Strong Meat for the Muscle of Missions: Excerpts from Piper's book 'A Godward Life' 3/4

Here is the third article I would like to share with all of us which I think is quite interesting. It has been said by certain ignorant people that Calvinism is anti-Evangelism; that belief in Sovereign Grace and Election reduces or even removes zeal for evangelism. Of course, that is total nonsense. There are just as many, if not more, Arminians who couldn't care less about evangelism than there are people who claim to be Reformed who similarly do so. Anyway, besides the theological aspect, this article by Piper shows the doctrines of grace put into practice into the work of missions in evangelism — in the life of Adoniram Judson. The third article is thus entitled 'Strong Meat for the Muscle of Missions: Thoughts on the Ministry of Adoniram Judson'.

More and more I am persuaded that a deep and lasting missions movement will need a deeply rooted doctrine of salvation. On vacation I read some of the memoirs of Adoniram Judson, You recall he was a Congregationalist-turned-Baptist who went to Burma in 1812 and didn't come home for thiry-three years.

Courtney Anderson tells the thrilling and romantic story in To the Golden Shore, but like so many missionary biographers, Anderson seems not to know what made Judson tick. It's the memoirs that let you see the theological roots. We are so theologically superficial today we can't even imagine how passionately doctrinal these early missionaries were.

What made Judson tick, very simply, was a white-hot evnagelical commitment to the sovereignty of grace (a burning, humble, worshipful, missionary love called "Calvinism"). He wrote a Burmese lithurgy and creed that included the following statements: "God, originally knowing that mankind would fall and be ruined, did, of His (sic) mercy, select some of the race, and give them to His (sic) Son, to save from sin and hell... The God... who sends the Holy Spirit to enable those to become disciples who were chosen before the world was, and given to the Son, we worship."

The Westminster Shorter Catechism, Question Twenty, goes right to the heart of Judson's faith and ignites the fuse of missions.

Question: Did God leave all Mankind (sic) to perish in the condemnation of sin and misery?

Answer: God, out of His (sic) mere good pleasure, from all eternity, having chosen a people to everlasting life, did enter into a covenant of grace, to deliver them out of the condition of sin and misery, and to bring them into a condition of salvation by a Redeemer. (Ephesians 1:3-4; 2 Thessaloninans 2:13; Romans 8:29-30; 5:21; 9:11-12; 11:5-7; Acts 13:48; Jeremiah 31:33)

The term 'covenant of grace' is filled with sweet and precious hope. It refers to the free decision and oath of God to employ all His (sic) omnipotence, wisdom, and love to rescue His (sic) people from sin and misery. It is wholly initiated and carried through by God.. It cannot fail. "I will make an everlasting covonant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good, and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from me" (Jeremiah 32:40)

The covenant of grace is valid for all who believe. Whosoever will may come and enjoy this salvation. And, since this "willing" is a work of God's sovereign grace (Ephesians 2:5-8), those who belive and come are the elect — "chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world" (Ephesians 1:4). The covenant was sealed in the heart of God before the world was (2 Timothy 1:9).

This covenant of grace is the cry of victory over all the battle strife in missions. The grace of God will triumph. He is covenant-bound, oath-bound to save all those who are foreordained to eternal life from every tongue, tribe, people, and nation (Acts 13:48; Revelation 5:9). "Jesus [died] for the nation [of Jews], and not for the nation only, but [to] gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad" (John 11:51-52). The battle cry of missions is, "[The Lord has] other sheep, which are not of this fold; [He] must [covenant-bound!] bring them also, and they will [sovereign grace!] hear [His] voice" (John 10:16).

Adoniram Judson preached one sermon in English while in Burma. His text was John 10:1-18. What was his point? "Though enclosed in the Saviour's electing love, [His sheep] may still be wandering on the dark moutains of sin." So the missionary must cry out to all with the message of salvation in order that, as Judson says, the "invitation of mercy and love, which will penetrate the ears and hearts of the elect only," may be made effectual.

If we desire to see the lifes of Adoniram Judson, William Carey, John Paton, Henry Martyn, and Alexander Duff rise up among us again, let us drink from the same strong doctrine that mastered them for the cause of missions.

An Amazing Means of Change - Excerpts from Piper's book 'A Godward Life' 2/4

Here is the second of the four articles from Piper's book that I would like to share with all of us. The second article is entitled An Amazing (Unused?) Means of Change — Considerations on the Power of Considering.

One of the most remarkable capacities of the human mind is the capacity to direct its attention to something it chooses. We can pause and say to our minds, "Think about this and not that." We can focus our attention on an idea, a problem, or a hope.

It is an amazing power. I doubt that animals have it. They are probably not self-reflective, but rather governed by impulse and instinct. Humans have the amazing ability to think about thinking and to choose to dwell on an object of thought.

This is a gift of God part of His (sic) image in us. It is an immensensely powerful means of becominmg what we ought to be. Have you been neglecting this great weapon in the arsenal of your war against sin? The Bible calls us again and again to use this remarkable gift. Let's take it out, polish it, and put it to use.

For example, Paul says in Romans 8:5-6, "Those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, [set their minds on] the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace."

This is stunning. What you set your mind on determines whether the issue is life or death!

We have become too passive in our pursuit of change, wholeness and peace. In our therapeutic age we have fallen into the passive mind-set of simply "talking through our problems" or "dealing with our issues" or "discovering the roots of our brokenness in our family of origin." As helpful as these may be from time to time, I think we tend to slip into a passive way of thinking about change — that change may simply happen to me one of these days as I talk through my problems.

I see a much more aggressive, nonpassive approach to change in the New Testament. Namely, "Set your mind..." "Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth" (Colossians 3:2). "Enemies of the cross," Paul says, "set their minds on earthly things" (Philippians 3:18-19). "Those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh" (Romans 8:5)

Our emotions are governed in large measure by what we "consider" — what we dwell on with our minds . For example, Jesus told us to overcome the emotion of anxiety by what we consider: "Do not be anxious... Consider the ravens ... Consider the lilies" (Luke 12:22, 24, 27).

The mind is the window of the heart. If we let our minds constantly dwell on the dark, the heart will feel dark. If we open the window of our mind to the light, the heart will feel the light.

This is what Paul meant in Philippians 4:8, "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things."

Above all, this great capacity of our minds to focus and consider is meant for considering Jesus: "Holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus... Consider Him who endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart" (Hebrews 3:1; 12:3).

This is the path toward change. We are called to take it and not wait passively while our minds are drawn with all kinds of passions that wage war against our souls (1 Peter 2:11). It is when we focus our minds on the glory of Christ that we are transformed from one degree of glory to another (2 Corinthians 3:18). Take this moment to resolve that you will be intentiontal about what your minds considers. It will dwell on something, and what it dwells on, it becomes like.

Reflection on blog posts...

In the process of categorizing my blog posts into various categories, I have managed to get a overview of all the 180 blog posts I have done so far, and thus able to see in a sense my growth and walk with God in the past year or so. I would like to take the opportunity to thank God for all the good things he has done for me. Despite the pain and suffering I went through intially when I left my former church, God has always been there for me; His unseen hand always guiding me and leading me in the paths of righteousness and growth in Him. Oh ya, and such is a fitting way to celebrate the first aniversary of my blog :P, to thank God for all the things He has brought me through and allowed me to go through.

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To my Lord and King, I thank You for all these gifts of Yours and Your loving tender guidance and grace. Truly, it is only by Your grace that I am able to stand firm in your truth in the courts of the ungodly. Such great love and compassion and grace! They are unmeasurable. O Lord, were You to treat us as our deeds deserve, we would perish. But yet, You condescend and stoop to save us by sending Your son Jesus Christ to die for us, so that we might become the children of God, to be holy and pleasing in Your sight. Not because of what we have done, but because of the work of Your son Jesus Christ in purchasing salvation for us Your people. Oh, Lord, the injustice of it all, and yet all the more glorious; that You died for sins You did not commit and we get to receive the gift of eternal life which we are incapable of even deserving to get. Oh Father, grant us the grace to daily turn to You, grant us the love for You and to obey Your Word. Thank You for all the glorious deeds You have done for me despite my unloveliness and hard-heartedness against You, my Lord and King.

Oh Lord, and may it be within Your pleasure, O Great God of Creation and Sovereign Ruler of all, to grant to Your Church grace to persevere in Your truth, to persevere in knowing You, to proclaim Your great name among the heathen. May we be obedient to Your truth, that Your Bride would be pure and undefiled of all heresies and compromise. May we be ever zealous for Your name, and for Your glory. Give us the passion to proclaim Your name in whatever we do, to everyone around us, and that You may use us as Your instruments to acheive the salvation of Your elect. Help us to stay strong in You. O Lord, even as the days grow ever darker still, and apostasy is every increasing. Give us the strength to persevere, and to continue shining for You. O Lord, we pray that You will draw Your people out of the apostasizing 'churches'; we pray that You will bring many people from the compromising churches back to You and the pure standard of Your Word. O Lord, have mercy on Your people, and bring them out from these compromised churches. Expose them, so that these 'churches' would stop ensnaring Your people. Expose them for who they are — imposters, charlatans and heretics (wolves), so that we would not follow them and would follow You alone, the only true loving and gracious God.

O Father, you know the needs of our land. You know the troublers who are disturbing the flock. Expose them for who they are, and bring swift retribution against them for the damage they have done to your flock. Punish their wickedness! May they be put to shame! If You are so willing, open the eyes of the churches in Singapore to the various deceptions they are bound to. Open their eyes to see the crafty web of deception spun by the heretic Rick Warren. O Lord, by ourselves we can do nothing, but by Your strength we can do everything. O Lord, move among us. May You have mercy on us the visible Church. Relent from Your fierce anger, O Father, which we have incurred by our constant rebellion against You. Send forth the convicting power of Your Holy Spirit to turn our hearts back to You again, that we may turn from our useless idols and turn to You alone. Grant us repentance, that we may turn back to our first love and be Your pure Bride again. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Switching to Blogger beta

I am now switching to Blogger beta, so the blog may be a bit disorganized at first, especially the blog posts' categories. Categorizing 180 posts is definitely hard work...

Prayer and Predestination - Excerpts from John Piper's book 'A Godward Life' 1/4

I have finished reading this book by Pastor John Piper entitled A Goward Life sometime back. I would thus like to share with all of us some of the articles from this book (4 out of 120). I hope they would of use in the edification of the saints.

The first article is entitled Prayer and Predestination. Here goes:

Prayerless: I understanding that you believe in the providence of God. Is that right?

Prayerful: Yes.

Prayerless: Does that mean you believe, like the Heiderberg Catechism says, that nothing comes about by chance, but only by God's design and plan?

Prayerful: Yes, I believe that's what the Bible teaches. Job prays, "No purpose of Yours can be thwarted" (42:2). There are lots of texts like that.

Prayerless: Then why do you pray?

Prayerful: I don't see the problem. Why shouldn't we pray?

Prayerless: Well, if God ordains and controls everything, then what he plans from old will come to pass, right?

Prayerful: Yes.

Prayerless: So it's going to come to pass whether you pray or not, right?

Prayerful: That depends on whether God ordained for it to come to pass in answer to prayer. If God predestined that something happen in anser to prayer, it won't happen without prayer.

Prayerless: Wait a minute, this is confusing. Are you saying that every answer to prayer is predestined?

Prayerful: Yes, it is. It's predestined as an answer to prayer.

Prayerless: So, if the prayer doesn't happen, the answer doesn't happen?

Prayerful: That's right.

Prayerless: So the event is contingent on our praying for it to happen?

Prayerful: Yes, I take it that by contingent you mean prayer is a real reason that the event happens, and without the prayer the event would not happen.

Prayerless: Yes, that's what I mean. But how can an event be contingent on my prayer and still be eternally fixed and predestined by God?

Prayerful: Because your prayer is as fixed as the predestined answer.

Prayerless: Explain.

Prayerful: It's not complicated. God providentially ordains all events. God never ordains an event without a cause. The cause is also an event. Therefore the cause is also foreordained. So you canot say that the event will happen if the cause doesn't because God has ordained otherwise. The event will happen is the cause happens.

Prayerless: So when you are saying that answer to prayer are always ordained as effects of prayer, which is one of the causes, and that God predestined the answer only as an effect of the cause.

Prayerful: That's right. Since both the cause and the effect are ordained together, you can't say that the effect will happen even if the cause doesn't, because God doesn't ordain effects without causes.

Prayerless: Can you give me some examples?

Prayerful: Sure. If God predestines that I die of a bullet wound, then I wil not die if no bullet is fired. If God predestines that I be healed by surgery, then if there is not surgery, I will not be healed. If God predestines heat to fill my home by a fire in the furnace, then if there is no fire, there will be no heat. Would you say, "Since God predestines that the sun be bright, it will be bright whether there is fire in the sun or not"?

Prayerless: No.

Prayerful: I agree. Why not?

Prayerless: Because the brightness of the sun comes from the fire.

Prayerfull: Right. That the way I think about answers to prayer. They are the brightness and prayer is the fire. God has establised the universe so that in large measure it runs by prayer, the same way he has established brightness so that in large measure it happens by fire. Doesn't that make sense?

Prayerless: I think it does.

Prayerful: Then let's stop thinking up problems and go with what the Scriptures say: "Ask, and you will receive" (sic Jn. 16:24a), and "You do not have, because you do not ask" (sic James 4:2ff)

More Purpose Driven deception...

OK, I know most of my readers are sick of Rick Warren and Purpose Driven by now, and so am I. Anyway, I have just heard a 'sermon' by 'Pope' Rick which Singapore Campus Crusade distributed to her supporters. So before I leave Warren to his delusions of grandeur, I will be reviewing this 'sermon' of his, plus post my position paper on the Purpose Driven paradigm. Anyway, I would really need to thank Campus Crusade for giving me this piece of ammo. I now possess a significant piece of hard evidence to prove many of the allegations that I have heard of but had not have the proof to make — until now.

FYI: As a side note, I can see why many people are so easily deceived by that heretic. He uses Christian terminoloy that is very familiar to those who are in Neo-Evangelism. Also, after being fed chariamaniac cum seeker sensitive diluted porridge for so long, most Christians don't have the ability to discern anything at all. They thus become the sad fulfilment of Eph. 4:14. May God have mercy on His Church.

Abortion: Sacrificing to Molech

They built the high places of Baal in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to offer up their sons and daughters to Molech, though I did not command them, nor did it enter into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin. (Jer. 32:35 -ESV)

I was sortof meditating on the idea of Molech sacrifice one of these days when the Holy Spirit showed me something I would like to share with all of us from this passage.

Molech worship is an abomination unto the Lord which originated from the Ammonites. One of the rituals connected to Molech worship is the sacrificing of children unto the Ammonite god Molech, as an expression of their devotion to him. When Israel fell into idolatry, which incidentally if you read the OT sadly happens most of the time in their national history, one of the gods they worship is Molech, and thus they offer up their sons and daughters as human sacrifices to it. Such a practice is an utter abomination unto the Lord, as children are a gift from the Lord (Ps. 127:3), and especially so for Covenant children being given to Christian families. Thus, sacrificing their children to Molech, besides breaking the first and second commandments, is firstly a violation of the sixth commandment against murder (Ex. 20:13). Secondly, it is taking God's good gifts and offering those gifts of God up as sacrifices to worthless, lifeless idols. For covenant children, this is also taking away what rightfully belongs to God (which is theft), especially if he is the firstborn son (Ex. 22:29; Num. 18:15). Molech worship is so detested by God that he warned Israel very sternly against it in Lev. 18:21 & 20:2-5, where Molech worship through children sacrifice is described as a profanation of God's name, and the punishment for Molech worship is DEATH!

In today's context, what is the Molech worship which is present in our day? Surely there is nobody performing human sacrifices, and especially child sacrifices, now? Such a babaric practice surely can't exist in our civilized world, can it?

I would suggest to you that abortion is one of the modern day Molech worship that we so-called civilized people are guilty of. In place of a physical idol of Molech, we worship at the Molechs of choice and of pleasure (e.g. women's choice and pleasure in sin). As a culture and as the human race, we worship at the altars of humanism, in putting ourselves as the final determinator of what is correct or wrong. To this 'Molech', we sacrifice our children, for our own god's benefit (which is ourselves).

As with the Molech worship practiced by the Ammonites and apostate Israel, this modern form of Molech worship thorugh abortion is just as abominable and detestable to the Lord. This is especially so for Christians, since those who abort are aborting their covenant children. Because of all this, the wrath of God is being stored up (Rom. 2:5) against us and our culture who practice such an abomination. America and Europe has murdered millions of their children, and Singapore thousands. All of these nations rightly deserve the wrath of God to break upon us in terrible and righteous judgments for the abominable and detestable things we are doing in the sight of God. If there would be a tsunami now and Singapore was wiped out, we are getting only what we deserve and absolutely NO ONE has the right to question God why he so judges us. In fact, when natural disasters happen, we should not question why God allows natural disasters, but we should thank God that He only sends a few every year, for our nations and societies deserve annihilation for our sins and abominations, like what God did to adulterous Israel and Judah, wiping out their inhibitants with such calamity that they became an object of scorn, cursing, horror and reproach among the nations where the few survivors are scattered (Jer. 29:18).

And where are the church leaders preaching against abortion, especially in Singapore? Where are the pastors to be found which call abortion for what it is, and call on the offenders, and all Man everywhere, to repentance in Christ? Or are the Singapore church leaders by and large too scared to preach against this detestable sin? Why aren't we as Christians standing up for the helpless and defend them publicly? Are we so afraid of being scorned by Man that we are willing to overlook the murder of babies? Instead, the church leaders in Singapore are on rather good terms with the establishment, and in fact there are a lot of powerful Christians in government etc. What are they doing to protect the lives of the unborn? God will demand from them an accounting for the blood on their hands, for they have not protected the weak and the poor (Ps. 82:2-4), but instead through not objecting, they are strengthening the hand of the wicked.

If the people of the community close their eyes when that man gives one of his children to Molech and they fail to put him to death, I will set my face against that man and his family and will cut off from their people both him and all who follow him in prostituting themselves to Molech. (Lev. 20:4-5)

Announcement: Book ready for order...

As I am finishing my exams, I will be finding more time to blog, especially after my last paper on the 6th December. Anyway, I have an announcement to make:

I have just received my initial 10 copies of my newly published book Driven Away by Purpose: An Analysis of the Purpose Driven Life and Related Issues today. With this milestone, I am now able to accept orders (from Singapore only however) for my book (while others must wait for Amazon.com or Barnes and Nobles to take their own sweet time to place the book on their catalog). I have not yet calculated the price I would be selling at (which is definitely cheaper than buying online), but I would definitely count in the shipping cost etc. as I am not interested in making losses. At the moment, the book is estimated to be sold by me at an upper limit of SGD20.

Since such is the case, I would be accepting pre-orders of the book from now on. There would definitely be discounts for buying in bulk, although nothing is settled yet, and definitely so doing would require a (partial) downpayment. If anyone is interested, do email me here, and we can continue further discussion on the issue.

Article: On Mystery Babylon

This is an interesting article regarding the identity of Mystery Babylon in Revelation as being statist regimes of history. [Note: I do not necessarily support everything the organization says or stands for]. Anyway, I think this article is good, especially for materialistic Singaporeans majority of which (even Christians) always fall to the political fear-mongering of voting for a certain party "because otherwise the economy would collapse". Read especially the last paragraph:

All Babylons will end in failure and God’s judgment. Are you preparing yourself, despite the economic hardship you will experience, to join the heavenly host in crying “Alleluia”?

So (especially) Singaporean Christians, are you willing to sacrifice your materialism and put greater worth on the things of God; to put greater value in whether the government is moral rather than on whether they would continue to provide jobs, a reasonable paycheck, and a propspering nation? Or would you continue to sacrifice to Mammon (Mt. 6:24), and ignore the various atrocities that is going on in the nation? When is Singapore going to answer for the thousands of babies we murder in the womb (and in test tubes), for example?

Purpose Driven meddling in politics...

OK, I'm fed up totally with Rick Warren and his purpose driven paradigm! In fact, I am totally sick of this heretic coming into the Church of Jesus Christ and misleading her, and for that, I am going to come out with a position paper on Rick Warren and the Purpose Driven paradigm soon which I hope many people and churches would endorse. Read this for starters on the issue which started it all (Rick Warren's 'state' visit to the terrorist nation Syria), this to see how Warren tried to whitewash his error, this to see the politics behind the issue, and here are Ingrid Schlueter's comments on the issue.

Oh, and regarding Warren's flaunt of his high-level links with the power brokers in society, and especially of his link with the anti-Christian organization called the Council of Foreign Relations (CFR), read this article here.

From these articles, we can see that Warren seems to be involved with the anti-Christian liberal leftist organization CFR which promotes a one-world government. Given his preference for inclusivism which I have documented before, it seems that Rick Warren will be involved in bringing about the one-world religion which precipitates the revealing of the Antichrist himself! Of course, the fact that he is meddling in politics is cause for concern, especially since last I heard, Rick Warren's title is not Secretory of State Rick Warren.

With this, I think there is sufficient evidence that Rick Warren qualifies for the title of 'heretic'!

Trivial thoughts...

After studying Japanese for one semester, I was trying out reading my Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible this afternoon (just to relax), which is the version most Japanese Evangelicals used. (I got my copy during my trip to Japan, which is a Gideon NT 'half-Bible'). Anyway, with my background in Chinese, I was able to make some partial sense of some of the verses, through I could neither read most of the words in the verses nor the tenses *yet*. Interesting though... Especially reading the book of Romans. Here's a look at Rom. 8:30 & 35.

神はあらかじめ定めた人々をさらに召し、召した人々をさらに義と認め、義と認めた人々にはさら栄光をお与えになりました。（ローマ８：３０）

私たちをキリストの愛から引き難すのはだれですか。患難ですか、苦しみですか、迫害ですか、飢えですか、裸ですか、危險ですか、剣ですか。（ローマ８：３５）

And here are the verses in English (ESV):

And those whom he predestined he also called, and those who he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified (Rom. 8:30)

Who shall seperate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? (Rom. 8:35)

I would very much like to go into the whole concept of the doctrine of election being a source of confort for the saints, but that will have to wait. For now, I would just like to compare the different language versions as an exercise.

Let's look at Rom. 8:30.

神はあらかじめ定めた人々をさらに召し、召した人々をさらに義と認め、義と認めた人々にはさら栄光をお与えになりました。（ローマ８：３０）

And those whom he predestined he also called, and those who he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified (Rom. 8:30)

The first character 神 (kami) refers to God. は is here saying that God at least is ... I can't make up the meaning of the following words. However, I do see the character 定 there, which is used as in 定食 (teishoku) or set meal, and thus the character means something like set. Adding the meaning of the character in Chinese gives the idea that something is already set and decided before, and thus could legitimately be inferred to be referring to the doctrine of predestination. In 人々, the first character refers to people and the second is sortof repeating the concept of the first word, thus it probably means all of the people, thus showing us that the act of what God has done which is stated in the later part of the verse applies to ALL which God has predestined (first part), probably showing the unbreakable 'golden chain' of redemption in Rom. 8:30 itself, especially since it is repeated many times throughout the verse. Next, we see the character 召, which in Chinese refers to a call which is active as in a call which draws and compels the listerner to obey. This probably refers to the calling of God which actively works in bringing people to Christ. It is also used in the same verse in the Chinese Bible (和合本） to refer to the calling of God of His elect unto salvation.

The characters 義と認め is next seen, which probably is the Japanese words meaning justified. This can also be seen in the character 義, which in Chinese means righteousness. In fact, the term justification in Chinese is 称义 (义 is 義 in simplified form) or to be counted righteous (imputed righteousness).

The last noun seen there is shown in the characters 栄光 which in Chinese means (literally) the 'light of glory'; i.e. glory, glorified. This thus fits in nicely with the meaning of the corresponding verb in English.

Last of all, we can see the verb form modifying all the nouns in the characters なりました (nari mashita). The 'mashita' form indicates a past tense, thus showing that all these actions happened in the past, so to speak. (It is considered as done already in Christ, thus the past tense) This of course is a strong proof for the action of predestination and election happening before the beginning of the world (contra Open theism for example) and since it is an unbreakable chain, it falsifies Remonstrant Arminianism which denies the eternal persevererance of the saints (i.e. Dan Corner of so-called 'Evangelical Outreach')

OK, let's move on to Rom. 8:35.

私たちをキリストの愛から引き難すのはだれですか。患難ですか、苦しみですか、迫害ですか、飢えですか、裸ですか、危險ですか、剣ですか。（ローマ８：３５）

Who shall seperate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? (Rom. 8:35)

The first three characters 私たち (watashi tachi) means we. を is a phrase particle here. キリスト (kirisuto) = Christ, の = (noun after) belonging to (noun before), 愛 (ai) = love, から (kara) = from; because. Thus, the first part of the sentence is literally translated something like "we, because of Christ's love for us". I don't know what 引き難 exactly means, but from Chinese, it seems to mean something like caused or lured (departing) (引) difficulty (難). だれ (da-re) = who?, used to demark a 'who' question, which is confirmed by the characters ですか. 患難 in its Chinese (simplied) form (患难） means having severe troubles or problems caused by something like a disaster, which does carries the idea of tribulation well. ですか shows that a question is being asked. From the other characters in this verse, from my knowledge of Chinese characters, I can sortof understand it. So, therefore, the verse translated literally from the Shinkaiyaku would read something like this, I think:

We, because of Christ's love for us, who (then) can create a difficult departure between (Christ's love and us)? Severe suffering? Hardship? Persecution? Hunger? Nakedness? Danger? Sword?

OK, I know my translation is bad, but anyway these are just trivial thoughts.

Article: The Emerging 'TULIP'...

Here is an interesting article regarding the Emerging Deception by Steve Camp, of which some people who are involved in it are trying to appear Reformed.

Announcements: Exams...

OK, I will be having my exams soon (last year already!), so I will be posting very little from now till the end of my exams in early December.

Quotable quote of the day

"... there is no such thing as dead orthodoxy. There is such a thing as hypocrisy, that is, individuals and churches professing to believe, but not believing, the truth. It is not the orthodoxy - the true doctrine - that should be impugned by calling it dead, but the hypocrites who do not believe it. It is they who are dead. Careless language such as this is not only confusing, it is demeaning and disrespectful to the truth." — John Robbins, in the Trinity Review in reply to certain critics here.

Sequel: Alternate theories on justification?

After posing the question regarding the alternate theories/ formulations on justification in my last post here, I would like to answer the question here. I was hoping that more people would chip in to attempt to answer, but oh well...(I mean.... saying that regeneration precedes faith doesn't quite answer the question)

Anyway, as I said in the comments section, both of the formulations are false. Here is the correct formulation:

Salvation = Justification → Sanctification
Justification = Faith → Works

(The arrow "→ " means "leads to")

Here are the two false formulations again:

Justification = Faith + Works
Faith = Justification + Works; & Salvation is by faith alone

The first formulation states that justification is by faith and continuation in a life of good works. This is actually Rome's view of Justification, as can be seen in the following statements from the Council of Trent:

ON JUSTIFICATION

CANON I.-If any one saith, that man may be justified before God by his own works, whether done through the teaching of human nature, or that of the law, without the grace of God through Jesus Christ; let him be anathema

CANON XII.-If any one saith, that justifying faith is nothing else but confidence in the divine mercy which remits sins for Christ's sake; or, that this confidence alone is that whereby we are justified; let him be anathema.

CANON XXIV.-If any one saith, that the justice received is not preserved and also increased before God through good works; but that the said works are merely the fruits and signs of Justification obtained, but not a cause of the increase thereof; let him be anathema.

(http://history.hanover.edu/texts/trent/ct06.html)

We can see from Canon I On Justification in the Sixth Session of the Council of Trent that the Roman Catholics do not believe in justification by works, contrary to what many ill-informed Protestants believe. Granted, practically speaking, many if not all Roman Catholics behave as though they believe in salvation by works, but this is not what Rome technically believes, and any informed Roman Catholic knows that. Rome believes in salvation through faith PLUS the continuation in a lifetime of good works, which can be seen in Canons XII and XXIV as quoted above.

The problem with Rome's view, besides the serious and obvious fact that it is unscriptural and thus anathemized by Scripture, is in its practical outworking. People ensnared by Rome's theology could not be certain of their salvation, since even though they initially 'believed in Christ', they are always in danger of losing their salvation if they stop doing good works and commit grave and serious sins (mortal sins). The person who is thus supposed to be saved thus has no peace and rest in Christ. More serously, unless he turn to Christ alone, he is in serious danger of damnation for believing in false doctrines and a false Christ.

The first alternate formulation is thus heretical since it denies the doctrine of salvation and justification by grace alone through faith alone, which the Bible teaches in Romans and especially in Eph. 2:8-9. With that, let us look at the second formulation.

The second formulation looks rather orthodox. It basically says that faith caused one to be justified before God and to have good works. Put together with the orthodox formulation of salvation by faith alone and we get the idea that salvation involves one being justified before God and doing good works. In fact, if I am not wrong, this phrase is accepted by quite a few 'Reformed' people. However, notwithstanding this fact, this phrase is in error, although its error is not easily discerned. Let us now look more closely at this phrase.

Before we look closely, we must always keep in mind that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone. Anything which undermines this great and glorious doctrine is heresy. Grace and salvation is free to all who will believe, and justification and salvation is by God's grace 100% from the beginning to the end.

Now, if faith = justification + works, then faith includes some measure of works; or rather a life of continuation in good works. If that were so, then someone who does not show a lifetime of good works do not have faith. So far, so good. But then, it becomes tricky. Does this formulation then thus mean that somehow works are meritorious in being part of faith? Can the Tridentine formula of saying that 'the justice received [justification] ... is ... increased before God through good works' be somehow subscribed to? After all, we are not saying that works are to be counted on to save us, but they could be part of the salvific process as the practical expression of faith?

Note that I use and bold the word expression in the last statement. It is this word which shows the problem with the whole formulation. With such a formulation, the whole idea of works-salvation is smuggled in and a step back to Rome is taken. With the usage of the word 'expression', works is not meritorious in securing salvation (thus seemingly orthodox), but IT IS shown to be meritorious in practically proving salvation. Thus, the assurance of salvation for a person would lie NOT in faith but in a life of continuation in good works. Thus, such a person would live in conscious fear of being shown that his/her faith is false IF he/she stops doing good works and thus is not saved. Practically speaking, such a life consistently lived with its professed doctrine would leave one in no better state than Roman Catholics. I would hope, however, that the people who believe in it cannot discern its deadly error and thus are inconsistent with regards to their doctrine.

Now, I definitely share the concern of people who wants to guard against the heresy of Antinomianism, otherwise known as 'cheap grace', 'anti-Lordship' position, or 'Zane Hodge-ism', which I hope what people who subscribe to or are symphathetic to the second formulation are concerned about. However, we should not guard against Antinomianism by smuggling in works-salvation through the back door! Let us gaurd against works-salvation in ANY and EVERY form by removing works from soteriological formulations altogether. Similarly, we should guard against Antinomianism by emphasizing the reality of regeneration (which precedes faith and justification), and the reality of the presence of good works which is the fruit of justification and NOT part of the justification process itself; it is part of sanctification (post-justification) which is always coupled to and occurs immediately after the process of justification. Thus, the formulation which I have used is definitely better, since the arrow sign "→" shows that the thing which is implied (right hand side) is caused by but is not meritorious nor contributes anything whatsoever to the thing which implies it (left hand side).

With all this said, let us continue to emphasize and re-emphasize the glorious doctrine of salvation and justification by faith alone as the alone meritorious agent (which is in turn caused by God's grace alone) which contributes to our being made right and righteous (justification) before our most holy God and thus saving us. Let us guard against neolegalism and all forms of work-righteousness on one hand, and Antinomianism on the other hand.

NOTE: Justification ≠ Salvation. However, the point of time at which a sinner is justified before God is the point of time at which the sinner is saved. Thus, being justified can be used in certain situations to mean the same thing as being saved, especially when discussing on the temporal relation of events.