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ANSWERS TO FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS:
1)
What is your theology?
2)
What about just
preaching the simple gospel?
3)
What about Homosexuality?
4)
What about Confrontational
Preaching?
1) What is your theology?
Orthodoxy in Christian theology has been measured by
many different things. Volumes have been written to fill libraries and debates
that have fractured whole nations have been a part of holding to and clarifying
these basic ideas. Much of the controversy is justified. Theology is important.
What we believe determines how we behave. Yet, it is a sad and unfortunate
reality that many Christians will create untold strife and discord over matters
that are of secondary importance. We love to make mountains out of mole-hills
when it comes to theology.
At the school of evangelism we place great value upon
Paul's teachings to “keep the unity of the spirit in the bonds of peace”,
to “esteem others better than yourselves”, as well as to “above all
have fervent love between one another”. These verses and many similar ones,
should temper our theological studies and how we communicate and discuss them,
particularly with our brothers and sisters with whom we may disagree. After all,
it is the practice of our Christianity that is of greater importance than
our affirmation of a particular creed or theological position. In the words of
19th century evangelist Charles Finney, “the church is mighty
sticklish about correct doctrine, but awfully loose about correct practice.” He
went on to describe how many would not allow someone behind their pulpit who
didn't subscribe to the Trinity or denied the resurrection, yet we readily fill
our pulpits with men who are clearly eaten up with pride, vanity, cowardice and
many other blatantly ungodly characteristics, which are in many ways an even
greater denial of Christ.
The Apostle Paul, when describing the qualifications
of elders or deacons in the pastoral epistles of Timothy and Titus does not
mention any theological litmus test (thought I think we can reasonably assume
that there was a creed of which one being considered for such office would have
already given assent to) but rather lists in detail everything to do with
character and integrity of practice. How is their behavior? Is their character
tested and proven to be solid? Will they give into the temptations of lust,
drink, greed, self-glory, etc. that shipwreck the leadership of so many of our
churches. Unfortunately today those qualifications are some of the last things
dealt with in our Bible colleges and seminaries, and rarely sought after amongst
congregations seeking leaders. Administrative skills, speaking ability, and
business sense have replaced much of Paul's “qualifications”. Surely it is no
surprise that we see American Christianity plagued with it's current
distresses. Now, it is true that what you believe will determine how you live,
and thus theology, ones beliefs about God, is extremely important. But men can
fake it, what they say they believe is not always what they actually believe. If
Joe says he believes x,y,z yet his behavior is consistently the opposite of
x,y,z then Joe probably doesn't believe x,y,z, no matter how much he may say he
believes x,y,z. Looking at ones practice is thus all the more important than
looking at what one professes to believe.
So what do you believe?
I want to stress again that a humble
disposition is vital to ones theological undertakings. The more one studies
theology the more one realizes they have a lot to learn and that there are many,
many nuances and complexities to serious theological study. All of that being
said, as stated earlier, we believe that there are at least two primary or
“major” doctrines that we would say one must hold to if they are to be called a
brother or sister in Christ: A correct perception of God, and a correct
perception of our relationship with Him.
About God
By correct perception of God I am referring to
several basic attributes and qualities that the Bible ascribes to Him, which
distinguish our understanding of our Creator from many of the idols that have
been concocted in the imaginations of men throughout the centuries. Things like,
His holiness, His love, and His rationality are important characteristics to
understanding our Creator. There are also things like His being all powerful
(omnipotent), all-knowing (omniscient), and ever present (omnipresence), that
would go into a proper understanding of God's nature. One could also include His
incarnation in Christ. These are complex matters and although one certainly
doesn't need to have a perfect or complete knowledge of these things to be a
Christian, to be redeemed and to have a place in heaven, they are vitally
important in defining Christianity.
About salvation
The second vital doctrine is that of
salvation, how we come into right relationship with God. There is much more
disagreement on this matter than on the previous and this is where we want to
aim the focus of this article. Christian theologians have divided themselves
into two major camps, those who place some degree of works as necessary to
compliment Christ's atoning death on the cross, and those who see Christ's
atoning death on the cross as wholly sufficient to justify man in God's sight.
We believe that ascribing certain “good works” as a part of how one attains
God's forgiveness, be it baptism, sacraments, feeding the poor, giving to the
church, catechism, confirmation, or any other thing is heresy. Martin Luther
helped to spark the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century when
he proclaimed the Apostle Paul's simple words, “the just shall live by faith”.
From this came the phrase “justification by faith alone”, or as they called it
in the Latin, Sola Fide. This simply means that what Christ did on the
cross is sufficient in atoning for our sins, completely. That if we come to God
in repentance and faith, He can forgive us, without us having to do anything but
simply bow our hearts to Him and believe.
True conversion and life in the Spirit
Another important aspect of the Christian
doctrine of salvation is regarding those who will make claims something to the
effect that so long as one has prayed a prayer they are “eternally secure” and
that “no one can pluck them out of God's hand”. Whether one believes they can
depart from the faith or not, this teaching is clearly a line of heresy not
found in Scripture and has led to the false assurance of millions.
Jesus said, “Many will say in that day,
'Lord, Lord'... and I will declare unto them, depart from me, you who work
iniquity I never knew you.”(Matt.7:21-23) Jesus is saying that ones behavior
demonstrates whether they actually do “know God”, whether they actually are a
child of His. True faith produces a change of action, a change of behavior.
Repentance (change of mind) goes hand in hand with faith and is an indispensable
part of salvation.
Paul defines this concept of true conversion
further in Romans 8 vs.14 when he says “they that are led by the Spirit of
God, they are the sons of God”. The evidence of being a son of God is being
led by the Spirit of God. What does it mean to be led by the Spirit of God? Paul
makes it clear in the context of the passage, “there is therefore now no
condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the
flesh, but according to the Spirit”(vs. 1). In Galatians chapter 5, Paul
describes the battle between the flesh and the Spirit and defines what the
“works”, or “evidence” of the flesh and of the Spirit are. He says of the works
of the flesh, “they that do (practice) such things will not inherit
God's Kingdom”(vs. 21). He also says in the passage in Romans 8, “if you
live after the flesh you will die”, clearly not talking about physical
death, because he says in the same verse, “but if you through the spirit,
mortify the deeds of the flesh, you will live”(vs. 13). Obviously we are all
going to die physically, so this passage is not talking about physical death but
spiritual death.
Paul is saying in Romans 8 as well as Galatians
5 that you either walk in the spirit and do not fulfill the lust of the flesh
(5:16) and you will inherit eternal life, or you walk in the flesh, and there is
therefore condemnation, you will die, you will not inherit God's Kingdom. How is
this consistent with “justification by faith”? Very simply. True faith, the
faith that saves, is a rational commitment and trust in God that produces in us
a change of behavior; namely a Spirit-filled and Spirit led life.
Some might say, but what of His grace?
Ephesians 2 tells us we are saved by “grace through faith... not of works
lest any man should boast” (vs. 9). But it doesn't end there. It goes on to
say we are His workmanship, created for good works (vs.10). Titus
chapter 2 tells us that God's grace, “which brings salvation” teaches us
“to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly, righteously and
godly in this present age.” It goes on in the next verses to tell us that
we were redeemed so that He might make a people unto Himself, “zealous
of good works”(vs.13).
The whole purpose of salvation is not just to
save us from hell, nor to secure us a mansion in heaven, but rather to produce
beings who would love Him, walk with Him, and be conformed into His image,
through the power of His Spirit. That is His grace operating in our lives, both
for salvation and for sanctification. This is how John could say in his first
epistle,”If we say that we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness, we
lie and do not the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we
have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from
all sin.” (I John 1: 6,7) and again in the next chapter, “Hereby we do
know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments, he that says 'I know Him',
and does not keep His commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him.”
(2: 3,4)
God wants us to be holy, to be pure, and He has
provided that for us through His Spirit. Does this mean we are always perfect?
No. Just the opposite, it means we recognize our fallen and sinful condition and
walk in repentance, brokenness and contrition in His presence. A heart that is
broken and bowed before God has no place for the lust of the flesh, nor for
self-righteous “false perfection”. As Jesus told the story of the Pharisee and
the tax collector, the one who was “not like other men” but was self-righteous,
went away condemned, whereas the tax collector stood in the back of the temple,
beat his chest, and declared “Be merciful to me a sinner”. This was a
demonstration of true repentance and true faith. Jesus said he went away
justified. “The Lord is near unto those who are of a broken and contrite
heart”. One will never be more holy than when they fall on their face in
genuine repentance before the cross of Christ. This is what our God requires of
us. This is what our theology should bring about.
Is that all that matters?
There are many doctrinal debates that
have a huge affect on how we live our lives that would not be “primary”
doctrines. They are not doctrines that determine whether we are Christians or
not, nor are they doctrines over which Christians should divide and break
fellowship. For example, what we believe about pacifism versus the justification
of the use of force, our view of divorce and remarriage, speaking in tongues,
Calvinism vs Arminianism, conditional versus unconditional eternal security, the
purpose and application of the Old Testament law for today, and a whole host of
other issues are vitally important. Yet Christians on different sides of these
issues will be standing together in the Kingdom of our Lord. If they are saved
and the Holy Spirit is fellowshipping with them than so should we. A good dose
of humility, and an understanding that the unity of the body of Christ is as
important as any of these issues, (though they are very important issues) will
go a long way in helping us not just in formulating our theological convictions
but also in the broader work of the Church in advancing God's Kingdom on the
earth.
“though...I understand all mysteries and all
knowledge...but have not love, I am nothing.” I Cor. 13:2
2) What about just
preaching the simple gospel?
Why
don’t you just stick to preaching the gospel rather than getting into all these
social issues and intellectual debates?
It is important for us to understand what the preaching of the Gospel
is. Many who ask such questions cite Paul, in I Cor. 15, where he says that the
gospel that he preached was that Christ was crucified, buried and rose the third
day. This though is obviously not all that Paul preached, as is
evidenced by the sermons recorded by him in the book of Acts (chapter 17 in
particular). The Gospel is much broader than that simple message. Saying that
the whole gospel is what is stated in I Cor 15:3, 4 is like saying that all
there is to getting married is saying “I do”. There is a lot more that goes on
before a person understands and accepts the reality of Christ’s death, burial
and resurrection. People make decisions based upon their basic view of reality;
their worldview. Ideas and beliefs are interconnected. A person’s view of
science and the origins of life will affect how he reads and interprets certain
bible passages and vice versa. What this means in preaching the gospel and in
our evangelistic work is that we cannot always start with simply telling
somebody that Jesus died was buried and rose from the dead. What if someone
believes that, confesses that, yet they believe that there is no God, only mere
energy and that Jesus just had “special energy” (don’t laugh, there are lots of
people who believe this) or what if they believe the “gospel” part but they
don’t believe anything else in the bible, like passages dealing with specific
sins. So, they accept your “gospel presentation”, but they are living in
homosexuality, or maybe adultery. I think you can see the point. The “simple
gospel” presupposes certain other things to be true. If a person is
wrong in their thinking on these other matters it can greatly affect their
understanding of and reception of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus
Christ. This is why we deal with important “intellectual” issues. Which really
are not even “intellectual” issues; the church has just simply been dumbed down
so much and become so shallow that basic theological knowledge is considered
“intellectual”.
Now as far as dealing with “social issues”, as was stated before, the
gospel is broader than just I Cor. 15:3 and 4. We are called to preach the Law
of God, to show men their sins and bring them under the conviction of the Holy
Spirit that they might repent and turn their hearts to the Lord. Secondly we
are commanded in Scripture to speak on all matters of life. God is not
silent on politics, social structure, family, crime, poverty, etc... So neither
should we be.
I have seen many people broken and weeping over past sins when we
display pictures of aborted babies. I know of homosexuals who have personally
repented after being confronted with our challenging message that “Homosexuality
is a Sin” and “Christ Can Set You Free”. Awakening the conscience of a culture
ripens them to the Good News, and is a necessary part of any evangelistic
endeavor.
3) What about Homosexuality?
Where
in the Bible does it say anything about homosexuality?
Homosexuality is clearly
condemned in both the Old and New Testaments. Lev
18:22
and 20:13 are both very clear wherein the punishment for such behavior was
death.
In the New Testament Romans 1: 26 and 27 are very clear prohibitions.
In I Cor. 6:9 Paul the Apostle states that no homosexual will inherit God’s
Kingdom, and goes on to say that “such were some of you”. In I Timothy 1:9
homosexuals are numbered among the ungodly.
While Jesus never directly addressed the subject, he did very clearly
lay out God’s plan from the beginning for marriage and sexuality in Mark 10,
stating that “In the beginning God made them male and female; for this cause
a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined unto his wife and the two
shall become one.”
A few “scholars” in recent years
have tried to contend that none of these verses directly condemn homosexuality.
This flies in the face of any sound hermeneutical principles as well as 1900
years of Christian theology. Odd it is that no one has ever interpreted these
verses that way until suddenly there has been a great amount of pressure put on
certain people by homosexual lobbyists and advocates. It is always a little
suspicious when ones theology changes along with the winds of political
correctness.
The plain reading of Scripture makes it very clear that homosexuality is sinful
behavior, and that Gods life-changing grace and mercy are extended to the
homosexual conditioned upon genuine repentance and faith. “If any man be in
Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold all things
become new.” II Cor
5:17
Why do
you make homosexuality such an important issue?
Our culture as well as
homosexual activists with an enormous political lobby and propaganda machine
have made homosexuality a central issue. Their desire to force acceptance of
their behavior and to silence those who would oppose it have made it a defining
issue in our day. Does this mean we
“hate” homosexuals? Absolutely not! We are commanded in Scripture to “love
our neighbors as ourselves” and to even, “love our enemies” to “do
good to those persecute you and despitefully use you”. It is precisely
because we do love them, and are concerned about their souls, that we are
compelled to speak the truth, offering hope for change. We contend that the
great many Christians in our day who are silent regarding this self-destructive
lifestyle are showing “hatred” through their indifference.
Why
can’t you just tolerate others?
We are all intolerant
of many things. We put thieves, rapists, murders, among others, in prison. That
sounds a bit intolerant, but I don’t hear too many people disturbed about that
sort of intolerance. Christians 150 years ago were told to be tolerant of those
who owned and oppressed slaves. Thank God many Christians were not tolerant and
stood for what was right, even when the prevailing cultural view was “tolerance
and acceptance”.
For Christians homosexuality is clearly wrong. It is unnatural and it
is unhealthy, as is evidenced by the extremely high rates of disease, domestic
violence, drug and alcohol addiction as well as suicide. It is inherently
self-depreciating. Many argue that these things exist in the “gay” community
because they are victims of oppression, yet in the places where homosexuality is
accepted the most, such as San Francisco, we find these statistics to be the
same and in many cases even higher. As Abraham Lincoln said “one never has the
right to do that which is wrong”.
What
about someone who is born gay?
What if someone is born a
thief? A liar? A rapist? Certainly having those desires “naturally” does not
justify fulfilling those desires. A part of being a mature individual is self-
control. Controlling and subduing desires that we may have which we know to be
wrong. I “naturally” have a bad temper, but I must suppress that natural desire
to be a mature individual. The same is true of our sex lives. I am married. My
attraction for other woman has not disappeared, that natural desire has to be
subdued and controlled. I am not “free to just love who I want”. No one is. To
make such an argument would lead to chaos and anarchy.
The Bible says that we are born fallen creatures, separated from God
with many propensities for sin. This is why Jesus said a man must be born again,
with a new nature, which is created in righteousness and true holiness. If we
will humble ourselves and ask the Lord Jesus to cleanse us of our sin, putting
our life in His hands, we can experience this new life.
I believe every homosexual could learn to be healthy and happy in a
committed, God-blessed relationship with the opposite sex. Will that be easy?
Probably not. Will desire for the same sex go away overnight? Probably not.
Doing what is right is never easy. But we are assured and take comfort in
knowing that we can “do all things through Christ who strengthens us”.
What’s
wrong with two men loving each other?
Nothing. Two men can and
should love each other. Two men having sex with each other is something totally
different. A man cannot say he is loving another man while anally sodomizing
him, rupturing his anal cavity, etc… That is the reality of “gay” sex. That is
why disease and such is more rampant. When we reduce love to “lust” or even
“romance” we have completely distorted what the genuine sort of relational love
is that is necessary for strong relationships, healthy marriages and healthy
families.
4) What about Confrontational
Preaching?
Isn’t
it more effective to preach with love and to build relationships with people
than to aggressively confront people with condemnation?
This question of course
assumes that we are not preaching with love nor building relationships with
people. Both assumptions are false. Love manifests itself in various ways.
Building relationships with people and being a witness for Christ through that
relationship is a given for Christians, we should all be doing that. But there
is an additional thing called “preaching the gospel” in which we see many
examples illustrated in the Bible; from the Old Testament Prophets to Jesus to
the disciples.
(See “A Call to Preach in the Field”
by Pastor Matt Trewhella.)
Often
this is done in a confrontational way to lot’s of people of whom little or no
report has been built. The fact is any form of evangelism must by definition be
confrontational. No matter what method is being employed there must be, at some
point, a confronting of the individual with the truth that they have either
rejected or ignored. Certainly there are some who do a very poor job of
communicating the faith publicly, but this is not a problem with confrontational
evangelism, pride, insincerity and a host of other detrimental behaviors can be
present in any method of evangelism. This being said
there are a few principles that we believe to be important and biblically based
from which Christians should try to live by in a healthy balance;
See
Practical Points on
Open-Air Preaching and Witnessing. |
