Resurrection and a Heart of Stone

While studying for this coming Sunday, I ran across this verse in Luke’s gospel:

He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’ ” (Luke 16:31, ESV)

I’ve read this many times, but today I was struck, anew, by the profoundly devastating implications for any “self-help” project of human salvation. Jesus’ words speak powerfully to the extent of our complete need for grace. 

For context, this is the conclusion to Jesus’ story of the rich man and Lazarus. In the story Jesus relates, both men die, and while Lazarus is “comforted” at Abraham’s side, the rich man is in a place of torment. From there, he asks Abraham to send Lazarus back from the dead so that he may warn the rich man’s family, so that they may not also come into this place of eternal punishment, and verse 31 is the answer to that request. Notice, the obstacle to fulfilling the rich man’s request is not that it would be impossible for a man to return from the realm of the dead. The problem is that it would be of no use whatsoever. If they don’t hear and repent through the words of Moses and the Prophets, i.e., the Scriptures, it won’t make any difference if they see a man rise from the dead. That would not be enough to convince them to repent and believe. 

Think about that. People believe all kinds of things on far less “proof” than a resurrection from the dead! We’re almost led to think, at first, that Jesus must be exaggerating or using this as a figure of speech just to make a point. If there’s anything that would change hearts and minds radically and quickly, surely that would be the sight of a dead person coming out of the tomb alive and well. 

No. That won’t do it. And Jesus is not simply using a figure of speech for effect. He’s stating, through the words of Abraham in the story, a profound truth of the human condition. The rebel, unbelieving heart of man is just that hardened, that incorrigible, that much irremediable. The great problem we have is the problem of our own sinful and fallen condition, and it is a state of spiritual death that leaves us wholly unreceptive to the things of God. 

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:14, ESV)

Our problem is not a “lack of evidence” or too little basis for faith. Our problem isn’t external but internal. We have the law of God written on our hearts and consciences (Rom. 2:15). We have the knowledge of God built into our very nature, because we are his creatures, made in his own image and likeness (Rom. 1:18-21; Acts 17:26-29). The knowledge of God is revealed everywhere in and around us. 

Yet, our sinfulness consists in a willful and entrenched attitude of rebellion that penetrates through every part of our nature. It’s not just an unwillingness to obey God, outwardly. It is, first, a rejection of truth and reality – a determination to “know” on our own terms instead of submitting our knowledge to the truth revealed by God. And that sinful rebellion, which Paul refers to as “suppressing the truth in unrighteousness,” is so firmly fixed in our fallen nature that it defies all logic and order. 

So, even if one would rise from the dead, sinful humans, dead in trespasses and sin and suppressing the truth in unrighteousness, would reject the truth of that resurrection, even if that rejection flies in the face of all logic, evidence, and reason. Indeed, that’s what happened. Someone did rise from the dead. His name is Jesus, and, surely as Jesus predicted, the same folks who refused to believe Moses and the Prophets in all that they testified about the coming Christ also refused to repent and believe when he had fulfilled those very Scriptures and risen, bodily, from the grave! 

The clear message of the apostles of Jesus was that he was the Christ, the Son of God, that he died for our sins, and that he rose again from the dead. They themselves were eyewitnesses to his resurrection. They had nothing to gain and everything to lose by proclaiming this message, first to Israel and then to the nations. The response of the unbelieving Jewish leaders to this message was rejection and persecution. They didn’t, evidently, even consider the possibility that this testimony was true, even while they claimed to believe the very Scriptures that predicted that the Christ must suffer and die and rise again the third day. Nor did they offer any really “reasoned” counter-arguments. Instead, when reports first surfaced about the resurrection and the empty tomb, they paid off the guards to lie and say they had fallen asleep on watch (Matt. 28:11-15). Later, when confronted with the message of the resurrection directly, they basically told the apostles to “shut up.” Not much of a reasoned argument against the validity of their claims. 

But, of course, this problem of rank and willful unbelief doesn’t stop with the people of Israel in the 1st century. Ever since that time, the church of Jesus Christ, first through the 12 apostles and then through generations after them, has testified to the same truth – that, indeed, someone did rise from the dead, and his death and resurrection were, exactly, according to the Scriptures in fulfillment of God’s promises. And human beings, the world over, both Jews and Gentiles alike, have rejected that message and, often, persecuted the messengers as well. 

And that brings me back to where I began – the profound need for grace. Our need is far beyond the need for a “second chance” or a more persuasive argument that, in fact, we should repent and believe the gospel. We need a new heart. We need God to graciously and sovereignly take away our stubborn and willful blindness, our complete animosity towards the truth, and to give us a willing heart with eyes to see and ears to hear the good news of salvation in Christ. Thankfully, God’s eternal plan, fulfilled by Jesus in his death and resurrection, includes the provision for just that. It’s foretold in passages like Ezekiel 36:26:

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:26, ESV)

It’s pronounced in the New Testament as part of the gracious work of God through the finished work of Jesus and applied by the Holy Spirit.

even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— (Ephesians 2:5, ESV)

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, (Colossians 2:13, ESV)

For this reason, and no other, there are countless millions across the centuries who have heard, believed, and received the gospel. If you are one of those who have come to believe that Jesus died for your sins, that he did rise from the dead, and to trust in him for your salvation, it’s not because you had a greater measure of insight to recognize the truth when you heard it. It’s not because you were more sensitive to spiritual things than your unbelieving neighbor. Nor is it an indication that you were more “open” to hearing the truth than someone else. No, it’s grace, marvelous grace. It’s a grace that not only provides forgiveness of sins and new life to those who deserve death and hell. It’s a grace that goes so far as to rescue us from ourselves, to overcome the darkness and deadness of our rebellious hearts and minds, and to reveal Jesus to us in all his glory that we might be saved. 

Israel, Dispensationalism, and Antisemitism

Are you antisemitic? According to some Christian leaders and speakers, if you dare to criticize the actions of the Israeli government at any point, if you question whether the modern state of Israel is really the fulfillment of biblical prophecy, or if you doubt whether the modern Jewish nation is God’s chosen people and the heirs of the Abrahamic covenant promises, then you are, most likely, an antisemite. 

This trend, not incidentally, appears to parallel the broader conversation outside the church about Israel, the Jews, and Palestine. Particularly, on the conservative side of politics, many see criticisms of the state of Israel as equivalent to antisemitism, whether that criticism consists of pro-Palestinian protests or a more measured and thoughtful critique expressed through social media. Certainly, critical evaluations of Israel’s government have ramped up since the beginning of Israel’s response to the horrific attack of October 7th, 2023. The criticisms, now, are coming from both sides of the political spectrum, and this issue has brought about some division within the conservative right, where many have begun to question the US’s ongoing financial support for the state of Israel. 

I’m not here to pick a side concerning the US alliance with and financial support for Israel. Personally, I don’t think we should look for a simplistic answer to a fairly complex political and diplomatic question. My concern, and more so in relation to the church, is something I believe to be a confusion of categories that tends to hinder clear thinking both theologically and politically. 

Antisemitism is, essentially, a hatred of Jews. Now, I don’t doubt for a minute that this exists and is a real problem, just as there are other forms of racism, and they are also problematic. Furthermore, antisemitism will often overlap with a vehement objection to everything Israel does and even, perhaps, to the very existence of Israel as a state. This makes sense, since the modern state of Israel was created under the premise of creating a Jewish state in their own homeland of Palestine. It’s a predominantly Jewish nation, with Jews making up about 75% of the population. If you hate the Jews, most likely, you don’t show much support for the state of Israel. 

However, the logic simply does not apply in the other direction. If a person is critical of Israel or US support for Israel, it does not follow that that person simply hates the Jews. Anti-Zionism is not the equivalent of antisemitism. To criticize the government of Israel no more makes one antisemitic than criticizing the government of Nigeria, for example, makes a person racist against black people! In fact, in theory at least, a person may be critical of the Israeli state or have anti-Zionist views of the Middle East because they care about the Jewish people and believe that Zionism is not helpful for them. It is telling, I think, that many of the ultra-orthodox Hasidic Jews are also anti-Zionist. One wonders if the same folks who accuse their fellow Christians of being antisemitic for their views on Israel would also accuse these Jews of being antisemitic. If so, do they hate themselves?  

This basic confusion of categories between anti-Zionism and antisemitism, like most problems in the Christian church, flows from theological error, specifically from the theology of dispensationalism. Dispensationalists tend to identify the modern nation-state of Israel with the covenant people of God who are heirs of the promises to Abraham. I’m using the words “tend to” here because I don’t think this is necessarily a non-negotiable tenet of the dispensational system, and I’m sure there are serious-thinking dispensationalists who would hold a different view. However, dispensationalism teaches that the Old Testament promises to the national people of Israel are to be fulfilled, literally (or, “literalistically”) in a re-established Jewish nation of Israel possessing the historical land of Canaan (roughly, modern Palestine), ruling over the earthly Gentile nations, and having a restored earthly temple in Jerusalem. 

Where this theological construct goes off the rails, in my opinion, is in a failure to recognize the true unity of divine revelation, the centrality of Jesus Christ and the gospel throughout, and the promise/fulfillment relationship of the Old and New Testaments. In other words, as I like to put it, they’ve lost the plot of the story. In a kind of ironic twist, they are, in some respects, repeating the error of many first-century Jews in the time of Jesus. The people were looking for a nationalistic Messiah and an earthly kingdom – something like a restoration to the great days of Solomon. They wanted a king to restore national greatness to their nation. In this nationalistic zeal, they failed to see the real object of the old covenant and that Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of it. Modern dispensationalists, while recognizing Jesus as the promised Messiah, likewise fail to account for how the whole Scripture and the entire old covenant system were pointing to and preparing for him. In a biblical-theological sense, they continue to cling to the shadows and types of the former age, which have now become obsolete as they have been far-surpassed and overshadowed by the greatness and glory of their fulfillment in Jesus Christ. 

The book of Hebrews is, perhaps, the single most devastating portion of Scripture for the whole dispensational way of thinking. In a brief summary, the burden of this wonderful book is to show that the entire old covenant system of Mosaic worship was merely a pattern that reflected a heavenly reality to be revealed in the future. That heavenly reality is Jesus Christ, his sacrificial death, his priesthood, his kingdom, his inheritance, and his redeemed people. Of the former system, the writer calls it “a copy and shadow of the heavenly things.” (Hebrews 8:5, ESV) Moreover, the new covenant, promised in Jeremiah 31 for Israel and Judah, is now fulfilled by Jesus Christ for those who come to faith in him as the Messiah. Furthermore, now that the reality has come, it would be foolish – even devastating – for those who had professed faith in Jesus to turn back to the Judaistic religion of types and shadows which had become obsolete and was about to disappear altogether. Noteably, in a book written to Jewish Christians, with a lot to say about the Old Testament promises and worship, there is not a word in Hebrews (or anywhere else in the New Testament for that matter) about a future rebuilt temple, about a reconstituted Jewish nation, or about a redemptive-historical goal to restore the earthly land of Canaan to Israel! That’s simply because these things have been fulfilled in Jesus. These promises of land, blessing, priesthood, temple, etc., were always, ultimately, about Jesus Christ and were signifying and pointing toward him. They were the temporal models of which Jesus was and is the eternal reality. Now that the reality has come, there is no need to cling to the former types and shadows, and to do so is not only unnecessary, but it is detrimental to the gospel and the kingdom of Christ. 

Jesus is the true heir of the promises to Abraham. He is the true seed (Gal. 3:16, 19). He is the promised Son of David, the Messianic King whose kingdom will have no end. He is the true temple. His inheritance is the glorious new creation that was typified, previously, under the promise of the land of Canaan. And his true Israel is his church – all who, by grace, come to true faith in him as Lord and Savior. 

What, then, about the physical seed of Abraham, the Jewish people, Israel after the flesh? This is, in essence, the very question the Apostle Paul addresses in Romans 9-11. Have God’s promises then failed in as far as most of “Israel” failed to recognize the Messiah and come to inherit the promises of salvation? And the resounding answer is NO! God’s promises have not failed. He has not revoked his faithfulness to his people. But it is essential to recognize how and to whom those promises are fulfilled. They are fulfilled in Jesus Christ and, as always, they are conditioned upon and received by faith. The true heirs (or co-heirs) of the promises to Abraham are those who have the faith of Abraham. Hence, those Jews who rejected Jesus Christ were not the true seed of Abraham. Accordingly, they were “cut off.” This is the analogy Paul draws with the olive tree in Romans 9. But, at the same time, there was a believing remnant among the Jews, even as there is today. They did not, however, become an entirely new “people of God,” separate from “Israel.” Rather, they continued as the true Israel, receiving the promises by faith that the Old Testament saints had looked forward to from afar and had also received by faith in their own lifetimes, but not with the same fullness of revelation and assurance and blessing that we enjoy today, under the new covenant. 

To that believing remnant of Jews, God added a multitude of Gentiles who also believe upon Jesus Christ and receive the same promises, the same inheritance, on the same basis as believing Jews – by faith in Jesus and being united with him who is the true seed and heir of Abraham. This is what I understand to be “the Israel of God.” (Gal. 6:16)

This is not a “novel” interpretation. It has been, in some form or another, the belief of the church throughout most of history. It is the dispensational system, with its emphasis on a man-made secular state of Israel, that is a novelty in church history, having its roots in the ideas of John Nelson Darby in the 19th century. 

Christians should not be antisemitic. Christians should not be racist toward any group of people. The Jewish people have historically received the blessing of God’s covenant and biblical revelation. I believe that Paul’s teaching in Romans indicates that there will always be a core remnant of Jews who are part of God’s church throughout history. However, the Jews who continue in unbelief, rejecting the Messiah, are separated from God, cut off from his covenant and his people. They don’t need a Jewish state or political support nearly as much as they need the gospel of Jesus Christ, so that they may, personally, individually be grafted back into their own olive tree. When that happens, however, it doesn’t bring them into a geopolitical nation. It brings them back into the covenant people, the holy nation that God has set apart from himself from before the foundation of the world and redeemed through his Son, Jesus. 

Despite the modern popularity of dispensationalism, many Christians still hold to this historically normative understanding of Israel and the promises as fulfilled in Jesus. To label us “antisemitic” is unfair, dishonest, and completely inaccurate. And, if we truly want to love the Jewish people, we should concern ourselves with preaching Jesus to them and to the rest of the world. 

If you’ve made it this far, here’s my “shameless plug” at the end: If you’re interested in a fuller treatment of how Jesus fulfills the Old Testament promises, consider purchasing my book here: https://www.amazon.com/As-Was-Written-Fulfill-Promises/dp/B0FX7XHK95/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3O9SKDNNL8KBM&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ml7oZrH4HfvzJDggMKmKAA.PaCkmu50i72NKuMfF38jXwhx2vao2EuNDbkWD1ZTOwA&dib_tag=se&keywords=as+it+was+written+shingler&qid=1769094611&sprefix=as+it+was+written%2Caps%2C171&sr=8-1

Pressing Forward in the New Year

This is the New Year’s meditation I shared with my church family today.

This New Year’s Day, consider Paul’s words in Philippians 3:13-14: “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of god in Christ Jesus.” 
These words are brimming with gospel hope. New Year’s is a time when people make resolutions. That can, of course, be a good thing. We might “resolve” to lose weight, to exercise more, to read a certain number of books, etc. Certainly, it is a good thing if we make godly resolutions concerning the things that will grow us in faith and draw us closer to the Lord. We can all recognize, with Paul, that we have not “arrived.” We’ve not attained to the godliness, the holiness, the knowledge, and the wisdom that God purposes for us. But Paul’s determination, here, is more than a typical “resolution.” Our resolutions, generally, depend on human ability and steadfastness. Hence, they often fail because, at the end of the day, we’re not that strong. We’re not that steadfast and reliable. So, the gym fills up for a couple of weeks in January, then goes back to the normal crowd again.
We need something more powerful than resolutions, and the gospel gives us just that. The gospel, first, empowers us to “forget what lies behind.” Grace means that yesterday’s failures are not only not permanent. They’re not remembered. They’re gone. The sins that should be cause for shame and guilt have been covered by the blood of Jesus. He bore them away on the cross, and the Scripture assures me that God removes them as far as the east is from the west. 
So, on account of the gospel, forgetting what lies behind is not just about trying to pretend it didn’t happen or seeking to move forward and “do better.” It’s a gospel-enabled recognition that I’m not bound by sins and failures that are past. God’s grace, through the suffering and death of Jesus, is sufficient for my past. 
Further, the gospel empowers us to be “straining forward to what lies ahead,” and to “press on toward the goal…” This, again, is more than just a resolution to do better. It is a gospel-grounded, grace-infused, realistic hope looking forward, with confidence in God’s empowering grace. The gospel assures us that the past is forgiven. It also provides us with the certain hope that God is at work in us in the present and the future. Paul’s pressing onward is a real, conscious effort to grow toward the goal of being like Jesus. But it’s not an effort grounded upon sheer willpower or human determination. It is a hopeful effort that’s grounded in the reality of God’s grace. It’s an effort that’s motivated and encouraged by the knowledge that God is at work to will and do his good pleasure, and he is conforming all his people to the likeness of his own Son. 
So, let us take this hopeful outlook of grace into the New Year. 
Pastor Mike

As It Was Written…

A while back (as in, years ago now – where does the time go?), I wrote a series of posts on the subject of Israel and the church in Scripture. At the time, I was just getting some ideas together with a view to possibly writing a book on this subject. Well, more than 10 years later, I finally finished the book. It is, more or less, my own account of the things I learned as I left dispensational theology and slowly “grew into” covenant theology. The book is called “As It Was Written: How Jesus and the Church Fulfill God’s Promises to Israel.” It’s available on Amazon here: As It was Written

I believe the timing of the book is providentially well-suited to current discussions swirling around social media concerning the modern state of Israel. Many on the right are questioning the United States’ commitment to Israel as a nation and whether there’s a really good reason for it. My book doesn’t weigh in on this question as foreign policy. I’m a pastor, not a politician or diplomat. However, it seems like the question of political support for Israel inevitably circles back to theology. The strong influence of dispensationalism on American Christianity means that, for many Christians, the default answer to “Why support Israel?” is, “Well, they’re God’s people. That’s God’s nation, and those who bless Israel will be blessed.” That was certainly the answer for Ted Cruz in his interview with Tucker Carlson earlier this year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S31mLnuPj9M

My contention is that dispensationalism loses the plot of the biblical storyline. In so doing, dispensationalists grossly misidentify biblical “Israel.” They mistake a modern, man-made nation-state for the people who are marked out by God’s covenant. In both the Old and New Testaments, this is true. Israel is a people defined by covenant. And the covenant does not first originate in Genesis 12, nor is it ultimately a covenant tied to an ethnic people. It’s a covenant grounded in eternity, a covenant based on God’s sovereign grace, a covenant with Christ and his seed.
The unfolding revelation of that covenant, in redemptive history, points toward Jesus. In the Old Testament, it’s an announcement of “He’s coming! He’s coming!” In the New Testament, the announcement is “He’s come! He’s come!” But it is all about Jesus and the glorious, eternal kingdom promised to him, as redeemer, before the foundation of the world.

Coronavirus and the Worship of America

The Coronavirus pandemic has certainly impacted our national life in many ways. Some of the effects have been more obvious and direct than others. I believe one of the indirect effects has been to show us something about our own national religion. Of course, we don’t have a “national religion,” not officially anyway. Nevertheless, people are worshipping creatures. We were made to worship God, and in sinful rejection of the true God, we turn to false gods and false worship. Idolatry, of one form or another, marks the whole history of mankind since the fall. Every human being either serves and worships the creature or serves and worships the Creator. While there’s much that could be said about idolatry in modern America, this pandemic has exposed, more clearly, a common form of idolatry that fills the land. It is a sort of syncretistic blend of statism and something we might call “scientism”.

Idols, of course, are God-substitutes. One of the fundamental elements in the true worship of God is trust in God. To worship God rightly is to place our ultimate trust and hope in God in all circumstances. We must look to Him, not only as our ultimate good, but as our ultimate and true source of security and peace, of blessedness and hope. God, alone, is worthy of our highest trust and confidence. He, alone, has perfect wisdom and knowledge. He, alone, is sovereign over all things and unlimited in His power to save. When man worships an idol, the trust and hope that belongs only to God is transferred to this God-substitute. The idol – the creature – becomes the illegitimate object of the faith and hope that belongs to God alone. In other words, when there’s a real crisis that threatens what we most cherish, whatever we turn to, trust in and place our ultimate hope in for salvation, that’s an object of our worship. If that object of worship is not God, it’s an idol.

              When the novel Coronavirus came along it presented an ominous threat to our health and our lives. Especially in the early days of this outbreak, we knew very little about the virus and its characteristics. We were suddenly facing an unknown, unseen enemy. How was the virus spread? Was it extremely contagious? How deadly was it? How could we protect ourselves? In such a situation, we tend to feel vulnerable and powerless. We are confronted with the stark reality of our creaturely finiteness. How little we really have control over! How little we really know and manage in God’s vast creation! Yet our national, cultural response, overall, was to turn to the experts and authorities. Surely, they would have answers. Surely, they would know what to do. We turned to science expecting definitive, authoritative answers to our questions and uncertainty. We, likewise, looked to government authorities to “do something.” In essence, we have turned to science as the source of nearly infallible knowledge and wisdom and to the government as the ultimate source of power to use that knowledge for our salvation – that is, for the salvation of our earthly lives and existence.

              Such a response is not out of character for a society that has become increasingly secular and humanistic in outlook. Having rejected God, the Creator, and His revelation, we turn to the finite creature. In the secular worldview that seems to dominate our culture today, human inquiry, in the form of scientific research and theory, is viewed as the ultimate source of knowledge. What we can “know” as “fact” is the knowledge that we can gain from scientific studies and the interpretations of such studies given by those who are deemed to be “the experts.” The essence of wisdom is to “follow the data” – “follow the facts.” On the other hand, the highest level of power and authority to effect change and make positive use of our scientific knowledge is viewed as government authority. In a humanistic worldview that sets aside the truth of God and the Creator-creature distinction, science embodies the ultimate source of knowledge and wisdom. Government embodies the collective power of humanity to effect our own salvation. In essence, we’ve substituted science for God’s omniscience and government for God’s sovereignty and omnipotence.

              This does not mean we should be opposed to either science or government. Both are good and useful within their own sphere of operation, but with limitations. God, Himself, ordained human government as a minister for good, to serve His good and merciful purpose in the world. God has also provided us with a wealth of useful knowledge through the progress of science. By means of common grace, humanity has amassed a wealth of knowledge that has led to lengthened life, greater quality of life and many other beneficial uses. The institution of government provides for a greater degree of justice, peace and order in the world. However, neither are sovereign or absolute in and of themselves. They are limited by human frailty and by God’s ordained purposes. Man’s knowledge is always finite and secondary. The rightful authority of government is just that which God has assigned it. The power of governmental authority is limited to its God-ordained sphere and purpose. It is not a power to save. As the object of man’s hope for salvation, from Coronavirus or a multitude of other tragedies, it will prove a huge disappointment.

              To have a right view and expectation of the power of government or the scientific community or any other human institution, we must confess, readily, our own finiteness and limitation as human beings. We must understand that the work of science and governance take place in a world that is ruled by a sovereign God. He, alone, possesses perfect knowledge. He, alone, is the source of all authority. He, alone, has infinite and supreme power and authority. He, alone, is the source of life and salvation. All human activity is designed to function under the sovereignty of God, and we are ultimately dependent upon God for knowledge, for law and order, for life itself.

              But, in refusal to acknowledge our own weakness and dependence upon God, our secular society has turned to mere human authority, power and wisdom in the hope of being saved from that which appears to be threatening and uncontrollable. So, we’ve experienced a situation in which millions have sacrificed (willingly or unwillingly) personal freedom, livelihoods, interaction with families and friends and more. We are expected to accept, without question or doubt, whatever dictates come from our governing authorities, based on “the latest data,” on the assumption that this is our best, collective hope to avoid catastrophe and save our life as we know it.

              As is always the case with idolatry, however, the gods of the western world have proven themselves weak and pathetic substitutes for the Living God. The advice given by experts (who, no doubt are doing their best) has changed as the available data has changed. Studies provide inconclusive and often conflicting information. Officials have used their authority in ways that have often appeared arbitrary and selective. In some cases, decisions made early on proved to be tragic mistakes. The national economy has been damaged, possibly beyond repair. For all this, we have not really been “saved” from Coronavirus, although, admittedly, some of the effects may have been avoided, at least temporarily.

              In such a time of crisis, when much of the world looks to its idols for salvation and help, there is great opportunity for our testimony to the truth of the gospel. In such a time the antithesis between the Christian worldview and that of the unbelieving world should stand out in stark relief. First of all, we see this antithesis with regard to what is most valued. For the unbeliever, and particularly in today’s secularized culture, life in this world is of ultimate value. To be “saved” is to be preserved from physical death – to have life extended for a longer time. COVID-19 presents such a terrifying threat, because it threatens death.

              The Christian has a different outlook on death. Indeed, death is the great enemy, but not because it is merely the destruction of life in this world. Death is the great threat and enemy because death is the curse and punishment of sin. Sin stands behind the specter of death. Sin is the ultimate evil, the ultimate tragedy and the ultimate threat to life, peace, joy and happiness. For the Christian, with a biblical worldview, life in this earth is not our highest and greatest good. God is our greatest good. Life in the presence of God, with His favor and blessing, is our greatest treasure.

              Salvation, then, for the believer, is salvation from sin. It is not just an extension of life in this world. It is the removal of sin – the disarming of death, in its true power, to separate us from God, who is our ultimate joy and good. This, God, alone, has accomplished in the Lord Jesus Christ. COVID-19, while it should concern us, especially in the interests of our fellow-man, cannot present the ultimate threat for us. Nor can any human effort or institution provide us with real security. After all, everyone who does not contract this Coronavirus will still, some day, die. Our security and hope of salvation is found in Christ, alone.

              As Christians, we can, and should, acknowledge and benefit from the legitimate use of science and medical research. We acknowledge the goodness and usefulness of human government as the ordination of God for His purpose. However, we also recognize both these human institutions, like all of creation, as functioning in a world where God, alone, reigns supreme. We should be ready to face COVID-19 and every other form of danger in this world with a calm, settled and sanctified confidence in the Lord God who, alone, is salvation.

The Comfort of the Shepherd for God’s People

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me… (Psalm 23:4, ESV)

Psalm 23 is one of the most loved of the Psalms and has long been a source of comfort and encouragement for God’s people in times of sorrow and uncertainty. This Psalm is an expression of confident trust in the Lord as protector and provider in all circumstances. It begins with the confident assertion, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” The Psalm then unfolds this statement in the imagery that follows. It opens up to an idyllic pastoral scene, with green pastures and still waters. There’s a picture of abundant provision and peaceful security under the sovereign and loving guidance of the Lord as the Shepherd/King of His people.

At verse 4, there is an abrupt change of scene. We go from the peaceful, security of the green pasture and the quiet, still waters to a place of danger and uncertainty. The Psalmist describes walking through the valley of the shadow or death or, “The valley of deep darkness.” Here, in contrast to the seeming carefree experience of the first 3 verses, there is danger about. The valley of deep darkness implies that enemies are near. This is also implied in the mention of the rod and staff, which are a source of comfort, because the shepherd is well-equipped to fend off and defeat any potential attackers in the darkness.

This is surely an apt metaphor for our experiences in life. We have times of relative peace and security when all seems, at least, “normal.” Then, there are the experiences of the dark valley – the shadow of death, when dangers abound, and we are surrounded by uncertainty. There’s suddenly cause for fear, while the darkness seems to close in about us. That’s a fair description of the present time, while our world is engulfed in a pandemic, a new strain of disease that even the top experts don’t fully understand. There’s an atmosphere of unease and uncertainty. There’s a darkness of uncertainty concerning our health and well-being, even as we have heard the stories from places where hospitals have been overrun and medical facilities are lacking. Meanwhile, we hear, daily, the grim new death toll from COVID-19. There’s a dark shroud of uncertainty over the future and our economic security as well. This is surely one of those times when we are found in the dark valley, under the shadow of death.

However, even in the darkest valley, the Psalmist can express confidence – “I will fear no evil,” because of the Lord’s abiding presence – “for you are with me.” The Lord’s presence as the source of all security is really the key theme that runs throughout this Psalm. Indeed, it is the promise of the Lord’s presence that has been a source of comfort and encouragement throughout the experience of God’s people. Repeatedly, the Lord’s Word of assurance came to the patriarchs saying, “I am with you” (Gen. 26:3, 24; 28:15; 31:3). To the frightened and hesitant messenger, Moses, the Lord said, “But I will be with you…” (Exo. 3:12). The promise comes to Moses again, later, on behalf of all Israel, “And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” (Exodus 33:14, ESV) The promise is passed on to Joshua as well, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you.” (Joshua 1:5) The same kind of reassurance is given to God’s people through the prophets, even as they must pass through the dark valley of God’s chastening judgment of exile. For example, in Isaiah 43, the Lord sets for this encouragement, “When you through the waters, I will be with you…Fear not for I am with you….” (Isa. 43:3, 5)

The assurance and comfort offered to God’s people throughout the ages has not been that we may avoid the valley of the shadow of death, but, rather, it is the promise and reality of the Lord’s presence even in the valley. When, from a merely human standpoint, there is every reason to fear, God’s people need not fear, for our Shepherd/King is ever present to protect and preserve and to guide. This promise of God’s presence with His people, which runs throughout the Scriptures, culminates in the Lord Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, God with us. What was true for God’s people in the Old Testament is even more clearly set before us, as we live in the light of Christ’s coming, His life, death and resurrection. Christ is ever present as the Great Shepherd of His people. He is the Lord and the Shepherd of His people, pictured in Psalm 23 and elsewhere in the Old Testament (cf. Ezek. 34). As the Good Shepherd, Jesus has laid down His life for His sheep. He has, in fact, traversed the deepest darkness, the darkness of death under the curse and wrath of God on behalf of His people. By His sacrificial death on the cross, Jesus descended into the dark valley of death all alone, so that we, His redeemed people, the sheep of His pasture, will never have to traverse the darkness alone and forsaken.

This means, beloved, that we, as believers in Christ, can have a peace and security in the midst of this darkness and uncertainty that the world does not know. With the Psalmist, we can say, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me…” (Psalm 23:4, ESV) Even when we come, as we must, to the experience of death itself, and prepare to cross that dark valley, we need not fear. In the Lord Jesus Christ, God has come near. God is with us and for us. In the deepest darkness, He keeps and protects us from the real harm, the curse of sin. So, whatever may come, from coronavirus or any other earthly “darkness,” rest assured, your Shepherd is with you, and His presence is your security and peace.

A Christian Response to Crisis

Fear is a powerful thing. Since the day that Adam heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden and was afraid, fear has been a common part of the human experience. In the last day, men will, again, cower in abject terror, unable to escape from the presence of God and the wrath of the Lamb. In between, man’s existence is often marked by fear, and it sometimes drives people to do things they wouldn’t think of doing in normal circumstances.

Today, fear fills the air. We’re living in a moment of national crisis. As the coronavirus outbreak progresses, we see our government taking unprecedented steps to try and slow the spread of the disease. Our daily routine has suddenly and unexpectedly ground to a halt. How should Christians respond to such a time of crisis? What should we be thinking and doing in contrast to the rest of the world? I’d like to suggest 4 specific things that ought to characterize our attitudes and responses as Christians to this or any other occasion of crisis and fear.

Faith in place of Fear

Fear is one effect of the fall, a consequence of sin, guilt and alienation from God. Cut off from the true knowledge of God and living fellowship with Him, man’s experience of the world suddenly becomes one of blank uncertainty. The more that man refuses to acknowledge the absolute sovereignty of God over all creation, including himself, the more his view of reality is one of chaos, blind chance and uncertainty. Fear, itself, is part of the judgment of God upon sin, and, as the writer to the Hebrews notes, fallen man is subject to lifelong slavery through the fear of death (Heb. 2:15).

It’s normal, in some sense, that the response of the unbeliever to something like a global pandemic will be fear. The sources of fear and anxiety are several. There’s the general fear of the unknown, as this is a new virus we really don’t know much about. There’s fear of the indirect fallout from the current crisis. What will happen to the economy, our savings, our way of life? But, ultimately, there is the fear of death. Any such dangerous virus represents the reality and certainty of death, and death is a fearsome prospect outside of Christ. The unbeliever inherently knows that there is an accounting – a judgment to follow. The presence of a holy God is a terror in this life, but a terror multiplied a thousand times over in the world to come. Indeed, the unbeliever has every cause to be afraid. But not so the believer in Christ. In fact, one of the most oft repeated commands in the Scriptures, directed toward God’s people, is some form of the command, “Do not fear.” Fear must be replaced by faith in the Sovereignty of God and the promises of His Word directed to those who are reconciled to God by faith in Jesus Christ.

Christians need not live in fear of the unknown, because we know the God who is the Creator and Sovereign over all reality. He has a comprehensive purpose and plan for all creation. We know that nothing takes place that falls outside this purpose. What is unknown to us is perfectly known to Him, for He planned it and order it according to His perfect will. The course of the world is not directed by blind chance but by the Sovereign and eternal God. All things, including viruses, fall within the scope of the plan, which He has decreed from before the foundation of the world.

Neither do we need to fear the threat of death, because the real cause for fear has been removed through the death and resurrection of Christ. The Psalmist writes: “For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence… You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday (Psalm 91:3, 5-6, ESV). There is no Scripture promise to the effect that Christians are exempt from coronavirus or any other form of suffering and evil in this world. There is no certainty that you won’t get coronavirus or, even, that you may die from it. But the real cause of fear, the fear of death, is rooted in the fact that death is the judgment of God upon sin, and, for the believer in Christ, that judgment has been absorbed and exhausted in the Lord Jesus Christ. The wrath of God has been removed. The curse of the law has been undone and the sting of death has been taken away. So, the Apostle Paul can state with confidence, “’O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:55–57, ESV).

So, first and foremost, the attitude of the Christian in the midst of crisis should be one of faith and not fear – faith in the Sovereignty and purpose of God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as the source of eternal life and security. Even in the face of death itself, there is every reason to be at peace, knowing that our true life is hidden with Christ in God, that we have an eternal inheritance laid up for us in glory and that death cannot truly harm us. The admonition of Isaiah is quite relevant: “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. (Isaiah 8:12–13, ESV)

Repentance

In one sense, every occasion of natural disaster, disease or other crisis is a call to repentance. When God sends us disaster or pestilence, there is an element of judgment in this. It may be a specific judgment for specific national sins. On the other hand, at the least, the evils of this world, in general, are part of the overall judgment of God upon sinful humanity. We, as Christ’s church in this world, experience these evils and trials along with the world.

Recognizing that we are sinners and deserving of God’s judgment and wrath and that, even as Christians, we continue to commit sins that bring God’s chastening judgment upon us, this is a good time for self-examination. At times like this, we ought to seek the Lord through His Word and prayer. We ought to be considering questions like, “How are we complicit in the sins of the nation that bring judgment? Have we been diligent in our prayers for our nation, for its leader and for those around us who are walking in darkness? Have we trusted too much in man for our security rather than putting our hope in God alone? Have we become enamored with the world and all that it offers?”

When God sent pestilence on Israel in the days of David (1Chronicles 21), it was a result of David’s sin, and it called for repentance and confession. When God sent the people in to exile because of their sins, Daniel turned to God in prayer with confession of the sins of the people and a free acknowledgement that their suffering and exile were the just judgment upon their disobedience and unfaithfulness.

When we experience something like this coronavirus pandemic, something which afflicts the church as well as the world, it’s a reminder of how much greater judgment our sins really deserve, and it should prompt us to repentance and confession of sin, seeking the mercy of God and renewing our faithfulness and devotion to Him.

Renewal in Hope

Disease, suffering and death; that’s what we ought to expect to see in this present, fallen world. Sin has thrown the whole of creation out of order. We are reminded, again, that every kind of sickness and disease, not just coronavirus, is the judgment of God upon sin. It also reminds us that our hope and security are not found in this present world. Indeed, nothing in this world really lasts. “And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:17, ESV).

Any real “good” that we find in the present is not final and ultimate. Indeed, not to be misunderstood, there is much good in the world, for the believer. The Lord gives good gifts to His children. It is, in fact, only the believer in Christ who can truly “enjoy” the good gifts of God as they were intended – to be used to the glory of God, with thankfulness and submission to Him. However, these good gifts are not ultimate. They are markers, foretastes, that should point us beyond themselves to the giver. They should help to give us a taste for the ultimate joy and fulfillment to be found in the presence of God Himself.

Meanwhile, a crisis such as the coronavirus just serves to heighten our awareness that this present life is transient, as is the creation. Yet, this is not a cause of gloom and despair. Rather, it is an occasion to be renewed in our true hope, the hope of glory to come. As the Apostle Peter wrote, “But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:13, ESV). We have an inheritance in Christ and is “imperishable, undefiled and unfading.” This should be the source of our hope for the future. No matter what happens in the here and now, we can know, with certainty, that there is another world coming. There’s a day coming when there will be no more sickness, sorrow and death. The curse will be finally and full rolled back. Most importantly, sin, itself, will be banished from God’s world. Christ’s church will be completed and perfected and we will live and rejoice in the glorious light of His presence forever.

We should be reminded to hold on to things of this world lightly. We should be living and setting our priorities in a way that reflects where our real hope is found, storing up treasure in heaven. The response of the Christian to crisis should be a confident, hope-filled look toward the Lord Jesus Christ who is seated at the right hand of the Father and who will most certainly come again to renew this world and to bring His bride into His own heavenly glory forever.

Love and Service

None of this should be construed as escapism. Too often, the immediate response of Christians to a crisis is to assume it’s a “sign” that Jesus is coming soon (of course, He may come soon) and we’re about to “escape” from this world. One of the problems with this thinking is that it tends toward disengaging from the needs and hurts of the world around us.

While a deadly new virus is a cause for fear and isolation for many, for believers, it presents an opportunity for ministry to others. There are practical needs around us, and people who are hurting and fearful, who need the hope of the gospel. I fear that our default response may be to “look to ourselves” – to close ourselves off and make sure that we and ours are protected. Now, in the current situation, isolation from others may be one of the prudent ways to actually show love, ironically. Yet, where there are opportunities for us to serve others in need and to bring the hope of the gospel to our world, we ought to buy up these opportunities. Our priority should be the glory and service of our King, Jesus Christ, over and above our own personal safety and comfort. In other words, the first question for the believer, in such times of danger and crisis, should not be, “How can I stay safe?” but, rather, “How can I do the will of God and serve the Lord Jesus Christ by serving others in need?” Whatever this looks like in any given situation, the fact is, we needn’t make our person safety our number one priority. That’s because, in Christ, we are already “safe” from real harm. The very purpose of our lives is to serve Jesus. Again, this doesn’t mean we ought to be careless or take unnecessary risks. It really is, I believe, a mindset that we need to adopt – that our highest purpose is the glory and service of Christ at any cost. It’s an attitude reflected in Paul’s admonition to the Philippians, an attitude we ought to have at all times: Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:3–4, ESV)

The response of the Christian to times of crisis and danger should be characterized by an unshaken faith in God that drives out fear, by an attitude of repentance and confession, by a hopeful outlook and by a desire to serve others, sacrificially, for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.

What’s Wrong with the Altar Call?

If you were to visit Hope Presbyterian Church (where I serve as teaching elder) and were very unfamiliar with Presbyterian and reformed practice, you might think something was conspicuously missing from our worship service – the altar call or invitation at the end of the preaching. While perhaps waning somewhat in popularity, for various reasons, the altar call is still a regular practice of many churches, particularly in some Baptist and independent Bible churches. The practice is closely associated with mass evangelism events, like those conducted by Billy Graham and, now his son Franklin and others. In some churches, it features so prominently that a Sunday service without an altar call would be considered incomplete. I was a guest preacher at a southern Baptist church once where, when I failed to perform the desired altar call at the end of the service, a deacon came up to the front of the church to invite folks to come forward to accept Christ. I guess he felt compelled to make up for my unfaithfulness in the ministry to the church! While I respect the motives and sincerity of my brethren who make use of this method, I find it problematic for several reasons. I think the practice, itself, is unbiblical and unhelpful. More importantly, it reflects a deeply flawed understanding of the gospel of grace and how sinners are saved.

The term “altar call” refers, narrowly, to the practice of inviting people to respond to the gospel message by “coming forward” to the front of the church or auditorium to “accept Christ” or to “rededicate your life to the Lord.” More broadly, we could include similar types of responses such as standing in place or raising a hand to indicate one’s decision to accept Christ. While many of us have childhood memories of the altar call as a regular part of our church experience, it is a relatively recent innovation in the practice of the church. It was developed and popularized by Charles Finney in the 1800’s. Finney’s theology was problematic at best. He denied the depravity of man and the substitutionary nature of Christ’s atonement. He believed that salvation was a matter of convincing man to exercise his free will in favor of God. Man could be saved simply as a matter of his own choice, using the means God provided in the gospel. Finney’s theology led him to develop the “new measures” for preaching and bringing sinners to conversion. He felt that whatever means could be effectively used to sway the sinner’s will and convince him or her to choose conversion should be used. This included the idea of the anxious bench, where Finney would invite sinners to come to receive prayer and decide for Christ. This practice was picked up and modified by later evangelists such as D.L. Moody and Billy Sunday. It is the backdrop for the altar call system we see practiced in the church today. This is not to say that everyone who utilizes the altar call/invitation system subscribes to the false doctrines Finney did. However, Finney’s broad influence is still felt in the evangelical church today, and the popularity of the invitation system is an evidence of that influence.

The Regulative Principle

              One question that immediately arises concerning the altar call is simply, “Is it really biblical?” In reformed churches, we seek to apply what we call the regulative principle. In short, this means that God can only be rightly worshiped in the way that He determines and reveals to us. We are not to attempt to worship God in any way not prescribed in the Scriptures. Under the new covenant, worship consists of the reading of Scripture; the preaching and hearing of God’s Word; singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs; offering up prayers and the administration of the new covenant sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We do not find the altar call – a practice of calling sinners to come to the front or some other outward act as a response to the preaching – as an element of worship in Scripture. In fact, we simply don’t find it in the Scriptures or in the practice of the New Testament church at all.

Some have argued that the altar call is something deduced from the fact that New Testament preaching does call for a response. In other words, the gospel preaching of the New Testament included an “invitation” to respond to the message by believing in Christ. Furthermore, those who were responding could be identified in some way. After all, following the powerful sermon at Pentecost, 3,000 souls were added to the church. There must have been some way in which those who responded in faith were identified and added to the church. And, of course, there was. They were baptized. When Peter presented Christ to the crowd and they asked, “What should we do?” his response was not, “Come forward to receive Christ.” Rather, he said, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” The essence of the call is for an inward change – to repent and turn to Jesus in faith. In his preaching, Peter held forth Jesus as the Messiah and the all-sufficient Savior for guilty sinners. He called on people to believe that message and, believing, to turn from their sin and rebellion and trust in Christ alone for the forgiveness of their sins.

To the extent that Scripture includes a call for an external, visible act that demonstrates such inward faith, it is two-fold: confess Christ as Lord (Romans 10:9) and be baptized. For Peter’s audience, baptism would signify their cleansing and renewal by the grace of God and their entrance into the true covenant community by union with Christ. Baptism continues to serve the same function in the church today. Those who believe on the Lord Jesus receive baptism as a sign and seal of God’s covenant grace and a sign of entrance into Christ’ church. Scripture knows nothing of a special act of “coming forward” as a means of receiving Christ or formally professing Christ.

This is particularly problematic in the context of the mass evangelism crusade. Baptism is a sacrament committed to the church. In the context of the local church, those who come to faith in Jesus and openly confess Christ are to be baptized, if they have not received the sacrament of baptism already. Every truly Bible-believing church already practices baptism, although we may differ regarding the proper subjects and modes of baptism. There’s no need to “add” another procedure (another “sacrament?”) of coming forward, etc. But the evangelistic crusade event is simply not the church. Those responding to the message at such an event are not responding to the regular preaching of the gospel in the context of a local church, with a minister and elders who will continue to nurture and counsel as well as administer baptism and the Lord’s Supper. This is not necessarily disastrous though, especially as those who come forward will ordinarily be referred to a Bible-believing church for follow-up. However, it does highlight the irregular nature of such events where there is no immediate context for long-term discipleship in the Scriptures or the application of the biblical sacraments. God has committed the ministry of the Word and the sacraments to the church and appointed elders in local churches to oversee the work of ministry. Those who come to faith through the ministry of the organized, local church will naturally be in a place to receive baptism as the sign of entrance into the covenant community.

It is certainly proper and necessary that we call upon sinners to respond to the gospel. We should urge sinners to repent and to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, alone, as Lord and Savior. This does not require, nor does the Bible give us a pattern for, urging people to come forward or stand or raise their hand as some part of coming to Christ. The altar calls system seems to add an unbiblical element to the worship of the church and to the call of the gospel.

Method and Message

              I wish I had a nickel for every time I heard someone say something like, “It’s the message that’s important. The method doesn’t matter.” This rather pragmatic sentiment is often used to justify whatever methods the church might use to promote the gospel message and elicit “decisions” for Christ. There is some truth in this statement, in so far as there are many legitimate means and contexts for reaching people and bringing them within the sphere and influence of gospel witness and preaching. So, for example, an informal small group Bible study, one-on-one witness over a cup of coffee, street preaching and the regular ministry of preaching in the local church are all different “methods” of brining the lost into the hearing of the gospel. I have no argument with that. However, it’s another matter altogether to speak of using different “methods” to bring about salvation or to “get people saved” – to evoke faith and repentance in the sinner. In that sense, both message and method do matter, and when it comes to evangelism, our method reflects on the message we preach.

This is reflected in Paul’s teaching in 1Corinthians 1 and 2. Paul writes to a church that has become enamored with human wisdom and philosophy. This included the practice of impressive and eloquent oratory by the popular philosophers of the day. Paul contrasted such a method of speaking, which appealed to man’s pride, with his method of gospel proclamation. In 1:17, Paul writes, “For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” (1 Cor. 1:17 ESV) Then, continuing in chapter 2 we read, “And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. ² For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. ³ And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, ⁴ and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, ⁵ so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” (1 Cor. 2:1-5 ESV)

Throughout this part of his letter to the Corinthians, Paul stressed the seeming “foolishness” of the gospel in two aspects. First, the message itself is foolishness in the sight of sinful man – a message that proclaims power and salvation through the humiliation and shame of the cross. Additionally, however, Paul is saying that the very proclamation of the gospel, preaching itself, was seemingly weak and foolish in the eyes of the world. The simple, straightforward and authoritative preaching of the gospel didn’t have the same attraction or subtly persuasive force that was heard in the lofty speech of the philosophers of the day. Of course, from one standpoint, it might appear like Paul would get more responses if he would use a more attractive tactic in his speaking and incorporate the so-called lofty speech and wisdom of the day to persuade others to become Christians. But Paul was confident in the simplicity of preaching Christ crucified, because he knew that the real power of salvation was not in human persuasion but in the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. So, the very reason why Paul would not use the “plausible words of wisdom” was because God chooses to demonstrate His power through the preaching of the gospel. It was, “so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” After all, only the power of God can bring to life one who is dead in trespasses and sins. Salvation must be a work of God’s Spirit and power. It’s not a cooperative effort between God and man, as Paul states in 1:30: “And because of him you are in Christ Jesus…”

For Paul, the message and the method really were inseparable. The gospel of the crucified Christ, the power of God for salvation, requires a method of application that demonstrates the authority of the message and the real power for salvation, which is God alone. God ordained honest and simple preaching or “proclamation” of His Word as the means of working the miracle of regeneration in spiritually dead sinners and effectually calling them to repentance and faith in Christ. No man-devised “gimmick” or fleshly power of persuasion can substitute for the gracious, powerful, regenerating work of the Spirit of God.

With that in mind, the altar call system, with all its variants, is also a method that is inseparable from the message. The method, itself, communicates a part of the message, and despite the good intentions of many who use it, it is inextricably tied to the deeply errant view of the gospel and salvation that led to its development in the time of Finney. Remember that Finney believed that salvation was a matter of man’s decision. He believed that every man had the ability to choose his own salvation and that what was needed to get more people saved were methods that would work on the will and cause people to choose for God and Christ. But the Scriptures teach us that man is totally corrupted by sin, in a state of spiritual death and unable to will obedience, repentance or faith toward God. His will is depraved and in bondage to sin and what is needed is not a persuasive method to push him to make a better decision. What is needed is a supernatural work of God’s Spirit, a resurrection from the dead!

This spiritual resurrection is also called regeneration, effectual calling or new birth. This miraculous, life-giving work of God’s Spirit is necessary in order for a person to obey the call of the gospel by repentance and faith in Christ. However, and owing largely to the lasting legacy of Charles Finney, there is much confusion and error in the modern church of the nature of the new birth and how it’s related to faith. Many believe and teach that the new birth is the result of faith or “a decision for Christ.” An example (just one of many, so not singling out one group here) is found in the statement of faith for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association where we read, “repentance of sin and faith in Jesus Christ results in regeneration by the Holy Spirit.” (https://billygraham.org/about/what-we-believe/, accessed 3/26/19) Yet, the exact converse is true. Regeneration results in repentance of sin and faith in Jesus Christ.

We do not preach to men and women who have a propensity to sin and disbelieve the gospel but, under the right circumstances, could be persuaded otherwise. We preach the gospel to people who are dead in sin. Like Ezekiel, in the vision recorded in Ezekiel 37, we are told to preach to dead corpses, which can only come to spiritual life if/when the Spirit of God breathes life into them! To paraphrase RC Sproul’s illustration here, in the gospel, God doesn’t throw a life preserver to a man who is drowning. God reaches down to the bottom of the ocean and gives resurrection life to a man who is already dead and could do nothing for himself. Salvation is from the Lord, alone. It is not a cooperative effort, but a work of God’s grace alone.

Contrary to this biblical view of man’s depravity, the altar call system and some of the trappings that are often associated with it assumes man is fundamentally able to decide for himself to respond to God and be saved. However bad and desperate may be the state of the man who’s lost in sin, he must still have the ability to choose, for himself, to be saved or to “make a decision” for Christ. The altar call is designed to create a point of crisis and tension that will serve to facilitate this decision. Often, the invitation is accompanied by emotive music and involves a prolonged and, sometimes, “high-pressure” appeal to come forward to accept Christ. Furthermore, when you add the atmosphere of the crusade event, you have a particularly dynamic speaker along with a massive crowd to further enhance to appeal to respond. All of this is a “method” that not only seeks to bring sinners into the hearing of the gospel but to help bring about salvation by eliciting a decision from the sinner. The underlying theological assumption is that, in the end, salvation really is man’s choice. It depends, finally and ultimately, on a person’s willingness to decide for Christ, a decision that can be manipulated or at least helped along by the right atmosphere and the physical act of “going forward,” which, as we’ve considered already, is an extra-biblical addition to gospel preaching.

One of the concerning, if unintentional, outcomes of this is that many find their Christian assurance tied to a single act they performed at some point in time. Assurance is all based on one’s “decision” to come and accept Christ. This is problematic at a couple of levels. First of all, it tends to place assurance of salvation on a human act rather than on God’s grace. If a person associates salvation with his or her decision to go forward, raise their hand or whatever, then assurance is resting on the wrong foundation! It makes salvation – or at least assurance of salvation – dependent on something you did rather than what Christ has done. Secondly, this can lead to instability in the long run. After all, if my assurance of salvation rests on my response at some point in the past, I may well begin to question whether my response was sufficient. Was I really sincere enough? Did I do it right? Did I pray the right words, etc.? Some folks will likely go away with an unjustified assurance of salvation, thinking they are saved because they followed the right steps (a very man-centered view of salvation). On the other hand, others who have been truly converted are likely to struggle with assurance in the long run, because they’ve learned to rely, to some extent, on themselves for such assurance.

In the teaching of Scripture as well as the practice of Christ and the apostles, assurance is found in looking to Christ, with the help of the Spirit, not by looking at your decision or anything that you have done. Assurance also grows and develops as one continues in the faith, in fellowship with the visible church and under the preaching of the Word. The Spirit gives assurance as He ministers Christ to us and applies Scripture to us. Then, we also gain assurance, over time, as we see the evidences of genuine grace worked out in our lives. These evidences appear as perseverance in the faith, even through trials, and growth in obedience or sanctification.

None of this is meant to imply, in any way, that we ought not to proclaim the gospel passionately and invite sinners, indiscriminately, to come to Christ for salvation. While Paul would not adopt the methods of the philosophers to try and get results out of human wisdom, he did seek to persuade men (2Cor. 5:11). We should preach Christ crucified for sinners and risen from the dead and sincerely plead with sinners to repent from sin place their faith in Christ. Yet, we must also realize that the response is only in the power of God. He must use the preaching of his Word to bring life to sinners and effectually call them to faith in Christ. We cannot bring about genuine conversion by any means of human persuasion or manipulation. It must be the work of God. Also, we should be careful that we are clearly calling people to Christ, not to a decision or an altar. The biblical gospel announces the truly desperate state of man, lost and dead in trespasses and sins. It announces the only hope we have, Christ, who is held out to sinners as an all-sufficient Savior, to be received only by faith.

So, we do not practice the altar call, and I would challenge others to reconsider if this is really a biblical practice and a useful tool. Let us proclaim the gospel simply and clearly. Let us hold up Jesus Christ as He is presented in the Scripture, a crucified and risen Savior for sinners who have no other hope. Let us, then, call sinners to look to Christ, to turn from self and any hope one might find in oneself and look only to Christ for full and complete salvation. Let our method match our message, that salvation is found only and fully in the Lord alone.

Life, Death and Authority

This week, the government in the state of New York passed one of the most vile and heinous pieces of legislation in the history of this nation, if not in the history of mankind. This bill codifies, in the law, a woman’s right to have her unborn baby killed, in some cases, anytime up to the point of birth. It’s a sad state of affairs when a modern and so-called “enlightened” society celebrates the ability to murder its unborn children. Abortion proponents focus on the rights of the woman, using terms like “reproductive rights” or “reproductive health.” We, who oppose abortion, point out how this conveniently neglects and ignores the rights of the unborn child. We would agree that women (and men) have “reproductive rights.” You have the right to remain chaste and not engage in sexual activity (as a single person anyway). You also have the right to purchase and use contraceptives so as to avoid pregnancy altogether. However, reproductive rights do not include the right to kill a child already conceived.

Now, in this midst of discussion about this controversial legislation, I was reminded of an oft used argument from the pro-abortion left regarding consistency. It is often stated that conservatives are hypocritical when they rail against abortion rights and yet support the death penalty. “If you’re really ‘pro-life,’ then you should oppose the killing of anyone, including those convicted of murder,” or so the argument goes. I can’t speak for conservatives in general, but from the standpoint of the Christian worldview, I think it’s pretty easy to demonstrate that there’s no inconsistency in advocating for the life of the unborn while also supporting capital punishment for certain criminal offenders. In fact, I would argue that it’s only on the ground of a Christian worldview that one can find any truly consistent and objective criteria for judging such weighty life and death issues.

On the surface, it seems like it ought to be a pretty straightforward and easy to comprehend distinction. Abortion is the killing of an innocent, unborn child for the sake of convenience or (perhaps in a very rare circumstance) to potentially save the life of the mother. This situation is a world apart from the case of a responsible adult who has willingly taken the life of another human being. The death penalty is an application of justice. In fact, I find the argument of the pro-abortion crowd on this point rather disingenuous. I suspect it’s more of a smoke screen to divert attention from the real nature of the abortion debate.

Yet, at the end of the day, this really comes down to an issue of authority and the very basis on which we might answer, with any sense of real authority, questions about life and death and justice and standards for law and morality in a civil society. For the Christian, the answer is simple and beyond dispute. The Scriptures are the standard of truth and righteousness. That’s because the Scriptures are God’s word. It is God, alone, who is both the Lord and the giver of life. He is Creator. We are mere creatures. It’s God who gives life, God who defines when it begins and under what circumstances, if any, we might be justified to take the life of another human being. We don’t derive our position on abortion, capital punishment or anything else from mere human reason, from centuries of tradition, from the common consensus or any other human source. We turn to the objective and absolute authority of the Scriptures as the Word of God and the revelation of Himself and His will.

The Bible reveals and defines the sacredness of human life. This comes to the fore both in the Scriptures’ teaching on capital punishment and in the passages relevant to the issue of abortion. Human life is sacred, first, because it’s the creation and gift of God. It’s not the result of long ages of random happenstance and unguided chemical processes. Moreover, of all the creatures God made, only man is created in the very image of God Himself. It’s on this basis that God instituted capital punishment back in the days of Noah, following the flood. Gen. 9:6 reads, “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.” (ESV) Capital punishment, far from devaluing life, affirms the value of life and the seriousness of taking human life. Murder is such a serious crime because it strikes at the very image of God by striking down a fellow human, created in the image of God – a human soul who will exist for eternity either in God’s glorious presence or under eternal punishment. This is so serious that the only way to enact “justice” in the human realm is for the murderer to lose his life.

This foundational principle of law and justice, which was established first in the Noahic covenant, continued through the Old Testament period and was never revoked or rescinded even under the new covenant. Rather, in Romans 13, the apostle Paul affirms the legitimate, God-ordained role of the civil magistrate as one who “does not bear the sword in vain” and “carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.” A fundamental, though not exclusive, function of the civil government is to carry out the justice of capital punishment for the crime of murder. This is not only “justifiable” but obligatory. It is the responsibility of human government not to allow the shedding of innocent blood to go unpunished and unavenged.

Scripture also speaks, quite clearly, about the beginning of life, that life begins in the womb, at conception. Numerous passages of Scripture speak of the human life having been formed in the womb. The infant still in the womb is viewed as an individual, fully alive. God fashions an individual life in the womb. John the Baptist leaped for joy in his mother’s womb at the greeting of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Jacob and Esau were already “struggling together” while still in the womb of Rebecca. David, in Psalm 51, traces his sinfulness back to the moment of his conception in his mother’s womb. Of particular significance, in Exodus 21:22-23, the Lord gives a law concerning the case in which a pregnant woman is struck with the result that she gives birth prematurely. If the child is okay, there is no further liability, but if her child dies as a result, then there is a fine imposed, even though this was not an intentional act of murder. In other words, the child in the mother’s womb is treated as an individual and not merely as an extraneous piece of tissue, an extension of the mother’s body.

When Scripture is our authority, then there is a perfect consistency between an anti-abortion but pro-capital punishment stance. God is the giver of life. He is the sovereign Creator and Lord. Human life is sacred and only God can justly dispose of human life as He sees fit. God forbids the taking of human life, and according to Scripture, life begins in the womb. There, God miraculously fashions an individual human being in His own likeness and image. Further, God has ordained civil government and given a mandate to the governing authorities to punish the crime of murder by judicially taking the life of the murderer. This is not an act of private vengeance of an act of anger. It is a solemn, judicial responsibility. It’s an act of justice that mirrors, in some sense, the sentence of divine justice. Capital punishment is right, not because life is unimportant or because some lives are more valuable than others but because human life is so sacred and so significant! No other penalty could be justly imposed for premeditated murder.

So, for those of us who are Christians, who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord of all and the Word of God as our standard of truth and ultimate authority, we should stand on the Scriptures consistently and firmly.

Savior of Sinners

Matthew begins his account of the birth of Christ with a strikingly simple, matter-of-fact announcement of a momentous, profound and incomprehensible mystery: “When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.” O, is that all Matthew? A virgin is pregnant…from the power of the Holy Spirit of God. When Joseph finds out about this pregnancy, he’s in a quandary. How to balance justice and mercy, moral integrity and selfless love? He decides on a private divorce from his betrothed, protecting, as much as possible, Mary’s reputation in the community. Then, an angel pays Joseph a visit. He brings a message that explains, yet doesn’t explain, the situation. “That which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” That explains the pregnancy. Mary is absolved of any wrong-doing, and the way is now clear for Joseph to take Mary, fully, as his wife. She has not been unfaithful, and Joseph will raise this child as his own, even though he’s not the biological father.  

Yet, the angel’s message, in one sense, raises new questions – deep questions. As a bewildered Mary asked the angel Gabriel, “How will this be?” The Bible teaches the virgin conception of Jesus quite clearly. However, the how is left as a deep mystery, except that it was the work of the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary. This much we can say with certainty, that God the Holy Spirit formed the humanity of Jesus – a human soul and body – in the womb of Mary so that this child was truly one with her humanity. Yet, at the same time, the Eternal Son of God was united, perfectly, with this humanity, and the second person of the Trinity came down to earth, in union with mankind. He became one of us without ceasing to be fully God. He is, in the fullest sense, as Matthew goes on to explain, Immanuel, God with us.  

The title by which the angel calls Joseph, here, is significant. He calls him “Joseph, son of David.” Matthew has already demonstrated in the first part of chapter 1 that Joseph is descended from the royal line of David. Since Jesus will be considered his son, He has the legal right to David’s throne and kingdom. Indeed, Israel had waited long for salvation to arise from the house and lineage of David. God had promised a descendant of David who would sit upon his throne as the anointed king and would bring peace, blessing and salvation to His people. But a careful reading of the genealogy from Matthew 1:1-17 serves as a reminder that, so far, hopes of a righteous Davidic ruler were disappointed. The history of David’s line was, for the most part, a story of failure. Even the best of the best out of the kings in Judah had had their “moments.” David hit his low point with Bathsheba. Solomon was led astray by many wives. Godly Hezekiah trusted in the strength of Babylon. The line of Davidic kings ended in Babylonian captivity. Jesus, however, was different. He was, legally, David’s descendant and heir, but he did not share David’s sin-nature. The failures and sins that plagued all previous kings would not befall this great son of David. Since He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, He had no sin-nature. In His very person He was (and is) God Himself. He could and would effect the great deliverance and salvation promised by the Lord.  

Indeed, this, too, is a central part of the angel’s message. “You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Salvation is what God’s people needed and what was promised from the very beginning, as far back as the garden of Eden. There, God had promised a seed, from the woman, who would crush the head of the serpent. In other words, the curse and judgment of sin would one day be undone.  

The announcement is rather specific. Whom will He save? His people. What will He save from? Sin. This didn’t align with the expectations of many Israelites at the time. They were looking for a Savior, a son of David, who would save them from the oppressive Gentile power, the Romans. Many were expecting a Messiah who would be a military deliverer – who would lead an uprising against the Roman legions and restore earthly Israel to her former glory, like the days of David and Solomon. They would be disappointed. For that’s not what Jesus came to do. He came to bring spiritual salvation. He came to save His people from an enemy far worse than the Romans or any other foreign power. He came to bring salvation from sin. When He failed to carry out the agenda of many of the Jewish people, they rejected Him and, ultimately, demanded His death by crucifixion. They would choose Barabbas, an insurrectionist, over Jesus, the Son of God.  

We must take care not to make a similar mistake. Jesus will not serve our personal agenda. He came to save people from sin through His atoning death and resurrection life. He didn’t come to save us from discontent or political strife or other worldly problems and issues, apart from salvation from sin. Sin is the real source of all our problems. If we would have Jesus, at all, we must trust Him as the Lord of glory and Savior from our sin. We must face the reality of our sin and guilt, confess it, turn from it and trust in Jesus for forgiveness, righteousness and peace with God. The true people of God, whom Jesus saves from sins, will have deliverance from every other source of suffering, pain and struggle in due time, for the King is making all things new. All that sin has perverted and destroyed will ultimately be set right again in a new world.  

As for those hated Gentiles – the outsiders and foreigners that the Jews were anxious to see the Messiah conquer and destroy – it turns out that many of them, too, were among “His people” whom He came to save. It’s hinted at in the coming of the magi from the east. It’s stated plainly by Jesus in Matthew 8:11-12, “I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness.”  

This is good news for us Gentiles, as Paul writes in Ephesians 2:11-13:  

Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called the uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands – remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (ESV) 

How wonderful! The outsiders are brought in. The “enemies” are made brothers, because God, in Christ Jesus, saves sinners.