Realmscapes

Sola Scriptura

The Vatican requires legitimacy and value for its continued existence. They reject "sola scriptura" because they believe that their presence is necessary to correctly interpret the Bible for the masses.

Luther started the Reformation in large part because of this false teaching.

There is little difference between papal attitudes over the centuries to today and the Pharisees in Jesus day. Christ taught the OT freely to the people sans the Pharisaic additions and interpretations.

Jesus' ministry frequently showed that God's Word is sufficient for knowing God and His plan of salvation. Consider John 1:1-18 and Jesus statements later in that book, that "no one comes to the Father except through Me."

Paul also says in 2 Corinthians, "But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ."

Jesus frequently rebuked the Jewish religious leaders for placing the importance of keeping man-made traditions and considering their expositions over God's Word. That is the context of calling tradition and extra-Scriptural commentary a bad thing. (Matthew 15:10-20)

Both Protestants and Roman Catholics should remember Colossians 2:16-23 (and other verses) well when it comes to telling people what extra-scriptural behavior is supposedly necessary to live a Christian life. Lifestyle choices must be made solely within the context of Scripture and plain reason.

Finally, it is a matter of faith to accept Scripture alone as the source of salvation and knowledge of God. (1 Thessalonians 2:13)

Pentecost - Ephesians 2:1-10

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—-by grace you have been saved—-and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places..."

Right Christianity: A Brief Exposition

Approaching our faith from the standpoint that "I am right and you are wrong" misses the point, and will always result in a failed witness as you run headlong into your neighbor's wall of pride.

It's not about being right in the eyes of my neighbor. It is about Joy, and Peace.

This does not mean that sin isn't properly addressed, for it must be to maintain the proper balance of Law and Gospel. But the specific sin doesn't matter since sin is sin in the eyes of the Lord.

It is vital that those around us understand that it is our sin that separates us from the "peace that passes all understanding."--sin and pride. Through the "mystery work" of the Holy Spirit we come to know Christ. Sin is confessed, our false foundation of pride crumbles, and a new foundation is built by Jesus through our believing on His sacrifice for our sin so that we may know God's loving grace fully.

In this knowledge, Christians experience a Joy that cannot be taken away while we maintain our Faith through His Word and Sacraments.

Spreading the Joy and Peace of this good news is the ultimate loving your neighbor as yourself. These are our motivation to do good by our neighbors. These good works do not save us or contribute to our righteousness. They bring our neighbor into God's presence either to strengthen their faith or with the hope they will hear His voice calling them outside the door of their hearts.

This is being right... made so in the eyes of God only through justification by our faith in Christ, thus sanctified by the Holy Spirit through the Living Word of Scripture.

Here Christians must stand, we can do no other.

Redeemed Stewards

As you are likely aware, the better part of this decade has been especially politically charged in the direction of the environment. One big movement has embraced the 21st century theories of "man-made climate change" and turned this view into something very close to a neo-pagan religion where mankind is evil and must "repent" by doing what it can to "save Mother Earth" or perish in "judgment" via increased natural disasters. Some "Christian" churches may not embrace the God-less neo-pagan view, but do suggest that good works towards nature work for our salvation--thus they fall into the Roman Catholic trap of works righteousness.

I am confident there is a difference between good stewardship of this world (conservation) and the more recent outlandish ideologies of environmentalism, which often at its core is nothing more than a political vessel for socialism, or worse a strong central government--perhaps even a new world order where something like the United Nations replaces national sovereignty. Many countries (including ours) are seeing a decrease in individual liberty or governments that use extreme environmental ideologies to take wealth from its citizens for political ends (say for a national health care plan that allows coverage for abortions). The Christian community especially is feeling the vise of increasingly centralised governments worldwide.

The unequal distribution of wealth is another point often made in the political arena. I of course agree that greed or the hoarding of wealth is not proper stewardship by those whom God has blessed with wealth; and that those of us with liberty and means should be prepared to help those who are not so fortunate as appropriate--and this includes nations, not just individuals. However, it is my experience that there are plenty in poverty who remain in poverty (for whatever reason) out of choice or laziness; there are many others who do not use the talents that God has gifted to them to improve their situation OR their church's. I understand these to be just as disrespectful to God as a financial miser or an apathetic country.

I am concerned that people being exposed to these messages, especially from "Christian" churches, are concluding that faith in Christ is in line with the increasingly popular neo-pagan environmentalism or the view of "populist Christianity" that gained momentum in the early 20th century. These are both false doctrines.

Regardless what--in God's eyes--the correct view is on wealth distribution or environmental stewardship, the ways we fail to meet the needs of our neighbors, or maybe some other grave sin that we are all committing against God without our knowledge, repentance and faith in the saving work of Christ is what ultimately matters... that our failings to be the stewards God intended are already wiped away from God's sight. Thus we can look forward with confidence to being God's redeemed stewards in His new Heaven and Earth.

We should never use our sinful nature as an excuse to misuse God's creation or feign ignorance to the plight of our neighbor's needs when we have the means to help. Taking care of God's creation and our neighbor can only be the fruit of a heart that loves God, as is revealed through Christ and confirmed by the Holy Spirit through His Word. Yet that same Word says that Christ's righteousness given to us trumps failed human "good intentions" and stewardship that goes wrong.

Two Loves

"And when we come to be judged in the end, Jesus will meet each of us, and judge us, not according to our religious affiliation, or our adherence to that religion’s laws, but according to the greatest commandment — the love we gave, in our lives, to God and one another."

This is a fundamentally flawed pronouncement given by many moderated churches. The idea is often that a church based on a "saving doctrine" of Love is a church that can grow in the modern world. Love is something that we all want to give and, of course, receive. And since God is defined as a loving supernatural force, then love must be what God wants. True? Afterall, Jesus says that there are no greater commandments than "Love your God with all your heart" and "Love your neighbor"--these two commands sum up God's Law.

But notice what is subtly missing from the above statement given by many preachers today. Notice that the saving action is one-sided: it's all about what "we" do. That is the fatal flaw. Dating all the way back to the first Christian churches, humans have contended that salvation must be based on what we do. We are hardwired for guilt and a craving for control. And when we are given a challenge that we deem impossible it is natural for us to tweak things up a bit...lower the bar so that we can reach our personal goal. But the bar set by the Law cannot be lowered.

Ironically we are in an age wholly opposite from that of Martin Luther: in his day, God was an unrelenting taskmaster ready to throw down the first handy lightning bolt he could find; today, God is someone you snuggle up to and whom we expect to shake his head laughing like a house pet who looks cute while making a harmless mess. The one view gives the Law omnipotence and the other view "removes the problem" of Jesus and renders the cross impotent.

"And when we come to be judged in the end, Jesus will meet each of us, and judge us, not according to our religious affiliation, or our adherence to that religion’s laws, but according to the greatest commandment — the love we gave, in our lives, to God and one another."

This is a fundamentally flawed pronouncement given by many moderated churches. The idea is often that a church based on a "saving doctrine" of Love is a church that can grow in the modern world. Love is something that we all want to give and, of course, receive. And since God is defined as a loving supernatural force, then love must be what God wants. True? Afterall, Jesus says that there are no greater commandments than "Love your God with all your heart" and "Love your neighbor"--these two commands sum up God's Law.

But notice what is subtly missing from the above statement given by many preachers today. Notice that the saving action is one-sided: it's all about what "we" do. That is the fatal flaw. Dating all the way back to the first Christian churches, humans have contended that salvation must be based on what we do. We are hardwired for guilt and a craving for control. And when we are given a challenge that we deem impossible it is natural for us to tweak things up a bit...lower the bar so that we can reach our personal goal. But the bar set by the Law cannot be lowered.

Ironically we are in an age wholly opposite from that of Martin Luther: in his day, God was an unrelenting taskmaster ready to throw down the first handy lightning bolt he could find; today, God is someone you snuggle up to and whom we expect to shake his head laughing like a house pet who looks cute while making a harmless mess. The one view gives the Law omnipotence and the other view "removes the problem" of Jesus and renders the cross impotent.

The Dangers of Church Moderation

The top leader of the Episcopal Church, Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, has grabbed recent headlines by saying "the great Western heresy: that we can be saved as individuals, that any of us alone can be in right relationship with God."

I don't know what her agenda is behind the statement. I do know from other interviews with her that she supports blessing gay couples and "theological diversity", believes evolution theory explains creation, and comes from a background of scientific scholarship with no pastoral service to a specific congregation.

Episcopalians in America are in the midst of the same fraction-ing that my own church body, the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, faced throughout the 70s. (We are still fighting moderation temptations in our senior leadership.) Addressing the impact of cultural politics is difficult enough let alone when the presiding leader calls heresy that which God's Word (in Romans 10) specifically requires of each person...individually:

"...if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved."

Bishop Schori's words is the exact reason why it is imperative that each of us remain in the Word for ourselves daily. Christ's church is governed by sinful creatures who make mistakes. God's Word does not.

25 Recommended Christian/Gospel Albums

These are our favourite Christian music albums that we also highly recommend. This isn't a traditional "best of" list since there are some top-selling artists that have best-selling records who just aren't among the selection of artists that we listen to. These are not in any particular order:

Kolb: The Genius of Luther's Theology - CH 2, The Core of Human Identity

Kolb nails some vital points concerning Luther's reformational theology that is missed by many non-Lutheran Christian churches today (quotes from Luther are in italics):

"For Luther...a Christian who desires to receive the forgiveness of sins cannot run to the cross, for there forgiveness is not yet imparted to us. Nor can we count on receiving it by keeping the memory of the suffering of Christ alive in our minds. Istead we must go to the Word that imparts, gives, proffers, and delivers the forgiveness of sins that has been purchased on the cross."

"By itself, the biograph of Jesus is not yet gospel. It becomes the gospel when it grasps the sinner with the promise that Christ lived, died, and rose 'for you!' and 'for me!' and 'for us!'"

"(God's) promise is not an annoncement that will be fulfilled only in the future; it is a creative word that takes immediate and present effect. ...It creates the reality that we are justified. It announces that we have gone through the eschatologial judgment ahead of time."

"Paul teaches that baptism is not a sign but the garment of Christ, in fact, that Christ himself is our garment."

"Luther's simul justus et peccator (simultaneously righteous and sinful) means that in this life a person is a sinner in the eyes of the law, the world, and oneself, while at the same time completely a saint in the eyes of God on account of Christ."

That last quote is a biggie because many churches and theologians cannot get their minds around the fact that there is nothing we can do to be worthy of the gift of grace, or that the Law no longer plays an active role for the Christian. They argue that works help make us more worthy (or prepares the world for the Last Days) and that the Law is serves as a daily, active reminder that we are not worthy. The problem with both of these statements--and they are often uttered by many well-meaning pastors and professors--is that they are falling into the human weakness of guilt and pride that comes with accepting such undeserved generosity.

"But without the Law active, Christians may go on sinning without rebuke, leading ungodly lives," one might say. Except that Christians who fully embrace God's promise miraculously find themselves living a godly life. They actually don't want to sin; and when the sin comes they are fast to God who reminds them that they possess Christ's righteousness. So when the Pastor forgives your sin during a church service it is more a reminder of God's promise since in fact your sin is already gone from God's sight. If this were not so, leading godly lives would be a chore instead of a delight, and that path goes to self-righteous arrogance. The Law is in our lives daily via the world and Satan's whisperings; it is written on our hearts since birth and rises as a specter when we think on the crucifixion of our Lord. It need not be actively invoked by the Christian as well for the purpose of making ourselves worthy before God--not even a little--for that is like drinking poison.

Kolb: The Christian Faith - CH VI, God's Law

If I could choose one chapter for someone to read--Christian or non--it would be this one.. and most especially televangelists who spend their breath preaching God's wrath and assigning things like 9/11 to God's Judgment.

God's Law in our lives is like a farmer who puts up an electric fence to prevent his cattle from trampling his farm. If we go and touch that fence, we should expect to receive an electric shock. When this occurs, is the farmer to be called unjust?

Consider 9/11: President Clinton had the opportunity to kill bin Laden. Unfortunately, the operation was active just before the Monica scandal was about to break. Clinton couldn't be reached to approve the mission that would have killed or captured bin Laden and the terrorist was able to escape. So is God to blame for 9/11? or an example of human weakness and sin?

As Kolb explains, "It is thus important to remember that the visitation of punishment should not be seen first of all as merely an assessment of blame but rather a call to repentance." Death comes for us all in any number of ways. The first question is not who or what kills and why, but are we ready for that moment when God says, "Your time on Earth is done", and are our friends and loved ones ready. That is also the point of Jesus in Luke 13:1-5.

I can't tell you how often I get frustrated when I hear so many evangelical preachers from the Baptist and charismatic parts of the Christian community preach with 10-parts Law and 1-part Gospel. Their intent may be noble, but the result is far from. Using the Law to scare people into faith will not produce a long-term faithful Christian. Eventually, Satan will always remind a person of their failures before God. None of us want to fail God so we work work work to please Him. Both through Satan's whispers and our senses, we come to see that pleasing God to the standard he expects is impossible. This will make us bitter and resentful since we will view ourselves as "under the whip". When this occurs we are disconnected from God and back where we started: outside of His grace.

What these evangelical preachers are accomplishing is nothing short of disaster since it is a legalistic faith. God wants us to love Him and serve Him. How can we do this if we view God as taskmaster? If we are water, then the Law is the rocks that we smash and break against. Kolb articulates a vital point in this chapter: "Those who hear God's Law from the lips of believers may or may not receive the Law according to the use intended. ... And so we must always be sensitive to the effect our use of the Law--whatever its intent--is having on the person to whom we are addressing it. We dare never forget that whatever use we intend, the Law always accuses."

And when we do apply the Law it must be in correct proportion with the Gospel. Incorrect aplication of the Law is like pouring medicine in a wound that must be cleaned, but using too little (or forgetting entirely) the healing salve afterwards. The Sacrifice of the Christ on Good Friday is that most important salve for our wounded souls.

Kolb: The Christian Faith - CH V, Sin and Evil

"Labeling abuse of any kind an illness rather than a sin does nothing to alter the misery of both the perpetrator, who is also victim, and the victim whom he or she loves and yet hurts."

Is it any wonder that psychology and Christianity do not often get along? The above sentence alone could put out of business the whole of the psychiatric profession if followed by the human race. But as long as less than a third of humanity places their trust in God, the psychiatrist has nothing to fear.

I have long refused the treatment of a psychiatrist for my social anxiety affliction. Somehow I always believed that at the root of my anxiety was a lack of trust in God's goodness and control. Mr Kolb's ending to the chapter confirms what my heart has known: that if God, and those he has put in my life, cannot restore my psychology, then what hope would a human doctor with limited knowledge of my person, and likely little reliance on faith, have in curing me--or anyone else.

Indeed, so long as anyone denies the presence of God, the long curse of sin, and the salvation required to purge its poison from our lives, then that person is doomed to wander through this life like a lost soul in a wasteland.

Sadly, as my wife's philosophy teacher confirms wither her "Yikes" response to Saint Augustine's explanation of original sin, we can expect no help from our educators to even give new generations the curiosity necessary to embark on a path to discover God's Hand in the universe and our lives.