George Carlin, the Law of God, and the Gospel of Christ

In my pre-Christian days, in what could be termed my 'hippie phase,' I enjoyed studying religion, philosophy, and the 'big questions' of life. I remember once during this time, I had been watching one of George Carlin's HBO gigs in which he went on one of his typical social critiques in the realm of religion. Most of what he had to say was aimed at the pope and the Roman Catholic Church, but in many non-Christian's eyes, those people and institutions are a good representation of religion and Christianity in particular. After comically ranting for a bit, he moved immediately into criticizing the Christian Theistic perspective in its entirety by saying something along these lines:

There's an all-powerful God, whose all-knowing, and all-wise and he has 10 things he DOES NOT want you to do, and if you do them, then he will condemn you to an eternity of suffering and torment in a place called hell... (raising his eyebrows while putting on a cheesy smile) ... but he LOVES you!


The crowd erupted in laughter and so did I, as I further hardened by heart to the Gospel in favor of the 'new age' spirituality which I was pursuing, until the Holy Spirit regenerated me and drew me to Gospel years later. As much as I get frustrated by the sophomoric arguments of George Carlin and those who have labeled themselves as the 'New Atheist' (still trying to figure out what's new), the reception to such arguments by members of our society are quite revealing as to how the public perceives the Christian faith. Honestly, if that is what the substance of the Christian faith was via creedal formula, then indeed it would seem quite arbitrary and nonsensical. As a Calvinist reflecting upon such matters, it becomes quite clear that centuries of faulty preaching have taken their tole. Whether it be Arminians preaching about how God loves everybody equally, or theological liberalism's concept of the 'universal fatherhood of God' in which He is merely a grandfather figure wearing a Cosby sweater up above, many of the errors and heresies propagated in church can be observed in people’s misapprehension and confusion about the Christian faith. If 'the man upstairs' just wants us to be nice and somehow 'needs us' because 'he needs something to love' and cannot in anyway be said to have a holy hatred for sinners but just despises their sins, then how can any kind of judgment make sense? The applause given to the flimsy arguments of angry atheists also sheds light on the church’s failure to properly expound upon the Law of God, making it easy for the idea that the 10 commandments are some sort of arbitrary legislation instituted by God for no good reason to be commonly accepted. This means that if we are going to take the task of evangelism in our post-Christian society seriously, we are going to have to communicate clearly concerning the Law of God in order that, Lord willing, people may be awakened to a sense of sin.

An issue which we need to recognize when we are sharing our faith, is that the world does not think about God the way we do. It is easy when you are surrounded by Christians all day, go to a Christian school and listen to Christian music, to forget that a fundamental truth which makes the Gospel 'click' is not a category of thought in most people's minds. That is, the fact that God is a holy God and can in no way clear the guilty (Ex. 34:7). This is not merely some abstract or esoteric truth, but is something very concrete and fundamental to human experience. In fact, this is so fundamental and terrifying to the human soul that, according to the Apostle Paul, the whole human race is in denial while also suppressing this truth. He writes:

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse." (Rom. 1:18-20)

Paul proceeds by elaborating on how man in this condition engages in idolatry in order to create a god that suites his own 'felt needs.' This behavior of sin and shameful suppression can be seen in the Genesis account, when Adam hid from God's theophanic presence. From Scripture then, we are aware that man in his fallen state knows God and the moral law. As Paul writes in Romans 2, even the Gentiles show through the activity of their conscience that the natural law is written on their hearts (Rom. 2:14,15). Which brings us back to those "10 things God DOES NOT want you to do." The Decalogue is God's written revelation of the natural law and has its foundation in the holiness of God. Francis Turretin defines it as being "founded in the perfectly just and holy nature of God" (Institutes Vol. 2, pg.2). As the creature's Creator and the source of all life and existence, the first four commandments illustrate man's duty towards God. The last six illustrate man's duty towards man on account of him being in God's image. For example, since God alone is the author of life, only He has the right to take a man's life, therefore, unlawful killing is man's rebellious attempt to become a god himself (Gen. 3:5). Because the institution of marriage is ordained by God and He draws men and women together (Mt. 19:6), it is necessary that we guard our neighbor's chastity in order that their sexual nature (and ours) be guarded for the ends that God has created them. The relationship of worship and the way we treat our neighbor is so intertwined that the Apostle Paul goes so far as to define covetousness as idolatry (Col. 3:5). How many times have we hurt others, or been injured ourselves by a friend who worshipped money, fame, or recognition and used the friendship as simply a means to attain that end? Far from being some arbitrary list that 'God came up with,' the 10 commandments are what God has given to define what morality and love truly are. This is why Jesus sums up the 10 commandments as “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself" (Lk. 10:27). The 10 commandments then are a tool to awaken men from their hardness of heart and denial, to recognize that they have sinned against both God and their own nature by violating the natural law written on their own hearts. Francis Turretin affirmed this relationship between the natural law (written on the heart) and the moral law (written in the Decalogue):

The same duties (both toward God and toward our neighbor) prescribed by the moral law are also contained in the natural law. The difference is with regard to the mode of delivery. In the moral law, these duties are clearly, distinctly and fully declared; while in the natural law they are obscurely and imperfectly declared both because many intimations have been lost and obliterated by sin and because it has been variously corrupted by the vanity and wickedness of men (Institutes Vol. 2, pgs. 6-7)

Probably the best example of how to present the Law in relation to the Gospel in evangelism that I have seen are the methods of The Way of the Master. In fact, the Way of the Master is what the Lord used to convert me. A good overview of how they present the Law to unbelievers can be found at http://www.areyouagoodperson.org/ . The more I engage in evangelism the less I like “fixed” methods, as they often become a crutch to lean on, that leads to not really connecting with people and a loss of credibility. What I like about the Way of the Master is that it is focused upon placing the Law before someone and letting their own conscience accuse them. I hope in a future blog post to elaborate on the many ways in which that can be done rather than always saying some like: “Have you ever told a lie before? What does that make you?” The point is that we cannot share the good news without talking about sin and condemnation, which is the bad news the Gospel remedies. To drive that home I would like present a few texts that illustrate my point:

Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. (Rom. 3:19,20 ESV)

The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul. (Ps. 19:7a NKJV)

Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. (1 John 3:4 ESV)

So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. (Gal. 3:24 ESV)

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. (Gal. 3:4,5 ESV)

The fact that Jesus Christ is the second Adam, who obeyed the Law perfectly, resisted the temptations of the devil, and took upon the penalty that we deserve for being lawless makes sense in light of the Law and sin. Remember, people’s main issue is a moral problem not an intellectual one, the latter follows from the former. That is why apart from regeneration, even our best, most reasonable presentation of the Law to the likes of people such as Dawkins, Hitchens, or Carlin will be ignored or twisted in order to make God seem unreasonable or even evil. As even the Psalmist writes, "with the purified you show yourself pure; and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous" (Ps. 18:26 ESV). When we go around and just tell people “Jesus loves you,” or make other issues in the economy of redemption more important than sin, we are not ‘being nice’ to people, as we are helping them deflect from the issues at hand and adding fuel to the fire. We also are not honoring God or being faithful to the Gospel. Furthermore, by making Him seem trite and man centered while adapting the Gospel to magnify the aims of secularism's goal to merely improve the temporal realm, in the terminology of William Ockham, we are making God appear unnecessary. To that I will respond in similar words to a famous pastor from Grandville, MI, “soft-peddling, ‘love wins,’ nice-guy… I just don’t think it’s working…”

10 Lessons Learned

It has been probably around 3 years since I had last gone out into the streets and public places in order to engage in evangelism. A lot has changed since I last actively pursued participating in the Great Commission. Before I was a Dispensational Baptist who was slowly becoming a 5 point Calvinist, now I am a full-fledged Presbyterian. Previously Bush was in office and almost every left winger that I spoke to about the Gospel was not only naturally antagonistic, but also thought I was trying to get them to be baptized by Sean Hannity into Bushianity. But now politics and what is deemed by secularists as “Evangelicalism” (Whatever that means) are not as tightly bound in our society’s political consciousness. Most importantly, 3 years ago I lived in what has been deemed the most liberal metropolis in America[1], now I live in what many have called a Calvinist ghetto. In the few experiences I have had since I began evangelizing again I have learned a few things. Some of it includes new realizations, but most of it are lessons I had learned before which have ‘come back’ to me since I started engaging in evangelism again.

1. As Piper and many other Pastors have emphasized, preach the Gospel to yourself daily. Your evangelistic appeals will become more natural and believable as the Evangel itself becomes the heartbeat of your life. You are a sinner and need the Gospel too, even in the midst of any attempt at sharing it with others. You are a sinner who has received grace going out to share with others what has been given to you.

2. Do not be afraid to simply pass out tracts. I know to many people they seem chintzy and often get a bad rap, especially in our theologically-centered reformed environment. However, good gospel tracts can go a long way in planting many seeds without one’s personality getting in the way.

3. Our primary aim in passing out tracts is to use them as “icebreakers,” or a means to facilitate a conversation with a stranger which otherwise would be difficult initiate. Learn to become comfortable interacting with and greeting strangers with a winsome attitude so that you can come across as approachable.

4. DO NOT try and force people into conversations. Many people are on a limited time schedule, or just simply do not wish to talk to strangers. It will be better off if they read your tract later when they have time, rather then be turned off by feeling hassled or forced into an awkward conversation.

5. Do not rely heavily upon certain methods of presenting the Gospel, while keeping in mind that certain truths need to be communicated in order for the encounter to be considered Biblical Evangelism. If we are too focused on methods we often do not truly connect with people as individuals, and subsequently loose credibility with them and they stop listening.

6. In order to understand the context of the individuals that you do converse with, use questions to help facilitate a healthy/natural conversation. Listen attentively and be genuine, people LOVE to talk about themselves.

7. In street evangelism most people will initiate a conversation with you by asking about the tract which you are handing to them. This makes it quite easy to bring up the Gospel, by simply answering honestly to them that it is a Gospel tract and asking them if they have ever had it explained to them and/or if they believe it.

8. In door to door evangelism you are initiating a conversation with them 100% of the time if they actually answer the door. Therefore, you must be prepared to introduce yourself and your partner and establish credibility by stating the church or organization that you are representing. From there you can ask them a question such as, “do you currently attend church?” or “have you ever had the Gospel explained to you?”

9. Just because someone says they are a Christian, it does not necessarily mean that they are. You also do not want to play the role of the elders of the Church and try to determine on the spot whether they have a credible confession or not. If you prod around on issues such as their church attendance, zeal for the Gospel, and knowledge of the Gospel you can usually tell whether or not you are dealing with a well grounded believer. Every individual is different, so be aware that if a professing Christian does show you evidence which concerns you, it may be due to a failure in shepherding or hurt from being sinned against. It does not necessarily mean they are unregenerate.

10. If your witnessing encounters, especially the first few, do not go as you had hoped, avoid dwelling on it or beating yourself up. Remember, we are just instruments planting seeds and that it is God who provides the increase (1 Cor. 3:6,7). God will use us in our weakness as long as the content of our message is Biblical; because His word will not return to Him void (Is. 55:11). Satan will be seeking to dissuade you from the task of evangelism; do not give him a foothold!

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[1] http://govpro.com/content/gov_imp_31439/

What "Two Ways to Live" Accomplishes

My previous post was an encouragement to check out the "Two Ways to Live" Gospel presentation put out by Mathias Media. This post lays out what may be realistically achieved by employing this presentation with unbelievers:

1. It clearly brings all people under the scope of God's grand plan of redemption. The Apostle Paul roughly employed the same method as he addressed biblically illiterate Gentiles in Acts 17:16-34. (Note: His method was very different when he spoke to biblically literate Jews.)

2. It views sin through the lens of idolatry, as opposed to the "sin as transgression model." Viewing sin as idolatry may be more understandable to unbelievers, so long as idolatry (Christian jargon) is communicated simply and effectively. Since all people are fundamentally worshippers (more Christian jargon), more points of contact with unbelievers may be opened up in regular conversation.

3. There is a much needed emphasis on present-grace, along with past grace and future grace. The emphasis on present grace more clearly addresses the present circumstances of people, with the result that people will immediately sense the relevancy of the Gospel in their hearts and lives. There is no possibility that our evangelistic efforts will be confused as a call for a one-time "decision" made for Christ or as mere "fire insurance." Rather, people will be called to submission to the Lordship of Christ and a life of continual faith and repentance.

4. People are provided with biblical categories so they can quickly begin to think more biblically.

Presenting the Gospel

Many have drawn attention to the biblical illiteracy of the unchurched, especially those under the age of 30. These are people said to be without the biblical categories to understand the full Gospel, and among the hardest ideas to get across is the idea of sin. But if any presentation of the Gospel is to make sense, people must be very clear on the fact that they have offended God and their rebellion is absolutely disastrous for them and others. After all, no one will agree with a solution unless they agree about the problem.

This blog has a side link to the most helpful Gospel presentation that I have ever seen. The so called "Two Ways to Live" Gospel presentation is both logical and connects people to the history of redemption, providing the necessary categories to help them understand the fullness of the Good News. The presentation also begins with who God is. Let me take readers through the basic flow of thought in what is arguably the best Gospel presentation for today.

1. Who is God? God is our loving Creator and the Ruler of the whole world. God has made the world good, and He alone is able to define RIGHT and WRONG. God lays absolute claim on all of our lives as our Maker.

2. Who are we? From one man, God has made all people. God made us to be like Him. We were made to rule this world under God's loving authority, and we are always absolutely dependent on God for everything.

3. What went wrong? We rebelled against God and continue in our active rebellion against Him. We sought to live our lives apart from God and willfully rejected His loving authority. God let us have our way, and this rebellion has led to all the self-destructive patterns that we witness in our lives. Our way is doomed to failure and only promises to make a mess of our own lives and the lives of others. What is even worse is that our turning away from God has rightfully placed us under the judgment of God, which is the worst misery imaginable.

4. What does God do about sin? This is the best part! God takes sin very seriously and must punish sin. But God has not left us behind to fend for ourselves.

5. Who is Jesus and what did Jesus do? God sought us out by sending His one and only Son for our sins. Jesus Christ comes as our Savior and His life, death, and resurrection are substitutionary. He is both fully God and fully man. He is the full and perfect expression of God to us, and our perfect representative in the presence of God. He lives the perfect life that we never could hope to live and dies the death we should have died. God approved of what Christ did for us and shows us this by raising Jesus from the dead and placing Him in the supreme place of authority over all things. This Good News is completely outside of us and consists in what God did for us in the person and work of Christ. But this good news demands a response.

6. What are we to do? We can either continue to reject God or we can believe what God has done for us and submit to His loving authority. God commands all people to turn from their waywardness, look to Him in faith, and freely receive all the promises that are stored up in Jesus Christ. God desires to restore broken people back to proper relationship with Him. What God is now doing in the world is nothing less than bringing about a new creation. All those who believe in Him are given the right to be called children of God and are saved into the community of the redeemed. God commits Himself to us by sending His Holy Spirit to live in us and change us from the inside out, as we walk with Him. God's personal presence and communion with His people is God's guarantee that the best is yet to come!

Wisdom in Evangelism

John Dickson spoke at Baker Book House the other day on the topic of evangelism, and offered this helpful principle: Gospel living is the context for Gospel speech. In other words, our message has more force as people are able to see how the Gospel informs our lives. It probably goes without saying that most people in the Church will not be knocking on the doors of random strangers in order to share the Gospel, but I hope some would consider it. But as far as church-wide evangelism goes, I would have all readers consider the following:

1. Evangelism will be most effective in the most natural contexts, and there are five places to look: where we work, where we live, where we play, our family, and divine appointments. Consider who God may be urging you to reach.

2. Evangelism is very multi-faceted and there are different stages of evangelism. For example, some may sow, others may cultivate, and some may even harvest. Nothing, no matter how small, is insignificant. Furthermore, people have different gifts. So there is room for creativity in the evangelistic task. Evangelism will look different for different people. So look for your own particular role to play in God's plan to spread the Gospel to others. Be intentional, and bring others into this exciting endeavor.

3. There are few things that make the Gospel more compelling to us than sharing it with others. Never forget that a true love for the Gospel naturally produces a genuine desire to share it with others. Let me ease your burden by reminding you that true evangelism is not burdensome, coercive, or mechanical. True evangelism is our spontaneous joy in the Gospel being expressed to others. God promises us that this kind of evangelism is possible. How are you growing in your love for the Gospel?

Beginnings

I want to introduce readers to this blog, by stating several purposes for why this blog exists.

1. To track our evangelistic endeavors as we share the Gospel with others, and tell of what God is doing in the communities that surround Harvest OPC and the greater Grand Rapids area.

2. To ask for prayer from the Church, and to bring the Church further into God's evangelistic activity.

3. To offer insight into how evangelism has changed, to note the various objections we are now facing, and how we as a Church may become wiser and more effective in talking to others about the Gospel.

4. To praise God and worship Him for everything that He is pleased to do through broken and flawed people.

I plan on updating this blog at least on a weekly basis, and would encourage anyone to join us, pray for us, link others to this blog, or help us out in whatever way you can. There will be more information to come shortly. But please begin to pray for us and encourage others to do the same.