Year End Book Review - Part 1

I love to read.  However, I am not a speedy reader.  Christian bloggers such as Tim Challies can knock down a hundred or so books a year - and manage to to review them all, but I'm lucky if I read a dozen.  Accordingly, I can lump all my reviews for the past year's reading into a couple of manageable posts.  Let me first begin with all the books I have my hooks into but have not yet finished.

Books in Progress

• Lectures to My Students by Charles Haddon Spurgeon - I put this one down last Christmas because of the influx of new books I received and was eager to tear into.  Spurgeon gives some timeless wisdom for all prospective preachers and pastors in this wonderful volume. Though I'm not likely to get into full-time ministry, I found his knowledge insightful and useful, even for a simple Christian layman.  I definitely will pick this one back up.

• The Death of Death in the Death of Christ by John Owen - Maybe the most difficult volume I've ever attempted to read.  I grew exhausted about halfway through, though I actually did learn much from his treatise on Christ's Particular Redemption of the elect.  I have since read other works by Owen, carried along by a little helpful editing and modernization of the text that I found very readable.  Is there a version of Death of Death similar to Justin Taylor's and Kelly M. Kapic's wonderful Overcoming Sin and Temptation?

• Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin; A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith by Robert L. Reymond; Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine by Wayne Grudem - I plan to teach a course on Systematic Theology beginning this year and these are among my primary sources.  I also plan on utilizing the classic Reformed confessions and Thomas Watson's A Body of Divinity and The Ten Commandments.

• The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism by Timothy Keller - Keller is the pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan.  He boasts nearly six thousand attendees in the very heart of Vanity Fair. This book is an Apologetic treatise answering seven of the most difficult questions non-believers pose about God and the Christian faith.  It then delves into the reasons for faith in the one true God.  I'm only a quarter the way through but so far this is one outstanding read.

On to the Reviews:

A Peculiar Anniversary

Tomorrow marks the 2nd anniversary of A Peculiar Pilgrim. I will be on the road to the Rockies so I'm putting this up early. If I never post again you can safely assume that we drove off a mountain somewhere.
Honestly, it has not been a good year for blogging. In 2007 I churned out about 120 posts. This year - less than 20. Ouch! Yeah, I know, 'what a slouch.' I even pondered the unthinkable; retiring from blogging altogether. But I just can't. This pilgrim is poor and solitary with only a handful of loyal readers (I think), yet I still believe (perhaps vainly) that I can teach people from the scriptures and through my life experiences. So I press on. I will continue my pilgrimage down the road less traveled by for at least another year. I pray that some of you will carry on with me. I can always use the company.
Due to the dearth of quality posts this year I will simply link to my top five posts (in my humble opinion) of 2008:

My Conversion to the Doctrines of Grace Parts Four & Five - This series holds a special place in my heart.  It is both deeply personal and  somewhat humiliating - but it is the truth, in all its unvarnished glory.

The Dirty Word of Modern Evangelicalism - Basically a primer on the importance of doctrine and theology in the life of every believer.

The Society of Satan and His Gospel - A couple of quotes from AW Pink and Michael Horton that has completely changed how I look at the work of Satan in the world today.  Memorable!

Book Review - The Bible - My first official book review tackles the most powerful and influential book of all time.  Do you think I liked it much?

Merry Christmas to all my readers!

Convicting Power of The Gospel

I recently have had the distinct privilege of reading one of the most beloved books in all of Puritan literature, John Owen's  Of The Mortification of Sin. It is a deeply sobering treatise into the reality of the wickedness and pervasiveness of sin and its power.  Owen argues that it is the duty of every Christian to put sin to death.  In this volume, he demonstrates the awfulness of sin and the immediate need for its mortification  He then goes into detail on how this is to be done. At one point Owen advises believers to "load your conscience with the guilt of sin". A powerful sub-point to this direction is given here:

My Conversion to the Doctrines of Grace - Part 5

Author's Note: Yes, I know, I've dragged these posts out so long nobody remembers what this whole series was about!  If this describes you, or if you're new to A Peculiar Pilgrim, start reading the series HERE.

During my years as a Pentecostal/Arminian Christian I focused my theological studies on an array of supposedly sound biblical topics. I studied Dispensational Theology (though at the time I had no idea what it was called), learning the different epochs of time Earth's history had been neatly packaged into. I was taught that God dealt with humanity on a different basis in each dispensation, setting a different standard rule of faith and life and watching man fail to achieve the goal. God would then move on to a different standard, man would fail once again to meet God's demands... so on and so forth. I dabbled with spiritual warfare, waging battle against all principalities and powers of darkness. I learned how to defend my family against the wiles of the devil. I read many kooky books that inspired me to take up the armor of God and stand firmly against the devil's fiery darts in ways that now make me cringe with chagrin. I danced as King David did (except fully clothed) and anointed everything with olive oil (or Crisco if the former was not conveniently available). I claimed enough territories for Christ during those years that I could have established a whole other country. I scoured the scriptures, scrapping together verses in an effort to discern the times, and determine the signs of Christ's Second Coming.  I agreed with both Jack Van Impe and Hal Lindsey that the temple in Jerusalem would soon be rebuilt and the secret rapture of the church would whisk us away while the world would suffer beneath the iron heel of the Antichrist's reign of terror.  I spent hours pleading and wrestling with God at the altar, in the desperate hope that he would grant me an authentic, earth-shattering spiritual experience akin to the ones enjoyed by my brethren, who appeared to get a 'dose of the Ghost' on a weekly basis.

Election Coverage

Yep, I think Dan Phillips covers all we need to know about election in this wonderful post over at Pyromaniacs.  Here's an excerpt:

Today's American election takes place (normally) every four years on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November.

The election I'm thinking of took place once only, before the foundation of a world (Ephesians 1:4).

Today's election involves votes cast by millions of people of wildly varying circumstances, characters, levels of intelligence, and worldviews.

The eternal election only had three participants: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, each the quintessence of perfection in power, wisdom, holiness, and goodness (Ephesians 1:3-14).

Today's election requires that I take into account the career, character, accomplishments, stated convictions, and proposals of the candidates. My vote must be earned, in my estimation.

The eternal election actually is not only irrespective of (Romans 9:11), but contrary to the deserts of its objects. It is an election "that we should be holy and blameless before him" (Ephesians 1:4). If that is the objective (or outcome) of the choice, then what were we before that choice, if not altogether unholy, and blameworthy?

Read the post in its entirety HERE

Day of the Reformed

Happy Reformation Day to one and all! This significant, yet overlooked holiday celebrates the historical relevance of the posting of a long list of grievances against the Roman Catholic Church by the Augustinian monk Martin Luther on October 31st, 1517 in the German town of Wittenberg.  Luther's consternation centered around the repugnant practice of selling indulgences to the poor and naive populace in order to fund the construction of the lavish St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

Two great theological issues Luther brought to light were the lost biblical doctrines of justification by faith alone and the authority of Scripture.  They are historically referred to as the doctrines of Sola Fide and Sola Scriptura. Luther, after much wrestling with the scriptures, discovered that man is justified by God's grace through faith alone.  No human work of any sort contributed to his status before God.  Faith in the work of Christ already done on man's behalf is the means by which he is declared not guilty before a just and holy God. This doctrine is based upon the belief that the scriptures are sufficient unto all life and godliness for the believer.  No pope or councils of Bishops and religious leaders can add or subtract one jot or tittle from the God-breathed scriptures. Upon this foundation Martin Luther made his stand.  Will we stand with him? God help us if we don't!

On this occasion, the Day of the Reformed, let all of us who fall under the label of 'Protestant' rejoice that we have been delivered from the iron bonds of Romish traditions and damnable heresies. Thank God that he used a frail and thoroughly flawed man like Martin Luther to unveil once again his amazing grace to sinners everywhere through his son, Jesus Christ.

Failure to Communicate

My pastor preached on 1 Peter 4:7-11 this past Sunday expounding on the apostle's exhortation to serve in God's strength.  The theme of this entire month has been Serve.  Pastor threw out a tidbit of wisdom that struck my heart profoundly, and I thought I would share it with my readers as well. His third main point of the sermon proclaims that God supplies strength for us, based upon v.11 in the text where Peter states, "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ..."

In conjunction with this profound truth, my pastor added this insight that spoke directly to my current situation.  He said (and I may not have this directly quoted) "We become stronger by serving, we don't become strong so we can serve."  Simple, yet stout enough to break the chains that bind.  It's the same principle by which we sometimes explain coming to Christ.  We don't clean up our lives so we may become worthy to follow Christ, we come to Christ just as we are, weak and helpless and his grace transforms us into new creations.  Why do some of us Christians believe that God's grace is only sufficient for the act of coming to Jesus but somehow the rest of life is completely up to us?

There is None Righteous...

This video does an excellent job illustrating the great biblical doctrine of Sola Gratia - saved by grace alone.  Enjoy!



HT: Christian Research Net

My Peculiar Pilgrimage to Disney World - Part 1

The pilgrim is back!  I apologize to all my regular readers for my long absence from the blogosphere.  Oh, I've been around, but only as a lurker here and there, but now after a very eventful spring and summer I am ready to blog myself happy again.  From April through June I've been busy moving and adjusting to our new home.  Just last week our family took a second journey to that famous fantasy realm in Florida - Disney World. This trip was far more enjoyable than our last visit in 2005.  One reason is that our kids are all a little older and more independent.  They could enjoy the spectacle much more than they could 3 years ago.  Although it was the adults who had the most fun overall.  The teenagers were too old for Mickey Mouse and the young ones just weren't feeling the magic.  That's OK, I suppose, because the reason I had more fun this time around revolved around the fact that a large number of family members partook in this great adventure.  A grand total of 17 people, young and old packed their bags and made the journey to Orlando.  I enjoyed the company and a good time was had by all.  But as the patriarch of this clan commented at a final lunch gathering on the way to the airport: "We had to work real hard to have a good time."  I couldn't agree more. 

Blogging and God's Blessings

So, what does one have to do with the other? Well, you may have noticed that my post production has significantly decreased over the past few weeks. There's good news and bad news associated with this trend. The good news is that my attention and energy has been diverted by the Lord's tremendous blessings in my life. With a family of six members, we had grown exceedingly close - not devotionally, but physically, in our nice, yet modest sized home. Well, out of the blue 2 weekends ago, we received a phone call from a family member cryptically telling us we must look at this house for sale not too far from where we currently live. My wife and I exchanged puzzled glances, asking each other the same question - Why? We aren't shopping for a new house. Reluctantly, yet somewhat curious we both drove out to the address and were astonished at the beauty of the home. We saw a sign that read 'Open House - Sunday'. After church the following day we toured the inside of the home and fell in love with it immediately. It has so much more room than our current home. We were surprised at the very reasonable pricing. The square-footage is a major upgrade, but the neighborhood itself is not quite as nice as ours, as my wife duly noted. This probably contributed toward the fair pricing. However, the street itself is very nice and has a lot less traffic than ours. The backyard is smaller, but much better landscaped. (Less mowing, baby!) The home was reasonably priced, yet still beyond our means to purchase. The providence of God however, quickly put us into a position to buy the house. The next day a bid was put in and to make a long story short, the deal will be closed on April 30th!

UN-be-LIEVABLE!

My Conversion to the Doctrines of Grace - Part 4

Note: This is a continuation of a series I began in mid-2007. Sorry for the long delay. If you haven't read any of the posts in the series you can start HERE.

Precisely two-and-a-half years ago, I began embracing the doctrines of Grace (also called 5-point Calvinism). It was a chaotic time, where both the deconstruction of my old theology and the construction of this new theology were taking place simultaneously in my mind and spirit. To complicate matters, an old friend, who had faithfully attended my now defunct weekly bible study for college students, came to my office one day and begged me to start up a new study group. She had come to a difficult point in her life and had a deep hunger for someone to bring her the Word. I had sympathy for her, but didn't feel I was in any position to teach.

First, I could no longer teach much of what I had in the past. Many of those doctrines, like a house built on shifting sand, laid in a collapsed heap. I was in the process of bulldozing those aberrant beliefs right off my intellectual property. Second, I still did not know enough about Calvinism to be confident enough to teach it. Third, I still had not resolved all the points of Calvinism in my heart and mind yet. I readily accepted the T, the U, and the I but I wasn't so sure about the L and the P. Odd, I know, if the U then the P should follow, right? I've never said I was the sharpest knife in the drawer!

Anyway, against my better judgment, I plunged ahead with the study and presented my understanding of sovereign salvation to that small audience. It all worked out for the good, though. The class constantly presented challenges that helped to sharpen me. In the end though, only one person from the group came to believe in the doctrines of Grace. She came to visit me in my office one afternoon last year and I asked her pointedly, "have you become convinced that the doctrines of Grace are true?" My friend gave me an unforgettable reply. In a humble and almost broken-hearted tone, she said, "Yes it has to be true, because I know my own heart."

The Pressing Need of Today's Church

"It is the studied judgment of this writer, and he is by no means alone therein, that doctrinal preaching is the most pressing need of the churches today". "Doctrinal preaching is designed to enlighten the understanding, to instruct the mind, to inform the judgment. It is that which supplies motives to gratitude and furnishes incentives to good works". "Doctrinal Christianity is both the ground and the motive of practical Christianity, for it is principle and not emotion or impulse which is the dynamic of the spiritual life". "There is no doctrine revealed in Scripture for a merely speculative knowledge, but all is to exert a powerful influence upon conduct. God's design in all that He has revealed to us is to the purifying of our affections and the transforming of our characters". – AW Pink

The Material Principle of Modern Christianity

Chris Rosebrough of Extreme Theology has hit a home run with his latest article. He recently attended the Evolve 08 Conference in Cumming, Georgia. Church planters, cutting edge pastors and ministry leaders from around the country gathered together to share ideas. Chris interviewed and conversed with many of the participants to try and understand the CPM's modus operandi of establishing and growing churches in postmodern America. He has rightly divided the word of truth, splitting asunder their foundation with surgical precision, exposing the central tenant of this dangerous movement. The CPM, according to Chris, has part of its roots planted in the sandy soil of the candy-coated Purpose-Driven Ungospel of Rick Warren's brand of Baptist theology. I'll let Chris explain further:

Book Review: The Bible

I promised to deliver book reviews to my readers, so here's my first venture.

After thirteen years as a Christian I have finally finished reading the bible cover-to-cover. I completed the book of Malachi last week, thus ending my long journey through the Old Testament. So what took me so long? In February, 1995 I picked up the holy scriptures for the first time with a burning heart. Within a few months I had read through the New Testament. I began reading the Old Testament starting with Genesis. I moved fairly quickly through it and Exodus too, but hit a brick wall in Leviticus. I just flat stopped reading the bible through at that point. I didn't cease from studying the bible, just from reading it like a novel. I couldn't get a firm grasp on Leviticus, nor did I see any profit in attempting to understand it. I moved on to topical studies until 2005. My regular readers will realize this is the time when I had my personal reformation of belief. A new fire and passion for God's word blazed through my heart and the scriptures have consumed my thoughts ever since. I picked up where I left off in Leviticus and raced through the the remainder of the OT with great zeal. Now that I have finished this epic quest, I'm off to do it again!

PPBC Spring Lineup

Ok, time for a shameless plug. I have organized a sneak preview for the planned Spring season of the Peculiar Pilgrim Broadcasting Company (PPBC). No writer's strike halting progress here. Writer's block on the other hand...

I realize my readers have been waiting with breathless anticipation for my prime-time lineup, so without further ado I present the Spring, 2008 schedule.

• A few Minutes with Brandon Lucas. Inspired by my friend SMOK's fine works, I too am laboring over a commentary. It will be my first. I decided to start with the brief, (yet theology packed) book of Jude. Expect for my first entry to begin sometime in March.

• PBS (Pilgrim Bible Studies) Educational Programming. My upcoming series on Big Bad Bible Words will attempt to define intimidating theological words and phrases in layman's terms

• Home and Garden. I will also resume my series on Tiptoeing through the TULIP. I will be focusing in on the doctrine of Unconditional Election next.

• Documentaries. I also have yet to finish my series on My Conversion to the Doctrines of Grace. I have two entries remaining that have been sitting on the shelf for far too long.

• Drama. There are a couple of fiction stories swimming around in my head, too. Eventually I will pour those imaginings onto paper.

• Critic's Corner. I plan to write book reviews over everything I read.

• Reality programming. I will publish various topical posts based on life experiences and theological perplexities.

• TBN. When the need arises, you will get cutting PP commentary on the sad state of modern Christianity.

• Reruns. I will have my usual assortment of great quotes from church history's great preachers and teachers. I will also publish thought-provoking posts from my fellow bloggers and friends.

• CNN. Finally, if I am discerning the will of God correctly, I should have breaking news in the next 2 or 3 months.

Whew! I may have bitten off more than I can chew! These are my PLANS, not my PROMISES. All program lineups are subject to change without notice.

Speaking of Theologians...

My gold-plated friend over at the Spice Mines of Kessel - the one fluent in over 6 million forms of communication - has posted an excellent article explaining why he is a theologian. It is a brief yet profound read. Here is an excerpt:

As a disciple of Christ, I feel it my duty to increase in the knowledge of God’s Word, written in the Holy Bible. Basically, a disciple is someone who believes and helps to spread the doctrine of another. More specifically, a disciple is one who follows the teachings of Jesus. Personally, my discipleship comes through theology. Theology is simply the study, or knowledge, of God. I find it in my purpose to be a disciple and to make disciples through theology–or the study and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Why am I a theologian?

It starts with the beginning. John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The key is that last part. “…and the Word was God.” So, if the Word was, or is God, then to know God, you must know the Word. Likewise, in order to know the Word, you must know God.

Here are three more reasons why God has called me to be a theologian... Read the rest of the article HERE.

In addition to SMOK's duties as a full-time protocol droid (Read: computer technician), he conducts bible studies, soaks in the scriptures like a sponge absorbs water, and writes commentaries on various books of the bible. His latest offering is on the book of Philemon. True to droidic form, it is short, concise and insightful. Read and be blessed.

Philemon Commentary

 

The Dirty Word of Modern Evangelicalism

I spent ten years in a church which would easily be classified as a 'Modern Evangelical Church'. The pastor founded his ministry primarily on the principles of 'felt needs' preaching and subjective emotional experiences. In the midst of this environment I realized very quickly that several 'high brow' Christian terms were taboo. Among them were words such as tradition, liturgy, hymns, creeds, catechisms, doctrine and theology. The disdain of the last two terms I found especially disturbing.

A couple of years ago I recall speaking with a long-standing member one evening before service and she asked me what kind of books I enjoy reading. I simply replied, "Theology, mostly." Her immediate reaction jolted me. Her nose crinkled as if she had just gotten a whiff of a frightened skunk. "That dry and musty stuff? That would put me to sleep" She said with undisguised contempt. She preferred a riveting fiction book (Christian fiction, of course) to mining the depths of the great doctrines of the bible. I have no problem with a good work of fiction, but it struck me as odd that a Christian would much prefer to read a work of fantasy over fact, falsehood over truth. This attitude is prevalent among members of the Evangelical church today. I must admit, I find this paradigm utterly perplexing. I have been in pursuit of a fundamental understanding of theology since the day God saved me from my sins. Admittedly, in the beginning I looked in all the wrong places, but over time the Lord has blessed me richly in attaining at least a rudimentary understanding of biblical and systematic theology.

A Truly Super Sunday Part 2: The Providence of God

Note: I realize this post is WAAAAY overdue. The Super Bowl is yesterday's news, however this post really has nothing to do with the game, so feel free to read on!

So how I did I celebrate the greatest Super Bowl upset of all-time? I'm glad you asked. The unvarnished truth is, I spent over 3 hours late that night vacationing on a far distant island, reclining in a chair on the roof of a towering Anglican cathedral, reacquainting myself with a long-lost childhood friend....

A Truly Super Sunday Part 1

I like football. The pageantry of college football is unparalleled, yet my favorite time of the year is the NFL playoffs and the Super Bowl. The tension and the drama of a single-loss elimination, winner-take-all tournament has no peer. This past Sunday I did the small gathering thing with friends, replete with abundant snacks, drinks and the obligatory pizza and wings. We gathered around the tube for the anticipated snooze-fest blowout by the heavily favored New England Patriots. The New York Giants were almost two touchdown 'dogs and I wasn't willing to give them any kind of a chance. I truly wanted them to win, mostly because I can't stand the Patriots, but I knew they wouldn't. So how did I know? Because of a little-known (read: fabricated) universal law. I call it the Law of Inevitability of the NFL Dynasty. This law is built upon the precedence of past dynasties, such as the Packers of the 60's, the Steelers of the 70's, the 49ers of the 80's, the Cowboys of the 90's and of course the Patriots of the 00's. The LENFLD states that a team that is considered the dynasty of its era will not under any circumstance lose in a Super Bowl. It has never happened in NFL history and I had no reason to believe the 18-0 record-breaking New England Patriots would be denied their place in history.

Tim Challies on Bible Translations

Tim Challies has written a nice article on the 'Beauty of a Good Bible Translation'. He articulated his reasons for preferring the English Standard Version (ESV) over several other modern translations. I have to say he has hit the nail on the head with his observations. I completely agree with his sentiments. The ESV is a wonderful literal translation of the scriptures that many believe captures the poetic flow of the original languages. Here is an excerpt:

Whenever I take the time to read the Bible slowly and meditatively, and this is particularly true of reading the Old Testament, I am struck by the beauty of the language as it is translated in the English Standard Version, my translation of choice. While I do not know how to read Hebrew, I often hear people speak of the poetic nature of the language which leads even the prose to have poetic qualities. It seems to me that the ESV does an admirable job of capturing that. The same cannot be said of all Bible translations. I have come to love the little literary devices, the metaphors and phrases used by the ancient writers and find that they add so much to the reading of the text. Without a translation that accurately rendered these sayings we would lose so much of the flow and meaning of the text.

There is so much beauty in the prose of the Old Testament and I am thankful to have access to a translation (and to several translations, really) that accurately renders the metaphors and phrases used by the original authors. Let me provide you with a few examples. I am going to use the ESV as my standard essentially-literal translation. I do this not necessary to indicate that it is superior to the others within the category, but simply because it is the translation I use for my devotional and study work.

Read the entire article HERE.

A Commentary on Ephesians Chapter 2

The wise sage C3PO once stated, "Sometimes I just don't understand human behavior."

Fortunately for us, the inspired Apostle Paul did, and he passed the knowledge and wisdom he received from God down to us in his various epistles. In the book of Ephesians chapter 2, Paul reveals the depths of human depravity, then lifts the readers to the throne of God's glory in explaining the gospel of grace. It is one of the finest chapters in all of God's word.

My good friend and fellow blogger over at The Spice Mines of Kessel has labored hard over the past couple of months to produce a commentary on Ephesians Chapter 2. It is a fine piece of work and I am recommending it to you today for your reading pleasure and edification.

I have been privileged to sit under SMOK's bible study centered on this commentary over the past several weeks. Every session has just gotten better and better and the class size is growing in accordance.

If you want to be wiser than C3PO and better understand the root of human behavior - and what God's remedy is for it, please avail yourself to SMOK's commentary and be blessed by the Christ-centric teachings therein.

A Commentary on Ephesians Chapter 2

The Invincibility of Monergistic Regeneration

I just read another fantastic article by John Hendryx over at Monergism lucidly expounding upon the teachings of Jesus found in John chapter 6. He identifies our Lord's use of a syllogism in order to put two and two together and prove several profound truths from these scriptures:

Truth 1. No one comes to Christ unless it is granted to him by the Father.

PLUS

Truth 2. Everyone who is granted permission by the Father will believe in Christ.

EQUALS

Truth 3. Every step of our salvation is all of God's grace.  His grace is irresistible and invincible.  Even our coming to him in faith only happens in response to his calling.

Here is an excerpt:

The purpose of this short essay is to show from Scripture a discussion Jesus had in his time on earth where he unequivocally asserts that it is grace alone that makes persons to differ in our response to the gospel; whether we believe it, or reject it. And to drive this point home we will show how Jesus insists that UNLESS God grants His invincible grace no one would ever believe the gospel ... yet ALL persons to whom he grants this same grace will believe unto eternal life.

To those who have not considered Jesus discourse to the Jews in John 6, I would encourage you to take the time to reflect on it today. We find out that, when speaking to the Jews, Jesus uses a syllogism that leaves no room for human boasting. Defined simply, a syllogism is a logical formula consisting of two premises and a conclusion which follows of necessity from them. It is a combination of two judgments infallibly necessitating a third judgment as a consequence of their mutual relation. A simple example of a syllogism is: If all humans are sinners, and all Greeks are humans, then all Greeks are sinners.

You ask, but what does this have to do with Jesus?

In John chapter 6, in the context of Jesus’ calling the Jews to believe the gospel about Himself and their resulting unbelief in Him, He presents them with the following two simple yet profound statements, which, when applied together necessitates the conclusion that saving grace is always both invincible and indelible. He claims that those to whom, in due season, the Spirit regenerates will infallibly believe the gospel. Grace and faith, therefore, are not the same thing, and when it comes down to why some have faith and not others, Jesus emphatically comes down on the side of grace. What I call “the Jesus syllogism”, where He authoritatively communicates this truth, should end all arguments about this issue. it can be found in the midst of his discourse with the Jews in John 6:37 & John 6:65 where He says:

“All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” ( 6:37) ”… no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father." ( 6:65)

Read the entire article HERE.

Freely Offered Answers to Free Will Questions

A frequenter of this blog commented on my last post, Free Will: Making Distinctions and has asked several very good questions. Instead of replying in the meta I thought I would spotlight my answers in a post. I hope my friend doesn't mind all the attention!

Note: I would advise reading my previous post in order to grasp the full context of this discussion.

Q: OK, if our free choice is irrevocably governed by our will, how “free” is that choice? I don’t want to play semantics here, but we really can’t have “spiritual” free choice if our choice is unbreakably bound by our will.

Free Will: Making Distinctions

Does man have free will?

I'm sure we have all had someone ask the question in Sunday school, at a bible study or even mulled it over ourselves in the dark of night at one time or another. Honestly, this has been a hot topic in my slice of the hemisphere the last few weeks. It's the million dollar question. The way we answer it shall determine much of our doctrine. It will also shape our conception of God, his character, his wisdom and his power. It will also determine how much room man has for boasting when it comes to his salvation, his sanctification and his perseverance. It is an important issue to resolve in our hearts by the scriptures, so I first would like to define the boundaries of what the term free will actually implies and what the bible says about how free our will truly is. Let's dig in!

The Society of Satan and His Gospel

"The gospel of Satan is not a system of revolutionary principles, nor yet a program of anarchy. It does not promote strife and war, but aims at peace and unity. It seeks not to set the mother against her daughter nor the father against his son, but fosters the fraternal spirit whereby the human race is regarded as one great ‘brotherhood.’ It does not seek to drag down the natural man, but to improve and uplift him. It advocates education and cultivation and appeals to ‘the best that is within us.’ It aims to make this world such a comfortable and congenial habitat that Christ’s absence from it will not be felt and God will not be needed." –A.W. Pink

As I prepared to post this I was reminded of a similar quote from a recent article by Dr. Michael Horton entitled 'Christless Christianity: Getting in Christ's Way' originally published in the May/June 07 issue of Modern Reformation magazine.

Back in the Saddle Again

Happy New year everyone!

The holidays are now over. The college bowl season has ended (save one fairly meaningful game), the Christmas lights have come down and the tree has been packed away for another year. Depressing, isn't it? In one sense, yes, I'm a little bummed out that Christmas has passed. Oh, how I enjoy vicariously living out the beaming joy of my children's almost unbearable anticipation of gift-exchanging bounty. Especially when video games are involved! Yes, I'm one of those parents who enjoy the children's presents as much as they do. This year we bought a Nintendo Wii as a family gift, and it has been very well received. It's quite an impressive little machine with lots of uses, aside from games. I can browse the internet and behold my blog in all its glory on a 32 inch LCD screen! Cool! And I must add, Super Mario Galaxy is the single best video game I have played since the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Just a ton of fun! Christmas is a wonderful time of year.

I work at a university, therefore I get nearly two weeks off. I have spent that time enjoying my children and catching up on my reading. My favorite memory this year is when I read the story of Christ's birth to my children as we gathered to celebrate Christmas at my mom's house.