PASTOR DAD: Scriptural Insights on Fatherhood – Mark Driscoll (2009)

Pastor Dad by Mark Driscoll is a short and straightforward book for dads.

Driscoll brings his typical no-nonsense approach to the Christian life and applies his witty and biblical approach to parenting.

This short but powerful book begins where every book on parenting ought to begin, with God.  Driscoll rightly says, “The first thing we must note is that before a man can be a good father, he has to be a good Christian … Our ultimate goal must be that our children would grow to love and worship our God … I must worship the one true God as my Father, by repenting of my sin and coming to him by faith for grace to love him, as an example and pattern for my sons and, God willing, grandsons.”

Driscoll stresses a biblical approach to discipline.  The father must “discipline his children as needed to keep them on a path of wisdom and righteousness.”  He encourages dads to live exemplary lives before their children.  “Fathers are to lovingly lead their children toward heartfelt repentance of sin.”

Pastor Dad focuses in on the father’s duty to disciple his children.  It is the duty of every father to cultivate Christ-centered qualities and maturity in his children.  The father bears the primary responsibility for the spiritual growth of his family.

Driscoll rightly discusses the biblical roles of mom and dad: “There is no way anyone could read the Bible and wind up with the silly notion that both the husband and the wife are to be providers and that daycares or relatives are supposed to raise the children of a Christian couple.”  He willingly enters a contentious arena in a culture that is diametrically opposed to the biblical blueprint for family life.

I heartily recommend Pastor Dad.  Driscoll’s work is practical, thought-provoking, and challenging.  However, the most important feature of Driscoll’s book is its commitment to biblical principles.  Don’t expect an exhaustive approach to parenting.  Driscoll doesn’t pretend to provide all the answers.  But this is a good start.

Read this ebook which available for free at http://www.relit.org and pass it along to another dad.

WORLDLINESS: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World – C.J. Mahaney, Ed. (2008)

Scripture warns, “Do not love the world or the things of the world” (1 John 2:15, ESV).  This same warning is found throughout C.J. Mahaney’s, Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World.

Mahaney is quick to point out, “Today, the greatest challenge facing American evangelicals is not persecution from the world, but seduction by the world.”

Worldliness is a timely book.  It is an important book to read for parents, pastors, and children alike.  Perhaps a few quotes will lure a potential reader in:

“Worldliness, then, is a love for this fallen world.  It’s loving the values and pursuits of the world that stand opposed to God … It is to gratify and exalt oneself to the exclusion of God.” – C.J. Mahaney (p. 27)

“The drift toward worldliness is subtle, gradual, and internal.  And if we assume we’re immune to it, that’s a sure sign the drift has begun.” – Craig Cabaniss (p. 42)

“There can be many explanations for our diminished zeal for God.  Sometimes the most obvious reason is that we’re feasting regularly at the world’s table of delights”  – Bob Kauflin (p. 84)

“The sin of covetousness is not that we have stuff; it’s that our stuff has us … As we, by grace, delight in God and guard our hearts against covetousness, we’ll see the chains loosen, and a freedom from the tyranny of stuff will grow in our lives.”  – Dave Harvey (p. 114)

Worldliness offers a bold challenge without being legalistic.  It is a clear call to God-centered living that revolves around the cross of Christ and his gospel.

4 stars

NO CREED BUT CHRIST

One of the most genuine and repeated phrases I hear again and again is “No creed but Christ.”  It sounds slick.  It sounds trendy.  It even sounds biblical and evangelical.  However, I believe it is time to rethink this so-called Christian mantra.

Initially, the slogan seems innocent enough.  It appears to give Christ his proper place in the church.  And it seems to rightly place Christ in the center of the Christian life.  But is it possible that this slogan is at its root the very antithesis of all that is Christian and all that honors Christ?

Consider some of the serious implications of the slogan, “No creed but Christ.”  First, imagine where the church would be if Athanasius adopted this mantra.  Clearly, Athanasius wouldn’t have quibbled over one iota.  And Arianism would have assaulted the church with its godless Christology.

Second, one wonders which “Christ” the slogan appeals to.  Is this “creedless Christ” the figure portrayed in Islam, who is regarded as a mere prophet but stripped of his deity and majesty?  Or is he the Christ of Arianism, a mere created being whose blood is unable to forgive sinners?  Is he the Jesus of modern-day liberalism; you know the “cool Jesus” who tolerates sin and changes his mind about hell and eternal punishment?

If the thought of comparing this “creedless Christ” to a hodge-podge of world religions sparks concern, consider the essence of the phrase.  It could actually mean just about anything.  The term, “creed” comes from the Latin, meaning “I believe.”  Therefore, this “creedless Christ” could mean anything one wants to believe!

Third, if “No creed but Christ” is truly valid, then this notion renders the imperative to catechize believers utterly meaningless.  Scripture stands opposed to such a view:

“Build yourselves up in your most holy faith” (Jude 20, ESV).

“[Get] rooted and built up in him [Christ] and established in the faith (Col. 2:7).

“Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching.  Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Tim. 4:16).

“But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine” (Tit. 2:1).

“Apollos was instructed (catechized) in the ways of the Lord” (Acts 18:25).

Additionally, the great gladiators of the Christian faith agree that catechising is an essential element of the Christian faith.  John Bunyan wrote, “But the composition of a catechism was found to require the clearest conception of truth, and the fullest command  of simple, expressive phraseology.”  C.H. Spurgeon added, “I am persuaded that the use of a good Catechism in all our families will be a great safeguard against the increasing errors of the times.”  And J.I. Packer has wisely stated, “The greatest challenge for the twenty-first century church is to re-catechize and disciple believers.”

Next, the slogan “No creed but Christ” is self-refuting.  The statement uttered is in fact a creed, dare I say, a proposition.  Yet, this creed bemoans propositions, reacts to doctrinal statements, and discounts theological systems.  In the final analysis, the dogmatic slogan, “No creed but Christ” becomes a sort of theological system!

At best, the slogan, “No creed but Christ” is naive and has been embraced by well-intentioned Christians who have failed to think through the implications.  And the fertile soil of naivety, though well-intentioned, may easily grow into grievous theological error and produce thorns and thistles in the Christian life.

At worst, the slogan is arrogant.  To discount the foundational creeds of historic Christianity is always a step in the wrong direction.  Indeed, to cast aside the historic creeds is to do violence to the nature of faith itself.  Consider the following creedal statements that describe fundamental Christological components:

“… Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made” (The Nicene Creed, 325 A.D.)

” … Our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man, of a reasonable soul and body …” (The Chalcedonian Creed, 451 A.D.)

“The Father uncreated: the Son uncreated: and the Holy Spirit uncreated” (The Athanasian Creed, 4th-5th centuries A.D.)

The subtle trend in the church is to move away from doctrine.  We see this at every juncture, especially in churches where postmodernity has taken root.  Spurgeon stated emphatically, “Those who do away with doctrine … are the worst enemies of Christian living.”  A creedless Christ is in fact a creedless Christianity which is something akin to a toothless tiger whose motives may be noble, but will, in the final analysis be ravaged by his enemies.

The next time you hear a well-intentioned person promote a “No creed but Christ” worldview, remember that godly people gave their lives to hammer out the creeds and confessions to protect the church from theological wolves.  The creeds were carefully and prayerfully fashioned so we might know and worship Christ rightly.  This Christ is the uncreated One who himself created all things (Col. 1:16).  He was born of the virgin Mary (Luke 1:26-35), the Savior who was tempted as we are, yet without sin (Heb. 4:15; 1 Pet. 2:21-24).  This Christ perfectly obeyed the law of God, died on the cross for sinners, and rose on the third day for our justification (1 Cor. 15:3-5; Rom. 4:25; Acts 2:22-24).  This Christ is fully God and fully man and stood in the place of everyone who would ever believe (Gal. 3:13; Isa. 53:4-6), bearing their sins (2 Cor. 5:21), satisfying the wrath of God (Rom. 3:23-26), redeeming them from hell (Col. 1:13-14), and reconciling them to a God (Rom. 5:10).  And this Christ is worthy of our undivided allegiance, devotion, and worship!

JONATHAN EDWARDS: LOVER OF GOD – Owen Strachan and Doug Sweeney (2010)

Jonathan Edwards: Lover of God is the first installment in a series of five by Owen Strachan and Doug Sweeney.  The Essential Edwards Collection includes additional works on beauty, heaven and hell, the good life, and true Christianity.

If you have never met Jonathan Edwards before or if you are familiar with the name but have resisted the opportunity to meet him, this collection provides the perfect rendezvous point.

Volume one is a terrific summary of Edwards’ life as a pastor, theologian, philosopher, missionary, husband, father, and university president.  Strachan and Sweeney skillfully weave brief Edwardsean citations throughout and include thought-provoking commentary.

Jonathan Edwards: Lover of God is filled with strengths and will receive wide readership.  Each chapter concludes with an application that challenges readers to inculcate Edwardsean principles into daily living.  And despite the constant emphasis on Edwards’ skill as a pastor and theologian, this work is quick to point out that Edwards was first and foremost a Christ-follower:  “He was a Christian – not a super-Christian, not a man who walked an inch off of the ground, but a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ who fought the same fight we do and loved the same God we love.”

4.5 stars

HERESY: A History of Defending the Truth – Alistair McGrath (2009)

Heresy: A History of Defending the Truth, by Alister McGrath is a detailed overview of the progression of heresy in the church.  Part one defines heresy and provides a helpful summary of the origins of the idea of heresy.  “The essential feature of heresy is that it is not unbelief (rejection of the core beliefs of a worldview such as Christianity) in the strict sense of the term, but a form of that faith that is held ultimately to be subversive or destructive, and thus indirectly leads to such unbelief.”

Part two examines the roots of heresy.  McGrath provides a fascinating historical survey of the development of heresy and its early development in church history.

Part three summarizes the classical heresies of Christianity including Ebionitism, Docetism, Valentinism, Arianism, Donatism, and Pelagianism.  McGrath does an especially noteworthy job on his treatment of the arch-heretic, Pelagius.  However, I would commend R.C. Sproul’s, Willing to Believe to any readers interested in a deeper look at the Pelagian heresy.

McGrath rightly points out the pervasiveness of Pelagianism “on Western culture, even if its name means little to most.  It articulates one of the most natural of human thoughts – that we are capable of taking control of ourselves and transforming ourselves into what we would have ourselves be.”  Indeed, the tentacles of Pelagianism are not only choking the world, this diabolical worldview has found entry into the American church.

Finally, part four focuses on the impact of heresy.  The author urges the reader to recognize that “the pursuit of orthodoxy is essentially the quest for Christian authenticity” and to recognize the tendency that heresies have in “repeating themselves.”

McGrath’s book is a noteworthy summary of the history of heresy.  However, if one is a newcomer to this subject, I recommend starting with John Hannah’s, Our Legacy: A History of Christian Doctrine.  Additionally, Harold O.J. Brown’s work, Heresies will provide readers with a detailed look at the heresies that have consistently plagued the church.  Each work is a clear reminder of the danger of heretical ideas creeping into the fabric of the church.

3.5 stars

THE GOSPEL AND THE CROSS

“Justification is first and foremost about the vindication of God.  God simultaneously preserves his justice while justifying the ungodly.  That is the heart of the gospel … Do you want to see the greatest evidence of the love of God?  Go to the cross.  Do you want to see the greatest evidence of the justice of God?  Go to the cross.  It is where wrath and mercy meet.  Holiness and peace kiss each other.  The climax of redemptive history is the cross.”

– D.A. Carson, Scandalous (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 67, 70)

What We Talk About When We Talk About God – Rob Bell (2013)

0062049666_lI am a disturbed man.  I am disturbed because people compromise the truth.  I am disturbed because people marginalize the truth and swerve away from biblical reality.  I am disturbed because a great communicator with a bright mind and a love for people continues down a rocky path.  On Tuesday, March 12, Rob Bell unveiled his newest book, What We Talk About When We Talk About God.  I am disturbed because one group of people uncritically accepts anything that comes off the end of Bell’s pen.  On the other hand, I am disturbed by Christians who refuse to debate civilly with the likes of Bell.   Instead, they cast stones and call names.  They protest outside at his speaking events and drop nasty one liners on Facebook.   Surely, there must be a better way!

In Bell’s previous offering,  Love Wins,  several fundamental doctrines were undermined, most notably the doctrine of hell.  Bell argued then, “If we want hell, if we want heaven, they are ours.  That’s how love works.  It can’t be forced, manipulated, or coerced.  It always leaves room for the other to decide.  God says yes, we can have what we want, because love wins.”  The author continues, “Restoration brings God glory; eternal torment doesn’t.  Reconciliation brings God glory; endless anguish doesn’t.  Renewal and return cause God’s greatness to shine through the universe; never-ending punishment doesn’t.”

The author continues the dialogue (according to emergent standards)  in What We Talk About When We Talk About God.  The writing is witty and inquisitive.  Bell has mastered the art of asking questions and has adjusted his eyes and tuned his ears in order to understand postmodern culture.

One of Bell’s central claims in the book is this: “We have a problem with God.”  He argues that many people are rethinking the nature of God.  Personally, I think that Bell is on to something here.  He is keenly aware of a shift that appears to be taking place in the minds of some people that concerns the nature of God.  Consider some of the ways that the nature of God has been recast in recent years, especially with the rise of open theism, inclusivism, and universalism.   Bell is not only aware of this “mind-shift” that has to do with the nature of God; he embraces it himself.  He compares God to the classic Oldsmobile.  This old car served many people in its day but has since been proven irrelevant.  Bell ponders what he calls the “tribal God” – “…  the one who’s always right (which means everybody else is wrong) – is increasingly perceived to be small, narrow, irrelevant, mean, and sometimes just not that intelligent.”  Bell quips, “Is God going to be left behind? Like Oldsmobiles?”

What We Talk About When We Talk About God essentially argues that the old view of God (the Oldsmobile view) is outdated and needs to be updated.  The argument revolves around three words: “With, For, and Ahead.”  Essentially, Bell argues that God is with us, for us, and ahead of us –  all of us.

With: God is with us.  He is the “energy, the glue, the force, the life, the power, and the source of all we know to be the depth, fullness, and vitality of life from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows and everything in between.”

For: God is for us.  “I believe God is for every single one of us, regardless of our beliefs or perspectives or actions or failures or mistakes or sins or opinions about whether God exists or not.”

Ahead: God is ahead of us.  “It’s as if human history were progressing along a trajectory, an arc, a continuum; and sacred history is the capturing and recording of those moments when people became aware that they were being called and drawn and pulled forward by the divine force and power and energy that gives life to everything.”

These affirmations are all very interesting and will likely receive much positive feedback.  But do they stand up to the scrutiny of Scripture?  I offer four specific critiques that go to the core of the book.

1. Being Certain About Certitude

Bell stands shoulder to shoulder with postmodern thinkers who mock the possibility of certitude.  Anyone who has studied the Enlightenment (Christian and non-Christian alike) will admit a posture of arrogance during these days.  But certitude does not necessarily entail an arrogant attitude.  Indeed, even Bell is pleading for a particular kind of knowledge that is wedded with humility.   Orthodoxy should include bold propositions and large doses of humility.

What is troubling about Bell’s discomfort with certitude is that certitude appears throughout the book.  His certitude about the world, the laws of physics, and the nature of God conflicts with the argument against certitude!

2. A Failure to Distinguish Between Law and Gospel

I am increasingly aware of and concerned with Christian thinkers who fail to distinguish between law and gospel.  What is concerning about this particular work is that neither emerge clearly.  When the author argues that “God is for every single one of us” law is essentially extinguished.  Additionally, the gospel appears to be inclusive; it is a gospel that appears to cut across all kinds of theological traditions, including traditions that fall outside the pale of orthodoxy.

3. A Failure to Distinguish Between the Creator and the Creature    

The notion that God is “with us,” “for us,” and “ahead of us leads readers away from the importance of the Creator-creature distinction.  The apostle Paul made this distinction plain in his message to the philosophers in Athens: “The God who made the world and everything in it, being the Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything” (Acts 17:24-25, ESV).

Acts 17:22-31 reveals a Creator God who is the cosmos shaper, the kingdom shaker who lives above creation.  He is the all-sufficient Ruler, Life Giver, and Destiny Maker.  And he is the righteous Judge who “commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed …” (Acts 17:30-31, ESV).

And Scripture speaks of the creature who was created by God (Gen. 2:7).  The creatures (Adam and Eve) were originally free from sin but fell and as a result became sinners by nature and by choice (Gen. 3:1-7).  As such, these sinful creatures have no inherent righteousness, no desire for God (Rom. 3:10-11).  Subsequently, all creatures are born with a hatred in their hearts for God (Rom. 8:7-8).  They are dead in sin (Eph. 2:1-3), and they are enslaved in sin; totally unable to come to Christ apart from God’s empowerment (John 6:44).  These creatures are dependent upon God for everything.  These creatures, while given the ability to make free choices, are determined (Acts 17:26; Prov. 19:21; 21:1).  And these creatures are accountable to a righteous and sovereign Judge (Rom. 2:5-11).

4. A Failure to Reveal the Whole Truth About God

The notion that God is “with us,” “for us,” and “ahead of us (every single one of us) may sound good initially but falls short of the biblical model.  It is true that God is with his people.  We see this especially in the incarnation of Jesus, the One who is named Immanuel – or God with us (Matt. 1:23).  Yet God is not “with” the man who  has rejected the revelation of God in Christ.  “… Whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36).

It is true that God is “for us” – that is to say, he is for his people.  “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38–39, ESV).  Yet God is not “for” the man who has rejected the promises and purposes of God.  He resists the proud (Jas. 4:6; 1 Pet. 5:5).

And it is true that God is “ahead of us” – he works on behalf of his people (Isa. 64:4).  Indeed, he works all things for good – but not for all.  The promise in Romans 8:28 is this: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, ESV).  And Scripture is clear on this point: God does not give sovereign grace to all people.  “For many are called, but few are chosen”” (Matthew 22:14, ESV).  The one who resists God’s authority; the one who refuses to take refuge in God will endure the wrath of almighty God (Ps. 2:12; Deut. 32:35; Rom. 1:18-24).

The model presented in What We Talk About When We Talk About God  appears to have something in common with panentheism which says that the world is “in” God.  So in the final analysis, the book appears to make much of God’s immanence and make light of his transcendence.

A.W. Tozer rightly said, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”    Tozer continues, “Among the sins to which the human heart is prone, hardly any other is more hateful to God than idolatry, for idolatry is at bottom a libel on His character.  The idolatrous heart assumes that God is other than He is – in itself a monstrous sin – and substitutes for the true God one made after its own likeness.”  Therefore, we must beware of our propensity to fashion a god that suits our particular needs.  We must always subject our vision of God to the Scriptures and allow God’s Word to have the final say.

My plea to fellow evangelicals who disagree with Bell is to engage with biblically-minded sensibility. Name calling and ad hominem attacks must stop. May our debates with those whom we disagree be filled with kindness, humility, meekness, and patience (Col. 3:12). And when we talk about God, may our speech reflect the biblical vision of God that emerges in Scripture. May we bow before his transcendent majesty. May his holiness stop us dead in our tracks. May we find comfort in his immanence – for he finds great delight in working for his people. May we marvel at and worship this great God who tends his flock like a shepherd and gathers the lambs in his arms (Isa. 40:11).

Soli Deo Gloria!

 

 

THE GOSPEL FOR MUSLIMS – Thabiti Anyabwile (2010)

musThe Gospel for Muslims is another winner by Pastor Thabiti Anyabwile.  This short but powerful work shatters the assumption that Muslims are impossible to reach for Christ.  A former Muslim himself,  Anyabwile demonstrates that loving and faithful proclamation have and will continue to reap benefits among our Muslim friends.  For the gospel “is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

Pastor Thabiti employs the same strategy for unpacking that gospel that emerges in Greg Gilbert’s excellent book, What is the Gospel? Four components summarize this God-centered approach to evangelism, namely, proclamation concerning God, the sinfulness of man, the person and work of Christ as well as the responsibility for sinners to believe.  Each section contrasts Muslim dogma with the truth of Scripture.

This little book is loaded with practical help in sharing the gospel with Muslim people.  Anyone who has contact with Muslim people should read Anyabwile’s book.  And everyone should practice the principles set forth so Muslims everywhere might know the hope and forgiveness found in Christ alone!

4.5 stars

THE FIVE DISFUNCTIONS OF A TEAM – Patrick Lencioni (2002)

It has been rightly said that there is no “I” in team.  Patrick Lencioni reminds leaders that teamwork is indispensible to successful organizations.  The Five Dysfunctions of a Team provides readers with a practical model for building an effective team.

Much of the book is a fictional account of a newly appointed CEO and chronicles her struggle to build a cohesive team

The model summarizes the five dysfunctions of a team, including absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results.  Lencioni remarks, “… Teamwork deteriorates if even a single  dysfunction is allowed to flourish.”

Effective teams seek to reverse the dysfunctions which results in mutual trust, engaging in unity around ideas, making commitments to decisions and action plans, accountability, and focusing on achieving results.

The most useful section of this work focuses on each of the five dysfunctions and provides helpful solutions for overcoming these paralyzing tendencies.