Archive for the 'Soteriology' Category

When you stop to think eternity is at stake, do you ever question if you are really a Christian?

Published on May 25, 2010 in Soteriology. 0 Comments

Kevin DeYoung with wise counsel regarding assurance of salvation.

Whenever counseling Christians looking for assurance of salvation, I take them to 1 John. This brief epistle is full of help for determining whether we are in the faith or not. In particular, there are three signs in 1 John given to us so we can answer the question “Do I have confidence or condemnation?”

The first sign is theological. You should have confidence if you believe in Jesus Christ the Son of God (5:11-13).  John doesn’t want people to be doubting.  God wants you to have assurance, to know that you have eternal life.  And this is the first sign, that you believe in Jesus.  You believe he is the Christ or the Messiah (2:22).  You believe he is the Son of God (5:10).  And you believe that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh (4:2).  So if you get your theology wrong about Jesus you will not have eternal life.  But one of the signs that should give you confidence before God is that you believe in his only Son Jesus Christ our Lord (4:14-16; 5:1, 5).

Read the rest here.

Doug Moo on the definition of justification

Published on May 15, 2010 in Soteriology. 0 Comments

The Bible pictures all human beings as defendants in a courtroom: a courtroom in which God is the judge and our sins constitute the evidence against us. The judge weighs the evidence and finds every single one of us guilty of sin and announces that we, therefore, must be condemned. The marvellous news of justification is that God has himself provided for us the means of escaping that condemnation: by responding to his gracious initiative in faith, we become joined with Christ, who died for us and was raised for us. We become joined to Christ, who takes on himself the penalty for our sin and covers us with the ‘righteousness’ that we need to reverse the verdict of condemnation and receive the verdict of ‘justified’, ‘right’ with God. And because we have been joined to Christ, the holy one, and have in that union received the gift of God’s powerful holy Spirit, we, who have been justified, also find our lives transformed so that we love God and neighbour.

HT: JT

Key Words for Today’s Sermon

Published on March 21, 2010 in Romans and Soteriology. 0 Comments

Today, D.V., I will be preaching on what some theologians argue is the greatest paragraph ever written (see this post on who suggests it’s the greatest passage ever).

Here is some of the day’s vocabulary:

Atonement – The work of Christ necessary to pay the price for sin. The center of Christ’s atoning work is that that he paid the penalty for his people on the Cross.

Justification – God’s legal declaration that sinners are righteous. It does not mean that we are made righteous. Rather, it is a declaration.[1]

Mercy Seat – The covering of the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark contained the 10 Commandments and was the central symbol of God’s presence with Old Testament Israel. The included picture is from the Holman Bible Dictionary.[2]

Propitiation – The turning away of wrath by an offering.[3]

Redemption – Deliverance at a cost or release by payment.[4] As a slave buying freedom.[5]

Salvation History – The true story of how God is unfolding his plan to redeem His people and His creation. We often summarize the big picture or meta-narrative of the Bible with the words: Creation, Fall, Creation, Consummation.

[1] See R.C. Sproul, Romans: The Righteous Shall Live by Faith, St. Andrew’s Expositional Commentary (Wheaton: Crossway, 2009), 97-104.

[2] C. Brand, Draper, C., England, A., Bond, S., Clendenen, E. R., Butler, T. C., & Latta, B. , "The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary," (Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003).

[3] Leon Morris, "Atonement," in The Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, ed. Walter A. Elwell (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1990), 888.

[4] Morris, The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross, 40-55.

[5] Douglas Moo, Encountering the Book of Romans, Encountering Biblical Studies (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2002), 83.

“A good deal depends upon our conception of the place and nature of the wrath of God”

Published on March 16, 2010 in Quotes and Soteriology. 1 Comment

Leon Morris:

A good deal depends upon our conception of the place and nature of the wrath of God.  If this is regarded as a very real factor so that the sinner is exposed to its severity, then the removal of the wrath will be an important part of our understanding of salvation; whereas if we diminish the part played by the divine wrath we shall not find it necessary to think seriously of propitiation.” 

Lloyd-Jones on the greatest danger to the soul

Published on February 7, 2010 in Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Romans and Soteriology. 0 Comments

Can you imagine, realizing on judgment day, that you were mistaken about your salvation and now all that waits is eternal torment without a second chance (Matthew 7:21-23)?  I’ve talked more than once to our people about what scares me most as a pastor.

David Martyn Lloyd-Jones (on Romans, vol 2, page 98) makes a similar point:

“. . . There is nothing, surely, which is more dangerous to the soul than what we may call a glib believism. 

And you see how this affects all our ideas of evangelism.  If we are so anxious to get people ‘through’, as we say, instead of leaving the Holy Spirit to do His own work, we tend to say, ‘But look here, it is simple – - here, you see, the Scripture says if you believe you are saved.  Do you believe?  Yes.  Very well, you are saved, it is all right’.  But it may be all wrong!  It may be terribly all wrong!  And it can be an exceedingly dangerous thing to say that to a soul, and to give people the impression that because they have said they believe and accept, all is well.  There is a sense in which we have got to say that to them, but we must not stop at that.  We must go on – - we must say, ‘All your good living and all your works can never save you.  You have got to see that, and you have got to admit that to yourself and to God.  You have got to see that you can only be saved by the Lord Jesus through the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit will act upon you.  He will bring into birth a new man within you; He will implant a new principle of life in you, and that will begin to manifest itself’.  In other words, we must never stop at just believing – - we must always emphasize regeneration – - the re-birth – the new man.  Otherwise it seems to me we are leaving souls in a very dangerous position.

2 Corinthians 13:5

If you have questions about your salvation, then you really need to talk to your pastor or another mature Christ SOON.  If you don’t have a pastor, then find a Bible believing, Christ-centered church.

Can a Christian lose his or her salvation?

Published on January 15, 2010 in Piper and Soteriology. 0 Comments

Piper speaks to the question of whether or not a believer can be lost in in a Q&A at Angola prison. 

This is a maximum security prison where a work of the Spirit is taking place.

HT: Denny Burk

Does God hate Haiti?

Published on January 14, 2010 in Disappointment, Soteriology and suffering. 1 Comment

Al Mohler:

The images streaming in from Haiti look like scenes from Dante’s Inferno. The scale of the calamity is unprecedented. In many ways, Haiti has almost ceased to exist.

The earthquake that will forever change that nation came as subterranean plates shifted about six miles under the surface of the earth, along a fault line that had threatened trouble for centuries. But no one saw a quake of this magnitude coming. The 7.0 quake came like a nightmare, with the city of Port-au-Prince crumbling, entire villages collapsing, bodies flying in the air and crushed under mountains of debris. Orphanages, churches, markets, homes, and government buildings all collapsed. Civil government has virtually ceased to function. Without power, communication has been cut off and rescue efforts are seriously hampered. Bodies are piling up, hope is running out, and help, though on the way, will not arrive in time for many victims.

Even as boots are finally hitting the ground and relief efforts are reaching the island, estimates of the death toll range as high as 500,000. Given the mountainous terrain and densely populated villages that had been hanging along the fault line, entire villages may have disappeared. The Western Hemisphere’s most impoverished nation has experienced a catastrophe that appears almost apocalyptic.

In truth, it is hard not to describe the earthquake as a disaster of biblical proportions. It certainly looks as if the wrath of God has fallen upon the Caribbean nation. Add to this the fact that Haiti is well known for its history of religious syncretism — mixing elements of various faiths, including occult practices. The nation is known for voodoo, sorcery, and a Catholic tradition that has been greatly influenced by the occult.

Haiti’s history is a catalog of political disasters, one after the other. In one account of the nation’s fight for independence from the French in the late 18th century, representatives of the nation are said to have made a pact with the Devil to throw off the French. According to this account, the Haitians considered the French as Catholics and wanted to side with whomever would oppose the French. Thus, some would use that tradition to explain all that has marked the tragedy of Haitian history — including now the earthquake of January 12, 2010.

Does God hate Haiti? That is the conclusion reached by many, who point to the earthquake as a sign of God’s direct and observable judgment.

Read more here.

Gospel Definitions

Published on September 20, 2009 in Gospel, Romans and Soteriology. 0 Comments

Trevin Wax is building a collection of Gospel definitions.  See here.  This will be a valuable resource for our Romans Project at church given the centrality of the Gospel in Romans.

I gave a summary of the Gospel here.

For our church family, recall that when Paul wrote Romans he sought to address a wide range of issues through the Gospel.  Paul knew that the Gospel is the fundamental solution for all of life.

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When Paul wrote Romans, he was addressing a wide range of issues.

  • Romans is a missions support letter.  Paul’s intent was to stop in Rome and to then continue on to Spain with the help of the church in Roman (Romans 15:24).
  • The church in Rome was facing a conflict between the majority Gentile Christians and the Jewish Christians.  Throughout Romans, Paul seeks to show the proper resolution of this conflict.
  • As is always the case, he wrote to sinful people.  He warned against those who are divisive (Romans 16:17 ff).
  • In Romans 16:20 he reminded his readers that Satan is real, but that we can trust God to crush him.

“Eternal Security” is often the right answer to the wrong question.

Published on September 16, 2009 in Soteriology. 1 Comment

If the question is, “Can I lose my salvation?" The answer is “no.”  (John 10:27-28).

But, often this is the wrong question.  Rather, the question should be, “Was I ever really saved in the first place?”  (1 John 2:3-4).

What is the Gospel?

Published on September 13, 2009 in Romans and Soteriology. 0 Comments

church logoI begin preaching on Romans today.  I have never looked forward to a series any more.

The theme of the Romans series at The Red Brick Church is that the Gospel is the most exciting news ever heard. Paul was not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the proclamation that anyone can be in right relationship with God and part of his people regardless of the mistakes they have made or whey they are from.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”(Romans 1:16-17, ESV).”

This begs the question. “What is the Gospel?” I don’t want to presume that everyone knows what is meant by the word. Here is a brief explanation.

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The word “gospel” means “good news.” It is from the Greek word from which we get “evangelical.” This is what the word looks like in Greek: εὐαγγέλιον. Even if it’s all Greek to you, you can make out the outline of the word, “evangelical”

So, what is the “good news” referenced? In the Bible, the good news is that the Triune God is rescuing his people and his creation from their rebellion against him. Were there no rescue, the only expectation for eternity would be judgment. But, God is gracious and merciful (Ephesians 2:4ff). He sent his only begotten Son to die on the Cross for the sins of those who put their faith and trust in him (John 3:16, 36). One day soon (Revelation 22:12, 20), Jesus will return, and those who have truly believed will spend eternity with Christ on a New Earth (Revelation 21:3-5).” This is the Gospel or the Good News.

Be aware of the sobering truth that for those who reject Christ, the news is not good. They will go to hell regardless of whether or not their friends and neighbors considered them “nice people.” We are judged by God’s standard, not our friends and neighbors. All have sin and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

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Our understanding of the Gospel must be based on what the Bible says. First Corinthians 15:1-8 is a good place to begin.

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.(1 Co 15:1-8).”

In this passage, notice four aspects of the Gospel or Good News:

1. The Gospel was Planned. Paul said that Christ died for our sins, “according to the Scriptures.” Before the foundation of the world, God knew how he would rescue His people and His Creation from sin and destruction. Indeed, Isaiah talks about the good news of Christ 700 years prior to the time of Christ (Isaiah 52:7ff). After the resurrection, Jesus explained on the road to Emmaus how all the Scriptures pointed to his death burial and resurrection (Luke 24:27).

2. The Gospel is centered on the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. He was buried. He rose again. And, many people saw him, touched him, talked with him, and ate with him after his resurrection. These things really happened. They are the reality on which the Good News is based.

3. The Gospel proclaims that Christ paid the penalty for the sins of his people. I mentioned earlier that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The only way that sinful people can justly spend eternity with God is if the penalty for their sin is paid. That’s why Paul stressed, “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.”

4. The Gospel requires that salvation must be received by saving faith. Notice Paul’s “if”:

. . . which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

Paul’s point is that true faith will be accompanied by a changed life. If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). As surely as God made little green apples from little green apple trees, his grace will result in Christ-like fruit in the life of a believer (Matthew 7:16).

If you say that you have faith in Jesus – - but, you haven’t been changed, then you may not have saving faith. See 1 John 2:3-4, James 2:14-26. Or, as I often stress at our church:

Works or conduct has nothing to do with salvation, but conduct does have something to do with assurance of salvation.

Quacking doesn’t make you a duck. But, ducks do quack. Acting like a Christian, doesn’t make you a Christian. But, Christians act like it.

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Many authors have summarized what Christians mean by the word, “gospel.” R.H. Mounce wrote:

The gospel is the joyous proclamation of God’s redemptive activity in Christ Jesus on behalf of man enslaved by sin.” R.H. Mounce. Evangelical Dictionary of Theology.

Before you criticize his spelling, know that it was in 1525, that William Tyndale penned:

Evangelion (that we call the gospell) is a Greek word; and signifieth good, merry, glad and joyful tidings, that maketh a man’s heart glad, and maketh him sing, dance, and leap for joy. William Tyndale, 1525, From The Prologue to the New Testament.”

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See also this post, what scares me most as a pastor in which I talk about the reality that there are some people who think they are Christians who are not. Or, read this post (click here) on assurance of salvation.

I would also recommend John Piper’s sermon, “How I Distinguish Between the Gospel and False Gospels.”