Unhealed Truth Warriors are in My Thoughts and Prayers this Holiday Season
The Dohse’s had a wonderful Christmas celebration yesterday. The siblings from both sides of the family gathered for Susan’s wonderful cooking, fellowship, and exchanging of gifts. For me, each Christmas has more joy as the balm of time and God’s word heals from the year that New Calvinists ripped my family apart in the name of the murdering mystic despot, John Calvin, their hero and their god. But of course, they are guiltless of such man-worship because, “We don’t agree with everything he taught.” And of course, you aren’t allowed to comment on Calvin unless you have read every word of his endless droning. Never in the history of the world have so many trees been sacrificed for a worthless cause.
Well, things are good for me now. The emotional pain that seized my soul during the first Christmas that I was separated from my family has since passed. A major factor in the healing was a wonderful gift from God named Susan who came while those who truly love me stood watch for my soul. Twenty-four years of our quirky season traditions were gone; things uniquely Dohse like pizza for Thanksgiving dinner—the memories thrown away like the morning trash for the sake of elder self-importance in the name of their god. Without a thought for the pain they have inflicted on a mass of souls, in the season midst, these brute beasts and their minions rejoice in their own plush “Christian” suburbia with their consciences long ago buried under the backyard swimming pool. Their evil road is paved by those who “move on” with their lives.
And this Christmas season, though it is well with my soul, I know that there are many like I was on that first Christmas. And if you are one such person, my thoughts and prayers are with you. I will not push this reality in the background. So, tomorrow, amidst the joy of our next gathering among several more between now and the first day of the New Year, Susan and I will have a time of prayer for you. The losses suffered by the “unadjusted gospel,” and the “scandalous gospel,” and the “underestimated gospel,” and the “resurgence” very in kind, and I will remember each as I know them.
And I so love the lovers of Truth. With all of my heart I love them. As we learn Christ, we put Him on. It is a joy and knowledge of righteousness that we could have never known lest He revealed it to us. We labor to put it on with all of our strength, mind and soul without boasting—because it is the knowledge of the Father’s righteousness—not our own. And the privilege was bought with the blood of Christ for His desire to call us brothers.
Regardless of your loss dear friend, this awesome privilege still remains. And among my prayers for you, I will pray that Christ gives you the strength to focus on the joy that awaits you in the midst of this valley.
With all love this holiday season,
paul
The Potter’s House 12/23/2012: What’s in the Word, “Righteousness”? Romans Chapter 3
In Romans 1:16, Paul begins his gospel treatise to the Romans. From there to 3:1 where we begin today’s lesson, Paul begins to unfold the gospel—the full counsel of God. He had hoped to do this much sooner and in person, but since God had hindered him, he delivered this treatise by letter. The church at Rome was in dire need of God’s wisdom in the midst. These Christians came from a culture that was the cradle of Western philosophy. The fact that these people embraced a faith that was inherently and predominantly Jewish is astounding. Therefore, Paul’s gospel treatise seeks to set the metaphysical story straight. In this treatise, he is adjusting deep rooted Greco-Roman philosophical presuppositions and attitudes dating back to the 6th century BC. These were deep-rooted presumptions brought with them into an antithetical Jewish culture that also needed significant adjustment. Rome was a highly hierarchical and class-conscious society; but yet, they willingly embraced a faith that clearly attributed privileged status to the Jews as God’s chosen people.
Therefore, Paul makes it clear that there are no second class citizens in the kingdom of God, and all men must inter the kingdom and live in the kingdom by the same standard whether Jew or Greek. Paul approaches this from many different angles in the first two chapters to the point where clarification is needed in 3:1. Paul realizes that he has so strongly emphasized this that the Romans would now conclude that there was nothing unique at all in regard to being a Jew. Hence,
Romans 3:1—Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? 2 Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God.
Among the nations, God chose the Jews to oversee God’s “logion” or utterances/oracles. Yes, they were written in a canon, but they were no less the breath of God—documentation of His very words to man. This was a special privilege among many others (Due. 4:8), but didn’t mean that Jews could live before God by their own standards and on their own terms. But even though some rebelled this did not nullify the promises of God for them:
Romans 3:3—What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? 4 By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, “That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged”
Once again, as we endeavor in our personal study, we are not enslaved by what leaders decide to teach us. All Christians should partake in their own hefty study of the word of God. I was stalled in this lesson for some time due to a reoccurring theme that was a little puzzling to me. When we think of God’s “righteousness” we think of His judgment and His actions as a righteous judge. But actually, God’s righteousness is revealed by everything he does; particularly, His saving actions which we usually think of as His mercy and love. There is no doubt that His salvation is an act of mercy and love, but the Bible often speaks of His salvation as being for the purpose of revealing His righteousness:
Romans 3:21—But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—
Hence, the law is not the standard for justification, what God does is the standard. Therefore, the whole idea that Christ had to fulfill the law while He was here on earth so that our justification would be validated becomes problematic to say the least because the law is not the standard for God’s righteousness which was imputed to us. The fact that God saved us REVEALS His righteousness apart from the law. I suppose you could say that nothing outside of God stands in judgment over His actions. He Himself is righteousness. AND, the idea that God will not fulfill His promises to Israel because of things they have done plainly denies God’s righteousness which is ill advised.
Let’s look at some examples of this:
Deuteronomy 9:5
Not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart are you going in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations the LORD your God is driving them out from before you, and that he may confirm the word that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
Deuteronomy 9:6
“Know, therefore, that the LORD your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stubborn people.
Let’s look further into this idea that every act of God declares His righteousness:
Judges 5:11
To the sound of musicians at the watering places, there they repeat the righteous triumphs of the LORD, the righteous triumphs of his villagers in Israel. “Then down to the gates marched the people of the LORD.
1 Samuel 12:7
Now therefore stand still that I may plead with you before the LORD concerning all the righteous deeds of the LORD that he performed for you and for your fathers.
2 Chronicles 12:6
Then the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The LORD is righteous.”
Nehemiah 9:8
You found his heart faithful before you, and made with him the covenant to give to his offspring the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite. And you have kept your promise, for you are righteous.
Nehemiah 9:33
Yet you have been righteous in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully and we have acted wickedly.
Job 36:3
I will get my knowledge from afar and ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
Psalm 7:17
I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High.
Psalm 22:31
they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.
There is not enough time to cite all of the biblical references that name the various ways and things God does to display His righteousness. In this context, Paul speaks to the fact that God reveals His righteousness by keeping His promises to the Nation of Israel regardless of anything they do. Their sin reveals God’s righteousness because He kept His promises to them regardless. Paul then, as a teaching technique posits hypothetical rebuttals to this truth:
Romans 3:5— But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.)
Said another way: “Well, if our sin reveals the mercy aspect of God’s righteousness, then He is unrighteousness in His display of wrath, right? Wrong. Paul states:
6 By no means! For then how could God judge the world?
God’s righteousness is revealed in judgment as well as mercy. Hence,
Exodus 33:19
And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.
The truth that God’s promises are kept by Him regardless of man’s shortcomings and the revealing of His righteousness thereof resulted in people teaching the following (and apparently citing Paul as a source):
7 But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? 8 And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.
The reason is simply because God’s righteousness is revealed in both mercy and judgment. The very acts of God reveal His righteousness. Nothing, or no one passes judgment on God. I once participated in a radio program episode of which some atheists were being interviewed. They cited several Old Testament references and used them to accuse God of unrighteousness. That’s not a good idea. Now their opinion on the righteousness that God has revealed about Himself is being used to judge God by men. No doubt that the judgment day will do business with this particularly egregious sin. Let us remember that the word of God (“law”/ “gospel”/ “full counsel of God”) informs us concerning God’s righteousness, but He is not judged by it. Bottom line:
Psalm 145:17—The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works.
Furthermore, we would be amiss to not use this truth to refute a present-day novelty; specifically, that every verse in the Bible is about Christ’s saving work in history, and that history is interpreted by His redemptive work. Not so, a vast portion of Scripture speaks to the purpose of revealing the righteousness of God. And not just through His saving acts, but through a myriad of other ways. Moreover, the Bible states that we can participate in revealing God’s righteousness by mimicking His worldview and doing what He does with tremendous blessings to follow. The Old testament is saturated with this idea—an idea denied by many in our day:
2 Samuel 22:21
“The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.
1 Kings 3:6
And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day.
1 Kings 8:32
then hear in heaven and act and judge your servants, condemning the guilty by bringing his conduct on his own head, and vindicating the righteous by rewarding him according to his righteousness.
1 Kings 10:9
Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! Because the LORD loved Israel forever, he has made you king, that you may execute justice and righteousness.”
Here we have another biblical concept on righteousness that could occupy the rest of our days. Though the Bible calls it our righteousness, we learn it from God:
Psalm 19:9
the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.
We learn for the express purpose of glorifying His name via His righteousness:
Psalm 1:1
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
Job 36:3
I will get my knowledge from afar and ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
It is most gracious of God to call it our righteousness, but we must not forget that herein lays a powerful truth that frees us from all boasting in our righteous acts: though it is us doing it, they are God’s righteous acts. We would not even know of them but for our Lord. We love Him by proclaiming His righteousness to the world by what we do. Simply proclaiming His gospel truth is not enough, we must live it. We must put it on. When we do, we commit righteous acts worthy of reward. But again, all boasting is gone because it is God’s righteousness, not ours. However, God attributes our acts to righteousness because we perform them for His glory. Many doctrines of our day seek to deprive us of this liberating truth and unspeakable blessing. In addition, making every verse in the Bible about God’s grace demands a passive observing by us as opposed to other topics that also speak of God’s righteousness. Narrow prisms deprive us of our ability to display God’s righteousness to the world. It makes us observers only and not participants in His righteousness. This also speaks to the folly of implementing ideas foreign to Scripture into life. These sources to not have the revealing of God’s righteousness as their goal, so why use them?
Paul continues by citing more Old Testament proof for his gospel treatise as he does no less than 41times in the book of Romans, and in many instances it includes large bodies of Old Testament texts. In doing so, he is revealing God’s righteousness. Our particular focus this morning in chapter three seems to be a Pauline commentary on Psalms 51through 53. He makes the next point as follows:
Romans 3:9—What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”13 “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” 14 “Their mouth is full of hhcurses and bitterness.”15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 in their paths are ruin and misery, 17 and the way of peace they have not known.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
Paul’s statement here is drawn from several different Old Testament Scriptures depending on what manuscripts are used to determine translation (Masoretic, LXX, etc.), but generally, the ideas seem to be drawn from Psalms 5:9,10; 9:28-10:7; 13:1-3; 14:1-3; 35:2; 53:1-3; 139:4; 140:3; Isaiah 59:7,8; Proverbs 1;16.
Paul again reiterates that God chose to use the Jews to reveal His righteousness to the nations through His oracles, but the playing field is leveled in regard to Jew or Gentile entering into the kingdom of God. Both Jew and Gentile are “under the law” which he makes synonymous with being “under sin” in verse 9 for where there is no law—there is no sin; and those under the law will be judged by the law:
Romans 2:12—For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.
Romans 6:14—For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
Romans 7:6—But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.
Romans 7:9—I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died.
Being under the bondage of sin and law with the inevitable judgment by the law is part and parcel with being unsaved. Law is a marriage covenant of death for the unsaved:
Romans 7:1—Or do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives? 2 For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. 3 Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress.
4 Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. 5 For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.
Now observe: Paul’s description of the unsaved person in Romans 3:10-18 speaks to those who are under the law and also under sin, not saved people as many heretics in our day pontificate via their vile spewing. What could be more certain than what Paul states immediately following:
Romans 3:19—Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
The law has absolutely nothing to do with our righteousness, and we will not stand in any judgment that has anything to do with the law at all. And, we cannot sin against our imputed righteousness because there is no law to say they we have done so. God’s own eternal righteousness has been imputed to our account in full and like God’s righteousness—nothing can judge it. Hence, Paul continues:
Romans 3:21—But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
All of the above reveals God’s righteousness. The whole Bible is not about Christ, His awesome Lordship notwithstanding; He went to the cross to reveal God’s righteousness. Therefore,
Romans 3:27—Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.
When Paul writes, “our” boasting, he is speaking from the viewpoint of him writing to these Gentiles as a Jew himself. The law, though entrusted to the Jews, does not give them any advantage or exclude them from salvation by faith alone. In addition, neither does circumcision. God made the way of salvation the same for both; therefore, He is the Savior of both. But does this mean that faith alone overthrows the law? Paul is emphatic: BY NO MEANS! On the contrary, we “uphold the law.” Why?
Because it upholds the righteousness of God (as revealed to us) before the world. Christ obeyed the cross to reveal the righteousness of God. And we obey to reveal the righteousness of God. We have no righteousness of our own to reveal. To say that we are “self-righteous” in our attempt to reveal God’s righteousness is ludicrous. Traditions and ideas that do not agree with God’s truth are indeed self-righteous endeavors. Therefore, to say that we are self-righteous in our endeavors to obey God’s righteousness posits the very legalism that it proposes to refute.
“False Reformation” on Facebook
The SBC is Being Completely Trashed by Authentic Calvinism
“Six months after Luther’s 95 Thesis launched the Reformation, he put doctrinal feet on the Reformation with his Heidelberg Disputation. It is a complete dressing down of any idea that the Christian has worth in the eyes of God. It defines love itself as something that ONLY seeks what has NO value to the seeker. Luther considered the idea that Christians could please God in sanctification—anathema. By feeding on God’s love (salvation) alone and thereby affirming our worthlessness, we pave a safe road to eternal life.”
“If Christians grow in sanctification—the Reformation metaphysical construct falls. That’s why it’s efficacious to Reformed theology that you are a dead man walking. That is why it is important that everything is done by Christ for us.”
“Reformation Light and its wimpy sanctification has the SBC on its deathbed. Now authentic Reformation doctrine is presiding over the SBC in the persona of Dr. Kevorkian.”
Friends of PPT have been sending me some great links lately. I wish I could personally thank all of you, but I am really swamped right now. I click on all of them for general perusal, and one ended up getting me into a fray over at SBC Voices. I am a Southern Baptist, but really don’t rub shoulders with that crowd much since Susan and I do church at home and are extremely busy with this ministry and writing.
The fray yesterday was a real eye-opener in regard to how authentic Calvinism has infected the Convention. These are mean people folks. PPT continues to annoy as we learn better ways to articulate authentic Calvinism to the average Christian. Though perpetual re-salvation (progressive justification) is a description that is somewhat oversimplified, it’s an idea that most Christians can grasp and is an attention-getter. After all, the need to preach the gospel to ourselves everyday must have something behind it.
Something is changing. I don’t know how much this ministry has to do with it, but those who know something isn’t right, but can’t articulate it, are beginning to. The wolverine is being tied down and examined, and when that happens it’s not pretty. In one scathing review of me personally and the newly published False Reformation, a Reformed pastor stated the following:
My concern is not for those who have theological understanding; they will be able to see through Paul’s erroneous reasoning right away. My concern is for those who have so little biblical and theological instruction as to be able to discern the errors in Mr. Dohse’s arguments.
Get the picture fellow Average Joe Christians? Reading Paul Dohse’s ideas is something that shouldn’t be done at home by the ignorant totally depraved masses. In fact, in the book, I quote Southern Seminary president Al Mohler:
The main means by which God saves his people from ignorance is the preaching and teaching of the word of God. That’s why a conference like this is so important. It’s not just because we think of the pastorate as a profession set alongside other professions so that we can gather together for a little professional encouragement to go out and be a little better at what we do.
No, we’re here because we believe that those who teach and preach the word of God are God-appointed agents to save God’s people from ignorance [1]. (p.8).
And trust me, the good ole’ boys over at SBC Voices get that message loud and clear. I lay the vast majority of SBC problems at the feet of the Reformation. Because the Reformation was predicated on anti-new birth, Reformed Light propagated wimpy sanctification (including inept theological instruction for parishioners) and an overemphasis on getting people saved rather than making disciples. Sanctification was devalued. It wasn’t deemed important. My wife Susan addressed this at last year’s conference, and her words should be well noted. The following is a conversation she had with her Christian father shortly after a funeral they attended:
“Mrs. Coleman said, At least, he was saved. Can a person be a little bit saved and still go to heaven?” I asked. “Honey, there are all kinds of opinions on whether Lovell was saved. And God has final say in the matter, not the preacher.” I have heard that phrase many times at funerals or when speaking of someone who died. “Well, at least he was saved.” So Lovell lived like the devil, but at least he had his fire insurance policy, made effective because he walked the aisle, said the sinner’s prayer, and was baptized in the Big Sandy River. But I will have to agree with my dad. Only God really knows if Lovell was genuinely saved or not and resting in the bosom of Abraham. At my funeral, I hope more will be said about me than “at least, she was saved.”
And….
I encourage you pastors, teachers, and parents to obey Scripture and teach the dreaded D word: doctrine. Deuteronomy 6:6-9, “The Lord spoke to Moses and to us, and you must commit yourself wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are away on a journey, when you are lying down, and when you are getting up again. Tie them to your hands as a reminder. Wear them on your forehead. Write them on the doorpost of your house and on your gates. It is vital to know and to teach doctrine as we all follow the great commission. Go and make disciples.
The latest resurgence of authentic Calvinism in the SBC is going to finish the job; Calvinism Light says, “sanctification is not important.” Authentic Calvinism says, “What the heck are you talking about??? There isn’t any such thing as sanctification at all!” Six months after Luther’s 95 Thesis launched the Reformation, he put doctrinal feet on the Reformation with his Heidelberg Disputation. It is a complete dressing down of any idea that the Christian has worth in the eyes of God. It defines love itself as something that ONLY seeks what has NO value to the seeker. Luther considered the idea that Christians could please God in sanctification—anathema. By feeding on God’s love (salvation) alone and thereby affirming our worthlessness, we pave a safe road to eternal life.
Look, authentic Calvinism in the form of the latest resurgence, New Calvinism, will do what it always does—it will die a social death. But not before it will leave the SBC in ruins. Reformation Light and its wimpy sanctification has the SBC on its deathbed. Now authentic Reformation doctrine is presiding over the SBC in the form of Dr. Kevorkian. We will go from weak sanctification to no sanctification while, in their own words, “feeding on justification” for what they deceptively call “progressive sanctification.” The two ideas presented in this paragraph can clearly be seen from a link that I was sent by a PPT friend just yesterday. The blog author is a New Calvinist heavyweight, and the candid information on his blog speaks to what I am saying here specifically. The name of the blog is, “Gospel Shaped Living: exploring the completeness of Christ for us.” In other words, we don’t change, the shape of our life does (or the realm), and Christ, via our faith alone, obeys “for us” in sanctification. That’s the only thing that can make our sanctification, “complete.”
But as I was informed yesterday by the Calvinist bubbas over at Voices, you can’t draw any conclusions from a title; ie, Calvin really wasn’t saying that justification is progressive when he entitled 3.14 “The Beginning of Justification. In What Sense Progressive.” And no, I didn’t forget a question mark in that title. I was also informed by another Reformed guru yesterday that when Calvin stated that Christ’s death has a perpetual efficacy for the church (Isnt: 3.14.11)—that Calvin didn’t mean “perpetual” in a perpetual way, per se. Good grief. But here is something interesting from the post that was sent to me from the aforementioned blog:
Let me be clear. I am grateful for the working of God to renew Gospel focus across so many denominations and churches. It was just not so 30 years ago. The Gospel was the entry message for the Christian life, and after that, it was all law. I preached that way for the first ten years of ministry, until God sent a messenger to correct me. Now it seems every day a new book is published applying the Gospel to another area of life!
Well, where did it go prior to “30 years ago”? Actually, the conception of the resurgence was in 1970 officially, compliments of the Seventh-Day Adventist Awakening Movement that in fact rediscovered the true Reformation gospel of EVERYTHING sola fide. A fact many in the Convention are not overly excited to discuss.
Also, note his outright admission that salvation as an “entry” only was a problem prior to the rediscovery, and if salvation is only a “entry”, everything after that is “law.” Obviously, salvation must continue in order for everything not to be about law. This also speaks to the Reformed idea that law continues to be the standard for justification after salvation, and salvation by faith alone must therefore continue in order for that not to be the case. This is a huge problem. And also note that it is the same gospel that saved us that is applied to “another area of life” rather than a many-faceted biblical wisdom of learn and do discipleship. Note that’s “law.” So, is applying the same gospel that saved us to every area of life complicated? Of course it is—that’s why you need them. Also note that “books” are being written that reveal more ways of doing this “30 years” later!
The New Calvinist construct that was derived from authentic Reformed doctrine is dualism. It is knowledge of God’s holiness as set against our sinfulness. It is the good old fashioned knowledge of good and evil introduced in the garden. If Christians grow in sanctification—the Reformation metaphysical construct falls. That’s why it’s efficacious to Reformed theology that you are a dead man walking. That is why it is important that everything is done by Christ for us. That’s why it is important to always search the heart for revealed sin that supposedly makes God bigger and us smaller. But with all false doctrines—they implode—they cave-in on themselves. This is because we are wired to eventually act on what we believe; logic will eventually act on its presuppositions. Hence, the author states the following in the same post:
What I read on one side of this debate is pretty much advocating an endless monitoring of the state of my heart. Am I resting in Christ’s work for me? Am I feeding on my justification?
This seems to be a new legalism, an internal one. It is getting the functional Gospel right in my heart. I dare not do anything until I do so.
“Oh my, I obeyed, but I did so with a trace of self-righteousness. I need to make sure that does not happen again!”
“Dear me, I sought to please God but there was some self-sufficiency in that obedience, and I must repent and try to get it right next time.”
This paralyzes people. I think it is contrary to the apostolic method.
Paul reminds people of the objective truth of the Gospel. Then he calls them to act upon it. He does not call them to endlessly work on making sure they are getting the function of the Gospel correct before they do anything.
Putting the last two ideas together, I can begin the day with words like these: “I believe my righteousness is in Christ and his work, and his work alone. Nothing can change that. God is at work in me too, to make me like his Son.” Then I go into the day. Perhaps I remind myself of these things along the way. But I live based on objective affirmation of faith, not the quality of my resting in Christ.
Basically, meditate on the gospel, and whatever Christ might decide to do is “objective confirmation.” Anything that is within us is subjective. That is why this doctrine is often referred to as the objective gospel completely outside of us. But at any rate, people are always going to do something based on what they believe, and in this case, as the author notes, the endeavor to become more and more aware of how wicked we are becomes a new legalism in, and of itself. This is the futility of false doctrine—it usually becomes what it so vehemently opposes. Though the author’s solution is just more Reformed cognitive dissonance, he touches on what I saw yesterday at Voices. On steroids.
The post I addressed is a short one:
“Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God” (Heb. 3:12).
Search your heart oh friend
Hear this stanza
Repent of your hidden sin
Bring to Justice the Adam Lanza within
The loudest statement made by Adam Lanza on December 14, 2012 was, “Jesus is not Lord!” Although he did not verbalize this statement, he emphatically affirmed it by murdering his mother at her home and 26 other people (6 adults and 20 young children) at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Then he further rebelled against his Creator and Sustainer by taking his own life.
Search your heart oh friend
Hear this stanza
Repent of your hidden sin
Bring to Justice the Adam Lanza within
This rebellion against the rule and reign of Christ is taking place all around us as men, women, and children unashamedly sin against their Creator. The question is whether or not you and I have the same rebellious heart (although we may express our rebellion differently), that led Adam Lanza to commit this horrid act of rebellion against God and His Word.
Search your heart oh friend
Hear this stanza
Repent of your hidden sin
Bring to Justice the Adam Lanza within
The sad reality is that every time you and I sin, we rebel against the Lordship of Christ. The answer for such rebellion is that we must continually repent and affirm the gospel, pursuing holiness with all our might while pleading the blood of the King of kings and Lord of lords alone! In other words, we must continually bring the Adam Lanza within to Justice (God) by trusting in Christ, forever reminding ourselves that our sins have been judged in Christ. Therefore, although we are guilty of emphatically proclaiming “Jesus is not Lord,” on the cross God treated Christ as if He was the rebel so that the rebellious could go free! How will you respond? Will you bring to Justice the Adam Lanza within?
Search your heart oh friend
Hear this stanza
Repent of your hidden sin. . .
The obvious suggestion of this post would find agreement with authentic Reformed mentality—even totally depraved Christians still have a propensity to murder children in cold blood for no apparent reason. There is no difference between our sin and the sin of the unregenerate. This makes God look bigger, and us smaller. This is Reformed epistemology. Notice that we are to continually search for inner sins that we need to, “Bring to Justice.” This is perpetual justification. Obviously. The New Calvinists in the SBC teach this, but deny it when confronted—even in the face of the obvious. When confronted, they defied reality itself without even blushing:
What you propagate here is a New Calvinist progressive justification.
I’m advocating progressive sanctification, not progressive justification.
You say plainly that progressive sanctification is by the blood of Christ. So, are [you] not saying that the justifying blood is the source of our sanctification?
The justifying and sanctifying blood of Christ is the source of our sanctification. The Holy Spirit gradually conforms us to Christ.
Are you saying that the finished work of Christ is not the source of our sanctification?
YES JARED, that’s exactly what I am saying. How is a finished work the source of what’s progressive? This was Paul’s specific beef with the Galatians. Justification is not the source of sanctification–the two are separate. This was Dr. Jay E. Adams’ specific argument against the contemporary father of New Calvinism, Dr. John Miller (Sonship Theology) in his book, “Biblical Sonship: a Biblical Evaluation.”
Paul, I’m not saying that justification is the source of sanctification. You’re saying I’m saying this regardless what I say. Offer your position from Scripture. Tell us what the source is for sanctification.
The “blood” represents Christ’s death on the cross for our justification. We were justified by it. You said that we are both justified and sanctified by His blood: “Paul, It is by the blood of Christ that we are justified and sanctified.” How can you now say that–that’s not what you are saying? But to answer your question: the new birth now powers our progressive sanctification, NOT THE OTHER.
Paul, the blood represents Christ’s death on the cross for our justification AND sanctification. We live by faith in the Son of God (Gal. 2:20). We are ever dependent on His finished work. The list of Scripture can go on and on. I’m saying that the work of Christ is the source for both our justification and sanctification, not that our justification is the source of our sanctification.
Paul, my point is that the source is the same not that justification and sanctification are the same. We are progressively sanctified by pursuing holiness while possessing faith in Christ.
Once again, no one is saying that we are sanctified by our justification. We live by faith in the Son of God. We do not look within for our sanctification, we look to Christ alone….So, tell us what you believe is the source of our sanctification if not the work of Christ.
NOT His finished work on the cross, of course, He works in our sanctification through the Holy Spirit, but that DOES NOT = “preaching the cross to ourselves everyday” because we still need to be justified by it.
Paul, I don’t think you can separate the Holy Spirit’s work in our hearts from the work of Christ. No one I’ve seen is arguing that we must continually be justified. You’re building up and tearing down a strawman.
….you say in the post that Christian sin must be continually brought to justice by the blood. That’s not progressive justification? It also makes the law the present affirmation of our just standing when the Scriptures plainly say that we are justified apart from the law. Here is what you wrote: “In other words, we must continually bring the Adam Lanza within to Justice (God) by trusting in Christ…How will you respond? Will you bring to Justice the Adam Lanza within?” I mean, are you saying that you were not using “justice” in a justifying way? Please explain.
Paul, I meant it exactly as Heb. 3:12 describes. We must continually trust in Christ alone for our salvation, making our calling and election sure as we live by faith in the Son of God. We are justified by His blood at the moment we first believe, and if we have been justified, we will continue believing. We must indeed confess ourselves sins while enjoying His forgiveness, not for justification but sanctification. We bring our sins to Justice (God) forever acknowledging our sins have been judged in Christ. Once again, we live by faith in the Son of God. The same blood that justifies us also sanctifies us.
I’ve asked you repeatedly to explain your position. You do not believe Christ’s work is the source of our sanctification, so what is?
The new birth is the source of our sanctification, not the blood which you use to replace, “justification.” Your New Calvinist position is a continual offering of the works of Christ in sanctification by faith alone. Southern Baptists have never believed in sanctification by faith alone because the law is still a standard for our justification in sanctification.
Key is your statement: “We must continually trust in Christ alone for our salvation, making our calling and election sure as we live by faith in the Son of God.” That’s not how the Scriptures say we make our calling and election sure (SPEAKING OF ASSURANCE). It states that we are to ADD to our faith for that purpose–it’s not by faith in the works of Christ ALONE that we gain assurance.
It’s not keeping our own salvation by faith alone. Our faith is already KEPT. It’s leaving the foot of the cross and aggressively pursuing the fruits of righteousness.
[As an addendum, note: “We must continually trust in Christ alone for our salvation, making our calling and election sure as we live by faith in the Son of God.” We “must” and “continually”” live by faith.” As I argue often, there is NO must to keeping anything for our salvation—not even faith which we cannot lose once God has granted it to us as a gift].
Paul, so what does the Apostle Paul mean when he says, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20)? All I’m advocating is that Christians live by faith in the Son of God. We pursue holiness, putting on the new man, while constantly possessing faith in the Son of God.
We are not sanctified by our works. Also, you can claim that Southern Baptists have “never” believed what I’m advocating, but I would argue that the majority believe like I do.
We gain assurance by looking at the Holy Spirit’s fruit in our lives. This truth CANNOT be separated from living by faith in the Son of God. You cannot separate the Spirit’s work from the Son’s work. Christ’s work is the basis of both our justification and our sanctification. We pursue holiness while possessing consistent faith in Christ. We cannot separate the two. You seem to be separating the two.
1. What did Paul mean in Galatians 2:20? A word for justification appears 6 times between verses 15 and 21. 3:1-3 makes it clear that the context is works salvation by attempting to earn justification through a work that is finished. Verse 3 means literally, “are you reaching your end (glorification) by effort.” This coincides with Romans 8:29, 30. Paul’s argument is that they are trying to work towards a goal that is already finished. When we were unsaved, we were in the flesh and under the law–now we are dead to the law and the life we live in the flesh is sustained by Christ because the flesh involves law. Our justified state is by faith alone, and we are dead to the law. But you make this apply to sanctification as well. “Sanctification” is a biblical word and appears nowhere in this text, but “justification” does no less than 6 times. The crux of Paul’s point is verse 21: “I do not nullify the grace of God, for if justification were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.”
So then, if sanctification is in these verses, then we cannot make an effort to keep the law in sanctification. We are also dead to the law in sanctification in the same way we are in justification. Therefore, we are dead in sanctification in the same way we are in justification, and Christ must keep the law for us in sanctification. And granted–that is the New Calvinist doctrine.
2. “We are not sanctified by our works.” Yes we are. Paul said that God’s will was our sanctification, and then described it as “abstaining” from…. Our enabled efforts in sanctification by all means does sanctify us (a setting apart from the world), and our end judgment will be for rewards, not to judge “the ground of our justification.”
3. “Christ’s work is the basis of both our justification and our sanctification. We pursue holiness while possessing consistent faith in Christ. We cannot separate the two. You seem to be separating the two.”
Yes, absolutely, I am separating the two. As can be seen by your above statement, if the two are fused together, I must maintain my justification in the same way that I was saved. This makes faith a work for the purpose of keeping our salvation. This is why JC Ryle stated the following: “But the plain truth is, that men will persist in confounding two things that differ–that is, justification and sanctification….What God has divided let us not mingle and confuse.”
How many times do I have to say that no one is infusing justification and sanctification together. Ya’ll are reading your own presuppositions into these men and my article.
How can you say you don’t fuse the two together when you posited Galatians 2:20 to make your point about faith alone for sanctification? Though the text doesn’t speak of sanctification, you say that “the life I now live” speaks to sanctification while the context of the passage is clearly justification. How can this be Jared? Jared, you said that OUR sins needed to be sought out and justified by Christ in the present through the blood. That’s what you You said. Words mean things.
Paul, where did I say that our sins must be sought out and justified? I didn’t you say it; you won’t find it. I said that our sins must be brought to Justice (God), not justified. There’s a difference. Once again, you need to take the time to actually understand what people are arguing before you throw around words like “heretic.”
You may consider the obtuse contradictions following by the author of the post at Voices:
“The justifying and sanctifying blood of Christ is the source of our sanctification.” ≠ “Paul, I’m not saying that justification is the source of sanctification.”
“No one I’ve seen is arguing that we must continually be justified. You’re building up and tearing down a strawman.” ≠ “In other words, we must continually bring the Adam Lanza within to Justice (God) by trusting in Christ…How will you respond? Will you bring to Justice the Adam Lanza within?”
“We cannot separate the two. You seem to be separating the two.” ≠ “How many times do I have to say that no one is infusing justification and sanctification together. Ya’ll are reading your own presuppositions into these men and my article.”
“Paul, where did I say that our sins must be sought out and justified? I didn’t you say it; you won’t find it. I said that our sins must be brought to Justice (God), not justified. There’s a difference.” ≠
Repent of your hidden sin
Bring to Justice the Adam Lanza within
I have said it before and I will say it again: corresponding with these yo-yos is a total waste of time. I do it for educational and ministry purposes, but no resolution or unity will ever be accomplished by trying to reason with these people. Personally, I don’t even take them seriously anymore. God’s people need to come out from among them at all cost. That’s where all of this is going anyway.
Again, the movement will die a social death as it has five times prior to today after Calvin’s Geneva theocracy. The rise and fall of those movements will be documented in the second volume of The Truth About New Calvinism. But concerning the carnage that will be left behind before the next decline into insignificance; a pity. The goal of this ministry is to educate God’s people in hopes of accomplishing the following to whatever degree we can in our little corner of the universe: hastening its inevitable death, and preventing its return.
paul
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