|
0
comments
|
DeYoung Discussess Osama Bin Laden
Justin Bond Filed Under: Labels: Justice, Kevin DeYoung, Terrorism, War "Christians are already beginning to weigh in on the killing of Osama Bin Laden. Not surprisingly, Justin Taylor has a quick roundup of the first couple of internet volleys–both of which are very good. I’m sure there is more serious reflection to come. But since I’m a blogger, I’ll do what bloggers do, and that’s add my thoughts to the mix.
There are really two questions to answer: 1) Did Osama bin Laden deserve to die? 2) Did those who killed him have authority to do so? I believe the answer to both those questions is yes. Consequently, his death was a matter of justice for which we can be grateful.
1. Did Osama bin Laden deserve to die? Genesis 9:6 suggests he did: “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.” Capital punishment for murder is not an assault on the image of God, but a defense of it. It is because human life is so precious, that the taking of human life needs to be punished so severely. The principle of “eye for eye, tooth for tooth, wound for wound” (Exod. 21:23-25) was not a matter cruel and unusual punishment, but of controlled retribution as a means of protecting the community and valuing the dignity of human life.
At this point, some earnest Christian will object, “But we will all deserve to die. If God should mark my iniquities, I would be a goner too.” The objection makes sense on one level. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23), and the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). And yet, even with this doctrine of total depravity the Bible never acts as if everyone deserves to die physically right now. Some have deserved immediate death, so God killed Nadab and Abihu and struck down Uzzah and inflicted judgment on the Egyptians, Amorites, Canaanites, Israelites, Assyrians, and Babylonians. We all deserve condemnation apart from God’s grace, but some deserve death now because some sins are worse than others and some sinners commit more egregious sins.
It is one of the half-truths of our day that every sin is the same in God’s eyes. On the one hand, every sin renders us liable to God’s judgment (James 2:10). On the other hand, not every bit of iniquity is equally offensive. Some sins are high-handed. Some are premeditated. Some are slip ups. Some are habitual. Some are contrary to nature. The Law did not demand the same penalty for every infraction. Neither did Jesus (Matt. 10:15). We do not promote the glory of the gospel by pretending that no one is more righteous or more wicked than anybody else. Some sins so destroy the image of God that those who commit them deserve destruction.
2. Did those who killed Osama bin Laden have the authority to do so? Only God has the authority to take human life. But God has ordained that he should exercise that right through the power of the state. Romans 13:4 says the governing authorities are God’s servants to do good, “but if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.” The Navy SEALs that raided bin Laden’s compound did not violate the sixth commandment because, as the Heidelberg Catechism says, “Prevention of murder is also why government is armed with the sword” (Q/A 105). Surely, this was an instance where the U.S. military, by killing bin Laden, was acting in an effort to prevent more American citizens from being murdered.
Obviously, Jesus condemned private retaliation, vigilante justice, and hatred (Matt. 5:38-48). But there is no indication the Gospels mean to overturn the centuries long Jewish understanding that some warfare was justified. When soldiers asked John the Baptist what they needed to do to repent, he could have easily said, “Resign from the evil Roman army. You can’t be a soldier and a part of the new people of God.” But instead he said, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation and be content with your wages” (Luke 3:14). Jesus went so far as to hold up a Centurion as a model of faith (Luke 7:6). It reminds me of G.K. Chesterton’s quip: “There is nothing that throws any particular light on Christ’s attitude toward organized warfare, except that he seems to be rather fond of Roman soldiers.”
In the end, though there are mixed emotions from last night’s announcement, at least one of the attitudes should be thankfulness for the bravery of the men who, with proper authority in a just cause, killed a man who deserved to die. I thought President Obama’s remarks last night struck the right tone. There was a sense of gratitude without gloating. The dominant theme was justice. In our every day lives in this squishy pomo world, we have a hard time with justice. As a nation we feel sorry for people better than we feel joy over justice. But sometimes we need to be reminded that we live in a moral universe where actions have consequences. And when deathly consequences are merited by despicable actions, we should be glad the world is working as God designed."
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/
There are really two questions to answer: 1) Did Osama bin Laden deserve to die? 2) Did those who killed him have authority to do so? I believe the answer to both those questions is yes. Consequently, his death was a matter of justice for which we can be grateful.
1. Did Osama bin Laden deserve to die? Genesis 9:6 suggests he did: “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.” Capital punishment for murder is not an assault on the image of God, but a defense of it. It is because human life is so precious, that the taking of human life needs to be punished so severely. The principle of “eye for eye, tooth for tooth, wound for wound” (Exod. 21:23-25) was not a matter cruel and unusual punishment, but of controlled retribution as a means of protecting the community and valuing the dignity of human life.
At this point, some earnest Christian will object, “But we will all deserve to die. If God should mark my iniquities, I would be a goner too.” The objection makes sense on one level. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23), and the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). And yet, even with this doctrine of total depravity the Bible never acts as if everyone deserves to die physically right now. Some have deserved immediate death, so God killed Nadab and Abihu and struck down Uzzah and inflicted judgment on the Egyptians, Amorites, Canaanites, Israelites, Assyrians, and Babylonians. We all deserve condemnation apart from God’s grace, but some deserve death now because some sins are worse than others and some sinners commit more egregious sins.
It is one of the half-truths of our day that every sin is the same in God’s eyes. On the one hand, every sin renders us liable to God’s judgment (James 2:10). On the other hand, not every bit of iniquity is equally offensive. Some sins are high-handed. Some are premeditated. Some are slip ups. Some are habitual. Some are contrary to nature. The Law did not demand the same penalty for every infraction. Neither did Jesus (Matt. 10:15). We do not promote the glory of the gospel by pretending that no one is more righteous or more wicked than anybody else. Some sins so destroy the image of God that those who commit them deserve destruction.
2. Did those who killed Osama bin Laden have the authority to do so? Only God has the authority to take human life. But God has ordained that he should exercise that right through the power of the state. Romans 13:4 says the governing authorities are God’s servants to do good, “but if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.” The Navy SEALs that raided bin Laden’s compound did not violate the sixth commandment because, as the Heidelberg Catechism says, “Prevention of murder is also why government is armed with the sword” (Q/A 105). Surely, this was an instance where the U.S. military, by killing bin Laden, was acting in an effort to prevent more American citizens from being murdered.
Obviously, Jesus condemned private retaliation, vigilante justice, and hatred (Matt. 5:38-48). But there is no indication the Gospels mean to overturn the centuries long Jewish understanding that some warfare was justified. When soldiers asked John the Baptist what they needed to do to repent, he could have easily said, “Resign from the evil Roman army. You can’t be a soldier and a part of the new people of God.” But instead he said, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation and be content with your wages” (Luke 3:14). Jesus went so far as to hold up a Centurion as a model of faith (Luke 7:6). It reminds me of G.K. Chesterton’s quip: “There is nothing that throws any particular light on Christ’s attitude toward organized warfare, except that he seems to be rather fond of Roman soldiers.”
In the end, though there are mixed emotions from last night’s announcement, at least one of the attitudes should be thankfulness for the bravery of the men who, with proper authority in a just cause, killed a man who deserved to die. I thought President Obama’s remarks last night struck the right tone. There was a sense of gratitude without gloating. The dominant theme was justice. In our every day lives in this squishy pomo world, we have a hard time with justice. As a nation we feel sorry for people better than we feel joy over justice. But sometimes we need to be reminded that we live in a moral universe where actions have consequences. And when deathly consequences are merited by despicable actions, we should be glad the world is working as God designed."
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/
|
Rob Bell again Justin? Really? Well before you ask these questions to yourself, this post is different...its Monday morning! I understand that the things Rob is saying are not in line with scripture and can be very dangerous to the faith. Well, here is something that might keep you from going crazy with Rob Bell's hip black-framed glasses, bad theology, and his very emotional-thought-provoking questions.
Robbed Hell - C.A.S.T. Pearls Presents from Canon Wired on Vimeo.
Robbed Hell - C.A.S.T. Pearls Presents from Canon Wired on Vimeo.
|
I shared this awhile ago and It deserves to be brought back. John Piper nails it on the head. As Christians in a culture that allows abortion, we must stand up for what we believe in. This is an opportunity for God's people to stand up and pray. We should not stay quiet. We have been called to love our neighbors and our neighbors include these woman who are having abortions and even the doctors performing them. Lets make an effort to not forgot to pray for these people and pray in such a way that the Lord would save them according to his good purpose of his will.
It's a magnificent thing: The only newly-originating life in the universe that comes in the image of God is Man. The only newly-originating life in the universe that lasts forever is Man.
This is an awesome thing.
And, as everyone knows, that reverence is not shared by our new President, over whom we have rejoiced.
He is trapped and blind in a culture of deceit. On the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, he released this statement,
We are reminded that this decision not only protects women’s health and reproductive freedom, but stands for a broader principle: that government should not intrude on our most private family matters.
To which I say:
* No, Mr. President, you are not protecting women; you are authorizing the destruction of 500,000 little women every year.
* No, Mr. President, you are not protecting reproductive freedom; you are authorizing the destruction of freedom for one million little human beings every year.
* No, Mr. President, killing our children is killing our children no matter how many times you call it a private family matter. You may say it is a private family matter over and over and over, and still they are dead. And we killed them. And you, would have it remain legal.
Mr. President, some of us wept for joy at your inauguration. And we pledge that we will pray for you.
We have hope in our sovereign God.
You can listen to the whole sermon by clicking here!
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/no-mr-president-killing-is-killing-no-matter-what-we-call-it
It's a magnificent thing: The only newly-originating life in the universe that comes in the image of God is Man. The only newly-originating life in the universe that lasts forever is Man.
This is an awesome thing.
And, as everyone knows, that reverence is not shared by our new President, over whom we have rejoiced.
He is trapped and blind in a culture of deceit. On the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, he released this statement,
We are reminded that this decision not only protects women’s health and reproductive freedom, but stands for a broader principle: that government should not intrude on our most private family matters.
To which I say:
* No, Mr. President, you are not protecting women; you are authorizing the destruction of 500,000 little women every year.
* No, Mr. President, you are not protecting reproductive freedom; you are authorizing the destruction of freedom for one million little human beings every year.
* No, Mr. President, killing our children is killing our children no matter how many times you call it a private family matter. You may say it is a private family matter over and over and over, and still they are dead. And we killed them. And you, would have it remain legal.
Mr. President, some of us wept for joy at your inauguration. And we pledge that we will pray for you.
We have hope in our sovereign God.
You can listen to the whole sermon by clicking here!
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/no-mr-president-killing-is-killing-no-matter-what-we-call-it
|
“Christ Alone”– First Book about Rob Bell’s “Love Wins”
Justin Bond Filed Under: Labels: Book Reviews, Love Wins, Michael Horton, Mike Wittmer, Rob Bell
As most of you who have been reading my blog you have seen a lot of talk about Rob Bell's new controversial book Love Wins. Not long after Rob Bell published his book, Mike Wittmer was quick to defend a biblical orthodox view concerning Rob Bells New Book. With a preface from Micheal Horton, this looks like a very interesting read. You can purchase the book here and in the mean time here is Micheal Horton's preface to the book Christ Alone!
Hell has had a surprisingly prominent place in the popular imagination of cultures and religions around the world. In Christianity, too, writers and painters have produced speculative travelogues of the place of everlasting judgment. The biblical references are frightening enough, but in the vividly detailed imagery of Dante, Hieronymus Bosch, and Billy Sunday, there is a strange fascination with hell.
Hell has never functioned as a central dogma in historic Christianity. While acknowledging that everlasting punishment is clearly taught in Scripture, most Christians would say that it’s not their favorite subject. Yet the reality of hell is one of those convictions that are inseparable from a wider web of beliefs. Not all rejections of hell follow the same logic, but they all challenge orthodox views concerning God’s attributes, the person and work of Christ, and sin and redemption. And the version with the longest pedigree can be traced from Origen in the early third century to Schleiermacher (1768–1834) and his theological heirs. It’s a trajectory best summarized in H. Richard Niebuhr’s classic description of Protestant liberalism: “A God without wrath brought men without sin into a kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a Christ without a cross” (Niebuhr, 1959, p. 193).
Taking for granted that Christians today know the grammar, much less the logic, of Christian faith, we now have a generation that questions its premises and conclusions. It’s neither pastorally responsible nor persuasive to dismiss these questions simply by invoking settled dogmas. We have to return to the Scriptures, examining the relevant passages for ourselves, in order to join the orthodox consensus as participants rather than mere spectators.
Rob Bell’s Love Wins has sparked remarkable controversy. Of course, he’s not the first evangelical to have challenged traditional Christian teaching on hell. Nevertheless, for a variety of reasons—not the least being his knack at popular communication—his book has attracted media hype as well as stern dismissals.
That’s exactly why I’m delighted with Michael Wittmer’s Christ Alone: An Evangelical Response to Rob Bell’s “Love Wins.” The current controversy will fade away as quickly as it burst on the scene, but the widespread doubts to which Bell gave voice are deeper and wider than we probably imagine. So in a sense, he gave us a wake-up call and Michael Wittmer has answered it. Although he engages with Love Wins directly, Wittmer’s case is just as relevant for the many other expressions of Bell’s thesis that we are sure to encounter in coming years.
Offering more light than heat, Christ Alone appreciates the attractiveness of Bell’s questions and conclusions. Avoiding caricature and personal attack, he carefully evaluates Bell’s interpretations of Scripture. It’s not a careless diatribe against a book, but filled with pastoral wisdom for perennial questions. For example, he does not offer easy answers to the problem of evil: “Better to believe that God is all-powerful and all-loving and wrestle with evil than to weaken one aspect of God to make room for evil” (p. 14). Wittmer shares Bell’s critique of “Platonized” versions of heaven. Yet here, as elsewhere, Wittmer points beyond false choices to a lush biblical landscape.
A close and sympathetic reader, Wittmer explains the senses in which Rob Bell’s argument is and isn’t universalist and how he follows Origen (emphasizing the human will) over Barth (emphasizing divine grace) in his account. Along the way, Christ Alone is peppered with thought-provoking statements. If Bell’s account of God, sin, and salvation is accurate, then what makes the gospel surprising?
Something more than what the average pagan already believes? Furthermore, “Why would a God who ‘loves’ enough to empty hell want to frighten people now with numerous warnings that sound like hell lasts forever?” (p. 22). Wouldn’t that be a kind of sadistic deity, if in fact he has no intention of actually doing what he warns us about? Yet the chief insights of the book are found in Wittmer’s careful and simple (though not simplistic) interpretation of the relevant passages in Scripture.
A good critique must be charitable as well as corrective. The views of others must be represented fairly, in terms that the other person would recognize as his or her own. Such opposing views must be stated in terms of what the proponent actually says, and not in terms of what one thinks they must say even thought they don’t. Further, a good critique targets the actual content of the arguments that are public, not personal character and motives that remain hidden. Finally, a good critique not only tears down bad arguments, but builds a positive case. On all of these points, Christ Alone scores high marks, in my view. So let’s avoid hand-wringing lamentations and follow Michael Wittmer’s lead, making the most of the current controversy to deepen our own understanding of what we believe and why we believe it.
Michael S. Horton, Ph.D.
J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics, Westminster Seminary California
http://www.christalonebook.com/preface/
Hell has had a surprisingly prominent place in the popular imagination of cultures and religions around the world. In Christianity, too, writers and painters have produced speculative travelogues of the place of everlasting judgment. The biblical references are frightening enough, but in the vividly detailed imagery of Dante, Hieronymus Bosch, and Billy Sunday, there is a strange fascination with hell.
Hell has never functioned as a central dogma in historic Christianity. While acknowledging that everlasting punishment is clearly taught in Scripture, most Christians would say that it’s not their favorite subject. Yet the reality of hell is one of those convictions that are inseparable from a wider web of beliefs. Not all rejections of hell follow the same logic, but they all challenge orthodox views concerning God’s attributes, the person and work of Christ, and sin and redemption. And the version with the longest pedigree can be traced from Origen in the early third century to Schleiermacher (1768–1834) and his theological heirs. It’s a trajectory best summarized in H. Richard Niebuhr’s classic description of Protestant liberalism: “A God without wrath brought men without sin into a kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a Christ without a cross” (Niebuhr, 1959, p. 193).
Taking for granted that Christians today know the grammar, much less the logic, of Christian faith, we now have a generation that questions its premises and conclusions. It’s neither pastorally responsible nor persuasive to dismiss these questions simply by invoking settled dogmas. We have to return to the Scriptures, examining the relevant passages for ourselves, in order to join the orthodox consensus as participants rather than mere spectators.
Rob Bell’s Love Wins has sparked remarkable controversy. Of course, he’s not the first evangelical to have challenged traditional Christian teaching on hell. Nevertheless, for a variety of reasons—not the least being his knack at popular communication—his book has attracted media hype as well as stern dismissals.
That’s exactly why I’m delighted with Michael Wittmer’s Christ Alone: An Evangelical Response to Rob Bell’s “Love Wins.” The current controversy will fade away as quickly as it burst on the scene, but the widespread doubts to which Bell gave voice are deeper and wider than we probably imagine. So in a sense, he gave us a wake-up call and Michael Wittmer has answered it. Although he engages with Love Wins directly, Wittmer’s case is just as relevant for the many other expressions of Bell’s thesis that we are sure to encounter in coming years.
Offering more light than heat, Christ Alone appreciates the attractiveness of Bell’s questions and conclusions. Avoiding caricature and personal attack, he carefully evaluates Bell’s interpretations of Scripture. It’s not a careless diatribe against a book, but filled with pastoral wisdom for perennial questions. For example, he does not offer easy answers to the problem of evil: “Better to believe that God is all-powerful and all-loving and wrestle with evil than to weaken one aspect of God to make room for evil” (p. 14). Wittmer shares Bell’s critique of “Platonized” versions of heaven. Yet here, as elsewhere, Wittmer points beyond false choices to a lush biblical landscape.
A close and sympathetic reader, Wittmer explains the senses in which Rob Bell’s argument is and isn’t universalist and how he follows Origen (emphasizing the human will) over Barth (emphasizing divine grace) in his account. Along the way, Christ Alone is peppered with thought-provoking statements. If Bell’s account of God, sin, and salvation is accurate, then what makes the gospel surprising?
Something more than what the average pagan already believes? Furthermore, “Why would a God who ‘loves’ enough to empty hell want to frighten people now with numerous warnings that sound like hell lasts forever?” (p. 22). Wouldn’t that be a kind of sadistic deity, if in fact he has no intention of actually doing what he warns us about? Yet the chief insights of the book are found in Wittmer’s careful and simple (though not simplistic) interpretation of the relevant passages in Scripture.
A good critique must be charitable as well as corrective. The views of others must be represented fairly, in terms that the other person would recognize as his or her own. Such opposing views must be stated in terms of what the proponent actually says, and not in terms of what one thinks they must say even thought they don’t. Further, a good critique targets the actual content of the arguments that are public, not personal character and motives that remain hidden. Finally, a good critique not only tears down bad arguments, but builds a positive case. On all of these points, Christ Alone scores high marks, in my view. So let’s avoid hand-wringing lamentations and follow Michael Wittmer’s lead, making the most of the current controversy to deepen our own understanding of what we believe and why we believe it.
Michael S. Horton, Ph.D.
J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics, Westminster Seminary California
http://www.christalonebook.com/preface/
|
Morning With Spurgeon
Justin Bond Filed Under: Labels: C. H. Spurgeon, Devotions, Morning and Evening
This mornings devotions from Morning and Evening was very good and I would like to share it with you all today!
T seems then, that Christians may forget Christ! There could be no need for this loving exhortation, if there were not a fearful supposition that our memories might prove treacherous. Nor is this a bare supposition: it is, alas! too well confirmed in our experience, not as a possibility, but as a lamentable fact. It appears almost impossible that those who have been redeemed by the blood of the dying Lamb, and loved with an everlasting love by the eternal Son of God, should forget that gracious Saviour; but, if startling to the ear, it is, alas! too apparent to the eye to allow us to deny the crime. Forget Him who never forgot us! Forget Him who poured His blood forth for our sins! Forget Him who loved us even to the death! Can it be possible? Yes, it is not only possible, but conscience confesses that it is too sadly a fault with all of us, that we suffer Him to be as a wayfaring man tarrying but for a night. He whom we should make the abiding tenant of our memories is but a visitor therein. The cross where one would think that memory would linger, and unmindfulness would be an unknown intruder, is desecrated by the feet of forgetfulness. Does not your conscience say that this is true? Do you not find yourselves forgetful of Jesus? Some creature steals away your heart, and you are unmindful of Him upon whom your affection ought to be set. Some earthly business engrosses your attention when you should fix your eye steadily upon the cross. It is the incessant turmoil of the world, the constant attraction of earthly things which takes away the soul from Christ. While memory too well preserves a poisonous weed, it suffereth the rose of Sharon to wither. Let us charge ourselves to bind a heavenly forget-me-not about our hearts for Jesus our Beloved, and, whatever else we let slip, let us hold fast to Him.
"This do in remembrance of Me."—1 Corinthians 11:24.
T seems then, that Christians may forget Christ! There could be no need for this loving exhortation, if there were not a fearful supposition that our memories might prove treacherous. Nor is this a bare supposition: it is, alas! too well confirmed in our experience, not as a possibility, but as a lamentable fact. It appears almost impossible that those who have been redeemed by the blood of the dying Lamb, and loved with an everlasting love by the eternal Son of God, should forget that gracious Saviour; but, if startling to the ear, it is, alas! too apparent to the eye to allow us to deny the crime. Forget Him who never forgot us! Forget Him who poured His blood forth for our sins! Forget Him who loved us even to the death! Can it be possible? Yes, it is not only possible, but conscience confesses that it is too sadly a fault with all of us, that we suffer Him to be as a wayfaring man tarrying but for a night. He whom we should make the abiding tenant of our memories is but a visitor therein. The cross where one would think that memory would linger, and unmindfulness would be an unknown intruder, is desecrated by the feet of forgetfulness. Does not your conscience say that this is true? Do you not find yourselves forgetful of Jesus? Some creature steals away your heart, and you are unmindful of Him upon whom your affection ought to be set. Some earthly business engrosses your attention when you should fix your eye steadily upon the cross. It is the incessant turmoil of the world, the constant attraction of earthly things which takes away the soul from Christ. While memory too well preserves a poisonous weed, it suffereth the rose of Sharon to wither. Let us charge ourselves to bind a heavenly forget-me-not about our hearts for Jesus our Beloved, and, whatever else we let slip, let us hold fast to Him.
|