Confessions of a Woman Who Didn't Like Theology

A couple of years ago, we were sitting in our living room as I confessed to another young Reformed couple, "I don't like theology." We all observed a moment of embarrassed silence in honor of my ignorance.

I recently reflected on that moment as I sat in an enthusiastically Reformed conference. When I say "enthusiastically Reformed," I mean the sort of zeal you find in that first-semester seminary student who's just discovered the doctrines of grace and can't seem to speak of much else. He manages to foist TULIP into an impressive array of situations, from a discussion of biblical texts to a tour of the art museum.

While I've grown immensely in my understanding of the importance of biblical truth, the stubborn fact remains: love for theology and doctrine doesn't come naturally to me. It's an acquired taste.

But why should you care? Perhaps I lost you at "I don't like theology." Nevertheless, I'm convinced you should care, and here's why: I represent members of your church. Maybe a large segment, maybe a smaller one, but I guarantee they're out there. With this reality in mind, l'd like to offer three insights from an unnatural theology lover.

1. Even when learning doesn't come naturally, we can love theology and doctrine if it's served consistently with a big helping of gentleness and grace.   Continue at Ashley Haupt

Does Justification Still Matter?

Once upon a time, the label evangelical identified those who were committed not only to historic Christianity but to the doctrine of justification by grace alone through faith alone because of Christ alone. In our day, however, that can no longer be taken for granted. Increasingly, evangelical scholarship is challenged by trends in biblical studies (especially the New Perspective on Paul) to abandon the Reformation's understanding of justification. Recent ecumenical rapprochements (such as the Lutheran-Roman Catholic Joint Declaration on Justification and "Evangelicals and Catholics Together") have revised and relativized this key article. (1) 

Remarkably, in a new book with essays by mainline Protestants (Lutheran and Reformed) and Roman Catholics on justification, the former reject the Reformation doctrine (by appeal to the New Perspective on Paul) while leading Roman Catholic New Testament scholar Joseph Fitzmeyer demonstrates the technical accuracy of the Reformation's exegesis of the relevant passages. In his book Is The Reformation Over?, leading evangelical scholar Mark Noll seems to be speaking for a lot of conservative Protestants in answering yes.

Outright criticism of the doctrine of justification as it is defined in our Reformed confessions and catechisms has become common even in conservative churches. Although the church courts of these sister denominations have exhibited a heartening solidarity in standing for the confessional position and prosecuting ministers who oppose it, it is tragic that controversies over this cardinal doctrine should arise in our own circles. 

Most people in the pew, however, are simply not acquainted with the doctrine of justification. Often, it is not a part of the diet of preaching and church life, much less a dominant theme in the Christian subculture. With either stern rigor or happy tips for better living, "fundamentalists" and "progressives" alike smother the gospel in moralism, through constant exhortations to personal and/or social transformation that keep the sheep looking to themselves rather than looking outside of themselves to Christ. Even in many churches formally committed to Reformation teaching, people may find the doctrine of justification in the back of their hymnal (in the confessions section), but is it really taken seriously in the teaching, preaching, worship, and life of the congregation? The average feature article in Christianity Today or Christian best-seller is concerned with "good works"-trends in spirituality, social activism, church growth, and discipleship. However, it's pretty clear that justification is simply not on the radar. Even where it is not outright rejected, it is often ignored. Perhaps the forgiveness of sins and justification are appropriate for "getting saved," but then comes the real business of Christian living-as if there could be any genuine holiness of life that did not arise out of a perpetual confidence that "there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:1). 

Of course, it's impossible to track down all the reasons for the attitude toward this doctrine that lies at the heart of the gospel itself. However, in this article I will point out a couple of the dominant sources.   Continue at Michael Horton

Antinomianism and Reformation Confessions

In the previous post I offered a very brief survey of some controversies, pointing out that while there have been some true-blue antinomians, the charge is often made by those tilting in a more neonomian direction against faithful, apostolic, evangelical preaching. For example, in spite of the fact that Lutheran and Reformed churches have gone on record against antinomianism in no uncertain terms, that has not kept them from being accused of holding at least implicitly to antinomian tenets.

The Lutheran Confession

In his Small Catechism, Luther begins with the Ten Commandments, concluding, “God threatens to punish all that transgress these commandments. Therefore we should dread His wrath and not act contrary to these commandments. But He promises grace and every blessing to all that keep these commandments. Therefore we should also love and trust in Him, and gladly do [zealously and diligently order our whole life] according to His commandments.”

Settling the controversies in its own circles, the Lutherans confess in the fourth article of the Formula of Concord (1577), “We reject and condemn as offensive and detrimental to Christian discipline the bare expression, when it is said: Good works are injurious to salvation.”

For especially in these last times it is no less needful to admonish men to Christian discipline [to the way of living aright and godly] and good works, and remind them how necessary it is that they exercise themselves in good works as a declaration of their faith and gratitude to God, than that the works be not mingled in the article of justification; because men may be damned by an Epicurean delusion concerning faith, as well as by papistic and Pharisaic confidence in their own works and merits (IV.2).

After affirming the civil and elenctic uses of the law (viz., to curb public vice and to drive sinners to Christ), the sixth article defends the “third use”: “..that after they are regenerate and [much of] the flesh notwithstanding cleaves to them, they might on this account have a fixed rule according to which they are to regulate and direct their whole life…” (VI.1). 

The following conclusions are worth quoting at length:  Continue at Michael Horton

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Confessions of a Reformed Baptist Plodder

Many years ago, an article was put into my hands, at just the right time, in just the right place in my life, which has impacted me for many years.  Most Christians can testify of a time they heard an old truth as if they heard it for the first time.  These are truths that become part of us and stay with us through good times and the seemingly difficult ones.

In December of 1983, Maurice Roberts wrote an article in the Banner of Truth magazine entitled, “On the Excellence of Plodding.”  My own church can testify to the fact that I have used that phrase dozens and dozens of times since.  I was starting my second year as an elder in a reforming Baptist Church.  My co-elder and I were doing our best to bring Biblical truth to a church that had strong Fundamentalist roots.  As I said, we were trying, but we ourselves were still learning.  As we were trying to better understand the reformed faith ourselves, we were leading, but admittedly did not fully know where we were going.

While in this process of reform, we saw many more individuals leave through the back door than were coming through the front.  By the time reform had come to our church in 1985 (yes, always reforming, but we finally were settled on the 1689) we had seen our attendance go from an average of 120 to about 50.  This decline came about generally by a couple of families leaving together and inevitably in a few months a couple more leaving.  These were often discouraging times.  Some new folks would come, but then even many of these new folks would leave.  We never had a mass exodus, but it seemed no family was ever content to leave without taking someone with them, with the exception of those moving out of the area.  Other circumstances would eventually leave me as the sole elder in 1989, with an average attendance of about 40.  Keep Reading >>>

Is Anybody Wrong?

 J. C. Ryle wrote this around 150 years ago (though it could have been written yesterday):

“We live in an age when men profess to dislike dogmas and creeds, and are filled with a morbid dislike to controversial theology.  He who dares to say of one doctrine that ‘it is true’ and of another that ‘it is false’ must expect to be called narrow-minded and uncharitable, and to lose the praise of man.” 

“There is a general tendency to free thought and free inquiry in these latter days…there is a wide-spread desire to appear charitable and liberal-minded: many seem half ashamed of saying that anyone can be in the wrong.”

“There is a quantity of half-truth taught by the modern false teachers: they are incessantly using Scriptural terms and phrases in an unscriptural sense.  …There is a silly readiness in every direction to believe everybody who talks cleverly, lovingly, and earnestly, and a determination to forget that Satan is often ‘transformed into an angel of light’ (2 Cor. 2:14).  There is a wide-spread gullibility among professing Christians: every heretic who tells his story plausibly is sure to be believed, and everybody who doubts him is called a persecutor and a narrow-minded man.” Keep Reading...

Is Faith Enough Today?

Confessions of a (Former) Romance Novel Addict

Calvinist Confessions

I am a Calvinist. I love the glorious truths of God revealed in His word. I praise God for His mighty works in creation, redemption, and providence. I live, I trust, for the glory of God in all things.

I am a Pharisee. I shouldn’t be. How can anyone claiming to be a Calvinist living for the glory of God also be a peevish, joyless, and fearful little Pharisee? It’s a shame. But I’m a Calvinist and I’m a Pharisee. Read it all HERE