Good brief article here on the difference between true and false repentance.
Tuesday, 29 September 2009
Are you in the will of God?
The Bible never, ever, encourages us to look at our circumstances to judge whether or not we're in the will of God.
By that, I don't mean you can't look round at your companions in the local den of drunkards or gossip club and work out that you should be somewhere else. What I mean is, unless your circumstance is one of sin, you cannot judge that God wishes you to be elsewhere simply from the events that happen to you. Bad stuff happening to you does not mean you're in the wrong place; things going well does not mean you're in the right place. These things are not revealed by God to you through events. Rather, you use the wisdom in the Bible, pray, and God will open and close doors according to his will. The reality will be revealed to you when it happens - not by secret signs beforehand.
How can we prove this? Easy. Job.
What happened to Job? Disaster. He lost his family, his home, his business and his health - everything except his life itself.
Why? Because he was wicked? Because he was outside the will of God and in the wrong place?
Nope. It all happened to him because he was the most righteous man on earth. Because he followed God with all his heart, he became a test case - to see if his faith was real, to prove to Satan that God's people love God not just for the earthly blessings, and ultimately to provide God's people through all succeeding ages with much deep teaching that hopefully we can learn without all having to face such extremities ourselves. It all happened to him because he was more within the will of God than anyone else on the planet.
Job ought to be the death-knell of all such secret-guidance theories whose proponents claim that you can read infallibly discern that you are in the right or wrong place through the events that come your way. Same lesson comes from the apostles (1 Corinthians 4). The Bible says that we must enter the kingdom through much tribulation (Acts 14:23). The untroubled, peaceful church is normally the Laodicean church of Revelation 3, not the church that found the heart of God's will. Or in large part the 21st century church of the Western world...
By that, I don't mean you can't look round at your companions in the local den of drunkards or gossip club and work out that you should be somewhere else. What I mean is, unless your circumstance is one of sin, you cannot judge that God wishes you to be elsewhere simply from the events that happen to you. Bad stuff happening to you does not mean you're in the wrong place; things going well does not mean you're in the right place. These things are not revealed by God to you through events. Rather, you use the wisdom in the Bible, pray, and God will open and close doors according to his will. The reality will be revealed to you when it happens - not by secret signs beforehand.
How can we prove this? Easy. Job.
What happened to Job? Disaster. He lost his family, his home, his business and his health - everything except his life itself.
Why? Because he was wicked? Because he was outside the will of God and in the wrong place?
Nope. It all happened to him because he was the most righteous man on earth. Because he followed God with all his heart, he became a test case - to see if his faith was real, to prove to Satan that God's people love God not just for the earthly blessings, and ultimately to provide God's people through all succeeding ages with much deep teaching that hopefully we can learn without all having to face such extremities ourselves. It all happened to him because he was more within the will of God than anyone else on the planet.
Job ought to be the death-knell of all such secret-guidance theories whose proponents claim that you can read infallibly discern that you are in the right or wrong place through the events that come your way. Same lesson comes from the apostles (1 Corinthians 4). The Bible says that we must enter the kingdom through much tribulation (Acts 14:23). The untroubled, peaceful church is normally the Laodicean church of Revelation 3, not the church that found the heart of God's will. Or in large part the 21st century church of the Western world...
Monday, 28 September 2009
An infallible Bible
Protestants believe that the Bible is the sole highest and final authority in all matters of belief and practice.
Roman Catholic apologists reply with, "Ah - but you Protestants, with your Bible alone, don't agree with each other! You need something more!" That something more is the supposedly-infallible Roman Catholic church.
In a clear and concise post here, James Swan shows that this shift in reality achieves nothing. The same Roman Catholic apologists then disagree with each other on how to interpret the pronouncements of that supposedly-infallible church.
The fact that people disagree over the Bible's meaning shows nothing. People disagree over everything, and when those people are sinners handling a book that strikes right at the heart of sin, it's hardly surprising. There's no mileage in scoring apologetic points from that observation on its own.
Roman Catholic apologists reply with, "Ah - but you Protestants, with your Bible alone, don't agree with each other! You need something more!" That something more is the supposedly-infallible Roman Catholic church.
In a clear and concise post here, James Swan shows that this shift in reality achieves nothing. The same Roman Catholic apologists then disagree with each other on how to interpret the pronouncements of that supposedly-infallible church.
The fact that people disagree over the Bible's meaning shows nothing. People disagree over everything, and when those people are sinners handling a book that strikes right at the heart of sin, it's hardly surprising. There's no mileage in scoring apologetic points from that observation on its own.
Friday, 25 September 2009
Pilgrim talks with a child about the will of God
Child: Pilgrim, how can I know the will of God for me?
Pilgrim: To know the will of God, child, read the word of God.
Child: But Pilgrim, what about life's big issues? Who shall I marry, where shall I work?
Pilgrim: Did you hear me? Read the word of God, child!
Child: But the word of God does not tell me God's will for me.
Pilgrim: It does, and on every page. "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification". "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you".
Child: I know that, Pilgrim. But does not God have "one best life now" for me? How can I make sure I don't miss out?
Pilgrim: You know nothing yet as you ought to know it, child. God's "best life" is the life of his kingdom, not of the world, and so he tells you to seek it first. If you would be happy, you must be holy. If you are first holy, you will then understand all these other questions you ask.
Child: But I still have to know where to live and work?
Pilgrim: I already told you. You have to know how to live and work. When you know how and do his will, God will take care of the rest.
Child: Does not the Holy Spirit lead us, then?
Pilgrim: Indeed he does, as I have told you. He leads us into holiness.
Child: And the will of God?
Pilgrim: Godliness.
Child: But what about the details of life? Will I not get into trouble if I miss God's best?
Pilgrim: You will get into trouble if you find God's best.
Child: What do you mean?
Pilgrim: What the word of God says. "We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God", and "no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto" and "Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator."
Child: But does not God want good things for his children?
Pilgrim: He does, and that is why we suffer.
Child: How can suffering be good?
Pilgrim: Because suffering is the narrow road to glory, my child. "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ".
Child: But, Pilgrim, I think if we can find the way to know the will of God, we will never have cause to suffer.
Pilgrim: That is why you are still a child, child.
Pilgrim: To know the will of God, child, read the word of God.
Child: But Pilgrim, what about life's big issues? Who shall I marry, where shall I work?
Pilgrim: Did you hear me? Read the word of God, child!
Child: But the word of God does not tell me God's will for me.
Pilgrim: It does, and on every page. "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification". "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you".
Child: I know that, Pilgrim. But does not God have "one best life now" for me? How can I make sure I don't miss out?
Pilgrim: You know nothing yet as you ought to know it, child. God's "best life" is the life of his kingdom, not of the world, and so he tells you to seek it first. If you would be happy, you must be holy. If you are first holy, you will then understand all these other questions you ask.
Child: But I still have to know where to live and work?
Pilgrim: I already told you. You have to know how to live and work. When you know how and do his will, God will take care of the rest.
Child: Does not the Holy Spirit lead us, then?
Pilgrim: Indeed he does, as I have told you. He leads us into holiness.
Child: And the will of God?
Pilgrim: Godliness.
Child: But what about the details of life? Will I not get into trouble if I miss God's best?
Pilgrim: You will get into trouble if you find God's best.
Child: What do you mean?
Pilgrim: What the word of God says. "We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God", and "no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto" and "Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator."
Child: But does not God want good things for his children?
Pilgrim: He does, and that is why we suffer.
Child: How can suffering be good?
Pilgrim: Because suffering is the narrow road to glory, my child. "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ".
Child: But, Pilgrim, I think if we can find the way to know the will of God, we will never have cause to suffer.
Pilgrim: That is why you are still a child, child.
Tuesday, 22 September 2009
Why we can be sure Adam was a historical individual
Professor James Anderson (no relationship, well, unless you go back most of the way to Adam the historical individual...) gives a good concise summary of why evangelicals are compelled by the Bible to view Adam as a single historical individual in the same sense as you or I are: http://proginosko.wordpress.com/2009/09/21/was-adam-a-real-historical-individual/ . With a footnote offering a 13th that he forgot about the first time round!
Here's a conversation I had at the registry office whilst registering my intention to marry my now-wife. Earlier conversation had established that the registrar was a church-goer... perhaps it had been a slow day...
Registrar: Are you related to your future wife?
Me: Only through Adam.
Registrar: Your son?
Me: Ha ha! No.
Here's a conversation I had at the registry office whilst registering my intention to marry my now-wife. Earlier conversation had established that the registrar was a church-goer... perhaps it had been a slow day...
Registrar: Are you related to your future wife?
Me: Only through Adam.
Registrar: Your son?
Me: Ha ha! No.
Monday, 21 September 2009
Whose children?
This came in via e-mail, something to consider and act upon...
I don't think there's a British Christian who has not been dismayed to see the moral collapse and rise of anti-Christian sentiment in the UK under this present government. But this issue is very serious indeed...
Graham Badman (not a Bunyan character, but his real name), Kent County Council's Managing Director for the Children, Families and Education Directorate has submited to the government a review of elective home education, which recommends, "systems for keeping children safe and ensuring that they receive a suitable education". That sounds nice...
But it is precisely the education this government believes 'safe and suitable' that home educators are opting out of! And with good reason.
Dissatisfied with the amoral, godless, pluralist propaganda the government pumps into our kids in the state schools - they are now gunning for those who withdraw from that system to provide a Christian Education for their children.
The Badman recommendations aim to supplant parents altogether by making the government-run LEA responsible for determining what is 'a safe and suitable education'.The recommendations in this report are nothing short of totalitarian control.
Quite apart from the compulsory registration of home educators (perhaps with a gold star!), there's the recommendation for LEA inspectors to have 'right of access' to home educator's homes and the right to speak to children without their parents present.
Whether you are in favour of Christian home education or not: that's not the issue...
You are your child's parent, not the state.
You have the right to decide what education your child receives, not the state.
You are responsible, under God, to decide what is good, suitable, and right for your child, not the state.
Eph.6:4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.
Whatever your views on Christian vs State education - this is an issue of whether parents or the state have the right to choose what education our children receive. Signing this petition tells the government that you care about your rights as a parent, and that they should reject the sinister, intrusive and godless recommendations of the Badman Report.
Please read and consider signing the petition by clicking the link below:
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/EHEreview/
Friday, 18 September 2009
We proclaim Him
How do we interpret the Bible? What are the principles and rules of correct interpretation, so that we deduce from a particular passage of the Bible what God intended us to deduce? All that he intended us to deduce, and nothing more than he intended us to deduce?
There's something very wrong with a number of evangelical guides intended to help preachers interpret the Bible that I've come across lately. There's something important missing.
What's missing? Christ and the gospel. Whoops!
Hence, I read lots of sound advice about...
You can fulfil all of the above bullet points and more and miss this out. If you only include the above bullet points and their ilk, you could do a great deal of "preaching" whilst being a Muslim. None of the above kind of points require you to be converted - you can do it pretty well whilst remaining ignorant or unbelieving of God's overall story. It worries me a great deal that this kind of "how to use the Bible in preaching" guide seems to be not uncommon at all amongst conservative evangelicals. Exegesis and preaching not rooted consistently in Christ and his gospel are not exegesis or preaching at all, and Satan's territory won't be reduced a single inch by them. Any useful guide to preaching has to hammer that home again and again. What is the sina qua non of Biblical preaching? To reveal the glory of God in Christ. To tweak something Spurgeon said, all our tools of exegesis and techniques of communication are simply the flesh hooks, pans and shovels.... but Christ is the altar and the sacrifice smoking upon it.
There's something very wrong with a number of evangelical guides intended to help preachers interpret the Bible that I've come across lately. There's something important missing.
What's missing? Christ and the gospel. Whoops!
Hence, I read lots of sound advice about...
- Attention to principles of grammar
- Attention to the meanings and functions of the words in the original language - don't impose an impossible meaning based upon the English translation
- Attention to the context; context within the book, context within the paragraph, context within the world history of the author's day
- Comparing our conclusions with sound doctrine distilled from other parts of the Bible
- Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera...
You can fulfil all of the above bullet points and more and miss this out. If you only include the above bullet points and their ilk, you could do a great deal of "preaching" whilst being a Muslim. None of the above kind of points require you to be converted - you can do it pretty well whilst remaining ignorant or unbelieving of God's overall story. It worries me a great deal that this kind of "how to use the Bible in preaching" guide seems to be not uncommon at all amongst conservative evangelicals. Exegesis and preaching not rooted consistently in Christ and his gospel are not exegesis or preaching at all, and Satan's territory won't be reduced a single inch by them. Any useful guide to preaching has to hammer that home again and again. What is the sina qua non of Biblical preaching? To reveal the glory of God in Christ. To tweak something Spurgeon said, all our tools of exegesis and techniques of communication are simply the flesh hooks, pans and shovels.... but Christ is the altar and the sacrifice smoking upon it.
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