Spiritual Warfare Has Begun

When you become a Christian the war is not over, it has only begun. Now Satan is after you as well as the world of academia, entertainment, the press and government. But your worst enemy is yourself. Pogo, the cartoon, said, "We've met the enemy, and he is us." We have a nature that we can only act according to and God is the potter and we are the clay. We are not free to act contrary to our nature. Also, we live in "enemy-occupied territory." Satan is the god of this age, and we should realize this, though God is still sovereign and he can do nothing without God's permission.

Sun Tzu, in his book, The Art of War, said that, if you know your enemy and know yourself, you don't have anything to fear from a thousand battles. (Swindoll mentions this in a book). Andrew Jackson was wondering why his troops were fighting amongst themselves. He said, "Gentlemen, remember, the enemy is over there!" Yes, the battle has just begun and now we are no longer God's enemies but Satan's. Remember that the Lord of Hosts is fighting for us on our behalf! David said to Goliath, "I come to you in the name of the Lord of Hosts."

We win the war with the modus operandi of faith. This is our strategy: faith, prayer, the Word of God, the helmet of salvation (being sure of our salvation), the breastplate of righteousness, and the belt of truth. God gives us the armor to fight Satan. The world, the flesh, and the devil are the enemies. Satan still attacks through the three ways of the pride of life, the lust of the eyes, and the lust of the flesh. Remember, God never allows anything into our life that we cannot handle.

We are to "resist the devil," who uses psychological warfare and masquerades as an angel of light and appears as a "roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet. 5:8). Remember, the devil knows where you are vulnerable and weak, so don't flirt with danger. I have found out that you are the most susceptible to his attacks right after a victory or a success. One modus operandi is to divide and conquer. We have been rescued from the "dominion of darkness," so let's live like it.

According to John MacArthur, the war is a "truth war," and if you aren't engaged in this war you should doubt your Christian testimony. It is "not about wits," but faith and faithfulness. "Earnestly contend for the faith" (Jude 3). William Tecumseh Sherman said, "War is hell." Fighting Beelzebub is no less serious.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Value Of Knowing the Scoop

Chuck Swindoll writes of the value of "knowing the scoop." Presumably, people think that ignorance is bliss. Contrariwise, it is the knowledge that gives power and freedom. "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free." We must strive to know our "way around the block theologically speaking." "Tunnel vision" is when we don't see the BIG PICTURE, and that is why knowing all the basic Bible doctrine is important. The Bible is not written out as theology or systematic theology, but one is expected to study it here and there. Also, God never teaches us something just for ourselves. The more we pass on the more He gives us.

 The Bible was not meant to increase our knowledge so much as to change our lives. Knowledge can indeed be dangerous, as Swindoll maintains, and especially when not mixed with love and grace. We can become intolerant of those not as informed as we are and think we are superior and they are "poor specimens." "Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies." (cf. 1 Cor. 8:1) Apollos was a great man in the Word and it is said that he had his theology "honed to perfection" so that he could "deliver the goods." We become balanced by seeing the big picture and being educated in the deeper things of God. God doesn't want us to be ignorant nor infants in Christ who balk at learning the deeper truths--which is childish.

Remember that it says in Scripture, "what Jesus began to do and to teach." They are linked together: Theory and practice; doctrine and ethics; orthodoxy and orthopraxy (right action); idealism and pragmatism; thinking and praxeology (right behavior). I never said that doctrine would be entertaining, but it is necessary. We can never get enough because we will never fully comprehend God; though we can know Him personally.

Beware of the temptation of "doctrinal indifferentism," since in the last days many will "bailout theologically" (cf. 1 Tim. 4:1).  It was Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam that thought theology was the bugbear of the Church's life. It is ignorance that binds us, not knowledge. In summary, Swindoll says that knowledge and confidence are like Siamese twins, they are forever linked--like Sir Francis Bacon said, "Knowledge is power" (cf. Prov. 25:4).   Soli Deo Gloria!

Justified By Works?

Martin Luther almost didn't accept the book of James as part of the canon, because it seemed to teach justification by works instead of by faith as Rom. 1:17 says. "The just shall live by faith." (Cf.  Hab. 2:4; Heb. 10:38; Gal. 3:11) In fact, the cry of the reformation and rallying cry was sola fide or faith alone. R. C. Sproul points out 4 possibilities of mixing faith and works: (1) Works = Salvation (which is religion); (2) Works + Faith = Salvation (which is legalism); (3) Faith = Salvation - Works (which is antinomianism); and (4) Faith = Salvation + Works (which is correct evangelicalism).

Notice that works and faith all play a part in whether one realizes it or not. Everyone has some sort of faith and does some sort of work. We are not against works per se; just works done in the energy of the flesh instead of the Spirit. In Religion and Legalism works is a "have to" or an "in order to;" according to the gospel works is a "want to" or a "therefore." We see works as an honor and privilege, not a duty.

NB:  we are saved by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone. Good works always follow genuine faith. Spurious faith doesn't produce genuine works. The gospel is different because of grace and the fact that you can know you are saved. In a works religion, you never know how much works is enough! But religion will always be with us because man is incurably addicted to doing something for his salvation. Jesus was asked what work to do to inherit the Kingdom, and He said, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him ..." Faith is our "act", but it is the "work" of God--God doesn't exercise faith, He merely bestows it.

James is talking about a "profession of faith" and Paul is talking about "living faith." For sure, we are saved by faith alone, but not the kind of faith that is alone (without works). Paul is saying we are not saved by the works of the law, and James is saying we need to demonstrate and exhibit our faith. The book of James talks of the human viewpoint. The faith you have is the faith you show! You just can't say you have faith, or you just can't make the claim without proof. You must demonstrate your faith by works. Paul urges us to be rich in good deeds, James to be rich in faith. We are a people "zealous of good works" (cf.Titus 2:14)  Soli Deo Gloria!

Theology's Importance

Since we are talking about doctrine we should define theology, the most important doctrine, since it is the study of God. C. H. Spurgeon said that the highest thing man can do is contemplate the Godhead--it would blow his mind indeed! God is the highest thought possible. Actually, theology has been called "God-talk." In the 17th century, it was the past-time of every gentleman to discuss theology and most were well studied on the subject.

Of course, Theos means God, and logy refers to the study of. Theology is the queen of the sciences since it is really the original science if you call the attainment of truth a scientific endeavor. Theology is more than a philosophy which is just speculation, conjecture and hypothesis. Theology is based on revelation, not rationalization. We could only know God if He were to reveal Himself to us. "Canst thou by searching find out God?" Zophar asked Job. Only as God takes the initiative and reveals Himself to us. This is either mediate or immediate revelation. There is general revelation such as the heavens declaring the glory of God, and there is special revelation such as God's Word. (Erasmus of Rotterdam, the unsurpassed scholar of the 16th century who debated Luther, thought theology was the "bugbear" the Church's life.)

We are not to be debating theology for theory's own sake, or to keep it theoretical; we are to live it out. The purpose of studying God is to be led to God and know Him personally. However, the case is sad today, for in the last days some will "bailout theologically" as Swindoll couches it. We are seeing orthodox theology less and less tolerated in the name of tolerance. One day we tolerate as they define the term and then we are embracing. We should never give up on sound doctrine and theology. "Teach sound doctrine." "Adorn the doctrine of God." "All Scripture is profitable for doctrine...."

Theology is not a "fool's errand of speculation," nor an "abstract science," according to R. C. Sproul, but self-attesting truth. If the Bible appealed to anything else such as human logic or reason then it would be inferior to it--we must take that leap of faith to begin our knowledge of God. Sproul calls us all theologians; the question is whether our theology is sound or not. We can have a sound theology without a sound life, but not a sound life without a sound theology.

C. H. Spurgeon said, "No subject of contemplation will tend to humble the mind than thoughts of God." "Nothing will so enlarge the intellect." God wants us to see the world through the spectacle of God's Word. "We develop a taste for spiritual things," someone has said. "Now that you have tasted that the Lord is good...." Ps. 34:8 says, "Taste and see that the Lord is good." I was hoping to "whet your appetite."

As we learn we get PROGRAMMED with the Word of God. Remember the principle "GIGO" and apply the flip side which would be "the Word in = the Word out." (Not "garbage in = garbage out".) We see the world through the spectacles of God's Word we will have divine viewpoint instead of human viewpoint.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Our Dark Side

Mark Twain is quoted by Swindoll as saying that we are all like a moon that has a dark side no one sees. This is true. We all have "feet of clay" (having weaknesses not readily apparent), and are vulnerable to sin because of our very nature. We cannot clean up our act before we can come to Jesus; we must come as we are, but we cannot stay that way. We must see how bad we are before we can become good. It's not how bad we are, but how bad off we are. It is like the distance of a deaf man to a symphony or a blind man to the Mona Lisa. We cannot bridge the gap. Jesus sees through the veneer and we cannot fool him.

Humanism means man is the measure of all things; basically, down with God and up with man and think man is basically good, but we an inherently bad. You must realize that we are not sinners because we sin, rather we sin because we are sinners. It is our constituted nature to sin. We can deal with sins in the plural, but our problem is sin in the singular--our old sin nature inherited from Adam. This is God's estimation of man, not man's estimation of man.

The totality of our nature is permeated with sin and our image of God is marred and defaced morally. "No one knows how bad he is until he has tried to be good," says C. S. Lewis. The paradox is that we must see our bankruptcy--the truly bad person thinks he is alright! We must realize how bad we are before we can be good!  The way up, by paradox, is down.

We are sinful in toto and in solidarity with Adam completely. Someone has said, "We cannot escape our birthright." We cannot ingratiate ourselves with God, because we "have feet of clay." That means we have hidden vulnerabilities. We are permeated with sin through and through--there is no vestige of righteousness.

R. C. Sproul writes of a man who never lost his faith in the basic goodness of man despite being held captive in Iraq--this is sheer ignorance! Compared to Saddam Hussein the run-of-the-mill sinner looks like a saint; however, he is just as bad off from God's viewpoint and they both must come to Jesus the same way in childlike repentance and faith.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Total Depravity

We are totally depraved, not utterly depraved--man is wicked but not as wicked as he possibly can be.. We are as bad off as we can be, but not as bad as we can be. God restrains has put limits on our iniquity and Ps. 76:10 says that God uses the wrath of man to praise Him. Man is non posse non peccare, which means he can only do evil. He has lost all ability to do good in God's sight because his motives are wrong and every part of his nature is infected with the sin virus.

Compared to Saddam Hussein the "run-of-the-mill sinner" looks like a saint, said one misguided soul according to R. C. Sproul. Man's will, emotions, and intellect are wrong. "All our righteousness is as filthy rags." "For those who are in the flesh cannot please God." (Cf. Rom. 8:7) We cannot reform ourselves or change by a free act of the will ("Henceforth, I will do only good"), as Jeremiah said, "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard its spots? Then neither can you do good who are accustomed to evil." "The whole heard is sick, and the whole heart faint" (cf. Isaiah 1:5).

We are volitionally defiant (we are voluntary slaves to evil) and cannot  will to do good apart from the grace of God." Every intent of the heart of man is only evil continually," says Gen. 6:5. All of our faculties are pregnant with sin, and you cannot be just a little pregnant; you either are or you aren't. Sin has affected our whole being, and there is no "island of righteousness" left. We are permeated with the sin virus.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Let's Not Ridicule Theologians

Did you know, according to R. C. Sproul, that we are all theologians? The point is:  How good of a one are you?  You cannot escape it, whether you realize it or not you have a theology. We are epistles, known and read by all men!  "For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he" (Prov. 23:7). The question is not whether you have a theology, but what kind of theology you have, and whether it is "sound." We need to have our minds renewed by the "washing of water by the Word" (Eph. 5:26).

The truth will sanctify us and set us free. There are some Christians who are the type to get A's in a theology course, but they hardly know their God! Just being able to talk about theology in itself is no clue to maturity. It was every gentleman's hobby in the 17th century to discuss theology.

We must not look down on those less informed as "poor specimens." Let us also not look down on those who have a God-given desire to learn the things of God in depth, since an immature believer balks at learning the things of God in depth. However, the aim should be to have a simple faith and to keep it as simple as possible--not secluding ourselves in our ivory towers. Yes, we cannot escape theology, it is here to stay, and to reject it is not an option. Theologians get a bad wrap, but we need them!

By the way, R. C. Sproul is rated as one of the most influential theologians in the world and I can say that I personally owe him a debt of gratitude. I don't think his knowledge is just theoretical, but that he puts it into practice. The knowledge of doctrine is meant to be a means to an end (of knowing God), not just for storing it up--but for passing it on and practicing it. In the final analysis, it is not how much we know as to how much we sow.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Knowing God

J. I. Packer wrote a book entitled Knowing God and talks about the difference between knowledge about God and knowledge of God.  We don't just believe in God, but believe God!  We can know a lot of facts about someone and yet not even know them at all. When God supposedly described Eve to Adam, don't you think he wanted to meet her and get to "know" her?  We can know a lot about godliness and still not know God. We may have simply memorized the dance of the pious or going through the motions.  Even the ability to say long prayers can be hypocritical and deceiving.

We know God by having a living and vital relationship with Him. To know Him is to love Him. To know Him is eternal life itself. We can know the Bible, or many Christians and still scarcely know our Lord. It is more than curiosity or a desire to know all the answers, it is a thirst for the living God, to love the truth, to meditate in His temple. We are meant to know God and if we want to boast, it should be that we know the Lord (Jer. 9:24 says, "Let him who boasts, boast that he understands and knows Me...").

Packer lists four propositions that show knowledge of God: Great energy for God; great boldness for God; great contentment in God; and great thoughts of God. Daniel 11:32 says that "those who know their God shall be strong and do exploits." God is incomprehensible because He is infinite and we can only know Him as He reveals Himself to us. He has revealed Himself to us in His Son. To know Jesus is to know God and to be saved is to know Jesus. Scholars seem to know a lot about God and theologians can make you think you are ignorant, but just being an enthusiast for the Bible can give you a more true knowledge of what matters than all the mumble-jumble gobbledygook. We can experience God and He wants us to know Him intimately, but we must be willing.

Knowing about God is not wrong per se, because it is a necessary precondition to knowing Him, so we must not look down on knowledge, for it has its place. Rejecting knowledge is not an option, but it is a means to the end of ultimately knowing God.

Packer says that a little knowledge of God is worth more than a great deal of knowledge about God. Sometimes we really think we know a person, but don't--it is necessary to have a relationship with that person and not just know facts. Just being able to discuss Bible themes or religious topics in itself does not mean we know our God. Our prayer life, our witness, our testimony, our fellowship are better barometers of our relationship. We can have a good knowledge of God with doctrine and we can have little knowledge of God without doctrine; we can also have knowledge of God with little doctrine--our doctrine need not be impeccably correct to be holy.

Let's not be content just to be theologically correct at the expense of living faith and the love that is so important. Being good at theology might be a gift, but it is no sure sign of spiritual maturity. A Christian can get A's in theology and be very immature (don't confuse gifting with maturity, because one can use his gift without being mature).  Some believers are more "blow than go," and are like backseat drivers or "armchair quarterbacks," thinking they know more than they do. "If anyone thinks he knows anything, he does not yet know as ye ought to know." (cf. 1 Cor. 8:2)

In the final analysis, it is not so important how well we know God, but that He knows us. (cf. Gal. 4:9 says, "But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God...."  Remember how important it is for Christ to know us: He will say to them "...I never knew you...." On the other hand, anyone who says he knows God because he has had some experience, or boasts that he knows "someone" (like knowing people in "high places") and does not obey God is a liar. Religious experiences and ecstasies are no guarantee of knowing God. Many religious mystics have religious existential "encounters."

Remember: We were made to know God with resultant love for Him. Jesus summed it up well when He said, "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent" (cf. John 17:3).   Soli Deo Gloria!

"Bible-club Mentality"

Chuck Swindoll talks about having an "exclusive mindset" in our circles and churches. Without a mixture of love and grace, we think we have "cornered the market" on the truth and are a cut above other groups or believers. We become proud, smug, and arrogant. No church owns your mind and has a monopoly on the truth. No pastor is infallible, not even the Supreme Pontiff himself (by the way, the Pope didn't claim infallibility when speaking ex-cathedra (pontificating) until 1870). We are not to "kiss our brains good-bye" or commit intellectual suicide, but to be Bereans who check things out for ourselves and don't just take everything for granted or as "gospel truth."

We can be unbearable if we think we know all the answers or that we think we are better by virtue of superior knowledge which puffs up. We must remain teachable and humble in our attitude. Knowledge can be dangerous when not based on the Bible. When we think only our group is right and all the other groups are inferior we have become a cult and truth has gone to seed in our intolerance. We all have something to learn from each other and we all need each other.

We don't all have the gift of pastor-teacher, but that doesn't mean we can't instruct and edify one another. Let us be Bereans that go to the Scriptures to check out whether these things are so! We don't commit spiritual suicide when we join a ministry. In sum, we don't "park our brains in the church's narthex," as Josh McDowell says.   Soli Deo Gloria!

The Will To Change

The Bible never attributes to man the ability to change his heart. "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spot, then neither can you do good who are accustomed to evil" (cf. Jer. 13:23). "You WILL not come to Me ..." (Cf. John 5:40, emphasis mine). Freedom of the will is contradictory to the sovereign grace of God; they both cannot exist. Either man is in control of his destiny, or God is. "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts." (Cf. Zech. 4:6)

The question is what makes man willing? God must work in the heart. We cannot do anything to merit grace or prepare ourselves for salvation. God is not man's debtor.

We cannot change of our own volition or will, we are volitionally defiant. But no one is so sinful or so hardened that God cannot save him. (He can take a heart of stone and make it a heart of flesh according to Ezek. 36:26.)  Arminians give themselves the credit for responding positively to the gospel as if they took advantage and made good on the grace of God while others don't. They actually pat themselves on the back for their salvation!

To believe in free will and the sovereign grace of God, is biblical, and you are confused to dichotomize them, and you are ignorant, and if you believe you were saved by both.   Face it, God made you willing and able to believe and wooed you to Himself. Had it not been for the Holy Spirit, you would not have believed.   Soli Deo Gloria!