Tuesday 20 July 2010

What's wrong with this ? A modern Downgrade?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6bH0jkoNYQ&feature=related
I was sent this video of Bart Campolo on the subject of substitutional atonement. The debate around this has raged for a few years now and the temptation is that in the name of Unity we say this doesn't really matter.

I've just got back from a glorious week in France and while I was ther I read three books. AW Pinks "The Attributes of God" Arnold Dallimores biography of Charles Spurgeon and Spurgeon on the "Downgrade contorversy"

It would appear that Spurgeons "Stand" was around liberalisation of key doctirnes.

1. The inspiration and innerrancy of scripture
2, The substitutional atoning death of Christ. Especially around the concept of propritiation.
3. The nature and existance of Hell fire

So heated did it get he eventually left the Bapist Union.

Today there is a resurrgence of a bloodless and posssibly irrelevant cross for some who claim to be Evangelical. Scripture is seen as only to be able to be inerpretted in the context of the community of Christ and must be subject to reason, tradition and experience. Hell is a decent into nothingness with an eventual anhialation or a temporary state of punishment that leads to universal redemption in the end.

How did we get there from the true and glorious Gospel of Christ Jesus crucified for me.

Saturday 3 July 2010

Midfielders ..... Repent and Believe the Gospel

I had a providential meeting with an 18 year old midfielder for Derby County last night while out on Street Pastors. It started as an initial conversation in French then taken up by Sharon Cullen one of Derby City Missions missionaries.. This young man has untold riches waiting for him in the beautiful game but doesn't have peace with God and he knew it.

He has been scouted by top clubs in the football league and he may become a hero in mans eyes.... I had to check myself from being starstruck and say to him in clear French... Repent and believe in Christ. Possibly never before have I met a case of what does it profit a man to gain the world and forsake true riches in Christ.

All sorts of temptations flooded my soul and I had to deal harshly with myself to ensure that this was no trophy conversion but rather a man coming in repentance to the feet of the king of kings.

Our world is celebrity sick and we make our celebrities ill, Idolatry is a profound sin and footballers and fans fall on this.

I sensed Gods chastening as I realised that I would have to make a disciple of him as I would any other. Through the narrow gate, through the foot of the cross........ Through the path of Lordship and submission.

Let us never as those who call themselves Christian Hedonists or New Calvinists forget that the suppremacy of God in all things is the focus of our lives, and in those we reach for Christ.

Romans 3v 23- 25 bears this out
For there is no distinction: forall have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift,through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propritiation by his blood,to be received by faith.

Sola Fide, Sola Gracia, Sola Gloria Deo