What's happened to American academics?

One would like to think that advanced educational attainment is not a dominant factor in causing people to lose all common sense, but after this week I am beginning to wonder.

I found myself having a cordial but firm disagreement with a young lady who possesses a Masters and Bachelors in History and who teaches history in a local community college. She was admonishing a young college student who is in my church regarding Islam. She made the claim that “Muslims are not violent. ISIS is not Muslim if you study their history. ISIS is to Islam in the same manner the KKK is to Christianity. Can't label billions for the actions of a few.”

Certainly I agree with her that you can’t label the billions for the actions of a few. But I am astounded that a woman who teaches history would have such an unhistorical knowledge of the background of Islam. A native of Mecca, Muhammad’s new religion was not accepted—at first—by the other tribes around him. They were polytheists and he was selling monotheism. He fled from Mecca to Medina, where he had greater success in building a following. Mecca itself later converted under the threat of the sword in the early seventh century. The rapid expansion of Islam in the entire Mediterranean region occurred primarily by military conquest, or the threat thereof. Islamic violence is not breaking news, it is a deep-rooted part of their history and finds vigorous theological support in the Quran. ISIS is perhaps the most faithful representation of Islamic roots that we have seen in the modern day.

She is correct that most Muslims today do not pursue violent jihad. Some have reinterpreted the Quran to view jihad as a personal spiritual battle in their pursuit of personal Islamic purity. But it will be unhelpful from both a national policy and personal relational standpoint to revise the history of Islam. Relationships built upon falsehoods are inherently unstable and unsustainable.

The second moment of dismay with academics this week also had to do with Islam. According to an article by Jessica Chasmar appearing in the Washington Times(12/16/2015), a “Christian” tenured Wheaton College faculty member said this:

“I love my Muslim neighbor because s/he deserves love by virtue of her/his human dignity. I stand in religious solidarity with Muslims because they, like me, a Christian, are people of the book. And as Pope Francis stated last week, we worship the same God.”

I agree with her that we need to love our neighbor, including and especially our Muslim neighbors at a time like this. And I can grant her the stated reason of “human dignity,” though I would frame it a different way: we should love our neighbor because Christ commands us to and because all humans bear the image of God.

But her other reasons are simply incoherent. By definition a Christian is one who places their faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for their sins. Muslims don’t believe that Jesus died on the cross, period. Which sort of puts a kibosh on the resurrection, too, you know? In other words, they deny the central doctrine of the Christian faith. Soooo, in what way exactly can she stand in “religious solidarity” with them?

Secondly, they are indeed people of the book. But it’s the wrong book. This is not trivial sectarianism. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING we know about God and redemptive history comes from the Bible. You don’t lose part of it in the Quran—you lose all of it. Soooo, how can this “Christian” professor make such a claim, tell me again?

Third, I am to understand that we worship the same God? Really? In fact, there is no resemblance, neither superficial nor at greater depth. The true God, the Christian God, exists as one God in three Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That truth is abominable to the Muslim. Both Christians and Muslims claim that their God is merciful, so that might be a similarity—until you dig deeper, anyway. Then you find that the true God of the Bible is merciful because it is His nature to be merciful and He always acts in perfect accord with who He is. Allah is not so. Allah is pure will. Islam does not think in terms of the attributes of its deity, only in terms of his will. Allah is only merciful if he decides to be so, and he may decide not to be. There is simply no correlation to be made between the true God of the Bible and the god of Islam—unless one is entirely ignorant of one or the other—or of both.

I applaud this professor’s desire to love her neighbor and to avoid disenfranchising her Muslim friends, and I stand with her in that regard. But if you stop and think about her words for just a moment you’ll realize she has dishonored both Christian and Islamic belief by trying to forge a non-existent via media between two irreconcilable belief systems. I certainly can’t stand with her there.

America once had a great educational system. But the words of these two educators make me wonder, what’s happened to American academics? They are not getting even the most basic facts right.

And a little more Tozer!

Lost in today’s religious world is the radical antithesis between the redeemed and the unregenerate. “Coming to church” has become the test of faith, rather than joyful belief in and submission to the pure, unadulterated message of the Gospel. But “coming to church” is a duty attended to by all the world’s religions, and no more makes one a Christian than a visit to a clinic makes one a medical doctor.

Christianity is first and last a relationship with a real, living Person—Jesus Christ, a relationship possible only when one has been regenerated, brought from a state of spiritual death to life. It is not wrapped up in the confession of a concept, the reciting of a creed, the joining of a church, or warm religious feelings. Jesus Christ is the Living God—which means He actually exists as a real person, a thinking, choosing, volitional, emotional Being. He exists wholly independently from creation, from people, from human consciousness. He was before all things, and by Him all things exist.

Any religious sensibility that names Jesus and confesses to love and admire Him yet falls short of a genuine redemptive relationship with Him as a real, living Person is in no way Christian. Tozer’s comments on this sort of “Christianity”—which is essentially unchanged by an encounter with Christ and feels equally comfortable with the world and the Church—are helpful.

It is no more than a religious platitude to say that the trouble with us today is that we have tried to bridge the gulf between two opposites, the world and the Church, and have performed an illicit marriage for which there is no biblical authority. Actually no real union between the world and the Church is possible. When the Church joins up with the world it is the true Church no longer but only a pitiful hybrid thing, an object of smiling contempt to the world and an abomination to the Lord.

The twilight in which many (or should we say most?) believers walk today is not caused by any vagueness on the part of the Bible. Nothing could be clearer than the pronouncements of the Scriptures on the Christian’s relation to the world. The confusion which gathers around this matter results from the unwillingness of professing Christians to take the Word of the Lord seriously. Christianity is so entangled with the world that millions never guess how radically they have missed the New Testament pattern. Compromise is everywhere. The world is whitewashed just enough to pass inspection by blind men posing as believers, and those same believers are everlastingly seeking to gain acceptance with the world. By mutual concessions men who call themselves Christians manage to get on with men who have for the things of God nothing but quiet contempt.

This whole thing is spiritual in its essence. A Christian is what he is not by ecclesiastical manipulation but by the new birth. He is a Christian because of a Spirit which dwells in him. Only that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. The flesh can never be converted into spirit, no matter how many church dignitaries work on it. Confirmation, baptism, holy communion, confession of faith—none of these nor all of them together can turn flesh into spirit nor make a son of Adam a son of God [Tozer, ThePursuit of Man, pp 115-7].

In what way is Jesus God's Son?

One of the aspects of the mystery of the Godhead is the Father-Son relationship of the first and second members of the Trinity (ie. God the Father, and God the Son). There are are many terms that can trip you up surrounding this topic, such as only-begotten, or firstborn of creation, aside from the term, Son, itself.

The mistake most people make is to assume that these expressions have to do with physical generation (natural birth) as opposed to Jesus' uniqueness, and His positions of functional submission to the Father, heir of the Father, and the preeminent One over all creation.

Recently a sister in Christ had an encounter with a modern-day Arian (aka Jehovah's Witness), and it spurred her to ask a question. You can read the question, and my answer, here.

Book Review: Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God

Packer, J. I. Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God. Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 2008 reprint. 

To have published a single literary work that becomes a classic is a notable accomplishment. Publishing two gives the writer a corner on contemporary Christians’ reading lists. James Inverness Packer has accomplished just that. Packer is well-known for his landmark book, Knowing God, which first was published in 1973. This is not a review of that book, but if you have not read it you should. Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God (first published, 1961) is the other classic Packer has written, and it punches far above its weight (my copy is a 2008 reprint edition—it’s only 134 pages) in the world of biblically faithful Christian classics. 

The first chapter, Divine Sovereignty, makes the case that all believers adhere to a confidence in God’s absolute sovereignty. Packer calls the average Christian’s prayer life to the witness stand, and the testimony is irrefutable. If you are inclined to question this last sentence, just read the chapter and form your own opinion: it’s only seven pages long.

Next, in Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility, Packer shows that these two poles of activity (divine and human) comprise not a paradox, but an antinomy: the assertion of two statements which seem to be contradictory, but both of which are logically necessary: “An antinomy exists when a pair of principles stand side by side, seemingly irreconcilable, yet both undeniable” [26]. Packer goes on to show, with plenty of examples, that both divine sovereignty and human responsibility are taught in Scripture. His advice regarding how to handle the conflict between the two is wise:

What should one do, then, with an antinomy? Accept it for what it is, and learn to live with it. Refuse to regard the apparent inconsistency as real; put down the semblance of contradiction to the deficiency of your own understanding; think of the two principles not as rival alternatives but, in some way that at present you do not grasp, complementary to each other. Be careful, therefore, not to set them at loggerheads, nor to make deductions from either that would cut across the other (such deductions would, for that very reason, be certainly unsound) [28-29].

In his chapter entitled, Evangelism, Packer answers four questions in the light of the foregoing. “What is evangelism? What is the evangelistic message? What is the motive for evangelizing? By what means and methods should evangelism be practiced” [45]? The bulk of the book is found in this chapter, and it is excellent. Packer fully delivers on the promise to deal with the questions, and in doing so he faithfully and powerfully represents the biblical gospel.

The final chapter, Divine Sovereignty and Evangelism, demonstrates that, far from being a damper on our evangelism, a good understanding of God’s sovereign role stokes the flames of our passion to tell the message. God’s sovereignty is, in fact, a guarantee of our success in evangelism.

Without being disrespectful or polemical, Packer has dismantled the typical Arminian concerns regarding the doctrines of grace, as regards evangelism. This book is not a “gotcha!” to be used to win a debate; rather, it is a powerful, positive, pastoral accounting of what must remain a divine mystery: God’s absolute sovereignty, and our undeniable responsibility to evangelize.

Does the truth about God matter?

Hmm. . . good question. Let's explore that, starting with the notion of truth as something objective and not just personal. . . .

You go into a store, and give the clerk a twenty for an item that costs five dollars. You are expecting fifteen in change. The clerk gives you, instead, one dollar, and insists that, according to her truth, it is correct change. Does that matter to you?

You're at a dealership and while on the lot you negotiate the price of a car. The salesman invites you into his office to close the deal, and when he writes up the sales agreement, the price is double what he agreed to while standing on the lot. Does it matter to you?

You're a single mom, and you manage to land a job that won't require you to work weekends, so you can be home with your small school-age children. After the first week, you check the schedule, and your boss has you working next Saturday and Sunday. Does it matter to you? What will be your response when your boss says, "Well, that agreement you referred to? That's your truth. My truth is posted on the schedule."

You're fueling a Boeing 767. You calculate the required fuel in kilograms. The ground crew takes your figure, and calculates their fuel transfer in pounds (without a conversion factor). Does the truth that one kilogram weighs approximately 2.2 pounds matter? [You can read about the crash landing of Air Canada flight 143 here].

You're planning an unmanned Mars Mission. One mission team uses English units to calculate the propulsion required for trajectory correction maneuvering; the other team uses metric units. Does it matter? [You can read about the loss of the $328,000,000 mission here.]

"Wait just one minute, Chris! Your examples are about physical constants, conversion factors, verbal promises about which we can be certain. You can not just extrapolate that firm nature of truth to the spiritual world!"

Oh, really? Why not?

"Well, because spiritual truth is different! Everyone has their own spiritual truth. There's no single true truth that's true for everyone!"

I see. And, how exactly do you know that? On what grounds do you believe that the truth which bounds the spiritual world is any less certain, settled, objective, or knowable than that which bounds the material world? What gives you such certainty that spiritual truth is . . . uncertain? After all, the concrete realities of the physical world would lead us to expect a similar state of affairs for the unseen, spiritual world.

In fact, some philosophers of science argue that it was precisely the Western belief that, because a real, rational, personal Creator ordained consistent, orderly, laws of nature, these laws may therefore be investigated and discovered by the real, rational, personal minds which He created. This orderly view of the Cosmos (as opposed to animistic, chaotic, and somewhat arbitrary Eastern views of reality) is precisely what made scientific investigation of the natural world not only worthwhile, but pregnant with success. It was this Judeo-Christian worldview which led to centuries of Western domination in science.

If we can agree for a moment, for the purpose of discussion, that certain and knowable spiritual truth does in fact exist, then it follows that knowing God truly is not only important, but vital.

For example, suppose you are on the phone, telling an old high-school classmate you haven't seen in years about the woman you married, and you happen to mention (seriously) that she weighs 200 pounds. Do you think that mischaracterization is going to matter to your 95 lb wife?

Or, talking to the same individual, suppose you tell him that you have a wonderful son who is going to pursue a degree in medicine just as soon as he gets out of jail for drug-dealing. Would such a characterization matter to your son, if (a) he's never been in jail, (b) he's never dealt in drugs, (c) he vomits at the sight of blood, and (d) his real interest is computer science?

If we assume, for the purpose of discussion, that God actually does exist, and that spiritual truth is certain and knowable, then don't you think it would matter to this real Being if what you believe and say about Him is accurate? Does saying true things about God matter?

As a matter of fact, the Bible indicates that it does matter, and matters very much to God. The book of Job ends with God admonishing Job's three friends to offer a burnt offering and to go to Job so that he might pray for them. Why? Because, God says, 

". . . I will accept him so that I may not do with you according to your folly, because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has" (Job 42:8).

In the New Testament, the apostle Paul makes a very dogmatic statement about getting the gospel right (the gospel is God's plan to deliver men from the judgment for their sins): "As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed." (Galatians 1:9, NASB).

Yep. Truth about God matters. And He has told us all about Himself in the Bible. Better get it right.

Common Grace, Special Grace, Amazing Grace

Common grace is the term by which theologians refer to God's goodness expressed to mankind generally.

One of the clearest biblical statements of common grace is found in Matthew 5:44-45 (NASB) "But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous [emphasis mine].

The sun rising upon those who reject Him, and the rain falling on those who hate Him is a sample of God's common grace. Once you start to think about it, you discover that we are inundated by evidences of God's love and care for His creation.

• Why are babies cute? Because God is good.
• Why does ice cream taste good? Because God is good [why is there ice cream? Because God is good!].
• Why are the Rocky Mountains pleasing to look at? Because God is good.
• Why is there football? Because God is good! [why is there baseball? So there is something to do between football seasons!]

The list could go on ad infinitum. The point is obvious; this creation is stuffed to the gills with signs of transcendence, the fingerprints of a Creator God Who is good.

Some people question common grace, and even the existence of God Himself because of the suffering they see around them. But what we are seeing is a cosmos of men in rebellion against their Creator. Suffering is the inevitable result. Squabbling children is not an evidence that the parents are evil (nor is it a particularly compelling evidence that the parents don't exist).

The question is not, if God is so good, why is there suffering? The real question is, in an obviously fallen world, why is there still so much good? And the answer is God's own powerful goodness, which mankind experiences as common grace.

There is another sort of grace, a special, salvific grace, sometimes called particular grace, experienced only by His elect. This grace is what draws some men and women to a special relationship with Him. The only reason that the gospel is foolishness to most, but the power of God unto salvation to a few, is God's particular grace (1 Corinthians 1:23-24).

 By this grace, fallen man's hostility against God is overcome; spiritually blind eyes are made to see, spiritually dull ears are made to hear, and spiritually dead hearts are made alive. Ephesians 2:1-9 provides a good look at this miracle of grace.

The bottom line is this: if you know Christ, and your neighbor does not, it does not mean that you are any smarter than your neighbor. It certainly does not mean you are any better than your neighbor. In fact, 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 tells us that the opposite is true: God has chosen the weak, the foolish, the base, the despised. If you know Christ and your neighbor does not, it is only because God has, by His sovereign choice, granted to you the particular grace of salvation. It has nothing to do with you, my friend. It has everything to do with the amazing grace of God.

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now I'm found; was blind, but now I see. . .