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for the fame of Jesus:

erik

As a fairly new believer I attended an evangelistically zealous Arminian Southern Baptist mega-church here in Omaha. I too was zealous for evangelism and for growth. I enjoyed the culture of evangelism that the Senior Pastor had developed and fueled. However, as my theological senses began to sharpen and I began growing in the word, something strange happened, I got frustrated.

The church rolled out a new evangelism strategy that was geared toward reaching and converting more people. There was a slick acronym that the evangelist was to follow and there were key verses that we must use. Additionally, we were all told that we had to go and attend the training provided by this new evangelism program’s guru.

As I read the outline and interacted with the strategy I was shocked to uncover the seed of my discomfort: the avoidance of mentioning sin/judgment/wrath/substitution. So there I sat in visible frustration with this new program. I was even told not to do evangelism at this church unless I adopted this methodology.

With zeal accruing like the national debt I attended an all church meeting launching this new program / strategy. When the Pastor was finished with his promotion and/or presentation he opened up the floor for questions. After a few others gushed with pragmatic testimonies of success in this program I raised my hand. The pastor came over and in front of the 4,000+ in attendance I asked him at what point in the “presentation” we might tell them about sin. He deferred to the leaders of the new program, who began to get a bit loud in refutation of my seemingly silly question. There was no answer because sin was not discussed. Sure it may have been referenced as some type of moral inadequacy but never in terms of direct rebellion and disobedience to the Sovereign of heaven and earth.

As you might imagine I soon left this church. However, the ‘evangelism’ strategy has not. Nor has it left the scores of other pop-evangelical churches across America, who, fail to explain sin in there proclamation of the gospel. This ridiculous practice sounds nice when we don’t believe in biblical sin, but it is ridiculous when we speak in terms of real and fatal disease. Imagine the uproar if medical professionals began skirting the diagnosis of diseases such as cancer or AIDS in favor of making their dying patients “feel better”? It is an unsettling testimony to observe the standards for medical fidelity are higher than gospel fidelity.

As God would have it he saves sinners through the gospel. It is the gospel alone that is called “the power of God for salvation” (Rom. 1.16). The gospel as Paul says here is that body of truth that explains God’s character, man’s sinfulness, and Christ’s substitutionary atonement, man’s repentance from sin and reception of the righteousness of Christ by faith (justification). How can anyone understand their need for or even desire a Savior apart from understanding their destitute position before a just and inflexible judge? It is ridiculous and biblically stupid to hold forth a loving Jesus who is tolerant of sin, plagued with a bad memory, willing to be bribed, and so nice that he became God’s spiritual piñata and took a beating that we might get all the candy because we are so good.

To hold forth a different gospel is to hold forth a different Jesus. How about this: it is to lie! You are lying when you don’t tell people that God is angry at sin, that he is intolerant of it and that he is going to judge the thoughts and intentions of our hearts with rigid righteousness lest we repent and flee to the Lord our Righteousness for loving forgiveness.

This really is perverted. See in effort to accommodate “seekers” or the “unchurched” or the “dechurched”, (unbelievers) they undermine the only message that can truly save their souls. It is no different than the doctor telling the guy with a tumor that he just has allergies. It is gospel malpractice. It is worse than being silent, it is misleading sinners and undermining God. God saves through his gospel of his son and this gospel is not up for revision. Evangelicals who try to get cute and smart (regardless of motives, for I do not know them) undermine God.

So much like sanctification we have in evangelism the following conclusions:

If God saves sinners exclusively through the gospel (and he does) and people do not proclaim the biblical gospel (and they don’t) we must conclude:

1) Many pastors and church members do not know that the gospel is the exclusive power of God for salvation

2) Many pastors and church members do not believe that the gospel is the power of God for salvation

3) Many pastors and church members do not chiefly value people getting saved

This is discouraging but true and it calls for Christians to take up Jesus’ gospel and study it, preach it to ourselves, defend it in the church and in the world, and then faithfully share it with all.

So in effort to have clean hands, a clear conscience and pure motives I examined this, and tried to understand what in the world contemporary evangelicalism is doing. And you know what? I’m offended. But now more than ever I feel that my offense is rooted in the attack upon God’s method for accomplishing his own end.

I have gone to these churches whether in here in Omaha or in Saddleback CA to the ‘church-growth’ Mecca, or to my television watching smiling preachers, or to the South to visit the Arminian Southern Baptist culture, and wherever I go I find myself concluding that I really don’t think these churches exist for the purpose of undermining God. I really don’t. Perhaps I am wrong, but I really think that a lot of these people wanted to reach more people for Jesus. But my question is what are they reaching them with and what are they producing?

In this post I am not going to go after anyone in particular, nor am I going to cite specific examples. Instead, today I am going to point out God’s methodology for sanctification and then draw a couple of conclusions. Tomorrow my aim is to do the same with evangelism.

God has prescribed that his children are to be built up into the image of his son Jesus. Conformity to Jesus is God’s main point in everything he does with the elect (cf. Rom. 8.29). Well how does he accomplish this? God sanctifies his children through the word of God. Listen to these verses for just a sampling of what the Bible says about this:

Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. (John 17.17)

The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; (Psalm 19.7a)

Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, ² like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, ³ if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord. (1 Peter 2.1-3)

In particular the NT church is uniquely and supremely gifted with the means for accomplishing this work of sanctification. Christ has endowed his church, of which he is the Head, with particular gifts and the blueprint for accomplishing the divine desire of Christ likeness. He gave apostles and prophets to lay the foundation (Eph. 2.22; 4.11) and then evangelists, pastors and teachers to continue to build upon this foundation (Eph. 4.11).

In this building up or growing up of the body the unmistakable tool is the word of God. We read in Ephesians 4 about what the word is to produce, “unity”(v.13), maturity that matches Christ’s (v.13), discernement and protection from false doctrine (v.14), growing into the image of Christ (v.15), and the whole body working together with the goal of mutual edification in love (v.16).

The standard that God has established is unmistakably high, however, the means provided are unmistakably able! The pastor who is called by God is called to equip the children of God (v.12) with the end that they would be built up into the stature that belongs to the Son of God (v.13).

God has spoken clearly here in his word; the goal of sanctification is Christ and the means is the proclamation and reception of the word. There is no plan B. There is simply no other option.

So what must one conclude when you find more meat at a Catholic fish fry than the average evangelical pulpit on a Sunday morning?

It is really not that difficult. If the image of Jesus is the goal of sanctification (and it is) and the word of God is the means by which God uses to accomplish this (and it is) then we must conclude one or a combination of the following three options as to why the word is so neglected, shielded, and abused today..

1) Pastors and Churches do not know that the word is what produces mature (Christ like) Christians.

2) Pastors and Churches do not believe that the word is what brings maturity.

3) Pastors and Churches do not chiefly value maturity (Christ likeness)

Any one of these three are reproachable. God has spoken clearly in his word and articulated the means and the goal of sanctification. Anything less than submission to his will is sin. This creativity in sanctification is not cute or admirable but instead it is despicably insulting to the God who gave his son “that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, ²⁷ that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless” Ephesians 5:26-27

Anything less than conformity to God’s program is to undermine it and to insult the cross of the Savior who bled and died upon it to save his people from their sins (Matt. 1.21)

“These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

These signs were promised to the apostolic community (Matt. 10.1; 2 Cor. 12.12) and served to authenticate the preaching of the word (cf. v.20). These ‘signs’ were not intended to become normative for all ages. For even a generation after the apostles we see the writers looking back in describing these miraculous signs (Heb. 2.1-4; cf. also 1 Cor. 12.29, 30).

This is truly sad because of the sufficient preciousness of fellowship with Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit without the trumped up drama of handling snakes. Does not a story like this compel Paul’s words to Timothy to your own hearts:

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth 2 Timothy 2:15

So too likewise for us today on a National Election day, with the news agency spinning, the poll numbers cranking, and the candidates sweating, we know that all of the candidates for whatever office, all fall miserably short of God’s design. This is not to say that candidates and elected officials are worthless, for I understand Romans 13 that the government and the respective officials are servants of God and being used in his providence to even accomplish his will. For us today with the election blitz we are reminded of the intended and optimal form of government: Theocratic Monarchy.

The government of God is far better than that of man for obvious reasons. But it is good for us who are Christians and live in this state of dual citizenship (Phil. 3.19) to see and appreciate the providential contrast and respond with a heavenly fueled longing for the coming King, Jesus Christ.

Imagine his rule of perfect righteousness, in perfect integrity, with perfect care, and perfect love. His exclusive allegiance to the divine agenda forbids that he compromise on anything that is less than what has been stamped as heavenly good. There will be no more treaties because there will be no more wars. There will be no more attack ads because there will be no more candidates or challengers. There will be no more voting because there will be no elections, for God’s King will reign and he will gloriously promote the agenda and administration of heaven.

So we as Christians should not get our lawn chairs and sit in our front yards waiting for the rapture, no we have work to do. We need to get busy proclaiming the message of the King, including all of the promises of his administration. We do need to be busy submitting to our current government, recognizing God’s sovereignty over it. We also need to be praying for its leadership while anticipating the coming kingdom of Jesus Christ.

So take the opportunity today to receive the providential contrast between today’s candidates and heaven’s king, even using this as fuel for increased praise and anticipation for the coming kingdom of God in Christ, where he will be the only one and his glory will be on full display.

In Romans 1 God is clearly angry as “the wrath of God” is being revealed from heaven. Notice the object of this justified anger: “men”. Humanity is in the cross hairs of divine wrath.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness /18

And why? It is because they “suppress the truth in unrighteousness”. Notice that the immediate reason given for unleashing heaven’s judgment upon man is that they are actively suppressing the truth. God is angry because of humanity’s rejection and suppression of his revelation (much more could and probably should be said here…).

Paul goes on to demonstrate how this revelation has been given and the persistent and dedicated truth suppression or rebellion that ensues:

because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them /19

It was God who has acted to implant his truth within his creation. The kindness and grace of God are expressed here in his loving creative act, even revealing his character within his creation.

Well God states even further the nature of his gracious self-disclosure:

For since the creation of the world

>His invisible attributes

>His eternal power and divine nature,

:have been clearly seen,

:being understood through what has been made

I broke it out a bit here for effect, but notice the full force of these statements. God has revealed his invisible attributes, his eternal power and his divine nature; these things have been ‘clearly seen’. There is no problem with the transmission or the clarity of the revelation but rather with the reception.

To recap this far:

1) God is very angry and is showing it

2) God’s anger is rooted in the active suppression (denial, rejection, devaluing) of his revealed truth

3) God has graciously revealed this truth to man in creation

4) This revelation of God has been ‘clearly seen’ and ‘understood’.

God has, without compulsion or obligation, revealed himself clearly in and through creation only to have this truth rejected and suppressed. It is this fact that has God so angry and man without excuse.

so that they are without excuse /20c

Further enhancing the indictment the apostle goes on to write in verses 21-23:

For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man

It is not as if humanity is passive in their sin, somehow afflicted with some type of medical ‘condition’ but instead we see the fruit of active truth suppression coming out. God is ‘de-godded’ in the sinner’s mind, he is not just marginalized but rather he is assinated, stripped of all his power, glory and splendor. Further as unregenerate sinners we do not give him thanks. God has been overly kind and his gracious providence continues to supply life and enjoyment, however, he is not thanked. Man also claims wisdom in this atheistic worldview of truth suppressing God assignation and as God would have it, they become fools (cf. Ps. 14.1). And in the ultimate bad trade, they exchange the glory of God for the glory of man. This really is what strikes at the core of God. God is replaced. The eternally glorious and infinitely beautiful God is devalued and replaced by a comparatively temporal, aging, corrupting, decaying, devalued creation. It is worse that trading a Lexis for a used band-aid.

In a grand summary fashion the Apostle concludes in verse 25:

For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

Election is not mentioned in this passage. As we have seen the passage deals with God’s wrath being revealed against sin and this wrath being justified. Mankind is without excuse because it is not only sinful but is actively sinning. God has been more than kind in revealing himself to humanity and humanity has repaid God by rejecting his truth and smudging his glory. The lack of excuse deals with the culpability of man in their offense against God. The image bearer has de-godded God while actively suppressing the revelation and turning around to worship himself at the expense of God. This truly offends and angers God.

There is no indication that man would ever stop suppressing the truth in unrighteousness, for it is the pattern and product of his life. So to say that anyone would actually choose God is ridiculous in this passage. For God is being suppressed by the unbeliever at every turn not chosen.

It is with this theological backdrop that the Apostle turns to chapters 2 & 3. In chapter 2 concluding that moralists cannot earn God’s favor, and in chapters 2 & 3 that religious folks cannot extricate themselves from the bonds of sin. So we then come to the 3^rd chapter and find a text like this:

as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; /10

no one understands; no one seeks for God. /11

All have turned aside; together they have become worthless /12

no one does good, not even one. /12

There is no fear of God before their eyes./18

In this light it is who we are that is depraved, not just what we do. There is nothing inside of us that seeks for God (v.11), there is nothing good (v.12), we are in fact ‘dead’ in sin (Eph. 2.1). You are more likely to find a Wi-Fi signal in the middle of a cornfield in Nebraska than you will find a heart that is ‘seeking’ God. You can ping all day long and into eternity and find no connection, mankind is dead spiritually.

God has not changed his dealings with man; he has always said ‘walk with me’ instead mankind has chopped off his legs in sin. So not only is he unable, but he is unwilling. This inability must not be taken to cancel out responsibility; we are all responsible to respond to God and his call to walk with him, however it is the active suppression of truth and fascination with the glory of ourselves at the expense of God and his glory that pervades our affections and pursuits. Therefore, it is necessary that God employ divine grace to rescue sinners from themselves. God acts independent of human will to crush that will and then regenerate them by his power and grace unto new life.

Ephesians 2:1-10

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, ² in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. ³ Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

⁴ But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ⁶ and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; ⁹ not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Election is not in the equation in Romans 1-3 instead it is the sinful suppression of clear and gracious divine revelation. Election however, is the gracious means by which God solves the humanly unsolvable equation. So I stick by the original title, ‘Election is not the problem, sin is’.

Consider with me the fact that everything believers in Christ would seek should be good and all of our deeds likewise should be pursuing good, in fact everything we desire should be good…right?!

Well not only is God intrinsically good but he is the source of all good. Everything that is good comes from him (Jam. 1.17). Do you fully grasp this? I don’t! If I did I would be praying a heck of a lot more!

God is the source and supplier of all goodness, therefore believers cannot obtain goodness apart from him. In other words, without God’s loving kindness fueling his gracious manifestations of goodness to us we are devoid of good.

So how does this impact my prayer life?

As a believer I am to seek to glorify (magnify, or make much) of God in everything (1 Cor. 10.31). The only way that I can do this is by and through God’s grace. So I am then drawn by this theological truth of God’s goodness like a magnet to the throne of grace, petitioning God for his goodness to be sought, displayed and rejoiced in by me.

The goodness of God becomes then a full service sustainer and motivator to prayer.

-1- Request the goodness of God in prayer. Do you have desires? They are to be good…pray. Request God’s goodness to be displayed. (If the desires are not pursuing good…repent and pray for God’s will to be done)

-2- Recognize the grace of God in lavishing your life with goodness. Tell God of his goodness in your life, recognize this divinely inspired goodness.

-3- Rejoice in the goodness of God. Keep your eyes peeled and proclaim the Lord’s goodness back to him while also telling others about what good things the Lord has done for you.

When you and I begin to understand the goodness of God we begin to pray. We begin to pray for God’s will (goodness) to be done, recognizing that good must come from him. And likewise we rejoice in demonstrations of goodness, knowing that these do not come from the ground up but from heaven down. God is the source and sustainer of goodness and Christians are to be those who request, recognize and rejoice in goodness because they know the God who is indeed good and pleased to display it.

In chapter 2 pastors are commanded to ‘be strong in the grace of the Lord Jesus’. Pat took this opportunity to question what strong does and does not look like. In typical form Pat (who previously exhorted preachers to look less like Richard Simmons and more like Arnold Schwarzenegger) contended that preachers should be noted for strength and conviction rather than a pasted smile, polyester zip up sweater, theological puppet shows (drama), while always being concerned with being everyone’s friend and calling everyone and everything ‘special’. Well this quote aside Sunday night was an encouraging sermon within a great study on an awesome book, so therefore, consider it recommended.

Another killer quote: “Daintiness would slur a sermon just as a pink ribbon would make a cannon appear rediculus”

> listen > download

note: before anyone gets loose with the ‘but Mr. Rogers was a decorated war hero with 200 confirmed kills in Korea’ comments, please read this. Fred was not a war hero, he was a nice guy who wore sweaters and did puppet shows. But I did read somewhere that Rick Warren was a Navy Seal…(joking!)