Piper, Carson, Keller: The Only Cure For Pornography is Gospel Contemplation
This video clarifies the fact that there is a line in the sand. The church cannot continue to pretend that both philosophies will help Christians—that’s not true. Also, New Calvinists cannot continue to call the biblical prescription “legalism” unfettered and without contention. How Christians live is at stake.
I was struck by a post written by Jay Adams the other day. The idea that being filled with the Spirit is the Spirit being at work in all areas / categories of our life because one area effects another. This of course requires us to learn what the Bible instructs in regard to those areas and applying it to our lives. This is what builds a life that will withstand the storm (Matthew 7: 24-27). And furthermore, how to think, do, and pray in regard to all areas as well.
His example was a guy who has a problem with alcohol who fell off the wagon. He got into a fight with his wife and then, as a result, went to the local watering hole and got drunk with his buddies. We would not tell him to just stop drinking. His relationship with his wife, how he responds to challenges and choices (in this case: lost friends verses saved friends) all played a part in the transgression. All areas of our life contribute to how we think and what we do. This isn’t just a matter of obedience; I think alignment with God’s word in all areas of life is the way of peace and joy. Moreover, Christ promised the Holy Spirit will help us, counsel us, illuminate us, and empower us to accomplish God’s will. We can do all things through Him who strengthens us, but note who is also doing—we must do our part, and it won’t always be easy. To look at this concept as “living by a list,” “a bunch of do’s and don’ts,” “moralism,” “legalism,” or “Phariseeism” is a lie from the pit of hell and will lead to a life of misery.
In the following video, Piper, Carson, and Keller teach that the key to overcoming pornography is contemplation on the gospel. If we come to grips with how horrible our sin is and what Christ had to do about it, and what He did do about it, we will realize how much Christ loves us on the one hand, and learn to loath the sin on the other. Keller also mentions that realizing how much Christ loves us (because of the cross) will lead to us not hating ourselves which he notes as a major contributor to sin. Of course, the Bible states the opposite: a primarily source of sin comes from loving ourselves more than we love others.
Furthermore, the biblical prescription for learning to hate sin is not contemplation on the gospel, but rather investment. We learn to hate something by not investing in it, but instead investing in something else. People unwittingly learn to hate their spouses in this way. Lack of investment verses other things and a dwelling on their negative aspects only which is not truthful thinking to begin with.
Yes, after Piper advocates spiritual contemplation and Keller adds to the error by adding self esteem psycho-babble, Carson mentions accountability, but be not deceived and listen carefully—he is saying that accountability is only a temporary stopgap until gospel contemplation kicks in. In other words, practical measures as instructed by Scripture are not curative, only gospel contemplation is. In the end, they all agree that accountability lingers close to legalism, and the absolute necessity that those holding one accountable are also gospel centered.
The following video clarifies the fact that there is a line in the sand. The church cannot continue to pretend that both philosophies will help Christians—that’s not true. Also, New Calvinists cannot continue to call the biblical prescription “legalism” unfettered and without contention. How Christians live is at stake.
According to New Calvinists, You’re Not a New Creature—You’re Barabbas
New Calvinists have really good news for you; as a Christian, you are utterly wicked, unable to please God, totally depraved, and well, we are Barabbas because the New Calvinists say so. Apparently, that’s really good news. Because New Calvinists have to see the gospel in every verse of the Bible, the first video embellishes what the Bible conveys about Barabbas as stated in Naves Topical Bible: “A prisoner released by Pilate.” The video attempts to make its point with embellished information about what thoughts were going through Barabbas’ mind, how he was feeling, that he was scared, what the guards said to him, and what he supposedly knew about Christ and his followers, etc.
Question. Since the Holy Spirit was actually there, will He use such information to persuade if it isn’t true? I’m kinda thinkin’ He won’t.
The second video simply reminds us that we are Barabbas. It is said several different times by several different people in order to “speak life” into us.
John Piper Show and Tell
SHOW
TELL
For some strange reason, evangelicals continue to tolerate John Piper’s bizarre teachings—including the belief that Christians are still dead in trespasses and sins. However, and per the usual, he chooses his words very carefully so as to not come right out with stating it. Nevertheless, just in case you think he is speaking of the unregenerate, consider that he says: “….why you would call dead people to do things.” If he had the unregenerate in mind, this is certainly a strange choice of words. One might also think to himself: “Wasn’t Lazarus a believer?”
Furthermore, Piper shows his close kinship with Sonship Theology with the whole concept of “speaking life into people.”
And by the way, what’s the difference between what he is saying in the video and this description of metaphysical Christian Science: “In metaphysics the higher rules the lower. What we control in the spiritual realm will manifest in the physical. This process is done by seeing or speaking, affirmations. In the word faith philosophy words have power, they contain the force when spoken in faith…. The concept is to have it birthed in the spiritual realm first and then it will come about in the natural. As one takes the Scripture believing and confessing it the process of supernatural faith begins. One is to speak what they want into existence.”
And no John Piper verbiage would be complete without a direct contradiction to the plain sense of Scripture. He says we “can’t please God” when the apostle Paul makes it clear that we “make it our goal to please Him” and will be judged accordingly at the Bema Seat judgement.
paul
My Email Response to a Wicked Antinomian Might Help Others
The apostle Paul made it clear in Galatians through His famous rhetorical question that the Spirit (the Holy Spirit) is received the same way Christ is received: BY FAITH! No Holy Spirit—no salvation. Christ Himself said, “You must be born again.” We baptize in the name of the Trinity, not Christ alone.
I was emailed this morning by a “missionary” who is busy spreading the evil doctrine of New Calvinism abroad, presumably at the expense of some evangelical church in America. He considers himself a New Covenant theologian and also strongly advocates Gospel Sanctification / New Calvinism (because NCT is the covenant expression of GS). While my thoughts in regard to his email were fresh in my mind, I wanted to put them in writing because I thought it might lend clarification to others who are trying to get this problem figured out.
First his email, then my response—hope it helps.
Paul,
Do you not understand that there is a difference between saying,”the ground [or basis] of our justification is not the work of Christ in us” and saying “Regeneration is not necessary?” There is nothing in Piper’s statement that suggests he believes regeneration is not necessary. You are going to have to try harder if you are going to convince anyone who understands anything about theology at all.
Randy
Randy,
Piper clearly says it’s a false gospel if we (as in CHRISTIANS) emphasize it more than justification. But, that’s exactly what evangelicals do. That’s our contention. We believe that a born again Christian does in fact put a greater emphasis on our task at hand in sanctification than we do in regard to already being declared righteous POSITIONALLY. Therefore, our primary emphasis regarding justification is our duty to proclaim to people everywhere that they must be reconciled to God as one of our many tasks in sanctification. We do not believe that it is necessary to preach justification to ourselves as we are already justified (reconciled).
Now, behold your classic New Calvinist deception: You, and Piper constantly preach the gospel (justification) as the primary means for spiritual growth (which I contend that by this you mean more and more of Christ’s active obedience is being shown through our spiritually dead souls even though you call it “spiritual growth”). Since ALL “spiritual growth” must come by that means (supposedly), anything that is given the same emphasis will circumvent grace. No, you don’t deny the new birth, but here it is: you teach that the new birth is “moving on to something else” other than the gospel and therefore MAKING THE FRUIT THE ROOT which is works salvation by virtue of circumventing the works of Christ or the “historic Christ event” or Christ Himself.
Hence, when you wicked deceivers (Piper included) get cornered with the question, you can affirm the new birth and speak to the questioner in a condescending manner saying: “Where do you get it that we don’t think the new birth is necessary? We are merely saying that the fruit of salvation isn’t the ground of justification.” The victim then thinks to himself: “Well, that’s true, we don’t get saved and then keep ourselves justified by our own works in sanctification. Oh, I see now what they are saying [while a faint voice in the back of the questioner’s mind asked: ‘Why are they talking about that to a Christian audience to begin with? Besides, you can’t believe that and be saved anyway’].” This makes what orthodox Christians don’t believe (and the fact that it goes without saying adds to the deceptive power of it) the issue because everything is interpreted through justification. In other words, anything you do in sanctification must be seen through a justification prism. In fact, one tenet of New Covenant theology states that “all reality is interpreted through Christ and the gospel.” Therefore, there is supposedly no such thing as obedience for other reasons that are not connected to justification, but they of course don’t say that when someone is asking the question—they just let the questioner assume they are speaking of a Christ plus works gospel which doesn’t pertain to orthodox Christians to begin with. To say that New Calvinist are not honest about their interpretive prism would be an extreme understatement.
But this clearly prevents Christians from making the new birth a priority as it should be because we are already justified. But if we do make it a priority and see it as the primary means of growth, we are “eclipsing the Son (or gospel).” Yes, you believe regeneration is “necessary” because it is Christ working through us, but if we make THE FRUIT THE ROOT—you teach it is classic Roman Catholicism and therefore a false gospel (because Catholic doctrine teaches that we have to add to Christ’s works), but working in sanctification does not equal adding to justification. Orthodox evangelicals do not interpret everything through a justification prism.
But again, this is exactly what the Scriptures call Christians to do EXCEPT you (and the rest of the New Calvinist nation) employ a false interpretive criteria to make the judgment; specifically, the much employed either/or hermeneutic. Everything is either gospel, or not gospel. The new birth is true and good, but it’s not “gospel.” Therefore, anything that doesn’t have gospel/justification as its focus is not the objective gospel; it’s subjective—it might be good and “necessary,” but it is still subjective and cannot be given the same priority. To give anything equal significance in regard to the power to transform is supposedly robbing Christ of His glory and eclipsing the gospel. So, the focus of sanctification must be what? Justification/gospel—of course. That’s why I heard a New Calvinist false teacher by the name of Russ Kennedy say, “Any separation of sanctification from justification is an abomination.” That’s because (supposedly) all of sanctification must have justification as its focus.
Also, “the ground of our justification” is nebulous and other than biblical language. Yet this is another evangelical contention. To begin with, Christ alone, I repeat, Christ alone is NOT THE “ground” (basis) of our justification ALONE. Yes, faith in Christ is “the only way to the Father,” but that is not the only “basis” of our justification. The Father planned salvation, elected, and called. The Son purchased it with His own death, and the Holy Spirit effected it. The basis of our justification is Trinitarian. I repeat, the basis of justification is TRINITARIAN. The apostle Paul made it clear in Galatians through His famous rhetorical question that the Spirit (the Holy Spirit) is received the same way Christ is received: BY FAITH! No Holy Spirit—no salvation. Christ Himself said, “You must be born again.” We baptize in the name of the Trinity, not Christ alone. Therefore, to say that the new birth is in no way part of our ground for justification is blatantly anti-biblical.
It’s all very confusing and deceptive, but if one carefully examines Piper’s “Gospel in 6 Minutes” video, they will see what I am saying. One way the Australian Forum framed it was, “Emphasizing the new birth is making a good thing the best thing and robs Christ of His glory.” I think my wife Susan had a good observation on that: “It could be argued that ‘glorification is the best thing.’”
paul
Paul's Passing Thoughts 
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