the nation.

Instead, a Christian is commanded to "submit himself to the governing authorities." (Romans 13:1) If I throw a rock at an adulterer to injure them I am directly violating a biblical command while trying to follow a command that never addressed me in the first place. That is living unbiblically.

Does this mean that some verses in the Bible are no longer valid? No. It's just that they never applied to everyone. When God told Abraham to leave his country and his household and go to Israel (Genesis 12:1), we all recognize that God is not telling everyone to do that. He was telling Abraham to do that. I am not required to move to Israel right away in order to "live biblically." The command to Christians is to go to all nations to make disciples (Matthew 28:19), not just Israel. I believe all of the Old Testament is still valid today. It's just that we have to pay attention to who God is talking to when he gives a command.

The Old Testament tells us when a command is to an individual like Abraham, when it is to a nation like Israel, and when it is to all nations. For instance, when God established the death penalty for murder in Genesis 9:6, he said that it was part of a covenant "with you [Noah and his sons] and with your descendants after you." Unlike adultery, the death penalty for murder is a command for all nations.

When God gives specific commands about what to do and not to do on the Sabbath, he says that it is for Israel: "Say to the Israelites, 'You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come." (Exodus 31:13). I believe that means that Jews should follow the Sabbath commands today.

The command related to this topic that has been discussed most frequently in recent years deals with homosexuality. Since we ignore other Old Testament commands, shouldn't we ignore the Bible on that one? No again. It is not a matter of ignoring commands, but recognizing that not all of them address everyone. No Christian should ever ignore a single command. The Bible specifically identifies homosexuality as something that is banned for all people, not just Jews and not just during the Old Testament, but always. Read the whole context in a passage like Leviticus 18:22-25.

In order to truly live biblically, we must actually pay attention to what the Bible says. That begins with looking at the big picture. The greatest command is to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." (Deuteronomy 6:5) We begin to do this when we receive the gift of forgiveness of sin and eternal life by placing our faith in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Then we can continue to grow as we meditate on God's word and seek to carefully obey everything written in it. (Joshua 1:8) The greatest error in the television show is the suggestion that we can live biblically by striving to follow the least of the commands (which the Bible doesn't even command) while ignoring the most important thing about beginning to pursue God through a relationship with Jesus.

Trust the Bible's purpose is to grow your confidence that the Bible is true and the ultimate resource for life." You can join the Facebook group by clicking here. Trust the Bible is a weekday radio program that begins at about 8:10 each morning on WDOG 93.5 in Allendale, SC. Listen to previous programs online: www.fairfaxfbc.org/trust-the-bible.html 

The Bible and the Prosperity Gospel

I love God's promise to Joshua in the opening verses of the book of Joshua: "Keep this book of the law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful." (Joshua 1:8, NIV)

However, I must quickly point out that I do not believe in the "prosperity gospel." Now, to be sure, I do believe God wants us to prosper. He gives us his word because he wants us to know how to be prosperous. He promises us that if we keep his word, we will be prosperous.

But what does it mean to be "prosperous?" And, how does one achieve it? I believe that the "prosperity gospel," gives the wrong answers to both these questions.

I will demonstrate this by responding specifically to the teaching of Joel Osteen. 

Now, before I go any further I have to clearly state a few disclaimers. I am not attacking Joel Osteen personally. I don't know of anything that would cause me to question that he is a nice man, a good husband, and someone who has helped a lot of people. Many attacked Joel Osteen's character when he implied that he wasn't opening his church to victims of Hurricane Harvey. I was not one of them. With a church his size, he needed to work with emergency officials to know what would be most helpful to the community. People who did not know all the facts thought he was making some kind of self-serving decision. In time, the truth came out. 

Neither am I questioning his salvation. I don't think it serves any purpose for me to form or share an opinion on that. No, I am interested in what he is teaching, and whether it is supported by the Scriptures. Everyone should examine what a teacher is saying and compare it with Scripture. The Bible even commends the Bereans, who "were of more noble character than the Thessalonians." Why? Because they "examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." (Acts 17:11) If it is noble to examine the teachings of the Apostle Paul in light of Scripture, certainly we should do so with preachers today, including myself. 

But why Joel Osteen? Because he is presenting a particular pathway to success and has sold tens of millions of books. His teaching is representative of many other teachers on this topic. It is a topic that I am passionate about. I want to help others know how to become "prosperous and successful," and I believe the pathway he is presenting is not correct.

First, what does it mean to be "prosperous?" Joel Osteen claims he is not a prosperity preacher because he does not focus on how to become rich. Instead, he focuses on "having good relationships, health, accomplishing your dreams, having money to pay your bills, it's being blessed so you can be a blessing." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1aAJSnZttM). However, he often speaks about having faith to receive promotions and raises. (https://www.joelosteen.com/Pages/Article.aspx?articleid=6518.) He gives an example of looking for a good parking spot to explain prosperity. He claims we should say, "Father, I thank you for leading and guiding me. Your favor will cause me to get a good spot." (Your Best Life Now, 41). He also says that Christians can "expect preferential treatment" from other people (Your Best Life Now, 39). For Osteen, being prosperous is not simply about being rich, but it is about doing well financially (where "well" is up to the individual to define)  and a host of other things, such as health and accomplishing your dreams. 

Second, Joel Osteen defines positive thinking as the way to be prosperous. In his latest book, "Think Better, Live Better" Osteen says that God has programmed us so that "Whatever you touch will prosper and succeed." The reason we don't achieve this promise is because we have low self-esteem. If we can just get rid of negative thoughts and replace them with thoughts like, "I'm blessed. I'm strong. I'm healthy. I'm confident. I'm attractive," then we will be. (Think Better, Live Better, Chapter 1).

However, the Bible gives us a completely different view of what prosperity is and how to obtain it. The Bible says that we were created for God's glory (Isaiah 43:7) and that we are to "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness." (Matthew 6:33) Paul writes, "What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ." 

The Bible also tells us over and over again that the way to success is not in thinking positive thoughts about ourselves, but in thinking about God's word and obeying it. That is what God says in his promise in Joshua 1:8,  that if we meditate on God's word and carefully obey it we will be prosperous and successful. Osteen actually quotes Joshua 1:8 (or I should say, he claims to quote Joshua 1:8) in his latest book. But in order to make the verse fit his teaching, he actually completely changes the wording of the verse:

"This is what the Lord told Joshua after Moses had died and he was to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land: 'If you will meditate on what God says about you day and night, you will have good success and prosper in everything you do.' When your mind is filled with thoughts of faith, thoughts of hope, and thoughts of victory, that's what will become a reality."

                                                                                              -Joel Osteen, Think Better, Live Better

Anyone examining the Scriptures to see if these things are so need look no further than what Joel Osteen does with this verse. He is actually putting words in God's mouth, saying something that the Scripture simply does not say, and is totally different than what the verse actually says.

Rather than expecting preferential treatment from others, Jesus says, "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you." (Luke 6:27-28) He tells us that the successful person is the one who "hears these words of mine and puts them into practice." (Matthew 7:24) He also describes this as taking his yolk on you and learning from him (Matthew 11:29) 

When we study Scripture and do what it says we will be blessed (James 1:25). We will also often think negative thoughts about ourselves, for the Scriptures reveal sinful thoughts, words, actions, and attitudes for us to keep working on (Hebrews 4:12). As a Christian, there is much to be positive about. However, negative thinking is often helpful if we are going to grow and truly become successful. Even a recent news article touts the "power of negative thinking." 

Ultimately, none of us can be successful without first recognizing our sinfulness and then turning to Christ as our only hope of righteousness and eternal life. Positive thinking will not help me in the slightest with my greatest problem- my guilt before a holy God.

We will see true prosperity in our lives when we make God's kingdom and righteousness the definition of success and humbly study and apply the Scriptures to our lives, seeking the help of Christ and the Holy Spirit. This will lead to joy, peace, and great accomplishments, as well as a reward beyond what we can imagine. It will not necessarily keep us from persecution and hardship. I think the book of Hebrews gives a powerful description of success, and I end with that:

Hebrews 11:32-40

And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, ³³ who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, ³⁴ quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. ³⁵ Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. ³⁶ Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. ³⁷ They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— ³⁸ the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground. ³⁹ These were all commended for their faith"

Trust the Bible's purpose is to grow your confidence that the Bible is true and the ultimate resource for life." You can join the Facebook group by clicking here. Trust the Bible is a weekday radio program that begins at about 8:10 each morning on WDOG 93.5 in Allendale, SC. Listen to previous programs online: www.fairfaxfbc.org/trust-the-bible.html 

A Response to Calvinism, Part 2

In Part 1, (http://trustthebible.blogspot.com/Calvinism1) I began by saying there is a lot of good teaching in Calvinism. For example, I agree that the Bible teaches:

1. God chose that certain people would be saved before he even created the world. This necessarily means other people will not be saved. (Romans 9:22-24, Ephesians 1:4)
2. Those who are saved are saved entirely by God's gracious gift and do not contribute to their salvation in any way. Those who are lost chose to reject God through their sin and cannot blame God for their just condemnation. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
3. Not only does believing the gospel message fail to contribute to salvation in any way (I cannot claim that God saved me because of my faith but rather through it), but even my believing the gospel is a gift from God and not something I could do on my own. (John 6:44, Hebrews 12:2)

These three points emphasize God's sovereign role in salvation, promote humility for us who believe, and exalt God as entirely gracious in saving any person he chooses.

However, I think Calvinists go beyond what the Scripture teach when they assume the total inability of a person to respond to the gospel unless God first makes them spiritually alive. In addition, Calvinists add that once God has taken the action to impart spiritual life to a person they have no ability to resist believing the gospel. This is known as "Irresistible Grace," and God's action that leads to salvation is often called the "effectual call."

Once again, I think this is an unnecessary assumption that runs into conflict with the Scriptures. People certainly can resist grace. Probably the best example of this is when Jesus says in Matthew 22:37: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing." God wants to save them (as demonstrated in a number of places in the Old Testament as well,) but they are "not willing," or, they "always resist the Holy Spirit." (Acts 7:51)

Now, I can understand logically why Calvinists would believe in an effectual call, given the three biblical teachings I stated above. It makes sense. However, it is not the only way to understand how God accomplishes his plans for salvation. There is another way that is just as logical and does not run into problems with the Scriptures.

How? Let me explain through an illustration. Suppose I am at home with my wife and two children one afternoon. My wife wants to get out of the house and do something as a family. She wants everyone to come. However, the kids and I would rather stay home. She considers suggesting we all go out to get ice cream. Knowing our children, she knows their desire to stay home will suddenly melt away. They will jump up, excitedly proclaiming, "Let's go!" However, I may have a different take. I like ice cream, but I have some concerns. "Does it fit our budget?" "Have I already had too many desserts this week?" The children don't care about these concerns, but they are enough for me that the suggestion of ice cream is not enough to persuade me to want to go.

My wife considers another option. Maybe she could suggest we all go on a trip to the bookstore. Now, my mood shifts and I decide it would be good to get out of the house. However, this time the kids still want to stay home. The bookstore is not as persuasive for them. Assuming there is no third option that will get all of us to agree to want to go out, and assuming my wife knows with certainty exactly how each person will respond, she now decides who she is going to go with. She will decide to either bring up the bookstore and I will go with her while we get someone to watch the kids, or she will suggest ice cream and go out with the children. No one is forced to stay home or go. No one is forced to want to stay home or go. But my wife really makes the decision of who will want to go and will go.

The problem I have with the effectual call (in addition to Bible verses that say people do resist God's grace) is that it is mystical in nature and unknown to the recipient. I also don't see any Scripture verses that teach it. In the example above, it would be as if my wife simply caused our children to want to go outside, without even mentioning ice cream or anything else. Because of my wife's choice, they would suddenly want to go out, but they wouldn't know why they changed their minds or that my wife had caused it. This sounds a lot like some kind of hypnosis.

Calvinists also often call the effectual call an "inner call" to distinguish it from the outward call of the preaching of the Gospel. I see no reason why such a distinction should be made. I believe the gospel message itself is the outer call and the means by which God changes minds and hearts to come to repentance.

In my understanding, God's decisions looked something like this.
1. God chose to create humanity knowing they would sin against him. This would be their choice. God did not want anyone to reject him through sin, but he knew that if he gave them the choice, they would. He decided to create them anyway.
2. God also chose to offer salvation to the sinful people. He would accomplish the means of salvation through sending Jesus. In this way he would maintain his justice and yet demonstrate his love.
3. He chose the method of salvation. He could have chosen any number of methods for giving salvation. He could have given it to every third person born, or to everyone over six feet tall, or to everyone who placed faith in Jesus Christ for their salvation. It was this last option that God chose because it best demonstrated his glory. He also chose the way the gospel message would go out and a nearly infinite number of other details about how to do this (for example, the exact date and location of Jesus' death). He knew exactly who would believe and wouldn't believe as a result of his decisions. His choices resulted in a specific group of people being predestined to salvation, whereas others were not.
4. God chose the method of changing the hearts of unbelievers to be through the preaching of the gospel. "It is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes," (Romans 1:16) "faith comes from hearing the message," (Romans 10:17) and "God demonstrates his love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

From my perspective, the events looks like this:
1. I sinned against God and had no desire to obey him. I was thus guilty and deserved his condemnation.
2. I heard the gospel message that God loves me and sent Jesus to die on the cross and make payment for my sin. Jesus then rose from the dead and offers eternal life to all who believe in him.
3. This powerful message changed my desires and thoughts about God. This change was not by a mysterious process I was unconscious of, but I audibly heard the gospel message and consciously sensed its impact on my heart. I came to place my faith in Christ.
4. God acted to forgive my sin and give me eternal life, along with all the other aspects of salvation.

It is ultimately because of God's choices, not mine, that I am saved. He could have chosen to do things in a slightly different way, and I may have never heard the gospel or have had the opportunity to believe. I would stand condemned and God would be perfectly just.

Yet, in this understanding, I still could have resisted the gospel. And, more importantly, I can genuinely preach to every person that God loves them and offers them salvation. Just like my wife can genuinely want everyone to get out of the house and join her on an activity even though ultimately only one group will. My wife would prefer that everyone come to get ice cream, but that wasn't one of the options. In the same way, I think that God wants everyone to respond to the gospel and be saved, even though he knew from the beginning that would not happen.

Why do some believe and not others? It has nothing to do with goodness. In fact, the Bible suggests the opposite. Jesus said, "The tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you," referring to the religious leaders. Nor do I think it has to do with God giving a mysterious effectual call to a predetermined list of people. Rather, God has designed the gospel in a way that highlights his mercy and love by leading sinful people to respond in faith to him.


Trust the Bible's purpose is to grow your confidence that the Bible is true and the ultimate resource for life." You can join the Facebook group by clicking here. Trust the Bible is a weekday radio program that begins at about 8:10 each morning on WDOG 93.5 in Allendale, SC. Listen to previous programs online: www.fairfaxfbc.org/trust-the-bible.html

A Response to Calvinism, Pt 1

I'll start by saying that there is a lot of good teaching in Calvinism. I don't think anyone should completely reject the teachings usually associated with it. Many great Christian minds have come to be Calvinists through a careful study of the Scriptures, many of them are heroes of the faith to me. However, I do think that some elements of Calvinism unnecessarily cause confusion and lead people away from trusting the Bible. I want to address those areas in a few posts. I will not address every verse and every argument, I am not writing a book. But I will briefly address what I think are the central issues.

How does Calvinism lead people away from trusting the Bible? Calvinism in popular usage refers to a collection of doctrines related to God's sovereign role in salvation. It is a theological system, defined by five points forming the acronym "Tulip": Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints. It claims that a person has no ability to believe in the Gospel and be saved unless God first gives them the "new life" or "new heart" that the Bible associates with salvation. God has predestined a select group for salvation and everyone in that group will believe and be saved. Everyone else will be lost.

This system creates a tension with a number of Bible verses. If you embrace this system as a whole, it is difficult to explain why the Bible says, "God so loved the world..." (John 3:16), or that God "desires all people to be saved" (1 Timothy 2:4). Usually, Calvinists respond that, for various reasons, the words "world," or "all people" in these verses refer only to the ones God chose to save, not all the people in the world. In my opinion, if a theological system leads you to make such a strained interpretation of a straightforward verse, there is something off with that system. It is a kind of lack of trust in the Bible.

So why would someone be a Calvinist? First, some passages in the Bible do teach that God chose to save some and not others. One of the clearest examples is Romans 9:22-24:

"What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath-- prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory-- even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?"

I say some because I think the quantity of these kinds of verses is overstated by Calvinists. Romans 8:29 mentions "predestination" but it is not talking about predestination to believe and be saved, but rather that God has predestined believer in Jesus to be sanctified. There are many examples of Calvinists using the words "predestine" and "chose" in the New Testament to support their system, but in only a few cases are the words actually referring to salvation. However, one verse is all that is needed to say a doctrine is supported by the Bible. The issue is not whether or not God has chosen to save some and not others, but the way in which God goes about accomplishing his purposes.

In many other instances, Calvinists reach their conclusions based on assumptions about what they believe a text implies. This is where problems with biblical interpretation begin. In the rest of this article, I will specifically address how this happens when it comes to "Total Depravity." I will address other aspects in future posts.

First, what is Total Depravity? Calvinists use the term to mean that sin has impacted every aspect of a person. We are all born in slavery to sin and our intellect, emotions, spirit, -everything about us is depraved. This does not mean that every person is as sinful as they could be, or that a sinner always does the worst thing possible in every situation. Rather, our fallen state means that it is impossible for us to act and think in a way that is truly pleasing to God (Romans 8:8). The result is that we are spiritually "dead." So far, so good. Paul writes, "And you were dead in your trespasses and sins," (Ephesians 2:1).

But what does it mean to be spiritually dead? Calvinists believe the phrase implies that a person is incapable of responding to the gospel message and believing in Jesus. Because someone who is physically dead cannot do anything in the physical realm, they reason, so someone spiritually dead cannot do anything in the spiritual realm, like believing in Jesus. They then build an order of salvation around this assumption. Someone must first be "regenerated," or given spiritual life by God. Then they can (and will) believe the gospel. The sinner has nothing to do with God's act of regeneration. God does this for a specific group he has chosen from the very beginning. If God did not choose you, then it is impossible for you to respond to the gospel and be saved. 

But all of these conclusions rest on the assumption that those who are spiritually dead cannot respond to the gospel, an assumption that I do not think the Bible supports. For starters, even Calvinists must admit that spiritually dead people can do some things. For instance, they will face God in the judgment. So to say that spiritual death is equal to physical death in that you cannot do anything at all is to press the metaphor too far. So what does the Bible mean by spiritual death? Let's look to the Bible to find out, not our own assumptions. Here are two key passages:

"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." -Colossians 2:13

"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." -John 5:24

In both cases, going from death to life has to do with having your sins forgiven. You are spiritually dead if you are guilty before God. You are heading to judgment where you will be condemned. You have no hope of doing anything to make yourself right before him. You are doomed to eternal separation from God. But when God forgives you, then you are spiritually alive. Thus the Bible uses the term to refer to hopelessness in your own ability to secure salvation apart from the gospel, not hopelessness to respond to the gospel apart from God first making you alive. 

See also John 3:36:  "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."

Again, eternal life is contrasted with not having God's wrath on you. Also, note that someone who believes has eternal life. The verse does not say that the one who has eternal life believes, as the Calvinist supposes. In fact, many verses contradict the order of salvation in the Calvinist system. In Acts 16:31 we read, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved!" Paul does not say, "Be saved, and you will believe in the Lord Jesus!" 

The Calvinist may also argue that someone who is not saved cannot put faith in Jesus because that would be a good work, and we are not saved by works (Ephesians 2:8-9). Again, that is an assumption that the biblical text does not support. When the Bible says we are saved by grace and not works, it does not mean that unbelievers can never do anything good. It means that no good work can justify us before God. We cannot get any closer to salvation through our works. Faith in Jesus is the same way. Faith does not make us justified before God. I cannot say that my faith in Jesus makes me any closer to being righteous before God. My choosing to stop rejecting Jesus is not a good work that earns a reward from God. That would be like saying that "Because I chose not to murder someone I was angry with yesterday, God owes me salvation!"  No, that doesn't earn me anything from God. Rather, I am saved through faith. God chooses to give salvation to those who have faith. Salvation is entirely his work. Paul also goes to great lengths to demonstrate that faith is not a good work in Romans 4. 

In Part 2, I will discuss Irresistible Grace and get to what I think is a more biblical understanding of Romans 9:22-24. Click here to go to Part 2.

Trust the Bible's purpose is to grow your confidence that the Bible is true and the ultimate resource for life." You can join the Facebook group by clicking here. Trust the Bible is a weekday radio program that begins at about 8:10 each morning on WDOG 93.5 in Allendale, SC. Listen to previous programs online: www.fairfaxfbc.org/trust-the-bible.html