A Better Response...

...to Brandon's question to me a long time ago as we discussed "limited atonement" (which I've now come to despise as a heading, preferring "definite atonement," "particular redemption," or even "actual atonement/redemption" instead). The question posed was:

"How can you (when evangelizing) say to a person (unbeliever obviously), 'Jesus died for your sins...'?"

My perpetual elementary understanding of all things scriptural/spiritual/godly responded with something too pathetic to even write down, but in the chapter on the "L" in TULIP in Ryken's book, he provides a great response to this question. It's not just an answer to the question put forward, but a charge for the Christian to proclaim the gospel! Here's the statement:


The fact is that the New Testament never calls on any man to repent on the ground that Christ died specifically and particularly for him. The basis on which the New Testament invites sinners to put faith in Christ is simply that they need Him, and that He offers Himself to them, and that those who receive Him are promised all the benefits that His death secured for His people. What is universal and all-inclusive in the New Testament is the invitation to faith, and the promise of salvation to all who believe. . . . The gospel is not “believe that Christ died for everybody’s sins, and therefore for yours,” any more than it is, “believe that Christ died only for certain people’s sins, and so perhaps not for yours.” The gospel is, “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for sins, and now offers you Himself as your Saviour.” This is the message which we are to take to the world. We have no business to ask them to put faith in any view of the extent of the atonement; our job is to point them to the living Christ, and summon them to trust in Him.*


*Since I'm reading this book on my Kindle I have no idea what page it's found on.

Ok.....

So this is going to be a bit of an honest post that I just need to write. It has obviously been quite a while since we started this book club and after an initial excitement I have failed to get involved. Since I am out of school and only have work to occupy my days, my only excuse is a sinful laziness that I have been drowning in since summer started. I don’t know if it is the lack of structure that I am used to during the school year or the depression that sometimes seems to knock me down, but I have failed to read, study, pray, worship, and fellowship for what seems to be an eternity. I read the first chapter about 3 or more weeks ago but could never sit down and put any words to the page. Partly because I just didn’t feel like thinking, and partly because I didn’t feel like what I had to say about it would be anything of great worth. I reread the first chapter a few days ago and realized how different I felt reading it the second time. Not that I learned anything new, but what I read resonated with me in a different way. The first chapter introduces the thesis of the book, which is that evangelicalism stands or falls with Calvinism. I feel like for our society this is a provocative statement. I remember the first experience I had reading about Calvinism and how it almost made me angry. I realize know it was picking a fight with heart, which was full of pride. And this is why I feel like I need the doctrines of grace or Calvinism because it is where my pride stands or falls. Letting my pride run rampant is a continuous struggle and this doctrine stops it in its tracks. ^“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast”. I know this is nothing new, but is such a good reminder for me, even today when writing this post. It also gives me a sense of hope because if I do not believe that “all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together” I might fall apart on the days my thirsty soul pants for water and comes up dry. So today I am praising God for opening my heart, mind, and spirit to these doctrines that bring me to greater worship and love for my Him, and a peace that surpasses any understanding I could possibly have. I’m also praying for a spirit led renewal in my heart for the things of Christ that I so love and long for. I am excited to get back to reading this book and discussing it with y’all!

<3 Natalie

Initial Thoughts on Chapter One

I finished reading the first chapter on Saturday.  Overall, I found it to be very challenging to my thinking.  The premise of the book is very interesting, to me.  In restating their thesis, Boice/Ryken argue that, "...the doctrines of grace preserve the gospel of grace" (pg.24).  I think they make a compelling case for this thesis in chapter one, and I look forward to reading their expositional arguments throughout the rest of the book.  As they portray it in chapter one, the Church tends towards liberalism and self-centeredness, when the doctrines of grace are neglected.

I mentioned that this book is challenging my thinking.  After finishing chapter one on Saturday, I emailed Michael with some things I was thinking.  I will post some of what I wrote to him below:


Man, I am really being challenged. They make some very good points in the chapter. It's crazy because it's a worldview shift in my thinking. It is so easy to let our human-centered, and depraved culture, influence our understanding of God and the gospel. I want so badly to be in control, and that's what it all boils down to!


BRC

And we're off!

I don't know if you have the same problem that I do. If you are unfamiliar with how Kindle highlights work, and even if you are familiar, you probably don't have the same problem that I do. I make promises to myself but over and over again I fail (evidence of my depravity, perhaps?). You see, the promise that I make to myself every time I start a new book is that I am ONLY going to highlight minimally. I confess that I am a compulsive highlighter. I've actually received a message from Mr. Kindle saying that I've reached the limit of available highlighting in a book. If I'm reading an actual book (not an electronic copy), I have been known, on more than a few occasions, to go through multiple highlighters for 1 book because they run out of ink. Sometimes this really irritates my OCD because often times I won't have the same color of highlighter on me and will have to switch colors in the middle of the book. The problem, though, is that I love to highlight!

Doctrines of Grace, by Boice and Ryken, has been no exception. I've got the book on Kindle and only read the first chapter, but have a total of 23 highlights! I haven't read any "new" material in it thus far, but what I have read has been helpful in bolstering my understanding and belief in the doctrines of grace...and I can only believe that the rest of the book will accomplish the same thing in me.

There is going to be much to discuss and quote from the book in my opinion and I'm looking forward to reading and discussing the different things that grab each one of us. Here is one of quotes that caught my attention as I was reading chapter 1 last night. It's not necessarily my favorite quote from the chapter but I think it is something very important to look at and remember in this "Calvinism vs. Arminianism" debate (BTW, I really don't want this blog to turn into a C vs. A debate). It appeals to one of the 5 "solas" of the Reformation: "Soli Deo Gloria." Pay attention to the nuances of what he says about the glory of God!

Having a high view of God means something more than giving glory to God, however; it means giving glory to God alone. This is the difference between Calvinism and Arminianism. While the former declares that God alone saves sinners, the latter gives the impression that God enables sinners to have some part in saving themselves. Calvinism presents salvation as the work of the triune God—election by the Father, redemption in the Son, calling by the Spirit. Furthermore, each of these saving acts is directed toward the elect, thereby infallibly securing their salvation. By contrast, Arminianism views salvation as something that God makes possible but that man makes actual. This is because the saving acts of God are directed toward different persons: the Son’s redemption is for humanity in general; the Spirit’s calling is only for those who hear the gospel; narrower still, the Father’s election is only for those who believe the gospel. Yet in none of these cases (redemption, calling, or election) does God actually secure the salvation of even one single sinner! The inevitable result is that rather than depending exclusively on divine grace, salvation depends partly on a human response. So although Arminianism is willing to give God the glory, when it comes to salvation, it is unwilling to give him all the glory. It divides the glory between heaven and earth, for if what ultimately makes the difference between being saved and being lost is man’s ability to choose God, then to just that extent God is robbed of his glory. Yet God himself has said, “I will not yield my glory to another” (Isa. 48:11).

- Doctrines of Grace (Kindle location 436, Chapter 1)


Soli Deo Gloria!
Michael

A New Start! (Hopefully)

Book: The Doctrines of Grace: Rediscovering the Evangelical Gospel

Author: Boice & Ryken

Task: 1 Chapter/week...post comments, quotes, questions, and really anything else that's on your mind