God's Sovereignty and Human Responsibility

I think the problem that lies behind the average thinking Arminian as to the ordo salutis, is that they give little credence to the tension between God’s Sovereignty and human responsibility. As a matter of fact, it doesn’t even enter the equation for them. How many Arminians have you heard say, “Well, we believe that God IS sovereign, but we believe that in his sovereignty he allows or gives man the right/permission to exercise his free will.”

This deception IS the underpinning of their soteriology, which simply blinds them to any real truth concerning a monergistic approach to salvation. Arminians simply enact the right to make a choice they feel was granted to them by God. In other words, their autonomy gives them the right to make choices that God never endowed them with in the first place. Human responsibility to them is in the exercising of their **right** to believe, and by extension of that right, they exercise their **faith** accordingly.

When you discuss faith as being a gift from God (Eph 2:8), as any good Calvinist worth his salt believes, Arminians will flatly deny it AS a gift. So from that point forward they cannot properly exegete any passages from Scripture that admits of election. Man’s autonomous nature has trumped God’s divine right to choose whom He so chooses to.

I firmly believe unless someone can build a bridge between God’s Sovereignty and human responsibility for Arminians, which is impossible for us this side of heaven, we may never be able to, by way of reason, convert them to these precious truths. Yes, I know, we plant and God gives the increase. Knowing that as we do, we can all rest and let God be glorified in the work that He first started. After all, God tells us: “He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus (Phl 1:6).”

Multi-Site Churches

My thoughts on multi-site churches.  I initially wrote this for John MacArthur's blog. 

Pastors and elders, who stand before us every time we gather together to worship, are unique people. They represent a holy God and His standards of righteousness, all the while being sinners like all the rest of us pew sitters. They’re not some beamed in by satellite, giant sized, figureheads, who cannot reach out and touch someone personally. They’re physically real. They’re physically present. They’re equally sinners. All their warts and failings, as well as their good fruits are present for all to be a witness to. When we "super size" the leaders of our churches (on big screens), they become larger than life itself; they become unreachable, unattainable, remote, untouchable and virtually unknowable. This creates a mystique and a warped curiosity about them, not to mention a fawning type allegiance to someone who seems all-vainglorious.

Mutli-site churches are for the pastor’s glory only. Their passion is not in shepherding their sheep with firm handshakes, bedside hospital visits, reaffirming hugs and encouraging, godly words, or heart-felt sympathies for one's personal circumstances and tragedies; but their concerns are for building names and reputations for themselves. Shepherding simply gets too involved, complicated and messy; better left to an underling.

We need to see our leaders (pastors and elders) fail before our eyes, as well as “witness” their personal victories, and to realize that they are sinners in desperate need of a holy Savior like all the rest of us, which also reminds us that ONLY Christ lived a perfect, sinless life. These failings eliminate any possibility of hero worship, and any possible feelings that only THEY can be trusted with our very souls. Likewise, their personal victories and testimonies stir us on to greater depths of holiness.

The responsibility to preach the gospel to all the world was never given to a “few good men,” who for whatever reasons, believe that only they have unique communication skills, or some extra extraordinary visions, or special words from on high (such as Mark Driscoll has fantasized about). God has endowed and gifted “many good men,” in the body of Christ, so as not to create a hierarchy system similar to the Roman Catholic Church. No one man, or group of men, should have a monopoly on God’s Word. Martin Luther fought and died believing this, as did many of the Reformers.

He is Risen!

How Amazing is Our God!!!!!!

Awesome video!!!

Love is the key!

This is what God does for sinful mankind.  He picks us up out of the trash heap of life, cleanses us, causes us to see, then graciously gives us a permanent home.  I LOVE my Master!

My final farewell to the Grace to You blog. They are closing up shop.

I have felt very privileged to be a part of this great ministry, even if it was from the outside looking in. When I first started posting here, Gabriel Powell assured me that John MacArthur welcomed women as contributors. It was very good news for many Christian women, who love the Lord and love to discuss His Word.

The levels of professionalism from the administrators of this blog, like Tommy Clayton, Fred Butler, Gabriel Powell, and Travis Allen, have been absolutely stellar. Their writing has been inspirational, and the level of teaching, par excellence. They have, after all, learned from a master shepherd, John MacArthur, whose love for the truth is boundless and knows no end.

We were all brought here together because of our love for one book and one Lord; but not just any book, but a book that has eternal significance: the Bible. Words have meaning and consequences, and no other book written throughout our history teaches that with such clarity and force. There have been eloquent men and women who wrote poetry, prose, and great literature, over the centuries, who felt their works of art, was their way of touching eternity. Chaucer was one such man; at the end of Troilus and Criseyde, he wrote, “Go, litel book!” Hoping that his words would take flight, like the seeds of a dandelion on the tail of a wind, and disseminate for all future generations to tarry over and adore. But who remembers Troilus and Criseyde? Who could even spell it? And how “litel” a book it must have been. But alas, we know that all is pure vanity. Only one book has conquered all others, and continues to vanquish its enemies.

God reminds us here: “Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity. Besides being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with great care. The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth. The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd. My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh. The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man (Ecc 12:8-13).”

Lastly, this was Carol Burnett’s theme song (I took the liberties of rearranging it a bit). I'm so glad we had this time together, just to have a prayer, or share a Bible verse or two. Seems we just get started and before you know it comes the time we have to say, "So long."

Waiting for the return of our precious Lord, Jesus Christ!