David Whiting Live

Hiding Behind Our Theology

One of my favorite things to teach about is the sovereignty of God. I remember - as a freshman in college - when it slowly dawned on me the implications of God's sovereignty. At first, I was upset ("That can't be!"). Then I was confused ("But that means..."); Finally, I rejoiced in it ("This is amazing!").

For the rest of my college career - I was a Calvinist recruiter... attempting to convert every Arminian to the wonderful beauty of God's sovereignty over our depravity.  I was functioning as a hyper-Calvinist (see previous post on that topic HERE) during my college years.

As I look back at those years, I wonder if I often excused my lack of passionate evangelism on God's sovereignty - and felt theologically superior in doing so.  Once I became a youth pastor, I still equally enjoyed and taught the sovereignty of God as I did when I first discovered it, but that teaching began to be balanced with human responsibility. It is only recently that my passion for lost people has begun to bring accusations that I'm not trusting in God's sovereignty enough. 

That is why Nehemiah 4:9 means a lot to me these days: "We prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat."

God is absolutely and totally sovereign, and we must take reasonable steps of responsibility. And if that seems theologically confusing - then it probably is just about right.  Because if we have God's sovereignty "all figured out" perhaps He isn't as transcendent as we think.

For me, I will continue to live in the confusion of knowing He is totally and completely sovereign, and I will continue to do all I can to "win as many as possible."

Spiritual Asbestos - Silent Killers

While our church was having asbestos removed last month - by law, we were required to post signs all over the facility warning people about the danger of asbestos.  And it made me start to think about how churches spread spiritual asbestos.

According to an OSHA website "the inhalation of asbestos fibers by workers can cause serious diseases of the lungs and other organs that may not appear until years after the exposure has occurred. For instance, asbestos can cause a buildup of scar-like tissue in the lungs and result in loss of lung function that often progresses to disability and death. Asbestos fibers associated with these health risks are too small to be seen with the naked eye." (you can read more HERE - if you want to scare yourself silly)

So - asbestos is an unnoticed killer...  That is what made me wonder what types of things seem harmless in churches, but are actually very deadly.

1. Legalism

There are thousands of churches that practice a "rules-righteousness" approach to Christianity and they have no idea what a deadly killer that is.  They set their rules on movies, cards, dress codes, alcohol, translations, and hundreds of other things... and it creates a prideful arrogance that is deadly. I wouldn't want a new Christian to attend a legalistic church.  They kill souls - both by creating false pride in Christians and by making new believers feel that such a standard is actually a goal to be attained.

2. Confusion of preferences versus conviction

This is a common spiritual asbestos found in all types of churches, and it is a deadly killer for new Christians, and it stagnates the growth of all Christians. If we can't tell the difference between personal preference and biblical conviction - we will create Pharisaical judges who only want to be around people who are just like "us."  And that is not only boring - it is deadly.

3. Country club for saints rather than a hospital for sinners

A silent killer of churches happens when a church acts like they are a country club for saints rather than a hospital for sinners.  When we start thinking that church is all about "give me what I want" or "give me what makes me comfortable" - we've lost our mission and we have airborne asbestos and need to mask up and protect ourselves! What if we ACTUALLY BELIEVED that the purpose of the church was to win people to Christ and grow them in biblical faith?  We talk a good game of evangelism, but most church-going people would never want the church to actually PRACTICE evangelism in effective ways.  That wouldn't make them comfortable.

4. Lack of emphasis on the cross

When a church deals more with sin management than cross dependence - it is spreading spiritual asbestos. When we don't emphasize the cross - we will emphasize "earning God's favor." When we don't emphasize the cross - we will convince ourselves we aren't great sinners.  If we are small sinners - we have a small Savior.  If we see how great of sinners we are - we can rejoice in our great Savior.

Let's avoid all forms of spiritual asbestos. It really is deadly!

A Conversation with Death - by John Piper

I read this on the desiring God blog months ago, and thought you'd enjoy it too:

A CONVERSATION WITH DEATH ON GOOD FRIDAY:

CHRISTIAN:

Hello, Death, my old enemy. My old slave-master. Have you come to talk to me again? To frighten me?

I am not the person you think I am. I am not the one you used to talk to. Something has happened. Let me ask you a question, Death.

Where is your sting?

DEATH, sneeringly:

My sting is your sin.

CHRISTIAN:

I know that, Death. But that’s not what I asked you. I asked, where is your sting? I know what it is. But tell me where it is.

Why are you fidgeting, Death? Why are you looking away? Why are you turning to go? Wait, Death, you have not answered my question. Where is your sting?

Where is, my sin?

What? You have no answer? But, Death, why do you have no answer? How will you terrify me, if you have no answer?

O Death, I will tell you the answer. Where is your sting? Where is my sin? It is hanging on that tree. God made Christ to be sin—my sin. When he died, the penalty of my sin was paid. The power of it was broken. I bear it no more.

Farewell, Death. You need not show up here again to frighten me. God will tell you when to come next time. And when you come, you will be his servant. For me, you will have no sting.

O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:55-57)

 

Functional Hyper-Calvinism

I read some great news recently...  According to Outreach Magazine - here are the top five multiplying churches (churches planting churches):
1. Redeemer Presbyterian (New York, NY)
2. Mars Hill Church (Seattle, Washington) - note: NOT Mars Hill in Grand Rapids, MI
3. NorthWood Church (Keller, TX)
4. Perimeter Church (Atlanta, GA)
5. Spanish River Church (Boca Raton, FL)

What makes that "good news" to me is that four of those five churches are Reformed in their soteriology (Calvinistic). Months ago, I blogged about "New Calvinists" (you can read that HERE).

When I first fell in love with the doctrine of God's Sovereignty in college - it slowly began to bother me that Calvinists didn't seem very evangelistic (again, read the article on "New Calvinists" above).

That is what makes the above news fantastic.  I've always believed that those who believe most firmly in God's sovereignty ought to be the greatest and most fervent of evangelists (that certainly is true in history).  And it is good to see it happening in our country - - - finally!!  We are the ones with hope that those who are appointed for eternal life WILL believe!! (Acts 13:48)  All we have to do is run the Gospel test on them... over and over and over.

I know a lot of Calvinists, but I have yet to meet one that would call themselves a "hyper-Calvinist." I've often said, "A hyper-Calvinist is someone who is more Calvinistic than I am."  That is most people's definition. No one would admit to being one themselves. But I remember hearing someone warn about "functional hyper-Calvinism." I like that phrase.

Some thoughts I've heard and that come to my mind now:

• Don't make heroes of pastors who are great preacher and theologians, but whose churches are not evangelistic. They are talking about the gospel without living it out. They are functional hyper-Calvinists.
• What we celebrate we become. And if we celebrate those with strong theology but weak witness, that is exactly what we will become - functional hyper-Calvinists.
• Churches with strong theology but little mission are like a bodybuilder with huge theological arms, but tiny, spindly missional legs. Don't make that exciting. Don't celebrate that.  That is functional hyper-Calvinism.
• With Hyper-Calvinists or functional hyper-Calvinists, the result is the same: God is not honored and given the glory He is due. 
• Churches need to be biblically-faithful, culturally-relevant, counter-culture communities for the Gospel and for the Kingdom.

Four out of five of the quickest multiplying churches (establishing church plants) are Calvinistic!  May that tribe increase!  Zeal WITH knowledge - what a concept! (Romans 12:2)

The Good News of My Depravity

C.S. Lewis once said, "When a man is getting better he understand more and more clearly the evil that is still left in him. When a man is getting worse he understands his own badness less and less."

I guess you could say that if you understand that statement, you're getting better. If you don't, you aren't.

Does Satan Exist?

If you get this email in time - do all you can to watch or tape NIGHTLINE tonight (on ABC after the local news).  Tonight there is a debate called "Does Satan Exist?"  Representing our view is a former stripper, who has been saved by God's grace, and Mark Driscoll, a pastor in Seattle, Washington, who shares our love for God and our theology. I watched most of the debate today while working, but haven't finished it yet.

What I've seen so far, I rejoice in the truth that Mark Driscoll speaks.  If you can't watch it or tape it, you can watch it at the NIGHTLINE website.  You can also reach it through Mark's blog.

I hope you get some time to check it out!

New Calvinism

I was shocked to read TIME magazine this week.  Here is the cover:

Look carefully at the ten ideas that are "changing the world right now." One of them is "New Calvinism."  It was listed as #3 inside the magazine!!  You can read the article HERE.

It is about the resurgence of "Calvinism" among the younger generation. And it is described as the "3rd most influential idea" coming in the world today.

There is SO much I want to comment on with this topic.  The article is just ok (nothing great about it) - but I LOVE that they have recognized the influence of a younger generation thinking "theologically."

Am I a Calvinist? It depends on how you define Calvinism. But historically, yes, I am an unapologetic Calvinist (it is similar to the term "fundamentalist" - no longer a term viewed accurately or positively in our culture).

I embraced Calvinistic theology in college, but have often wanted distance from others who would call themselves "Calvinists" by their attitudes and behaviors. Does that make sense? So when I recently heard the phrase "New Calvinist" - I immediately knew what it meant and I fully embraced it.

What is a "new" Calvinist compared to an "old" Calvinist. Well, in a simplified way, the three things that separate the "new" Calvinism from the "old" Calvinism are these:

• Old Calvinists "talk about" human responsibility, but don't practice it often whereas New Calvinists actually believe that it is our responsibility to win every person to Jesus.
• Old Calvinists have often been called "The Frozen Chosen" - they don't seem very happy about most things - especially when talking about theology. In fact, they seem mad. New Calvinists are not angry about Calvinism or theology.
• Old Calvinists seem to carry a theological chip on their predestined shoulders. There is a humility to the New Calvinists that I align myself with. I love the phrase "humble orthodoxy." That is how we much teach the truth.

So I happily call myself a "New" Calvinist (but I'm probably not young enough to truly be included). People who best represent "New Calvinism" would include: John Piper, C.J. Mahaney, Louie Giglio and Mark Driscoll (among many others). So, I'm surprised and happy about the #3 idea in TIME magazine.  BUT - I wish it were "The Gospel" that was having such a profound impact that TIME magazine just HAD to write about it. I don't think it is the "New Calvinists" fault. I think it is just a surprising movement that many thought was dying with an older generation. I, for one, am thankful it is not!

May the day come when the Gospel has such a profound impact on our society that all major media outlets cannot ignore it!!  And may Jesus Christ be praised!