Restitutio

Steve Gregg vs. Tom Morris

Once you become saved can you lose your salvation?  Listen to this debate to hear both sides of this important question.  Admittedly, the debate does seem to be a bit of a mismatch, since Gregg is extremely well prepared and Morris could not answer many of Gregg’s points.  Even so, this debate showcases what scriptures those of us who believe in Conditional Salvation use to make our case as well as how to respond to at least some of the stereotypical texts that eternal security proponents employ to justify their position.  Overall the debate is cordial and worth your time.

by Sean Finnegan

According to Jesus no one should call him “Lord” if he or she does not do what he says.  In other words, Christ says he wants followers not merely believers.  Although hippie Jesus, one-and-done Jesus, American Jesus, prosperity Jesus, poverty Jesus, and part-time Jesus all vie for all attention, we encounter the real Jesus in the Gospels, which have confidence in today because of the massive number of manuscripts that have survived from antiquity.  Following Jesus has massive benefits as well, including eternal life, forgiveness of sins, life transformation, and ultimate meaning for your life.  The reasons not to follow Jesus pale in comparison.  As a result, doesn’t it make sense to take the next step, to confess Jesus as Lord and begin following his teachings?

Two requirements of Christianity

What it means to follow Jesus

Reasons to follow Jesus

Reasons not to follow Jesus

Taking the next step

by Paris Reidhead

One of the most famous classic sermons of all time, Paris Reidhead’s “Ten Shekels and a Shirt” calls into question why you serve God?  From his account of missionary work to his observations of historic Christian preaching to other movements occurring in his own day, Reidhead weaves together an inspiring and very convicting message relevant in any age.  Are you a Christian because of what God will do for you or do you serve him because he is deserves it?  Learn about the pervasive and subtle influence of humanism as well as the cure to such a blight.

Here’s the original paper in pdf form.

I presented this talk at the 18th Theological Conference held near Atlanta, GA.  In it I present a case for the radical practice of loving our enemies.  Whether you believe Christians can and should use violence to defend themselves or others or if you think more along the lines of Christian pacifism, this talk will familiarize you with the main reasons why some Christians hold to nonviolence.  Essentially, my case finds its roots in taking Jesus’ command “love your enemies” literally along with the apostles instructions to never return evil for evil.  My case is couched in proleptic ethics such that Christians are now, even before the kingdom arrives in all of its magnificent glory, embodying the kingdom in whatever ways we can.  In other words, I believe God calls us to live the way we will live then now as a testimony of what is to come.  Lastly, I tackle the issue of early Christian history and demonstrate that the writings we have from the first few centuries testify that the church was nonviolent.  Please do not judge my position on this as liberal or cowardly (the two most common charges), but realize that I’m basing my beliefs on the testimony of scripture and that it takes a heck of a lot more courage to love one’s enemy than merely reciprocate violently.

Below is the paper that went with this presentation along with a detailed set of responses to common objections.

Introduction

Is it right for Christians to volunteer in the United States’ military?[1] Should followers of Jesus join the police force? Can one who has been redeemed find employment as a security guard? Should disciples keep a loaded gun in the house in case an intruder enters? Is there ever a time when violence is justified? These questions and many like them, for Christians, center on whether or not we interpret the New Testament teachings to prohibit violence or permit it. This work seeks to provide a clear biblical theology for this critical subject.[2] From the title it is clear that my perspective falls on the side of those who see Jesus and the Apostles as teaching something new—the idea of nonviolent enemy love.

Now, I realize that the moment I suggest that violence is wrong for Christians, a whole slew of questions and “what ifs” come to mind. Let me start by saying that these types of questions have good answers and we have collected a number of answers to difficult questions on our website.[3] However, it would not be prudent to handle all of the “objections” prior to laying out the case for nonviolence biblically, logically, and historically. Therefore, it is my intention to present both the clear biblical teaching on this subject and the theological framework into which this teaching fits.

Though adherents to nonviolence are still unquestionably in the minority, as of late more and more leaders from non-Anabaptist[4] traditions are beginning to speak up. As I have researched this subject, in an effort to gain answers to the tough questions that face Christian pacifism, I have been surprised to find how central kingdom of God theology is to this topic.[5] It’s as if one cannot talk about nonviolence without talking about the kingdom. But, what is it about the kingdom of God that inspires peace-making rather than war-making? In order to see how Jesus understood and applied the kingdom of God theology to his life and ministry, we need to first look at how the kingdom was understood in the Hebrew Bible.

The Kingdom of God in the Hebrew Bible

Thou

by Joel Hemphill

In this short but revealing testimony, famed southern gospel singer Joel Hemphill tells his journey from oneness to one.  Growing up in the “Jesus only” movement, he preached and sung about Jesus as God until the Father began to show him the light.  His transparent honesty comes through as he narrates of how he courageously opened his mind to the possibility that maybe, just maybe, he had gotten the most important doctrine wrong for all of these years; he had misidentified God with Jesus and consequently robbed him of his glory.  Now that Hemphill has seen the light, he writes and travels proclaiming the glory of God the Father with vigor and passion.

by Sean Finnegan

According to Hebrew bible expert, Walter Bruegemann, all of us live by a script.  He contends that our society is constantly scripting us with technological, therapeutic, consumer militarism.  In the words of the Apostle Paul, we must fight this tendency by refusing to conform to this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds.  The gospel message itself offers us a whole new script.  It’s hopeful rather than pessimistic, motivated by love rather than fear, characterized by abundance rather than scarcity, provides us an anchor to weather the storms of this life, gives us lasting purpose, and makes sense of morals.  Ultimately, we all have to choose what kind of script we will live by. We are privileged and commissioned to give the world a foretaste of the kingdom through our actions and words, by modeling a new way of doing relationships, by performing outrageous acts of cross-shaped love to a world that is numb, consumeristic, obsessed with sexuality, terrified of extinction, and generally over busy, under paid, and bored.  We offer the world a new script. We are the people of God who have a prophetic message to deliver—a message of hope and forgiveness, a message of value and purpose, a message of freedom about a God who is dedicated to fixing up this place and who will one day send his son to make everything wrong with the world right.

The Good News

Effects of Believing the Gospel

by Keith Daniel

So often husbands make grandiose declarations in the heat of the moment whereby they bind themselves to a destructive or vengeful course of action that inevitably results in shipwrecking their marriages.  In this powerful sermon Keith Daniel provides sage advice for husbands and wives to stick together through the toughest times.  As always he illustrates the biblical principles he preaches with stories drawn from people who serve as examples for us–both positive and negative.  Whether you are married or thinking about getting married one day, this message–though simple–has the power to save you from inestimable misery and pain.

by Sean Finnegan

Ephesians 6.12 tells us our struggle is not really against other humans but against spiritual forces.  Learn how malignant powers influence people both directly (through demon possession) and indirectly (through the culture).  Hopefully, this message will open your eyes to what is happening behind the scenes as Satan works to keep people from believing the gospel message as well as take out those who already follow Christ.  At the end, I offer 7 specific examples of how the devil gains a foothold in our lives.  Even so, through the power of God we are able to shut down these vulnerabilities and overcome spiritual attacks.

“Greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist” –Keyser Söze, Usual Suspects

Eph 6.12

ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἡμῖν ἡ πάλη πρὸς αἷμα καὶ σάρκα ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὰς ἀρχάς, πρὸς τὰς ἐξουσίας, πρὸς τοὺς κοσμοκράτορας τοῦ σκότους τούτου, πρὸς τὰ πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις.

Because the struggle for us is not against blood and flesh but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world-powers of this darkness, against the wicked spirits in the celestial realm

how is it that malignant spiritual powers are behind flesh and blood actions?

Luke 4.31-36

31 And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath, 32 and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority. 33 And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, 34 “Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are– the Holy One of God.” 35 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm. 36 And they were all amazed and said to one another, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!”

though you would think dealing with demon-occupied people would be harder, it’s actually easier

wake you up to Satan’s influence on our world

by nature we dance to the devil’s drumbeat

Eph 2.1-3

1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience– 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

what indirect means does he use to infect us?

by Chris Date & Phil Fernandez

What does the bible teach about hell?  In hell do the damned experience eternal conscious torment or are they annihilated?  Phil Fernandes affirms the “traditional” view of  a fiery torture chamber whereas Chris Date defends the proposition that God will destroy people in the fire.  Obviously, I have a bias on this subject, having examined the many biblical texts that proclaim the wicked will vanish like smoke, be cut off, be no more, be destroyed, and perish.  Even so, how do we deal with the two or three difficult texts that talk of an eternal fire or an eternal punishment?  Listen in and hear one of the best conditional immortality apologists present a strong case for annihilationism while ably fielding objections and questions from Fernandes and the audience.  For more resources by Chris Date, check out rethinkinghell.com: a site that has a spectacular podcast that I highly recommend.

by Sean Finnegan

What’s the difference between God and Jesus.  Many Christians believe they are mysteriously one in being, but what do the scriptures teach?  It turns out the bible clearly distinguishes between these two individuals and their attributes preclude their metaphysical oneness.  Listen in to hear the evidence for why Jesus is the son of God not God the son.

This lecture was part of a class called “Exploring Scripture.”  To access more of this class, Exploring Scripture Class.

Who is God?

Who is God?

Are there any other gods besides Yahweh?

How many Yahwehs are there?

Other words we use to refer to Yahweh: God, Father, Savior, Lord, Most High, Almighty, Redeemer, etc.

Why do we call Yahweh Father?

Yahweh had a son

Who is Jesus?

Shared Attributes of God and Jesus

Chart of the Differences between God and Jesus (slide)

May we worship the same God that Jesus worshiped (John 20.17; Revelation 3.12)