Perseverance of the Saints

Yes, we lifelong Saints fans know more than anyone the meaning of perseverance.

This Week in Calvinism - February 5, 2010

• The ever-modest and humble Ken Willis seems to want more hits for his blog. That certainly would explain why he writes the following: "What we know as Calvinism is not the Gospel that was first given; It is a form of fatalistic popery. I am so ashamed that I was seduced by the intellectual appeal of it. I pray God will forgive me for promoting it and leading others into it. All I can do now is try to expose it and call for a deeper examination of the evidence that exposes it. I cannot believe how dangerous it is; I know many in it now hate me and consider me a heretic for opposing it. But I say this and this alone; they hate me not for the God they profess, but for the man they follow." Well, Ken, you're welcome.
  
  
• It is pretty bad when an atheist has a better handle on who a Christian is than a "liberal Christian."
  
  
• The Seeking Disciple doesn't see faith as a gift from God. After all, we are the ones who do the believing; God doesn't do it for us. That is true, but it is impossible for an unregenerate person to exercise faith. We are saved by grace through faith. And since there is no faith apart from grace, I cannot help but conclude that faith is indeed a gift from God.
  
  
• Why do I get the feeling that Dee really thinks most Calvinists are arrogant, self-serving "Calvinistas"?
  
  
• Perhaps Dee had run into one too many dysfunctional Calvinists.

Christian Libertarianism

Bojidar Marinov, who took part in the forming of the Libertarian movement in his native Bulgaria, explains why he could not be a libertarian without Christ:

When a dear friend of mine shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ with me, he knew nothing of my intellectual struggles. There was one thing that caught my attention that night when he talked to me about his faith: "You shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall set you free." And then Jesus adds: "And if the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed."

There was the solution to my problem! I was blind to search for an impersonal Truth, an inexorable, merciless entity that holds the universe in an iron grip. And I was blind to search for Freedom that was focused on myself so much that would make the rest of the world irrelevant -- and make me irrelevant in the process. Truth was possible to know only if it was itself a Person; and Freedom was possible to have only if it was itself a Person. That Person couldn't be a mere man -- or I would be in slavery. He must be a god, or rather, God, the Creator of the Universe. And if the Bible was true, then my problems had one reason: I was a stranger to God, and thus I was a stranger to Freedom, Ethics, and Justice. I had to come back to Him, through the redemption He provided in Jesus Christ. Only then I had...everything.

If He was the Creator, He was the Truth. Knowing Him, I would know the Truth. He was Freedom too: He created my very nature and He knew what I should do to be in harmony with my real nature. And He was Justice for He gave me the rules for a just society that has liberty and justice for all. What all the philosophers wanted but couldn't find, He had it, and He was it.

Therefore I couldn't be a libertarian without Christ. I tried, and it was impossible -- philosophically and ethically. It was self-contradictory, it was against the very nature of things, and it was believing in a set of assumptions that had no discernible connection with reality or with each other. Only in Christ I had them all brought together in a coherent whole. And only in Christ did it make sense to be willing to die for your freedom -- without Him death was the ultimate judge of things, and slavery was preferable to facing death. "Give me liberty or give me death" was folly in a world without Christ -- but now it is divine wisdom in Him.

Read the full article here.

This Week in Calvinism - January 29, 2010

• Cows and Calvinism.
  
  
• Steve of Controversial Calvinism thinks his assurance rests on universal atonement.
  
  
• Listen to part 1 and part 2 of James White's debate with Michael Brown.
  
  
• Is free will compatible with Calvinism?

This Week in Calvinism - January 22, 2010

• Naturally, because men like Fred Phelps are evil, Calvinism must be evil. Only those who have no idea what Calvinism is would reach such a conclusion.
  
  
• Remember, most Calvinists and Arminians actually agree on the essentials of the faith.
  
  
• A new book to check out: Living for God's Glory: An Introduction to Calvinism.
  
  
• When the Calvinist becomes a practical Arminian.
  
  
• Phil Johnson on the lie of "liberal" theology.
  
  
• Calvinistic Cartoons presents "The Hunt for Dave Hunt."

Remembering Two Great Americans, Two Men of God

(Written Jan. 19, 2006)

You probably won't find anything special printed on your calendar for the 19th and 21st of January. In case you are wondering, those are the respective birthdays of Generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson.

As a nation we have already honored Martin Luther King, Jr. and will commemorate the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln next month, but Lee and Jackson are especially dear to my heart. They were great men who embodied the inspiring courage, uncompromising honesty, principled conviction, and moral fortitude we no longer see in our leaders today.

Both Lee and Jackson were men of action who fought valiantly to defend their homes and families. Jackson made it clear that if it were up to him, the South would "raise the black flag" and show no quarter to the enemy invading their homeland. They realized that while war was sometimes necessary, it should never be entered into lightly. As Lee put it, "It is good that war is so terrible, else we should grow too fond of it."

Lee and Jackson were Southern gents through and through. Consider Lee's Definition of a Gentleman:

The forbearing use of power does not only form a touchstone, but the manner in which an individual enjoys certain advantages over others is a test of a true gentleman.

The power which the strong have over the weak, the employer over the employed, the educated over the unlettered, the experienced over the confiding, even the clever over the silly -- the forbearing or inoffensive use of all this power or authority, or a total abstinence from it when the case admits it, will show the gentleman in a plain light.

The gentleman does not needlessly and unnecessarily remind an offender of a wrong he may have committed against him. He cannot only forgive, he can forget; and he strives for that nobleness of self and mildness of character which impart sufficient strength to let the past be but the past.

A true man of Honor feels humble himself when he cannot help humbling others.

Jackson's wife, Mary Anna, wrote of her husband that he "was a great advocate for marriage, appreciating the gentler sex so highly that whenever he met one of the 'unappropriated blessings' under the type of truest womanhood, he would wish that one of his bachelor friends could be fortunate to win her."

Both Lee and Jackson believed in principle over pragmatism. Lee once said, "I think it better to do right, even if we suffer in so doing, than to incur the reproach of our consciences and posterity." Jackson summed it up this way: "Duty is ours; consequences are God's."

Jackson never lived to see the fall of his beloved South, but Lee was gracious even in defeat. When approached by those who wished to remain bitter after surrendering he said, "Abandon your animosities and make your sons Americans." It was his position that "we must forgive our enemies. I can truly say that not a day has passed since the war began that I have not prayed for them."

Above all, Lee and Jackson were men of God. Lee loved to pray. He would be sure to let people know that he was praying for them, and he felt encouraged when he was remembered in their prayers. Once, upon hearing that others had been praying for him, he remarked, "I sincerely thank you for that, and I can only say that I am a poor sinner, trusting in Christ alone, and that I need all the prayers you can offer for me."

Jackson was the epitome of a life devoted to prayer. No matter was too insignificant that it did not warrant communion with the Father: "I have so fixed the habit in my mind that I never raise a glass of water to my lips without asking God's blessing, never seal a letter without putting a word of prayer under the seal, never take a letter from the post without a brief sending of my thoughts heavenward. I never change my classes in the lecture room without a minute's petition for the cadets who go out and for those who come in."

Jackson had an intimate knowledge of the sovereignty of God and rested in the promises of his Heavenly Father. Following the loss of his first wife, Ellie, who died almost immediately after giving birth to a stillborn son, he wrote to his sister-in-law, "I have been called to pass through the deep waters of affliction, but all has been satisfied. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord. ... I can willingly submit to anything if God strengthens me." It was this unshakable faith that taught him "to feel as safe in battle as in bed."

The more I see what passes for leadership today in our government, in our churches, and in our homes, the more I am convinced that we need men like Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. Jackson. I guess it's time for me to watch Gods and Generals again.

Our Orphanage in Haiti Makes National News

Maison des Enfants de Dieu, the creche where our kids Philippe and Patricia are staying, was just featured on FoxNews.com:



The good news is that some children who are in the process of being adopted are already being brought to the U.S. We pray that our kids will soon be among them.

A Desperate Plea from Our Orphanage in Haiti

Regular readers of this blog (especially those who visit our family blog) are aware that my wife, Dawn, and I adopted Olivia from China and are currently in the process of adopting a brother and sister, Philippe and Patricia, from Haiti. You can imagine how closely we've been paying attention to the news coverage coming out of that devastated country.

We had heard that the kids were safe, but we just received this harrowing update from our orphanage:

URGENT CALL FOR PRAYER

We received word from Pierre this morning that the situation in the orphanage is becoming dire. We would like to ask EVERYONE that receives this to use this information to get on your knees before our Lord and ask Him to provide.

We have one nanny that is deceased and the orphanage needs her body to be removed.
The orphanage has no drinkable water.

In addition they need:


• formula for babies
  
• medicines
  
• IV fluids (one child is currently on an IV)
  
• charcoal to cook
  
• diesel
  
• cash to buy supplies if they find them. They are running out of cash and there are no banks open to get cash, so it needs to be delivered by someone already on the ground or by helicopter.

Others are beginning to rob them of what supplies they do have.

There are helicopters flying over the orphanage and they have made a sign on the roof that says they are an orphanage and need help.

The staff is also working to get together all the paperwork for each child that has an adoptive family in a way that it can be attached to their body if there is an opportunity to evacuate.

For His Glory is doing everything we can on this end to contact people who may be able to help. Please pray. Currently, that is the best thing you can do to help. Kim is doing everything she can, and respectfully requests that adoptive families do not call her at this time. We realize this is a very difficult time, however she needs her phone and time available to do everything she can to make contacts to try to help the children and staff at the orphanage. We will give you any updates we have as soon as they are available.

Trusting in Him,

For His Glory

Please remember them, us, our kids, and other adoptive families in your prayers. If you'd like to donate, please visit FHG's web site here.

This Week in Calvinism - January 15, 2010

• TULIPs and DAISYs and ROSES, oh my!
  
  
• Dr. James White and Dr. Michael Brown will be debating Calvinism on January 26 and 27.
  
  
• Calvinism or Arminianism? Brother Mark chooses "biblical universalism."
  
  
• Randal Rauser thinks Calvinism undermines God's sovereignty, because "if God always acts to maximize his own glory and damning some maximizes his own glory, then God cannot save all because doing so would be to act against his own greatest glory." Sounds to me like a variation of the "Can God make a rock so big that he can't lift it?" argument. God, in maximizing his own glory, is simply remaining consistent with his nature. Would anyone dare to argue that it's possible for God to go against his own nature?

What Pat Robertson Should Have Said

Rather than blather on about the earthquake in Haiti having something to do with a 200-year-old pact with the devil, ol' Pat should have just quoted Luke 13:1-5:

There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."

What happened in Haiti should be a wake-up call for the entire world.

Haiti, the Devil, and Pat Robertson

Contrary to what you may initially think, Pat Robertson isn't making this up. The story of Haitian revolutionary leaders making a pact with Satan has been around for a long time. Missionaries believe it. Even native Haitians believe it. It's accepted as historical fact in many Christian circles.

Jean R. Gelin, Ph.D., born and raised in Haiti and now serving as assistant pastor at a church in the U.S., covers the legend of the pact in an article entitled "God, Satan, and the Birth of Haiti" (part 1, part 2, part 3). In short, he hasn't found any evidence to support it.

He does, however, offer a reasonable explanation for Haiti's extreme poverty:

Haiti's emergence as a free nation in the New World was similar to the birth of an unwanted child. After winning its liberty through the literal destruction of the entire colonial structure, the new country was simply not welcome in the community of nations. ... Haiti was forced to pay a large compensation to France before its independence could finally be accepted. Many historians believe that this huge financial burden, in the order of several millions and lasting one century, plays a critical role in the country's slow but steady descent into poverty.

Along with France, the United States and even the Vatican initially refused to recognize the new nation. For reasons known only to them, the leaders of the Catholic Church in Europe, who were very much involved in Saint-Domingue, declined to have diplomatic relations with Haiti, even after repeated attempts by several heads of state, and despite the fact that Catholicism was made the official religion of the new country.

To suggest that what we are seeing in Haiti is the result of a 200-year-old pact with the devil is to underestimate the sinful depravity of man. Since when did we humans need any help in being evil?

Yes, there are dark spiritual forces at work in Haiti, just as there are everywhere else in the world, but let's not give the devil more credit than he's due. Satan may be "the god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4), but the God of all eternity is still in control.

This Year in Calvinism - 2009

Here's a look back at some of the highlights from our This Week in Calvinism feature this past year:

• "Arminianism in diapers," an interesting post by Paul Manata on the eternal state of infants. (1/2)
  
  
• Every anti-Calvinist knows about Michael Servetus, but not many know about the Libertines who tried to have John Calvin killed. Here's a little history lesson, courtesy of Dr. James Galyon. (1/9)
  
  
• Minister-turned-atheist John Loftus calls Calvinism "bulls--- ." (Yeah, I know. He's a class act.) That's quite a charge coming from someone whose own worldview does not allow for such things as right or wrong. But the real irony is that his concept of a universe sans Creator is doomed to naturalistic predeterminism. There is no way around it. In such a world even our "free-will" thoughts are nothing more than the result of chance chemical reactions and the random firing of neurons. So, human beings can't possibly be free to do what they want to do. We Calvinists at least allow for that. And yet Mr. Loftus thinks our belief system is the problem. That's just...well...you know. (2/6)
  
  
• Calvinists told to get the "L" outta here. (2/27)
  
  
• TIME Magazine presents 10 Ideas Changing the World Right Now. Number three on the list: Calvinism. (3/13)
  
  
• Kevl uses Nicholas Cage's latest movie to expose Calvinism's "determinism" and thereby reveal the difference between Calvinism and Christianity. (4/10)
  
  
• Joshua prefers Universalism over Arminianism and Calvinism. I guess that means God does everything for us rather than his own glory. Sorry, but we are not more important than God. (4/17)
  
  
• Finally, after hundreds of years, someone has managed to disprove Calvinism. And he did it with only 39 verses! (4/24)
  
  
• Getting around total depravity, the supreme sovereignty of God, and the "age of accountability" question is easy. Simply deny original sin. (5/8)
  
  
• Calvinism is on the rise in China. (5/29)
  
  
• The anti-Calvinist, anti-Christian "Battle Hymn of the Republic" was the anthem of the War of Northern Aggression. (6/5)
  
  
• Eric Carpenter loves Calvinism because it is Trinity-centered. He notes, "The Calvinistic view of salvation emphasizes the involvement of all three members of the Trinity. It also emphasizes the cooperation of all three members: the Father elects those He sovereignly chooses, the Son pays for the sins of the elect, and the Spirit regenerates the hearts of the elect. All three members of the Trinity work together as One." (6/12)
  
  
• At 500, John Calvin still holds relevance in social and theological thought. (7/10)
  
  
• Let me get this straight: Election is based on God's foreknowledge of who will respond to the gospel, but in order to respond to the gospel those people must first be given the grace necessary to do so? Then on what basis does God choose who receives this grace? If Arminians argue that everyone receives the same amount of grace, then salvation is ultimately up to man since it hinges on his decision. If, on the other hand, only certain individuals receive this grace (or receive greater amounts of it), then Arminians are right back to square one on the election issue. (8/7)
  
  
• Doug Wilson has an excellent post on Brian McLaren's decision to join Muslims in observing Ramadan. (8/28)
  
  
• H. L. Mencken disliked Calvinists, but he disliked ex-Calvinists even more. (9/18)
  
  
• Once again we read of Calvinism's implication that God is the author of sin. What I don't understand is why the Arminian is off the hook. After all, did God not create Adam knowing full well that he would sin, condemning the rest of humanity to be born into that sin? Could not God, having bestowed upon man free will, have done a better job of making not sinning more appealing? The point being, no matter how you look at it, there must have been a greater purpose for allowing Adam to sin. (9/25)
  
  
• Two quick apologetic tips on the Trinity. (10/9)
  
  
• John Piper addresses the question, "How willingly do people go to Hell?" (10/30)
  
  
• When Calvinists speak of God saving those who die in infancy, is it just a matter of wanting to have our cake and eat it too? Calvinists maintain that all fallen, sinful human beings, even those with the capacity to understand, reject God. That's the concept of total depravity in a nutshell. Wouldn't it be reasonable to assume that the salvation of infants merely reinforces the fact that salvation is all of God? (11/6)
  
  
• David angrily spouts, "Calvinists would have you believe that God blinds men's eyes to the gospel until He is content to give some faith to believe and withholds that same faith from others whom He wishes to damn! That is not the God of the Bible!" So I guess that means Paul lied when he said faith is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8). (12/4)
  
  
• Don't waste your Calvinism! (12/11)

Have a blessed New Year!

Worldview Caricatures

You've probably seen variations of these floating around the blogosphere:

Christianity
The belief that a cosmic Jewish zombie, who was his own father, can make you live forever if you symbolically eat his flesh and telepathically tell him you accept him as your master, so he can remove an evil force from your soul that is present in humanity because a rib-woman was convinced by a talking snake to eat from a magical tree.

Written, no doubt, by someone subscribing to:

Atheism
The belief that there was nothing, and nothing happened to nothing, and then nothing mysteriously exploded for no reason, creating everything, and then a bunch of everything mysteriously rearranged itself for no reason whatsoever into self-replicating bits, which then became dinosaurs.

The first caricature displays a lack of understanding about the belief it seeks to lampoon. The second is actually pretty accurate.

The Primacy of the Word

Speaking in tongues. Healing the sick. Prophesying. Those who place great emphasis on such gifts seem to have forgotten Romans 10:17: "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." People are saved through the preaching of the gospel, not through miraculous signs and wonders.

Merry Christmas!

Sending the Wrong Message

Even at first glance one should see just how dangerous this kind of theology is.



Uniting Christ with the state? No thanks.

This Week in Calvinism - December 18, 2009

• Caleb explains that there's more to Reformed Theology than what is summed up in TULIP.
  
  
• Reformed or not, you can learn from John Calvin.
  
  
• Bobby Grow's blog, The Evangelical Calvinist.
  
  
• Citizen-kings and political activism.
  
  
• James White reviews an interview by J. Ligon Duncan on why he signed the Manhattan Declaration.
  
  
• It's been a while since the Seeking Disciple was featured, but his recent post equating the Calvinist teaching of eternal security with an antinomian license to sin piqued my interest. And no, he's not joking.

Eternal Death vs. Eternal Life

Hell is not temporary. It is a place of eternal punishment. Those sent there have no hope of escape, and, contrary to what some Christians believe, they are not annihilated once God has determined they have suffered sufficiently for their sins.

Revelation 20:10 says that the devil, the beast, and the false prophet will be thrown into the lake of fire where "they will be tormented day and night forever and ever." This is known as the "second death," something that has no power over believers (Revelation 20:6). "But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death" (Revelation 21:8). There is no indication that there will ever be an end to their suffering.

Does it make sense to condemn a finite sinner to an everlasting punishment? Wouldn't that make God unjust? Such questions fail to take into consideration all of God's attributes. Yes, he is love, but he is also just and holy and eternal. And considering that it took the death of an infinitely holy and eternal God to pay the price for sin so that we might be redeemed, it stands to reason that the only just penalty for sinning against that same infinitely holy and eternal God is an infinite and eternal punishment.

Let's not complicate the issue. The choice is clear: eternal death or eternal life. We talk about Hell not to scare people into the Kingdom but to emphasize just how seriously God takes sin.

The Doctrine of Hell Taught in the Old Testament

Many of those who don't believe in the existence of Hell think it is a New Testament invention, or at least a misinterpretation of Old Testament terms like "grave" and "Sheol." While it is true that the Old Testament believers did not have the benefit of seeing through the lens of the New Testament, there was an understanding of a permanent separation of the saved and the lost.

Take a look at Daniel 12:2: "And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." If that doesn't teach the concept of eternal punishment, I don't know what does.

The Reason for ALL Seasons

Christ our savior isn't just the reason for this season. As the Creator of the universe he is the reason for all seasons.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made" (John 1:1-3).

"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him" (Colossians 1:15-16).

"But in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world" (Hebrews 1:2).

2 Corinthians 6:14

This Week in Calvinism - December 11, 2009

• When you try to make the argument that "EVERY person is elected in Christ," you are left grasping at straws when trying to explain why not everyone is saved. Saying that election is conditional on faith makes no sense unless you believe that faith precedes election, which is in fact impossible.
  
  
• Hank is already up to part 15 of his five-part response to the objections to Calvinism.
  
  
• Where'd all these Calvinists come from?
  
  
• Now I've heard everything: "Calvinism effectively denies God the right to endow His creation (man) with the freedom of choice. Thereby Calvinism itself is denying God a sovereign right to act as HE may desire."
  
  
• John Piper explains why Christian parents should require their unregenerate children to act like they're good.
  
  
• Don't waste your Calvinism!
  
  
• John Mark Reynolds breaks down the biblical writers into their respective theological camps and/or denominations. Funny stuff!

On Complaining

The next time you find yourself complaining about something trivial, try to think about what you're actually saying: "Lord, what are you thinking? I know what's good for me better than you!"

It kind of forces you to put things into perspective.

What's REALLY Hard to Understand

If I believe that "in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth," what possible reason would I have for doubting what the Bible has to say about Noah and the ark, the plagues of Egypt, the exodus of the Israelites, Jonah and the whale, God taking on human form, the miracles of Jesus, his death and resurrection, Pentecost, or the coming judgment? Seriously, if I can get past Genesis 1:1, the rest is a piece of cake.

What I can't understand is why a holy, just, and sovereign God would save a wicked, damnable sinner like me.

This Week in Calvinism - December 4, 2009

• John MacArthur concludes a five-part series entitled "The Spirit's True Work."
  
  
• Time Challies wraps up his own five-part series, "Leadership in the Home."
  
  
• James Anderson on Calvinism, assurance, and inerrancy.
  
  
• David angrily spouts, "Calvinists would have you believe that God blinds men's eyes to the gospel until He is content to give some faith to believe and withholds that same faith from others whom He wishes to damn! That is not the God of the Bible!" So I guess that means Paul lied when he said faith is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8).
  
  
• Seeking Disciple vs. J. I. Packer
  
  
• The Contemporary Calvinist made it into Eric Carpenter's top ten. Thanks, Eric!