Thank you, Scott, for your thoughtful reflection. Of course God's will is not always done. Why else would our Lord teach us to pray, "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven"? To insist that the innumerable and unspeakable evil acts of mankind are God's will is to attribute to Him evil itself, which is a violation of the nature of God's essential and necessary goodness. Is God in control? No, but in the splendour of His holiness He reigns with sovereign wisdom, power, majesty and authority. In the words of Scripture itself, "I [the LORD] have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life that you and your children may live." Or, elsewhere, "In putting everything under Him, God left nothing that is not subject to Him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to Him." In matters like these, I often turn to that magnificent Psalm 131. As you conclude, Scott, it's complicated.
There are no easy answers to Schuurman’s article about the deeply disturbing increasing use of Article 17. However, a key to address the problem is to help pastors and office bearers conduct transparent, honest and grace-filled conversations about things that matter. Too often, we simply do not know how to do this in the church. As a result, irritants lead to tension which turn into conflict and become the elephant in the room no one wants to confront until it is to late. We need help in designing the kinds of conversations early on and routinely that will be transformative toward renewal.
Thank you, Neil. As always, well-considered thoughts. It occurs to me that what growing, vibrant churches have in common is - among other things - a focus on gospel-empowered life transformation in both their preaching and teaching. Not only do people look for help in coping with themselves and with life, and not only is a transforming communicty contagious, the gospel clearly has the power to change. This is what the church is uniquely charged with. For while it is true that the church ought to feed the poor, visit the sick and teach the illiterate, if the church fails in these, others can and will do it; but if the church no longer preaches the redeeming and transforming Christ, no one else will. Besides, transformed people will ensure that the hungry are fed, the sick visited and the illiterate taught.
Posted in: Conspiracies and Calvinism
Thank you, Scott, for your thoughtful reflection. Of course God's will is not always done. Why else would our Lord teach us to pray, "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven"? To insist that the innumerable and unspeakable evil acts of mankind are God's will is to attribute to Him evil itself, which is a violation of the nature of God's essential and necessary goodness. Is God in control? No, but in the splendour of His holiness He reigns with sovereign wisdom, power, majesty and authority. In the words of Scripture itself, "I [the LORD] have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life that you and your children may live." Or, elsewhere, "In putting everything under Him, God left nothing that is not subject to Him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to Him." In matters like these, I often turn to that magnificent Psalm 131. As you conclude, Scott, it's complicated.
Posted in: Fractured Flocks - A Good Reason to Consider Another Option
There are no easy answers to Schuurman’s article about the deeply disturbing increasing use of Article 17. However, a key to address the problem is to help pastors and office bearers conduct transparent, honest and grace-filled conversations about things that matter. Too often, we simply do not know how to do this in the church. As a result, irritants lead to tension which turn into conflict and become the elephant in the room no one wants to confront until it is to late. We need help in designing the kinds of conversations early on and routinely that will be transformative toward renewal.
Posted in: An Invitation to Transformation
Thank you, Neil. As always, well-considered thoughts. It occurs to me that what growing, vibrant churches have in common is - among other things - a focus on gospel-empowered life transformation in both their preaching and teaching. Not only do people look for help in coping with themselves and with life, and not only is a transforming communicty contagious, the gospel clearly has the power to change. This is what the church is uniquely charged with. For while it is true that the church ought to feed the poor, visit the sick and teach the illiterate, if the church fails in these, others can and will do it; but if the church no longer preaches the redeeming and transforming Christ, no one else will. Besides, transformed people will ensure that the hungry are fed, the sick visited and the illiterate taught.
With thanks to God,
Walt