Doctrine - Jeremiah's Vow

Book Review | Sola Scriptura!: The Protestant Position on the Bible

Sola Scriptura!: The Protestant Position on the Bible by Don Kistler
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Throughout Sola Scriptura the authors expound on what the authors argue is the key principle of The Reformation. The book compares and contrasts the Protestant doctrine of the sufficiency of Scripture for faith and life and what the Roman Catholic Church believes regarding Scripture, Tradition, and the role of the Church in the life of Catholic faith.

The Good
Each of the articles provides a clear explanation of Sola Scriptura and why it is important. The author(s) of each of the essays also do a good job of carefully representing the Catholic position by not cherry picking the “worst” examples from the “other side” and then blasting them for being wrong.

The final chapter does a great job challenging pastors/ministers responsible for leading churches to encourage a more bibliocentric approach in the life of the Church and individual believers. Sections pointing to and calling for a more Scripture-centered, gospel-saturated pulpit ministry were particularly challenging and worthy of another reading.

The Bad
At times the arguments were very dense.The comparisons between the two positions became difficult to follow and required a second reading. So, the reader should read carefully. The book is more academic on the whole, so this is less a criticism and more a point of information for those who decide to read it.

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The Father of Jesus Christ

My church will begin a study of the book of Colossians this weekend. We will be working through the book over the next several weeks (something I am looking forward to). Even though I have read the letter many times, we were all encouraged to read the letter again as a way of preparing for the messages and discussion during our LifeGroup meetings.

One of the benefits of reading a book of the bible several times in a short amount of time is the way different ideas, thoughts, and peculiarities seems to come to the forefront. One of these ideas is found in verse 3 of chapter 1. Paul is commending the church Colossae for their hospitality and kindness toward other saints. As he does so he makes this simple statement, identifying who he is giving thanks to. He writes, “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…”

While there are many things that we could discuss about this description, the one that came to mind this time around is the relational reality of God’s connection to Jesus. Paul describes God as the Father of Jesus. Is there something that we have missed in the kind of relationship that exists between God and Jesus. We have grown so accustomed to the speaking of Jesus’ divinity we forget that while he walked upon this earth he did not relate to Jesus upon this aspect of who he was.

Jesus was a man in the full meaning and implications of what that means. To dismiss this is to negate a critically important part of who Jesus is. Even though Jesus had and has an eternal relationship with the Father, Jesus lived for himself the kind of life we can experience with the Father. When we were adopted into the family of God we were given access and permission to call God our father as well.

God’s Power and the Gospel

The apostle Paul tells us that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16). This idea has captured my imagination for a couple of reason. First, there is a direct link between the Gospel and salvation. While this may appear obvious on the surface, I get the impression that many people no longer see this link. The Gospel, the good news of Jesus’ life and ministry, is essential to redemption. Without the Gospel there can be no salvation. The church has lost some of its urgency regarding this reality. Continue reading “God’s Power and the Gospel”

I Felt the Waters Again

One of the great mysteries of the Christian faith is tied to the sacraments of the church. Depending on which church you attend there may be a variance in how many sacraments are observed and practiced. But, regardless of what church you attend two have remained central and essential to all–Communion and Baptism. I would like to talk about this second one today. Continue reading “I Felt the Waters Again”

Advent Series 2012, Pt. 3 | What The Incarnation Means For Me

In part two of this Advent series we looked at the sweet baby Jesus. The truly human characteristics of his life and ministry on earth are remarkable and confounding. The word, “amazement,” would only slightly capture what the doctrine of the Incarnation represents. The Christian faith is subsumed in this mystery.

My goal in the previous article was to look at the human side of Jesus. However, there is another side, equally present and infinitely more difficult to comprehend. The apostle Paul records an early hymn of the church describing what Jesus “did” in order to come and take on flesh. I placed the word “did” in quotation marks because I have no better way of explaining what happened. Paul reminds the Philippians of Jesus humility and journey toward earth in the second chapter of the letter.

⁵ ;Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, ⁶ ;who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ ;but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. ⁸ ;And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. ⁹ ;Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ ;so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ ;and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

From the very beginning the church has sought to understand what it meant for God to enter into the human narrative and secure the redemption of the entire race.The phrase that captures my mind and speaks directly to this mystery in these verses is found in verse 7. What does it mean that Jesus “emptied himself?” The very thought ties the mind in theological, intellectual and philosophical knots. I want to state right from the start, I am not claiming to have the definitive answer to this question. I do, however, have strong reasons for believing what I am going to offer.

Continue reading “Advent Series 2012, Pt. 3 | What The Incarnation Means For Me”

The Piper-Warren Interview

First of all, it was a refreshing and interesting interview. Two men with different approaches to ministry “jousting” about what they believe. Dr. John Piper picked the questions that he wanted to get clarification on and Dr. Rick Warren answered them in as candid a way as I have ever seen. While Piper was accused of giving in to the “Purpose-Driven” machine when he invited Warren to give a talk at the Desiring God Conference in 2010, there were not minced words in this interview. There is a genuine affection shared by these two men for one another. What made the interview worth watching was to see Piper dig deeply into Warren’s book “The Purpose-Driven Life” and to ask very direct and uncomfortable questions that Warren was quick to answer.

Interview on Desiring God’s website. (This is also available on Pastors.com, but the quality seemed to be better here.)

Here is an example of the questions that were asked. This is a very direct question by Piper to Warren on the nature of the atonement.

What is the Gospel? (Pt. 14) – “The Death of Death”

This is part of the series “What is the Gospel?”

One of the most glorious realities of the Christian faith is that death has been defeated. In the crucifixion and death of Jesus I have the wonderful truth that God has died for my sin. When we couple this remarkable truth to the equally wonderful truth that Jesus was raised from the dead we are confronted with a new reality – Death’s power has been defeated. Paul tells us that it was through sin that death was introduced into the world [Romans 5:12]. It is because of this sin that death brings fear to our hearts and minds and we find our joy melting away. Paul again tells us in Romans 6:23a that “the wages of sin is death.” We have earned the death that we will suffer because of our tendency to do our own will rather than God’s. We have earned the penalty of sin, but God has done something so incomprehensible that most who hear this message don’t believe it.

Even though we have earned death, “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” [Romans 6:23b]. Because Jesus took upon himself the punishment for sin He had not committed He was able to divert the justified wrath of God away from us. We still have to pass through the dark door of physical death. But through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross death is defeated and we no longer have to fear the destination that lies on the other side. If we follow Jesus He will lead us through death into new life.

What is the Gospel? (Pt. 9) – “What does it Mean to Be Born Again?”

This is part of the series “What is the Gospel?”

This is the question that Nicodemas asked Jesus one night when he came to see Jesus [John 3:1-15]. Jesus has retreated to pray and here comes a member of the Pharisees, a ruler in the Jewish community. Nicodemas wants to know what it is that Jesus is teaching and asking of those that choose to follow Him. Jesus, in answering the question, points to an unusual moment in the history of the Jewish people. Because of the peoples impatience God sends “fiery serpents” among the people of Israel and because of these serpents many died [Numbers 21:6]. God instructs Moses to make a serpent of bronze and set it on a pole. This is the very image that is used in the medical profession today.

The instruction by God was that anyone that looked upon the serpent would be healed. Being “born again” is the process of looking upon Jesus, believing that in that act, in putting our trust in the instrument of the cross and in Jesus the Crucified the benefit and healing and salvation that God has promised will be transferred to us. Salvation is a leap, but it is not a leap over a cliff into the unknown. Salvation is a leap into the promises of God. The question that God forces us to answer is this, “Will we look to Jesus and receive the redemption that has already been offered?” [Hebrews 10:1-12]

What is the Gospel? (Pt. 4) – “The Birth of Sinful Men”

This is part of the series What is the Gospel?

King David tells us in Psalm 14 that the fool has said in their own heart, “There is no God.” If sin finds its birth in the perverted idea that God is not necessary, where do sinful men come from? Do they not come from the practice of this thought? In Genesis, the enticement for Eve was not the fruit. The temptation was the possibility of being like God. It was the snare of desiring what should only belong to God. Every adult knows the bliss of child-like innocence. There are things that we just wish we didn’t know.

Sinful humanity is the result of its persistence to pursue what only God can comprehend. Why do you think that so many question the existence of God because of the evil that exists? That is a question that is so big only God can make sense of it. That is why when we sin we are standing in the wrong place. God is sovereign. We should step down from His thrown and trust that “for those who love God all things work together for good” (Rom 8:28). Even the things that are hard to understand.