The Open Life

This is part three in a discussion of labels in the Christian life. To read parts 1 & 2, go here:

1.Is Calvinism a useful label?
2. Are labels useful at all?

In response to the previous post, one person wrote, "I guess to me making sure people know where I stand on doctrinal issues is not important."

Perhaps what the author meant was, "I am not concerned about non-essential doctrinal differences." Otherwise, it really is a disheartening, even frightening, statement.

Even in Paul's day there were people like Hymenaeus and Philetus whom he mentions were calling themselves followers of Christ and leading others to destruction. (2 Timothy 2:17-18) And what did Paul tell Titus to do in such circumstances? He must "refute their errors by sound doctrine, to shut up their mouths." These were Paul's instructions, not mine!

Lest someone should say, "this duty belongs solely to pastors," Christ himself strongly commends the church at Ephesus for being "not able to stand those who teach otherwise." Jude exhorts all believers to, "contend - that is, to fight passionately - for the faith once for all delivered to the saints." Ours is a faith under siege; passive attitudes will not preserve the testimony of the saints in our time.

The true Christian "faith" in a very specific thing. I contend on the ground of scripture that it is not enough to vaguely believe that Jesus lived, died, and perhaps was divine, for even demons do this. Nor is it enough to think that Christ's death merely made a way for men decisively to save ourselves, to become righteous on account of the merit of our response. Rather, the faith which the apostles taught us to contend for is that by God's grace and power man is justified - declared positively and perfectly righteous, even as if he had lived the entire obedient life of Christ himself - through imputation, legal crediting, which has come upon all who merely believe on Christ alone for this free work of God; and these have their faith entirely as a gift so that salvation is not on account of human response at all, through it is experience through the instrument of our believing.

Suppose I ask someone, "are you a Christian?" They might respond, "sure, been one for three years now. Glory to Jesus." And I say, "praise God, have a good day!" and go on my way. If their assumption of what it means to be a Christian is erroneous, it may come that because of my naivety or laziness, truly a lack of concern for their soul, this person will pass into judgment without being confronted with the true measure of free salvation in Christ. This is why so many times the epistles teach us to spur one another on in the true faith.

It is true, souls are not saved by our earnestness, but we all have a responsibility to clearly present the message of biblical faith in the midst of ten-thousand counterfeits. The Christian life is not that of Ned Flanders minding his own holy business in a high-fenced yard; we must lovingly engage one another to pursue true and substantial faith in Christ in accordance with "the whole counsel of God."

In response to the previous post, Is Calvinism a useful label?, I was asked if labels are useful at all.

In short, yes.

Qualifying labels are useful and even necessary for distinguishing oneself from other views which come under the same umbrella term.

The book of Acts records that believers residing in Antioch were the first to be called "Christians." It does not appear that this label was objected to by the Apostles and early Church fathers; rather, it was found suitable for distinguishing themselves from others who also professed to have some form of religious relation to YHWH. To say at that time, "I am a Christian" implied that, unlike most other Jews, your faith was in Jesus as the Messiah.

However, the term "Christian" is nowadays very broad. One's meaning may differ from another, making real conversation difficult as both persons talk past each other. For instance, when one moves to a town he might check the phone book for church listings. Under the "Christian" section there will be many congregations claiming the term for themselves. The local Baptist church is "Christian" but so are, according to some persons, Mormons, Jehovah's witnesses, Roman Catholics, etc. It becomes increasingly important to define what we mean by terms, and into which categories we fall when attempting to communicate more finely on a given point. Unwillingness to reasonably define oneself has historically been characteristic of cults and intellectually superficial or slothful persons.

Again, if I were invited to a bible study I might ask, what does your pastor believe? The person might say, "the Bible." But so do one-hundred other groups which read and interpret it in different ways, each coming to different conclusions. For this reason in order to have meaningful discussion, and to promote the doctrinal safety of the church, we must define terms and clarify categories. Of course this does not mean we should become needlessly sectarian and rude, but there is no other prudent option than to adopt qualifying terms.

In heaven it will rejoice my heart to see the end of necessary categorizations of what the word Christian means. We will then be united in understanding. Until that time, however, certain very important distinctions must be made. Ideas have consequences and to neglect differences on issues such as justification, sanctification, the deity of Christ and the Trinity, all may lead to the shipwreck of person's professions.

Wouldn't you like to know if your prospective pastor was an Hyper-Dispensationalist Anti-Trinitarian Moral Governmentalist? In other words, that he believes in salvation of works, by a Jesus who is not God. And yet there are numerous churches possessed of elders who spend years sowing corrupt seed because they preside over a people who do not ask for a clarification of the word Christian.

For myself, I am a Christian in the heritage of Reformational and Covenantal Baptist believers. This means I believe, amongst other things:

- The Trinity
- Protestantism, "No Pope"
- The Five Solas, aka, "salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, by Christ alone, to God's glory alone, and that scripture is the final authority over the conscience of the Church."
- Predestinarian (Canons of Dort, Five Points) - God chose to save some solely of grace, not according to works, laying their punishment freely on Christ as their representative, and others are passed over to be damned justly for their sins. All His saints are preserved by grace in faith to the end, evidenced but not conditioned by works of love.
- Regulative Principle of Worship - Nothing is to be done in public worship which is not prescribed in scripture.
- Amillennial - We are in the Millennium now, just as the Kingdom of God is in us.
- Post-Tribulational - Christ comes once and for all at the end, and the Church is preserved spiritually through the tribulations which shall come upon the world.

So you see that because these are not views which all Christians hold to, it is both useful and honest to disclose such things when necessary.

Hope that helped!

Richard Muller thinks not, and overall I agree (despite the frequency of its use upon my lips). Now if only we can be re-educated to speak in terms of Reformed and Predestinarian. What term then would most accurately indicate those called Arminians? My guess is Remonstrants. A less formal label might be Soteriologically Short-changed.

I thank God for the gospel that is wrought all of grace.

I've read a few books this year. Thus far, the one that is standing out as most useful to me has been John Owen's treatment of temptation in the lives of believers. Happily, the Banner of Truth has released a revised edition which updates the famously (read, infamously) cumbersome grammar of John Owen for modern readers who struggle with his Latinish writing style. I did not find it to dumb down Owen, just to make him more focused.

A quote,

As for the provisions that are to be laid up [against temptation], it is what is provided for us in the gospel. Gospel provisions will do this work: that is, they will keep the heart full of a sense of the love of God in Christ. This is the greatest preservative in the world against the powers of temptation.

A man ought also to lay in store the provisions of the Law: fear of death, hell, punishment, and the terror of the Lord in them. But these are far more easily conquered than the gospel provisions, and they will never be able to stand alone against a vigorous assault. Law provisions are overcome every day. Hearts trusting in them alone will struggle for a while, but quickly give up.

Store up in your hearts a sense of the love of God in Christ, the eternal purpose of his grace, the savor if the blood of Christ, and his love in the shedding of it; get a taste for the privileges we have through this: our adoption, justification, acceptance with God; fill your hearts with thoughts of the beauty of holiness, as the effect Christ intended in dying for us; and you will, in the ordinary course of walking with God, have great peace and security from the disturbances caused by temptation.

As for my personal thoughts, after considering my own experiences I remarked to myself today that those who wait by the door of temptation will soon be pressed into the service of sin. Our eyes ought always to be upon the hands of our master Jesus, to watch for his perfect commands in light of his effectual wounds.

By the way, you may join us online for my pastor's ongoing study through the life and doctrine of John Owen, regarding the work of the holy Spirit in prayer.

I must acknowledge my displeasure with with how few personal writings I have posted over the past ten months. It has, I fear, made this blog a more boring place than in former times. The wedding season, combined with an often six-day work week at a 4:30am job, has been absorbing much of my life, and some of what remained was twiddled into watching impressive nature videos or suddenly serious boy.

But having to decide between writing or reading more, I chose to read. As one might see, in October I read more than ten books (you can to, if you want). Meanwhile I've been thinking about many issues and am looking forward to 2010, which I hope to be my most creative and productive year thus far. I have some big plans and ideas, and...

Alas, I'm getting ahead of myself.

Just had to share this unreal video. Despite being covered in liquor, the man is probably feeling very sober right then.

Think of all the almost-accidents you've been in. Things like this could be happening around you every day. God is merciful.

"Those that love death hate God."
- Proverbs 8:36

This past Saturday I was asked by an incredulous and co-worker, "Do you believe in Halloween?" She knows something of my beliefs and must have suspected the answer. I threw her a factitious curve instead.

"Of course I do, it happens every year."

"That's not what I mean. Do you celebrate it?"

"What are people celebrating on that day?" I asked.

Her eyebrows raised as she considered for the first time what she had hitherto followed unthinkingly. "I guess death."

"Then of course I don't. What is there to celebrate about death?"

I proceeded to tell her about Reformation Day, which happens also to be October 31st, celebrating the day Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door in Wittenburg and kicked off the greatest reformation and revival of true religion in history.

By the way, I have yet to see people celebrate and bestow such superstitious ardor towards their vain gods for life and living, as for death and dying. By their spectacles are they trying to appease someone?

What a grief to behold the idols and corrupt fascination with the macabre:

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/11/days_of_the_dead.html

PS: Prior to my conversion my favorite "Holy Day" was Halloween. I loved the death motif and gloried in darkness. What a sickness to be freed from.