Glorious Grace

Most Christians are well aware of what the word grace means. We have heard it described as unmerited favor. Instead of getting what we deserve, we are given mercy. There is nothing we can do to earn or deserve the grace of God. He freely bestows it upon us in Christ. We are saved by grace alone. This is a glorious truth, and there is no one more gracious than God. In this post however, I want to focus on an aspect of grace that we often forget; myself included.

Free Grace

God is totally free. Have you ever really thought about that? He has no restrictions. He is under no obligations. He is absolutely free to do whatever He pleases, (Psalm 115:3, 135:6, Daniel 4:35). This is also true when it comes to His grace.

The mistake that many make is to assume that because God shows mercy to some, He must therefore show mercy to all. But God is under no obligation to show mercy to anyone. Grace cannot be demanded. The fact that He has mercy on anyone at all should astound us, because we deserve nothing but the fires of hell. The problem is that most people, including many Christians, don't really believe this. We have fallen victim to the entitlement mentality of our culture. We think everyone owes us something, even God. On the contrary, God owes us nothing. The moment we think we deserve God's grace is the moment we misunderstand its meaning.

"...I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy," Exodus 33:19.

Paul quotes this passage in Romans 9:15 to prove there is no injustice on God's part for choosing Jacob over Esau before they were born. It does not depend on human will or exertion but on God who has mercy (verse 16). Then in verse 18, Paul concludes by saying, "So then He has mercy on whomever He wills, and He hardens whomever He wills."

We must understand that God is God. He has the right to bestow grace as He sees fit. No one can point their finger at Him and say, "You have to be merciful to everyone!" No He doesn't. If He didn't show mercy to one single person on planet Earth He would be doing no wrong. If God were to send everyone to hell it would be perfectly just. The question is: do you really believe that? Would you consider God to be just even if He condemned you to hell?

The question we must ask ourselves is not why does God show mercy to some and not others, but why does He show mercy to anyone?

We must remember that no one deserves forgiveness, redemption, or heaven because no one is good. We have all sinned (Rom. 3:10-11, 23). We have committed cosmic treason against a holy God. No, we do not deserve His grace. And yet, God is still gracious. That is what makes Him so glorious. That is what makes the gospel such good news.

"But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us," Romans 5:8.

Don't you just love the phrase "but God" in the Bible? If it wasn't for the free grace of God in Christ we would have no hope. We would be lost, forsaken; eternally condemned. But thanks be to God that for the sake of Christ, we were granted repentance and faith (1 Cor. 1:30, Phil. 1:29, Eph. 2:8).

Holiness

We will never appreciate the grace of a God until we begin to grasp the holiness of God and the utter wretchedness of our own hearts. God is not like us. He is altogether other. He is holy beyond imagination. When we read about God striking down Nadab and Abihu because they brought strange fire, or Uzzah because he tried to steady the Ark of the Covenant, or the sudden death of Ananias and Sapphira, we gasp in disbelief. And if we were honest, we are appalled. We think the severity of the punishment doesn't seem to fit the crime. But isn't this what sin deserves? The Bible says the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23 Ezek. 18:20). In fact, the only reason you're still breathing right now is because of the sheer grace of God. God doesn't owe you life and breath. He isn't required to give you health, prosperity, a home, food, and security. We take all these things for granted, especially in America, but God is not obligated to provide them. He does so because of grace.

We tend to compare ourselves to others and as long as we're not committing adultery, theft, or murder, we think we're okay. But God doesn't compare us with others, He compares us to Himself, and His holiness demands perfection. Which one of us has honored God and kept His commandments perfectly? We all know perfection is something we can never attain. Our righteousness is nothing but filthy rags. That is why our only hope is the righteousness of Another imputed by faith.

"He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit," Titus 3:5.

All Because of Jesus

Until we recognize the depth of our own depravity, we will never truly appreciate grace. If you think you're not that bad, you do not understand the gospel. Only against the darkness of our hopeless condition does the gospel of grace shine so bright. And where better to fix our gaze than upon the Lord Jesus Christ? What better demonstration of grace is there than the work of Christ on the cross? Never in a million years will we be able to repay the debt we owe God. Because of our sin, the very curse of hell hung over our heads by a frayed cord, ready to plunge us into a fiery sea of endless misery until Jesus washed away our guilt with His precious blood. Jesus endured the wrath of the damned for the sake of the elect. Upon the cross, He suffered the full fury of God's righteous anger against sin so that you and I could be forgiven. The very thought should bring us to tears. It should cause our hearts to burst with gratitude; falling to our knees with eternal praise for the glory of His amazing grace!

Grace, grace, a thousand times grace! May we never, ever take it for granted, for it was not cheap. It cost Jesus everything.

Israel or True Israel?

As with many of my posts, I know this is not going to make me popular, but the current situation with Israel has sparked a desire to share some thoughts on the subject and hopefully shed light on misunderstandings many people have with regard to Israel.

First, I want to say that this will not be a political post. If fact, I dislike politics in general, and I think many Christians today need to realize that while politics are important, they will never solve the problems of this world. Politics are not the answer; the gospel is. Only the return of Christ and the consummation of His kingdom will ultimately put all wrongs to right. Second, my purpose is to attempt to look at this situation from a biblical perspective and try to show why unconditional support for the nation of Israel may not always be wise. Now before you light torches to burn me as a heretic, hear me out.

Race or Remnant?

Many Christians are under the misapprehension that Israel is God's chosen people based upon race. The Bible says otherwise. One of the texts often quoted is Deuteronomy 7:6-7:

“For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples."

Yes, this is absolutely true, but notice the reason for God's choice. It wasn't because Israel was so special, but because "the Lord set his love" on them. God chose to love them for His own purposes. Yet how many times did Israel disobey the Lord? How many times did they provoke Him to anger because of their idol worship? The texts would be too numerous to cite. Anyone who has read the Old Testament knows this. They continuously rebelled against God and broke His covenant over and over. God, however, continued to set His love upon them. In fact, Deuteronomy 7 sounds an awful lot like the doctrine of unconditional election.

I find it ironic that many who champion the modern state of Israel are diametrically opposed to the doctrine of election. They have no problem with God distinguishing Jews from other people, but cannot bear the thought that God would unconditionally choose the elect before the foundation of the world. What do you think election is if not choosing a particular people? I'm sorry to say this, but to affirm the Jews are God's chosen people, but deny that God chooses His elect for salvation is hypocritical. The key factor to recognize is that God's choice is not based on ethnicity, but according to the purpose of His will (Eph. 1:5, 11).

Now I realize that during Old Testament times, the vast majority of Gentile nations were left in darkness, however, there was a mixed multitude that left Egypt in the Exodus (Exod. 12:38). And there were laws that applied to Israelites as well as to aliens and sojourners (Exod. 20:10, Lev. 16:29, 22:18). Further, many Israelites were apostate. But God kept for Himself a faithful remnant, (Rom. 11:4, 1 Kgs. 19:18) which is true Israel; not a specific nation, but rather, people from every tribe, tongue, and nation.

And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation," (Rev. 5:9).

These are God's chosen people, from every race under heaven that have been purchased by the blood of the Lamb.

Not All Israel is Israel

In Romans chapter 9 Paul says, "But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel," (Rom. 9:6). What in the world does that mean Paul? What are you talking about? Well, in the rest of the chapter, Paul goes on to show that God's choice was not based upon race. Rather, "the children of the promise are counted as offspring," (Rom. 9:8). God chose Isaac over Ishmael, Jacob over Esau, why? Paul tells us in verse 11, "…in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls."

In the book of Galatians Paul explains that whether you are a Jew or a Gentile is irrelevant. In Galatians 3:16 he says the promises were made to Abraham's offspring, who is Christ, and then in verses 28 and 29 he says, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise." God told Abraham he would be the father of many nations (not Israel only) and that through his offspring (Jesus) all the nations of the earth would be blessed (Gen. 12:3, 22:18, etc.).

In fact, the very language used for Israel in the Old Testament is used by Peter and applied to the church.

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light," (1 Pet. 2:9).

Did you know there are Palestinian Christians? That's right; Palestinian Christians. That may come as a shock to some people, but it's true. There are also Jewish Christians. We cannot broad-brush people solely based on their nationality. Nor can we let misinterpreted passages of Scripture cloud our minds. We must understand the Bible clearly. All believers are one in Christ. Listen to what Peter said after his encounter with Cornelius:

So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him," (Acts 10:34-35).

After hearing Peter's story, the church in Jerusalem responded by saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life,” (Acts 11:18).

God has made the two one. He has broken down the wall of separation (Eph. 2:14) and has grafted Gentiles into His family (Rom. 11:17).

The Promised Land

The land of Palestine is a very touchy subject. I know I am treading on sacred ground here (pun intended). But I am going to say something that may shock some people. The modern state of Israel does not have a divine right to the land of Palestine. Gasp! I realize that there are all kinds of eschatological views on this subject, which I am not going to address, however, Christians seem to forget that the promises God made to Israel concerning the land were conditional. That's right; they were conditional. If Israel followed the Lord and kept His commandments they would be blessed, but if they disobeyed, they would be exiled from the land. And this is exactly what happened with the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities. So why would the modern state of Israel which doesn't keep God's covenants, and has for the most part rejected their Messiah, have a divine right to the land? Again, the promises were based upon obedience to the covenant God made with them.

Moreover, the temporal land promises were actually fulfilled. Wait a minute. The land promises were fulfilled? Yes, they were fulfilled. Let's look at a few passages of Scripture.

"Thus the Lord gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. And they took possession of it, and they settled there. And the Lord gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers… Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass," (Joshua 21:43, 45).

"Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life," (1 Kings 4:21).

Now don't those borders sound familiar? Yes, they do. This is exactly what God promised to give Abraham (Gen. 15:18, etc.). So before you tar and feather me, please read your Bible. God fulfilled His promise. Further, the writer of Hebrews tells us that Abraham "was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God," (Heb. 11:10). The Promised Land foreshadowed the rest believers will enjoy someday in the new heaven and the new earth (Rev. 21:1).

We must understand that the land, the temple, the choosing of Israel; all the types and shadows of the Old Testament find their fulfillment in Christ (Matt. 5:17).

Conclusion

So does Israel have the right to exist as a nation? Of course. Should they protect their borders? Yes. Do they have the right to defend themselves against unjust attacks? Absolutely! We should support Israel, but our support must be filtered through the pages of Scripture. The Bible teaches that anyone, whether Jew or Gentile, who is not a follower of Christ is under the wrath of God unless they repent and believe (John 3:36, Eph. 2:3). What Jewish people need is the gospel. It isn't about nationality; it's about spirituality, those who are united to Christ through His death and resurrection. God will always have a remnant, chosen by grace (Rom. 11:5). Therefore, the Jews are only God's chosen people in so far as they have placed their faith in Jesus the Messiah.

Pray Like a Calvinist

If you are someone who believes free will is the ultimate decisive factor in whether or not someone will be saved, I would like to ask you a question. Why bother praying for your hard-hearted loved ones? You're not praying to change God's mind, right? Doesn't He already desire their salvation? If so, and you are praying for God to change the heart of your loved one, and you believe that He can in fact overcome their resistance to the gospel, then you don't really believe in free will. Rather, Christians pray believing that God is sovereign and more than able to melt hearts of stone, and turn the vilest of sinners into lovers of Christ. You see, when it comes to prayer, all Christians pray like Calvinists.

Inconsistency

I cannot tell you how many times I have heard Arminians (or anyone who opposes Reformed theology) pray things like, "Oh Lord please change his heart!" Or say things such as, "We cannot convert anyone, all we can do is share the gospel and pray. Only the Holy Spirit can change the heart." Wait a second...what did you just say? That sounds an awful lot like Calvinism to me.

I just want to go on record as saying that I agree with these sentiments wholeheartedly. They are entirely biblical. Only God can change a person's heart. The problem is, it doesn't follow consistently with Arminian theology.

Simply put, those who promote free will and reject the doctrines of grace believe that God is "trying" to save everyone, but it is up to each individual to exercise their will and respond to the gospel. Yes, everyone is commanded to respond to the gospel, but as I addressed in a previous post, this doesn't mean unconverted people have the ability to do so. Jesus said that no one has the ability to come to Him unless the Father grants them that ability, (John 6:44, 65). The real question Arminians need to answer is why some respond to the gospel and others do not. This is their Achilles heel.

When someone with no desire for Christ hears the gospel, what is it that changes their mind exactly? Do they come to Christ on their own? Of course not; all Arminians believe that it is impossible to be saved apart from the grace of God. They just don't go far enough. They say grace is necessary for salvation, but not sufficient. The problem here, is that if everyone receives what they call "prevenient grace" why is this grace effectual in the hearts of some and ineffectual in others? What exactly makes someone willing? It seems like the only logical response is to say the human will has the ultimate decisive power. God's grace doesn't get the job done. You may have heard preachers say, "God is voting for you, and Satan is voting against you, but you have the final vote. If this is true, then salvation is contingent upon the human will, not upon God.

In the final analysis, although Arminians would never say this, this makes God powerless. He may desire to save someone, but is unable to do so because their free will thwarts Him. This makes man sovereign because he can thwart the very purposes of Almighty God. Again, Arminians wouldn't say this, but this is the logical conclusion of their theology.

Prayer

The irony comes into play when those who espouse this kind of philosophy pray for God to save someone. Doesn't that require God to violate a person's free will? If they believe prayer can actually change someone's heart, then they are conceding that God intervenes by His sovereign power to change the disposition of men's hearts, yet this is antithetical to free-willism.

Those who oppose Reformed theology often accuse us of futility when it comes to prayer. The argument goes something like this: "Why do you Calvinists bother praying at all? If God has chosen from all eternity to save someone; He's going to save them no matter what. So why bother praying for their salvation? Why bother even preaching the gospel?" This kind of reasoning shows a fundamental misunderstanding of what Reformed theology teaches. We believe that God uses means to accomplish His eternal purposes. So God may have chosen to save Johnny unconditionally before the foundation of the world, but my prayers and witness may be the means by which Johnny is brought into the kingdom. He has not only ordained Johnny's salvation, but the means by which it is brought about. No one knows the identity of the elect; in fact, the identity of the elect is totally irrelevant to evangelism. We simply do what the Bible tells us to do. We preach the gospel and command people to repent and believe. Faith comes by hearing (Rom. 10:17) so God uses the means of preaching and prayer to bring about the salvation of His elect people.

"For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God," 1 Cor. 1:22-24.

What is it in this passage that makes the preaching of Christ crucified cease to be a stumbling block or foolishness? "...those who are called," that's the difference. To the ones who are called, Christ crucified is no longer foolishness, but wisdom. When God calls someone unto salvation, He does so effectually (John 6:37, Rom. 8:30).

Conclusion

So if you're an Arminian and you are praying for a change of heart in the life of an unbeliever, I commend you. Just be aware that it is inconsistent with your theology. You're actually praying like a Calvinist; like a Christian ought to pray, because we trust that God is omnipotent. He is able to remove hearts of stone and replace them with hearts of flesh (Ezek. 36:26). We pray with confidence knowing that nothing is impossible for God. No amount of resistance to the gospel can hinder the power of the Holy Spirit. Whether the hardest atheist or the most wicked murderer, no one is beyond the grace of God.

Resisting the Reformation

I was thinking about this the other day so I wanted to briefly share my thoughts on why I think people reject Reformed theology.

For those who are unfamiliar with it, I am using the term Reformed to distinguish it from other theological systems. In fact, I don't really consider Reformed theology to be a system per se (although many would disagree). I simply think it is synonymous with biblical theology. The Protestant Reformers were not inventing a new teaching, but recovering an old one. They were reorienting the church away from ecclesiastical authority back to scriptural authority; Sola Scriptura. And while today, much of the Reformed faith is known only by the doctrines of grace, (TULIP) there is so much more to it.

Now I realize that Protestantism and Reformed theology or Calvinism are not synonymous. There are many strains of Protestantism that have arisen since the Reformation. However, the core doctrines which were also taught by other church fathers such as Augustine, and were revived by the Reformers were widely accepted, whereas today, when it comes to the Bible's teaching on election, soteriology, grace, the sovereignty of God, free will, etc., much of the Protestant church seems to have more in common with Roman Catholicism. And while Calvinism has made a significant resurgence today, many people still misunderstand it and even go so far as to think we follow John Calvin instead of Jesus, which is absurd. As Spurgeon said, "It is a nickname to call it Calvinism; Calvinism is the gospel, and nothing else."1

A Short History Lesson

I find it ironic that many who identify themselves as Protestants today not only disagree with major tenets of the Protestant faith, but they don't even know why. Part of the problem is historical ignorance.

The Reformation, although faced with much opposition, quickly spread throughout Europe. One of the places it took strong root was in the Netherlands. In the early seventeenth century Jacobus Arminius was recommended by none other than Theodore Beza for a position as professor of theology at Leiden University. Soon there arose dissention around his teaching. Word spread that he had some strange ideas concerning predestination, Romans chapter 9, and other doctrines, but before these matters could be investigated, Arminius died in 1609. His followers however, drew up five articles of doctrine in opposition to accepted Reformation teaching, which was called the Remonstrance of 1610. This raised quite a disturbance. Although the government initially tried to quell it, eventually an official synod was called and leaders throughout Europe convened in the city of Dordrecht to resolve the conflict. This was known as the Synod of Dordt (1618-19). There, the five points of doctrine delineated in the Remonstrance were unanimously denounced as heresy. And yet these five doctrines codify classic Arminian theology, which many evangelicals today believe. In response to this heterodoxy, the synod produced what came to be known as the Canons of Dordt from which the five points of Calvinism were derived. And yet here I am in the twenty-first century trying to explain to those who hold a position which the church deemed heretical why the orthodox view shouldn't be resisted. Talk about irony! But we continue on.

Resistance

I think for many who were brought up in a different tradition, resistance to Reformed theology is an unwillingness to be wrong about what they have always believed. It is a form of arrogance which says, "No, I can't possibly be wrong!" Or, "I've been a Christian for thirty years; don't tell me I'm misinterpreting the Bible!"

For some, changing what you believe can be a frightening proposition. As a recovering Arminian, I understand this firsthand. I remember wrestling with these things and thinking, if I believe this, everything I thought I knew will be turned upside down. But the more I began actually reading Scripture and learning how to interpret it, the more I realized this wasn't some new teaching at all. In fact, it was historically reliable, and the reason it has been taught throughout church history is because it was right there in the Bible all along.

Unfortunately, some aren't even willing to investigate whether or not it is faithful to Scripture. They just rule it out a priori. This is like me saying, "Quantum physics is ridiculous! I don't believe that stuff!" The fact is, I don't know the first thing about quantum physics, so I am not in a position to determine whether it is valid or not. Until you truly understand something, you cannot dismiss it as false. I would argue, at least in my experience, that those who reject Reformed theology are rejecting a caricature of it, not the real thing. Some, however, claim to know it full well, but are so committed to free will that it has become their idol; trumping even God Himself.

Another reason why I think people resist Reformed theology is because it is a humbling theology. It goes against the very grain of our human nature. It is the most God-glorifying, Christ-exalting, man-humbling theology. As soon as you start talking about predestination (which is a biblical word by the way) people immediately object and say, "but what about free will?" It is in our nature to be more concerned with our freedom than God's. We are selfish by nature. We don't like the idea that Someone is sovereign over us. But when is the last time you gave serious consideration to God's freedom? Is He not the creator and we are the creatures? Has the Potter no right over the clay? I think the underlying reason that people reject Reformed theology is not because it is incomprehensible or unbiblical; but because they don't like it.

Theology matters. And a proper understanding of theology; understanding of God, is vitally important. In fact, it affects every aspect of our lives. It affects the way we think about God, ourselves, salvation, friends, family, the world around us, our vocation, hobbies, the weather, everything! Getting theology right is of the utmost importance. So at the end of the day, we need to submit ourselves to the authority of Scripture whether we like it or not.

There is so much more that could be said in defense of Reformed teaching, but perhaps I will attempt to tackle that in another post. I would encourage anyone reading this, before you rule out Reformed theology/Calvinism, you should at least investigate it first. Don't believe the half truths or horror stories you may have heard. Be open-minded. You may find a deep, rich, God-exalting, historically grounded, thoroughly biblical theology you have been missing.

Here are some tools to get started:

What is Reformed Theology?

Book: http://www.ligonier.org/store/what-is-reformed-theology-paperback/

Video series: http://www.ligonier.org/learn/series/what_is_reformed_theology/

Five Points

Book PDF: http://www.desiringgod.org/books/five-points

6 part seminar with John Piper: http://www.desiringgod.org/seminars/tulip-2013-part-1

¹ A Defense of Calvinism by C. H. Spurgeon

Seeker Friendly Church?

The idea of a "seeker-friendly" church is an oxymoron. It is a misunderstanding of what church is about and denies the biblical doctrine of mankind's fallen state. Scripture teaches that prior to conversion we are dead in our trespasses and sins and that apart from grace men do not seek after God.

"As it is written: 'None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God,'" Rom. 3:10-11.

"And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil," John 3:19.

To design a worship service based on unbelievers is 180 degrees opposite of the biblical model. Worship is for God not men. And church is primarily for believers, not unbelievers. The problem is, our culture's consumer-driven; entertainment mentality has crept into the church. Instead of a holy place of reverence, churches have become a multimedia experience replete with lights, smoke, a rock band, video presentations, and motivational speaking. Instead of going to church to celebrate the union we have with Christ through His blood, which has brought us into the family of God; to hear the exposition of Scripture, partake of the sacraments, and use the gifts God has given us in service to the body, we go to be entertained. And if we don't like the presentation; if it doesn't suit our tastes, we find another church. This is not what church is about. Don't mistake entertainment and the hip charisma of celebrity "pastors," for true worship.

The gathering of believers on the Lord's Day is to offer worship that is pleasing to God, to have genuine fellowship with other believers, and hear the Word faithfully preached, so that we may be conformed to the image of Christ, and be equipped to go out and share the gospel.

God is holy and worthy of untold honor. Therefore, our worship services should be centered on Him, not unbelievers. We should ask ourselves; does our church radiate the holiness and glory of God? Are the pastors and leaders pointing to His glory or their own? Is sound doctrine being taught so that members are built up in the faith and able to share it? Is the service designed to cater to shallow, consumer-driven Christians and so-called seekers, or focused on the unfathomable majesty of Jesus?