Lawson, Church, and Protestantism; It’s Just That Simple
Paul – I think you are being too generous to Lawson, unless my antipathy towards Calvinism has got the better of me! I even looked up Wartburg Watch after about a decade, and the comment there that Lawson has yet even to mention his victim, the girl he had the affaire with, is very telling and indicates his repentance may be more remorse for what his actions have done to him. There is a history of men trying to get back into ministry via repentance but who don’t put things right with the victims. (I appreciate this is assuming she was not altogether willing due to the power differential, the internet is not party to all the details. I also don’t want to be pharisaiacal and deny him the very real forgiveness available if he genuinely turns away from his sins.)
Wartburg quoted Lawson on hell, and frankly he came across as a weirdo, something is clearly wrong with a man who talks like that.
In my observation of Calvinists and their strange doctrines in recent months I have been struck by the notion of regeneration being prior to faith, and indeed necessary for faith to be exercised. Now you have often pointed out the failure to see the the new birth goes beyond a ‘legal declaration’ of being righteous in the sight of God, but I wonder if Calvinists who have given mental assent to the facts of the gospel take this to mean they must be regenerate, their “faith” is evidence of new birth. How else would you know you are part of the elect? You have got to find some subjective evidence you have in fact been chosen for salvation.
What if they are ‘believers’ without the new birth, they have wrongly assumed they are born again? They could have any amount of theology and doctrine and Greek and Hebrew and church history, but no fundamental change has ever taken place, they are not new creations in Christ. They have biblical words, but do not possess what those words mean. Is this a possible explanation for Lawson?
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Whoa, where to start? First of all, Protestantism is Calvinism. Protestantism is founded on the Big Three: Augustine, Luther, Calvin. Luther and Calvin based their authority on Augustine, a Neo-Platonist. Platonism is the antithesis of the biblical new birth, which promotes the idea of deity being fused together with mortality. CLEARLY, authentic Protestant theology rejects the biblical new birth.
After the American Revolution, masses of people were reading the Bible for themselves, and along with influence from the Quakers, a more biblical view of the new birth took hold, and while the Protestant view of salvation continued to be reflected in formal church worship, Protestantism was taken over by a more individualistic biblical new birth mentality. Calls to return to the authentic Protestant gospel sprang up here and there, but fell on deaf ears. Most notably, as reflected by the book, “Disciplined By Grace” written by J.F. Strombeck in 1946. Note the title, and the idea that sanctification (the discipline of the Christian life) is effected by perpetual re-salvation (grace). Hence, discipline in sanctification is by salvation. Sanctification by justification.
The only problem with all of these attempts is they didn’t say the quite part out loud and in plain terms. Well, in 1970, the Australian Forum finally did. Their theological journal, Present Truth, was really a commentary on the Calvin Institutes and the writings of Luther. I document the history of the AF in The Truth About New Calvinism in painstaking detail (primarily chapter 4).
Fact is, the AF gave birth to the New Calvinism movement, which is a return to authentic Protestantism, and overtly denies the biblical new birth and the idea that salvation changes a person’s state of being. Hence, biblically speaking, this means that Protestants are still enslaved to sin with the behaviors we see coming out of church following. Church still advocates moral behavior as an entry level pretense, but then asserts that as people grow spiritually, they become Calvinists. This is why they handle those who “fall” they way they do…it’s all window dressing.
Lawson did what he did because he was taken captive by sin, and dragged away into death per the theology that he has preached for years. In addition, his peers knew it was going on. Hanging out with her publicly was hardly, “avoiding all appearances of evil.” Just consider the insanity of this affair; where did they think it was going to go or end up? They BOTH knew it was going to have a sorry end…but they couldn’t help themselves…they were enslaved to the sinful desire per their theology.
It’s just that simple.
Addendum:
Remember, all residual doctrines of Protestantism, like the idea that people are regenerated before salvation, are fruits from the poisonous tree. Furthermore, if the doctrines were true, the Bible would read differently. In context of cause and effect, God would be the cause in every sentence. Furthermore, in presenting the gospel, why do Calvinists attempt to persuade rather than just presenting the gospel and taking a wait and see posture? You never hear them say, “It’s not your decision, if God saves you, you will start going to church even though salvation doesn’t really change you, you are still totally depraved.” So, the Protestant gospel is not full disclosure by any stretch of the imagination. In addition, someone who hates their life and wants to change it would be misguided in believing the gospel for that reason. The only valid reason would be a strictly legal declaration and not a change in state of being, which the Bible contradicts (justification is apart from the law; a legal declaration is NOT apart from the law).
About Jay Adams
Hello Paul,
I hope you are well.
I wanted to ask if you have any thoughts or opinions on Jay Adam’s book Competent to Counsel? Would you recommend it as a book for counselling other Christians?
Kind regards,
Alan
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Hi Alan,
I am well, and hope you are the same.
Yes. Jay’s counseling approach, though a contradiction to his soteriology, is effective. It’s the ONLY effective approach in church circles. Furthermore, Jay’s counseling movement, which peaked in the 90s, was the only true spiritual revival in church history. All the other so-called revivals were Christian political movements labeled as spiritual revivals. The biggest example is the Great Awakening, which was really predicated on individual freedom and Americanism, and the likes of Whitfield and Edwards rode in on their horses and took credit for it. The church, while being overcome by a resurgence of authentic Protestantism circa 2006, began aggressively attacking Jay’s counseling construct, even referring to it as a false gospel.
paul
Steven Lawson Explained: The Protestant False Gospel
Steven Lawson had five years to consider what he had to lose by partaking in a relationship with a women other than his wife. I think Lawson is probably an ok guy, and fairly decent as far as people go, so now we can consider what he knew. He knew what the exposure would do to the cause of Christ, his peers, his family, and his followers. While he revealed his penchant for imagination by preaching about the agonizing details of hell to invoke fear in people, a hallmark that supposedly makes evangelical preaching superior, he was certainly able to imagine the pain he was going to inflict on many. He knew he would lose everything, and lastly, he knew that the relationship was not good for the young lady that he was endeared to. And, Steve Lawson is not stupid, he knew that the affair would eventually be exposed. If, as reported, the sexual aspect didn’t take place until the latter part of the relationship, he had several years to prevent what he had to know was inevitable.
But, he didn’t. Why? Because he couldn’t help himself. He was tied up and dragged away by his own lust. Folks, the Bible calls that enslavement to sin. We can also think about the guy in the Old Testament that raped Absalom’s sister. Absalom’s reputation as a vicious warrior preceded him. What did the guy think the result was going to be? Yet, his sexual lust tied him up and dragged him away into certain death. The Bible tells us that the guy was so consumed with lust for Absalom’s sister that he was bedridden with depression. He had to fulfill the lust he was enslaved to, even though he knew it meant certain death. Likewise, Lawson knew the consequences. Certainly, his conscience cried out to him many times and he was afforded years of escape, but he couldn’t stop.
The Bible has many demarcations between the saved and unsaved. One is enslaved to sin versus not enslaved to sin with the ability to “say no to sin.” So, why do true Christians fall prey to sin? Weakness, not enslavement. That’s why the lives of professing Christians should be demonstrably more virtuous than unbelievers or religionists. Obviously, Lawson couldn’t say no regardless of the consequences.
But wait, that’s the Protestant gospel. It conflates justification and sanctification, and denies a biblical definition of the new birth. It states that Christians still need to be saved (Piper), and that Christians are yet enemies of God (Tripp, Mahaney, Calvin, Luther et al). According to Protestantism, salvation is nothing more than a “legal declaration,” while there is no change in any “saved” person’s state of being. This means that every Protestant is still enslaved to sin by definition. Wouldn’t this explain the train wreck that is church (John Mark Hall) in general and the long list of fallen pastors in particular?
With this being said, I believe there is a difference between the intellectual testimony of some Protestants and their functionality. While some have a proper understanding of the new birth, and even showed signs of having a transformed state of being in the beginning, sitting under bad theology week after week can cause them to be functionally enslaved to sin. Either way, we hear constant testimonies from Protestants about falling into the same sins over and over again and chronic lack of assurance.
Lastly, let’s discuss more corruption that constantly flows from the Protestant industrial complex ruled by spiritual tyrants as would be expected due to a false gospel. What did Lawson’s peers know, and when? This was going on for 5 years and no one knew? Really? I can tell you that his wife knew. C’mon ladies, bear witness. Your husband could have a 5-year affair with another woman and you might not know? I don’t believe that. And if she knew, who else knew?
EVERY one of Lawson’s peers should have to publicly state on the record what they knew and when they knew it. On top of everything else, either Lawson performed an unprecedented level of deception, or many of his peers knew and remained silent.
And if that’s the case, it should be confessed.
paul
Let’s Talk About the Rapture and Possible “Golden Age”
I am a shameless believer in the Rapture, and I believe the insistence by Churchians that Christians will live through the Rapture comes from a justification by works mentality. On the one hand, the church moans and whines about how we are all broken and must escape to Jesus daily, but believing that Christians will be raptured to heaven before the Tribulation period is “escapism.” And so it goes, just another example of church cognitive dissonance.
And don’t you know, God supposedly plays word games. The Rapture isn’t imminent because Christ said we don’t know the “day or the hour,” but apparently, we can know the seven-year time frame. Nope, whether you are mid-trib or post-trib, the day can be pinpointed with the information stated in the Bible.
Regarding earthquakes, wars and rumors of wars, and other present-day events, they have NOTHING to do with the Tribulation period. Nothing. What’s the difference? These events that take place during the Tribulation will trouble the whole world. Jesus said these events will be the beginning of real labor. In nursing, false labor and real labor are easily distinguished. During the Tribulation period, most of the world will know it is real labor, and that it will soon intensify.
We are not going to see a gradual increase in worldly woes because we are supposedly in the Tribulation period already or in real labor. Christ made it clear, his return will be like a thief coming in the night. And that return is obviously not his visible second coming at the end of the Tribulation period. There will be big picture signs that we are closer (eg, Israel becoming a state again), but we know that the passing of every day brings us closer as well.
This post is about another big picture event, if it happens. The new Trump administration is talking about ushering in a new “Golden Age” for America, and subsequently, the world. If this does occur because governments will no longer be obstructing individual creativity and upward mobility, this would be a big picture event that could be a prerequisite to the Rapture.
The Bible is also clear on the following point: the world will be enjoying peace and prosperity never before experienced and the Tribulation period will happen suddenly, and panic the world at large. There are many passages that could be cited to make this point, but the apostle Paul said that during a time when Israel lives in peace and safety, “sudden” destruction will come upon them. If America does occupy Gaza, virtually making the most powerful country in the world Israel’s next door neighbor, Isreal would certainly be living in peace.
Oh please, just stop it, I am not saying Trump is the Anti-Christ, but with that said, it will be someone like Trump who is a no nonsense problem solver. More than likely, the Trump doctrine is setting the stage for someone else who is coming later.
The main point of this post follows: the next big picture event before the Rapture is a golden age. And be careful, that does not speak to the population’s moral standing. While crime may be at an all-time low because of governmental restraint, biblical love will be scraping the bottom of the pickle barrel.
paul
Churchian Hallmarks Part 2
You need to be very careful that you are not looking in the mirror and describing yourself.
Or what? Sounds like a threat. I “NEED to be,” “VERY careful,” oh my. Oh, wait, that’s right, if I don’t submit to your authority, God will judge me. And thanks for telling me what I need. You see, tyrants always threaten us with their authority because they love the commoners. They are concerned with our, “needs.” The medieval church would execute you if you didn’t let them help you, because of the love, and this bunch are only different because of American jurisprudence. So, we best not forget another hallmark of spiritual tyranny, love bombing. Thanks for stopping by and furthering my point.
Paul's Passing Thoughts 
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