Tag Archives: sacraments

June 11, 2011

Escape Evangelicalism or Reform Part 2

By Pooka

This is part 2 of my thoughts on my own travels through the church-o-sphere. Part 1 is here. I was talking about my experience and am now over to the difference in my arrival and finally the way it should be looked at from the beginning.

Coming in at a slew, I’ll explain. Three marks of the church (Four, sir!) are

• Preaching the Word (1 Timothy 4:6-16, 2 Timothy 3:1-4)

• Administering the Lord’s Supper and Baptism (Acts 2:41-42, Matt 28:19, Luke 22:19-20, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

• Church Discipline (Matthew 18:15-20, Titus 1:10-16)

• And, unofficially, Fellowship of the Saints

The preaching is straightforward. It’s focused on two things: Dealing with sin and Dealing with hope. We are given Law and Gospel for our sinful lives, to reveal our need and the remedy for our need. Then we are given, in the same breath, reason to continue, to persevere and look forward to our savior’s return. There’s no attempt to pull culture and philosophy of man into the teaching here. Our teachers want us to get the Bible. They want us to walk out on Sunday to face Monday with the Word of God as our philosophy and culture. I’m convinced of this. This battles my need for acceptance and significance. More importantly it humbles me, reminding me how dependant I am on the Word for my continuing as a faithful Christian. Losing the Word means losing my understanding of what’s really important. It’s humbling.

The sacraments are tougher, because they’re mystical, mysterious to some extent. But their impact is not. These two administrations are God’s most direct touch in our lives. Baptism is the monumental presentation of His claim on our lives and promise of the benefits of Christ. The Table is our fellowship with Christ at the head, meeting with us over His body and blood as He has done since the night before He died. These two things also battle my need for acceptance and significance by comforting me in the warm cloak of promises, belonging and being sustained.

Church Discipline knocks the ball out of the park. I’m thankful that there are caring, watchful leaders (and brothers) in my church who will step in to work me over if I’m in error. I have been straightened out a few times already. Discipline doesn’t mean punishment, it means care-giving from the education all the way to the calibration of a believer. It’s a church that desires most that her members believe, believe rightly and behave in keeping with that belief. True joy and contentment come from being on the right path!

These things aren’t marks of the True Church because the congregation simply does them. It’s because they WORK in the congregation. You can go about these things the wrong way. Just check out the problems listed all over the Web and in piles of (the intelligent ones) Evangelical publications.

The marks have to be a positive presence of Word, Sacrament and Discipline. I think you’ll best see that in the fellowship of the saints. It’s probably the real product of the rest. And I guess that’s why it’s not included in the official list, because if you have the Big THREE, you get the Big ONE.

Thing is, that’s what I think I was looking for. That’s what believers are looking for. Generally speaking, the Evangelosphere is not stocking it on the shelves.

I’ll grant that the MER churches are hiding the truth (not necessarily intentionally) behind meeting desires. They’re substituting Christmas Presents for Daily Rations. Ask your kids which they’d really like:

• Ask ‘em about a new toy and cookies or no present but a hearty meal and what will they say?

• Ask ‘em about a new toy and second-chance or no present but a spanking – what then?

• Ask ‘em about a new toy or an “I love you” and a hug – what’s the response?

You may mean well… But they’ll candy and play themselves to death. There are those who have gone so far that I’m sure they’re more than aware of their gross crimes. Thankfully, that’s not the norm. Yet.
Speaking to something that is probably a temptation for many, and happens from time to time as various movements or denominations head south, should we seriously consider separation?

Part 3 follows.

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June 10, 2011

Escape Evangelicalism or Reform Part 1

By Pooka

A look at travels through the church-o-sphere.

Some of my background and travels through the Mainstream Evangelical Religion (MER): Having done the church search with my family through the years we’ve been a Christian household, we’ve gone through a fair gauntlet of the variety of MER congregations. We’ve been to

1. non-denom Pentecostal (Word of faith/prosperity/healing)

2. dry, dusty SBC

3. hard-chargin’ Fundamentalist

4. believer or disciple (two kinds of Christian) stereotypical MER

5. nearly isolationist Reformed Baptist

6. kind and faithful Evangelical Free

7. Confessional, PCA

And those are just the longer-termed stays. Being regularly moved around the country (ever 2-3 years), we haven’t been allowed to mesh thoroughly into our local congregation. Important as time is, I think that “giving it enough time” is overrated. In a couple of cases, we gave it too much time. I’ll give the credit to my Wonderful Wife, who is not guilty of this failure. She comes to good conclusions well before I do, and usually my decisions are made because she throws in the final Lego Brick that completes my constructed reasoning. I’m unwilling to just jump when it comes to churches – unwisely so, most of the time.

Point is, experience was a major part of joining all these churches, to the sacrifice of considering doctrine. I didn’t think through the -ologies very well. I can blame that on new-believer syndrome or simply grabbing for what sounded good in my lack of thorough understanding, but it was a failure either way. It took some time to settle down, learn, grasp the life-blood theology that has taken root in my heart and mind. I thought good environment was good theology, in other words. It matched my own desires, made me feel important or necessary, which is a major sin I’ve battled most of my life. I was blinded to my sin and the error in doctrine, culture and practice.

Later on, I ended up swinging on the pendulum and putting doctrine in front of environment. That is probably a better end, but not if the doctrine presented is in error. Or, worse, that it has replaced the subject of the doctrine. I bought that line, hook and sinker. I’m one of the elitist-intellectual types mentioned in an article “Why I Walked Away From Evangelicalism.” I love to look down my nose at those other “little people” who are wrong or hopelessly dumb. It’s a sin I love to sin. And I hate it. But the experience of being on the right path, passing up all those other Christians (leaving them in the dust) was too good, so I was blinded to my sin and to the error in the doctrine, culture and practice.

One could try the claim out on me, questioning “what’s different about the church you’re in now?” And I admit that my sin is not eradicated. I think I can still easily gloss over failures in my church because of the benefits. And I know I can stare down the roughest-toughest Evangellyfish sub-Christian with my newfound power-theology. But I believe a couple of things about this church that both provide a safety-net for me and are going to help me deal with my failures. On with the Reformed bandwagon in Part 2.

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May 31, 2011

My Progress In Theology 8

By Pooka

From my paper “Covenant Theology As Grasped By A Regular Guy”

I’m skipping over one section in my paper. Will revisit the last (previous) part in due time. Right now, I’m rather interested in this one. I’ve been listening to a few radio programs on workday driving and assurance is a common talking point. Most of the shows are caller-based, so I hear a lot of questions and answers.

Regarding the problem of assurance, I think there is little difference in the outworking of either the Dispensational or CT perspective. Both positions have flaws that are similar, but ultimately both believe that a regenerate man is held not by his own faith or works but by God and rests assured in the promises and integrity of God Himself. We trust that our belief is in the truth because of the historical events concerning Christ which correspond to the sensible and believable promises surrounding His life of obedience, demonstration that He is God, his death and resurrection.

Where DT tends to focus on the view that “once-saved-always-saved”, praying the prayer and really believing in the heart that a man has invited Jesus to come into his life as personal Lord and Savior, there is often a false sense of security in that having prayed the prayer and “done the deed” there is eternal security. This fails to account for apostasy flat out. DT makes the assumption that church membership is for the regenerate only.

Otherwise, in a DT church, the believer is repeatedly immersed in the faithfulness of God and His promises for assurance of being elect.

Where CT fails is often making the assumption that a member, baptized as a child is certainly regenerate, or elect, the church does something similar to what DT does in promising a “grown-up-born-again” (GUBA) eternal security by reference to baptism. This obviously is just as incorrect as getting someone to say the sinner’s prayer and blam call them saved. Here is where eternal security or assurance of salvation really resides, and I believe the core of CT maintains this based on the Westminster Confession and Catechisms which are the “statement of faith” in the Presbyterian Church. Assurance is found in the wealth of Scripture that demonstrates God is the savior of His people and will not forsake them. The Holy Spirit is given as the seal, down payment, for our eventual eternal life in Christ. The effectual call that brings about regeneration, faith, repentance, a new heart of flesh in place of the stone one, results in the Spirit applying salvation. The Spirit witnesses with ours as we walk with Christ and assures us of our secure position in Eternity.

One thing I have noticed in the Reformed circle is that great attention is given to a continual declaration of the Gospel to the members of the congregation. The reason for this is not to repeatedly save our members but to continually bring them back to that which saves them. The Scripture is filled with both promise and warning and this is to good effect. There are those who are members of the church (all churches) who are not regenerate and since they are in the covenant community we are absolutely responsible to call out to them with the Gospel every time they are under the preaching of the Word. Also, just as important, the warnings in the Word are written quite directly to warn the people that they must walk in God’s law, that they are at risk of losing their assurance if they do not live a life of continual repentance and faithfulness.

We’ve all experienced it, I’m sure, those times where it just didn’t seem as true and trustworthy as it should, our faith. We’ve found ourselves too undeserving of mercy and grace to trust in God’s promise. This is considered to be expected in the Reformed system. We sin and damage our clean view of God. We grieve the Holy Spirit and what else could occur but we fall away from our full trust and assurance in God. It would be ridiculous to think that in our blackest moments of self-righteous sinfulness the Holy Spirit would be most likely to pause everything and give us a good word of encouragement that we’re eternally secure. No, rather, the best tool for a wayward child is that insecurity, shame, fear and discipline of a damaged relationship. Hence the warnings.

Does this limit or remove the sense of Eternal Security? No, it is the perseverance of the saints. It is our continuing growth in the faith that assures us and it depends on far more than the individual. This also is why I think CT is a better system in that the entire church is centered around the Gospel and the Law and knows perseverance needs outside help, encouragement, exhortation and routine discipline. I cannot see my own growth in Christ quite often due to the weeds in my life. I often am brought low due to the weight of my own sin and the only help is when a brother comes alongside to show me where Christ is evident in my life and encourage me. I think, at least in my little experience here, that the Reformed have nailed assurance with their view of the Church, her mission and administration of the Covenant, her government and her in-depth involvement in all aspects of families in her membership.

I had a discussion recently that talked about being “left behind.” And I saw another mention of it on Facebook just today. It’s that horrid, life-pausing and breath-stopping moment when the house is vacant, or appears so, and one wonders if the Rapture just happened and one didn’t make the cut. We gaff it off, silly us, and try to continue on with our lives. But it kills me a little inside, whenever the fear bubbles up and I wonder just for a second, if it’s really what happened.

Now, thankfully (whispering in the weight of the joy of freedom from these bonds), I have not suffered this affliction for over a year. I did, for the longest time, since I was a little boy, but I think it’s over finally. The repair to my problem occurred when I first heard Revelation explained from an Amillenialist point of view. Suddenly, in the middle of the sermon series, everything fell into place. And then Covenant Theology fell into place. And Calvinism finally sealed up and made sense.

Not saying, however, that I’ve reached the moment and am finally arrived. I don’t get everything. But I can’t find all that baggage I’ve been carrying over the years. The overwhelming doubt and confusion have vanished. I believe. More so than in the past. It transcends and begins to explain much of what led to my departure from the faith in which I was raised; led to witchcraft and humanism.

And it gives me hope. Every Sunday, salvation awaits. No, I’m not saved every Sunday nor am I forgiven every Sunday. But I’m assured every Sunday. My life that so often embraces sin, though I’m righteous in Christ my King, is reset on Sunday. I’m reminded that I’m free from the slavery and forgiven my miserable sins. Fellowship with Christ, and His people are restored on the first day of the week. And that is a product of the high view of God, the Bible, the Church, Preaching and the Minister that simply cannot be found elsewhere. At least I haven’t seen it outside the CT community. It may be sufficient to save and exist in the DT world, but I dare say it is not as full, assuring, or comforting.

When I sin, I lose a touch of that assurance. Sometimes I am able to doubt my relationship with the Lord, even the veracity of The Faith. Those doubts are dashed in the light of His glorious Word and sacrament every Sunday. And so I keep coming, bringing my family, and we are washed anew each week’s beginning. I love it. I can’t bear to think of not having it.

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April 3, 2011

Common Grace or Providence?

By Pooka

 

I took this down on the previous posting. Here it is again, minor revisions, but essentially un-changed. I couldn’t figure a way to revise for better coherence without losing my own train of thought. I do appreciate that I had a reader seriously take time to critique my work here.

Is divine judgement manifest in the good things God provides? Does goodness ultimately mean wrathful justice in the arena of the unregenerate? Paul tells us to return evil with good in Romans:

Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”  To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. – Romans 12:17-21

I was asked if I believe in common grace, and what it means. This has been mulling around in my head since I first heard of the term, which wasn’t too long ago, maybe three or so years. I think it’s kind of ambiguous – a term that’s used to blanket a lot of ideas about what’s good and beneficial. Maybe it’s just human nature to generalize terms as soon as possible just to avoid misapplying them.

Such generalization is a ridiculous practice, because eventually it leads to Rob Bellicosity and mysteriofication of everything important in theology. Better to have a specific term for specific ideas, even if it means technical, archaic, hard-to-say or lengthy and unwieldy. Get your labels clear and your package will be received intact and by the right person. This is why I’m a firm believer in confessions and creeds. Keeping straightforward, consistent interpretations of the Bible makes for safer navigation of theological waters.

In doing some definitions reading prior to this post, I came across the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) idea about the Gospel being a matter of common grace. This is not, in my opinion, the appropriate term for what is also called the “well intended offer” of the Gospel. Preaching Christ and Him crucified for our sins is an honest call for all sinners just doesn’t seem to be common grace. It seems more like common preaching. I think a better term should be in place of that idea. This, however, is probably above my knowledge level so I offer a couple of links for further reference:

I think I’d rather treat with what I think is the common version of common grace, a positive view of God’s providence.

Before I’d heard of common grace, I think I operated in a sort of concept where God “just did stuff.” I always tried to apply meaning to whatever happened, looking for a root cause or purpose to every in life. I suspect that this is a holdover from my witchcraft days which is equivalent to a distilled, hopped-up kind of superstition which pervades most religious or “spiritual” parts of culture. I was raised in the light-weight version of it, as a baptistic evangelical type, anyway, looking for purpose in God’s dispensational dealings with His 2nd family (the church). This leads me on a bit of a diatribe here, off-track for a minute.

We Christians need to dispose of the mindset that everything happens to us or because of us. It’s a bloody pagan idea. Essentially, this preoccupation with God’s “meddling” with everything under the sun is a biblicized form of karma or fortune-telling. We have so meshed our minds with “simple-minded” culture that we’ll jump at black cats, rainy days and traffic jams, looking in the Bible as if it were a deck of tarot-cards for meaning to every little stitch of an accident in our lives that applies to us in some way.

This is not a Biblical approach to life. We are not the center of all things, and Christianity is not a purely personal experience. I’d rather say that the personal experience in belonging to Christ is the icing on the cake, like having a best friend, which includes the icing of good feelings and hugging. This general error of “it’s all about me” is making a tiki-god out of our One True God. I’m serious. I actually have prayed for a good parking spot before, and when failing to find one, it actually crossed my mind that perhaps I was being punished because I cut that guy off on the freeway on the way to said parking spot. I kid you not. Now this is an extreme example in my case, though true, and harkens back to my witchcraft days, which brings me back to the real train tracks.

Witches, in my sphere of experience – though I’m sure I don’t speak for all, just most – seek to influence or downright control what’s happening and what’s going to happen through magic. Everything from charms to crystals, ceremonial magic to chanting, all are designed to make something go right for the practitioner. This religious practice is applicable to the mundane (worldly, secular or common) as well as the holy (spiritual, sacred, theologically significant). And it comes from a need for personal meaning, significance and power. Like I said, this is a hyper-ized kind of superstition. I would liken it to the word-of-faith movement in the church world, which is sheer idolatry and mysticism just with a Christian-like context. I doubt I need to go into detail.

So all that superstitious mysticism  didn’t just disappear when I was made a child of God. It has taken some serious time and still causes me troubles with things like the Lord’s Table and Baptism. Means of grace in general are something I have to be careful with because it was such a part of my life, ritual and magic and ceremony that were almost analogous to some ideas in sacramental language, that I tend to want to “feel the energy” so to speak. I’ve also had to wrestle with the fact, common to most of us, that I’m not the center of every jot and tittle in the bubble that is my experience.

Anyway, all that is not common grace. Common grace, in my understanding, is God’s providential care for all of His creation. In Calvinism, we tend to think about the elect and non-elect, but as Spurgeon said (my paraphrase), there is no E on the back of every regenerate head in the church. I think this is how God operates as well. ALL thing belong to Him. He cares for His creation, regardless of the fact that some are raised up as vessels for His wrath. God has instilled in all people some measure of the capacity to know right from wrong.

And He has given even the vilest of us the capability to act with kindness and mercy. Even Hitler or some other fiend in history had to have done some kindness toward his wife or dog or some such at some point. The rain brings healing to a ravaged land, whether the people within are unregenerate pagans or not. The same sun shines on the garden of a hoary-headed Bible preacher destined for glory as well as that of a die-hard liberal nutjob destined for the great eternal ideologue pyre (had to put in my personal opine, there).

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! – Matthew 7:7-11

I don’t like the idea that every act of God that is good for His Chosen People is also a proclamation of judgement on those who hate Him. I think it’s reaching too far into the pages to find such a belief. Does it work? Yeah, I guess so. But it’s probably more like Occam’s Razor (a favorite theme of mine, anyway). There is judgement implied in God’s favor. To An Extent! A sweet call to repentance instead of a condemnation of sin is still a call to repentance. God works in both ways. He can and does call the cops as well as the robbers.

Jonah was the speaker for Nineveh’s call to repentance. It was a threat of judgement. Jesus dealt sweet mercy to the sick and bereft during His ministry, a call that was hardly a threat of judgement (not at all to say that Jesus had any alternate theology from Jonah whatsoever). Goodness wins over the masses just as often as a good “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” sermon (though I’ll beg to wonder about what is beginning to look a lot to me like emotional manipulation and crowd psychology in that era of revivalism, but that is for another day).

Okay, so here’s the rub. I think this is a problem of terms. Common grace isn’t really the right term. In reading Berkhof, who needs much more attention from me (poor me, without a book fund – sniffle), I find that grace should be more like Grace. Grace really seems to be better suited to relating to God’s special intervention in our lives in either a soteriological or sanctifying manner.

For example, being hit over the head by the 2×4 of belief after reading Romans is grace. Also, being hit over the head by Covenant Theology is grace. Both are a seriously definitive event beyond the mundane. Perhaps a revision is in order, at least in my dictionary. Providence sounds like a better word. I’d like to redefine, however, or prefix a meaning to providence, making it to say “beneficial providence” and “detrimental providence” instead.

I’m not talking about any kind of effect or dealing from God here that is salvific or leading to salvation, though certainly either of these providence types can be instrumental in conversion. The subject is really just the daily ordering of an ordered creation. God is organized, holds things together, and with His hand deals both trial and blessing upon all His creation. So it is a fundamental of our routine existence we’re dealing here, not a soteriological issue.

Beneficial providence is that event which is to be considered good by the common judgement of common people everywhere, from cleansing rain to hearty food and good company. Detrimental providence is everything from lost keys to a miserable flu that just won’t stop making the rounds. I don’t think we can assign degrees to these, per say, defining when providence crosses over into grace, for that is relative to the individual. It’s just that we can’t say that everything is a catalyst for the end-times. I hope that isn’t too extreme an analogy to make the point.

In summary, the issue is really whether God is kind to just Christians or also to those who are not and never will be. Which introduces another question, does God reserve His wrath for the reprobate only or do Christians have to face it in their lives as well? I would hazard a rough guess (not too rough, actually), that there’s a lot going for God dealing both sweet and sour to both saved and damned. The problem, if we come to the conclusion that God is just and loving, should end up at the cross. As our pastor said so well, Justice and Love kissed at the cross. God poured out His full measure of wrath upon the innocent Jesus and simultaneously poured out the full extent of His love on His fully guilty creation.

Here’s a section from Berkhof (from http://www.theologue.org/CommonGrace-Berkhof.html)

3. Another objection to the doctrine of common grace is that it presupposes a certain favorable disposition in God even to reprobate sinners, while we have no right to assume such a disposition in God. This stricture takes its starting point in the eternal counsel of God, in His election and reprobation. Along the line of His election God reveals His love, grace, mercy, and long-suffering, leading to salvation; and in the historical realization of His reprobation He gives expression only to His aversion, disfavor, hatred, and wrath, leading to destruction. But this looks like a rationalistic over-simplification of the inner life of God, which does not take sufficient account of His self-revelation. In speaking on this subject we ought to be very careful and allow ourselves to be guided by the explicit statements of Scripture rather than by our bold inferences from the secret counsel of God. There is far more in God than we can reduce to our logical categories. Are the elect in this life the objects of God´s love only, and never in any sense the objects of His wrath? Is Moses thinking of the reprobate when he says: “For we are consumed in thine anger, and in thy wrath are we troubled”? Ps. 90:7. Does not the statement of Jesus that the wrath of God abideth on them that obey not the Son imply that it is removed from the others when, and not until, they submit to the beneficent rule of Christ? John 3:36. And does not Paul say to the Ephesians that they “were by nature children of wrath even as the rest”? Eph. 2:3. Evidently the elect can not be regarded as always and exclusively the objects of God´s love. And if they who are the objects of God´s redeeming love can also in some sense of the word be regarded as the objects of His wrath, why should it be impossible that they who are the objects of His wrath should also in some sense share His divine favor? A father who is also a judge may loathe the son that is brought before him as a criminal, and feel constrained to visit his judicial wrath upon him, but may yet pity him and show him acts of kindness while he is under condemnation. Why should this be impossible in God? General Washington hated the traitor that was brought before him and condemned him to death, but at the same time showed him compassion by serving him with the dainties from his own table. Cannot God have compassion even on the condemned sinner, and bestow favors upon him? The answer need not be uncertain, since the Bible clearly teaches that He showers untold blessings upon all men and also clearly indicates that these are the expression of a favorable disposition in God, which falls short, however, of the positive volition to pardon their sin, to lift their sentence, and to grant them salvation. The following passages clearly point to such a favorable disposition: Prov. 1:24; Isa. 1:18; Ezek. 18:23,32; 33:11; Matt. 5:43-45; 23:37; Mark 10:21; Luke 6:35: ROM 2:4; I Tim. 2:4. If such passages do not testify to a favorable disposition in God, it would seem that language has lost its meaning, and that God´s revelation is not dependable on this subject.

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March 13, 2011

Updated Theology Status Report

By Pooka

Note, this post is actually post-posted to fit an appropriate date in the past. It was originally written as an update to my “Where I’ve Been” testimony page, but I think should also fit into the timeline of my journaling at LAH. So you’re reading the future as it happened in the past.

The development in my life in regards to theology has taken a strong direction in the last three years and I think I need to address it here, at least to a limited extent. In the majority of my posts from 2010 through Spring of 2011, it’s fairly clear that my family and I have grown very close to Covenant Theology, which has drawn distinctive lines in our denominational relationships for the first time in our years as a Christian household. Up until now, we’ve been under the division/separation radar network. Of course, up until now, we’ve not been under the authority of a specific church, either. Life is different all of a sudden. We’re members of a local church with all of us baptized as believers. And we’re in a potentially controversial state, being of what at I at least consider to be a minority: a Reformed church.

I’ve not had to defend my position as a “particular sort of Christian” before, nor really explain what makes me commit to the particular church of which we are a part. So here I am, a newly made Presbyterian at a PCA church, fully committed to confessing the Westminster Standards. The story of my growth is, to me, very exciting and clear. I’m not sure if everyone can relate or agree with this, but I see the path from first believing to now as leading to a destination that is actually somewhere, doctrinally speaking. I’ve come to a position that looks at Scripture, church, practice and relationships that’s particular. A couple months ago, we could’ve gone to any number of churches and looked for Biblical preaching and teaching. Now, we’re looking at this church. It’s a particular church with particular standards.

It’s been made pretty clear to me that I’m a fairly unsettled type of person. I go with the bandwagon all too easily. Since Christ called me, that has become a painful but present label applied to me. First it was a “temporary phase” for me to be a Christian. Then my development underwent numerous philosophical and theological reforms, going from nominal Christianity to semi-fundamentalist to semi-reformed and now I’m “into” full-blown Reformed Covenant Theology. I must assure readers that my progress has not been some spontaneous fad-phase sort of thing. I think the systematic development of my theology is fairly obvious and it has led just to where it is right now, not by my particular interests, but by sequential encounters in churches and theological studies. I’ve been led by the nose through increasingly accurate theologies until I’ve got to this place. Do I think I’ve arrived? In so many words, Yes. And I cannot foresee changing my mind. This is the first time I’ve met what I think is a thorough course of study and trustworthy system of doctrine.

If that makes heartburn for some readers, I must publish my regrets, but I think 7 years of laboring through the mire of quirks, false-teaching, truth-seeking, prayer, disappointments and denominationalism, this really is my home. I, due to my own desire to be relevant, humble, man-pleasing and self-preserving (cardinal sins in my department, mostly), am almost afraid to say it but I’m pretty much, no really much, a Staunch Presbyterian. I believe in the oh-so-unmentionable practice of infant baptism and that there is no future provided in the Bible for the nation-state of Israel. I just can’t see it. I love the PCA, love learning about it and love learning about those denominations with whom the PCA has close fellowship. I have no love of infighting nor inter-denominational hostilities that exist throughout the visible church of Christ, but I believe that I was dragged to one side, which most probably happens to anyone who attempts to read more deeply than John 3:16.

The Reformed church has been so kind to me, so honest and filled with clear teaching. I love the Word, so lovingly and faithfully served, containing both Law and Gospel in measure that reminds me of where I was and where I am now. I greatly desire the forgiveness that is proclaimed by the faithful minister of God’s Word every Sunday right after we, individually and corporately confess our sins. I love the sacraments, the weekly nourishment that Christ provides in His Supper and finally a freedom from the seemingly empty memorial system in which I grew up. I love that I may look back upon my baptism with hope and joy that God has made me a part of His Church, His Bride and that all His promises are sealed to me and finally a freedom from the personalized statement of public self-centered commitment that was integral to my Baptist upbringing. I love the idea of Covenant Families who are brought through the waters of baptism into Christ’s Church and are all treated, from months-old babies to generations-old hoary-heads, all as the same Chosen People under Christ’s headship. Therein, in this church, is a people who are all together in the covenant, for good or bad, with one label: Christian. And though it hurts, I love very much that we can deal with apostasy and “backsliders” in the way Christ taught and Paul executed: Discipline of the Church. I love that my church claims the Keys and does not hide them under the mat so any thief may put on some wool and break in without notice. Christ is preached here; His life, suffering, obedience, death, resurrection and ascension in clarity and bringing conviction. That is what a church should do and I thank God that this is where my family worshipped today.

There may well be plenty of occasions and reasons to be members of other types of churches. But our choice to join this church certainly sets us to one side. Our dispensational friends and Baptist friends see Reformed types now, and I’ve had to respond to that change.

For more explanation, I’ve uploaded a paper I wrote regarding my position and I’ve started blogging my way through it in small bites. It’s free for the reading and critiquing. My words and research entirely:

CovenantTheologyPaperByDumbGuy

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March 13, 2011

New Life Membership

By Pooka

We’re official. And have 4 baptized children. Praise the Lord. More to follow, since we have a bit from the pastor about baptism and stuff in movie form. What a day. 

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February 24, 2011

Open Letter To My Girls

By Pooka

(And anyone else who needs to hear it). Of course this letter is long. Long for my 14 and definitely not reading for my 7. But it’ll be around for a while. And I need to say it. I tell my girls portions of the message below on a daily basis, so this is more of a developed line of thought that I hope will serve some benefit.

The blogosphere is awash with open letters of late. I’m a good copycat, so here comes mine.

Beloved, you are getting too old for me. I am ever more in awe of our Lord, every day, it seems, when you show just that little bit more understanding of His ways. You demonstrate a knowledge of the Scriptures that I’m sure I did not have when I was your age. You know the Gospel, the theology that has only been in my mind for less than seven years and you can discuss it with impressive capacity. I love it and I know your Mama loves it. And we know God is most pleased with your growth in knowledge of His things.

But I want to encourage you. That’s what this letter is all about. There are hard parts to knowing God’s Word and being His disciples. I think it’s especially hard when you are home, as children, with parents who are so anxious to see you grow in the fear and admonition of the Lord. We desire so much for you to lay claim to the promises of God and to live out the life that He has set before you. I think that you hear about obedience more than anything else at times, and I know focusing on that can become an obsession in all of us. Enough that it may appear to blot out the most important part of God’s message to you.

God’s message is that you have been forgiven. Because Jesus lived in perfect obedience and also took the your sins with Him to the cross and took the punishment for them there, you are forgiven. You girls believe that. I’ve heard it from your lips a maybe a thousand times in your short little lives and just hearing your confession is a blessing to my weak heart. You see, I’m not any sort of super guy as far as being faithful and trusting in our Lord. I’m sure you feel the same way too sometimes. Maybe a lot of times. When you, Mama and I are all weak and sinful in our family, we usually lose sight of the promises of God, at least for a while. And so you should hear this. I hope it makes good sense and that you keep it for those long days ahead when you need the message most.

Beloved, you’re forgiven. You’ve believed the Gospel and God has made you promises that you can trust. When you hear me and Mama calling for you to obey, we’re not telling you anything you can’t do. We’re believing a promise too. God has promised that, because you believe, the Holy Spirit is making it so you can do good works. So you see, we’re just working with you to make you stronger in Him, to do just what He has made possible for you. I think if you look at us as helpers, especially when you’re grown up and remember all these days of homework and chores and lessons on loving each other, you’ll see the Gospel message, God’s promises, and not just a bunch of laws and rules and discipline.

You see, some people don’t seem to realize that there’s a need for the Law after the Gospel. Or sometimes they don’t seem to see what the Gospel does to us. It really does make a difference when we believe. It’s not just a thing that happens one day and then we have to start keeping the Law in order to get good grades in God’s test. The rules, those things we’ve learned from the Bible as Law, change their purpose when we belong to Jesus. They’re now the instructions that help us to know what is the right way to live, to live like He originally designed us.

You remember the verse that Jesus says in Matthew 22.

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

All the rules that we hold you to are based on this message from our Lord. Oh, we hope that you see this. Sometimes I’m sure it’s very hard to keep in mind, when it seems there are days when you know you can’t get anything right. Believe me, Mama and I have the same feelings ourselves, when we also sin day in and day out, without being able to see any improvement. And we forget the promise of God, that He has given us a heart, a new heart made of flesh, not of stone like the old one we had before we believed Him. We want you (and us too) to live our lives in love of God! That’s what we’re aiming for! And we believe you’ll get there, not because we make it happen but because God will make it happen!

I think God works in us quietly and without any sign to keep us mindful that it is not us growing ourselves. You guys get that lesson enough from us that I’m pretty sure you know it. Our improvement in God’s ways, trying to be like Jesus, is not something we do ourselves. Our improvement is because of the Holy Spirit the Jesus promised us. The Spirit that is working in us, so secretly most of the time, that we don’t realize what’s happening.

We go to church, learn, celebrate with our fellow Christians over the resurrection of our Lord. We confess our sins and are forgiven. We cling to the hope that this week will be better than last week. But it usually seems like nothing’s changed. You guys get busted. Mama and I, we lose our cool. We all sin. Just like last time and the time before that.

But have you noticed? Have you noticed that we all hate that thing about sinning? Pay attention to that hope you had on Sunday. Remember, I just said that we hope this week will be better than last week. That’s the thing you need to think about. We don’t love our sin. We don’t love to disobey our Lord. None of us do. It’s clear enough, isn’t it? That’s the sign you need to think about. God changed you in a heartbeat when you believed Him. You are now free to love and follow Him. No more being trapped in sin, loving to sin, looking forward to your next bad deed. He’s made it so, even when you sin, you don’t want to and really know and want to do the good works you were designed for!

Pretty soon you’ll have another sign to think about, one most powerful and significant that will follow you for the rest of your life. Your baptism is coming up and though I regret we waited so long to get you there, I am more excited about that than anything. And your Mama is too. And your church! Think about that! There are a couple hundred people all excitedly awaiting the day when you’re baptized. That day is when you get marked out for good, on the outside, for all the things God has already done on the inside! You’ll belong in a whole new way, to your Christian family, including even your aunts, uncles, grandparents, nieces and nephew!

That right there, I hope, sticks with you along your whole life. It’ll be a great reminder of God’s faithfulness, even when you’re stuck in some rotten sin that even though you hate it, you just can’t seem to get over it fast enough. One great benefit that you have in your baptism coming so late is that you’re really well educated on what it means. Remember the Ring! You know the promises and benefits of being baptised. That makes it worthwhile for certain.

So, bottom line, my beloved, don’t look at growing up in our house as rules rules rules. Look at it as me and your Mama working for God to bring you together into doing the things He’s already prepared you for. Look at it like this: when you sin, when you mess up the stuff and we’re bugging you about it, your forgiveness is guaranteed, you’re still beloved Christian sisters who are our neighbors in Heaven and you belong to Jesus!

That’s where you come from when you do good works. No points in Heaven, just rewards. All the work is done in you by our mighty Lord. He is mighty to save us. And He saves us every time we turn around, from our little sins and our big sins and our sadness and our worries. Best girls, trust your Lord and Savior. He won’t depart from you. Ever.

Soli Deo Gloria
For God’s glory alone
In Him,

Your loving Daddy.

Yes, comments are open. Don’t worry about it being a personal letter. It’s personal enough that I certainly welcome criticism, applause or just plain perspective comments.

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February 20, 2011

The Lord's Supper in Three Minutes

By Pooka

There is an argument I’ve read that posits,

“Since the church has a memorial of Christ’s death (Lord’s Supper), why can’t Israel when she is revisited?”

I guess, if we see the Supper as a solely as memorial then maybe we can give a pass to the Jews when they get back round to a new temple, to start killing animals again in memory of Christ’s death. Sarcasm aside, I don’t believe that the Lord’s Supper is purely memorial and I don’t believe, either, that it is a direct correlation to, or continuation of the Passover feast. It draws from the Passover, yes, but more, in Christ’s own words, it is His body and blood. Not a memory. That’s why abuse of this ordinance resulted in sick or dead people.

Now I’m not saying it’s literally His Flesh and Blood. That’s an impossibility from my small mind and reading of Scripture. So I don’t get along with the Lutheran ideas, and certainly not Roman Catholic doctrine. But I’m definitely convinced, if nothing else, by Paul’s words.

Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. — 1 Corinthians 11:27-32

Which says there’s more to it than having a remembrance meal. As an aside, this also refutes the argument for Paedo-Communion, just in case a follow-on challenge to baptism were to claim Reformed inconsistency regarding sacrament administration.

As much as this small mind can grasp, the Lord’s Supper is a spiritual communion, wrapped up in a tangible, visible, taste and smell experience shared among the body of Christ that is a brief, fleeting bit of the Throne Room. Just enough to reunite us with our glorious King. Any more and we’d be undone.

Maybe this borders some variety of mysticism. I dunno. Just trying to piece together what’s there for us. It’s clear enough that the stuff feeds us, nourishes us in some way. Symbols do that. They interact with us. Symbols like that are all over the Bible. And Christ Himself introduced this one. One of two symbols. Out of how many hundreds in the OT? Only two in the NT? How much more alive are these two, then?

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February 18, 2011

Kingdom Parables and the Keys To That Kingdom

By Pooka

If we were to take seriously the high view of the Church, what would result of a review of the Kingdom parables? Though baptism plays into this, and I’ll mention it, much more important is how we view the church in general. How does church discipline play in our lives? If we are at a church that does not believe in or does not hold a high view of discipline, what is to be done? Have we hung the keys to the kingdom at the door or, worse, left them hanging in the mailbox down the street?

And here’s the rub, for me at least: is a church that sticks to Matthew 18:15-20, sitting right there and simply acting in an authoritarian way, applying the stick (this hurts me more than it hurts you)? Or is this church, confessing that it holds the keys to the kingdom and the responsibility to discipline members, seeking out the message in 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15 Hebrews 12:10-13, Galatians 6:1-2, James 5:20, Titus 1:13, 1 Timothy 1:19-20 and more. And not simply to produce a conformed member, to teach a regenerate soul the way that they should go, but out of a genuine passion for their souls, that they might endure the race and meet that glorious day when their God says “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Is our church, as a whole, especially her elders, driven to see her people truly repentant, poor in spirit, dependent on God and faithful to Him?

These parables and the warnings following should mean a lot to any member of a church. They mean the soul of any member of a church. It’s not just about the greater massive kingdom of God, but about the little towers spread throughout the land, each with her captains and sergeants and their men. Each one needs to care about this for himself and those with him in his local fold.

In particular, look at the parable of the weeds, or tares. And the net. And the wedding feast.

He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’” — Matthew 13:24-30

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. — Matthew 13:47-50

And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.’ But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.
“But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.” — Matthew 22:1-10; Matthew 22:11-14

Instead of looking at these through the lens of some nebulous greater church that spans the whole world, take a minute to see it right in your neighborhood. At your church.

And say they’re all baptized.

Members.

What do we do with apostasy if baptism is a personal profession of faith that indicates regeneration? How much better does the whole system work if baptism is a sign (visual announcement) and seal (wedding ring promise) of God’s covenant promises.

And for all the people in our church, shouldn’t this feed right into Hebrews and James, maybe even 1st John? Why are there such grave warnings if we’re all regenerate? There should be no fear of falling away if we’re all regenerate. We should be wary of our own condition lest we become deluded about the nature of church discipline. It’s not just pats on the back and nods.

Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. — Hebrews 2:1

For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. — Hebrews 6:4-6

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. — James 2:14-17

Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. — 1 John 3:7-8

Or should there be a great great attention given to each other and ourselves, that we work out our salvation in fear and trembling. And that we devote ourselves to this. Devote ourselves to submission to those placed over us so we may be disciplined, discipled by them. Look at how Paul dealt with the Corinthians and the Thessalonians. Look at how far he was willing to go for the souls of his fellow Jews. That wasn’t just a drive as a college teacher or philosopher trying to get his students to understand and act on a critical piece of information. This was the act of a coast-guard team, risking life in the sea to reel in one soul after another from the peril of the deep.

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, — Philippians 2:12

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February 14, 2011

Three Big Arguments For Covenant Baptism

By Pooka

My buddy at church asked a great question today. So I’m gonna do a final post on Baptism to do a better job of answering him. I hope this comes out making sense and is of value to someone.

1.  It’s already true whether we like it or not!

Children in a family headed by either both or one believing parent are by their temporal disposition in the covenant. They are, unlike the children of unbelievers, being raised in the church under the Word of God. Therein they are receiving the Law and the Gospel, the training in righteousness, the fear and admonition of the Lord as if they really are a part of the covenant community. They have the benefit of being raised in the church, the covenant people of God and to perceive or treat them as anything other than actually as part of the visible covenant people of God is to be inconsistent with all of our teaching.

How can we hold our children to the Law and Gospel warnings and promises consistently if we cannot honestly warn and promise them? It’s a logic problem! And if it makes sense that our children do partake in the covenant community, then they should be initiated into that community. The Church Visible should claim her own as soon as they can be claimed and waste no time doing so.

2. It is integral to our corporate identity!

Baptizing our children is commensurate with upholding the idea of a covenant people. Visibly, tangibly giving our children to God and so to the Church through this ceremonial cleansing and identification puts us all under oath to do just what God has commanded for our spiritual government. Parents are to raise their children and the church is to guard her people for the Lord. We have marching orders from God to do so. Just as the church has membership to provide for accountability, believer to elder and vice-versa, baptism puts an entire family into the sphere of membership.

To fail to baptize our children is to deny the total package of the sovereignty of God. His law and Gospel are applicable to all who are in His church. When we come to worship on Sunday, we are corporately involved in preparation, confession, absolution, exhortation, , intercession and benediction. Can we say that the entirety of worship is wasted on young ears? If we say it’s worthy for all ages to come, let’s embrace them fully. Children in the covenant underlines the vitality of the high view of the Church as God’s minister of the entire covenant.

I wanna make clear first: This is not a big old apologetic of scholasticalisticity. I’m putting out what really hits me about the value and place of Household Baptism. By the way, I think we get too hung up on “Infant Baptism”. That’s not the model in the Bible. It’s Household Baptism from the OT to the NT, which includes infants. Anyway, Here you go:

3. It makes their place real and secure!

Baptizing our children sets them on the path to belief and repentance from the beginning. In baptism there is the tangible application of cleansing and identification that they can know, from their earliest memory. It connects them, personally with the body of Christ from the start. It is a means of demonstrating the gravity and importance of setting foot in the church. It also gives them a seal of belonging. They belong. I don’t think this can be stressed enough. They aren’t just told they belong, something very significant has been done, under the solemn administration of the Church of Christ, under God’s very cognizance, to bring them into the protection and grace of God’s people!

What a woe it must be for children to be excluded from the fullest relationship with true Israel. I’m sure it isn’t often considered or carefully, but seriously think of how we can provoke our children to wrath by telling them they belong by preaching and teaching, calling for confession and then forgiving all within the confines of the Church of Christ and then with the other hand proclaiming that they are still outsiders, to be identified with the gentiles who carry on in the world without a clue about Christ and His work of redemption.

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