This is Shane David preaching to the men of the Gordon Lindsay Tower at a Christ For the Nations men's sectional. Shane is a member of our church in south Dallas. He graduates in May of next year. Listen to this word.

What can Angels teach us about Election?

I found Wayne Grudem's treatment on angels in chapter 19 of his Systematic Theology spot on. He lays out his teaching into "what are angels", "when were angels created", "the place of angels in God's purpose", and "our relationship to angels." The most helpful to me was "The Place of Angels in God's purpose"--letter C.

Grudem writes at the top of page 403, "We see, therefore, that God created two groups of intelligent, moral creatures. Among the angels, many sinned, but God decided to redeem none of them. This was perfectly just for God to do, and no angel can ever complain that he has been treated unfairly by God." A "moral agent" or "moral creature," is any being that can choose between right and wrong. Both man and angels can choose to do good or evil.

The difference is only some angels sinned. The Bible says that all men have sinned. Angels apparently, are not a procreating being so the rebellion of one was not linked to a future lineage, as it is in the case of man. Seeing God's election in this light is helpful because it shows us that God's election of man is stronger than his election of angels. The election of angels is not equivalent to salvation, while the election of men is. A man's election is not visible like an elect angel's is. George Whitfield once said that if all the elect in London had a giant E on their stomach, he would go around London lifting up shirts and only preaching to the ones with Es. From this cognitive exercise, I conclude that it would not be far from the truth to say that angels must have something like giant Es on their stomachs. Forgive my musings.

Wayne Grudem is also commendable when he reminds us that Angels, being moral agents, and some rebellious, may promote false doctrine. Those angels who are against God and his people are apparently sometimes mistaken as loyal angels. In war, this is a tactic of confusion. An enemy that is able to infiltrate it's opponent can do a great deal of harm. Paul tells Timothy that fallen angels have doctrines that lead many away from sound teaching.

Grudem further teaches that we shouldn't worship, pray to, or seek out angels. When you read this section, a certain Todd Bentley youtube video ought to come to mind. 'nough said.

Grudem's Hymn for the chapter was "Angels From the Realms of Glory." It's a beautiful Christmas hymn. Like most Christmas hymns, I wish we'd sing them all year long. After all, the incarnation is still an important doctrine in February, July, and October.

Angels, from the realms of glory,

wing your flight o'er all the earth

Ye who sang creation's story,

now proclaim Messiah's birth:

Come and worship, come and worship,

worship Christ the newborn King.

Mark and Ed (back with the baptists)

I really like both of these Baptists. Sometimes you don't even realize Ed Stetzer (on the right) is a Baptist. He is. Stetzer is like the Reformed version of George Barna. Mark Dever (on the left) "sticks out like Joel Osteen at MacArthur's Shepherd's conference--but the other way around." Watch the second video on youtube also. When these guys start talking about the "regulative principle" they are referring to John Calvin's principle on worship. Calvin says our Bible regulates how we worship God. He then says, as I understand it, that as long as the Bible doesn't restrict a practice of worship, it is ok to incorporate it.

Dever paints "contextualization" very intelligently and I can agree with him completely. What is said about personalities in preaching is also interesting. Enjoy my friend(s).

Pedro The Lion

Growing up, David Bazan's Pedro the Lion was my favorite band.

Near my graduation from high school it was becoming clear that Bazan was parting

company with Christianity. At the time I was not discerning and I mostly

lost touch with the my affections for Pedro the Lion. I figured the music

was just Christian enough to warrant the label: Christian Indie Rock.

Sadly no.

"I'm very content where I am right now," Bazan says.

In his song, Hard To Be, Bazan sings about the Biblical doctrine of Sin Nature

and his family's disapproval.

"No congratulations from my faithful family

some of whom are already fasting to intercede from me."

Pray for David's mother.

Busy Knowing Nothing

The last two years have been transformative for me. God has brought to my attention many learned men who can teach a great deal about the power of Jesus's death. Men with broad vocabularies and too many degrees argue over the spiritual significance of the death of this Jewish man two thousand years ago, at the hands of Roman executioners.

The more study I did, the more I realized the importance of words. Throughout our history on planet earth, words have meant the life or death for so many. We examine criminals by the testimonies of two or three witnesses. We the people have rallied colonial farmers to oppose our sovereigns and formally declare war on them. Our clever words make lawful the destruction of millions of babies within their mothers' wombs. This is why I shake my head when the postmodern man says words and their meanings are too numerous to be helpful.

Among the our theologians once more, words have divided orthodoxy from heresy. Words have meant schism and excommunication for the church. Sadly, words have even brought war to the church.

My reaction to all this is not to stop using words. I don't even think we should soften our words so that nothing violent may come from them. Instead, we should be aware of the power--be sure of the exactness of our intent--be careful of the repercussions. My own mind is made up about the powerful significance of Jesus's death. I like words like "Substitution", "Sacrifice", "Justification", "Imputation", "Propitiation", "Wrath", "Depravity", "Justice", and their "Reformed" meaning. I do believe holding to orthodoxy is vital to our worship of God as a church. I am often confused when confronted by warring words. The contexts and various camps of understanding are sometimes camouflaged in "evangelical" jargon. I suppose you'd name me among the postmoderns at this point. In the past, I have thought that to understand the death of Jesus rightly, you must understand the war of words of the last two thousand years--a long and difficult exercise of the mind.

...But I have comforted today by the words of Paul.

"And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God."

I don't have to know the testimony of detractors. I just need to know what my God has done for me.