In modern America love is often defined by emotionalism and tolerance. It involves tolerating whatever anyone does including sinful acts. Of course love is most certainly never negative. It is love with no content, we do not know what love really is. The place to find the content for love is the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20). We may not think of the Ten Commandments in this way but they do actually show us real love.
If we love God we will have no other gods before him. We will have no other gods in his presence, of course all other gods are false. God is basically telling us to get those false gods out of my face. We must worship the one, true God. If we love God we will not make a carved image or false idol. God is spirit, he has no physical form. We must worship God in the proper way.
If we love God we will not take his name in vain. Taking his name in vain shows hatred of God. Taking his name in vain includes using his name for a false oath, in an empty or casual way, or as a curse word. What about observing the Sabbath Day? It is no longer the same under the New Covenant. Under the Old Covenant it was on Saturday. Christians observe the Lords' Day which is on Sunday because the resurrection was on Sunday. If we love God we will worship him on the Lord's Day.
A person with true love will honor his parents. He will obey them and show them the proper respect. He will also take care of them when they are in need. If you love your neighbor you will not murder him. This would include things like abortion and euthanasia. These things are hateful acts. In fact just hating someone violates the commandment prohibiting murder.
If you love your neighbor you will not commit adultery with his wife. Looking with lustful intent is also considered adultery. If you love your neighbor you will not steal from him. You will respect his property and possessions.
If you love your neighbor you will not bear false witness against him. Love is associated with the truth, lying shows hatred. If you love your neighbor you will not covet his things. In fact coveting often leads to murder, adultery, stealing, lying, and worshiping a false idol.
The Ten Commandments show us the true content of love. Sinful acts are never loving. True love worships and obeys the one, true God and desires what is right for ones neighbor. The ultimate goal of true love is always to glorify God.
Monday, August 22, 2016
Monday, August 8, 2016
To Die Is Gain
To die is gain? This sounds like a strange statement. But for the Christian to die actually is gain because he will go to heaven where there is no more sorrow or pain. To die is not gain for everyone though. Those apart from Christ will face God's wrath for eternity in hell.
(Philippians 1:21) "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (ESV)
The Apostle Paul wrote these words in his letter to the Philippians. He probably wrote the letter from Rome while in prison around A.D. 62. Paul constantly faced persecution and death was always a possibility. Paul's ultimate concern was to honor Christ in life or death. He desired to depart and be with Christ but remaining here was more necessary to accomplish fruitful labor. For Paul to live is to serve Christ and death is gain because he will leave his sufferings and troubles to be with Christ. Paul lived several more years after writing this letter, dying around A.D. 67.
Many modern Christians foolishly cling to this world and life when we should long for heaven. We think we will lose something or lack something when go to heaven. Heaven will not lack anything and it will not be loss but gain. There will be no more troubles, suffering or pain. We will finally live life to the full. To be with Christ is far better. Christians should not fear death.
We must point out that death is not a good thing. We should not long to die, but we should long to go to heaven. Death is not normal but abnormal, it is not natural but unnatural. Death was not part of the original creation but entered the world because of sin. We are now under the sin curse. But Christ through his life, death, and resurrection has defeated sin and death.
Because of sin we all face the wrath of a holy God and are on the road to hell. Salvation is found in Christ alone, there is nothing we can do to earn it. You must believe that Jesus is the Christ or Messiah and the Son of the living God. You must repent of your sins and place your faith in Christ alone. Jesus is the only way to heaven.
(Philippians 1:21) "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (ESV)
The Apostle Paul wrote these words in his letter to the Philippians. He probably wrote the letter from Rome while in prison around A.D. 62. Paul constantly faced persecution and death was always a possibility. Paul's ultimate concern was to honor Christ in life or death. He desired to depart and be with Christ but remaining here was more necessary to accomplish fruitful labor. For Paul to live is to serve Christ and death is gain because he will leave his sufferings and troubles to be with Christ. Paul lived several more years after writing this letter, dying around A.D. 67.
Many modern Christians foolishly cling to this world and life when we should long for heaven. We think we will lose something or lack something when go to heaven. Heaven will not lack anything and it will not be loss but gain. There will be no more troubles, suffering or pain. We will finally live life to the full. To be with Christ is far better. Christians should not fear death.
We must point out that death is not a good thing. We should not long to die, but we should long to go to heaven. Death is not normal but abnormal, it is not natural but unnatural. Death was not part of the original creation but entered the world because of sin. We are now under the sin curse. But Christ through his life, death, and resurrection has defeated sin and death.
Because of sin we all face the wrath of a holy God and are on the road to hell. Salvation is found in Christ alone, there is nothing we can do to earn it. You must believe that Jesus is the Christ or Messiah and the Son of the living God. You must repent of your sins and place your faith in Christ alone. Jesus is the only way to heaven.
Monday, July 25, 2016
Martin Luther Books
About Luther
Here I Stand: A Life Of Martin Luther By Roland Bainton
Martin Luther: A Guided Tour Of His Life And Thought By Stephen Nichols
Luther On The Christian Life By Carl Trueman
The Legacy Of Luther Edited By R.C. Sproul & Stephen Nichols
Collected Works
Martin Luther's Basic Theological Writings Edited By Timothy Lull
Martin Luther: Selections From His Writings Edited By John Dillenberger
By Luther
The Bondage Of The Will
Commentary On Galatians
Here I Stand: A Life Of Martin Luther By Roland Bainton
Martin Luther: A Guided Tour Of His Life And Thought By Stephen Nichols
Luther On The Christian Life By Carl Trueman
The Legacy Of Luther Edited By R.C. Sproul & Stephen Nichols
Collected Works
Martin Luther's Basic Theological Writings Edited By Timothy Lull
Martin Luther: Selections From His Writings Edited By John Dillenberger
By Luther
The Bondage Of The Will
Commentary On Galatians
Monday, July 18, 2016
After Darkness, Light
"After darkness, light" was a motto of the Protestant Reformation in the 1500's. The Reformation was led by men like Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Ulrich Zwingli. Darkness referred to the time of the Middle Ages when the Bible was kept out of the hands of the people. The Roman Catholic Church would not allow the the Bible to be translated into the language of the people. It was only in Latin and had to be interpreted by the Pope and the Bishops.
The Reformers put the Bible back into the hands of the people. They believed that the average person could understand the basic message of the Bible. The Reformers proclaimed Scripture alone as authoritative and not the Pope, Bishops, or church councils. The Reformers held to the sufficiency and clarity of Scripture. In fact the clarity of Scripture was part of the great debate between Martin Luther and Desiderius Erasmus. Luther argued for the Protestant view that Scripture is clear because it is from God and he is capable of clearly revealing his Word to his people. While Erasmus argued for the Catholic view that the Scripture is not clear and needs to be interpreted by the Pope and Bishops.
In the Protestant Reformation, Biblical Christianity was recovered. The Bible began to be translated into the languages of the people. The true gospel of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone was recovered. And the glory belonged to God alone. The lives and thought of people were greatly affected. The Protestant Reformation had an enormous effect on Western Civilization leading to much human flourishing. The Bible changes people because it is the Word of God. As Martin Luther said, "the Bible is alive."
But in our time the Western world has turned away from the light and has headed back into the darkness. Liberals long ago abandoned the authority of Scripture and many evangelicals seem determined to follow them down that path. Many evangelicals now deny the authority, inerrancy, sufficiency, and clarity of Scripture. We have rejected the source of truth and gone after lies. We need another reformation with a recovery of confidence in the Bible as the literal Word of God. If we return to belief in the authority of Scripture then we will eventually be able to say, "after darkness, light."
The Reformers put the Bible back into the hands of the people. They believed that the average person could understand the basic message of the Bible. The Reformers proclaimed Scripture alone as authoritative and not the Pope, Bishops, or church councils. The Reformers held to the sufficiency and clarity of Scripture. In fact the clarity of Scripture was part of the great debate between Martin Luther and Desiderius Erasmus. Luther argued for the Protestant view that Scripture is clear because it is from God and he is capable of clearly revealing his Word to his people. While Erasmus argued for the Catholic view that the Scripture is not clear and needs to be interpreted by the Pope and Bishops.
In the Protestant Reformation, Biblical Christianity was recovered. The Bible began to be translated into the languages of the people. The true gospel of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone was recovered. And the glory belonged to God alone. The lives and thought of people were greatly affected. The Protestant Reformation had an enormous effect on Western Civilization leading to much human flourishing. The Bible changes people because it is the Word of God. As Martin Luther said, "the Bible is alive."
But in our time the Western world has turned away from the light and has headed back into the darkness. Liberals long ago abandoned the authority of Scripture and many evangelicals seem determined to follow them down that path. Many evangelicals now deny the authority, inerrancy, sufficiency, and clarity of Scripture. We have rejected the source of truth and gone after lies. We need another reformation with a recovery of confidence in the Bible as the literal Word of God. If we return to belief in the authority of Scripture then we will eventually be able to say, "after darkness, light."
Monday, July 4, 2016
Love The Sinner, Hate The Sin
How often do we hear the phrase, "love the sinner, hate the sin?" But the phrase is not in the Bible. I am told it actually originates with Gandhi. So does God love the sinner but hate the sin? Psalm 5 tells us the very opposite.
(Psalm 5:5) "The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers." (ESV)
People do not just commit sinful actions, their very nature is sinful. The sinner cannot be separated from his sin. It is who the person is, sin is not just something outside of him. Our sinfulness makes us an object of God's wrath. Apart from Christ and the cross we remain under God's wrath.
(John 3:36) "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him." (ESV)
We are all sinners, evildoers, and unrighteous people who apart from Christ will face the wrath of God for eternity in hell. The hatred of God is a holy hatred, it is not like the self centered hatred of men. The holiness of God requires that he hate all things sinful.
But at the same time God loves humanity. He sent his Son to save his people from the wrath to come. We can only be reconciled to God through Christ. God's love and grace are shown to us through Jesus and his work on the cross. Christ took the wrath of God on himself in the place of all who believe.
The phrase "love the sinner, hate the sin" is somewhat correct but it tends to be misleading. It tends to downplay the wrath of God and the utter sinfulness of mankind. We do not know who we are because we do not know who God is. The modern church needs to recover its sense of the holiness of God. People must repent and trust in Christ alone to be saved from the wrath of God.
(Psalm 5:5) "The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers." (ESV)
People do not just commit sinful actions, their very nature is sinful. The sinner cannot be separated from his sin. It is who the person is, sin is not just something outside of him. Our sinfulness makes us an object of God's wrath. Apart from Christ and the cross we remain under God's wrath.
(John 3:36) "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him." (ESV)
We are all sinners, evildoers, and unrighteous people who apart from Christ will face the wrath of God for eternity in hell. The hatred of God is a holy hatred, it is not like the self centered hatred of men. The holiness of God requires that he hate all things sinful.
But at the same time God loves humanity. He sent his Son to save his people from the wrath to come. We can only be reconciled to God through Christ. God's love and grace are shown to us through Jesus and his work on the cross. Christ took the wrath of God on himself in the place of all who believe.
The phrase "love the sinner, hate the sin" is somewhat correct but it tends to be misleading. It tends to downplay the wrath of God and the utter sinfulness of mankind. We do not know who we are because we do not know who God is. The modern church needs to recover its sense of the holiness of God. People must repent and trust in Christ alone to be saved from the wrath of God.
Monday, June 6, 2016
Donald Trump And Russell Moore
Recently Donald Trump and Russell Moore have had an interesting exchange. Of course Donald Trump is a real estate mogul, celebrity, and presumptive Republican presidential nominee. Russell Moore is with the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. Moore has been a public opponent of Trump even contributing to the National Review issue "Against Trump".
Donald Trump responded to Russell Moore with his usually tact and class saying Moore was "a nasty guy with no heart." Most interesting was Moore's response to Trump because he agreed with him saying, "I am a nasty guy with no heart, which is why I need forgiveness of sins and redemption through the gospel of Jesus Christ."
Russell Moore was right on target with his response. In reality Russell Moore, Donald Trump, and the rest of us are nasty guys with no heart. This is what theologians call total depravity. We are all utterly sinful and unrighteous. We are born sinners and are not the good people we think we are (See Genesis 3, Psalm 51:5, Ecclesiastes 7:20, Jeremiah 17:9, Romans 3:10, Romans 3:23).
Because of our sin we face the wrath of God and deserve to go to hell. We can only find forgiveness through Christ and his work on the cross. No one deserves to go to heaven. Salvation is by God's grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
(Romans 7:24-25a) "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (ESV)
Donald Trump responded to Russell Moore with his usually tact and class saying Moore was "a nasty guy with no heart." Most interesting was Moore's response to Trump because he agreed with him saying, "I am a nasty guy with no heart, which is why I need forgiveness of sins and redemption through the gospel of Jesus Christ."
Russell Moore was right on target with his response. In reality Russell Moore, Donald Trump, and the rest of us are nasty guys with no heart. This is what theologians call total depravity. We are all utterly sinful and unrighteous. We are born sinners and are not the good people we think we are (See Genesis 3, Psalm 51:5, Ecclesiastes 7:20, Jeremiah 17:9, Romans 3:10, Romans 3:23).
Because of our sin we face the wrath of God and deserve to go to hell. We can only find forgiveness through Christ and his work on the cross. No one deserves to go to heaven. Salvation is by God's grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
(Romans 7:24-25a) "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (ESV)
Monday, May 30, 2016
I'm A Fusionist
So, what in the world is a fusionist? Fusionism is a political philosophy that combines traditionalism and libertarianism. The architect of fusionism was Frank Meyer (1909-1972). Meyer was a former communist who became a conservative and was one of the original editors of National Review. He believed that traditionalists should be libertarians and libertarians should be traditionalists. Meyer believed the two groups had a common enemy (liberalism/socialism) and also a common heritage. The name "fusionism" was actually coined by Brent Bozell Jr. who was a traditionalist opponent of the political philosophy of Frank Meyer.
In 1955 William F. Buckley brought together traditionalists, libertarians, and anticommunists at his new magazine National Review. Buckley credited Frank Meyer for doing the best job of bringing these groups together with his fusionism. Fusionism was embraced by Buckley as well as Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan. Fusionism became known simply as conservatism.
Frank Meyer saw the basic functions of government as national defense, maintaining order, and promoting justice. He believed the national government should be limited, states rights should be recognized, and in decentralized power. Of course freedom is of the utmost importance but we must have an ordered liberty. Meyer pointed out that freedom needs virtue and virtue needs freedom. Freedom by itself leads to anarchy and then tyranny will eventually arise. Of course virtue that is coerced is not really virtue at all. Fusionism places great value on freedom while still maintaining respect for religion and tradition. Fusionism combines cultural conservatism with political and economic libertarianism.
The government must be limited because those in government are affected by original sin just like those whom they must govern. Government must be able to restrain evil but at the same time it must be restrained itself. Too much power in the hands of sinful men is horrifying. We must also distinguish between an authoritarian government and the authority of God. The authority of government must be strongly limited but the authority of God should be fully embraced. We must recognize the absolute authority of God. Those who reject the authority of God end up losing truth, virtue, and even freedom.
A fusionist is simply a constitutionalist. The U.S. Constitution was a brilliant political document with its limits on government, containing a system of checks and balances and the separation of powers. America needs to embrace the political philosophy known as fusionism.
In 1955 William F. Buckley brought together traditionalists, libertarians, and anticommunists at his new magazine National Review. Buckley credited Frank Meyer for doing the best job of bringing these groups together with his fusionism. Fusionism was embraced by Buckley as well as Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan. Fusionism became known simply as conservatism.
Frank Meyer saw the basic functions of government as national defense, maintaining order, and promoting justice. He believed the national government should be limited, states rights should be recognized, and in decentralized power. Of course freedom is of the utmost importance but we must have an ordered liberty. Meyer pointed out that freedom needs virtue and virtue needs freedom. Freedom by itself leads to anarchy and then tyranny will eventually arise. Of course virtue that is coerced is not really virtue at all. Fusionism places great value on freedom while still maintaining respect for religion and tradition. Fusionism combines cultural conservatism with political and economic libertarianism.
The government must be limited because those in government are affected by original sin just like those whom they must govern. Government must be able to restrain evil but at the same time it must be restrained itself. Too much power in the hands of sinful men is horrifying. We must also distinguish between an authoritarian government and the authority of God. The authority of government must be strongly limited but the authority of God should be fully embraced. We must recognize the absolute authority of God. Those who reject the authority of God end up losing truth, virtue, and even freedom.
A fusionist is simply a constitutionalist. The U.S. Constitution was a brilliant political document with its limits on government, containing a system of checks and balances and the separation of powers. America needs to embrace the political philosophy known as fusionism.
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