On the Pointy End of the Fence Part 2: Counting to One Three Times

It is always a challenge to teach about something that lies beyond human reason or experience.  It's even more of a challenge to teach something when it is never explicitly stated in scripture.  However challenging, it is still necessary, and the fact that it is beyond human reason or experience and never explicitly stated may make it uncomfortable but does not make it untrue.  This challenge goes a long way toward explaining why the Athanasian Creed is so much longer than the others, and why it is spoken in church once a year, if ever.  Repetitive, almost song-like in nature, its many verses go something like this:  "The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God; and yet there are not three gods but one God."

Formally called the doctrine of the Trinity, this one point goes a long way toward dividing the orthodox from the heterodox, the true from the false, the Christian church from the cult or sect. Many heresies (false teachings), both ancient and modern, result from wrong-headed attempts to reconcile what scripture teaches about the godhead with human reason. 

In its simplest form, teaching about the Trinity can be summarized in four simple statements, offered here with a few places where the ideas can be found in Scripture.  And so begin many wrong paths and one right one.

1. The Father is fully God.  On this one point scripture and reason agree so thoroughly that it requires no list of passages or arguments beyond the most basic. (1 Cor. 8:4-6) If you believe that God exists and that the Bible is at least in some sense God's word, you acknowledge God as Father.  It is the most instinctive and primitive presence, the starting point, and the one person of the Trinity clearly accepted by Jews and Christians alike.   

2. The Son is distinct from the Father, but is fully and equally God. The Father shows the distinction between Father and Son at Jesus' baptism and again at the transfiguration, "This is my beloved son with whom I am well-pleased." (Mt. 3:16-17, Mt. 17:1-5) Jesus not only claimed to be separate from, distinct from the Father, he demonstrated it simply by teaching and praying. "Father, if it be your will, let this cup pass from me." (Mt. 26:36-46) "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." (Lu. 23:34) And finally, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." (Lu. 23:46)

That Jesus is "very God of very God" requires a little more study.  Because Jesus was fully human, and because scripture describes him as "begotten," (Jn. 1:18, Jn. 3:16-18) it is tempting to view Jesus as a second-tier deity, a created being, or merely a prophet. However, Paul emphatically rejects this (Col. 2:9), and Jesus' own statements don't leave us that option. Multiple times, Jesus claims to be God. (Jn. 8:48-59, Jn. 10:25-34, Jn. 14:1-14) Indeed, as he stood before the Sanhedrin on trial, the high priest questions him and declares his response blasphemous because he claimed to be God. (Mt. 26:62-66) How can Jesus be a prophet if his claims about himself are false?

3. The Holy Spirit is distinct from the Father and the Son, but is fully and equally God. That the Spirit is God is rarely a matter of debate. Peter explicitly calls the Holy Spirit God. (Acts 5:3-4) Rather, detractors commonly argue that the Holy Spirit is no separate thing at all. Is your spirit separate from you? They maintain that it is that unseen spiritual aspect of God, part of God, just as your spirit is part of you.

Unlike with humans, however, the Bible talks about the Holy Spirit being sent and acting independently (though always in perfect harmony with the Father and the Son). We can't send our spirits to go lead or teach. We don't talk about what our Spirit will do when he comes, but Jesus told his disciples what the Holy Spirit would do when he "arrived." (Jn.14:26, Jn. 15:26) Whether you, like the Eastern church, say he proceeds from the Father, or whether, like the Western church, you confess that he proceeds from the Father and the Son, in that statement you declare that the Holy Spirit is distinct from the Father and the Son and is truly God.

4. There is one God. On this point the canonical books leave no room for doubt. Old Testament and New Testament, the Scriptures are unambiguous. From the singular "us" and "we" of creation (Gen. 1:26-27) to the great declaration in Deuteronomy ("Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One." - Deut. 6:4), from the one Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the great commission (Mt. 28:18-20) to Paul's majestic proclamation of, "one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all," (Eph. 4:4-6) both Jews and Christians (and even Muslims) are absolutely monotheistic. Those who stray from this, such as the Mormons (LDS), either change the very words of the Bible to suit them or add books that say what they want to believe.

Here is not the place to detail all the myriad ways people get this wrong.  The topic is too complex and there are too many to cover. That said, every one of the ways this goes awry begins with the same mistake -- putting human reason above Scripture.  Reason is an invaluable and indispensable tool, to be sure, but deity, by its very nature, surpasses human understanding.  If we can fully comprehend God, our God, as Phillips once said, is far too small.

Almost without exception, attempts to logically harmonize these four statements within the confines of human understanding involve undermining or rejecting one or more of them. Three of the most common examples are subordinationism, modalism, and polytheism.

• Subordinationism: Belief that one person of the Trinity (generally the Son) is a created being or somehow inferior to the Father.  (Ex. Jehovah's Witnesses)
• Modalism: Belief that the Father, Son, and Spirit are three faces or "modes" of the one God, rather than three separate persons.  (Ex. Oneness Pentecostals)
• Polytheism: Belief that the Father, Son, and Spirit are all gods, and that while we may worship only one god, there exists more than one god.  (Ex. Mormons)

It's clear from the examples given that these are not merely ancient heresies.  In each case, the group named self-identifies as Christian (it isn't) and actively tries to draw people out of orthodox churches and into their heterodox group.

The larger lesson, however is the danger of setting even reason over God's word.  While C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity does a wonderful job of helping the reader get their mind around the notion of the Trinity, even his incredible intellect can't fully explain or prove it.  God's being and nature are far beyond our merely human minds, and insisting that everything must make sense to our human intellect is putting ourselves in the place of God -- creating an idol out of our intellect.

Make no mistake: This is not an argument for check-your-brain-at-the-door-Christianity. Reason is a precious tool God has given to help people understand what he would have us know from nature and his word. But, as with any good thing, when we set it in the highest place, the place that belongs only to God, we make it into an idol and we become idolaters.

So, like scientists, honest theologians will sometimes have to simply report observations they can't explain. Sometimes, like scientists, honest theologians must confess that there are limits to their understanding and they just don't have all the answers. Sometimes honest theologians, like scientists, have to admit that what they are saying is theory (adiaphora) and not law. In the end, we are obligated to teach what is in the Scriptures whether or not we can explain it, prove it, or even fully understand it.

Like grace alone and universal grace, this is another point of theology where we must not take one side or the other, but must remain, as it were, on the fence. Trying to make God's nature conform to human reason by rejecting the unity or the trinity of God won't work. God's word doesn't make it comfortable for us to explain the truth to those who worship human intellect, but Scripture demands that we take the logically uncomfortable position of maintaining both that the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God ... and that God is one. 

On the Pointy End of the Fence Part 1: The Single-Sided Coin

Most Christian theologies or systems of doctrine would like to be known for taking scripture at its word, but clearly not all of them can be right. In an attempt to compare competing views, it is often useful to focus on one issue (or one issue at a time) and see how it plays out in each. Of the most immediate importance and instructional value is the doctrine of justification (how we are saved) and its practical application.

Scripture teaches that God loves the world and everyone in it. It also teaches that we cannot save ourselves, but that God in his mercy has saved us despite our efforts and intentions.  It would seem that these are both merely stating the obvious ... until we ask the one question that causes so many to abandon the Gospel: If grace is universal and we are saved by grace alone as a free gift, why isn't everyone saved? It is at this point that what the Bible teaches has sometimes been called a single-sided coin - The statements are true, but logical conclusions are not.

To begin, consider a few passages from scripture:

John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."  Here we are not only told that God loved the world, Jesus goes on to say that "whoever believes" will not be condemned but saved.  That grace is given freely to all who would have it -- to all who believe.

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 - "For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again."  Let's hear that again:  "And he died for all, that those who live ..."  Paul makes it clear that, though Christ died for all, not all lived.  Grace is universal:  Eternal life is not.

Romans 5:18 - Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men."  In a sense this passage really forces the issue. Those on the fence, as well as those fallen off either side, would all readily agree that Adam's fall brought condemnation to each and every human that ever lived (except Jesus, of course).  How then can anyone justify the assertion that the bringing of life to "all men" refers only to a subset of humans?

1 John 2:2 - "He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world."  In this passage, John specifically refers to the elect as distinct from "the world," and he clearly states that Jesus' atonement was not limited to "our sins" but included the sins of "the whole world."

Scripture seems pretty clear on this point - God's grace is offered freely to all men. His grace is universal - Christ died for the sins of the whole world. The Christian, the pastor, and the evangelist can say to every single person, "Christ died for you."  

Some climb off on the Calvinist side of the fence, declaring their conviction that all doesn't really mean all, and "the whole world" doesn't include everyone. Instead, they adopt the teaching more formally known as "particular atonement" (the P in TULIP), in which Christ did not die for everyone, but only for the elect, denying universal grace.

Calvinists frequently cite Romans 9 to support their teaching of particular atonement. While this seems to make sense on the surface, a deeper look at the passages in context tells a more complex story.

If someone were to summarize Romans 9 in one sentence, it might go like this: Israel may be Abraham's biological children, but the REAL children of God are those who believe and trust solely in Jesus Christ.

Imagine a father making his will. He has three sons, the first two biological, and the third adopted. The oldest, despite the father's constant and persevering attempts to reach him with love and affection, has disowned his father, and they have been estranged for many years. The father leaves his estate to his younger two sons, one biological and one adopted, and leaves nothing to the one who has rejected a relationship with his father these many years. Does the father not have that right? Could you blame him?

If we asked why the estranged son didn't inherit, few people would blame it on the father. The child estranged themselves - they ought to expect nothing.

On the other hand, can the younger two take credit for their inheritance? The father could have easily left his estate to a friend, a charity, even a puppy. The father is under no obligation to include any of his children in his will, but he does so, not because they have earned it in some way, but out of a deep and abiding love he has had for his sons since they arrived, tiny and helpless.

So it is with God. As illogical as it might seem, if we don't inherit eternal life it is because we have estranged ourselves from God due to our lack of faith, and if we do, it is purely out of God's love and mercy and not because we have done anything to deserve it. If we are condemned, it is because of a unilateral estrangement on our part, and if we are saved, it is thanks only to a unilateral love and mercy on God's part. Rather than denying universal grace (or grace alone), Romans 9 shows how both are true and necessary.

Rather than turn to Calvinism, others climb off on the synergistic side of the fence, reasoning that if one is saved and another is damned, justice dictates that there must be some difference between the two by which one merited, accessed, or obtained grace and mercy and the other did not. Rather than discarding universal grace, they instead discard grace alone, turning faith into a human work. Among the synergists you will find both Catholics and so-called "American Evangelicals" - the Council of Trent alongside the Four Spiritual Laws. However, if universal grace is undeniable, grace alone is even more so.

Ephesians 2:8-9 - "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast."  Here Paul says that it is by grace, but lest anyone misunderstand, he goes even further.  He says that we were dead (and therefore helpless to do anything for ourselves), and then we were "made alive" -- a specifically passive role.  Then, lest we still cling to our egos, he emphasizes that this is not something for which we can take any credit.  It is not of ourselves.

Romans 3:21-28 - "But now a righteousness from God, apart from the law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short if the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. ... Where then is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.  In the same breath Paul again makes clear both universal grace and grace alone, and then makes a point of saying that faith is not a work of the law either.  Especially when considered alongside Hebrews 12:2, which asserts that it is not us but Jesus who creates and perfects our faith, we can only conclude that faith cannot be something for which we can take credit or by which we bring ourselves into the kingdom.

Romans 11:5-6 - "So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace."  Here Paul states what should be obvious:  If it is by works, it cannot be by grace.  If we mix even a drop of Law into the Gospel we have hopelessly polluted it, because then grace is no longer grace and Christ's work on the cross is declared insufficient.

Galatians 2:15-3:14 - "I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?"  Paul says those who think observing the law gets them anywhere are foolish, and does not even leave room for us to claim cooperation in our salvation farther down the road.  This book is perhaps Paul's most emphatic denunciation of synergism, where he later goes on to say of those who would demand that Christians be circumcised that he wishes they would go the whole way and cut it all off!

Scripture also seems pretty clear on this point. We are saved by grace alone. Christ died for us while we were still sinners, and, while we were still his enemies, reconciled us to God. This reconciliation is a gift, given as to a corpse, for which the corpse can take no credit. There is no work, no action, no step we can take to obtain that for ourselves.

Walther speaks eloquently to this error.  "However, people imagine that, after Christ has done His share, man must still do his, and man is not reconciled to God until both efforts meet.  The sects picture reconciliation as consisting in this, that the Savior made God willing to save men, provided men would be willing on their part to be reconciled.  But that is the reverse of the Gospel.  God is reconciled.  ... (L&G, p 136).

In another place, Walther writes, "By ascribing to man some share in his own salvation, we rob Christ of all His glory.  God has created us without our cooperation, and He wants to save us the same way.  We are to thank Him for having created us with a hope of life everlasting.  Even so He alone wants to save us.  Woe to him who says that he must contribute something towards his own salvation!  He deprives Christ of His entire merit.  For Jesus is called the Savior, not a helper towards salvation, such as preachers are.  Jesus has achieved our entire salvation.  (L&G p 40)"

"Faith is demanded of us, not in order that there might be at least some little work that we are to do, as otherwise there would be no difference between those who go to hell and those who go to heaven.  No;  righteousness is of faith in order that it may be of grace.  Both statements are identical.  When I say: 'A person becomes righteous in the sight of God by faith,' I mean to say: 'He becomes righteous gratuitously, by grace, by God's making righteousness a gift to him.'  Nothing is demanded of the person; he is only told: 'Stretch out your hand, and you have it.'  Just that is what faith is -- reaching out the hand. (L&G p 79)"

"Moreover, in the postils and devotional writings of all modern theologians you may find the doctrine that man is made righteous in the sight of God and saved by faith.  But by faith they understand nothing but what man himself achieves and produces.  Their faith is a product of human energy and resolution.  Such teaching, however, subverts the entire Gospel. ... What God's Word really means when it says that man is justified and saved by faith alone is nothing else than this:  Man is not saved by his own acts, but solely by the doing and dying of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of the whole world.  Over against this teaching modern theologians assert that in the salvation of man two kinds of activity must be noted:  in the first place, there is something that God must do.  His part is the most difficult, for He must accomplish the task of redeeming men.  But in the second place, something is required that man must do ... he has to believe.  This teaching overthrows the Gospel completely. ... Faith is not an achievement of man. ... Believing the Gospel would be, in truth, and immeasurably great and difficult task for us if God were not to accomplish it in us. (The Proper Distinction Between Law and Gospel, pgs 268-270)"

Holding both truths - grace alone and universal grace - in the face of this question is a difficult position to take. Standing on the word of God in this case isn't just sitting on the fence, it's sitting on a picket fence. It makes for uncomfortable seating, to be sure, but if we are really to trust in God's word over human reason, that is where we must stay, pointy ends and all. This ends up being a stumbling block (1Cor. 1:23) and a rock of offense (Rom. 9:32-33), and it is the point at which most Christians part company with the word of God. Sadly, whichever side of the fence they fall on, in the end, all that matters is that they have fallen. In the final analysis, neither Calvinists nor synergists are left standing on the word of God.

How, then, can someone address this simple question of how to reconcile these two scriptural teachings with the fact that some will not be saved? Perhaps we can't. Not only do we not have perfect understanding (1 Cor. 13:12), even perfect understanding might well surpass human reason. As it is, the best we can do is to lay out what scripture says, interpret it on its own terms, and apply it to the best of our ability.

Numerous passages testify to God's love for all the world, though it often goes unrequited, and to the fact that we can do nothing to save ourselves.  It requires no cherry-picking of passages or out-of-context proof-texting to support the notions of universal grace or grace alone. So, along with Paul we must confess that there is no difference. All are equally helpless in their sins, and all are equally atoned-for.

As soon as we start passing judgment on God's word, we have replaced the living God with the idol of our own reason.  It may be uncomfortable, but in the end, the only secure place to stand is on the word of God.

2 Timothy 3:14-4:5

Another Opportunity to Fail

For those of us who observe the season of Lent, a time of repentance in preparation for Easter, it can sometimes take on the flavor of yet another New Year’s resolution.   Perhaps we try to forego our favorite snack or give up meat on Fridays.  Maybe we promise ourselves we won’t play video games or drink alcohol.  Sometimes, too, we intend to do something new or better — to exercise, read our Bible more, or get more rest.

Whatever discipline you take on, if you’re anything like me, it often amounts to little more than another opportunity to fail that leads to yet more discouragement or regret.  How, exactly, is that supposed to get us ready for Easter?  Do we go through another round of beating ourselves up so we feel like we have a right to Easter joy?

In one sense, the answer to that last question is yes, though perhaps not for the reasons you think.

It is not our success in the struggle against sin that prepares us for Easter, but the struggle itself.  In one sense,  those who, like me, constantly fail, come to Holy Week especially ready to hear about the One who came to carry the burden of sin that has overwhelmed us yet again.  We don’t come to the cross because we’re so holy: we come because we need Christ’s holiness.  We don’t come because we have conquered sin by an act of the will: we come because we are, as Lent intends to remind us, “poor, miserable sinners,” who are “by nature sinful and unclean.”  We don’t come as conquerors, but as refugees.

If you are stronger than I am and keep your resolutions and sail through Lent, successful (if a bit grouchy), have you thrown yourself a softball?  Have you missed the point … that you are a sinner desperately in need of mercy and redemption?  We do not prepare ourselves for Easter by proving we can do it on our own. We prepare for Easter by rubbing our own noses, yet again, in our need for a Savior.

So go ahead and challenge yourself.  Really try.  Don’t make it something safe you know you can do, because you will only be turning away from the very cross you prepare to approach and back to your own efforts. Use this time of self-discipline and repentance to feel the desperation — the despair — of trying to save yourself.  Then you will be truly ready to walk the road through Jerusalem, through Gesthemane, to the empty tomb.

A Fallen Church or a Church in the Fall?

“The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” — 2nd Century church father Tertullian. 

With a good chunk of the country buried in snow, anticipation of spring and summer is a welcome sentiment, but the weatherman predicting more cold and more snow — not so much.  Still, while autumn and winter may not be what we look forward to, they are often necessary parts of the cycle. At some point the leaves need to fall off the trees. At some point the grapevines and rose bushes must be pruned. At some point the bulbs have to be chilled so they’ll sprout again.
Businesses go through similar cycles of pruning and growing. Some consider the process essential for clearing out ineffective people, processes, or divisions. In truth, it’s difficult to think of a living entity that doesn’t have a process or season that clears the way for new growth.

Why would we expect the church to be any different? Do we really believe there is no pruning to be done? Jesus warns us that these times will happen because God loves us that much.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” – John 15:1-2

A friend of mine often compares people to his cats. His cats like to drink out of the sink, but they have absolutely no concept of plumbing, of the water system that brings the water to the house, of the water bill that must be paid, or the process used to make that water clean and safe. Similarly, they do not like going to the vet. They have no idea why the humans who love them stuff them into a tiny box, subject them to a terrifying time of upheaval and noise, then take them out of the box only to hold them down in a cold, uncomfortable room while they are tormented by someone stabbing them, then stuffed back in the box, frightened again by upheaval and noise, and only then, finally returned to life as they knew it. We know that getting their shots helps them stay healthy; all they know is that the humans seemed inexplicably cruel that day.

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” – Isaiah 55:9

The church is going through some scary times, and all indications are that it’s going to get worse — a lot worse — before it gets better. Locally we see intense pressure to conform to the world’s values, shrinking numbers, and public vilification and ridicule. Across the globe we see every day in the news people dying for their Christian faith in numbers that dwarf those of the great persecutions in the early church. We may have felt safe in our civilized Christian nests, but that time of abundance and freedom is rapidly drawing to a close as new pressures mount at home and new footage of brutal martyrdom appears almost daily on our televisions and computer monitors. And do not expect the world’s sympathy, because even to those who aren’t as bloodthirsty as ISIS, even where we have blended into the world, the church still represents condemnation of its dearly held values and chosen lifestyles.

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn “ ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” – Matthew 10:34-39

So at pruning time we need to consider our priorities. Why do we call ourselves Christian, and is it worth suffering or dying for? Is it worth our families suffering and dying for? Will we be able to sacrifice and to endure? What must be done now to be ready then?

“The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” – Matthew 3:10

Clearly God’s desire is that we bear fruit. The type of fruit depends on the tree — oranges, apples, bananas, peaches, persimmons, pomegranates — the varieties are endless, but the demand of productivity is not. God expects us to produce according to the gifts he had given us. Painting, music, prayer, preaching, hospitality, evangelism, and a host of others suggest themselves. God has planted the tree he wants, that it should bear fruit “according to its kind.”

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” – John 15:5-8