Be Afraid- Be Very Afraid of Errors about Justification

This October 31st most of the US will be celebrating Halloween- a mindless day of candy and costumes that often celebrates death and evil. Few will remember a day that actually changed western civilization and rescued the gospel. October 31st is the day in 1517 when Martin Luther began the Protestant Reformation by nailing up his 95 Theses or protests against the Church of Rome.

The heart of his protest was about the gospel. Luther ultimately believed that the Church of Rome had lost the gospel. Rome had come to believe that we are not justified by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Rather, Rome believed and still believes we are justified by Christ and by our work through the sacraments. Christ does his part and we do our part and "voila"- we are justified.

Luther and the Reformers understood the Bible to teach that we are justified by faith apart from works of the law. Our works are actually an offense to God if we are seeking to be justified by them.

Rome's was no small error. Luther said that justification by grace alone through faith alone was the article by which the church stands or falls. This meant that if you denied this doctrine you no longer were a true church. John Calvin also agreed that this doctrine was the main hinge upon which everything else turns.

It is a frightening thing to deny justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. To do so is to drive off a cliff of Christian truth and explode on the rocks below. Be afraid.

The Roman Church stills denies this doctrine to this very day.

Words as Weapons or Words as Worship

We are presently using a study by Paul David Tripp entitled "The War of Words". It is a study that often makes you go "Ugh" about your own words and tremble at the words of Jesus who said that we shall be judged for every careless word we speak (Matt. 12:36-37).

Our words are either weapons that attack and destroy, or they are acts of worship that honor the Cross of Christ by either declaring the gospel, defending the gospel or giving grace to those around us in the form of teaching, rebuking, correcting, training (II Timothy 3:16), and encouragement and perseverance (Romans 15:4).

To see all of my words through those two lenses (weapons or worship) is humbling. Too often my words are jagged and crude weapons to fight for my own glory rather than words of worship to lift up God's glory.

Below is a picture of what too often seems to happen to others when I speak. May God give to me Cross-centered words of worship- especially with my own family.

The fool says in his heart, "There is no God" Psalm 14:1

The Wall Street Journal has published an article from two leading atheists in our day. One from the ever fun-loving Richard Dawkins affectionately known as "Darwin's Rottweiler" and another from a more congenial atheist Karen Armstrong, a former nun. Al Mohler has published a very thorough review here . My observations are limited to this comment by Karen Armstrong,

"Evolution has indeed dealt a blow to the idea of a benign creator, literally conceived. It tells us that there is no Intelligence controlling the cosmos, and that life itself is the result of a blind process of natural selection, in which innumerable species failed to survive."

Two things to be said. One, if this is true we can all go home right now because there is no meaning in anything. There is no purpose. There is no reason to even argue the point of a Creator or the idea of evolution. Nothing really matters. Everything is a mere collision of atoms and chemicals with random consequences.

Secondly, number One cannot be true because we are using meaning and purpose to even speak and think about the idea of a Creator or a cosmos, and to even argue against the idea of a Creator. So even the most basic of human thought speaks of a Creator. Even to be able to speak one single idea and call it meaningful or purposeful means that there is a Creator.

This makes the atheist like a man running away from his own shadow. No matter how fast or far he runs, it is still there. And it isn't even tired.

No, we aren't Mr. President

Obama's stumping for health care reform continued yesterday in a telephone conference, in which the president said that "we are God's partners in matters of life and death." (HT:Lifesitenews.com)

‘See now that I, I am He,

And there is no god besides Me;

It is I who put to death and give life.

I have wounded and it is I who heal,

And there is no one who can deliver from My hand.
Deuteronomy 32:39

When justice is turned on its head

On December 21, 1988 Pan Am flight 103 exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 259 people on board plus 11 on the ground for a total of 270. There were 189 Americans on the plane.

Today in the name of "compassion" Abdelbeset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi was freed from a prison in Scotland in order to return to Libya, because he has terminal prostate cancer. He was the only one convicted in the bombing and has served only eight years of his sentence.

How many murders get to leave prison in order to die at home? Not many. How many mass murders get to leave prison to die at home? Should Charlie Manson be allowed to go home because he is terminally ill?

Scottish justice has mistaken sentimentality for compassion, and replaced justice with something very wicked.

Woe to those who enact evil statutes

And to those who constantly record unjust decisions (Isaiah 10:1)

Piper on Jesus' view of women

Here is a good explanation of Scripture's view of women (and men) by John Piper as he recently preached from John's gospel.

An Atheist's view of trendy evangelicals

Phil Johnson shares this article about what an atheist thinks of "uber" cool evangelicalism. It is from a writer who attended a large mega-church called "Planetshakers" in Australia. Here's how the writer finishes his article appropriately titled "Shaken but not stirred".....

The crowd left believing they had been moved by God and touched by Jesus. They hadn’t. They had been seduced by slick video packages and had their emotional desire for love, community and certainty met by manipulation. It wasn’t the Holy Spirit; it was just people.

So often churches' attempts to be cool and hip by the world's standards just makes us look plain silly and cheap, like a MacDonald's Happy Meal toy.