Metanoia

So everyone and their cousin is posting this video by Ray Comfort and "The Way of the Master" ministry: "180".

If you haven't seen it yet, click here to check it out.

It's well worth watching. However, I'd like to first post my thoughts after watching it and then the thoughts of someone I respect. If you haven't seen it yet, you should check it out before reading the rest of this post. It will make a lot more sense.

My take:

1. How can you not know who Hitler is?
2. Of the 'morality' questions he asked regarding Hitler and the Jews, the only one I had to stop to think about was the one about having a sniper rifle with Hitler in your sights. But even knowing the evil that he caused, I don't believe it would be right to kill him. If you are a Christian and believe that God is sovereign, then obeying God's command not to murder applies clearly here. God allowed Hitler to live as long as he did for His own purposes. Murdering him in cold blood, whether we can rationalize it or not, would be wrong. Most of you probably didn't even have to think about it, but in case anyone else paused at that one, that's my thoughts.
3. Ray takes 2 Peter 3:9, "God is not willing that any should perish" out of context. He takes it as a universal statement and the context clearly shows that Peter is drawing a distinction in the first 9 verses between the elect and the world. While it's not an uncommon error, it is demonstrably an error and should be corrected.
4. It seemed like he talked a lot about the law. While that's not necessarily a bad thing and is often very necessary, it felt quite lengthy while I was watching it.

This morning, while at work, I was checking my Twitter feeds and noticed Tim Challies had an 'a la carte' blogpost (a post in which he links to different interesting things) this morning. I clicked to read the post and read the following:

"180 is a new documentary from Ray Comfort. Just 33 minutes long, it’s worth watching. Comfort does battle with moral relativism on the issue of abortion. (On the critique side, I sure wish he did a better job of getting to the gospel)" - Tim also linked to the movie's website.

Curious as to what his critiques were, I read down in the comments and found a number of other people with the same question I did. One commenter named Mark Spence commented,

"I love your posts and what you do. I was soooo excited to see you post about 180. I produced and edited the documentary.

You said, "I sure wish he did a better job of getting to the Gospel."

You caught me off guard with this statement. Would you please elaborate?

The Law was 3 minutes long and the Gospel presentation was 3 minutes long. Some very respected people, within your circle of influence, encouraged me to take out the Gospel altogether and leave it as simply a 'pro-life' video.

Looking forward to your thoughts. I value them greatly."

Reading further down, I found that Phil Johnson - aka John MacArthur's book editor/Head of Grace To You/Blogger at teampyro.blogspot.com/Spurgeon aficionado.

Phil is one of the smartest guys I know and as soon as I saw his name in the comments section, I was eager to hear what he had to say.

"I'm with Tim on the 180 film. It makes a very powerful rational and emotional case against abortion--and that aspect of the film is utterly superb. But I have watched the film carefully a few times, and there's MUCH more than 3 minutes given to the Ten Commandments. (The preaching of the law is scattered throughout, not just in a 3-minute bloc. It is a prominent feature throughout..) That's fine, and to be expected with any WoTM product. I appreciate and applaud their stress on the use of the law in evangelism.

But I can't find 3 minutes of gospel exposition in the film. The first mention of the historical facts of the gospel comes around 27:30, when the film is nearly over. And it's one of the interviewees who brings up the subject of Jesus dying on the cross. The film immediately goes back to the law, and then Ray makes one brief statement of gospel truth at about 28:30, followed by more law.

Nowhere in the film that I can see is there a clear explanation of the principles of substitution, propitiation, or justification by faith. Surely these things--all necessary to a proper understanding of Jesus' atoning work--warrant as much careful explanation as the law has already received.

To complicate matters, statements are made such as: "There's something you can actually DO, because of God's kindness, to have all your sins forgiven" (at 27:47)--all without a single mention anywhere of the fact that OUR works contribute nothing to salvation.

I would love to have seen the vital truths of Titus 3:5 or Ephesians 2:8-9 fully explained, and the parachute illustration just doesn't do it.

I'm sounding hyper-critical, no doubt. And I am sorry for that. I love WoTM and Ray Comfort. And I'm grateful for the countless people they have motivated to do open-air evangelism. But I do earnestly wish they stressed gospel AS MUCH AS (note: not "instead of") law.

For those who I know will ask, yes, I have communicated these concerns to Ray Comfort personally. "

It is very clear watching the film that Ray Comfort is a gifted communicator and evangelist. However it is equally clear that as a theologian he is no heavyweight. To clarify, I'm not saying he's ignorant of theology, it's just obvious he hasn't spent nearly as much time studying theology as he has evangelizing (by no means a bad thing - except when small problems emerge). Tim, incidentally came on and said essentially the same thing as Phil in a shorter post. Later, Phil, responding to someone else, wrote,

"My concerns aren't really about measuring ratios. Jesus sometimes stressed the law and sometimes stressed the gospel--with greatly varying ratios of each. And the reason for differentiating was clear. As they used to say on the Way of the Master radio broadcast: *Law to the proud; grace to the humble.* Where the stress should be placed depends to a very large degree on the spiritual state of the person being dealt with.

(That's why I cringe when someone has only one memorized script and they follow it verbatim no matter who they are dealing with. And let's face it: that's a sometimes problem with people who follow the WoTM approach to the letter.)

But specific ratios aside, the gospel is ultimately the most important part of the message. It is crucial--especially in these postmodern times when words are capable of an infinite variety of meanings--it is crucial to explain _what we mean_ when we say "Jesus died for your sins."

The principles of substitution and propitiation; the futility of our own works and the utter sufficiency of Christ's righteousness; and the meaning of faith as trust in Christ ALONE--those are truths that even many professing Christians don't understand sufficiently. And the person who never takes time to explain them in clear and simple terms just isn't doing all he needs to do as an evangelist, no matter how bold he is in bringing up the subject with people on the street.

That, from an eternal perspective, is an even more important issue than the abortion epidemic.

And that's NOT to minimize the problem of abortion. Instead, it's meant to stress how immensely HUGE the problem of a weak gospel presentation is."

I think there's a particular importance to this stress in this situation given that Ray Comfort is often used as an example for evangelism (and rightly so!). Unfortunately, too few people today can actually explain the Gospel coherently in basic terms.

But to be fair, some have noted that many involved with the film wanted it to be simply a pro-life film and to skip the Gospel at the end. RC is to be applauded for standing firm on the importance of including that part of the message. It is entirely possible that he was forced to limit his Gospel presentation because of external pressure from others involved in the production.

At the end of the day, I'm very grateful for both of these men. I'm convicted and humbled by RC's passion for the lost, yet also sensitive to PJ's loving critique of a friend and his concern for Gospel accuracy.

SDG

P.S. Metanoia (blog title) is the Greek word for repent. It essentially means to change one's mind, or, as the film's title suggests, to do a 180 degree turn in one's beliefs.

Is it ever okay to play fast and loose with the text?

I'd like some thoughts on this question. I frequently hear people pulling out Bible verses out of context to mean something contrary to the original intent of the author. Certainly, there are many texts whose meanings are debated. What I'm desiring to know is this: Suppose someone quotes a verse and then makes a statement that the verse allegedly proves - the statement may be true or false - is this an acceptable way to quote the Bible?



Option 1 suggests that there is no real truth. The Bible means whatever you want it to mean. There's no possibility of misquoting Scripture with this option or taking a passage out of context. If it's true for you, then that's all the truth you need.

Option 2 is something we see quite often. Often done accidentally or in ignorance, a familiar text is called to mind or a phantom insight is discovered in one's studies and suddenly the text is applied in a way that is counter to the original meaning of the text when it was written. (Now, obviously to some extent, many passages do not apply directly to 21st century believers in the same way they did to the original audience, yet we can still apply the basic principle or underlying meaning practically to our lives.) Can the text have multiple meanings? That is, can God perhaps inspire a new meaning to your heart contrary to what it originally meant?

Option 3 states that, as one professor said, "The text never means what it never meant". That is, the proper way to interpret the Bible is to study it in the context of when it was written and the audience to whom it was written. Then and only then can God's Word be rightly understood.

More on this later, perhaps.

SDG

What Would Jesus Say About 9/11?

Often, when looking back on the events of September 11, 2001, people have asked the question:

"Where was God on September 11th?"

Obviously, the answer being looked for is not the physical location of God on that day. The assumption behind the question, of course, is that God should have done something to prevent the evil from taking place that resulted in the death of thousands.

If one recognizes the sovereignty of God as He reveals Himself in the Bible, one is left with few options to explain the tragedy of ten years ago. To quote an old song, "God is not dead, nor doth He sleep." That much we can be sure of.

However, I think we can be even more sure of what Jesus might say about the events of 9/11. How? Because He already has responded - in a way. I am thinking of, specifically, the events related at the beginning of Luke 13:

" ¹ There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. ² And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? ³ I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. ⁴ Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? ⁵ I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” " (Luke 13:1-5 - NKJV).

I don't mean to suggest that there is an exact parallel between 9/11 and the events referenced here. What I do mean to suggest is that I believe Jesus' response here is just as relevant to our situation as to theirs.

Let me break it down a bit so that my point is clearly understood:

• God is sovereign

That is to say, nothing happens outside His control. This is obvious from places like the book of Job. Satan requested the opportunity to attack Job. God granted Satan's request - in order that He might be glorified through Job's patience - but He set strict limits on how far Satan could go in his chastisement of Job.

• 9/11 happened by God's will

I must be careful in stating this point. By 'will', I do not necessarily mean by His direct action, so much as by His allowance. God does not directly cause evil. Unlike the role of storms and earthquakes in recent events, the actions at 9/11 were caused directly by evil men. But at the same time, they would have no power to act in that way unless it was allowed by God.

• Jesus commands repentance

Interestingly, what Jesus' statement regarding the events of that time tells us is extremely relevant for us today:

The suffering of Jews by the actions of Pilate and the death of some by a tower's collapse did not happen outside of God's control, but neither were they directly acts of judgment on the men who died.

The basic problem in the world is, and always has been, sin. We talk a lot about God's love, but very little about God's justice. But let us be very clear: If God were not just, the world would be a far worse place. Because of our sin, God will inevitably judge the world and send many to hell at the final judgment before the Great White Throne (Rev. 20:11-15).

So what does 9/11 - to say nothing of other tragedies where many die - mean for us today? It means that God is not going to tolerate sin indefinitely. God's patience is long, but not permanent. Sometimes He allows these tragedies to occur to remind us that we live in a sinful world and that judgment for sin is coming. This first happened when God destroyed the world by flood, saving only Noah and his family. Since then, He has judged the world many times as a vivid and sharp reminder that our lives are like a vapor and that sin will be judged. We have no reason to assume we will live a full life or that we will have time before we die to repent of our sin. As Jesus stated so plainly, "Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."

People often ask, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" As one theologian commented on this question,

"That only happened once.  And He volunteered for it."

America, perhaps more than any other country, is extremely moralistic. Yet for all our pretentious claims of goodness, we are also an extremely sinful nation. The truth is, the events of 9/11 might have been far worse if God had not restrained them from being so.

For unbelievers, the take-home message that believers need to share with them is that Christ Jesus - The Son of God and Son of Man - came in the form of human flesh to live the perfect life that we should have lived, and thus was able to exchange - by His own free and loving choice - His prize for our penalty and punishment. He died so that those who believe in the name of Jesus - bringing nothing to salvation but their repentance - might be saved.

But for believers, this salvation doesn't necessarily translate to material riches, perpetual good health, or anything else that we might desire on this earth. God simply does not promise that our life here will be all hunky-dory. Our life here is ultimately not where our blessings will take place. We can lose our job, go bankrupt, or even die in a terrorist attack. The thing to remember is to have a God-centered mindset. If we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

So, remember those who died; support the lawful punishment of those who would seek to terrorize our nation; but never forget the higher citizenship we have in Heaven or the One Whom we serve. Most importantly, when He speaks to us through calamities, don't miss the forest for the trees.

6 Reasons Your Prayer Request Was Not Met, Part 2

This is the second half of my sermon manuscript I preached at Carmel Village last Sunday afternoon.

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• 4. Punishment

Sometimes, God does not answer our requests because of sin in our lives. Even following the repentance of a child for their sin, a wise parent will discipline him promptly. Greater sins require greater punishment.

One example from Scripture makes this point absolutely clear. David the king, who followed Saul, was described as a man after God’s own heart. Yet what do we see of him? After being king for some time, his army was away at war and David was back in his palace idle. As a result of being unengaged by any pressing needs, he found himself up on the roof surveying the city and his eyes came upon a woman bathing. He found out from his servants who she was, Bathsheba the wife of Uriah, a man in David’s army and one of the member’s of the “Mighty Men of David” who had been with him before he became king. Despite the fact that she was married, and despite who her husband was, David sent for her and impregnated her. Not long after, Bathsheba sent word to David that she was pregnant and, obviously, this was a problem for David.

First he tried to cover up his sin by sending for Uriah from the battle lines, inviting him to dinner on the pretence of getting an update on how the war was going while intending to get him drunk. Then David tried to send Uriah home to be with his wife so that he would believe the child was his. But Uriah did not go home that night. As the other soldiers he fought with were away from home and risking their lives, he felt it would not be right for him to go to his wife that night. He spent the evening instead with the men of David, sleeping in the guardhouse with them.

As his plan to cover up his sin by pretending the baby was Uriah’s did not work, David sent a sealed note with Uriah to his general, instructing the general to place Uriah in the fiercest part of the battle and then pulling back his troops so that Uriah would be killed. This time David’s plan worked and Uriah was killed. David had murdered him, just as if he had shot him with the killing arrow himself.

David married Bathsheba shortly after, and she had their baby: a son. Soon after this, Nathan, a prophet of God came to David. He told him the story of David’s sin with Bathsheba, changing it to a rich man who took the lamb of a poor man when he had many of his own. David burned with fury and promised to execute the man who had done this thing. Nathan revealed that it was David himself who had done it.

Soon after, his infant son became sick. David repented of his sin before God and pleaded with him for the life of his son. But the son died. Actions have consequences, and David was only beginning to find this out. One of David’s sons raped David’s daughter from another wife. The daughter’s brother murdered his half-brother in response. That son later rebelled against David, causing a brutal war before finally being killed. Numerous other problems were to result.

The reason? God had taken David from a lowly shepherd to be king over Israel. He had blessed David greatly. And after this unprecedented exaltation, David stole the wife of a friend and had him killed to cover up his sin. Then he lived in unrepentance without remembering God for a year after this.

Such wickedness and willful sin required a punishment. And despite David’s pleas for mercy, God took the life of his son.

When we sin against God, he does not smile and say, “It’s no big deal.” God loves us. As someone recently said, “Asking God for bad things not to happen to us is like asking God not to love us.” Or, in biblical terms,

“11 My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, nor detest His correction; 12 For whom the LORD loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights.” Proverbs 3:11-12.

Sometimes, the results of our sin can be hard to bear. Yet, in all of it, we must trust God. He is not unfair. The punishment is nothing greater than we can bear and far less than our sins deserve. If God is not answering your prayers, however, it may be because of unconfessed sin in your heart. As the Psalmist wrote,

“18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.” Psalm 66:18.

• 5. For Our Growth in Christ

In 2 Corinthians 12:7-9, Paul described the following experience,

“7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

The Apostle Paul – a man who served Christ with more zeal than almost anyone who ever lived – was in danger of being too exalted by revelations that God had given him. God sent him some form of persecution to weigh him down. Does Paul complain about this? No indeed! He rejoices, because the reason he is being afflicted is to grow in Christ. So that it is Christ alone, and not we ourselves, through Whom our work of service to Christ is done. Also, James writes,

“2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” James 1:2-3.

Sometimes God allows a situation to occur or to continue to cause us to grow in Him. We who are believers in Christ, those for whom He gave His life, are being transformed into the image of Christ. Such transformation requires pain. Just as Christ made Himself like us and suffered pain and even death on our behalf. More than that, He bore the weight of our sin on the cross of Calvary, taking the punishment we deserved because we were unable to bear it. As He bore our pain, we are to follow His example and share in His sufferings, knowing that these things are but for a time. Our labor is not in vain in the Lord, if you are a believer in Christ, this life will be but a memory upon His return.

Thus, when we pray for relief in some area or a removal of something that is hard on us, if God does not meet your request, do not assume He is uncaring or impotent. More importantly, do not waste your trial. Recognize that it is an intrinsic part of your transformation to the likeness of Christ Jesus.

• 6. God has a better plan in store.

Sometimes God does not answer a prayer because it is not part of His plan. That is to say, sometimes God has a better plan in store. For 400 years in Egypt, the Israelites labored in slavery to the Egyptians. They cried out to God for deliverance, yet for several generations, God did not respond. However, the Psalmist reminds us,

“3 [The Lord] will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.” Psalm 121:3-4.

God was waiting the perfect time to act. God had acted similarly in bringing His people to Egypt. Joseph, the son of Jacob, was hated by his brothers. Out of jealousy, because of Jacob’s obvious favoritism towards Joseph, his brothers took him and sold him to slave traders. He was bought by the Captain of the Guard in Egypt: A man named Potiphar. Through hard work and the blessing of God, Joseph rose to overseer over Potiphar’s household. Potiphar trusted Joseph so much that he stopped even checking to see if Joseph was being honest, he trusted him so much. But Potiphar’s wife had eyes for Joseph, and when he rejected her advances, she vengefully told her husband that Joseph had tried to rape her. Joseph was then thrown into prison for several years. Yet it was here in prison that Joseph was in position to complete God’s plan. Because of his character, the jailer made him overseer over the other prisoners. Subsequently, he was able to render a service to a prisoner who was influential in getting him released and bringing him later to the attention of Pharaoh. The end result? Through the wisdom God had given him, Joseph was appointed by Pharaoh to second-in-command of all of Egypt, only under Pharaoh himself.

Thus, God provided a home for Joseph’s family from the fierce famine in Canaan. And through the subsequent slavery of Israel in Egypt, God set the stage to reveal Himself to Egypt and call out the people of Israel as His own chosen people – to set His love and blessing upon them.

In Gethsemane, the night before Jesus died, He prayed to the Father, asking Him that if some other way could be found to redeem His people, that it might happen. God did not grant that request: But He did grant Jesus’ other request: After petitioning the Father in this way, Jesus prayed: “Not my will, but Yours be done.”

This is the pattern which all our prayers ought to take. God is all-wise. He has a perfect plan for all eternity. When we petition Him for what we desire, we should always pray for His will to be accomplished. As Jesus taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done…”