Revolutionary Christianity- Living the Revolutionary Lifestyle in Condemnation

May 21, 2009

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” – Romans 3:23

” ‘You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.’ … ‘You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.’ “ – Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28

” ‘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? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.’ “ – Luke 6:41-42

One of the biggest places where Christians fail to live the revolutionary lifestyle is in their condemnation of sin in the world. It doesn’t take much experience to know what I’m talking about. If you have seen a street preacher screaming damnation towards homosexuals, a youth group turning its back on a pregnant teenager, or a Bible teacher deriding the evils of dancing, cinema, and women in the workplace, then you have seen a “Christian” who is not living in revolt against the teachings of the world. Don’t get me wrong, there are evils in homosexuality, fornication, and drunkenness, but there is also evil in pride, gossip, and self-righteousness.

If we reflect on what I will personally call “the doctrine of small sins” we see that many religious people, as well as “moral” citizens, are capable of picking out the big no-no’s. However, there are many little eh-maybe’s that they let slide. “Eh, maybe I shouldn’t be mean to my wife tonight.” “Eh, maybe I shouldn’t yell at the guy that cut me off in traffic.” “Eh, maybe I shouldn’t look at the girl on campus that way.” But, there is no conviction, no desire, and usually no visible ramification that will make us to decide to follow those rules.

However, God doesn’t see it that way. Christ is quoted above saying “everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment” and “everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Thus, it’s not just what you see, it’s not just that someone has sex with his secretary after work, but the fact that he thinks about it during his lunch break, that is in violation of God’s law. It is not just the man who murders a family, but also the man who desires to run a fellow motorist of the road that is worthy of separation from God. There does not have to be a physical action or a tangible sin to point at and say “See, that person is a sinner” for us to have sinned.

As well, it teaches that none are above sin and therefore there is no benefit in harping on certain sins of others while you have enough sin of your own to deal with. The place we see this the most is in the way religious people handle homosexuals. So often the cry of hellfire and gnashing of teeth is the only words that a gay person hears come from a “Christians” mouth and it never seems that the true mercies of God’s love are revealed to them. Yet when we look to the passage in John 8 where Jesus is confronted with a woman caught in the act of adultery, whom the scribes and Pharisees bring to him in order that they may see if he upholds the Mosaic law of stoning her to death. However, before Christ says anything to the woman, he admonishes the teachers who, in their zeal to see the woman punished, have failed to see that they too are as guilty as her before God. Then, once they all realize their own failings, Christ, the blameless one, grants mercy to the woman, as only he can, and commands her to leave and to not continue in her previous sins.

It is not the Christians job to convict of sins, that is the work of the Holy Spirit moving in the heart of the elect. No, instead it is for the believer speaking to an unbeliever to preach the gospel (Romans 1:15. 1 Corinthians 1:23, 1 Corinthians 9:16). And what is the gospel? It is the good news. Condemnation? That is the law. But the good news is that Christ fulfilled the law, that he laid down his life as a sacrifice, to pay the price for our sins, and then rose again from the grave so that we may have power to overcome sin, being justified in the eyes of God, that in the end we may be glorified and seated with him in heaven.

How do we live the revolutionary lifestyle in condemnation? Realize that we are all sinners, that God hates all sin and that all sin leads to eternal separation from God. And then preach the good news to all people, that through Christ some may be saved from hell (1 Corinthians 9:19-23).

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Posted by Todd Burus

Revolutionary Christianity- Living the Revolutionary Lifestyle in Purpose

May 20, 2009

“Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.’ “ – Matthew 6:9-10

“And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.’… Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, ‘My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.’ “ – Matthew 26:39,42

” ‘For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.’ “ – Matthew 12:50

“Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.” – 1 Peter 4:1-2

As full-fledged Christian Revolutionaries, one of the main aspects of our lives that revolt against the teachings of the world is in why we do what we do. What is our will? What are the motivations behind living this revolutionary lifestyle the way that we do? Why should we choose to abstain from certain behaviors (such as premarital sex) and engage in others (like evangelism)? In short, it is because we should long to do the will of God!

The majority of other major worldviews, Humanism, Existentialism, Postmodernism, Universalism, and such, all view the purpose of man as to do his own will and seek his own good so that in the end he is either counted as a good person and/or worthy of attaining some sort of heaven. They view man as having a fundamental ability to do “good” and as being a naturally “good” creature.

However, as a Christian we see over and over that we are by nature not good (Ephesians 2:3, Romans 3) and that because of our nature we are all deserving of death and Hell (Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:1). Yet it is by the mercy of God that we recieve grace and forgiveness (1 Peter 1:3-5), and we can “take off the old self” and put on the new which was “created after the likeness of God” (Ephesians 4:22-24).

Thus, we are called to our revolutionary view of our will. As quoted above in 1 Peter, we are to live “no longer for human passions but for the will of God”, and as illustrated by Jesus, both in the Lord’s Prayer and His own prayers in Gethsemane, we are to pray for and desire that the will of God be done, regardless of the cost to ourselves. That is revolutionary, that is completely against the nature of this world and its’ man-made philosophies which desire to satisfy the flesh and fulfill the desires of a man’s heart. As is the main thesis of John Piper’s book Desiring God, God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him, and so we should not only seek to do His will but also to be happy in doing so.

As a Christian Revolutionary it is always for the will of God that I should strive, and that I may be more able to do it as He is conforming me to the image of His Son. When the world desires goodness and satisfaction they always turn inwards, but as a new creation to whom God has given “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God” to (2 Corinthians 4:6), we know that the only way to truly have our joy fulfilled is by abiding in Christ and seeking to do the will of the Father.

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Posted by Todd Burus

Revolutionary Christianity- Living the Revolutionary Lifestyle in Public

May 19, 2009

“For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.” – 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

“And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.’ So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all grumbled, ‘He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.’ “ – Like 19:5-8

“As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he rose and followed him. And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ But when he heard it, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.’ “ – Matthew 9:9-13

When Christians discuss Jesus and His life and ministry, so many want to focus on His parables or on the conversations He had with the disciples. However, only focusing on that stuff, as wonderful and beneficial as it is, neglects another very worthwhile portion of Jesus’ ministry: Jesus hung out with sinners! And no, not just in the “we are all sinners” way, but Jesus actually spent large amounts of time with the greedy, loose, drunken, and morally corrupt! He spoke at a well with a serial divorcee who was living in fornication with her current partner (John 4). He called a money-grubbing tax collector out from the collection tables to follow Him as a disciple (Matthew 9). He allowed a sinful woman to approach Him and wash His feet as He ate with a Pharisee (Luke 7). In short, Jesus didn’t shy away from sinners, but instead He embraced them and loved on them, and through this loving, He was able to effectually rebuke them and bring them to a saving faith (Luke 7:50).

So then, why as Christians today are we so afraid of the world? Why are we so afraid to go to the movie theaters or to be seen in places where *gasp* people drink alcohol? Why have we adopted the attitude of the Pharisee who says, “Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!”?

To follow Christ is to be revolutionary in our public behavior. First, we are to be revolutionary to the lifestyle of religious people. As a true follower we must fight against the mindset which says we have to sit at home on Sundays or homeschool our children. For we see that Jesus healed on the Sabbath (“it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath“, Luke 9:12), and that Daniel accepted the schooling of the Babylonians, more opposed to God than any present-day public school, without religious conflict (Daniel 1). Jesus even makes a point to tell the religious people that “the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you” (Matthew 21:31), because the sinners, though sinful, have realized their need for a savior and repented to follow, but the religious people in their piety are unable to accept Christ as Lord.

Second, we must be revolutionary to the lifestyle of the world. Though Jesus ate with the sinners, socialized with the prostitutes, and partied with the drunkards, He did not partake in their sinful lifestyles (Hebrews 4:15, 1 Peter 2:22). Moreover, Jesus, in His righteousness, was able to call these people out of their sin and into eternal life (Luke 8, John 4). In such a manner, we too are led. As quoted above, the apostle Paul makes it clear that we should use our freedom as Christians to better acquaint ourselves with unbelievers so that through our efforts some may be saved. Don’t get me wrong, if a brother struggles with alcohol, he shouldn’t minister in a bar. However, if a man is able to do so with a clear conscience, then a bar would be a great place to make friends with unbelievers. We must be revolutionary in our behavior, not acting like every fool with an STD and a lampshade on our head, but as a joyous, sanctified creature, fully intoxicated on the glory of Jesus Christ and longing to peer pressure non-believers into trying some too.

Christ was a revolutionary in His public and social life. His conscience was clear and His purpose was sure. He longed to meet sinners where they were and call them to repentance through a relationship with Himself, and He could not have cared less what the legalistic religious people said.

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Posted by Todd Burus

Revolutionary Christianity- What it Means to be a True Follower of Christ

May 18, 2009

Revolution \Rev`o*lu”tion\, n.
(1) a drastic and far-reaching change in ways of thinking and behaving;
See also: Revolutionary, n., a person who either advocates or actively engages in some kind of revolution.

” ‘Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.’ “ – Matthew 10:37-39

“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. 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” – Ephesians 2:1-5a

One theme I wish to focus on over time in this blog is the truth of the revolution which was instituted with the ministry of Christ on this earth and the spreading of the gospel that followed His resurrection. Jesus was a revolutionary! If we look at the above definition we can easily say this, knowing that through Jesus’ ministry came a “far-reaching change” in the thoughts and behaviors of those who follow Him. That the world as it was B.C., before Christ, and the world after His death, burial, and resurrection, are radically different. The revolution was begun in Christ and still continues to this day, affecting more people than the American Revolution, the French Revolution, and the various Communist Revolutions combined. It is truly a revolution in which no one is left unaffected and the rallying cry goes out to masses, either you are with Christ or you are against Him, there is no Switzerland in this conflict.

Therefore, we too, as believers, are revolutionaries. Our figurehead is Jesus, our manifesto is the Bible, and our charge to fight was given in the Great Commission. Thus, over the forthcoming posts in this series we are going to examine the various aspects of our revolutionary lifestyle and just why these are counter to the lifestyle of the world and to the ways of the “prince of the power of the air.”

Romans 12:2 tells us not to be “conformed to this world“, and as such we must stand firm in the principles of our cause (1 Corinthians 16:13), prepared to fight for them in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2), never ashamed but always glorifying the name of the Father of our leader (1 Peter 4:16). We are revolutionaries, we are soldiers who must persevere, striving always to advance the cause of the kingdom, until one day Jesus, the first revolutionary, returns, overthrowing this present principality and reigning for all eternity on. Viva la revolucion!

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Posted by Todd Burus

As With Moses . . . – A Devotion on Joshua 6.27

May 17, 2009

“So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame was in all the land.” -Joshua 6.27

Recall what God promised to Joshua in chapter 1, verse 5: “Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.”  Now here, following the confrontation at Jericho, we see this attested to.  Through the divinely inspired text, God reminds us of his covenant faithfulness. 

This is where our hope lies today.  We too wait on a covenant God has made:

Because, 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. (Romans 10.9)

There is a point at which we’ve already been saved, through the regeneration of our hearts (Titus 3.5f), and yet there is a reality that we are still sinful, still in the world, awaiting the completion of our salvation in the eschatological kingdom (1 Peter 1.5).  

Thus we are waiting on God to complete his covenant with us.  But thankfully, that is why verses like Joshua 6.27 are in Scripture, so that we may know that God is faithful, his covenants he never breaks.  Amen.

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Posted by Todd Burus

More than Just Stones- A Devotion on Joshua 4.21-22

May 16, 2009

“And he said to the people of Israel, ‘When your children ask their fathers in times to come, “What do these stones mean?’ then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.“‘” -Joshua 4.21-22

What landmarks are we leaving for our children?  Is it just a pile of rocks?  For several generations years the legacy of the church has been the church– the church building that is.  The European landscape is littered with ornate places of worship, and the eastern United States is not devoid of them either.  Yet so many stand empty, as monuments and historical sites, no longer functioning as the meeting house of God’s people.  At some point it lost its’ meaning.  At some point it became just a pile of rocks.

This is not what Joshua is doing.  This is not the will of the Lord who is commanding it.  These stones are to serve as a reminder of God’s awesome power and his unrelenting promise.  They are to be a place where people who may have lost their way can come back and experience God’s power once again.  

Unfortunately, once in the hands of sinful humanity these altars become idols and we fully lose the original intent.  We must be sure to leave landmarks, but careful not to leave out the proper spirit which gives these landmarks their meaning.

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Posted by Todd Burus

God’s Embarassing Love- Reminiscing over Relient K

May 15, 2009

I was sitting at my computer today compiling an iTunes playlist of my favorite songs, one from each band on my iTunes, for my wife to have while I’m out of town this next week (It’s half sweet and half an inside joke about how she was so worried going into our premarital counseling because she could not remember if my favorite band was Pearl Jam or Nirvana (It’s Nirvana!)), and so anyways, I got to my Relient K albums and in picking out my favorite song from among them I was reminded of this incredible song that appeared on their first big album called “I am Understood?”

Now, I know that Relient K is not (a) the coolest band nor (b) the deepest lyrically, but this song really says what I’ve often felt in such a profound yet blunt way.  The lyrics are this:

Sometimes it’s embarrassing to talk to you
To hold a conversation with the only one who sees right through
This version of myself
I try to hide behind
I’ll bury my face because my disgrace will leave me terrified

And sometimes I’m so thankful for your loyalty
Your love regardless of
The mistakes I make will spoil me
My confidence is, in a sense, a gift you’ve given me
And I’m satisfied to realize you’re all I’ll ever need

You looked into my life and never stopped
And you’re thinking all my thoughts
Are so simple, but so beautiful
And you recite my words right back to me
Before I even speak
You let me know, I am understood

And sometimes I spend my time
Just trying to escape
I work so hard so desperately, in an attempt to create space
Cause I want distance from the utmost important thing I know
I see your love, then turn my back and beg for you to go

You looked into my life and never stopped
And you’re thinking all my thoughts
Are so simple, but so beautiful
And you recite my words right back to me
Before I even speak
You let me know, I am understood

You’re the only one who understands completely
You’re the only one knows me yet still loves completely  And sometimes the place I’m at is at a loss for words
If I think of something worthy I know that its already yours
And through the times I’ve faded and you’ve outlined me again
You’ve just patiently waited, to bring me back and then    

You looked into my life and never stopped
And you’re thinking all my thoughts
Are so simple, but so beautiful
And you recite my words right back to me
Before I even speak
You let me know, I am understood

The noise has broken my defense
Let me embrace salvation
Your voice has broken my defense
Let me embrace salvation

Wow!  I mean, just read that first line: “Sometimes it’s embarrassing to talk to you, to hold a conversation with the only one who sees right through this version of myself I try to hide behind.” That is right where I am every time I have to come to God asking for forgiveness over the next in my long string of offenses (never mind all the ones I don’t feel the need to ask special forgiveness over).

Or what about, “If I think of something worthy I know that its already yours”?  So often we think that our words and show is so impressive to God when really it’s already his to begin with.  It reminds me of Paul in Acts 17 where he says, “The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything” (vv.24-25).  We never really seem to get this, do we?.  

Again, please read this and let the lyrics sink in.  Like I said, they’re surprisingly deep and will make a big impact on your worship and prayer if you let them.  Enjoy!

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Posted by Todd Burus

New Site Launch: Seven-Word Devotions

May 14, 2009

Between blogging and Facebook and Twitter, many people have turned to the internet to express themselves in very personal yet very public ways.  Chances are good that you are doing this in some way yourself.  Yet what do we really wind up saying?  What we’re eating?  Where we are going?  How our favorite sports team is doing and why that dramatically impacts our ability to cope with life?  With all the possible avenues of communicating, in the end we often wind up saying very little.  But it doesn’t have to be that way. 

In his book, Brothers, We Are Not Professionals, John Piper talks about how Christians use their emotions.  Prevailing wisdom today says that our expression needs to be raw and unchecked if it is going to display authentic feeling.  However, the most powerfully emotional book in the Bible, Lamentations, literally the book of mourning or wailing, is also one of the most formally constructed.  In its 5 chapters, each consists of 22 stanzas, and the first four chapters use a literary device known as an acrostic.  To put it mildly, this book is anything but raw and unchecked, and yet it does not fail to pour out with genuine, authentic emotion.

So, here is the idea: let’s take the accessibility of our social networking capabilities and combine that with the thought provoking formality of Lamentations to create a site where we can reflect on the glory of God Almighty within the constraints of 7-words.  Call it Seven-Word Devotions, using seven short words to praise God’s character, to pray to him in hope or fear or doubt or sadness, to declare his majesty to the nations.  An example we see in Scripture is when the prophet Isaiah is standing in the throne room before God and cries out, “Woe is me!  For I am lost!”  Only seven words, but it conveys so much. That is what I propose we do.  It doesn’t even have to be original.  It could be a song lyric or a quote from the Bible or just anything that causes you to reflect on the glory of God and the marvelous works of his hands.  Seven words to express our hearts.

If you are interested in becoming a regular contributor to Seven-Word Devotions, please contact me at tburus@msn.com and I can set you up with access to post.  If you would rather post your devotions as a visitor, you can simply add them as a comment to any of the posts already up on the site.  Then before too long, we will have a site filled with short prayers of consecration directed to God, singing praises to his glorious name, and hopefully giving each other glimpses of his beauty that we may never have experienced on our own.

Please, join us in worshipping our great and wonderful God!

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Posted by Todd Burus

What We Believe- Article XVI, Peace and War

May 13, 2009

After last weeks mammoth paragraph on Christians and the Social Order and before the coming weeks treatises on Religious Liberty and The Family, we have a short blurb on how Baptists should handle conflict among peoples:

XVI. Peace and War

It is the duty of Christians to seek peace with all men on principles of righteousness. In accordance with the spirit and teachings of Christ they should do all in their power to put an end to war.

The true remedy for the war spirit is the gospel of our Lord. The supreme need of the world is the acceptance of His teachings in all the affairs of men and nations, and the practical application of His law of love. Christian people throughout the world should pray for the reign of the Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 2:4; Matthew 5:9,38-48; 6:33; 26:52; Luke 22:36,38; Romans 12:18-19; 13:1-7; 14:19; Hebrews 12:14; James 4:1-2.

Because evangelical Christians, and Baptists in particular, tend to align ourselves heavily with conservative politics, at least in this present day, then we often inherit some of the charges laid against these parties in matters that should not actually be a criticism of the church.  The issue of peace and war is one possible example.

Should Christians be war-mongers?  There certainly is sufficient testimony of God’s people at war in the Scriptures as well as in the last 2000 years since the creation of the church.  There are even times when God explicitly called his people into conflict (cf. Joshua 6).  But, among Christ’s last words to the disciples prior to his trial and execution was the command to Peter to “put [his] sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Matthew 26.52), which pictures for us a kingdom that is to be won without conflict because it is a kingdom “not of this world” (John 18.36).  

So then where do we fall?  The article says, “In accordance with the spirit and teachings of Christ they should do all in their power to put an end to war.”  I believe this to be right.  Christians should not desire war, but if the time comes when it is unavoidable then we have freedom to defend ourselves.  Of course, this takes great discernment.  

I read recently from John Piper that he does not own a gun, even to protect his house, citing the same reason given by Jim Elliot for not using guns to protect their missionary group in Ecuador: “The natives are not ready for heaven. We are.”  This is a convicting thought, but we must also view it in light of other types of conflict, namely conflict that occurs between countries and acts of terrorism.  At what point must we stand up to defend our person and our families from senseless violence?  Does “turn the other cheek” always apply?

Looking into the OT we see an account in Judges 20 where the tribe of Benjamin drew their swords against the rest of Israel and the remainder of the nation went to God to receive instruction on how to proceed in defending themselves in battle against this attack.  Innocent people had been hurt and more were in danger and so God commanded his people to take action, which meant entering into war.  Similarly 1 Samuel 23 pictures for us David being led by God into battle in order to protect the city of Keilah.  Now, I realize these are Old Testament stories, but is there any place in the NT where a new law prevails?  It is not quite fitting to transpose the words about personal conflict (i.e. “turn the other cheek”) into matters of familial and national security.  As much as God is a God of peace he is also a defender of the weak, and so, as I stated before, we need to be able to use discernment in fleshing this reality out when it comes to war and peace. 

To close our look into this article, let’s peak a little into its history, namely the inclusion, removal, and then readdition of the declaration that “Christian people throughout the world should pray for the reign of the Prince of Peace,” as we go from the 1925 to the 1963 to the 2000 versions of this text.  It surely is an interesting sentence, as my first reaction hears it as an implicit ode to premillenialist eschatology.  But if this is the case it would make no sense for it to disappear during the 60′s when men like W.A. Criswell who were well-known for their premillenial dispensationalism were in their stride.  On the same token, if this is not a wink towards premillenialism then why is it here.  If all that is being viewed is the second coming of Christ then this would be a better fit in Article X on Last Things.  Alas, the only sensible explanation then would seem to be that it is simply a call for Christians to pray for the second coming, but even that I question if it is a good teaching.  Oh well, “The secret things belong to the LORD.”

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Posted by Todd Burus

Steps Away from the Dark Side- Thoughts on How to Avoid the Temptation Towards Christian Universalism

May 12, 2009

Last week we spent several days looking at Christian Universalism and several errors abuses that I claim are making it easier for evangelical churches to fall into this heresy.  The four I named specifically were a misunderstanding of the idea that “God is love,”  a misunderstanding of salvation by grace alone, the teaching of Free Grace theology as it pertains to perseverance, and the denial of the doctrine of a literal hell.  Today I want to briefly discuss what I think we can do to protect against these errors and hold off the advancement of Christian Universalism into our churches.  My thesis is this: in order to protect against the doctrinal errors that tempt Christians towards accepting the Christian Universalist viewpoint, we need to better teach, demonstrate, and embrace the traditional reformed doctrines of salvation, particularly the doctrines of total depravity and unconditional election.

First, I believe that holding to a true understanding of total depravity goes a long way here, the core issue of this being whether or not man is by nature good and able to choose on his own to please God.  He either is or he isn’t, there really is no middle ground, even though men like Paige Patterson muddy the waters playing fast-and-loose with this terminology.  

Total depravity teaches that man is by nature sinful, wholly incapable of pleasing God and radically undesiring to do so (cf. Hebrews 11.6, Ephesians 2.1-3, Romans 3.9-12).  Understanding this means that we are confronted with the fact that every second of a person’s life prior to being saved is spent in absolute rebellion against God.  At no point is anything this person does going to incline God towards them or merit God’s favor in any way.  ”[E]very intention of the thoughts of [their] heart [is] only evil continually” (Genesis 6.5).  This is all sin and all an affront to the righteousness of God, which incurs his just anger.  For God to forgive this requires more than just love.  This is not some little kid who doesn’t mean to be bad they just are sometimes.  This is a full-blown sociopath who shows no remorse or care that they are breaking every rule set out for them.  If God is just he has to deal with this.  If God is not just then he is not God and so were done.  Therefore, “God is love” proves to be insufficient and salvation by grace alone must be understood in the context of who actually did pay for our transgression, that being Jesus Christ.  If man is totally depraved then we have a real mess on our hands and it requires a much bigger God than the false God of Christian Universalism to fix what’s wrong with us.

Moreover, if man is totally depraved before salvation and yet able to please God after salvation then that means something happens at salvation.  This something is what we find in Ezekiel 36 and Titus 3:

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. (Ezekiel 36.26-27)

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit. (Titus 3.4-5)

At the moment of our salvation God washes over our totally depraved hearts and brings them out anew, ready to walk in his ways, able to follow his commands and serve him in a manner that is pleasing.  We no longer are stuck in “following the course of this world” (Ephesians 2.2) but now are free to offer “spiritual worship” to our Lord (Romans 12.1).  Therefore, to not do so is wildly out of place.  Why would God set us up in such a way to do good works (Ephesians 2.10) if he did not have any intention on us actually doing them?  Why are we given “heart[s] of flesh” and why does he say that he will “cause [us] to walk in [his] statutes“?  Is God just being facetious?  Was Ezekiel 36 only written to committed Christians and not the everyday average Joe Christian?  Clearly not.  God went through great trouble to enable us to do good works for us to just shoo that away as if it is an optional text.  Totally depravity and Free Grace theology cannot coexist.

Finally, we can use the doctrine of unconditional election to deal with the denial of hell.  Unconditional election, the process by which God has chosen his people, his children, from before time, without regard for their works or merit (because they have none prior to salvation, right?), and predestined them unto a sure salvation.  Going further, because some Calvinists don’t do this, we need to understand that God saves ALL AND ONLY the elect.  All of the elect will be saved and only the elect will be saved (cf. Romans 8.30, John 10.24-27).  

But how does this help with the denial of hell?  Put simply, it gives us understanding that no one is going to hell who wasn’t already choosing to go to hell.  By our actions, our rebellion against God (in totally depravity) we are choosing hell.  The only way out of this is by God’s grace in salvation.  And the only way to salvation is through election.  So, God remains just.  He makes no man go to hell who did not already desire to go there himself.  We need not view God as a God who damns unjustly or saves willy-nilly.  God had a plan and purpose set out before the foundation of the world of whom he would save (Ephesians 1.3ff) and he is faithful to see that through.  There is no one in hell who does not deserve it, and there is no design among men by which they may save themselves (cf. 1 Corinthians 1.26-31).  God chose unconditionally and works this choice righteously to save those who are “called according to his purpose” (Romans 8.28).

There is much more.  Taking on the reformed doctrines of salvation to their full extent (all five points of Calvinism) enlightens such a great portion of God’s plan that the confusion and mire of non-Calvinist soteriology and Easy Believism are wisked away.  Admittedly, Calvinism is prone to its own abuses (particularly thinking here of the hyper-Calvinist practice of non-evangelism), but at the end of the day I would rather deal with the error of a God who does not call people to missions over the one of a God who does not call people to salvation, wouldn’t you?

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Posted by Todd Burus

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