This is the Sunday School lesson I prepared and taught this morning. I wanted to share. Enjoy!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Running the Race: Hebrews 12:1-3
This is the Sunday School lesson I prepared and taught this morning. I wanted to share. Enjoy!
Running the Race: Hebrews 12:1-3
This is the Sunday School lesson I prepared and taught this morning. I wanted to share. Enjoy!
Monday, May 30, 2011
Repost: Legacy of Jerry Falwell
- His support of the current nation of Israel was wrongly placed. Whenever someone wholeheartedly supports Israel, I have to question the motives. Falwell is known to have received a Leer jet from the nation of Israel for his support in 1979 from Prime Minister Begin (the same Begin accused of the King David Hotel bombing in 1946). At one point, Falwell was also shown on the cover of the Jerusalem Post with the title "Israel's Best Friend." As a Christian, I am disturbed by all this. A careful study of how the current nation of Israel came into being will show all the deceit and lies it took to get to where they are. Millions of Arabs were displaced as the Zionists deceitfully were handed a piece of land. Did the Arabs react in a good way? No, they tried to attack. But to lie, and accept lies that there were none, or very little people, living in the land, is to deny that many of the Zionist leaders cared not for people of other races. I'm not against Jews, only Zionism, and especially Christian Zionism.
- Falwell's sermons were little more than political ideology laced with scripture. If he wasn't preaching on supporting Israel, he was preaching on the judgment on the terrorists, homosexuals, and anybody else who seemed to be in sin. He did not seem to recognize (as most Christians apparently do not), that all sins are equal. Homosexuality is the same as lying. At least according to my Bible. Yet, Christians are quick to accept lies and start lies all the time. Christians are quick to accept collateral damage of civilians dying in the Lebanese war with Israel last Summer, because we dare not speak against Israel. Falwell was at the forefront of those supporting Israel's incursion. The kidnapping of the two soldiers by Hezbollah was wrong, but so was the response of Israel.
- Falwell refused to do more study on Islam in order to be better informed. He relied on what Ergun Caner has told him about Islam. Ergun is a former Muslim who grew up in America. He may have grown up in a Muslim family with a father who was a cleric, but he has no idea what life is like among Muslims around the world. His view is a skewed view of Islam, that knows no practicality. He converted to Christianity when he was a teenager, but pretends that he is a foremost expert on Islam. He is yet another Christian convert who uses sensationalism to sell his conversion story. If I sound cynical, it's because I am. Ergun has also preached against Calvinism as if it is of the devil itself, with all sorts of misunderstandings. Falwell believed in Ergun's view of Islam, and as a result, I believe he alienated lots of Muslims from Christianity. We need to be careful not to judge Muslims because of a few radical elements. Falwell's and Ergun's views have hurt the cause of Christianity in the Muslim world.
Falwell preached the Gospel of Christ. He was faithful to his family, church, and the school he founded. Falwell sinned. We all do. As I said, I may not agree with him on a lot of things, but he was a man as fallible as we all are. I pray for his family as they go through this grieving process and that they would not look at this as the end, but only a beginning. God Bless.
Repost: Legacy of Jerry Falwell
- His support of the current nation of Israel was wrongly placed. Whenever someone wholeheartedly supports Israel, I have to question the motives. Falwell is known to have received a Leer jet from the nation of Israel for his support in 1979 from Prime Minister Begin (the same Begin accused of the King David Hotel bombing in 1946). At one point, Falwell was also shown on the cover of the Jerusalem Post with the title "Israel's Best Friend." As a Christian, I am disturbed by all this. A careful study of how the current nation of Israel came into being will show all the deceit and lies it took to get to where they are. Millions of Arabs were displaced as the Zionists deceitfully were handed a piece of land. Did the Arabs react in a good way? No, they tried to attack. But to lie, and accept lies that there were none, or very little people, living in the land, is to deny that many of the Zionist leaders cared not for people of other races. I'm not against Jews, only Zionism, and especially Christian Zionism.
- Falwell's sermons were little more than political ideology laced with scripture. If he wasn't preaching on supporting Israel, he was preaching on the judgment on the terrorists, homosexuals, and anybody else who seemed to be in sin. He did not seem to recognize (as most Christians apparently do not), that all sins are equal. Homosexuality is the same as lying. At least according to my Bible. Yet, Christians are quick to accept lies and start lies all the time. Christians are quick to accept collateral damage of civilians dying in the Lebanese war with Israel last Summer, because we dare not speak against Israel. Falwell was at the forefront of those supporting Israel's incursion. The kidnapping of the two soldiers by Hezbollah was wrong, but so was the response of Israel.
- Falwell refused to do more study on Islam in order to be better informed. He relied on what Ergun Caner has told him about Islam. Ergun is a former Muslim who grew up in America. He may have grown up in a Muslim family with a father who was a cleric, but he has no idea what life is like among Muslims around the world. His view is a skewed view of Islam, that knows no practicality. He converted to Christianity when he was a teenager, but pretends that he is a foremost expert on Islam. He is yet another Christian convert who uses sensationalism to sell his conversion story. If I sound cynical, it's because I am. Ergun has also preached against Calvinism as if it is of the devil itself, with all sorts of misunderstandings. Falwell believed in Ergun's view of Islam, and as a result, I believe he alienated lots of Muslims from Christianity. We need to be careful not to judge Muslims because of a few radical elements. Falwell's and Ergun's views have hurt the cause of Christianity in the Muslim world.
Falwell preached the Gospel of Christ. He was faithful to his family, church, and the school he founded. Falwell sinned. We all do. As I said, I may not agree with him on a lot of things, but he was a man as fallible as we all are. I pray for his family as they go through this grieving process and that they would not look at this as the end, but only a beginning. God Bless.
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Sunday, May 29, 2011
Dispensationalism, Missions, and Israel, Part I
- According to dispensationalists, the church only exists in the New Testament. This is false. The Greek word, Ekklesia, literally means an assembly of the called out ones, or something to that effect. It's the word used by Jesus when He said that He would build the church upon Himself, the rock. I believe He was acknowledging the church as already existent, even though He had not sacrificed Himself yet. Perhaps the strongest case for the church existing in the Old Testament can be made from Psalm 22:22 and Hebrews 2:12. The writer of Hebrews quotes Psalm 22:22 when Jesus says that He will tell of my name among the "congregation" (church). The word used in the Greek in Hebrews is Ekklesia. In the Septuagint (Old Testament translated to Greek), the word in Psalms for congregation is also Ekklesia. I could go further and show that all the words in the Old Testament used for congregation/assembly of Israel could be translated to also mean church, but I don't think I have to. I encourage you to do this study on the meaning of church in the Bible.
- Individualism, I believe, is one of the biggest dangers to Christianity in the past 150 years or so. Ever since Charles Schofield published his notes on dispensationalism and the return of Christ from John Nelson Darby. We want to make the Gospel personal to each one of us. In some sense, it is personal, but God is a communal god, desiring community. This is why He is a trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God desires peoples to be saved, not people. Jesus Christ is not our "best friend," so to speak, as the American church likes to make it out to be. Dispensationalism is all about me, but it offers "cheap grace" to the sinner. By "cheap grace," I mean that, under the dispensational system, one is saved by merely professing, but typically there is no heart changed. You can continue in sin, but you are now saved. A few conditions are that you must support any nation that claims to be Israel, and you cannot speak against Israel. Your salvation might be in jeopardy if you don't. After all, God says that He will bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel, right? Wrong. Go back and read Genesis 12:1-3 again. It doesn't actually say that.
Dispensationalism, Missions, and Israel, Part I
- According to dispensationalists, the church only exists in the New Testament. This is false. The Greek word, Ekklesia, literally means an assembly of the called out ones, or something to that effect. It's the word used by Jesus when He said that He would build the church upon Himself, the rock. I believe He was acknowledging the church as already existent, even though He had not sacrificed Himself yet. Perhaps the strongest case for the church existing in the Old Testament can be made from Psalm 22:22 and Hebrews 2:12. The writer of Hebrews quotes Psalm 22:22 when Jesus says that He will tell of my name among the "congregation" (church). The word used in the Greek in Hebrews is Ekklesia. In the Septuagint (Old Testament translated to Greek), the word in Psalms for congregation is also Ekklesia. I could go further and show that all the words in the Old Testament used for congregation/assembly of Israel could be translated to also mean church, but I don't think I have to. I encourage you to do this study on the meaning of church in the Bible.
- Individualism, I believe, is one of the biggest dangers to Christianity in the past 150 years or so. Ever since Charles Schofield published his notes on dispensationalism and the return of Christ from John Nelson Darby. We want to make the Gospel personal to each one of us. In some sense, it is personal, but God is a communal god, desiring community. This is why He is a trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God desires peoples to be saved, not people. Jesus Christ is not our "best friend," so to speak, as the American church likes to make it out to be. Dispensationalism is all about me, but it offers "cheap grace" to the sinner. By "cheap grace," I mean that, under the dispensational system, one is saved by merely professing, but typically there is no heart changed. You can continue in sin, but you are now saved. A few conditions are that you must support any nation that claims to be Israel, and you cannot speak against Israel. Your salvation might be in jeopardy if you don't. After all, God says that He will bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel, right? Wrong. Go back and read Genesis 12:1-3 again. It doesn't actually say that.
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Saturday, May 28, 2011
Let the Nations Be Glad!
I once read "Let the Nations be Glad" by John Piper in my Undergraduate program at Toccoa Falls College, but at the time did not care very much. As I have read Piper's books When I Don't Desire God and Brothers, We are not Professionals, I have become more attuned to what God wants from me. It's not my service. It's not my writings. It's not my websites. It's not my family. Don't get me wrong. All of this is good and desirable as long as it only does one thing. That is, it should all glorify God. It should lift God up and keep Him on the throne. When we do not glorify God, when we go away from what He has called all men to do, that is to worship Him, we fall into the a sin of unbelief in God. All nations are called to worship Him in all His glory. Remember the catechism, "What is the chief end of man?" and the answer, "to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." Piper adds this, "What is the chief end of God?". The answer: "To glorify God and enjoy Himself forever." That is important to understand because God only desires His glory. That sounds egotistical and self-righteous, but we're talking about God here. Don't believe me? Read the book, and the Bible, particularly the Psalms. How can all nations be glad, when you have fighting in the Middle East between Arabs and Jews over a piece of land? Aren't we suppose to support the Jews in all that they do? After all, the Bible does say, "I will bless those who bless Israel, and curse those who curse Israel", right? The Bible absolutely does not say that or even indicate that. Perhaps I have a chip on my shoulder about this issue, but to even believe this is to deny God's salvation itself. Who saves? GOD! That is what is important. ALL NATIONS will have disciples based on Mattew 28:19-20. Why? Because Christ is sovereign and has all authority on both heaven and earth based on verse 18 of the same passage. Those who don't believe in missions or don't support missions or disobeying God. God calls us to either send or go. There is no sit and soak. We should be supporting missions with our time, money, and/or prayer. These are the very words of Jesus in Matthew 24, 28, and Acts 1:8. We will be witnesses to the very ends of the earth. Why? For the very glory of God. For Christ's name sake from Romans 1:5. We cannot be disobedient to the very call of God on our lives. If you sit and soak, you sour. That's all there is to it. Some other books I mentioned in the post are listed below. I also encourage you to check out the English Standard Version (ESV) of the Bible from Crossway.
Let the Nations Be Glad!
I once read "Let the Nations be Glad" by John Piper in my Undergraduate program at Toccoa Falls College, but at the time did not care very much. As I have read Piper's books When I Don't Desire God and Brothers, We are not Professionals, I have become more attuned to what God wants from me. It's not my service. It's not my writings. It's not my websites. It's not my family. Don't get me wrong. All of this is good and desirable as long as it only does one thing. That is, it should all glorify God. It should lift God up and keep Him on the throne. When we do not glorify God, when we go away from what He has called all men to do, that is to worship Him, we fall into the a sin of unbelief in God. All nations are called to worship Him in all His glory. Remember the catechism, "What is the chief end of man?" and the answer, "to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." Piper adds this, "What is the chief end of God?". The answer: "To glorify God and enjoy Himself forever." That is important to understand because God only desires His glory. That sounds egotistical and self-righteous, but we're talking about God here. Don't believe me? Read the book, and the Bible, particularly the Psalms. How can all nations be glad, when you have fighting in the Middle East between Arabs and Jews over a piece of land? Aren't we suppose to support the Jews in all that they do? After all, the Bible does say, "I will bless those who bless Israel, and curse those who curse Israel", right? The Bible absolutely does not say that or even indicate that. Perhaps I have a chip on my shoulder about this issue, but to even believe this is to deny God's salvation itself. Who saves? GOD! That is what is important. ALL NATIONS will have disciples based on Mattew 28:19-20. Why? Because Christ is sovereign and has all authority on both heaven and earth based on verse 18 of the same passage. Those who don't believe in missions or don't support missions or disobeying God. God calls us to either send or go. There is no sit and soak. We should be supporting missions with our time, money, and/or prayer. These are the very words of Jesus in Matthew 24, 28, and Acts 1:8. We will be witnesses to the very ends of the earth. Why? For the very glory of God. For Christ's name sake from Romans 1:5. We cannot be disobedient to the very call of God on our lives. If you sit and soak, you sour. That's all there is to it. Some other books I mentioned in the post are listed below. I also encourage you to check out the English Standard Version (ESV) of the Bible from Crossway.
http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=godatthecen-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=1581346522&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&amp;amp;amp;lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFF6D7&bg1=FFF6D7&f=ifr
http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=godatthecen-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0805426205&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&amp;amp;amp;lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFF6D7&f=ifr
http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=godatthecen-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0875526438&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&amp;amp;amp;lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFF6D7&bg1=FFF6D7&f=ifr
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Friday, May 27, 2011
Evangelicalism?
Evangelicalism?
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Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Making gender a choice?
I first heard about this story on Albert Mohler's Daily Briefing and then ran across it in my news reader.
He, she, or it? Family keeps baby's gender a secret
The first question people ask after hearing of a new arrival is usually, “Boy or girl?”
Friends and family of one Canadian couple are getting no answer to this simple inquiry. Kathy Witterick and her husband David Stocker have decided to keep baby Storm's gender a secret.
“We've decided not to share Storm's sex for now — a tribute to freedom and choice in place of limitation, a stand up to what the world could become in Storm's lifetime (a more progressive place?),” the couple wrote in an email to friends and family after Storm’s birth, according to the Toronto Star.
Other than Storm’s parents, the only other people to know Storm’s gender are the couple’s two sons, Jazz, 5, and Kio, 2, the midwives who delivered the baby and a close family friend. They got the idea to raise a genderless child from a book they found in the library, and told the paper the secrecy is about giving their children freedom.
Seeing as how this story is coming out of Canada and in today's society when gender neutrality seems to be the way society is going, I'm not wholly surprised. Many of the comments on the article posted, however, show that many people still do believe that gender is not a choice. You are born either a boy or a girl. There are few exceptions with regards to certain birth defects, but overall, most babies are born either one or the other.
The Bible says this:
[27] So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.(Genesis 1:27 ESV)
Lady Gaga wants to sing about being born a certain way with regards to gender neutrality, but the fact remains that nothing we can say will override the fact that God has created us male and female in His image. He created gender and sustains gender. We cannot say that our child will choose gender they want to be. I just started a book by Glenn T. Stanton of Focus on the Family that talks about this very issue with regards to raising our sons and daughters to be confident in the gender they were born with.
What are your thoughts on this issue?
Making gender a choice?
I first heard about this story on Albert Mohler's Daily Briefing and then ran across it in my news reader.
He, she, or it? Family keeps baby's gender a secret
The first question people ask after hearing of a new arrival is usually, “Boy or girl?”
Friends and family of one Canadian couple are getting no answer to this simple inquiry. Kathy Witterick and her husband David Stocker have decided to keep baby Storm's gender a secret.
“We've decided not to share Storm's sex for now — a tribute to freedom and choice in place of limitation, a stand up to what the world could become in Storm's lifetime (a more progressive place?),” the couple wrote in an email to friends and family after Storm’s birth, according to the Toronto Star.
Other than Storm’s parents, the only other people to know Storm’s gender are the couple’s two sons, Jazz, 5, and Kio, 2, the midwives who delivered the baby and a close family friend. They got the idea to raise a genderless child from a book they found in the library, and told the paper the secrecy is about giving their children freedom.
Seeing as how this story is coming out of Canada and in today's society when gender neutrality seems to be the way society is going, I'm not wholly surprised. Many of the comments on the article posted, however, show that many people still do believe that gender is not a choice. You are born either a boy or a girl. There are few exceptions with regards to certain birth defects, but overall, most babies are born either one or the other.
The Bible says this:
[27] So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.(Genesis 1:27 ESV)
Lady Gaga wants to sing about being born a certain way with regards to gender neutrality, but the fact remains that nothing we can say will override the fact that God has created us male and female in His image. He created gender and sustains gender. We cannot say that our child will choose gender they want to be. I just started a book by Glenn T. Stanton of Focus on the Family that talks about this very issue with regards to raising our sons and daughters to be confident in the gender they were born with.
What are your thoughts on this issue?
John Calvin's "Institutes" for $0.89 on Kindle
[Book Review] "Dug Down Deep" by Joshua Harris
John Calvin's "Institutes" for $0.89 on Kindle
http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=godatthecen-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B0017DGBCU
[Book Review] "Dug Down Deep" by Joshua Harris
http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=godatthecen-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=1601423713Joshua Harris is the senior pastor at Covenant Life Fellowship in Gaithersburg, Maryland. As I mentioned before, he wrote the book, I Kissed Dating Goodbye, a book that turned Christian dating on it's head, advocating courtship over dating. Since then, he has become a pastor and written several books on the church. In Dug Down Deep, Harris takes on the pragmatism of most Christians when it comes to doctrine. It's sort of a toned down version of J. I. Packer's Knowing God for today's Christian.
Many Christians tend to eschew doctrine just for "following Jesus," whatever that means to people. Harris wants to correct that and have people focus on knowing what they believe and why they believe it. He talks about the person of Jesus, who He was, and why He died. He gives his own story of coming to faith as a homeschooled church kid. He tells his dad's story of coming to faith. He recognizes all that he has done wrong and how having right doctrine helps in pursuing faith.
This book is written from the heart of a pastor wanting Christians to pursue God and grow in their faith. There should not be stagnant Christians. Doctrine does matter and Harris' point is for Christians to see that. This being my first Joshua Harris book, I really like his writing style. He writes how he speaks. It's in a down to earth style with terms understandable for the average person. In other words, this is a layman's primer for understanding basic Biblical doctrine. In the final chapter, Harris writes about humble orthodoxy, which is based on a sermon he preached. In it, he encourages Christians to be humble about what they believe, as they focus on the God who saved them. The more we see the glory of God, the more humble that should make us. It should not make us proud, but humble. This edition includes a discussion guide for each chapter of the book. Even as a book on basic doctrine, the most seasoned Christian will learn from it and be encouraged in their faith.
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/bloggingforbooks/reviews/ranking/8828
Note: this book was provided by librarything.com for a review.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Tedashii Discovery Download on iTunes
Download Here. (Opens iTunes).
Waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God
[3:1] This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, [2] that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, [3] knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. [4] They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” [5] For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, [6] and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. [7] But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
[8] But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. [9] The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. [10] But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
[11] Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, [12] waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! [13] But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
(2 Peter 3:1-13 ESV)
J. I. Packer on the loss of the True Gospel
There is no doubt that Evangelicalism today is in a state of perplexity and unsettlement. In such matters as the practice of evangelism, the teaching of holiness, the building up of local church life, the pastor’s dealing with souls and the exercise of discipline, there is evidence of widespread dissatisfaction with things as they are and of equally widespread uncertainty as to the road ahead. This is a complex phenomenon, to which many factors have contributed; but, if we go to the root of the matter, we shall find that these perplexities are all ultimately due to our having lost our grip on the biblical gospel. Without realising it, we have during the past century bartered that gospel for a substitute product which, though it looks similar enough in points of detail, is as a whole a decidedly different thing. Hence our troubles; for the substitute product does not answer the ends for which the authentic gospel has in past days proved itself so mighty. The new gospel conspicuously fails to produce deep reverence, deep repentance, deep humility, a spirit of worship, a concern for the church. Why? We would suggest that the reason lies in its own character and content. It fails to make men God-centred in their thoughts and God-fearing in their hearts because this is not primarily what it is trying to do. One way of stating the difference between it and the old gospel is to say that it is too exclusively concerned to be “helpful” to man—to bring peace, comfort, happiness, satisfaction—and too little concerned to glorify God. The old gospel was “helpful,” too—more so, indeed, than is the new—but (so to speak) incidentally, for its first concern was always to give glory to God. It was always and essentially a proclamation of Divine sovereignty in mercy and judgment, a summons to bow down and worship the mighty Lord on whom man depends for all good, both in nature and in grace. Its centre of reference was unambiguously God. But in the new gospel the centre of reference is man. This is just to say that the old gospel was religious in a way that the new gospel is not. Whereas the chief aim of the old was to teach men to worship God, the concern of the new seems limited to making them feel better. The subject of the old gospel was God and His ways with men; the subject of the new is man and the help God gives him. There is a world of difference. The whole perspective and emphasis of gospel preaching has changed.
From this change of interest has sprung a change of content, for the new gospel has in effect reformulated the biblical message in the supposed interests of “helpfulness.” Accordingly, the themes of man’s natural inability to believe, of God’s free election being the ultimate cause of salvation, and of Christ dying specifically for His sheep, are not preached. These doctrines, it would be said, are not “helpful”; they would drive sinners to despair, by suggesting to them that it is not in their own power to be saved through Christ. (The possibility that such despair might be salutary is not considered; it is taken for granted that it cannot be, because it is so shattering to our self-esteem.) However this may be (and we shall say more about it later), the result of these omissions is that part of the biblical gospel is now preached as if it were the whole of that gospel; and a half-truth masquerading as the whole truth becomes a complete untruth. Thus, we appeal to men as if they all had the ability to receive Christ at any time; we speak of His redeeming work as if He had done no more by dying than make it possible for us to save ourselves by believing; we speak of God’s love as if it were no more than a general willingness to receive any who will turn and trust; and we depict the Father and the Son, not as sovereignly active in drawing sinners to themselves, but as waiting in quiet impotence “at the door of our hearts” for us to let them in. It is undeniable that this is how we preach; perhaps this is what we really believe. But it needs to be said with emphasis that this set of twisted half-truths is something other than the biblical gospel. The Bible is against us when we preach in this way; and the fact that such preaching has become almost standard practice among us only shows how urgent it is that we should review this matter. To recover the old, authentic, biblical gospel, and to bring our preaching and practice back into line with it, is perhaps our most pressing present need. And it is at this point that Owen’s treatise on redemption can give us help.