How Most Pastors Today Use The Bible
“….if the higher law of love abrogates the law of Scripture, it sure as hell abrogated your by-laws. I find the incredulous demeanor of people who come to me with these reports both adorable and naive. It’s time for Christians to wake up and start drinking more coffee.”
I’m wondering; can we begin calling our present day, “The Age of the Australian Forum”? If you really want to understand what’s going on in the church theologically, read the Forum’s journal: Present Truth Magazine. It can be obtained online for free through a Progressive Adventist church that archived most of the issues.
The Forum’s hermeneutic was based on their thesis, the centrality of the objective gospel completely outside of us (COGOUS) which is supposedly the lost doctrine of the Reformation. It’s monergism on steroids. We are so wicked and totally depraved, that objective truth can only be outside of us. When truth starts being processed inside of us, the only result can be subjectivism.
What to do then? Answer: focus on central truth that is the “power of the gospel.” Basically, gospel, gospel, and more gospel transforms us into Christ likeness. We need to saturate ourselves with information about the works of Christ, not anything we would do. Hence, pithy truisms like, “Not, ‘What would Jesus do?’ But, ‘What has Jesus done.’”
Supposedly, saturating ourselves with what Jesus has done, not anything that we would do fills our hearts with gratitude and makes us willing and joyful participants in obedience. However, the key is to focus on gospel and then allow works to flow from that. Obedience when we don’t feel like it, or out of duty, is not “done in love” And, the point isn’t how well we do that—because we are not “under law, but under grace.” The point is not to “obey in our own efforts.” Results are not the goal, we can’t affect any results anyway; the goal is to avoid “making our sanctification the basis of our justification.” In other words, all works must flow from justification truth and the “power of the gospel.” Just focus on gospel, and let the “active obedience of Christ” take care of the rest.
This is because Christ was not only obedient to the cross (known as His “passive” obedience), but also lived a perfect life so that His obedience for sanctification could be imputed to us as well (Christ’s “active” obedience). Hence, and don’t miss this, if we try to obey in sanctification, we are trying to accomplish works that have already been finished by Christ as part of the atonement, and thus making our sanctification the grounds of our justification because the two are fused together and part of the atonement with Christ living a perfect life here on Earth for one, and dying for the other. Got that? This makes sanctification very tricky business. At any time, we could be unwittingly “making our sanctification the grounds of our justification.”
Come now, admit it, we hear this lingo all the time reverberating throughout churchianity.
Where does the use of the Bible fit into all of this? Answer: it is a tool for the gospel contemplationism needed to transform us into the likeness of Christ. All of the commands in the Bible are to remind us of the fact that Christ obeyed all of them for us (this is the basis of the New Calvinist motto, “Christ for us”). Biblical imperatives are supposed to remind us of the futility of trying to keep them ourselves while invoking thankfulness for what Jesus has done “for us,” not anything we do. However, polity framework is considered to be a separate issue. They concede that the Bible contains guidelines for structuring the church, but that is for practical function and is separate from “spiritual formation.” Moreover, this view contends that the Holy Spirit only illumines when the Bible is used to see the gospel in a deeper and deeper way. And also, aside from practical use for structuring, seeing the Bible through the prism of gospel (ie., Christ the person and His works) interprets the Bible itself for all uses in “spiritual formation.”
Now, since Christ already fulfilled the law and imputed it to us, our goal isn’t to follow specific imperatives in the Bible, but rather to fulfill the “higher law of love” that Christ has instituted to replace the “fulfilled” law which is now abrogated by the “higher law of Christ.” What does that look like?! Answer: it looks like whatever the gospel produces! Because, when it’s the result of the gospel, it can’t be wrong! If the elders of your church are “saturated with the gospel”—they can’t be wrong, and it may, or may not look like “the dead letter of the law,” ie., biblical imperatives not seen in their “gospel context.” As Francis Chan states it: “When you are loving, you can’t sin.”
Look folks, this ministry sees this approach to the Bible fleshing itself out in real-life church situations daily: “But, but, how can they do this?! It is clearly against Scripture!” No, in their minds, it is against a law that has been abrogated by the higher law of Christ. “But, but, what’s that?” Answer: whatever results in the elders being saturated with the gospel, that’s what. And then there is the whole issue of New Calvinist elders poo—pooing church constitutions and by-laws. Trust me, if the higher law of love abrogates the law of Scripture, it sure as hell abrogated your by-laws. I find the incredulous demeanor of people who come to me with these reports both adorable and naive. It’s time for Christians to wake up and start drinking more coffee.
Let me tell you what the perfect cover is and why so many pastors get away with using the Bible this way. In fact, I will begin to explain with a question: how many great sermons can be preached about the awesomeness of Christ and all that He has done for us? Answer: how many books has John Piper written? And people rave about all of them! But what is missing? Answer: aside from a truckload, Matthew 7:24-27. One of the best friendships I have was brought about when she objected to an article I wrote along these lines, and mentioned a book by John Piper that was supposedly “full of biblical instruction.” I then responded and encouraged her to reread the book and list every biblical life application she could find. She did just that and contacted me by email: “Your right. This is a real eye opener.”
What prompted this post? I read this article here: article link. Read it for yourself and let me know if it rings any bells.
paul
Paul's Passing Thoughts 
There is no question about whether the NT contains commands and imperatives. The question is, do these commands come to us in the form of law, under a legal administration? or through the Gospel under the administration of grace? and what relationship, if any, do these commands and imperatives have to the New Covenant itself?
See here for some interesting perspecitves: http://christmycovenant.com/wordpress/?p=1806
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Jack,
You have redefined imperatives as having two different categories/administrations from which they come to us. This separation of law and gospel for both justification and sanctification comes straight from the Australian Forum. As far as the relationship to the New Covenant, that’s all of Scripture minus what Christ and the apostles specifically cancelled or added.
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Jack,
I went to your link which is described as a companion site to the Earth Stove Society which is a think tank for New Covenant Theology. One of the founders of the ESS is Christian mystic/antinomian Chad Bresson who’s view of Scripture matches my post to a “T.” NCT was invented by the joint efforts of Robert Brinsmead and Jon Zens via the Forum and their core doctrine, “the centrality of the objective gospel completely outside of us” which is explained in the post. Zens coined the phrase “New Covenant Theology” in 1981. Shockingly, the ESS, in true postmodern style, admits that NCT is in constant flux. Sure it is, what else would Bresson do for a hobby? At last check, the ESS has determined that NCT has 80 elements. Presently, that is. 2000 years later and the church is still working through the issues of law and gospel? C’mon Jack, your kidding, right?
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No, not kidding. Did you at least give the article an honest read or just dismiss it because of associations to ESS?
Let me rephrase my question: do ANY of the Bible’s commands come to us saints in the form of law, under a legal administration? Are we who are united to Jesus Christ, and IN Him, through faith in the Gospel to render obedience to a legal framework (as to law code) or to Christ himself under his administration of free grace, in the “new way of the Spirit”? There is a massive difference. And what relationship does our obedience, as those now IN Christ, to these commands and imperatives have to the New Covenant itself, as opposed to Israel under the Old Covenant administration? Is our sanctification something that law and commandments produce OR is it something that grace and the Spirit’s indwelling produces?
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Geez Jack, your are regurgitating all of the things that I constantly contend against on this blog.
1. “Let me rephrase my question: do ANY of the Bible’s commands come to us saints in the form of law, under a legal administration?”
No, BECAUSE sanctification cannot effect the finished work of justification which is the only “legal administration” that there is in the Bible. BUT NCT begins with the false premise that the two are fused together. Hence, you state the following:
2. “Are we who are united to Jesus Christ, and IN Him, through faith in the Gospel to render obedience to a legal framework (as to law code) or to Christ himself under his administration of free grace, in the’new way of the Spirit’?”
You are plainly saying here that gospel and law are separate in sanctification, and therefore, one could offer obedience to a penal code rather than to “Christ himself in the ‘new way of the Spirit.'” But that’s absolutely impossible because Christians are not under the law FOR JUSTIFICATION, so we could not unwittingly apply anything to justification, the two are totally separate and one is a finished work. HOWEVER, it’s possible if the two are fused, that’s why you need a dual “administration” to make it work. This also causes you to insinuate that Old Testament obedience is different than New Testament obedience: “….or to Christ himself under his administration of free grace, in the ‘new way of the Spirit’?” Everything you state makes since if the two are fused together, but problem is, that’s not the case.
3. “And what relationship does our obedience, as those now IN Christ, to these commands and imperatives have to the New Covenant itself, as opposed to Israel under the Old Covenant administration?”
What are you talking about Jack? The “New Covenant” is a covenant that God made with Israel, and when it is fully consummated, everyone will know the Lord. Now, if you want to get into all of that “the church replaced Israel” stuff, don’t do it here. I posted your link. If readers want to go to your site to see how you explain away Jeremiah 31:31-38 in 10,000 words or less, they are more than welcome. Unfortunately, the Holy Spirit used the word, “nation” and the last time I checked, the moon, sun, and stars are still doing their thing.
4. “Is our sanctification something that law and commandments produce OR is it something that grace and the Spirit’s indwelling produces?”
Jack, I reject the premise of the New Calvinist either/or hermeneutic. We produce it because we are new creatures that are born again by the Spirit who helps us (“I will send you another “helper”) and counsels us.We are colaborers with the Trinity. The fruits of the Spirit are “self control.” We have to exercise “self” control, but it’s the Spirit’s fruit. A mystery, but not really complicated. Of course, the law doesn’t produce righteousness, but it surely instructs us on how to colabor with the Holy Spirit. ALSO, the law is “truth,” and the Holy Spirit does not sanctify apart from it: see John 17:17. And if you want to get into all of that “but Christ is the word and truth and that has nothing to do with imperatives” stuff, again, don’t do it here. I posted your link.
Sanctification is not only Christ, but its very definition is abstaining from evil. 1Thess. 4:3-8 makes that clear. And we need the law to do that. This would seem fairly evident.
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I’m truly sorry . . . I’m not understanding your view of the New Covenant here at all. You posit that the NC is only for the nation Israel BUT Paul, an apostle to the Gentiles, calls himself a minister of the New Covenant in 2Cor 3:6. And in regards to the OT ‘nation’ fulfilment, believers in Christ (both Jew and Gentile) are now the ‘holy nation’ 1Pet 2:9 and the true children of Abraham by faith in Christ Gal 3:29 and heirs of the OT promise!
And I really think you are misreading me because I am not saying that law and gospel are separate in sanctification. I am saying that law is completely abolished with regards to our sanctification. Law was abolished at our justification, being nailed to the cross with all its legal demands – Eph 2:15, Col 2:14. Now enters grace. The very grace which brought us into the standing of our justification also is the same grace through which we grow in sanctification, by the word of truth and the power of the Spirit at work in us conforming us into the glorious image of Christ. So I am not discounting the need for commands and imperatives (the Word) in our sanctification, but am careful not to classify them as ‘law’. The category of law always entails legal obligation and condemnation for failure. But for those in Christ, the sting of all legal condemnation has been forever removed – Rom 7:6, 8:1. We are to now walk in the Spirit, and in so doing we put to death the desires of the flesh – Rom 8:13, Gal 5:16. Those who are thus led by the Spirit are no longer under law . . . either for justification or sanctification – Gal 5:18. They are under grace and the command of the Spirit.
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1. I didn’t say that it was only for Israel. Romans 11 is clear on this issue.
2. “The very grace which brought us into the standing of our justification also is the same grace through which we grow in sanctification,”
This is the fusion of justification and sanctification, the basis of 95% of all false doctrine. We are not sanctified by justification. Those who teach such things are false teachers and liers.
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The grace which justifies is the grace which sanctifies. I’m not fusing or confusing justification and sanctification here. They are quite distinctive in the ordo salutis. I’m not saying that we are sanctified by justification. What I’m positing is that the grace of God which saved us (made us just) is the same grace of God which (sanctifies) causes us to grow in progressive holiness. We are not justified by grace, and then sanctified by something other than grace (ie. law).
If you see this a some sort of heretical fusion, then you must see a radical disunity between the two processes. Justification is the very transaction that unites us to Christ in his death and life-giving resurrection power (his indwelling Spirit), by faith. Any further spiritual growth must necessarily be a natural ‘by product’ of our justifying union to Christ the Vine. When we are justified, we are ingrafted into him, dead and raised with him. It is out of that justifying union to Him that we branches then abide and begin to produce fruit. This is sanctification. It is firmly rooted in the union of our justification. Without justifying union to Christ, no sanctification.
So, we are not sanctified BY justification. We are sanctified THROUGH justification. Sanctification is process that happens as a result of, and as a neccessary consequence of, our justification and attending union to Christ. And both processes are all by God’s grace alone, through faith alone.
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Jack,
“And both processes are all by God’s grace alone, through faith alone.” Jack, orthodoxy has NEVER held to a sanctification by faith alone. That’s what the book of James is all about.
Jack, just curious, what is your position on the new birth? Do you part with the father of NCT on that one?
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Without faith it is impossible to please God. All of our obedience to commands (good works) is faith-obedience to Christ himself. Hebrews 11 attests to this. All the saints of old accomplished mighty exploits, but it was all of faith . . . a living and active faith which apprehended Christ. It is the obedience of faith which Paul speaks of – Rom 1:5; 16:26. Any obedience or good works that are divorced from faith . . . are simply not pleasing in God’s sight. So yes, our progrssing sanctification (becoming like Christ from one degree of glory to another) is through the activity of faith alone . . . a living faith which necessarily works, as the believer keeps in step with the life and power Spirit of Christ within him.
As far as the new birth is concerned, I can only speak for myself. The new birth is the entrance of the Holy Spirit into the heart of one who has been sovereignly awakened under the preaching of the Word to believe the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. The new birth is the believer’s entrance into the New Covenant community through the Spirit’s seal, whereby he is vitally united to Christ and receives all his justifying benefits.
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Jack,
But does the believer himself/herself receive personal transformation into a righteous person? Is he/she a new creature in and of himself/herself?
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Yes.
Already – beleivers are already seated with Christ in the heavenly places, their lives being hid in Him.
Not Yet – believers – by virtue of their union to Christ by the Spirit – are being transformed into the image of His righteous Person – our old Adamic nature has been put to death with Christ (Rom 6) and the new creation is becoming like the “last Adam” from one degree of glory to another. Any righteous transformation that we may personally experience is a result of his transforming power in us to make us like Himself. Believers are a new creature, not in their own strength, but in and of thier vital union to Christ and the work that he produces in them by the Spirit’s leading. God’s new creative fiat is Christ himself – 2 Cor 4:6.
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