This is not a call for an extremist separatism or a return to Fundamentalism. In case you have not noticed America is not exactly Christian and Evangelicalism is not exactly transforming the culture. We need something between Fundamentalism and Evangelicalism. It needs to be distinctly Protestant in the line of the Reformers and the Puritans. We need a return to classic Protestantism, which is Biblical Christianity.
Fundamentalism became extremely separatist and legalistic. It became anti intellectual and withdrew from the world. While Fundamentalism was not of the world, it was also not in the world. Evangelicalism set out to reform Fundamentalism. But it became too accommodationist and lacked doctrinal distinctiveness. Without the theological distinctiveness it could not sustain itself. Evangelicalism has been said to be a mile wide and an inch deep, it has become shallow. Evangelicals seem to think that they need to become like the world in order to reach the world (a distortion of Biblical teaching). Some have even commented that Evangelicalism has managed to be of the world but not in the world.
The call for Protestant separatism is needed. It may just be the case that we must get smaller in order to become more effective in the long run. It must be distinctively Protestant and separate from other groups that are not.
Mainline or liberal Protestants should be separated from. As Machen said liberalism is not Christianity at all. The liberal Protestants have no right to use the name Protestant either. Evangelicals and Catholics together sounds nice but the divide is too wide. The Roman Catholic Church does not even get the gospel right. Some seem to think we can unite with the Mormons. But Mormonism is a Christian heresy with its many gods. The emergent church, the seeker sensitive movement, and the prosperity gospel should all be avoided too.
We need to stop trying to be like the world and start being the church. Protestants must separate from the world. I mean to be in the world but not of the world. We must also separate from false and erroneous teaching which pervades the modern church. We need a distinct Protestantism to proclaim truth to the world and to be an example to it. We must not water down our doctrine in order to partner with other groups.
We must recover our confidence in the authority and sufficiency of the Bible. We must hold to the gospel of grace, salvation is the work of God and not the work of man. We must also recover our sense of the greatness of God. We must focus on the holiness, majesty, and transcendence of God.
We must hold to Biblical Christianity and not compromise it. Classic Protestantism represents true Christianity. We must hold to Protestant distinctives to reach and influence the world. We must have intellectual vigor along with heart felt devotion. We must love God with our minds and our hearts.
Monday, April 20, 2015
Monday, April 13, 2015
The Righteousness Of God
(Romans 1:16-17) "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, The righteous shall live by faith." (ESV)
Paul emphatically states that he is not ashamed of the gospel. Unfortunately many Christians today seem to be ashamed of the gospel. They are intimidated by the secular culture often being called intolerant or narrow minded. But the gospel is the truth even in our postmodern culture that says there is no truth.
The gospel is the power of God for salvation. People are saved when they hear and believe the gospel. Salvation does not come through hearing someone's testimony or by persuasive speech or by any other means. It is through the gospel, the Word of God that people receive salvation.
In this gospel the righteousness of God is revealed. The primary meaning of the phrase is in the sense of the righteousness from God. It is the basis for our justification. Christians are declared righteous and not guilty. The perfect righteousness of Christ is imputed or credited to believers. We must have the righteousness of Christ because none of us are truly righteous. When God looks upon the believer he sees Christ and his perfect righteousness. The righteousness of God also refers to his holiness and justice. But it primarily refers to the righteousness of Christ (Philippians 3:9, 2 Corinthians 5:21).
The righteous shall live by faith. The righteous are those who have the righteousness of Christ. Salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone. Those who place their faith in Jesus receive eternal life.
Paul emphatically states that he is not ashamed of the gospel. Unfortunately many Christians today seem to be ashamed of the gospel. They are intimidated by the secular culture often being called intolerant or narrow minded. But the gospel is the truth even in our postmodern culture that says there is no truth.
The gospel is the power of God for salvation. People are saved when they hear and believe the gospel. Salvation does not come through hearing someone's testimony or by persuasive speech or by any other means. It is through the gospel, the Word of God that people receive salvation.
In this gospel the righteousness of God is revealed. The primary meaning of the phrase is in the sense of the righteousness from God. It is the basis for our justification. Christians are declared righteous and not guilty. The perfect righteousness of Christ is imputed or credited to believers. We must have the righteousness of Christ because none of us are truly righteous. When God looks upon the believer he sees Christ and his perfect righteousness. The righteousness of God also refers to his holiness and justice. But it primarily refers to the righteousness of Christ (Philippians 3:9, 2 Corinthians 5:21).
The righteous shall live by faith. The righteous are those who have the righteousness of Christ. Salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone. Those who place their faith in Jesus receive eternal life.
Monday, April 6, 2015
Peace With God
(Romans 5:1) "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (ESV)
Because of sin people are not at peace with God. Sin breaks our relationship with God and makes us enemies of him. Because of sin we face the wrath of God. God's holiness and justice requires that he punish sin. All people are sinners, in fact we are all born sinners. We have all fallen short of God's perfect standard of righteousness. No person is righteous, not even one. We have all rebelled against God and turned away from him. The result of sin is death, both physical and spiritual. We all deserve to face God's punishment and spend eternity in hell.
So how can we be made right with God? Our good works and religious rituals will not accomplish it. God requires perfect righteousness and none of us are capable of that. We are justified (that means to be declared righteous, not guilty) by faith alone in Christ alone. Jesus lived a perfect life without sin allowing him to be our perfect substitute. Jesus died on the cross to pay for the sins of his people. On the cross God's wrath was poured out on Jesus instead of on us who deserved it. Jesus was then raised from the dead bodily victorious over sin, death, and the devil. The resurrection proves that Jesus is God and that his sacrifice for sin was accepted by God the Father.
Because of God's love and grace we can be saved from our sins and have peace with God. All people must repent of their sins and place their trust in Christ alone for salvation. Repent means to have a change of mind. After true repentance a person desires to live for God and no longer live against God. The person's desire is to obey God. True Christians still commit sins but they agree with God that their sin is sin and confess it to him.
Our salvation is because of Christ alone. He takes our sins on himself and his righteousness is credited to us. This is true for all who truly believe in him. If we could be saved by our own works or efforts then Christ died for no purpose. Because we could not save our selves, Christ accomplished salvation for us. Because of Jesus and his work on the cross we no longer face the wrath and judgment of God. Believers have peace with God. This is both and internal and external peace. This is all because of God's grace (that is his undeserved favor toward us). Even though we deserved to go to hell we can now go to heaven if we repent and believe in Jesus. To God alone be the glory.
Because of sin people are not at peace with God. Sin breaks our relationship with God and makes us enemies of him. Because of sin we face the wrath of God. God's holiness and justice requires that he punish sin. All people are sinners, in fact we are all born sinners. We have all fallen short of God's perfect standard of righteousness. No person is righteous, not even one. We have all rebelled against God and turned away from him. The result of sin is death, both physical and spiritual. We all deserve to face God's punishment and spend eternity in hell.
So how can we be made right with God? Our good works and religious rituals will not accomplish it. God requires perfect righteousness and none of us are capable of that. We are justified (that means to be declared righteous, not guilty) by faith alone in Christ alone. Jesus lived a perfect life without sin allowing him to be our perfect substitute. Jesus died on the cross to pay for the sins of his people. On the cross God's wrath was poured out on Jesus instead of on us who deserved it. Jesus was then raised from the dead bodily victorious over sin, death, and the devil. The resurrection proves that Jesus is God and that his sacrifice for sin was accepted by God the Father.
Because of God's love and grace we can be saved from our sins and have peace with God. All people must repent of their sins and place their trust in Christ alone for salvation. Repent means to have a change of mind. After true repentance a person desires to live for God and no longer live against God. The person's desire is to obey God. True Christians still commit sins but they agree with God that their sin is sin and confess it to him.
Our salvation is because of Christ alone. He takes our sins on himself and his righteousness is credited to us. This is true for all who truly believe in him. If we could be saved by our own works or efforts then Christ died for no purpose. Because we could not save our selves, Christ accomplished salvation for us. Because of Jesus and his work on the cross we no longer face the wrath and judgment of God. Believers have peace with God. This is both and internal and external peace. This is all because of God's grace (that is his undeserved favor toward us). Even though we deserved to go to hell we can now go to heaven if we repent and believe in Jesus. To God alone be the glory.
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