Author: fundyreformed

Bobspotted Blogroll: November 26, 2006

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Dramatic Scripture Recitation

  • This is really good. Hebrews 9 and 10 are quoted in a dramatic fashion. It really brings home the glorious message of the Gospel so central to that passage, and indeed all of Scripture. The video clip is long (11 min.), but if you are able, it is well worth watching.

On the “A B C”s of Fundamentalism

  • I earlier mentioned Joel Tetreau’s posts at Sharper Iron regarding his classification of fundamentalism. So I thought I should point you to a good simplification of Joel’s system by Michael Riley of Nescio Latinitatem.
  • Joel’s articles were not well received generally at Sharper Iron. While at times Joel may have been using a wide brush, he painted some stark realities in fundamentalism. Such ugliness is better left under the carpet it seems. Seriously, I thought his criticisms were valid, but not as precisely stated as possible. For the record, I pretty much agree with his taxonomy, but it is inadequate. Maybe I’ll try to come up with my own, someday.

More on Fundamentalism

  • Ryan DeBarr gives a thoughtful post on the occasion of people connected to Emmanuel Baptist Theological Seminary (a notable KJV/TR only school) calling for a separation from fundamentalism (from Sharper Iron varieties as well as from Hylesism). Ryan agrees with some of their criticisms of fundamentalism, but points out some errors in their own approach. It is interesting reading for those interested in fundamentalism.

On Dealing with Differences

On the  Danger of (some) TV Preachers

More on Holy Hip Hop

  • I know I have talked about this topic quite a bit lately (here, and here), but I wanted to just highlight one more link.
  • Justin Taylor highlights another doctrinally sound, gospel exalting, God glorifying Christian hip hop group: CHRISTCENTRIC.

On Christ Centered Preaching

Who's Limiting the Atonement?

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I came across an excellent article on this very subject by  Rhett Kelley entitled “Limiting the Atonement”. It is well worth reading, and it isn’t even that long! Anyways, I  am going to reproduce a quote from Arminian scholar Dr. J. Kenneth Grider that Rhett gave, and then discuss the main point that I believe his post makes.

“A spillover from Calvinism into Arminianism has occurred in recent decades. Thus many Arminians whose theology is not very precise say that Christ paid the penalty for our sins. Yet such a view is foreign to Arminianism, which teaches instead that Christ suffered for us. Arminians teach what Christ did he did for every person; therefore what he did could not have been to pay the penalty, since no one would then ever go into eternal perdition.” — Dr. J. Kenneth Grider [emphasis is  Rhett’s]

So while Calvinists limit the extent of the atonement (only the sins of the elect are “paid” for), Arminians limit the nature of the atonement (Christ only suffered for everyone, He did not “pay the penalty” for anyone’s sins).

So yes, this is just a matter of semantics (in a sense)! Calvinists and Arminians mean different things when they say “atonement”. More on that later.

Calvinists affirm basically all that Arminians teach on this point. Arminians believe that Christ death provides a legitimate gospel offer of salvation to every person. Calvinists affirm that Christ’s death purchases common grace for all and enables everyone the opportunity of responding to  the gospel message. Both groups agree that those who respond will be saved, and both groups agree that not everyone responds.

This leads us back to the difference—Calvinists and Arminians disagree on the nature of the atonement. Calvinists see it as an actual payment of sins and a purchase of people. They see it as purchasing the very gifts of faith and repentance. So while anyone might potentially believe, all who believe are the ones for whom Christ actually died to procure their salvation.  

Arminians, however, claim that faith and repentance are something that human beings add to the atonement (in a sense) to make it effective. And even on this point, they would claim that God’s grace enables the sinners to repent and believe. Calvinists see this grace as having to be purchased on the cross for specific people, and Arminian’s don’t.

So on the face of it, Calvinists and Arminians both limit the atonement. Neither are universalists. Both claim that we must preach the gospel to everyone and yet only some will be saved. Calvinists basically affirm everything Arminians do, but affirm something else. That repentance and faith were purchased on the cross, and that the sins of the elect were actually atoned for (not potentially atoned for) on the cross. They claim that Jesus came to actually save sinners, not merely to make them savable.

So the question should not be “Who is limiting the atonement?” But rather, “What is the nature of the atonement?” When you approach the “L” in TULIP from this perspective, the Calvinist doctrine of “particular redemption” or “definite atonement” will make more sense.

∼striving for the unity of the faith for the glory of God∼ Eph. 4:3,13 “¢ Rom. 15:5-7

A Gracious Gospel vs. A Fleshly Façade

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The blessed “gospel of grace” declares: “…[God] saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy…” (Tit. 3:5). And again, “…not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith…” (Phil. 3:9). So why then do we so often act like the Galatians of whom Paul asked, “Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (Gal. 3:3)

It is so easy to depend upon our own performance for our standing before God. We struggle to live a life that will please God, and when we momentarily succeed our hope, joy and love are increased. Ah… but when we fail or fall, the hope, joy, and love flee. We hide how bad we are in hopes of being accepted by others, yet we can’t hide from God. So we grit our teeth and try to do better.

We all have experienced this cycle at one time or another, and to varying degrees. What is missing in all of this,  is a focus on Christ and  the Gospel. We are to live constantly aware of Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf. We are to be consumed with the Gospel. Our hope is in the Gospel and in Christ’s victorious death and resurrection. He is our standing with God. He is our only acceptance with God. None of our works, even as a Christian, are good enough to please God. We are utterly dependent on the One who intercedes for us. And praise God He is interceding for us and He will not let us slip out of His hand! Let us live lives centered on the Gospel.

To that end, let me quote a thought provoking post on this subject by DJ Cimino over at Doxoblogy. I couldn’t really quote just an excerpt, it is too good. I encourage you to check it out on their blog too, as there is a really nice picture to go with this over there.

Why do we as Christians think that we are living a good Christian life as long as other Christians are unaware of our sin and shortcomings? Why do we accept a “performance based” Christianity? Why don’t we realize that we still sin and fall short of the glory of God? Why do I feel like a good person of I think I haven’t done anything really bad today, when the Bible says that in my flesh even my good works are as filthy rags in God’s sight? Why don’t we walk in the light and be honest about our mistakes, failures and sin? Why do we want others to think we are someone who is holy and pious, when it is only by the righteousness of Jesus that we are blameless in the eyes of God? Why do we get upset at our fellow believers when they ever so slightly sin against us? Why can’t we see that it’s only by God’s grace that we didn’t do the same thing to them? Why can’t we have a more honest Christianity in America, instead of the fake shell of flesh-produced psuedoholiness?

Why can’t we have a more Gospel-centered/cross-centered Christianity? One that daily looks to the Gospel as a foundation for our lives, the hope of our salvation (past, present & future) and the answer to our sinfulness, and not the shifting sands of self-righteousness that produces a performance based, man-centered Christianity.

Why? [underlined emphasis is italic in original]

Before closing, let me direct you to two previous posts on a performance based “legalism” and Christ centered (vs. moralistic) preaching.

Make Time for Thanksgiving

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I pray you all have a blessed Thanksgiving. We will be travelling to Carolyn’s folks’ house in Yankton, SD, and so blogging will probably not resume until Friday night (although I may sneak in a Jesus’ Demands post in sometime). Remember: don’t forget to take time out of this holiday week to truly thank God!

∼striving for the unity of the faith for the glory of God∼ Eph. 4:3,13 “¢ Rom. 15:5-7

Christian Rap — Take 2

~ fundyreformed ~ 10 Comments

Holy Hip HopSome of you may have followed some of the debate in the fundamentalist blogosphere over John Piper’s allowing Christian rapper Curtis Allen to sing a rap song in the Saturday night worship service at Bethlehem Baptist. There was much written on the issue and  I am sure most of you couldn’t follow everything. Then the discussion spawned debates over music in general all over the blogworld but also specifically here at my blog here.

Well, I don’t want to reopen the whole debate. But I would like to point you to a few posts relevant to this discussion that you may find helpful.