Martin Luther Biography, Part 8: Evangelical Experience

[Continued from Part 7.]


The exact time of Martin Luther's spiritual rebirth (John 3:3,7) is a matter of some scholarly debate. What is certain is that Luther experienced a fundamental transformation that was occasioned by his study of the book of Romans. Luther later described his Reformation breakthrough as follows:

I greatly longed to understand Paul's Epistle to the Romans and nothing stood in the way but that one expression, "the justice of God." because I took it to mean that justice by which God is just and deals justly in punishing the unjust. My situation was that, although an impeccable monk, I stood before God as a sinner troubled in conscience, and I had no confidence that my merit would assuage him. Therefore I did not love a just an angry God, but rather hated and murmured against him. Yet I clung to the dear Paul and had a great yearning to know what he meant.

Night and day I pondered until I saw the connection between the justice of God and the statement that "the just shall live by faith." Then I grasped that the justice of God is that righteousness by which through grace and sheer mercy God justifies us through faith. Thereupon I felt myself to be reborn and to have gone through open doors into paradise. The whole of Scripture tood on a new meaning, and whereas before the "justice of God" had filled me with hate, now it became to me inexpressibly sweet in greater love. This passage of Paul became to me a gate to heaven...

Now this alone is the right Christian way, that I turn away from my sin and want nothing more to do with it, and turn alone to Christ's righteousness, so that I know for certain his goodness, merit, innocence, and holiness are mine, as surely as I know that this body is mine. In his name I live, die, and pass away, for he died for us and was resurrected for us. I am not good and just, but Christ is... he will embrace us if only we trust in him.

[Sources:

Roland Bainton, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1978), 48.
Heiko Oberman, Luther: Man Between God and the Devil (Yale University Press, 2006), 153.]

Martin Luther Biography, Part 7: Professorship in Wittenberg

[Continued from Part 6.]


Martin Luther first taught at the University of Wittenberg during the winter semester, 1508-9; he apparently took this teaching position at the urging of his mentor, Johann von Staupitz. In the spring of 1511, upon returning from Rome, Luther was called by the Elector of Saxony, Frederick the Wise, to a permanent teaching position at the University of Wittenberg. At first, Luther taught philosophy, then he transferred to teaching theology. In time, Luther began to lecture through various books of the Bible; it was through preparation for these lectures on Scripture that Luther eventually came to his breakthrough in regards to his understanding of justification.

[Sources:

Roland Bainton, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1978), 39.

Timothy Lull, Martin Luther's Basic Theological Writings (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 2005), 3.
Virgil Robinson, Luther the Leader (Ithaca, MI: A.B. Publishing, 1997), 28-29.]

Martin Luther Biography, Part 6: Pilgrimage to Rome

[Continued from Part 5.]

In 1510, Martin Luther and one other monk from Erfurt were chosen to transport letters to and from Rome. After a months-long journey by foot, Martin Luther finally stepped over the crest of the last hill prior to the "Eternal City." At the first sight of Rome, Luther fell to his knees and cried out, "Hail, holy Rome!"

Luther spent a month in Rome. Every moment that he was not engaged in business for the monastery in Erfurt or in the regular devotions of the Augustinian cloister in which he was lodged, Luther spent visiting the holy relics. Luther had been taught that saying a prayer before these relics would reduce the time in purgatory for a deceased relative. While in Rome, earning so much time off from purgatory for venerating the relics, Martin Luther regretted that his parents were not yet dead and in purgatory so that he could alleviate the years of suffering they might experience. Instead, Luther dedicated his pilgrimage to his grandparents.

Luther was distressed at the general immorality he saw in Rome, and he was especially distressed by the lack of spirituality in the clergy, who (to give one of many possible examples) rushed the people through their prayers in front of the shrines so that they could move as many people through-- and receive as many donations-- as possible.

A particular crisis of faith occurred for Luther upon his ascending the scala santa: the "sacred stairs," which were claimed to have been transported from Pilate's palace in Jerusalem to Rome. Martin Luther ascended these stairs upon his knees, in the prescribed manner. He repeated a Pater Noster for each stair and kissed each one, in the hope of delivering the souls of his grandparents from purgatory. Yet when he reached the top, his mind was filled with doubt. He rose, looked back down at the kneeling, earnest pilgrims, and said aloud to himself, "Who knows whether it is so?"

[Sources: Roland Bainton, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1978), 36-38.

Virgil Robinson, Luther the Leader (Ithaca, MI: A.B. Publishing, 1997), 29-38.]

Martin Luther Biography, Part 5: First Mass

[Continued from Part 4.]

Only a few months after Martin Luther had entered the monastery and so angered his father, the plague had swept through Mansfield, and two of Luther's brothers had died as a result. Hans Luther's heart was nearly broken. Then someone came and reported that Martin, the monk in the Erfurt monastery, was dead also. Poor Hans was overwhelmed. "Surely now," his friends remonstrated with him, "you will forgive him from your heart." With bowed head, the father agreed. Nor did he withdraw his forgiveness when word came that Martin was not dead.

When an invitation arrived for Hans Luther to attend the first mass to be performed by Martin, Hans declared, "Martin shall have no cause to be ashamed of his father." With a company of twenty horsemen, Hans Luther came riding in, wearing his finest clothes, and made a handsome contribution to the monastery.

Martin Luther presided over the mass skillfully, with the greatest attention to every detail, and without any apparent nervousness, until he came to the words of consecration: those words by which Luther wholeheartedly believed that the bread and wine were transubstantiated into the actual body and blood of Christ. Luther later remarked:

At these words I was utterly stupefied and terror-stricken. I thought to myself, "With what tongue shall I address such Majesty, seeing that all men ought to tremble in the presence of even an earthly prince? Who am I, that I should lift up mine eyes or raise my hands to the divine Majesty? The angels surround him. At his nod the earth trembles. And shall I, a miserable little pygmy, say, 'I want this, I ask for that'? For I am dust and ashes and full of sin and I am speaking to the living, eternal, and the true God."

For Martin Luther, this feeling of terror before God during the Eucharist had as profound an effect upon his soul as his earlier crisis, when he had nearly been hit by lightning.

After the ceremony, there was a feast. Martin Luther, still full of great concern for his soul, asked Hans:

Dear father, why were you so contrary to my becoming a monk? and perhaps you are not satisfied even now. The life is so quiet and godly.

This was too much for old Hans, who had been doing his best to put aside his disappointment. He flared up before the monks and the guests, "You learned scholar, have you never read in the Bible that you should honor your father and mother? And here you have left me and your dear mother to look after ourselves in our old age."

"But father," Martin Luther replied, "I could do you more good by prayers than if I had stayed in the world." Then he related his calling by means of the lightning bolt that had almost struck him.

"God grant," said the old Hans, "it was not an apparition of the Devil."

[Sources:

Roland Bainton, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1978), 30-32.

Virgil Robinson, Luther the Leader (Ithaca, MI: A.B. Publishing, 1997), 26-27.]

T4G Early Registration Ends 10/31

Early bird registration for the Together for the Gospel Conference ends this Monday, October 31. (After October 31, there is a $40 increase in price.)

I remember the first time my friend Jorge Ponce told me about the Together for the Gospel Conference. I was certain he must be mistaken. I honestly thought that he had just seen a list of the most excellent preachers currently speaking in America today and somehow had become confused, thinking that they were all speaking at the same place. (Sorry, Jorge!) Once I found out Jorge's information was accurate, I finally registered to go.

This Conference is sure to be a blessing.

Learn more about the Conference HERE.

Notes from Proverbs 4:23-27

[Below are some of the notes I used this past Wednesday in leading the devotion for prayer meeting at Kosmosdale Baptist Church.]

23 Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For from it flow the springs of life.
24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth
And put devious speech far from you.
25 Let your eyes look directly ahead
And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.
26 Watch the path of your feet
And all your ways will be established.
27 Do not turn to the right nor to the left;
Turn your foot from evil. (NASB)

Intro.
Notice the similarity of the above passage with Romans 3:10-18. The description in that passage is of a people who have turned away from God, and the members of their bodies (with all the theological significance these bodily members hold) have become corrupted.

HEART
Pastors/theologians have equated this term with "mind" or "the seat of emotions." Jonathan Edwards defined the heart as the seat of desire. In his view (which I think is correct), we choose according to our greatest desire and our "heart" is what determines our desires. It is for this reason that the Holy Spirit must renew our heart before we will repent of sin and believe in Jesus.

Whatever the precise definition, it is clear that the "heart" is what is at the core of our being.

The believer must carefully guard his or her heart making sure that our awareness, attitudes, appetites, affections, and aspirations are being conformed to the Word of God.


MOUTH
What comes out of the mouth is seen as a direct reflection of what is in the heart.

So Jesus,

18 "But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. 19 "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. (Matt 15:18-19 NASB)

And in writing of the sinlessness of Jesus, Peter emphasizes that "no deceit was found in His mouth" (1 Pet 2:22).

EYES
I believe that in these verses, the "eyes" indicate our focus: in the sense of what we dwell upon or the goals that we strive after. So Hebrews 12:2 speaks of fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.

FEET
As Dr. Orrick described when he preached from Galatians 5 on walking by the Spirit, the "feet" are indicative of a persons life. (So that the biblical expression of "walking with God" indicates living for God and in communion with Him.)

Proverbs 4:20-27 Initial Observations

I have been asked to lead the prayer meeting tomorrow night at Kosmosdale Baptist Church. I will be leading the devotion for the meeting from Proverbs 4:20-27.

²⁰ My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.
²¹ Do not let them depart from your sight;
Keep them in the midst of your heart.
²² For they are life to those who find them
And health to all their body.
²³ Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For from it flow the springs of life.
²⁴ Put away from you a deceitful mouth
And put devious speech far from you.
²⁵ Let your eyes look directly ahead
And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.
²⁶ Watch the path of your feet
And all your ways will be established.
²⁷ Do not turn to the right nor to the left;

Turn your foot from evil. (NASB)

NOTES:

vv. 20-21. A progression: the son will listen to his father, the king, speak the words of wisdom, then he will read his father's words once they were written down; finally, the wise son will commit the words to memory (the words will be learned 'by heart').

v. 22. The words are both "life" and "health:" good for the soul and the body. Wisdom yields both eternal and temporal benefits.

vv. 23-27. The king/father instructs his son to give attention to four distinct parts of the body, each one full of biblical symbolism: the heart, the mouth, the eyes, and the feet.

3 Notes on Preaching from Dr. Russell Moore and Rev. David Prince

Required to take a class on preaching for my Master of Divinity degree from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS), I waited a few semesters to be sure that I could take the class from Dr. Russell Moore, since God had used his preaching as a major factor in confirming my call to SBTS.

The class was co-taught by Dr. Moore's close friend, Rev. David Prince, who is the pastor of Ashland Avenue Baptist Church. Overall, the class certainly met (or exceeded!) my expectations.

Early on during the semester, students were given 3 notes, which we were told to place in our Bibles that we use for preaching. These notes are excellent reminders about what Christian preaching MUST be, and I think they will benefit any Christian preacher, so I want to record them here:

1. "I am an ambassador for Christ when preaching."

2. When preaching, the center of every sermon must be Christ.

3. The purpose of preaching is not [merely] the passing along of ideas, it is communicating the story of the kingdom of Christ.

Sermon Notes from "Hearing the Holy Spirit." Sermon by Jim Scott Orrick.

[The following notes were taken by Abby during the 10:45AM service this morning at Kosmosdale Baptist Church. The sermon is available to hear on-line HERE.]

1 Thessalonians 5:19-22.

I. Do not quench the Holy Spirit.
A. The Holy Spirit is a Person.
B. The Holy Spirit is compared to a fire, which:
1. enlightens.
2. warms.
3. burns away dross.
C. The Holy Spirit can be quenched:
1. though God is sovereign,
2. we may quench the Spirit, by ignoring Him, hardening our hearts.

II. Do not despise prophecies; we may despise prophecies through:
A. disinterest in God speaking.
B. uncritical acceptance of anyone claiming to speak for God.

III. Abstain from every form of evil.

Jonathan Edwards on Original Sin (Part 21)

From The Great Christian Doctrine of Original Sin Defended 2.2.b.

Old Testament Proof for Original Sin (cont'd)

Man is seen to be wicked from childhood: Proverbs 22:15, Genesis 8:21.

Man is seen to be wicked from birth (or even conception!): Job 15:14-16, Psalm 51:5, Psalm 58:3.

Jonathan Edwards on Original Sin (Part 20)

From The Great Christian Doctrine of Original Sin Defended 2.2.a.
Old Testament Proof for Original Sin

I. Wickedness is often spoken of in Scripture as a thing "belonging to the race of mankind, and as if it were a property of the species."
A. Scripture Proofs:
1. Psalm 14:2-3.
2. Psalm 52:2-3.
B. Defense:
1. Concession: the psalmist also writes of the "righteous."
2. However, it is manifest that wickedness is spoken of as concerning Man's natural state, and there is no doubt that unrighteous men may be changed by God's grace.

II. Wickedness is spoken of as belonging "to men, as of the human race, as sons of men."
A. Some Examples:
1. Psalm 4:2.
2. Psalm 57:4.
3. Psalm 58:1-2.
4. Proverbs 21:8.
5. Jeremiah 17:9.
B. Defense:
1. It is objected that the above passages refer only to notorious sinners.
2. However, even if the above objection is correct, two questions remain:
a. Why does Scripture deem it fit to categorize notorious sinners in such general terms as "Man" or "sons of men"?
b. Why are there no verses that speak of Man in general in terms that would make the reader think that humankind is neutral or righteous? (i.e., there is no verse that states, "The heart of man is right and pure," or, "the Lord looked down from heaven on the sons of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and did seek after God; and they were all right, altogether pure, there was none inclined to do wickedness, no, not one."]

III. [Related to the above points, Edwards explores the way that the New Testament considers the "world" to be not neutral or righteous, but wicked: Edwards gives numerous quotes from John's writing to this effect.]

Sermon Notes from "A Simple Bouquet of Joy." Sermon by Jim Scott Orrick

[The following notes were taken by Abby during the 10:45AM service this morning at Kosmosdale Baptist Church.]

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

I. Introduction

A. All of God's rules are indicative of His character.

B. With each of God's commands, we should ask what the command teaches us concerning God's character.

C. With each of God's commands, we should ask what the command teaches us concerning the character of God's people.
D. Our lives ought to be characterized by rejoicing, a sense of dependence on God, and thanksgiving.

II. Rejoice Always

A. The qualifier "always" makes the command seem more difficult, but it is intended to make the command even more of a blessing.

B. Our God is a joyful God.

C. Jesus is described in Scripture as having been anointed with the oil of joy.

D. God's people should be characterized by joy; though there is a place for mourning, there is no verse that says "mourn always."

E. "Emotions ARE important in the Christian life."

III. Pray Without Ceasing

A. God is concerned about relationships: "prayer is personal interaction with God."

B. God is intimately involved in His creation.

C. We must not let our confidence in God's sovereignty keep us from prayer.

D. "Without ceasing" means:

1. "Habitually:" acts-> habits-> character.

2. "Persistently" (i.e. The Parable of the Persistent Widow).

3. Constantly aware of God's presence

IV. In Everything Give Thanks

A. God teaches us to say "thank you" in a similar way to how we teach our children to give thanks.

B. "In all things" does not mean "for all things;" when bad things happen, we do not have to pretend that those bad things are good.

Martin Luther Biography, Part 4: Early Monastic Career

[Continued from Part 3.]

For a year in the monastery, Martin Luther was considered a "novice." The novitiate was a probationary period during which the other monks determined whether the novice was sincere in his desire to be a monk. The days of a novice were filled with religious exercises designed to suffuse the soul with peace. Prayers were conducted at seven specific times each day. In between prayer times, the monks were engaged in chores or study around the monastery or begging for food in the town. Due to being plagued by doubts concerning whether his monastic endeavors were truly purging him from his sin, Martin Luther began to engage in severe practices in addition to the usual austerities faced by the monks. Luther would fast: sometimes three days in a row without a crumb. He would also refuse to sleep without any blankets in the cold, and he nearly froze himself to death. Luther later testified:

I was a good monk, and I kept the rule of my order so strictly that I may say that if ever a monk got to heaven by his monkery it was I. All my brothers in the monastery who knew me will bear me out. If I had kept on any longer, I would have killed myself with vigils, prayers, readings, and other work.

[Sources:

Roland Bainton, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1978), 27, 34.
Justo Gonzales, The Story of Christianity, Volume 2 (San Francisco: Harper Collins, 1985), 16.

Virgil Robinson, Luther the Leader (Ithaca, MI: A.B. Publishing, 1997), 23.]

Martin Luther Biography, Part 3: "St. Anne help me! I will become a monk."

[Continued from Part 2.]

In 1505, at the age of 21, Martin Luther had earned his Master of Arts degree at Erfurt, and he planned to enter law school, according to the wishes of his father. However, Martin Luther had become extremely concerned about the condition of his soul: whether he would be accepted or condemned before God on the Day of Judgment. In Martin Luther's view, the path that offered the greatest possible assurance of salvation would be to enter the monastery, but he knew that such a course would enrage his father, who had pinned the Luther family's financial security and increased social standing on the idea that Martin would become a lawyer.

In July of 1505, Martin Luther was returning to school in Erfurt after a visit with his parents. A sudden thunderstorm arose, and lightening struck the ground a short distance away from Luther, knocking him down. Martin called out to his father's saint, the patroness of miners, who was supposed to be the mother of the Virgin Mary: "St. Anne help me! I will become a monk." That month, without his father's knowledge, and against his father's wishes, Martin Luther joined the Augustinian monastery in Erfurt.

[Sources:

Roland Bainton, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1978), 25.
Justo Gonzales, The Story of Christianity, Volume 2 (San Francisco: Harper Collins, 1985), 16.

Timothy Lull, Martin Luther's Basic Theological Writings (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 2005), 4.
Virgil Robinson, Luther the Leader (Ithaca, MI: A.B. Publishing, 1997), 17-20.]

Martin Luther Biography, Part 2: Early Education

[Continued from Part 1.]

Young Martin Luther's childhood was not a happy one. His parents were extremely severe [even, it seems, by late medieval standards], and many years later he would still speak bitterly of some of the punishments he had suffered. His first experiences at school were no better, and he later spoke of having been whipped for not knowing the lessons.

Luther's grammar school education took place in Mansfeld. In 1497-98 Luther attended a school run by the Franciscan Brothers at Magdeburg; as typical at such a school, Luther was required to go into the town and beg for his food. In 1498-1501 Luther went to school in Eisenach, where he was cared for by the Cotta family.

[Sources:

Roland Bainton, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1978), 18.
Justo Gonzales, The Story of Christianity, Volume 2 (San Francisco: Harper Collins, 1985), 15.

Timothy Lull, Martin Luther's Basic Theological Writings (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 2005), 3.
Virgil Robinson, Luther the Leader (Ithaca, MI: A.B. Publishing, 1997), 8-12.]

Thabiti Anyabwile on Multi-Site/Multi-Campus Churches

My last post on this blog was intended to point readers to articles exploring differences between Mormonism and Christianity. That post was about matters essential to the definition of the Christian faith. This post is about what may be termed a "second order" doctrine: a matter that is important, but about which well-meaning Christians may amicably disagree.

The mere existence of the distinction between "first order" and "second order" doctrines causes some [well meaning(?)] Christians to protest any attention given to "second order" doctrines: 'Why waste time' [the reasoning goes] 'debating secondary matters when people are going to Hell without hearing the gospel?' Certainly the primary emphasis in our lives must be the gospel itself, but because the Church-- the bride of Christ-- is so important to God and impacts the lives of so many, it seems

wise to give some sustained reflection on a proper understanding of the nature of the Church.

Near the end of last month, Thabiti Anyabwile, the senior pastor of First Baptist Church on Grand Cayman, wrote an excellent article on the danger of multi-site/multi-campus churches. (In the article, Anyabwile focused on the type of situation where a single pastor is broadcast to large television screens in many congregations, but he did mention other multi-site/multi-campus situations as well, both in the article and-- especially-- in the comments section.) A high point in this article [as pointed out in a related blogpost by Frank "centuri0n" Turk] was the following section:

A very thoughtful pastor pointed out this morning that we surely need a better theology of the unity of the church beyond the local church. But I think the multi-site, multi-campus strategy that is not speedily and intentionally moving to church planting unravels the local church with an absentee pastor model. Indeed, “church” becomes a strange moniker for this situation. A “church” is not just an assembly, it’s an assembly that is also a “family” where the members do all the one anothers and also a “body” where the joints are connected to supply to one another and a “flock” kept in a corral where the shepherds feed, bind, lead, and guide in personal relationship. Multi-site churches reduce the family, body, and flock to an anonymous assembly. In that way it trades in the lowest common denominator (assembling) while effectively mimicking “local.”

Within the blogpost, Anyabwile does not cite specific Scripture references (he composed the post in an airport, waiting for a plane), but in the comments he cites several, such as 2 Timothy 2:2, 1 Timothy 1:3-11, and Titus 1.

Again, I highly commend Anyabwile's post, which is found HERE.

Is Mormonism a Cult? 2 Excellent Posts

The question of the relationship between Mormonism and Christianity was re-introduced last week due to Pastor Robert Jeffress labeling Mormonism a "cult" last week at the Value Voters Summit when he introduced Rick Perry.

Ed Stetzer of LifeWay Research wrote an excellent blogpost on this topic, which may be read HERE. After giving the results of some excellently-conducted research, Stetzer concluded:

There is no reason to be shocked that devout Christians consider those with a different view of Christ as non-Christians. In the current cultural climate it may be uncomfortable, but it is anything but shocking.

Even better is an article from Denny Burk of Boyce College, which may be found HERE; as usual, Dr. Burk focuses his post on the gospel.

Sermon Notes from "Purpose Driven Predestination." Sermon by Russell D. Moore.

Today, I am home with my children, who are sick, and am therefore unable to meet with my church family at Kosmosdale Baptist Church. I am taking this opportunity to re-listen to one of the most powerful sermons I have ever heard. This sermon was originally preached at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary chapel on Thursday August 28, 2008 and can be heard on-line HERE. The preacher for this sermon is Dr. Russell D. Moore (BTW: today happens to be his birthday).

Romans 8:26-9:6a.

This is what I have always appreciated most about Dr. Moore’s preaching, and what I found true of his sermon on election as well: his preaching is always radically Christ-centered. The purpose of our predestination is the glory of God through conformity to the image of Christ.

A. Background:
1. In our contemporary situation:
a. There is often more consensus on the doctrine of election than we recognize, as seen in our songs and testimonies.
b. In other ways, the doctrine of election is not nearly controversial enough.
2. In the context of Romans: the situation with Israel, God's elect nation that had seemed to have fallen away, gave the Roman church a special concern for the doctrine of election.

B. Dr. Moore preached that God is actively working in the lives of the elect to bring us into conformity with Christ in the following ways:
1. In our prayer-life: that we would, like Christ, call out, “Abba, Father!” trusting in God’s sovereign, powerful hand.
2. In our peace: that we would trust God with our eternal destiny due to the work He has accomplished in Christ.
3. In our passion for evangelism: that we would be zealous to proclaim the Good News of Christ to others.
[Note: Dr. Moore did not alliterate the above points; that's just how they came out in the outline that I made while hearing him speak.]

C. Dr. Moore noted two reasons why people fear the doctrine of election:
1. They imagine that this doctrine will rob them of any assurance of salvation- they imagine that if this doctrine is true, then they may get to God’s throne earnestly desiring salvation and yet be turned away. Dr. Moore combated this fear by demonstrating the purpose for which Paul explained this doctrine: that he was writing to a church facing persecution and internal strife, facing their own doubts and hypocrisy, and that this doctrine of election is given for the assurance of those who have faith in Christ, that our salvation is God’s work, which will not fail.
2. They imagine that this doctrine will destroy zeal for evangelism. Dr. Moore combated this fear by demonstrating the connection that Paul makes between the doctrine of election and his own evangelistic passion- that it is due to the doctrine of election that Paul can be sure that the Word of God has not failed, in spite of the constant rejection Paul was facing from the Jews.

Dr. Moore then challenged his hearers: “If you are not more evangelistic now than you were when you came to understand the doctrine of election, you NEVER understood the doctrine of election.”

Dr. Moore closed with the following: “They tell me this [Southern Seminary] is ground zero for the doctrine of election; man, I hope they’re right.”

This post has barely scratched the surface of how exiting and challenging this sermon is. I cannot express how strongly I would urge readers to listen to this sermon and to send a link for this sermon to others. Again, the sermon can be heard HERE.

Cheering the Death Penalty: Some Thoughts

For conservatives who believe that the death penalty is a just punishment, at least for the crime of murder, then it is somewhat understandable to applaud a state's willingness to refuse to bow to liberal objections against the death penalty.

The applause AFTER Rick Perry spoke was even more understandable, given the fact that he gave a fair summary of the conservative position on the matter.

From a Christian pro-life perspective, when someone unjustly takes away a person's life-- the most fundamental of human rights given by God-- that person forfeits his or her own right to life (Genesis 9:6) in the eyes of the law.

However, it is almost certainly inappropriate to applaud something like the death penalty. God Himself takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 33:11) and the sheer amount of executions taking place in Texas points to the fact that there are some deep societal problems there that need to be addressed.

Mitt Romney: Why I'll not vote for him in the Republican Primary

Because I think, in this case, the Daily Show is basically correct:

Though Rick Perry did such a terrible job articulating it in the recent debate, he was right to point out that Romney is a 'flip-flopper.' Especially troubling is Romney's inconsistent record concerning the most crucial issue of social justice in America today: the legal right to life for the unborn. [See more on Romney's sketchy- at best- pro-life record HERE.] I have no confidence that Romney will propose pro-life legislation, veto pro-abortion legislation, and appoint pro-life federal judges; therefore, Romney will not get my vote.