This weekend I am preaching on the subject of giving and generosity. Sadly, speaking about handling money is one of the most unpopular topics for pastors to preach on. Often if we touch the subject at all, we do so with the awkwardness of a 16-year old chess club member asking a cheerleader to the junior prom! And the televangelists don't help us any. Many people filter their views about Christianity through the skewed lense they see in the Big-Haired, Rolex-wearing, Benz-driving guys begging for money on TV. Please understand, I'm not judging you if you drive a Benz or wear a nice watch.....unless you are simultaneously begging for money!
Back on topic, the reality is that generosity (with our money, talent and time) is a deeply spiritual issue and is addressed in hundreds of places in the Bible. Yet (along with "Hell" and the Book of Leviticus) generosity is usually one of our least favorite subjects. This should not be so! As the soon-to-be-installed new lead pastor of our church, it is my responsibility to teach the whole counsel of God - both the comfortable and the uncomfortable. You might be thinking, "Isn't that a dangerous thing to tackle before you've even been officially installed - especially in the midst of an economic recession?" My answer would be "NO WAY!" (C'mon, I recently taught a 4-week series on SEX - and nobody ran me off for that!)
Next month, our church will celebrate the 30th year of ministry of our founding pastor - and shortly thereafter he will hand the ball off to me. I am humbled by this and reminded of what life was like 30 years ago when he began at Valley Church. America was facing deep economic recession, the wake of an unpopular war, and the heat of moral upheaval generated by the 1960's and 70's. (Does any of this sound familiar?). And through it all, Valley has become one of the most influential and impacting churches in our city. Ultimately it has been all God's doing. But God works through people! Specifically, people who learn to be increasingly generous with the precious resources God loans to us in this life - our time, talents and treasure. Our founding pastor never let the challenges of the day quench his faith in God's ability to do great things - and I pray for that same grace for myself and the people who join with me on the next leg of our journey!
If you don't have a church, come join us this week at Valley or visit us online at www.valleychurch.com. And keep checking back for our new web site coming soon!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
Tolerance for Everyone....except Christians?
Unless you live under a rock, you’ve undoubtedly heard about the controversies stirring in California over the recent passing of Prop 8, and the current debate over HR 1913. The former was the passage of a law defining legal marriage in California as only being recognized between a man and a woman. This of course brought much outrage from those on the political and ideological left. The latter relates to criminalizing the advancement of any negative opinion regarding the gay lifestyle, defining almost any such expression as “hate speech.”
Why are the self-proclaimed prophets of tolerance in California’s political far-left so ardent in their desire to suppress freedom of speech among those who view homosexual behavior as a moral issue rather than an issue of civil rights? It is a question worth investigating.
In one sense, I can affirm their distrust of much of what they’ve seen from organized religion. While I don’t believe the vast majority of Christians are hateful toward homosexuals, there have been a handful in the vocal minority of self-professing religious people who have written and spoken some very ugly, un-Christlike things about fellow human beings who practice a gay lifestyle. Unfortunately, the arrogance and vitriol of this vocal minority has discredited many of those who disagree with the homosexual lifestyle but desire to engage in respectful, honest dialogue over the issue.
Theoretically, HR 1913 could criminalize any effort to publically teach that homosexual behavior is wrong or immoral according to the Bible. This means that pastors, teachers and other Christian leaders could be prosecuted for a hate crime simply for publically affirming their disagreement with homosexual behavior based on Biblical convictions.
Whatever a person’s view on the issue of homosexuality, a legislative maneuver like this should cause all red-blooded Americans significant outrage. Case in point: as a Christian myself, I realize that most self-professed followers of Christ are not the archaic, right-wing bigots they are frequently caricatured as in much of the media. Yet while I disagree with those generalities, I will ALWAYS defend a person’s right to say it. The same laws that protect my right to read and teach the Bible as I see it also protect the right of others to insult me.
As I alluded to above, the key issue in this debate is that homosexuality has become accepted by many as a civil rights issue as opposed to an ethical one. Many would argue that even though honest scientists admit that the jury is still a long way out regarding whether homosexuality is a chosen behavior versus a natural orientation, gays and lesbians are being given the status of actual minorities who DO deserve protection against slanderous hate speech provided in civil rights laws.
As a pastor, I am certainly against public defamation of particular individuals. In my opinion, no law-abiding citizen should be personally targeted for any act of intimidation or harassment for any reason – especially by someone who claims to be a Christian. However, to attempt to incriminate a Christian leader for teaching that homosexuality is one of a myriad of sinful behaviors in the world seems unconscionable. What do you think?
Why are the self-proclaimed prophets of tolerance in California’s political far-left so ardent in their desire to suppress freedom of speech among those who view homosexual behavior as a moral issue rather than an issue of civil rights? It is a question worth investigating.
In one sense, I can affirm their distrust of much of what they’ve seen from organized religion. While I don’t believe the vast majority of Christians are hateful toward homosexuals, there have been a handful in the vocal minority of self-professing religious people who have written and spoken some very ugly, un-Christlike things about fellow human beings who practice a gay lifestyle. Unfortunately, the arrogance and vitriol of this vocal minority has discredited many of those who disagree with the homosexual lifestyle but desire to engage in respectful, honest dialogue over the issue.
Theoretically, HR 1913 could criminalize any effort to publically teach that homosexual behavior is wrong or immoral according to the Bible. This means that pastors, teachers and other Christian leaders could be prosecuted for a hate crime simply for publically affirming their disagreement with homosexual behavior based on Biblical convictions.
Whatever a person’s view on the issue of homosexuality, a legislative maneuver like this should cause all red-blooded Americans significant outrage. Case in point: as a Christian myself, I realize that most self-professed followers of Christ are not the archaic, right-wing bigots they are frequently caricatured as in much of the media. Yet while I disagree with those generalities, I will ALWAYS defend a person’s right to say it. The same laws that protect my right to read and teach the Bible as I see it also protect the right of others to insult me.
As I alluded to above, the key issue in this debate is that homosexuality has become accepted by many as a civil rights issue as opposed to an ethical one. Many would argue that even though honest scientists admit that the jury is still a long way out regarding whether homosexuality is a chosen behavior versus a natural orientation, gays and lesbians are being given the status of actual minorities who DO deserve protection against slanderous hate speech provided in civil rights laws.
As a pastor, I am certainly against public defamation of particular individuals. In my opinion, no law-abiding citizen should be personally targeted for any act of intimidation or harassment for any reason – especially by someone who claims to be a Christian. However, to attempt to incriminate a Christian leader for teaching that homosexuality is one of a myriad of sinful behaviors in the world seems unconscionable. What do you think?
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Relationships and Random Kindness
I'm sitting in Peet's coffee on a Saturday morning waiting for a friend to arrive. As I wait, I'm engaged in one of my favorite pasttimes: people-watching. I know its rather nosey, but when I see people walk in for their morning cup of caffiene, I'm astutely aware that each of these people have a story as unique as their DNA.
As a pastor, I'm constantly thinking about how our individual stories intersect with God's Story - the unfolding drama of his love affair with mankind. Sometimes I wish I had the ability of Jesus to be able to see into the recesses of a person's heart so as to know exactly how to encourage them. However, while I am a human being like Jesus, I don't have the God-thing going for me. Therefore, I am bound by the need to engage in relationships in order to befriend someone on this deeper level.
The need for building relationships runs against the grain of our "efficiency-centered" worldview. From a human perspective, caring enough to build relationships is not effecient for several reasons. For one thing, time is a factor. Investing in another person relationally takes time and patience - requiring much more effort than drowning our hours away in front of a computer or TV screen. A second factor making relationships inefficient is the limit of our own capacities. A friend of mind describes this reality in terms of Legos. As finite humans, we have a limited number of connectors. Once our capacity to connect fills up, we simply don't have room for new connections - at least not deep ones.
Yet I think this is OK. Jesus modeled this for us in that while He was Almighty God, He voluntarily limited Himself as a human. Jesus only had a handful of really close friends. Yet, He multiplied His ministry through that handful of friends to the extent that 2000 years later, 2.3 billion people claim allegience to Jesus. This is good news for us in our finiteness! Jesus said that we are His body and that each of us plays a vital role in relationally investing in those for whom He gave His life!
Don't be discouraged if you don't feel "efficient" enough to have a million deep relationships. Just make sure you're loving well those already in your life - and be open to God bringing more along in His timing. Look for little ways to bless those who God puts in your path. Secular culture calls this "random acts of kindness". Followers of Jesus see it as "divine appointments" - believing that no encounter with another human being is random.
Even as I write this blog from my cell phone, the friend I was supposed to meet has not shown up. Yet, it's no accident that I'm here. What you don't know is that the writing of this blog has transpired over the course of more than an hour. In that time, I ran into some old classmates from Bible College that just "happened" to be cruising through town. Then a "random" lady named Brenda walked up to my table a few minutes later and said she was a Christian and that she felt God had laid a message on her heart that she felt compelled to tell me. I invited her to tell me and she spoke the following:
"I feel that God wants you to know that you are going to be a spiritual shepherd to many people - and that God sees the way you've served Him with joy, even through difficult times. He is going to use you to rebuild the broken lives of others and to lead many into a deeper understanding of Jesus. God wants you to know that He notices your service and desires to richly reward you. I don't know if that makes any sense to you, but I felt that God wanted me to tell you that." I was blown away by this woman's words. She doesn't even know me, yet steps out of her comfort zone to encourage me. She had no clue that I'm about to take on a new role as the point leader of our church. After 14 years in youth ministry and heading into the simultaneous thrill and insecuruty of leading a church - her words could not have made MORE sense!
So I sit here at Peet's, aware more than ever that even when an appointment fails to show up, I was here for a reason. I'm not typically one of those types who places much credence in so-called "messages from God". But this one was biblical, delivered humbly and precise to the situation at hand. I thank God for strengthening my own faith today through Brenda. She was His mouthpiece in this divine appointment - reminding me that nothing is ever random with God! I'm thankful that the fear of inefficiency didn't stop her from stepping out in faith to encourage a "random" guy blogging on his cell phone at Peet's coffee on a Saturday morning. Now go BE that divine appointment in someone else's day!
As a pastor, I'm constantly thinking about how our individual stories intersect with God's Story - the unfolding drama of his love affair with mankind. Sometimes I wish I had the ability of Jesus to be able to see into the recesses of a person's heart so as to know exactly how to encourage them. However, while I am a human being like Jesus, I don't have the God-thing going for me. Therefore, I am bound by the need to engage in relationships in order to befriend someone on this deeper level.
The need for building relationships runs against the grain of our "efficiency-centered" worldview. From a human perspective, caring enough to build relationships is not effecient for several reasons. For one thing, time is a factor. Investing in another person relationally takes time and patience - requiring much more effort than drowning our hours away in front of a computer or TV screen. A second factor making relationships inefficient is the limit of our own capacities. A friend of mind describes this reality in terms of Legos. As finite humans, we have a limited number of connectors. Once our capacity to connect fills up, we simply don't have room for new connections - at least not deep ones.
Yet I think this is OK. Jesus modeled this for us in that while He was Almighty God, He voluntarily limited Himself as a human. Jesus only had a handful of really close friends. Yet, He multiplied His ministry through that handful of friends to the extent that 2000 years later, 2.3 billion people claim allegience to Jesus. This is good news for us in our finiteness! Jesus said that we are His body and that each of us plays a vital role in relationally investing in those for whom He gave His life!
Don't be discouraged if you don't feel "efficient" enough to have a million deep relationships. Just make sure you're loving well those already in your life - and be open to God bringing more along in His timing. Look for little ways to bless those who God puts in your path. Secular culture calls this "random acts of kindness". Followers of Jesus see it as "divine appointments" - believing that no encounter with another human being is random.
Even as I write this blog from my cell phone, the friend I was supposed to meet has not shown up. Yet, it's no accident that I'm here. What you don't know is that the writing of this blog has transpired over the course of more than an hour. In that time, I ran into some old classmates from Bible College that just "happened" to be cruising through town. Then a "random" lady named Brenda walked up to my table a few minutes later and said she was a Christian and that she felt God had laid a message on her heart that she felt compelled to tell me. I invited her to tell me and she spoke the following:
"I feel that God wants you to know that you are going to be a spiritual shepherd to many people - and that God sees the way you've served Him with joy, even through difficult times. He is going to use you to rebuild the broken lives of others and to lead many into a deeper understanding of Jesus. God wants you to know that He notices your service and desires to richly reward you. I don't know if that makes any sense to you, but I felt that God wanted me to tell you that." I was blown away by this woman's words. She doesn't even know me, yet steps out of her comfort zone to encourage me. She had no clue that I'm about to take on a new role as the point leader of our church. After 14 years in youth ministry and heading into the simultaneous thrill and insecuruty of leading a church - her words could not have made MORE sense!
So I sit here at Peet's, aware more than ever that even when an appointment fails to show up, I was here for a reason. I'm not typically one of those types who places much credence in so-called "messages from God". But this one was biblical, delivered humbly and precise to the situation at hand. I thank God for strengthening my own faith today through Brenda. She was His mouthpiece in this divine appointment - reminding me that nothing is ever random with God! I'm thankful that the fear of inefficiency didn't stop her from stepping out in faith to encourage a "random" guy blogging on his cell phone at Peet's coffee on a Saturday morning. Now go BE that divine appointment in someone else's day!
Monday, March 9, 2009
On Being a Dad
Tonight I had the priviledge of hanging out with my boys while April was out with some friends. I love having "boys night" with them whenever possible. One of the great blessings of being a dad is what it has taught me about God.
As a very imperfect father, my love for my boys is unconditional. Even when I have to discipline them, it never changes how I essentially view them. No matter their struggles, disobedience or mistakes, I am relentlessly committed to loving them. They don't have to "do" anything to make me proud. They just "are". After I put them to bed, I went in to check on Jake. Just watching him sleep and breathe makes me grateful to be his dad.
If my love as a flawed human being is so vast for my kids - its no wonder Paul wanted the Ephesians to grasp how "wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge..." (Eph. 3:18-19). The love of a perfect heavenly Father is infinitely greater than any love that could possibly flow out of my heart. If you are feeling defeated or deflated today, turn to Jesus. He is not waiting to condemn you, but to rescue you from whatever is keeping you from deep relationship with God - whether sin or doubt or failure or flaw - He loves you.
As a very imperfect father, my love for my boys is unconditional. Even when I have to discipline them, it never changes how I essentially view them. No matter their struggles, disobedience or mistakes, I am relentlessly committed to loving them. They don't have to "do" anything to make me proud. They just "are". After I put them to bed, I went in to check on Jake. Just watching him sleep and breathe makes me grateful to be his dad.
If my love as a flawed human being is so vast for my kids - its no wonder Paul wanted the Ephesians to grasp how "wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge..." (Eph. 3:18-19). The love of a perfect heavenly Father is infinitely greater than any love that could possibly flow out of my heart. If you are feeling defeated or deflated today, turn to Jesus. He is not waiting to condemn you, but to rescue you from whatever is keeping you from deep relationship with God - whether sin or doubt or failure or flaw - He loves you.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Sex in Church?
I'm in the middle of teaching a 4-week series at church called "The Naked Truth - God's Design for Sex and Intimacy." Does learning about sex in church seem weird or awkward to you? When you think of Christians and sex, do you automatically think "prudish, outdated and close-minded"? A lot of people I talk to seem to think that way.
I get bummed when I think about the fact that as Christians, we believe in the God who created sex and blessed humanity with such a powerful gift - and yet for one reason or another, people think we are anti-sex. Granted, this gift has been abused and disrepsected by masses - but it remains a gift. In fact, the very first command in Scripture is "Go have sex!" (OK, God actually says to Adam and Eve "Be fruitful and multiply" - but He wasn't talking about planting an orchard!).
Why does sex get so complicated? What does a 2000-plus year old book like The Bible have to say to an advanced culture like ours about an issue so complex? I'd be interested to know your opinion......is church an appropriate place for an in-depth discussion about.....uh.....boom-chicka-wah-wah? Come hang out with us Sundays for the next four weeks and decide for yourself....
Here are the topics...
Week 1 - The Word on Sex - What the Bible actually DOES teach.....
Week 2 - Straight talk to the Ladies - That's what SHE said....
Week 3 - Straight talk to the Dudes - Listen up, fellas!
Week 4 - The Healing Path - Hope for the sexually wounded....
I get bummed when I think about the fact that as Christians, we believe in the God who created sex and blessed humanity with such a powerful gift - and yet for one reason or another, people think we are anti-sex. Granted, this gift has been abused and disrepsected by masses - but it remains a gift. In fact, the very first command in Scripture is "Go have sex!" (OK, God actually says to Adam and Eve "Be fruitful and multiply" - but He wasn't talking about planting an orchard!).
Why does sex get so complicated? What does a 2000-plus year old book like The Bible have to say to an advanced culture like ours about an issue so complex? I'd be interested to know your opinion......is church an appropriate place for an in-depth discussion about.....uh.....boom-chicka-wah-wah? Come hang out with us Sundays for the next four weeks and decide for yourself....
Here are the topics...
Week 1 - The Word on Sex - What the Bible actually DOES teach.....
Week 2 - Straight talk to the Ladies - That's what SHE said....
Week 3 - Straight talk to the Dudes - Listen up, fellas!
Week 4 - The Healing Path - Hope for the sexually wounded....
Friday, January 30, 2009
My New Friend Dave
I just spent a week in Franklin, TN, with a team of creative people I'm privileged to serve with called The Write Group. Together, we help craft cutting-edge materials to help youth workers use music and media to teach students about God. These materials are designed and published by a company called Interl'inc. You can check them out at http://www.interlinc-online.com/.
I've been writing for Interl'inc for over 6 years now, but this was my first year joining The Write Group at their annual gathering. Part of the fun of hanging out with creative people is that it fuels my creative juices. One particular blessing was meeting a guy named Dave who has been a part of this group much longer than I have.
When you first meet Dave, he is an unassuming presence with a mild personality. Over the course of our week together, I began to learn about various aspects of Dave's creativity. He is a bi-vocational pastor, artist, father and husband who loves God and others deeply. If you are an artist who desires to use your talents to glorify Christ, check out his site at http://www.amokarts.com/ for some great inspiration!
I've been writing for Interl'inc for over 6 years now, but this was my first year joining The Write Group at their annual gathering. Part of the fun of hanging out with creative people is that it fuels my creative juices. One particular blessing was meeting a guy named Dave who has been a part of this group much longer than I have.
When you first meet Dave, he is an unassuming presence with a mild personality. Over the course of our week together, I began to learn about various aspects of Dave's creativity. He is a bi-vocational pastor, artist, father and husband who loves God and others deeply. If you are an artist who desires to use your talents to glorify Christ, check out his site at http://www.amokarts.com/ for some great inspiration!
Monday, December 29, 2008
Turn or Burn? The Meaning of Repentance...
In a sermon I recently preached, I mentioned that the verb "to repent" does not mean "to turn from sin" or "reform one’s lifestyle" as many preachers and teachers have taught for some time. It is my conviction that this definition of repentance is more closely tied to ancient Roman Catholic ideas than it is to a biblical understanding of the word. I too was raised with idea that repentance means "making a 180-degree turn from sin toward righteousness." In fact, this definition of repentance is so prevalent among many evangelical Christians, that it often comes as a shock to people when I question it.....
The Greek verb "to repent" is metanoeo - a compound from meta (meaning "to change") and gnosis (meaning "mind, perspective or knowledge"). Etymologically, the biblical definition of the verb "to repent" is clearly "to change one’s mind or perspective." The etymology of a biblical word is always where we begin our journey in seeking to understand its meaning.
Once we have identified this, we then begin to consider the various ways in which the word or concept is used Scripturally - since context ultimately determines meaning. It is clear that Scripture sometimes links repentance to a turning from sin. For example, the rough Hebrew equivalent of the Greek metanoeo is used to describe the Ninevites who "repented" at the preaching of Jonah (Jonah 3). There is no doubt that turning from sin can accompany repentance. The big question is whether or not "repentance" and "turning from sin" are in fact. synonymous. This may sound like a technicality, but it is hugely significant in our understanding of the true Gospel of grace.
Much of the debate over "repentance" revolves around two theological "camps" within evangelicalism – The "Lordship Salvation" camp and the "Free Grace Salvation" camp. I once vigorously supported the former, and have since moved toward the latter as I’ve come to what I believe is greater clarity on these matters.
The Lordship Salvationists claim that "repentance" (defined as "turning from sin and surrendering to Christ as Master and Lord) is synonymous with what they call "saving faith." The most outspoken proponents of this view over the past 20 years include teachers like John MacArthur, R.C. Sproul, Kenneth Gentry and others.
Free Grace salvationists like myself point out that if "turning from sin" were a requirement or ingredient of authentic "saving faith" - this would combine works as part of the Gospel, making Christianity essentially no different from any other legalistic religion. The Lordship theologians (most of whom come from a hyper-Calvinist viewpoint that I once espoused) get around this by their conviction that since salvation includes nothing of the will of humans, then "turning from sin" cannot be considered works-based salvation. In other words, since God essentially "forces" the turning from sin and submission upon the elect individual as a work of his elective process, it’s not really the human "turning" of his own volition – and therefore cannot be considered a human "work."
The bottom line is that the New Testament word "repent" literally means "a change of mind." It is always desirable that a change of lifestyle would accompany biblical repentance. This is why in the very first occurrence of the word in the New Testament, John the Baptist challenges the religious Jews to "produce fruit in keeping with (their) repentance" (Matt. 3). If repentance were synonymous with a changed lifestyle as Lordship Salvationists claim, then John’s words would seem a rather redundant since he in essence would be saying "change your lifestyle in keeping with your changed lifestyle." Clearly, it seems more reasonable to define repentance for what the word actually means rather than reading a pre-conceived theological idea into it that was not originally there. A change of lifestyle can (and should ) accompany a change of perspective about God and Jesus and life – but it is dangerous to imprecisely use these terms in relation to the Gospel. If there is anything we MUST get right as Christians – it’s the Gospel!
When someone exercises faith in Christ (which the Scriptures repeatedly teach is the sole condition for salvation) - in essence, that person has repented by the true definition. They have changed their perspective. They have gone from unbelief to belief – from not trusting in Christ’s finished work on the cross to trusting in Him alone for their rescue. However, if repentance (defined as turning from sin) is part of the Gospel offer - then it is no Gospel at all and no different from the basic ideas of Islam, Mormonism or any other legalistic faith.
When Paul was asked "What must I do to be saved?" he thunderously responded "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved!" (Acts 16:30-31). Jesus and the Apostles were united on this point - and we would be also. In his first edition of The Gospel According to Jesus, John MacArthur makes the terribly inaccurate statement "True faith is humble, submissive obedience." (p. 140). I have benefitted from many of the works of Dr. MacArthur and those who espouse his views, and I choose to believe that he was not trying to be deliberately dishonest when he wrote this and other shocking statements like it throughout his book. But this is at best a gross error in understanding what biblical faith is. To be fair, MacArthur softened his words in subsequent revisions of this book.
The Bible repeatedly affirms that changing one’s perspective (repentance) often involves turning from sin. Often the very change of perspective itself is related to the emptiness of living in sin as opposed to living for God. It is also commanded and desirable that all people – including believers – exercise a lifestyle of repentance (which would include, but not be defined as "turning away from a sinful lifestyle wherever possible and living for God.") There are often horrible earthly consequences connected to living in rebellion against God.
I will conclude this brief analysis by stating that I am mindful of the fact that many sincere brothers and sisters in Christ disagree over this issue of the meaning of repentance. While I am presently convinced of my understanding as opposed to the "Lordship Salvation" camp, I respect much of what those theologians have articulated in other areas of theology. Which ever position you lead toward, I invite you to share your thoughts with me on this blog.....
Blessings,
Pastor Jeremy
The Greek verb "to repent" is metanoeo - a compound from meta (meaning "to change") and gnosis (meaning "mind, perspective or knowledge"). Etymologically, the biblical definition of the verb "to repent" is clearly "to change one’s mind or perspective." The etymology of a biblical word is always where we begin our journey in seeking to understand its meaning.
Once we have identified this, we then begin to consider the various ways in which the word or concept is used Scripturally - since context ultimately determines meaning. It is clear that Scripture sometimes links repentance to a turning from sin. For example, the rough Hebrew equivalent of the Greek metanoeo is used to describe the Ninevites who "repented" at the preaching of Jonah (Jonah 3). There is no doubt that turning from sin can accompany repentance. The big question is whether or not "repentance" and "turning from sin" are in fact. synonymous. This may sound like a technicality, but it is hugely significant in our understanding of the true Gospel of grace.
Much of the debate over "repentance" revolves around two theological "camps" within evangelicalism – The "Lordship Salvation" camp and the "Free Grace Salvation" camp. I once vigorously supported the former, and have since moved toward the latter as I’ve come to what I believe is greater clarity on these matters.
The Lordship Salvationists claim that "repentance" (defined as "turning from sin and surrendering to Christ as Master and Lord) is synonymous with what they call "saving faith." The most outspoken proponents of this view over the past 20 years include teachers like John MacArthur, R.C. Sproul, Kenneth Gentry and others.
Free Grace salvationists like myself point out that if "turning from sin" were a requirement or ingredient of authentic "saving faith" - this would combine works as part of the Gospel, making Christianity essentially no different from any other legalistic religion. The Lordship theologians (most of whom come from a hyper-Calvinist viewpoint that I once espoused) get around this by their conviction that since salvation includes nothing of the will of humans, then "turning from sin" cannot be considered works-based salvation. In other words, since God essentially "forces" the turning from sin and submission upon the elect individual as a work of his elective process, it’s not really the human "turning" of his own volition – and therefore cannot be considered a human "work."
The bottom line is that the New Testament word "repent" literally means "a change of mind." It is always desirable that a change of lifestyle would accompany biblical repentance. This is why in the very first occurrence of the word in the New Testament, John the Baptist challenges the religious Jews to "produce fruit in keeping with (their) repentance" (Matt. 3). If repentance were synonymous with a changed lifestyle as Lordship Salvationists claim, then John’s words would seem a rather redundant since he in essence would be saying "change your lifestyle in keeping with your changed lifestyle." Clearly, it seems more reasonable to define repentance for what the word actually means rather than reading a pre-conceived theological idea into it that was not originally there. A change of lifestyle can (and should ) accompany a change of perspective about God and Jesus and life – but it is dangerous to imprecisely use these terms in relation to the Gospel. If there is anything we MUST get right as Christians – it’s the Gospel!
When someone exercises faith in Christ (which the Scriptures repeatedly teach is the sole condition for salvation) - in essence, that person has repented by the true definition. They have changed their perspective. They have gone from unbelief to belief – from not trusting in Christ’s finished work on the cross to trusting in Him alone for their rescue. However, if repentance (defined as turning from sin) is part of the Gospel offer - then it is no Gospel at all and no different from the basic ideas of Islam, Mormonism or any other legalistic faith.
When Paul was asked "What must I do to be saved?" he thunderously responded "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved!" (Acts 16:30-31). Jesus and the Apostles were united on this point - and we would be also. In his first edition of The Gospel According to Jesus, John MacArthur makes the terribly inaccurate statement "True faith is humble, submissive obedience." (p. 140). I have benefitted from many of the works of Dr. MacArthur and those who espouse his views, and I choose to believe that he was not trying to be deliberately dishonest when he wrote this and other shocking statements like it throughout his book. But this is at best a gross error in understanding what biblical faith is. To be fair, MacArthur softened his words in subsequent revisions of this book.
The Bible repeatedly affirms that changing one’s perspective (repentance) often involves turning from sin. Often the very change of perspective itself is related to the emptiness of living in sin as opposed to living for God. It is also commanded and desirable that all people – including believers – exercise a lifestyle of repentance (which would include, but not be defined as "turning away from a sinful lifestyle wherever possible and living for God.") There are often horrible earthly consequences connected to living in rebellion against God.
I will conclude this brief analysis by stating that I am mindful of the fact that many sincere brothers and sisters in Christ disagree over this issue of the meaning of repentance. While I am presently convinced of my understanding as opposed to the "Lordship Salvation" camp, I respect much of what those theologians have articulated in other areas of theology. Which ever position you lead toward, I invite you to share your thoughts with me on this blog.....
Blessings,
Pastor Jeremy
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