How churches lose the plot, Part II - Reformation21 Blog
Carl Trueman shows us why the battle for truth is usually lost from the rear guard. I highly recommend this post from Reformation 21. Of course the battle for truth when it comes to challenging someone's views does not necessarily follow that it be nasty or vitriolic. Published views either in books or blogs by officer bearers in Confessional churches are fair target, so long as the aim is fair.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Children of the Covenant
I've been working lately on a concise and pastoral statement on the nature of baptism in the framework of covenant theology. That right there may turn off some readers, but I trust this will be helpful. I decided to put this on the blog just to see if people find it clarifying. (for the one or two out there who read this!) This will be in two parts.
Children of the Covenant
People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Mark 10: 13-15
Children are a wonderful blessing, not only to families, but to churches as well. It is a great joy to see in our church a nursery that is full. An empty nursery in a church is a sure sign that the church has no longer the same attitude toward children that Jesus had, when he welcomed little children and said, of such is the kingdom of God. The Bible clearly teaches that children are a precious gift from God.
PR 17:6 Children's children are a crown to the aged,
and parents are the pride of their children.
Secondly, it is the God appointed responsibility of parents to teach their children God’s commands and to lead them to the knowledge of His grace revealed in the glorious gospel. This faith is always expressed and nurtured in the context of a believing community – the covenant people of God, called the Church.
DT 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
PS 78:6 so the next generation would know them,
even the children yet to be born,
and they in turn would tell their children.
The Bible views children with infinite value and not as something to shut away until they can be more responsible or contribute to society. God gives us many promises that our faith and God’s blessings run through families to effect future generations. Righteousness gives a wonderful legacy to our children and grandchildren. Something we would want to pass along. But, we know that none are righteous and that it is Christ’s perfect righteousness found in faith alone that we desire to be passed to our children.
PS 103:17 But from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD's love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children's children--
So, does this mean we should wait until our children have faith before we welcome them into God’s family? One Puritan stalwart answers this in saying, “But Christ never meant to say that the kingdom of heaven was only for the immaculate and stainless. If converted men receive it, in spite of many a haunting appetite and recurring lust, then the frailties of our babes shall not forbid us to believe the blessed assurance that the kingdom is also theirs” (Chadwick).
Do Not Hinder Children from Coming to Christ
"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Vs. 14
The question about this passage is whether it gives us any indication that the Bible sanctions the baptism of infants. Objections concerning this passage not having anything to do with baptism, point to the fact that Jesus did not baptize these children, nor was there any reference to water. This was a simple blessing and Christ was placing his hands on the children.
Again, the proof of the biblical validity of baptism both for believers and their children belong to the whole testimony of scripture. Certainly here Jesus is not baptizing children or anyone else. In fact Jesus never baptized anyone in the Bible. Secondly, the use of baptism as a sign of belonging to Christ was used after his resurrection and ascension (Matt. 28:18-20).
What this passage clearly shows is the same attitude toward children that God reveals in the Old Testament. God knows our children even before birth and claims them. “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.” Ps. 139:13
Children of believers were always included in the covenantal blessings of God (Acts 2:39). The children of Israel were not considered pagans until they reached some mysterious age of accountability. What an unbiblical thought that somehow children are not accountable for their sin. They come out of the womb as rebellious sinners, telling lies, the Psalmist tells us (Psalm 58:3). By nature they are all “children of wrath” (Eph. 2:3), not a sweet Precious Moment kind of picture we imagine, even though they bear the indelible mark of God’s image.
To believe that baptism as a New Testament sign of God’s forgiveness and new life only belongs to those who exercise a professed belief, is to introduce something new and out of character with the whole Bible.
John Calvin was right when he said that the only difference between circumcision of the Old Testament Church and the baptism of the Church under Jesus Christ is only in the externals.
It is true that we have no command in the New Testament to baptize children of believing parents. But, the burden of proof does not lie on those who believe Scripture teaches us to do so. The burden of proving otherwise falls on those who say, “Now God acts differently and the sign of God’s covenantal family belongs only to adults or to those who can sufficiently make the appropriate response of faith”.
John Calvin asked these questions to those who would deny baptism to little children:
“If it is right that children should be brought to Christ, why should they not be admitted to baptism, the symbol of our communion and fellowship with Christ? If the kingdom of heaven is theirs, why should they be denied the sign by which access, as it were, is opened to the Church, that being admitted into it they may be enrolled among the heirs of the heavenly kingdom?” (Commentary on Mark)
We must ask, “What does baptism represent?” And we must ask what makes baptism effective?
Children of the Covenant
People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Mark 10: 13-15
Children are a wonderful blessing, not only to families, but to churches as well. It is a great joy to see in our church a nursery that is full. An empty nursery in a church is a sure sign that the church has no longer the same attitude toward children that Jesus had, when he welcomed little children and said, of such is the kingdom of God. The Bible clearly teaches that children are a precious gift from God.
PR 17:6 Children's children are a crown to the aged,
and parents are the pride of their children.
Secondly, it is the God appointed responsibility of parents to teach their children God’s commands and to lead them to the knowledge of His grace revealed in the glorious gospel. This faith is always expressed and nurtured in the context of a believing community – the covenant people of God, called the Church.
DT 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
PS 78:6 so the next generation would know them,
even the children yet to be born,
and they in turn would tell their children.
The Bible views children with infinite value and not as something to shut away until they can be more responsible or contribute to society. God gives us many promises that our faith and God’s blessings run through families to effect future generations. Righteousness gives a wonderful legacy to our children and grandchildren. Something we would want to pass along. But, we know that none are righteous and that it is Christ’s perfect righteousness found in faith alone that we desire to be passed to our children.
PS 103:17 But from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD's love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children's children--
So, does this mean we should wait until our children have faith before we welcome them into God’s family? One Puritan stalwart answers this in saying, “But Christ never meant to say that the kingdom of heaven was only for the immaculate and stainless. If converted men receive it, in spite of many a haunting appetite and recurring lust, then the frailties of our babes shall not forbid us to believe the blessed assurance that the kingdom is also theirs” (Chadwick).
Do Not Hinder Children from Coming to Christ
"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Vs. 14
The question about this passage is whether it gives us any indication that the Bible sanctions the baptism of infants. Objections concerning this passage not having anything to do with baptism, point to the fact that Jesus did not baptize these children, nor was there any reference to water. This was a simple blessing and Christ was placing his hands on the children.
Again, the proof of the biblical validity of baptism both for believers and their children belong to the whole testimony of scripture. Certainly here Jesus is not baptizing children or anyone else. In fact Jesus never baptized anyone in the Bible. Secondly, the use of baptism as a sign of belonging to Christ was used after his resurrection and ascension (Matt. 28:18-20).
What this passage clearly shows is the same attitude toward children that God reveals in the Old Testament. God knows our children even before birth and claims them. “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.” Ps. 139:13
Children of believers were always included in the covenantal blessings of God (Acts 2:39). The children of Israel were not considered pagans until they reached some mysterious age of accountability. What an unbiblical thought that somehow children are not accountable for their sin. They come out of the womb as rebellious sinners, telling lies, the Psalmist tells us (Psalm 58:3). By nature they are all “children of wrath” (Eph. 2:3), not a sweet Precious Moment kind of picture we imagine, even though they bear the indelible mark of God’s image.
To believe that baptism as a New Testament sign of God’s forgiveness and new life only belongs to those who exercise a professed belief, is to introduce something new and out of character with the whole Bible.
John Calvin was right when he said that the only difference between circumcision of the Old Testament Church and the baptism of the Church under Jesus Christ is only in the externals.
It is true that we have no command in the New Testament to baptize children of believing parents. But, the burden of proof does not lie on those who believe Scripture teaches us to do so. The burden of proving otherwise falls on those who say, “Now God acts differently and the sign of God’s covenantal family belongs only to adults or to those who can sufficiently make the appropriate response of faith”.
John Calvin asked these questions to those who would deny baptism to little children:
“If it is right that children should be brought to Christ, why should they not be admitted to baptism, the symbol of our communion and fellowship with Christ? If the kingdom of heaven is theirs, why should they be denied the sign by which access, as it were, is opened to the Church, that being admitted into it they may be enrolled among the heirs of the heavenly kingdom?” (Commentary on Mark)
We must ask, “What does baptism represent?” And we must ask what makes baptism effective?
Monday, November 22, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Why I need Grace and not Free Will
For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. Romans 6:14
The biggest difference in most theologies and understandings about God is how one understands human freedom and divine grace. It is because of my own need for grace and my sense of the power of sin in my life that I find Calvin to win this debate every time. Calvin was indebted to Augustine and Augustine was indebted to Paul.
“He who is a slave to sin is free to sin” said St. Augustine. No one holds a gun to our heads and forces us to do wrong things. We choose them freely. And we do them because they hold an attraction to us. “Take away the love of sinning”, says the old hymn. We love it because it is our nature to do so.
Pop singer Tom Petty put this irony of human freedom, several years ago in his song, “Free Fallin”. It reflects the idea that sin has the “feeling” of being free. The problem however, is that a person who jumps off a tall building to assert their freedom suddenly submits themselves to a greater law, the law of physics, which says objects fall with increasing speed to the ground. Such freedom is short-lived.
She's a good girl, loves her mama
Loves Jesus and America too
She's a good girl, crazy 'bout Elvis
Loves horses and her boyfriend too
It's a long day living in Reseda
There's a freeway runnin' through the yard
And I'm a bad boy cause I don't even miss her
I'm a bad boy for breakin' her heart
And I'm free, free fallin'
Yeah I'm free, free fallin'
This is why we call the original sin of Adam and Eve as “the Fall”, because as a race we have been falling ever since. What appears to be freedom, or looks so innocent – “just a little sin”, is in reality another jump into a greater bondage, from which there is no escape. C.S. Lewis helps us to see how the Fall is relived in each of our lives on a daily basis.
“From the moment a creature becomes aware of God as God and of itself as self, the terrible alternative of choosing God or self for the centre is opened to it. This sin is committed daily….it is the fall in every individual life, and in each day of each individual life, the basic sin behind all particular sins: at this very moment you and I are either committing it, or about to commit it, or repenting it.” (The Problem of Pain.)
It is why on a moment to moment basis, I need to trust in the mercy of God and the grace He gives me in Christ Jesus. I am a bad boy, who needs grace in the form of Christ’s righteousness given to me freely. Falling into Christ is true freedom.
The biggest difference in most theologies and understandings about God is how one understands human freedom and divine grace. It is because of my own need for grace and my sense of the power of sin in my life that I find Calvin to win this debate every time. Calvin was indebted to Augustine and Augustine was indebted to Paul.
“He who is a slave to sin is free to sin” said St. Augustine. No one holds a gun to our heads and forces us to do wrong things. We choose them freely. And we do them because they hold an attraction to us. “Take away the love of sinning”, says the old hymn. We love it because it is our nature to do so.
Pop singer Tom Petty put this irony of human freedom, several years ago in his song, “Free Fallin”. It reflects the idea that sin has the “feeling” of being free. The problem however, is that a person who jumps off a tall building to assert their freedom suddenly submits themselves to a greater law, the law of physics, which says objects fall with increasing speed to the ground. Such freedom is short-lived.
She's a good girl, loves her mama
Loves Jesus and America too
She's a good girl, crazy 'bout Elvis
Loves horses and her boyfriend too
It's a long day living in Reseda
There's a freeway runnin' through the yard
And I'm a bad boy cause I don't even miss her
I'm a bad boy for breakin' her heart
And I'm free, free fallin'
Yeah I'm free, free fallin'
This is why we call the original sin of Adam and Eve as “the Fall”, because as a race we have been falling ever since. What appears to be freedom, or looks so innocent – “just a little sin”, is in reality another jump into a greater bondage, from which there is no escape. C.S. Lewis helps us to see how the Fall is relived in each of our lives on a daily basis.
“From the moment a creature becomes aware of God as God and of itself as self, the terrible alternative of choosing God or self for the centre is opened to it. This sin is committed daily….it is the fall in every individual life, and in each day of each individual life, the basic sin behind all particular sins: at this very moment you and I are either committing it, or about to commit it, or repenting it.” (The Problem of Pain.)
It is why on a moment to moment basis, I need to trust in the mercy of God and the grace He gives me in Christ Jesus. I am a bad boy, who needs grace in the form of Christ’s righteousness given to me freely. Falling into Christ is true freedom.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Presbyterians in Politics
Proverbs 24:21-22 (ESV)
My son, fear the Lord and the king,
and do not join with those who do otherwise,
for disaster from them will rise suddenly,
and who knows the ruin that will come from them both?
1 Tim. 2:1-2 (ESV)
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, [2] for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.
For Christians, the Bible is clear that we ought to show respect to those in authority and to pray for our governmental leaders. This is true no matter what country we live in or what kind of leader we have. The advice from Solomon was to “fear the Lord and the king,” because we are called to be a people who live under authority and to recognize authority comes from God. Even in the New Testament, with the church living in a climate of persecution, the Apostle Paul admonishes believers to pray for their political leaders.
We are not given the option from Scriptures to check out of the responsibilities of citizenship, even though we recognize our final loyalty is in another King and another country. Christians in the tradition of the Reformed faith have taken this responsibility with utmost seriousness. John Calvin wrote his magisterially work of theology, the Christian Institutes of Religion as a defense of the movement’s legitimacy under the rule of King Francis I of France. Calvin’s preface is a letter addressed to the king. He wrote this, “The characteristic of a true sovereign is, to acknowledge that, in the administration of his kingdom, he is a minister of God. He who does not make his reign subservient to the divine glory, acts the part not of a king, but a robber.” His concern that the government of Geneva under the leadership of Protestant Reformers was not perceived as a heretical, rag-tag bunch of anarchists or revolutionaries bespeaks his view of government. The Reformers had their problem with a corrupt Church and an errant Pope who had left the true faith of the Bible, not with a legitimate king.
Our nation’s founding bears a direct line to this moral and theological understanding. Samuel Rutherford’s work on the problem of absolute monarchy in his explosive book Lex Rex, influenced the best of the legal minds of our early founders from the English jurist William Blackstone to John Witherspoon: the only clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence, and a Presbyterian. Samuel Rutherford was one of the commissioners of the Westminster Assembly in England. James Madison studied under Witherspoon at Princeton and with his Calvinist imprint was a principal author of the Constitution.
This tradition of the Reformed faith continued through our nation’s history. Consider that 10 of our Presidents have been Presbyterian or members of the Reformed Church. Some were:
John Q. Adams – a trustee at New York Ave. Presbyterian Church.
Martin Van Buren – from the Dutch Reformed Church and antislavery campaigner.
James Buchanan- eventually joined New York Avenue Presbyterian, after an initial probation, since he had moderate views on slavery.
Benjamin Harrison – A Presbyterian deacon, elder and S.S. teacher.
Theodore Roosevelt – Dutch Reformed Church.
Woodrow Wilson - One historian noted, “No one in the history of the White House could equal his master of the Bible, nor could anyone surpass his knowledge of theology.” His father and grandfather were Presbyterian ministers, and he left the presidency of Princeton University to lead our nation during the tumultuous times of the First World War. Notwithstanding all this, he was a progressive in his ideology.
Dwight Eisenhower – baptized into a Presbyterian church after being sworn into office. Attended National Presbyterian Church – got serious about faith in public life and during his time the motto “In God we trust” was imprinted on our currency.
Ronald Reagan – a member of Bel Air Presbyterian Church in California and the last U.S. president to be a Presbyterian (although not a regular attendee).
We also cannot forget Abraham Lincoln, who never officially joined any church and disavowed himself of organized religion did attend services at the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in D.C. His wife, Mary Todd appeared to be a faithful Presbyterian.
So, if you add up the numbers of both Presbyterian and Reformed Presidents they outnumber any other denomination, with the Episcopalians coming in second at nine. A recent poll (now a year old) showed that our Congress had 9.7 Presbyterians compared to the national average of 1.7 who claim some type of Presbyterian membership. This is not to say these numbers show a large percentage of faithful believers at work in our government, but merely points out that our heritage has had a lasting influence in the way we think about our civil responsibilities. We ought to be about fearing God and honoring our leaders.
My son, fear the Lord and the king,
and do not join with those who do otherwise,
for disaster from them will rise suddenly,
and who knows the ruin that will come from them both?
1 Tim. 2:1-2 (ESV)
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, [2] for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.
For Christians, the Bible is clear that we ought to show respect to those in authority and to pray for our governmental leaders. This is true no matter what country we live in or what kind of leader we have. The advice from Solomon was to “fear the Lord and the king,” because we are called to be a people who live under authority and to recognize authority comes from God. Even in the New Testament, with the church living in a climate of persecution, the Apostle Paul admonishes believers to pray for their political leaders.
We are not given the option from Scriptures to check out of the responsibilities of citizenship, even though we recognize our final loyalty is in another King and another country. Christians in the tradition of the Reformed faith have taken this responsibility with utmost seriousness. John Calvin wrote his magisterially work of theology, the Christian Institutes of Religion as a defense of the movement’s legitimacy under the rule of King Francis I of France. Calvin’s preface is a letter addressed to the king. He wrote this, “The characteristic of a true sovereign is, to acknowledge that, in the administration of his kingdom, he is a minister of God. He who does not make his reign subservient to the divine glory, acts the part not of a king, but a robber.” His concern that the government of Geneva under the leadership of Protestant Reformers was not perceived as a heretical, rag-tag bunch of anarchists or revolutionaries bespeaks his view of government. The Reformers had their problem with a corrupt Church and an errant Pope who had left the true faith of the Bible, not with a legitimate king.
Our nation’s founding bears a direct line to this moral and theological understanding. Samuel Rutherford’s work on the problem of absolute monarchy in his explosive book Lex Rex, influenced the best of the legal minds of our early founders from the English jurist William Blackstone to John Witherspoon: the only clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence, and a Presbyterian. Samuel Rutherford was one of the commissioners of the Westminster Assembly in England. James Madison studied under Witherspoon at Princeton and with his Calvinist imprint was a principal author of the Constitution.
This tradition of the Reformed faith continued through our nation’s history. Consider that 10 of our Presidents have been Presbyterian or members of the Reformed Church. Some were:
John Q. Adams – a trustee at New York Ave. Presbyterian Church.
Martin Van Buren – from the Dutch Reformed Church and antislavery campaigner.
James Buchanan- eventually joined New York Avenue Presbyterian, after an initial probation, since he had moderate views on slavery.
Benjamin Harrison – A Presbyterian deacon, elder and S.S. teacher.
Theodore Roosevelt – Dutch Reformed Church.
Woodrow Wilson - One historian noted, “No one in the history of the White House could equal his master of the Bible, nor could anyone surpass his knowledge of theology.” His father and grandfather were Presbyterian ministers, and he left the presidency of Princeton University to lead our nation during the tumultuous times of the First World War. Notwithstanding all this, he was a progressive in his ideology.
Dwight Eisenhower – baptized into a Presbyterian church after being sworn into office. Attended National Presbyterian Church – got serious about faith in public life and during his time the motto “In God we trust” was imprinted on our currency.
Ronald Reagan – a member of Bel Air Presbyterian Church in California and the last U.S. president to be a Presbyterian (although not a regular attendee).
We also cannot forget Abraham Lincoln, who never officially joined any church and disavowed himself of organized religion did attend services at the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in D.C. His wife, Mary Todd appeared to be a faithful Presbyterian.
So, if you add up the numbers of both Presbyterian and Reformed Presidents they outnumber any other denomination, with the Episcopalians coming in second at nine. A recent poll (now a year old) showed that our Congress had 9.7 Presbyterians compared to the national average of 1.7 who claim some type of Presbyterian membership. This is not to say these numbers show a large percentage of faithful believers at work in our government, but merely points out that our heritage has had a lasting influence in the way we think about our civil responsibilities. We ought to be about fearing God and honoring our leaders.
Monday, October 25, 2010
2010 Mission Emphasis Week
“Declare his glory among the nations…” 1 Chron. 16:24
Sunday, Oct. 24 –Military Ministry International
9:30 am - Sunday School
10:30 am – Morning Worship – Rev. Hudson
5:00 pm - Evening Worship – Rev. Hudson
Doug leads Ministry to the Military International, which is planting PCA churches near bases around the world through our Presbytery.
Wednesday, Oct. 27th - Africa
5:30 pm – International Dinner (covered-dish) 6:30 pm - Matt Chancey
Matt Chancey serves on the board of Persecution Project, and has recently returned from Africa.
Friday, Oct. 29 - Mission Movie Night
This is a family night out with popcorn, pizza and must see movie about missions. Fellowship Hall at 6 pm.
Sunday, Oct. 31 – Latin America Focus
9:30 am – Wallace & Barbara Pouncy
10:30 am - Morning Worship – Rev. Baucum
5:00 pm - Evening Worship – Rev. Andres Garza
The Pouncys worked with New Tribes Missions in Bolivia and Latin America. They will share stories of their early work.
Andres Garza and the Northern Mexico Team with MTW will be sharing the vision of taking the Gospel to Monterrey and other key cities.
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