What About Those Who Have Never Heard?

Christians have asked this question centuries. Even in today’s globalized, social-media-driven world, Christians are still asking it. In question 60 of the Westminster Larger Catechism, the question is posed: “Can they who have never heard the gospel, and so know not Jesus Christ, nor believe in him, be saved by their living according to the light of nature?” Here is its answer:

They who, having never heard the gospel, know not Jesus Christ, and believe not in him, cannot be saved, be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature, or the laws of that religion which they profess; neither is there salvation in any other, but in Christ alone, who is the Savior only of his body the church.

It is true that there is salvation in no other name than Jesus (Acts 4:12). To be saved means to confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe that he is risen from the dead (Rom. 10:9). God is sovereign and he saves those whom he wills (see Rom. 9:19-24; John 6:44; 10:25-28; Eph. 2:8-9). The unsaved are non-elect, and therefore, those who have not heard are not elect. Furthermore, people are condemned because they are guilty sinners (6:23). We must remember that there are no innocent people in the world (Rom. 2:12-16; 3:10-23).

How could this be, you ask, when a person in the jungles of Africa does not even know God exists? John Calvin helps us understand: “Since, then, there never has been, from the very first, any quarter of the globe, any city, any household even, without religion, this amounts to a tacit confession, that a sense of deity is inscribed on every heart. No, even idolatry is ample evidence of this fact.” (Institutes 1.3.1).

God promises there will be a multitude from every tribe, language, people, and nation who were ransomed by the blood of the Lamb and who will reign with him forever (Rev. 5:9-10). So rather than raising a finger at God for what is clearly taught in Scripture, we must resolve to spread the gospel across this earth, making disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:19-20). That might mean leaving all you have to be a frontier missionary. It might mean giving more (yes, more) money to missions. It will definitely mean praying often for unreached peoples. In all you do, remember to rest in the truth that God will bring all his sheep into one fold under the care and provision of their one, good Shepherd, Jesus Christ (John 10:16). cit confession, that a sense of deity is inscribed on every heart. No, even idolatry is ample evidence to this fact” (Institutes 1.3.1). There is a sense in every person that God exists. and the very fact that we worship something proves it.

To hear a little more on this, listen to a two minute audio clip to from John Piper.

Christ-Centered Biblical Theology Coming in May

Graeme Goldsworthy is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors when it comes to seeing the unity of the Bible, and he will release a new book in May called Christ-Centered Biblical Theology. 

In case you missed it a couple weeks ago, I talked about what it means to be a biblical theologian. A biblical theologian is concerned with the grand narrative of the Bible, taking parts and relating them to the whole. Biblical theology, for the minister or the average saint in the seat on Sunday, is vital because it keeps each individual story in perspective and helps guard against taking passages out of context. Coffee mugs at Christian bookstores are notorious for this.

In an interview with Collin Hansen on the Gospel Coalition blog, Goldsworthy talked about biblical theology’s importance for pastoral ministry. I think laypeople can learn from this too:

A sound biblical theology should prevent the misuse of Scripture, such as when texts are relieved of their biblical context and allowed to mean something quite other from what they mean in that context. When Scripture is treated as a lucky-dip of texts that assumes Christians stand in one, flat, undifferentiated relationship to all biblical texts, it can be made to mean anything we like. This is no basis for a sound and faithful pastoral ministry. I understand pastoral ministry to be the valid application of biblical truth to the various situations that arise and affect individuals and whole congregations. Biblical theology provides the means for understanding every part of the Bible in its final canonical context. Biblical theology, then, is at the heart of the pastor’s correct understanding of how Scripture can be thus applied to people’s lives. I also believe that the main emphasis in preaching should be the regular exposition of Scripture. Expository preaching, as the norm, really requires biblical theology in the preparation of sermons. Ideally, everyone who has the task of teaching the Bible to others should understand something of biblical theology.

When I told a friend and co-pastor about Goldsworthy’s new book, he said, “Maybe eventually this kind of book will replace classic systematic theology books in Christian colleges.” There is nothing wrong with systematic theology, as far as it goes, but if the only way we think about the Bible is in compartments (creation, atonement, Holy Spirit, end times, the Church, etc.) we will always study doctrines in isolation from each other. The Bible will then become a book of doctrine, rather than God’s story of redemption in the world.

What is your experience with biblical theology? Do you find that is the heartbeat of your personal ministry, whether a pastor, teacher, or small group leader?

Matt Chandler Speaks at Code Orange Revival

Matt Chandler recently spoke at the Code Orange Revival at Stephen Furtick’s church (Elevation Church). Justin Taylor posted on Monday about it. He wrote,

How do you go and preach in an environment where the pastor and the church have a very different understanding of theology, celebrity, and ministry philosophy than the one you live and proclaim? I thought Matt Chandler showed how in this talk at Elevation Church pastored by Steven Furtick. It’s a combination of boldness, winsomeness, and gospel proclamation

The video that Taylor had posted was from the official Code Orange YouTube page. It was removed shortly after posting. Chandler’s Christ-exalting, God-glorifying message runs smack in the face of much of the philosophy of Elevation Church. The video has since been posted elsewhere on YouTube. Chandler does not attack anyone by name or any church. His sermon is simply a powerful display, as Taylor pointed out, of gospel proclamation.

Are You a Functional Post-Millennialist?

I have probably already lost many of you by using the word “millennialist.” Let me define it quick: a post-millennialist is someone who holds that the millennial kingdom (“a thousand years”) spoken of in Revelation 20 is a period of time that happens on the earth in which the gospel will spread so thoroughly and deeply in culture to create a golden age in which Christian ethics prosper.

I don’t agree with this view, and without getting too much into eschatology (i.e. the study of end times), I want to briefly argue that many evangelical Christians are functional (i.e. practical) post-millennialists. By this, I mean that they often expect the gospel to so transform the culture that when they do not notice tangible change, they become depressed or even doubt if the word of God is advancing at all.

Here’s an example: some (not all!) evangelicals often complain that we (or probably the “institutional church”) are the reason there is poverty, hunger, war, HIV/AIDS, homelessness, and a host of other tragedies in the world. They think that if the church just did more, we could root out these evil things in the culture and then God’s kingdom would really come on earth.

But Jesus reminds us that we will “always have the poor” with us (Matt. 26:11).  He also says, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). In this life the faithful to Christ “will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12). This does not sound like a golden age. Only at Jesus second coming will he “wipe away every tear from [our] eyes” because only then “death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore” (Rev. 21:4). Why then? Because at that moment, and only at that moment, will “the former things [the things of this age] have passed away” (Rev. 21:4).

We will never solve the world’s problems. We will never eliminate hunger and war. We will never eradicate cancer or HIV. But that doesn’t mean we throw up our arms in defeat. Gospel proclamation takes center stage, but generosity, social concern, and action also reflect the character of God and are evidence of a changed heart through the gospel. Indeed, all efforts that reflect God’s character and done for his glory paint a picture to the world of what the new creation will be like.

Let us be reminded that the kingdom of God, ultimately, is not about activity to “make the world a better place.” It is about a King. As a friend tweeted earlier today, “The story of what God is doing in the world is not about you. (It’s about Jesus.) But it is for you. And it involves you.” So do not be discouraged when it seems that Christians do not make as big of a difference in the world as you think we should make. We have already overcome. “And this is the victory that has overcome the world–our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4b-5).

Raising a Biblical Theologian

My work with teenagers has convinced me that one of the main reasons teenagers are not excited by the gospel is that they do not think they need it. Many parents have successfully raised self-righteous little Pharisees. When they look at themselves, they do not see a sinner in desperate need, so they are not grateful for a Savior. (Paul Tripp)

Our daughter is almost five months old. And we are raising her to be a biblical theologian. A “biblical theologian” is a technical term for a person who seeks to take individual parts of the Bible and relate them to the whole. In other words, the discipline of biblical theology is concerned with the overall story of the Bible, or the “metanarrative” for you literary experts. When we do “biblical theology,” we see God’s great story of redemption being played out on each page of Scripture: through Christ, God is redeeming a people for himself who will enjoy never-ending happiness with him in a new world.

Carly and I care deeply that Bailey does not grow up to be a self-righteous Pharisee who keeps rules because “it’s the Christian thing to do.” We desire that she (and our future kids) see Christ as the center–the Hero–of all Scripture. According to the way Jesus read the Bible, the Law of Moses and the Prophets were completed and fulfilled by him (Luke 24:44), so why would we teach her to read the Bible in a moralistic, do-this-and-God-will-smile way? 

If our baby girl grows up thinking that David or Gideon or Moses or Joseph or Ruth are characters to emulate one of two things will happen. She will either be that little Pharisee filled with pride because she’s better than her friends, or she will be a depressed failure who just can’t stack up to the moral standard. Both are dead-ends. Both are void of Christ and the redemption he provides. So we pray that in all Scripture, she sees and embraces Jesus as the one who lived the life she cannot live and died the death she deserves to die.

When Jesus is the point, the centerpiece, the rock, the cornerstone of all Scripture and Christian living, our sin gets exposed, our idols surface, our hearts melt because we see how broken we are, and we even repent of our “good” deeds done in our skewed, personal  view of righteousness. Christian parents often raise their children to believe that they are an empty cup of needs waiting to be filled by God. What we need to proclaim is that they are broken mirrors that are to reflect God’s image and need to be put back together by him alone. This only happens by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

One tool that Carly and I will use in order to raise our children to see and savor Jesus Christ as biblical theologians is The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name. It is beautifully written as it expounds Christ as the sum and focus of all the Bible stories Christians have historically moralized. Also, it is wonderfully and artistically illustrated. Obviously, Bailey won’t comprehend much for a few years, but in the meantime, we are building a gospel culture–not a moralistic, religious one–in our home. Adults should digest this book as well. If you have kids, get this book and learn from it, too. If you don’t have kids, buy this book for someone who does, and don’t be ashamed to read it before you put it in a gift bag.