Felicity! Thoughts on the 2009 Desiring God National Conference

Felicity: Intense Happiness. This was a word mentioned at various times by speakers at the 2009 Desiring God National Conference, and would appropriately describe the conference experience.

There are many things in this world that bring me joy. Among these are the cuteness of newborn infants, waterfalls, Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, a beautiful sunset, and an intuitive technological device. Yes, these bring joy, but the joy that these things evoke in my emotions is fleeting.

There is a felicity that is eternal, and indeed this sweet happiness cannot be separated from Jesus Christ, "the fullness of Him who fills all in all." (Ephesians 1:23) As John Piper, Pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church and founder of Desiring God Ministries has reminded us, "The gospel is the glory of the Happy God." (The Pleasures of God - Pg. 26)

In Matthew 25:23, Jesus invites us to enter into his joy. Christ is our joy. Only he can satisfy. He is also tremendously gracious, and he gave a wonderful gift this weekend to attendees of the Desiring God National Conference.

The theme of the conference was John Calvin in the Theatre of God. Though honor was given to whom honor is due (Romans 13:7), the discussion of Calvin's life and writings were simply a springboard for entering into a weekend of worshipping the lamb of God, Jesus Christ.

Julius Kim spoke on Calvin's commitment to knowing God and making God known. Kim also expanded on God as purposeful, personal, and powerful. He wove a poignant story into his presentation about his father, a man who was raised a Buddhist and disowned by his family upon converting to Christianity. His father's story, unknown to most of us until that evening, was used to enhance his brilliantly moving message.

Collision, a documentary film featuring Douglas Wilson (Pastor/Theologian) and Christopher Hitchens (prominent Atheist), was shown. Both Wilson and Hitchens are intelligent and witty men. The film was intellectually and emotionally stirring. A highlight of this portion of the conference was John Piper's interview of Douglas Wilson following the movie. During this interview, one could sense the passion that Wilson and Piper held for Christian truth, and the tender desire for seeing Christopher Hitchens converted. John Piper prayed for this at the conclusion of the evening.

The next morning, Douglas Wilson spoke on the authority of the Word of God, and Calvin's influence pertaining to this subject. Wilson's evident biblical absolutism was provoking. He spoke of the Bible as being heliocentric, not geocentric. He painted a picture with his words of everything in all existence revolving around the Word of God. He challenged us to "preach a blazing sun." Wilson reminded us that, as Christians, "we declare what is accomplished. We do not declare what we would like to be accomplished."

Marvin Olasky spoke about the public life of a Christian. He reminded us of the tearing down of the walls of separation between clergy and laity; a passion of the Protestant reformers, including Calvin. He traced the history of Calvin's influence on the founding of our free nation, and gently reminded us that "no work done to God is secular."

Mark Talbot soberly spoke of sin and suffering in Calvin's world and in the modern Christian life. We were freshly reminded that we are all broken actors on a broken stage. He then pointed our gaze to the only one in history who was not broken, and yet was slain for our sake on the cross, Jesus Christ.

A round table discussion ensued after Talbot's message. A highlight of that discussion was John Piper's comments on the tornado that struck the convention center at a conference of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, during which a vote was held and passed to allow practicing homosexuals into ordained ministry. Piper, with humble boldness, reminded us that natural disasters are trumpeting reminders from God to repent and turn to Christ. The tornado which struck the convention center (and killed no one), was a merciful call to humanity.

Sam Storms concluded Saturday evening with a message on Calvin and the joy of the last resurrection. Of Calvin, Storms said that he "longed for death but never despised life." He was a man who had one foot raised toward eternity, but a man who lived a very productive life in light of the promise of the resurrection.

On Sunday morning, John Piper concluded the conference briefly thanking John Calvin for being an instrument of God's truth for us, but spent the majority of his message with a burning focus on the glory of God in Jesus Christ. In his message, Piper proclaimed that "Jesus is the embodiment of the glory of God's grace... Jesus is the radiance of His glory... Jesus is the way God gives, and the what God gives... Jesus is the price and the pearl."

The music during the conference was diverse, joyful, and Christ-exalting. The fellowship was sweet. Among the many people whom I met at the conference was a newly converted Christian, a Pastor of a 100 member congregation in a small town in Indiana, an Elder in a Presbyterian church in Kansas, a first year seminary student, and an artist and his wife who had just returned from living in Europe and who were gladly drinking in the refreshing fellowship.

Felicity. To God be the Glory!

Christian Hypocrisy? (Musings on Christianity and the Service Industry)

I am a Front Desk Manager at a full service Hotel.  I am essentially the person who oversees the guest's arrival and departure experience, along with being the manager on duty during my respective shifts. If someone is irate about something and demands to speak to the Hotel manager, I am the guy they will get.  

When I was a child, I never once thought, "I want to be a Hotel manager when I grow up." However, under the Sovereign direction of God through the choices I have made, I find myself in a career that was far off my radar. There is a definite and wonderful tension between God's sovereignty and human choice. Both are biblical truths. The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps (Proverbs 16:9).  

On the job, I occasionally experience something that is worthy of meticulous afterthought. One such event occurred this weekend, and because it relates closely to the theme of this blog, I have decided to share it with you. The goal of this blog is to contend for the truth and freedom of grace through the good news of our Sovereign King and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

There are so many lifeless gods in our world and in our personal lives that obscure the pure grace of Christ. Some of the gods in my life have taken the form of false religion and various forms of sinful physical addictions. I will not delve too deeply into that in this entry, as I have already shared my testimony on this blog. I don't know why Jesus chose to forgive me. I do not deserve his forgiveness. I served these lifeless gods with pleasure, and yet the true and living God interrupted my hell-bound course with his abundant mercy. Now, in increasing measure (though never perfectly), I take joy in worshiping the lamb who was slain, Christ the Lord. 

Idols originate in the sinful heart of man, and are only revealed to us as lifeless and powerless through the Holy Spirit's testimony of Jesus. My prayer, though feebly, is that this blog would be a conduit through which the Holy Spirit would communicate the good news of Jesus Christ, particularly in contrast with the many idols of false religion, pseudo-Christian movements, and atheistic ideologies which plague our culture. 

This weekend a church group checked into our Hotel. I will not reveal the name of this group. However, it would be appropriate for me to mention that this particular organization carries the name of Christ on their banner.  

Unfortunately, there were many challenges with this group while they utilized our facilities. The church's meeting organizers were attempting, in forceful and manipulative ways, to acquire as many "freebies" as possible. I was the target of one of these attempts at manipulation, and bowed to the pressure, later to be called on it by my boss. 

There were individuals with the church group who were attempting to leave the premise of the Hotel without paying. The leader of the group issued several complaints because his room was not cleaned by our housekeeping staff, and demanded an adjustment on his room bill. We later discovered that the housekeepers had tried to clean his room but could not accomplish the task because there was excessive drinking happening in the room, and service was refused.

As a vocal Christian employee and manager of the Hotel, I found myself feeling ashamed and embarrassed.  Anger and self-righteousness began to rise in my heart. How could Christians act this way, I asked myself? They are a blemish on the name of Christ, I thought. More than that, what might my fellow employees think of me, a vocal Christian, as they observe the actions of this group that claims to be Christian? These were some of the many thoughts flooding my mind this afternoon.

Do you see the log in my eye? It is there, and it is big. I'm still having some trouble seeing it even as I write this blog entry. Let's turn to Jesus. He can help bring greater conviction and contrition to the soul, like mine, that feels justified in pointing out the sin of others while being negligent of my own sin. 

What do you say, Jesus?

7:1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. (Matthew 7:1-5)

Jesus' words are truth, and I am starting to see a bit more clearly now. The actions of this church group were a springboard in my soul for the natural default of self-righteous moralism to peak its ugly head. 

You see, the behaviors of this church group were unacceptable. Manipulation, grumbling, lying, and stealing are forbidden in scripture by God through the moral law. The consequence for these sins are far greater than unhappy Hotel employees and a bad name for the Christian faith. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Upon death, comes judgment (Hebrews 9:27). There is an eternal fire of judgment awaiting those who sin (Jude 1:7). 

Lest I mistakenly believe that these judgments are alone reserved for the church group in my Hotel this weekend, it would be helpful for me to be reminded of John 3:19:

19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 

Wait... isn't John only speaking of morally bad people who demonstrate similar actions such as those of the church group at my Hotel this weekend? Absolutely not.

A few versus earlier, John writes one of the most familiar scriptures known to believers and unbelievers alike:

 16 “For God so loved the world, [9] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

The works of the world, of which we are all included, are evil. Have you ever lusted over anyone in your imagination? I have. Jesus calls this adultery. Have you ever been angry? I have. Jesus equates this with murder. Have you ever loved anything or anyone more than God such as a person, a technological gadget, a job, a pet, or money? I have. This is idolatry. 

These are just a few of God's moral laws. At least one law has been broken by every man and woman upon the face of the earth.  

Ecclesiastes 7:20 says:

20 Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.

Furthermore, scripture says that if one point of the law has been broken, the entire law has been broken:

10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. (James 2:10-11)

Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, was given to the world as an unblemished lamb who would receive the judgment, wrath, and punishment of God for our transgressions of the law. He did this in love, so that we who believe upon Him should not perish in the everlasting fires of hell. Jesus Christ is the essence of eternal life. Through his sinless life, death on the cross for our sins, and resurrection from the dead, anyone who repents of their sins and trusts in Christ alone share in his eternal life.  

By God's grace, I now see the log in my eye. Today I was consumed by proud indignation over the sins of these confessing Christians at my Hotel. After a meditation on God's word, I am freshly aware that I am deserving of the same judgment. I have transgressed God's law in many places and at many different times. 

Why should I gain from his reward? I cannot give an answer. But this I know with all my heart, his wounds have paid my ransom. (How Deep the Father's Love for Us)

Grace is the free and unmerited favor that is given to sinners through Jesus Christ.  Would you join me in praying that grace would impact the members of the church who were guests of the Hotel this weekend? 

Father in Heaven,

You are good. You are merciful. You are Holy. There is none righteous, except for Jesus Christ, the lamb of God slain for sinners. Thank you for the blood that was shed upon the cross for the sins of the world. Please lavish your grace upon the folks who were at my Hotel this weekend. May their hearts be softened by the eternal goodness of your mercy. May they freshly see Jesus Christ crucified for their sins, and may they find grace to help in the time of their desperate need. Likewise, Lord, may we who agree with this prayer be impacted again by the power of your cross. May we see with clearer vision that we stand forgiven only because of your faithfulness as demonstrated through your life, death, and resurrection. If it were up to us, Father, we would choose death and eternal separation from you. Thank you for giving us life and peace through your son, Jesus. Amen.

The Gospel for Mormons

Over the last four months, I have had the opportunity to engage in several conversations with missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon). A few of my earlier blog entries delve into specific doctrinal differences between historic, Christian orthodoxy and Mormon doctrine. That is not the intent of this post, though there will be more installments of those articles later. I used to be a member of this organization, and feel a specific burden for my LDS (Latter-day Saint) friends. I am grateful that I do not share this burden alone. My friend Aaron Mayfield has been a kind and generous witness to these young men as well. Thank you, Aaron.

There has been no pretense in my conversations with these missionaries. During our first meeting, I informed them of my familiarity with their organization, and over the course of the last five months have sought to share with them the pure gospel of Jesus Christ. Many of our conversations have been on spiritual matters, but Aaron and I have also simply enjoyed the company of these young men in the house. I think they have enjoyed the food! Though I have shared my story of exiting the Mormon Church and subsequent experiences in evangelical Christianity with them, my story is not the gospel. I do, however, pray that my life is increasingly a reflection of the gospel.

I removed my name from the Mormon Church records roughly ten years ago. When I first left this organization and came to saving faith in Christ, I could not clearly define what had transpired in my heart. I knew that I had been forgiven by Jesus because of his death on the cross for my sins, but trying to express that to my Mormon friends was difficult for me.

I had a lot of passion, but very little doctrinal discipleship to help equip me in sharing Christ. My feeble attempts at sharing the love of Jesus usually surrounded my personal experience of becoming born again. I shared with others about my feelings of being forgiven, and about a physical healing that I had experienced. I focused on certain supernatural gifts of the Spirit that I believed were manifesting in my life, and pointed to those as evidences of the veracity of my faith in Jesus.

For several years after leaving Mormonism and trusting in Christ alone, I wrestled with a desire to return to this organization. Over the course of the last ten years, I have met with several different sets of LDS missionaries, and attended LDS Church meetings sporadically. During those times, I experienced a great disquiet in my soul. Ten years ago there had come a fundamental change in my disposition toward God. I knew that Jesus Christ had saved me, and that something was not quite right about what I was being taught in the Mormon Church. However, I could not clearly articulate what caused such restlessness in my soul.

Two and a half years ago I began attending Grace Church, Frisco (click link for info on Grace Church). Though I have been a part of several different evangelical churches in the last ten years, Grace Church has been the first evangelical church that I have attended that has placed any overt emphasis on the importance of sound doctrine. It was at Grace Church that I first began to clearly grasp that the objective work of Jesus Christ on the cross is of first importance in the lives of believers and unbelievers alike.

The subjective experiences of conversion are evidences of God's spirit changing a sinful human heart, but these subjective experiences do not carry the weight of spiritual authority necessary to save sinners. It is only the story of Jesus Christ - his incarnation, sinless life, substitutionary death on the cross for our sins, and resurrection - that can change a heart of stone. It is Jesus' story that drew me to repentance and faith in Christ alone ten years ago. It is Jesus Christ's story that will reach the Mormon missionaries that I have been engaging in conversation with over the last five months.

One of the missionaries, Elder Sato, finished his mission on Tuesday and returned to Ohio. I was sad to see him go, but grateful that the Lord used me, an unimpressive broken instrument, to declare to him this wonderful story of the most impressive God, Jesus Christ.

Last Saturday night Elder Sato and his missionary companion, Elder Hall, joined me and my roommate Aaron for chips, salsa, and dessert. We gave Elder Sato some Texas parting gifts, including a ceramic boot, Dallas license plate, and T-Shirt. We also included a few solid Christian books such as John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress (click link for info).

During this last meeting together before Elder Sato returned home to Ohio, I felt impressed to share the story of the rich man and Lazarus from Luke 16. The Mormon missionaries were challenged on their view of the consequence of the punishment for sin. Whereas Mormon doctrine states that most humans will inherit one of three levels of paradise, Jesus Christ clearly teaches in this section of scripture that there is a great chasm fixed between Heaven and Hell that cannot be crossed by the dead.

Lazarus was a physically grotesque, needy beggar who inherited eternal life. Lazarus possessed faith in Christ, like Abraham. This faith was counted to him as righteousness. Every human is a needy beggar. However, only those who humble themselves before God and who admit their sinful condition and desperate need for Christ the Savior, will inherit the Kingdom of God.

The rich man in this parable ate well everyday, and never lacked anything, but found himself in the torments of hell. While in the flames of hell, the rich man was not contrite and repentant. Instead, in the same arrogance that is natural to all mankind because of our fallen and sinful state, he was commanding the needy beggar to ease his comfort. This parable is a striking, paradoxical lesson about the state of a human soul that trusts in Christ alone (Lazarus) versus the soul who trusts in his own morality and goodness (the rich man).

After talking through these scriptures, we had the opportunity to pray for Elder Sato and Elder Hall. The next morning they attended our church, and afterwards, Aaron and I attended their sacrament meeting (click link for info on a sacrament meeting). After this meeting, we were approached by several other members of their local ward (click link for info on a ward), one of whom we had a thirty minute discussion with about grace and the exclusivity and sufficiency of Jesus Christ for salvation. Please pray that the seeds that were sown that afternoon will flourish into the salvation of the soul of the man we spoke with. Also, please pray for the three missionaries we have had the chance to meet with over the course of the last four months: Elder Sato, Elder Buck, and Elder Hall.

I plead with those of you who are reading this blog entry and are friends and acquaintances with Mormons to remember the story of Jesus Christ when engaging on spiritual topics with them. It is very easy to drift off into criticism of Mormon Church history, leadership, or structure, and to lose sight of the only one who has power to change any human heart (including ours), Jesus the Messiah.

Also, please pray that this outreach to the Mormons of our community will continue to grow. May the saving name of Jesus Christ be proclaimed and exalted throughout the Mormon Church!

I look forward to rejoicing around the throne of God in eternity with many who have held membership in the Mormon Church in this life. Together we shall declare the praises of the lamb of God, crucified for the sins of the world.

Your co-laborer in the good news of our crucified, risen, and reigning Lord...

Atheistic Humanist Friend Questions My Return to Faith in Jesus Christ

I am taking a short detour from my discussion contrasting the Mormon and Evangelical view on the fall of man to post a public response to a friend, who identifies himself as a humanist, and believes my return to Christianity over the last few years is detrimental to my mental health and well being.

For those who are interested, a brief testimony that I gave at a recent conference documenting my return to faith in Christ can be found here.

In an e-mail this evening, my friend wrote the following:

"It pains me to see a friend put himself down -- believe he is without value and helpless. I once felt that way, but I grew sick of it: I grew sick of being patronized by my god, and I told him to kindly shove off. It was a relief to me when I first thought What if there is no god and popped the bubble. In the days since I have realized what religion and god mean for people, for I feel those feelings as well. I think I understand what is meant by faith and God, and they mean so much more than what we were told to believe and what you have returned to. I pray that your Jesus or some other source will free you from the inner demons that still haunt you -- still drag you back to the past."

Dear Friend,

Thank you for your e-mail. I have appreciated your friendship over the years, and am grateful for the concern you are expressing.

I am sorry that you have interpreted my theological convictions as "putting myself down," and believing that I am "without value and helpless." These statements are only partially accurate. It is true that, in contrast with the vastness of God, I would consider myself as a mere grain of sand on the shore of a beautiful sea.

The value of God, our Creator, far surpasses my value. I would liken it to the value of an artist and the value of his painting. Both are of great worth. An artist possesses the skill and wisdom to create a beautiful painting. The painting is indeed valuable, but its worth is tied inextricably to its creator, who rightfully receives the praise for the creation.

Jesus declares the value of the human being in Matthew 6:26:

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

We are valuable, but only through the exceeding value of Jesus Christ. He is our creator and provider.

God is also our very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1), though in the practicalities of everyday life, he often accomplishes this help in ways that appear on this horizontal plane to be a product of man's will. 

As a human being, I am able to help myself in some of these practical ways. However, there is a difference between primary and secondary causalities. For example, some time ago I was particularly tired and driving into work at dawn. Half way to my destination, I found myself veering off to the side of the road and toward the barricade in the median. The reflexes in my arms and hands on the wheel were immediate, and I was able to steer the vehicle back on course. I helped myself in this situation, but this was a secondary cause of help. The unconscious reflexes that spared me from a horrible wreck that day came from the designer of my body. God is the master designer of the body, and my primary help that morning had its origin in him.

It is true, friend, that according to the innate moral law residing within the heart of man and defined by God through the ten commandments, we are all ultimately helpless. As creations of God, though errant, we have abiding within us a moral compass of right and wrong.

Some of the unpleasant and negative fruits of the human soul are described as works of the flesh and include various forms of sexual deviance, strife, jealousy, anger, envy, and drunkenness (Galatians 5:19-21). These manifestations of corruption have their origin in the human soul.

Though man was created in perfect harmony and fellowship with God, he rebelled against the infinitely perfect creator and thus incurred the just penalty of death and eternal separation from God in hell. We confirm through our own acts of jealousy, anger, and other like sins that we are sons of Adam, and therefore are as deserving as Adam of his punishment.

The appearance of Jesus Christ on the scene of human history is an objective reality that answers the subjective reality of our sinful condition. God incarnated in the form of man, and lived a life of perfect obedience to the moral law of God. This Jesus willingly laid down his life in an extreme act of mercy through dying on the cross as a substitute for the punishment and wrath that we deserve for the works of the flesh, some of which have been listed above. This same Christ then rose from the dead, confirming his divine authority over the power of sin and death. Jesus Christ then ascended to Heaven, and poured out his Holy Spirit upon the earth to continue the ministry of testifying to his saving work.

Your prayer for me is that I would be freed from the inner demons that have haunted me for so long, which you imply are a result of my Christian past. Ironically, I have been freed from these inner demons precisely through the good news of Jesus Christ.

The first century convert to Christianity and great missionary of the Church, Paul the Apostle knew these inner demons well, and wrote the following about this glorious freedom from the dominion of sin in Romans 6:3-14:

"Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace."

My prayer for you is that you would taste of the liberty of this grace in Jesus Christ!

Your friend,

Jonathon

Mormons and the Fall of Man - Part III

I have begun contrasting a foundational doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church) with the view held by historic, orthodox Christianity on the fall of Adam. Our juxtaposition of these doctrines are based on the biblical text found in Genesis and supported throughout our exclusive canon of scripture, the Bible.

In particular, I am attempting to answer a question that was asked of me a few months ago by Elder Sato, a Mormon missionary whom I have been in conversation with over the last few months. Elder Sato asked why God ordained that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil be placed in the Garden of Eden.

Mormon doctrine answers this question with a text found in the Book of Mormon, a piece of literature accepted by faithful Latter-day Saints as supplemental, historical, and divinely inspired scripture.

Speaking of Adam's transgression, a Book of Mormon character named Nephi, accepted by Mormons as a prophet in the ancient Americas, wrote the following in his 2nd Book of Nephi, chapter two versus 22-25:

"And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end. And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin. But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things. Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy."

My previous blog entry, The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil - Part Two, gives reasons why the Book of Mormon's claim that the fall of Adam was necessary in order for Adam and Eve to be able to leave the Garden of Eden and fill the earth as commanded by God, contradicts the biblical text. There is nothing in the Bible which supports this claim.

Granted, one of the LDS Articles of Faith states:

"We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly..."

By his own admission, Elder Sato stated that we have a fundamental difference in how we are approaching our discussion. I approach our conversation with a strong conviction as to the historical authenticity and inerrancy of the many reliable translations of the Bible. Elder Sato agreed that the Mormon Church does not rely upon the Bible alone.

So am I wasting our time here?

I don't think so.

This very debate has happened before, in another century, during the Protestant Reformation. The Reformers such as Luther, Calvin, and Knox believed in Sola Scriptura: the Bible alone is the only infallible, inerrant, authority for the Christian faith. According to the Reformers, and indeed according to the Bible itself, any doctrine promoted by any church not found in scripture is a false doctrine. Hence, the reformation. These Reformers did not initially intend to leave the established Church, but because the leaders within its ranks held the authority of man and his traditions as equal to the authority of the Bible, the schism was inevitable.

As much as I would like to find a compromise with Elder Sato and my many Mormon friends, the simple fact is that one of us is right and one of us is wrong. There is no compromising the truth of God's word. If the Latter-day Saint position on the fall of Adam is correct, than all of Christianity is indeed apostate, and we who do not subscribe to Mormon doctrine are deceived. If the position that I hold on the fall of Adam, which has been shared by the majority of believers throughout the historic Christian church is correct, than the Mormon Church is promoting heretical doctrines that are leading men and women astray. Souls are in the balance.

The New Testament writers are not quiet about false teaching. Spiritual deception is described in 2 Thessalonians 1:10-11 as happening "because they refused to love the truth and so be saved" (Verse 10). What's more, the text says that "God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (verse 11).

Warning about false teachers, the Apostle Paul states in 1 Timothy 6:3-4 the following:

"If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing."

Similarly, the Apostle Peter writes in 1 Peter 2:1:

"But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction."

There is no middle ground on such a fundamental doctrine as the fall of Adam. Therefore, I will now turn to Nephi's second claim in the above quoted text from the Book of Mormon, namely that if Adam had not fallen, the original state of creation would have remained stagnant, and therefore mankind would be unable to reproduce.

Once again, God is not ambiguous. He does deceive nor does he have ulterior motives. When God told man to be fruitful and multiply in Genesis 1:28, this was a directive from the Sovereign King of the Universe to His creation. Man's prideful declaration of autonomy which occurred when partaking of the forbidden fruit included the refusal to accept the good that God had created through sex and reproduction.

At the fall, every aspect of the good that God had created became tainted with the filth of sin. Instead of the pure joy of monogamous union between man and woman, the Bible records humans embracing polygamy and homosexuality, lust and adultery. This continues into our day, because we were born into the sin of our parents. Sexual perversion is rampant in our day; adultery, homosexuality, pornography, bestiality. These sins have their root in the heart of man, and are a direct result of the fall of Adam.

Oh, my Mormon friends, the fall of Adam was not sanctioned by God as necessary for our ability to reproduce, as you are taught in the Book of Mormon! The judgment of God is coming against all sin, including sexual perversion, which is directly tied to Adam's original sin through the deception of the serpent.

God is good, and his original creation was completely good. But for the sin of Adam, mankind would have remained in fellowship with God, obeying His command to be fruitful and multiply because we love Him. Instead, in utter arrogance, Adam fell and became darkened in his understanding. Man became blind to the truth, and each one of us inherited this blindness. We must be shaken from our deep slumber, and made to see by none other than God Himself through Jesus Christ.

Romans 1:21 says this about our fallen condition:

"For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever."

Mormons, hear the truth of God's word. True redemption for the damnable and grave effects of the sin in the Garden of Eden comes through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ bore the wrath of God that we deserve for our sins, for by our sins we confirm that we are sons of Adam. Nevertheless, through trusting in Christ alone; His life, death on the cross as a substitute for our sins, and resurrection - we become sons and daughters of the all powerful, all loving, and all merciful God!

"For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive."

1 Corinthians 15:21-22

Mormons and the Fall of Man - Part II

We are continuing our probe into a significant doctrinal question posed to me by missionaries from the Mormon Church. Why did God place the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden?

The obvious answer is that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was placed in the Garden of Eden because God is God. Any biblical understanding that we have pertaining to this subject is a gift of God's grace. Our minds, the very creation of God, have been given us to us in order that we might know him. With this as our foundation, let us look to the Bible, God's inspired word, for greater clarity.

Mormons believe that the fall of Adam was a necessary ingredient for the eternal progression of mankind. As such, Adam and Eve's partaking of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is viewed as essentially positive. Though we can affirm the redemptive biblical position that "for those who love God all things work together for good" (Romans 8:28), we cannot affirm any goodness in mankind's rebellion.

The Apostle Paul, the great first century missionary of Christianity to the Gentiles, wrote of the fallen human condition as a result of Adam's rebellion in Ephesians 2:2-3:

"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind."

This is a strong and sobering statement by Paul about the universal human condition that came as a result of the fall of man.

In the Book of Mormon, the second book of Nephi, chapter two, verse twenty-two, it says:

"And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden."

The claims of the Book of Mormon about the fall of man seem to lessen the severity of Paul's words. His words and those of the Book of Mormon cannot be reconciled.

Let us examine why these claims cannot be reconciled.

In Genesis 1:26-28, God made man in his image and after his likeness. At this time he declared that man should have dominion "over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth..." A few verses later, God blesses man saying, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth..." These statements to fill the earth are made before Adam and Eve partake of the forbidden fruit.

Genesis 1:31 says:

"God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good."

Truly God's creation was perfect, for God is perfect.

From this text we learn the following:

1) God created man after his image and likeness.
2) God, being perfect, created perfect man.
3) God commanded man to fill the earth.

The Lord God did plant the Garden of Eden for the man to work and keep. This was the instruction of God to man. His further instruction was that man could eat of every tree of the garden, except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The consequence for this act, determined by God, was death.

The instructions were clear. The Book of Mormon's statement that if "Adam had not transgressed, he would have remained in the garden of Eden," is to imply that God's commands are not authoritative, final, sufficient, reliable, nor good. As creations of God, man's responsibility was to respond to what God had commanded, knowing that God is good, and all of his instruction is good. The coming sin at the fall of Adam was an infinite rebellion, for God is infinite and worthy of eternal worship.

God is not ambiguous, nor is he a deceiver. The simple biblical truth is that God was abundantly gracious to Adam and Eve. He created them to worship him, giving them freedom to eat of any tree of the garden, except for one. God commanded man to fill the earth prior to Adam's rebellion.

Instead of heeding to the counsel of the sovereign God, man became corrupt through the deceitful desire of sin. The just punishment for Adam's sin and ours is eternal wrath, "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 in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:4-7)

Because God is faithful and true to his word, his command to Adam and Eve to fill the earth will be fulfilled. Though the wicked will justly perish in the fires of hell, those who are counted righteous through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ will dwell with him in a renewed earth for eternity.

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:1-4

God's redemption of his people does not have the eternal progression of man at its center, as Mormonism teaches. Mankind is redeemed so that we might eternally worship Jesus Christ, the lamb who was slain for the sins of the world.

Mormons and the Fall of Man - Part I

A few days ago I was on my way home from work in my neighborhood, and noticed two young men in black pants, white shirts, and ties knocking on doors. Tied to the light post in front of a house were two bicycles. Mormon missionaries were on the move.

I was filled with an intense compassion for these young men. At eighteen and nineteen years of age, they have left the comfort of home for two years to embark upon a proselytizing journey. Their mission destination is assigned by church headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah. Very little contact from family and friends is allowed. Their goal is to baptize into Mormon Church membership as many as they can persuade. For many of them, going on a mission fulfills a cultural expectation placed upon them from early childhood. From a young age, Mormon boys are constantly reminded of their duty to serve a worthy mission, to marry a worthy wife, and to become fathers to a generation of righteous children who will be reared in the faith. There is an implicit weight of condemnation and sense of failure that hovers over a young man who chooses to deny his sacred duty to the mission field.

With this in mind, I stopped my car and engaged in conversation with Elder Buck from Utah and Elder Sato from Japan. I invited them to my home, where they would be served a healthy meal and rich dessert. Afterwards, we would spend approximately two hours engaging in discussion about the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Toward the end of our conversation, Elder Sato asked me to contemplate why God would have ordained that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil be placed in the garden of Eden, hence being used as a tool by which Adam and Eve would commit the first of all human sins, theologically referred to as the doctrine of original sin.

The doctrine of original sin has its inception in Genesis and is affirmed throughout scripture. It is the record of the fall of man and subsequent depravity inherited from generation to generation through the sin of Adam in the Garden of Eden. Eve was deceived by the serpent and partook of the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Adam and Eve, who walked in unhindered fellowship with God, were given the liberty of enjoying the benefits of every aspect of the garden, save eating of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, per God's directive. Adam, who bore the responsibility of leading and protecting his wife, also partook of the fruit, and thus is held responsible before God for the sins of all the children of Adam, of whom each one one of us are included. The consequence and divine punishment by God for the human race due to Adam's original sin is death and eternal separation from the presence of the Lord, otherwise known as Hell.

The Mormon Church affirms that the Book of Mormon is a divinely inspired and historic text of scripture. There are many speculations as to the origins of this book that will not be addressed at this time. Though there are many biblical truths found within its pages, there are some strikingly non-biblical teachings that emphatically deviate from historic, orthodox Christianity.

One such verse is found in the Book of Mormon's second Book of Nephi, chapter two versus 22-25:

"And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end. And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin. But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things. Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy."

From this text, the following teachings are propagated to approximately twelve million Mormons throughout the world:

1) If Adam had not fallen, he and Eve would have been confined to the Garden of Eden.
2) The original state of creation by God was stagnant, therefore mankind was unable to reproduce before the fall.
3) Without the knowledge of good and evil, which the tree provided, Adam and Eve would have remained in a state of innocence, otherwise interpreted as ignorance.
4) The pre-fall state of man was joyless.
5) Joy can only be fully known through the knowledge of sin, and therefore, the fall was necessary for human joy.
6) Good works could not be accomplished by man before the fall because there is no contrast to sin (bad works).
7) The fall was necessary for men to be as God intended.
8) Humans were created to experience joy.

Throughout the remaining installments of this essay, each point of Mormon doctrine from this text of their scripture will be addressed from an exclusively biblical perspective. May God's word through the Holy Bible illumine our minds to truth, and may Elder Sato's question about God's plan in placing the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden be understood with greater clarity.

Who Invented the Palm Leaf? My thoughts on Palm Sunday.

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday; a day observed by the historic Christian Church for centuries. 

As a child, I recall walking into a church and receiving a palm leaf, or something akin to it. At the time, this gift that I received upon entering the sanctuary was void of any meaning except the youthful intrigue of receiving such an odd item prior to a church service. 

This evening, as I compose my thoughts about Palm Sunday, I am filled with a reverential awe for the creator of the palm leaf, for "by him (Jesus) 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 1:16-17

Jesus Christ, who is the image of the invisible God, walked the earth and ministered among men who did not perceive his Godhood. Jesus' Jewish disciples were anticipating a Messiah who would restore the throne of King David. The Messiah was expected to conquer their Roman foes and restore the Kingdom of Israel through military might. In this Hebraic context, Jesus was celebrated and hailed with palm branches as the King of Israel. The Palm leaf was a symbol of Jewish victory, and rightfully prophesied a great conquest. Indeed, the Messiah Jesus was among them, but his conquest would be far greater than the greatest of military victories.  

"His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him." John 12:16

The King Jesus' conquest would be sealed through his own blood and humility on the cross. His victory would be over sin, death, and Satan. On the cross, Jesus would become sin for sinners. Jesus would willingly endure the just punishment of a Holy and perfectly good God, so that those who trust in him would be credited as the beneficiaries of his sacrificial conquest over evil. Whereas we were once children of darkness, we are now forgiven children of light, and our Father is God, the maker of the palm leaf, and the creator of all things. 

Colossians 1:15

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 

John 1:10

He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 

2 Corinthians 5:21

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 

1 Thessalonians 5:5

For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 

Grace for Today

During a recent retreat in the White Mountains of Arizona, the following questions were pressing on my soul:

Do you trust the Lord? More specifically, do you trust him today?

I have been desiring greater consistency in my life of faith in Jesus Christ. During the retreat, my Pastor inquired about my soul, and I expressed to him my desire for greater consistency in my Christian walk. He gently reminded and encouraged me that this desire is good, but made the profoundly obvious statement that I so often overlook:

"Consistency starts today."

I am very prone to over analyze my current circumstances, and because of them, presume on my future. This is not faith. If circumstances are easy and joyful on a human level, my idealistic tendency is to imagine all things in the future as being joyful and easy. If I am faced with adversity and struggle, I am prone to filter my thoughts on the future through dim and unrealistic shades. In both of these scenarios, I am trusting in ideas and feelings that are spurred on by regrets of my past or fear of the future. Indeed, I am trusting in and worshiping myself, rather than the timeless and eternal, immovable rock, Jesus Christ.

I was reminded of the scripture in 2 Corinthians 6:1-2

6:1 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For he says,

“In a favorable time I listened to you,
and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”

Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

Through much discussion and a sermon by John Piper on the life of Augustine, I was freshly impacted on the following points:

1) Every human being, believing and unbelieving, has an innate desire for happiness.
2) Sin becomes a counterfeit for the real, tangible, eternal satisfaction found only as we delight with great joy in Jesus.
3) It is only God who gives us the sovereign ability to delight in Him. This cannot be manufactured.
4) This Sovereign Joy, swaying the will, ultimately triumphs over the pleasure of sin in the life of the believer.

The following are a few additional scriptures that have come to mind and been encouraging as I have meditated on God's sufficient grace for today:

2 Corinthians 12:9

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Philippians 4:11-13

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Matthew 6:25-34

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? [7] 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Ephesians 2:8-10

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

From Augustine's auto-biography, The Confessions:

You (God) are supreme and you do not change, and in you there is no "Today" that passes. Yet in you our "Today" does pass, inasmuch as all things exist in you, and would have no means even of passing away if you did not contain them. Because your years do not fail, your years are one "Today." How many of our days and our ancestors' days have come and gone in this "Today" of yours, have received from it their manner of being and have existed after their fashion, and how many others will likewise receive theirs, and exist in their own way? Yet you are the self-same: all our tomorrows and beyond, all our yesterdays and further back, you will make in your Today, you have made in your Today.

I would highly recommend reading and/or listening to this profound exposition on the life of Augustine by Pastor John Piper:

http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Biographies/1474_The_Swan_is_Not_Silent/

Grace in Depression

There is Grace in Depression.

My soul has been very weary lately. Over the course of the last year, I have come to a theological understanding that because of Jesus Christ's sacrifice on the cross and His glorious resurrection, I am unconditionally accepted, graciously loved, and totally liberated from the penalty of sin. Nevertheless, there are days and even weeks when I wrestle with despondency and deep sorrow. Often this cloud of gloom overshadows my soul with no warning. Today was one such day.

Nevertheless, God is always gracious.

In the Letter of Paul to the Church in Galatia, the Apostle Paul addresses a group of Christians that had received the Good News of God's grace, and yet began to reintroduce the bondage of obeying the law of Moses to achieve righteousness, thus earning the favor of God. This is faulty theology, and will lead to faulty living. Like the Galatians, I have battled this tendency for many years. When I am in the mire of depression, my soul is consumed with thoughts that if I perform certain tasks, I will be happy again. My soul is consumed with thoughts that if I figure out the root cause of my depression, I will live totally free from it. In these periods of darkness, my soul is consumed with what I can do, or not do, rather than what God has already done.

This evening, I was reminded of the Apostle Paul's question to the Galatians in Chapter 3 verse 3-6:

Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain - if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith - just as Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness?

A friend of mine, who also happens to be my Pastor, reminded me that Charles Spurgeon, the Prince of Preachers, suffered bouts of extreme and sudden depression throughout his life. I began researching the words of Spurgeon that spoke to his life long battle, and found the following to be of great encouragement:

It would be a very sharp and trying experience to me to think that I have an affliction which God never sent me, that the bitter cup was never filled by his hand, that my trials were never measured out by him, nor sent to me by his arrangement of their weight and quantity.

He also said (and please note the last sentence in bold):

One Sabbath morning, I preached from the text, `My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?' and though I did not say so, yet I preached my own experience. I heard my own chains clank while I tried to preach to my fellow-prisoners in the dark; but I could not tell why I was brought into such an awful horror of darkness, for which I condemned myself. On the following Monday evening, a man came to see me who bore all the marks of despair upon his countenance. His hair seemed to stand up right, and his eyes were ready to start from their sockets. He said to me, after a little parleying, "I never before, in my life, heard any man speak who seemed to know my heart. Mine is a terrible case; but on Sunday morning you painted me to the life, and preached as if you had been inside my soul." By God's grace I saved that man from suicide, and led him into gospel light and liberty; but I know I could not have done it if I had not myself been confined in the dungeon in which he lay. I tell you the story, brethren, because you sometimes may not understand your own experience, and the perfect people may condemn you for having it; but what know they of God's servants? You and I have to suffer much for the sake of the people of our charge....You may be in Egyptian darkness, and you may wonder why such a horror chills your marrow; but you may be altogether in the pursuit of your calling, and be led of the Spirit to a position of sympathy with desponding minds.

Finally, the following said by Spurgeon encouraged my soul tremendously:

This depression comes over me whenever the Lord is preparing a larger blessing for my ministry; the cloud is black before it breaks, and overshadows before it yields its deluge of mercy. Depression has now become to me as a prophet in rough clothing, a John the Baptist, heralding the nearer coming of my Lord's richer benison.

There is Grace in Depression.