Radical: Chapter 7, There is No Plan B

Posted on July 30, 2011 by Jay F Guin

We’re studying David Platt’s Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream chapter by chapter.

[W]hile some professing Christians have rejected universalism intellectually, practically they may end up leading universalistic lives. They claim Christ is necessary for salvation, yet they live their Christianity in silence, as if people around them in the world will indeed by okay in the end without Christ. (p. 142)

It’s certainly a lot easier to condemn Rob Bell’s Love Wins for its universalistic leaning than to actually act on your convictions and live as though the lost are, you know, lost. Continue reading →

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Thought Question: Nick Saban on Life

Posted on July 29, 2011 by Jay F Guin

Any lessons here for church leadership? Any lessons here for Christian life?

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What Must the Church of Christ Do to Be Saved? Chapter 1

Posted on July 29, 2011 by Jay F Guin

Leroy Garrett has written another book: What Must the Church of Christ Do to Be Saved? The paperback is $7.95, but it’s also available in Kindle edition  for $0.99. For $0.99, it’s really an offer you can’t refuse!

It has 20 chapters, offering a 20-step plan toward salvation, and not many more pages. It’s simple, direct, and important.

Now, by “saved” Garrett doesn’t mean that he questions the salvation of the individual members of the Churches of Christ. Rather, he is concerned to save the Churches of Christ as a “viable witness to the Christian faith. What must it do to escape extinction in the decades ahead …?”

And the statistics are unambiguous that the Churches of Christ are in numerical decline in the United States, suffering a net loss of both congregations and adherents (members plus their children).

What’s the solution? Chapter 1 provides step 1:

Confess that we have been wrong about some things. Continue reading →

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Romans: God Is Not Fair (Romans 3:25b-31; Justice and Boasting)

Posted on July 28, 2011 by Jay F Guin

The justice of God

(Rom 3:25b-26 ESV) 25b This was to show God’s righteousness [faithfulness to his covenant with Abraham], because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.  26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Rom 3:26 is another verse where the translation is controversial. You see, the Greek word that we routinely translate “righteous” can also be translated “just”; and so the word translated “justifier” could also be translated “one who declares righteous.” Continue reading →

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Radical: Chapters 5 and 6, The Multiplying Community; How Much Is Enough?

Posted on July 27, 2011 by Jay F Guin

We’re studying David Platt’s Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream chapter by chapter.

Chapter 5

This chapter is about the importance of converting the lost, a task given to each Christian. It’s familiar teaching to anyone who’s been in church for long. The distinctive point Platt makes is that converting the lost goes hand in hand with serving the lost.

The plan of Christ is not dependent on having the right programs or hiring the right professionals but on building and being the right people — a community of people — who realize that we are all enabled and equipped to carry out the purpose of God for our lives. (p. 92) Continue reading →

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Thought Question: What Is the Church?

Posted on July 26, 2011 by Jay F Guin

At his Jesus Creed blog, Scot McKnight is working through the textbook Church: A Guide for the Perplexed by Matt Jensen and David Wilhie. I’ve not bought this one (yet), but I found a particular point about the church worthy of some reflection —

They make five points:

1. The church is a mystical communion.
2. Institutional elements are here to stay.
3. The church must be externally focused – mission, preaching, etc.
4. The church must be visibly manifested: institutional elements, sacramental practices, evangelical proclamation or missional deeds.
5. The church is ineradicably local.

They finally appeal to Hütter: the church invisible becomes the church visible through its practices. Continue reading →

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Romans: God Is Not Fair (Romans 3:21-25a; All Fall Short of the Glory of God)

Posted on July 25, 2011 by Jay F Guin

(Rom 3:21-22a ESV) 21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it — 22a the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.

We are now confronted with a couple of serious exegetical problems.

The “righteousness of God”

In this context, what is the “righteousness of God”? His sinlessness? That’s not really the subject Paul is covering. His character? Yes — unquestionably — but what about his character is under discussion? Continue reading →

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Radical: Chapter 4, The Great Why of God

Posted on July 24, 2011 by Jay F Guin

We’re studying David Platt’s Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream chapter by chapter.

In this chapter, Platt ponders God’s purpose in making us.

On one hand, we were created by God to enjoy his grace. Apart from everything else God created, we were made in his image. We alone have the capacity to enjoy God in intimate relationship with him. …

[O]n the other hand, God immediately followed his blessing with a command.  … God gave his people his image for a reason — so that they might multiply his image throughout the world. …

Simple enough. Enjoy his grace and extend his glory. Continue reading →

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God Is Not Fair: Reflecting on Patrick Mead’s Latest

Posted on July 23, 2011 by Jay F Guin

Too good not to pass along.

In a previous post, Patrick posed a common problem with how we understand God —

We have used Gregory Boyd’s opening illustration in “God at War” of the mutilation and death of the beautiful little Jewish girl, Zoysia, and commenters have come back to that and asked why God, once He saw that the Nazi was about to tear out her eyes, didn’t strike him down dead or otherwise stay his hand from such a horrific, evil deed.

In the following post, Patrick concludes,

Read Romans 8 two or three times now and then come back to this blog. Did you see it? God’s intention is for US to redeem this earth, this whole creation. …

If we drop the ball, do we blame our father? Our coach? Or do we blame ourselves and work harder in order to avoid making the same mistake again? Continue reading →

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Romans: God Is Not Fair (Romans 3:1-20; The Law Cannot Save)

Posted on July 22, 2011 by Jay F Guin

(Rom 3:1-2 ESV) Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision?  2 Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God.

In the preceding verses, Paul demonstrates how the Jewish people failed to be a light to the nations and, further, how the only circumcision that really matters is circumcision of the heart by the Spirit. Does that mean that there’s no advantage to being a Jew? God elected the Jews! Does being a Jew make a difference?

Paul responds to his rhetorical questions by pointing out the huge advantage of having the scriptures. Paul later expands on this list in Romans 9 — Continue reading →

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