Moving Bus Running Over Discernment During Meditation
I have been sent another article written by the poetic Scott Bennett who authors Moving Bus Meditations blog. This is the second, very annoying post of his that has been sent to me that I am compelled to respond to. The other one propagated progressive imputation. What’s that? I will explain because it’s a prerequisite to understanding my annoyance with his most recent post:
In salvation; the once saved always saved variety, the righteousness of God the Father is imputed to us when we believe that His Son paid the penalty for our sins. So, justification is not progressive. Our salvation does not grow. It’s a finished work. We grow as new creatures in Christ, but we are no more saved or less saved than when God declared us righteous. Our sanctification is not powered by justification—it’s powered by regeneration; ie, the new birth and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who is our counselor and helper.
Bennett is hardcore Reformed, or an authentic Calvinist. They believe that our justification was also dependent on Christ’s perfect life when He came the first time. He died for our sins on the cross, what they call His “passive obedience,” and He also lived a perfect life as a substitute for our obedience in sanctification, what they call His “active obedience.” They believe this is necessary because John Calvin did not believe justification is a finished work. He believed that the perfect standard of the law must be maintained during our life in order for God’s declaration concerning us to be true. If the law is not obeyed for us perfectly while we are alive, His declaration would be “legal fiction.” So, because Calvin believed that sanctification is the progressive part of our salvation until glorification, and the standard is perfect obedience to the law, Jesus had to therefore live a perfect life for our life as part of the atonement. Unfortunately, and also indicative of our day, I have lost most Christians by now, so let me simplify it for you: Jesus obeys for us. In fact, if you make any effort to obey, you are trying to help Jesus finish your salvation; therefore, you are no different than a Roman Catholic.
“But, but, Jesus obeys for us? How in the world does that happen?!” I’m glad you asked. This was the subject of Bennett’s post. Hardcore authentic followers of the murdering mystic despot John Calvin believe the Bible is a “gospel narrative,” or “story.” As we meditate on the narrative, and see how Jesus obeyed the commands that we are unable to obey to maintain the true legal story that is not fiction, what we “see” is imputed to us. Hence, we experience the obedience and love of Jesus, but it’s not really us doing it. Obeying biblical commands “in our own efforts” is paramount to works salvation. Reformed leaders call this: “the imperative command is grounded in the indicative event.”
“But, but, how do we know when we are obeying “in our own efforts” instead of Jesus obeying for us?” Again, I’m glad you asked. Any obedience done out of duty, or without joy, or with effort as opposed to a “mere natural flow” is obedience done in “our own effort.” It’s not learn and practice—it’s meditate and experience. Experience is not always part and parcel with who we are. We can experience something that doesn’t define our being; eg, Hitler experienced good things, but that doesn’t mean he was a good person. Our experience is a manifestation in the realm in which we exist, but it is not really us who is responsible for the manifestation.
This is the Segway to his latest post (A Political Post: Are We Following the Wrong Story?). A few more basics to understanding how this supposedly “works”: the “gospel” (or the works of Christ) is the summation of all reality. True reality is only realized by meditating on the gospel narrative. Simply meditating on the gospel story via the Bible shows us a deeper and deeper vision of Christ’s holiness as “set against a deeper and deeper knowledge of our own total depravity.” This results in a “revisiting of the gospel afresh” which results in a “manifestation of love.” Or, now speaking directly to Bennett’s post, the following occurs as a “mere natural flow”:
…. a family spends a Saturday serving warm soup to the homeless.
…. a boy pours out his piggy bank to count the coins he’s collected for his favorite charity.
…. a sweet 77-year-old sings hymns to her dying husband in the night.
….a pastor stands up on a Wednesday night—telling five faithful families one more time about a carpenter who came to earth as Prophet, Priest and King.
Because this doctrine is supposedly lived out through the heavenly realm on earth, it sees worldly affairs as petty. Therefore, Bennett sets the above examples against supposed worldly concerns:
While the nation holds its breath for the outcome of November 6….
While the nation is frozen, paralyzed in its preoccupation over who will occupy the White House….
While America spars dividedly over which party’s brand of change is better….
While bitter political arguments pervade the social networks….
While political prophecies of hope or despair dominate the headlines….
You know, the kind of stuff Abraham Lincoln got tangled up in when he was president. A pity he didn’t spend more time in gospel contemplationism. And I am sure Bennett would think it unspiritual for the Negro population of that time to be concerned for those things regardless of the fact that their relatives were being lynched at will. But oh well—God’s will—right?
Aside from the naive arrogance of it all, Bennett’s doctrine doesn’t manifest his musings. He is a rabid follower of leaders who have a litany of unresolved conflict with many Christians, and are guilty of criminal acts against others, both in the present, and those who hatched this mystic doctrine 500 years ago. While Bennett’s motif is popular among the neo-Calvinists of our day, their more visible leaders work behind the scenes through several organizations to once again get in bed with the government. They lust for a return to Calvin’s Geneva that was a totalitarian state bar none. Missing from Bennett’s fluffy motif are the screams of those burning at the stake and the heads of disobedient children falling into a basket.
He is a hypocrite extraordinaire.
paul
Paul's Passing Thoughts 
Paul – I pity you.
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Brian,
Likewise: you are a mindless follower of men and are leading your family in a mystic sanctification that deprives them of salvation’s full experience. You are also a proud member of a church that fellowships with Clearcreek Chapel — a church that has a long, long list of unreconciled differences with many, many godly people. When you approached me about the leadership of your church imposing Sonship theology, I supplied you with indisputable evidence and implored you to leave that church. Don’t harass me because you are a coward and will not stand for the truth.
You just bought yourself and Birdwell a full-blown expose on what Kool-Aid drinking on steroids “looks like.” Members who left CCC and ended up there know grade-A-well what all of the dirty laundry is, but yet fellowship with CCC with all joy. I have bigger things on the list, but warning people in the Cinn/Mid area about your “church” is totally warranted, and I will do it with all diligence. Be sure of it. You might want to apprise your pastor; the way he left Southern drinking the Al Mohler Kool-Aid, and with the intentions of starting a New Calvinist work will be well documented with all diligence, and the fact that he runs a counseling ministry that like NANC does not believe that people really change, but remain totally depraved. Birdwells initial messages also bear outright lies in regard to what he has believed all along, and such will be clearly documented. The demographics will be addressed as well; ie, NANC has absolutely NO ministry or impact in zip codes with a 50% minority population or more. It’s all about the money.
Brian, you are coward, and a disgrace–I am ashamed that you were ever my friend. Furthermore, your church is a danger to anyone in that area that would walk through those doors.
And my duty will be exercised accordingly,
Paul Dohse
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Paul – I’m sure you enjoyed that tirade – it’s what you do for a living. Others who read it may find this fact amusing: I am no longer a member of the “Birdwell” church and currently attend a non-Calvinistic Baptist Church. Care to revise any of your rant?
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Brian,
Why would I? Because you are believable? Look in the mirror Brian. You said you had my back when you knew grade-A-well that I was under bogus church discipline at CCC. We all know how that turned out. You have no soul, and you are a coward, and your friendship to anyone is mere nomenclature.
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Have your back? What are you talking about? I have no authority or influence over your situation. I made no promises to do anything nor do I have any power to change anything you’ve gone through.
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Brian,
You most certainly did say you had my back in the sanctuary at CCC after Sunday School and 3 feet from the coffee table when I told you I was in process of being muzzled via bogus discipline. The same way Chad Bresson called you up on the phone and put a gag order on you. As the worship leader, and as one highly respected in that church, they knew they couldn’t get away with placing you under discipline–not even close. You were also present the morning that they excommunicated me for totally unbiblical reasons before my church family of 20 years. You, like many others, did nothing. NOTHING! You have, like the others there, bought into the whole idea that elders have authority beyond Scripture. But thank God it happened. I thought all of those people were my family. I shudder to think that I would still be there under that illusion. Scary. Furthermore, you continued to fellowship with them after they plainly showed their egregious character; eg, actually claiming that Birdwell’s work was of CCC. The CCC leadership is sick, twisted, and downright evil, but yet, you would never stand up to them. Instead, you actually made it a point to fellowship with them. And you come here and say you pity me? Really?
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Paul – I have no idea what you mean by Chad Bresson muzzling me. Also, I was never even close to having “church discipline” applied; I left on excellent terms and did nothing wrong whatsoever. All of the elders were nothing but gracious to me and my family. I caused no problems there – ever.
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Look Brian, I am really busy, and this is America. You have stated your position and I have stated mine. Let me leave you with this as it might help you: “Gee whiz Brian, I am the only one standing up to the CCC elders–this could very well mean that I have them all wrong! I will look into the idea. After all, you did tell me that Mark Schindler cried in front of everybody when they excommunicated me, and golly, that just spoke volumes to you (it’s called a “guilty conscience” back when he had one). Yes Brian, even though it is established that there were members living in open sin and fully known by the CCC elders while they had me under bogus discipline, I must consider that they are really men of austere spiritual renown.”
Feel better Brian? Now please run along.
paul
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….furthermore Brian, It makes me sick the way Bennett comes across as the gentle poet while propagating a false doctrine that is ripping families apart daily. gag, it’s sickening: so I will continue to call him out on it–get over it.
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I know Bennett and I know doctrine. I disagree with your conclusion.
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I know his doctrine also. And that’s all I need to know about him. I have no use for anybody who holds to that doctrine. That crowd has caused me to respect dogs of every kind. You always know a dog by their breed and demeanor. That’s a good thing. New Calvinists are far less transparent and exceedingly more dangerous.
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