Luther and the Love of God

Since it is Dr. Martin Luther's birthday today, and because my book review is still on draft mode, I will have to settle with a quote from the Doktor himself (the photo above) and Dr. Trueman (explaining said quote):

"Thus, divine love, by contrast, is not reactive but creative: God does not find that which is lovely and then move out in love toward it; something is made lovely by the fact that God first sets his love upon it. He does not look at sinful human beings and see among the mass of people some who are intrinsically more righteous or holy than others and thus find himself attracted to them. Rather, the lesson of the cross is that God chooses that which is unlovely and repulsive, unrighteous and with no redeeming quality, and lavishes his saving love in Christ upon it."

- Carl Trueman, Cross and Freedom: Luther on the Christian Life

Escape from Reason

I read an interestingly small volume entitled "Escape from Reason", written by Francis Schaeffer. Schaeffer was a pastor and a renowned theologian of the 20th century. Among his many contributions was the foundation of the L'Abri as a venue for those who are seeking answers to their honest questions. His commitment to historic Christianity and his compassion to his modernist contemporaries led him to write numerous volumes aimed to answer the questions of his age in a distinctively Christian paradigm.

Why is it interesting despite its mere 125 pages? This book was a clear reminder to not let the size of the book fool us for the weight of its content. A confession: I sloughed through this book. Also, this book is the second part of a trilogy consisting of "The God Who is There" (part 1) and "He is There and He is Not Silent" (part 2).

A Lesson in Irony

Irony*
(noun)

the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect: Don't go overboard with the gratitude,’ he rejoined with heavy irony.

• a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often wryly amusing as a result: the irony is that I thought he could help me
• (also dramatic or tragic irony) a literary technique, originally used in Greek tragedy, by which the full significance of a character's words or actions is clear to the audience or reader although unknown to the character

* Taken from the Oxford Dictionary of English

Petition + Praise: A Consideration of Psalm 22

Awesome Blog Challenge # 03:

Petition + Praise: A Practical Consideration of Psalm 22

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Looking at the surface, this might just be what we know of Psalm 22. Our Lord Jesus cried out this line, hanging on the cross, bearing the despairing weight of sin. Despair engulfed our Lord, as despair engulfed David as he wrote this psalm. What do we do with sadness? With all the happiness questing that we are pursuing and the happiness aesthetic that we are seeing, what do we do with sadness? We live in an age where the phrase “don’t worry, be happy” is quite appropriate. Lalo na sa ating mga Pinoy. Gaano man kalakas na unos, nahahanap pa rin ang ngiti. 

But sadness has a place in life. I am certain that we all have faced some form of sadness, one way or another: the loss of loved one, rejection, and disappointment. The place of sadness is:

Sorrow is better than laughter,

 for by sadness of face the heart is made glad.

 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,

but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth (Ecc. 7:3)

The Necessity of Sorrowful Petition

Sorrow allows us to think seriously. It is quite obvious that despairing moments necessitate petitions. Sorrow leads us to find refuge. And if we are believers, we know that we can go to God, our refuge, our strength, our ever present help, even in time of sorrow.

Someone who does not sense his need has no want for petition. He has already determined that whatever consists of his wants and needs are taken care of.

Our morning prayer times are just that: times for prayer. It’s short. This is a reminder for all. We read a passage of Scripture, the Psalms (where all human emotions can be found, and where true rest for the humble soul can be found in God). Then pray. That simple.

The Corrective of Praise

The second thing I would like to note in this psalm is the corrective to most of our prayers: praise. It is somewhat pragmatic. The pragmatic approach that I propose for manifesting praise is not without its seeming complications. Praise, or praise and worship, is quite complex and polarising these days. I am not occupied with talking of styles nor forms. What I mean by praise is the act and motive behind it. Stripped of any aesthetic, praise ought to stand by itself. This is why I am convinced that praise is corrective to depression. It is not guitars. It is not elaborate music or poetry. It is a heart seeking to give thanks despite despair.

Nagsimula sa malalim na kalungkutan: kahirapan sa buhay. Isang pantuwid sa madalas nating baluktot na pag-iisip sa pananalangin: oo, kailangan ng paghahain ng pangangailangan at damdamin. Ngunit minsa’y nalilimutan ang pagbibigay puri sa Diyos. Walang masama sa pagiging malungkot. Ang sumulat ng awit na ito ay pinakikita ang malalim na pighati. Ngunit sa kanyang pighati, makikita ang liwanag ng Diyos. Liwanag na binibigay ng pagbibigay-puri sa Kanya.

There is a peculiar beauty in this Psalm. The beauty is the practicality, adorning petitions with praise. It prescribes an attitude to sorrow that is prone to be absent in most people. We can be sorrowful, yes, and when the times call for it, we must. We are not robots, nor are we made to be as such. Understanding petitions adorned with praise is profoundly accessible only when it is given illumination through what it pictures in the future: Christ’s suffering. It is Christ and the remembrance of His suffering that provides ultimate corrective to our prayers. The Lord has suffered, yet in His suffering gave praise and glory to God. His most excruciating situation suffering, unjustly bearing the weight of humanity's sin, gave to the most satisfying praise to God. This is what was achieved through the cross: appeasing God's holy justice, granting Him utmost glory, and dispensing grace to all who believe. It was and is not a wasted suffering. My own personal suffering is but a drop compared to the ocean of Christ's suffering. So the question arises, am I similarly praising in the midst of suffering?

Sinless, Opportunists or Pharisees?

DISCLAIMER: I was not looking forward to doing a series of posts about sanctification. But to provide more clarity to the first post "Occasional Christianity", I offer a few reasons why the problem persists based on some observations. 

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Strive for... the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. (Heb. 12:14)

I surveyed in the first post, Occasional Christianity, that the root of inconsistent discipleship to the Lord is a result of false ideas about the doctrine of sanctification. Out of these false notions are borne the occasional Christians, functional atheists, hypocrites, and stunted believers. By way of contrast, I hope to shed some light on true sanctification from these false notions. The following are from my observations:

False Notion 1: The doctrine of "sinless perfection" or "full sanctification".
Now, I am not an expert on theology. But I presume that this doctrine presents that a person who has come to faith in Christ has become perfectly sinless. There is no other way to think about this doctrine. It follows that there is no need for a striving for holiness (Heb. 12:14) or a working out of salvation (for it is God who is working in us, Phil. 2:13). This is troubling if there are those who actually believe this. This doctrine is a license for Christians to live according to what they want. If they are perfect, they can and should do what is right in their own eyes. This is not merely a false notion, but a false teaching and a heresy.

The great Reformer Martin Luther refuted this doctrine with: simul justus et peccator or the true Christian is simultaneously just/righteous and a sinner. In one sense righteous, in another a sinner. This is one of the great confessions of the Reformation. Historically, this refuted the Catholic doctrine that baptism washes away original sin and that only the inclination to sin remains. However, this inclination to sin is also sin. RC Sproul explains that "in one sense, we are just. In another sense, from a different perspective, we are sinners; and how he defines that is simple. In and of ourselves, under the analysis of God’s scrutiny, we still have sin; we’re still sinners. But, by imputation and by faith in Jesus Christ, whose righteousness is now transferred to our account, then we are considered just or righteous. This is the very heart of the gospel."

There's a ton of verses in the New Testament exhorting Christians how to live. We are given also the warning to not live according to the flesh, since we are very much capable of sin. We are called to be transformed by a renewing of our mind. There should be an active resentment of the old sinning nature and an active obedience according to the new nature by grace. If the Spirit is at work within us, if we are truly Christians, we are to do and see and talk and think things differently. (Rom. 12:1-2) We are also to grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Pet. 3:18)

False Notion 2: Sanctification waits for the opportune moment or event.
I am not particularly sure if the recent fad of some people of"good vibes" applies to this false notion, but I am not discounting that possibility. If it means that people are waiting for "good vibes" before they act Christian, then I have problem with the good vibes fascination. That and teaching that the Christian life is to be all "good vibes".

It is a dangerous idea that Christians should wait for profitable moments to show that they are Christian. Some wait for a specific role or an event in church or specific circumstances to live as Christians should. They seem to think that without a sort of "Christian" stage, they can do what they want. I don't know what they are waiting for but it is safe to say that in their private lives, Christ is not Lord. They have no desire for private meditation on the Word. People call this "quiet time". And if ever they do so, it is for show.

I have been to many Christian camps ever since coming to faith in the Lord. I have been a camper and a camp staff/counselor. We are always given a Quiet Time guide, where we are given a passage of Scripture and some questions to help us reflect. It's a great and necessary discipline in order to grow in grace and knowledge. But there are some who do it only when they are in the confines of the camp site. How do I know? Well, by asking people and observing their lives. It is coherent, but also very sad.

I think they know this Proverb (3:5): Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not in your own understanding... but only during camps or church gatherings.

The Bible presents proper Christian behavior in all sorts of situation. The Apostle Paul calls for submission to authorities (Rom. 13), the proper use of spiritual gifts to edify the church (1 Cor. 12-14), bearing with the burdened (Gal. 6), being warriors for God every moment as we are in spiritual warfare (Eph. 6), contentment whether in need or in abundance (Phil. 4), discerning all the time against empty deceit and hollow philosophy. The Apostle Peter calls for standing firm despite persecution and suffering (1 and 2 Peter). These are mere samples. There is no suitable excuse to not live according to the gospel. Christianity is a daily faith. Daily we should draw from the deep wells of the Bible. We are given the Word, for instruction. We are given the Spirit, as our Instructor. The only people excused--allow me this foolishness--in living according to Christianity are unbelievers.

False Notion 3: Fear of being labeled or viewed as a Legalist/Pharisee.
I am most familiar with being labeled as a legalistic person. At times, I deserved it. Those were the times when I was not living according to what I adhere to or teach. In a shared setting, people generally have a sort of resentment against people who do better than they. The character of a "know-it-all" or a moral compass in movies usually get humiliated. It is easier to criticize someone else than acknowledge your own shortcomings. The easiest way of bringing them down to your level is to have some dirt on them. They can't be all to perfect, right?

It is no fun being called names. People who regard the biblical call to living according to its principles of holiness can be called legalists or worse, Pharisees. They are the antagonists in the gospel accounts. They are rebuked harshly by Jesus, and they deserved it. They preach wise principles but they do not live according to it. Christians are not to be like them. But that does not mean we should not speak out against plain wickedness and persuading people of doing the right thing, especially to our brethren. Problem is, you might be labeled as a nit-picker. The Bible never nit-picks. When something is called a sin against God, it is indeed sin. We should stay away from such things. We should also do our part of calling out sin, for it is always destructive. It destroys people. It destroys fellowship with God. Healthy rebuke should be done in a spirit of truth and love.

To end, an unsanctified person (the occasional Christian) may for a time be excited about Christian ideas but like seed growing on the stony ground, it flourishes quickly then dies for it has no root. In time, his true nature will be visibly discerned. He may be friendly to truth at present, but eventually he will come to despise it when a season of testing and trouble arrives. The excitement he felt for Christianity was superficial; the truth never pierced his heart, mind and will. He desired Christianity when the spiritual climate was suitable, and quickly fades when it is not. He never came to believing the truth that he knew. He never applied it for he never believed the Truth. After the taste of Christianity has become bitter to his liking he will fall back to his old ways, to his true love: sin.

Occasional Christianity

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

This is the opening to Psalm 14. This reality applies to all mankind. It is a divine assessment on man. The Apostle Paul uses the rest of the Psalm in Romans 3, discoursing the universal sinfulness of man. "There is no God" is the principle of a life devoid of God’s saving work. It is the old principle, since there is a new principle of grace, in the Christian’s life. It is what we practically adhere to without Christ. When we have come to faith in Christ, every single struggle goes back to this underlying principle: "There is no God. He does not exist. I am the god of my life. I will and enjoy what is right in my own eyes."

But of course no Christian will say "There is no God". Not outright or verbally, anyway. Speaking about God is probably the most usual thing among Christian conversations. "God did this for me, God did that. Praise be to God!" There is nothing wrong about extolling God for the work that He is doing in our daily circumstances. There is something wrong if we are not doing so.


Anyhow, the point is, other people (non-Christians) sometimes enjoy more things than Christians. Job wrestled with this problem, and also the writer of Psalm 73. Even the early Christians struggled with the hardships that came in with the new life they received from God. They thought that the road was clear and everything was to be peachy. We, too, are tempted to think that way. It is the struggle of every moment: to believe, obey and trust God. But non-Christians work on a worldview that is basically without God, and their lifestyles admit this. They go the way of worldly wisdom. To illustrate worldly wisdom, here is the worldly counterpart to The Beatitudes c/o the late James Montgomery Boice:

“Blessed are the rich, for they can have all they want;
Blessed are the powerful, for they can control others;
Blessed are the sexually liberated, for they can fully satisfy themselves;
Blessed are the famous, because they are envied”

The concern is this: how come there are Christians who live this way when they are outside their Christian circles? Or worse: (1) even in their Christian circles, and (2) when they are alone, in secret, the most opportune time for sincere, personal devotion to their Lord?

We can call this occasional Christianity, and I mean this to be derogatory. There is nothing Christian about it. Usually, this is the Sunday-only Christian. He is only Christian when it is time for church, the regular fellowship or a Bible study perhaps. This is the mere mental and emotional assent to God, without any effort to actually reform their lives according to what they know. Regardless of the intensity of the assent, which is measured by how much they know or how much they feel His presence, this is an ugly reality. It is not Christianity at all. It is functional atheism: you live as if God does not exist. Take note that I said know. Occasional Christians know what to do. The difference with their genuine counterpart is that they don't believe what they know. The most common Christian creed, "God is good", is so far away from their minds when they are harassed, when Christianity seems to be out of fashion or under attack. It is even far from their minds when they are alone, outside of any Christian environment. The Christianity that they have is based on the climate. If the heavy rain is pouring, they fear and live as if the sun is never to rise again. They do not believe that God is good. They do not believe that He exists. As the Psalmist says, it is the way of a fool, not of a saint.

Now why is this? It has everything to do with a false view of the Christian doctrines of justification, regeneration, and, most especially, sanctification. I hope to cover the mentioned topics and possibly elaborate more on what I believe to be causes for this occasional Christianity which is prevalent today. But for my present purposes, I will refer to this great and aptly titled chapter “Sanctification” from English theologian J. C. Ryle from his book “Holiness.” It’s a lengthy read but I promise that considering his biblical clarifications and proposals regarding the doctrine of sanctification is time well spent. It is, I hope, for your sanctification. It continues to be for my own. As a teaser of that chapter, here are the 12 propositions (and some quotes to illustrate) he provides about the nature of sanctification:

1. Sanctification is the invariable result of that vital union with Christ which true faith gives to a Christian. “Where there is no sanctification, there is no real faith in Christ. True faith works by love.”

2. Sanctification is the outcome and inseparable consequence of regeneration (being born again). “The lack of sanctification is a sign of non-regeneration.Where there is no holy life, there is no holy birth.”

3. Sanctification is the only certain evidence of that indwelling of the Holy Spirit which is essential to salvation. “We may depend on it as a positive certainty that, where there is no holy living, there is no Holy Spirit.”

4. Sanctification is the only sure mark of God’s election. “If there is one thing clearly and plainly laid down about election, it is this—that elect men and women may be known and distinguised by holy lives.”

5. Sanctification is a reality that will always be seen. “A ‘saint’, in whom nothing can be seen but worldliness or sin, is a kind of monster not recognized in the Bible!”

6. Sanctification is a reality for which every believer is responsible. “The Word of God always addresses its precepts to believers as accountable and responsible beings. If the Savior of sinners gives us renewing grace and calls us by His Spirit, we may be sure that He expects us to use [His] grace and not to go to sleep.”

7. Sanctification is a thing which admits of growth and degrees. “If there is any point on which God’s holiest saints agree, it is this: that they see more and know more and feel more and do more and repent more and believe more as they get on in spiritual life… In short ‘they grow in grace’ (2 Pet. 3:18).”

8. Sanctification depends greatly on a diligent use of scriptural means. “The ‘means of grace’ are such as Bible reading, private prayer, and regualrly worshipping God in church, wherein one hear the Word taught and participates in the Lord’s Supper. I lay it down as a simple matter of fact that no one who is careless about such things must ever expect to make much progress in sanctification.”

9. Sanctification is a thing which does no prevent a man having a great deal of inward spiritual conflict. “The heart of the best Christian, even at his best, is a field occupied by two rival camps (the old nature of the flesh and new nature of the Spirit)”.

10. Sanctification is a thing which cannot justify a man, and yet it pleases God.

11. Sanctification is a thing which will be found absolutely necessary as a witness to our character in the great Day of Judgment. “The question will not be how we talked and what we professed, but how we lived and what we did.”

12. Sanctification is absolutely necessary in order to train and prepare us for heaven. “Most men hope to go to heaven when they die; but a few, it may be feared, take the trouble to consider whether they would enjoy heaven if they got there.”

It is a ugly to be an occasional Christian. It is thinking you're a Christian but in reality, you are living as an atheist. It is horrible since it reeks of a vain hope, calling out "Lord, Lord" but will amount to nothing less than the fury of the wrath of God (Rev. 19:15). To end I offer this ever sharp reminder: “But prove yourselves to be doers of the word, not merely hearers who delude themselves.” (James 1:22)

Life, Not Doctrine : A Short Critique

The following thoughts have been on my mind for quite some time now. As a disclaimer, these are not the writings of an expert. I have very little experience in ministry and of writing and consider myself much in need of continuing spiritual progress. I believe I got around to completing the idea while listening to a preaching relevant to the topic. It is such a joy to have the heart pierced by the truths of the living God!

This post is a comment on the popular evangelical notion of "life, not doctrine" or "deeds, not creeds". Acta non verba. The notion is not new, as many before me have dedicated time into criticizing this sort of movement within evangelical Christianity. On top of my mind is J. Gresham Machen with his Christianity and Liberalism. My present preoccupation with it is in the aim of edifying those close in my heart. This is for self-examination and for a godly response. I hope to set them high above me in these concerns. I love unity, and I yearn for it. But it is to be unity grounded in the gospel and its major implications to a believer. We must contend for the truth that was once for all delivered to the saints. It is hard work, and will include necessary dialogues in-between, yet there is no togetherness in the gospel without a proper understanding of it. Of course, this is very much preaching to myself as well.

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." - James 1:22

This verse might seem to provide support for those who insist on "life, not doctrine". With closer examination, however, this verse actually challenges a doctrine-less life, and also those who insist on mere doctrine.

And since it is John Calvin's birthday, when I started writing this, here's a quote from him regarding this topic:
"It would be the height of absurdity to label ignorance tempered by humility 'faith'!"

(1) Orthopraxy is grounded in orthodoxy. Proper living is grounded in proper doctrine. The genuine Christian life is grounded in Christo-centric, biblical doctrine. "Be doers of the word". The "word" mentioned here is the set of biblical and foundational teaching interpreted authoritatively by Jesus and the apostles and prophets of the early Church. This is to be understood as the doctrines I am contending for. We are not to be doers of mere instinct, or well-meant speculation, or emotion/feeling. We are commanded to be doers of the Word. About speculation, it is that which while seemingly and sounding Christian, finds itself to be not in accordance to the whole counsel of God, the revealed Word. It leaves itself to be interpreted differently as speculation is not solidly articulated nor solidly in line with clear biblical thinking. It is jargon-filled yet without any substance. The main thrust of well-meant speculation is that we are not to properly articulate doctrine in the fear of division. You know, let's just love one another. However true doctrine unites, but it also divides. It divides itself away from false teaching (false gospels) or lip-service or white-washed/less-demanding discipleship to Christ, which is no discipleship at all.

(2) In this verse, those without a life showing in accordance to the Word, even though they know the Word, are justly warned. People who insist on "knowing" doctrine but have not taken it to practice never came to true understanding. I am not proposing endless doctrinal discussions. But what is to be at the center of Christian life should be the root of every action. And we should have discussions on such. It should be clear where we agree and what we are agreeing to. In churches or Christian organizations this is usually called "confessions/statements of faith". Without any discussion on solid doctrines, we may find ourselves working contrary to the gospel and to Christ. The warning in Matthew 7, where miracle- and ministry-workers being shunned by Christ on the last day should be a terrifyingly sufficient reminder. It is doctrine that should spark one into action. God should author and direct the way we do ministry. It is His ministry, not ours. The danger when we think that it is ours is that we employ means that are contrary to His Word.

Without proper articulation and definition of doctrine, we are without solid ground. This is very dangerous. Also, just because we agree, it does not mean that discussion should stop. It is odd that Christian truths are less discussed among Christians. More are unhealthily obsessed with the fruit, while disregarding the root altogether. Every Christian is excited about the finished work of Christ on the cross, right? There is much more to the gospel! Personally, I don't see myself getting beyond the gems of the faith. It deserves both appreciation and articulation, in a joyfully continuing manner.

Imagine this: what if you are working with someone who does not understand the gospel, or God-forbid, does not believe it anymore? These people are possibly church-mates, or those whom we know from the past to have professed faith in Christ. I have heard of such stories from other people. Sadly, I also know through first-hand experience. It is depressing. That person has no understanding of the holiness and sovereignty of God, the vileness of sin, the need for salvation (however undeserved), the free gift offered: salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, the finished work on the cross at Calvary, the Second Coming for judgment whether to eternal life with God or to eternal punishment without God. These are matters that should never be taken for granted. These should never be left without serious (and continuing) discussion. It is true that doctrine without practice is abhorrent. But while it is true that Christianity is more than doctrine, there is no genuine expression of the Christian life outside doctrine, the biblical understanding of the gospel of Christ.

(3) It is an anomaly to be "doers" without the word. It begs the question: what are they actually doing, if not the word? People say that they live "by grace", and that they "follow Christ", that they are "Christian". What do they mean by that? If they fail to articulate or understand what they are saying, what are they doing?

I have observed many people who say they believe one thing, but do the exact opposite. There are many who claim to be Christians but upon probing their actions and ideas are quite impossible to reconcile with biblical Christianity. The only biblical sense of living by grace is to live according to the gospel, as reveal through the Word. The true gospel leads to life. The whole counsel of God, the Bible, has the only monopoly of Truth. It is the well-spring of pure and vital doctrine that gives way to life. It is unveiled and applied through the loving ministry of the Spirit of God (John 14:26, 16:13). I am very, very sure that the Bible is very accessible nowadays. We have it in different covers and translations now. Some Christians even have more than one. What they do with it exactly, is the question.

A quote from Machen's "Christianity and Liberalism" that I hope would provide further clarity: "Paul was not interested merely in the ethical principles of Jesus; he was not interested merely in general principles of religion or of ethics. On the contrary, he was interested in the redeeming work of Christ and its effect upon us. His primary interest was in Christian doctrine, and Christian doctrine not merely in its presuppositions but at its center."

Also, with regards to the quote of John Calvin, people that ascribe to "life, not doctrine" are more of the tendency to consider themselves the humble sort, however ignorant and non-conversant of truth, than those are "intellectuals", those who spend a great deal of their time articulating doctrine. They are living a pretense of faith, as Calvin observed. David Wells also notes that "There is no Christian faith in the absence of sound doctrine. It is this message that is our only ground for hope and salvation."

Lastly, people who follow this mindset accuse those who desire proper articulation of truth to be "ivory tower intellectuals" or "theological elitists". Mere intellectualism is dead orthodoxy, to be true. The doctrinally conversant is not necessarily a genuine Christian. But consider this, again from David Wells: "The assumption that theology is an elitist preoccupation is as mistaken as the assumption that Christianity is an elitist faith." Christianity is articulated truth. We are taught the truth, we are to be shaped by it, we are to articulate it, through evangelism and teaching (Matt. 28:19-20), we are to grow in the knowledge of Christ our Savior (2 Pet. 3:18), we are to be rooted in it (Col. 2:7). This is so that no believer will be deluded into plausible arguments, empty deceit and philosophy or error (Col. 2:4, 8, 2 Pet. 3:16-17).

(4) A note regarding the word "sound" in sound doctrine (1 Tim. 1:10) is denoted also as healthy, as it is "hygeia" in Greek. If you notice closely, it is where we get the word "hygiene". Sound doctrine is in accordance to the understanding of the biblical gospel, hence I use the words interchangeably (again on 1 Tim. 1:11). Sound doctrine is life-giving; it begets health. Sound doctrine and the Christian life are inseparable. A doctrine-less Christian is no Christian at all. It is sad to find a Christian who has little or no regard to sound doctrine at all. It is safe to say, however harsh some people think it sounds, that this person is lifeless. He may have the appearance of godliness but is denying its power. There is no anchor for a person like this to believe he is indeed saved.

In closing, "life, not doctrine" / "deeds, not creeds" is actually a doctrine, a creed of its own. It is a less committed, less demanding way to live the Christian life, if we are to even call it "living". The standard becomes "life", not "doctrine". What life? Whose life? One's own? (I sincerely hope not.) Of course one would say "Christ's"! My question would be: how did Jesus live? Was He vague in His conviction, in His teaching? Was He without doctrine? Did He take doctrine lightly? He rebuked Satan that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word of that comes from God (Matt. 4:4). He rebuked the religious leaders of that day for misinterpreting Scripture and for being whitewashed tombs (Matt. 23:27). He explained Truth and lived it for He is truth Himself (Jn. 14:6). He lived according to the Word of God for He is the Word of God (Jn. 1:1ff)! He asks that those who call themselves His disciples deny themselves and follow Him. He asks them to believe in Him, for He is Truth. Sound doctrine or the biblical understanding of the Gospel, is hard work. It requires denial of one's self, especially our subjective interpretations less-demanding commitments, and personal doctrinal preferences. Yet the full Christian life only finds its genuine expression according to the unchanging Truth (Jn 14:6, Heb. 13:8). Let us not leave doctrine to the fringes of our lives.

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A Very Important Postscript: Well, I have placed the additional notes as number 4 so as not to derail the thoughts. (As if I am not already a convoluted writer.)

References:
* Christian and Liberalism (J. Gresham Machen)
* No Place for Truth (David Wells)

What is Sin?

I have come to like rap music. Especially if it's Shai Linne. In a short period of time, with some necessary beats, one is able to say to a lot about one subject. It is not a medium that more conservative Christians might enjoy, as rap is usually connected with pride, sex, and violence. I believe there is a redemptive use of this medium for the glory of God. Here is an example.

The track starts with this passage from a John Piper sermon, seasoned with trademark John Piper passionate voice:

"What is sin?

It is...
the glory of God not honored,
the holiness of God not reverenced,
the greatness of God not admired,
the power of God not praised,
the truth of God not sought,
the wisdom of God not esteemed,
the beauty of God not treasured,
the goodness of God not savored,
the faithfulness of God not trusted,
the commandments of God not obeyed,
the justice of God not respected,
the wrath of God not feared,
the grace of God not cherished,
the presence of God not prized,
the person of God not loved...
that is sin.

-- John Piper