Books
A major burden
at Sola Scriptura Ministries is the publishing of solid
evangelical literature in book form. Much of what is published in our day is
shallow at best and much of it is even unbiblical in its content. Our desire is
to write and offer books that are thoroughly Biblical in their emphasis.
Each of the
following books is 8-1/2 x 11 inch format, spiral bound. As finances allow in
the future, these will appear in more traditionally bound books, but for now
this is what we can afford.
With the new “on
demand” publishing technology, we can publish a title for about $200 and offer
it here as well as Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com. This is our goal. If you
would like to aid in this ministry, it would be much appreciated.
The suggested donation for each book is
$12.00. If you feel led to do so, add another $2.00 to help with postage.
Sola Scriptura: A New Call to Biblical
Authority
211 Pages
Why a New Call?
(From the Introduction)
Christianity is in serious
trouble!
Worse than that, however,
Christianity doesn’t know it’s in
trouble. It seems to be purring along like a well-oiled machine, when, in fact,
many of its original parts have been replaced with cheap imitations. Like that
machine, it is shiny on the outside but dull and dilapidated on the inside.
If the above paragraphs sound shocking,
my intention has been successful. They are
shocking, but they are also true. Christianity today is far from what God
designed it to be. How do we know this? Because what we see in Christianity
today does not match what we read in the Scriptures. While most any Christian
agrees that there is a total absence of Biblical authority in society, few
would dream (or agree if you tell them) that there is a similar lack in
Christianity.
To put the matter simply, Scripture alone is not the sole authority
in Christianity today. When we begin to compare what the Bible says the
church, Christian families, and Christian lives should be with what they really are,
we find a strange absence of the Scriptures. We find a lot of human opinion,
human organization, and human ideas, but very little Scripture. And when we do find Scripture, It is often
misapplied, or worse yet, misinterpreted.
This book is about Biblical
authority. Do we or do we not believe in the Word of God as the absolute sole
authority in all matters? This book submits that in many ways and many areas we
do not. While my intention is always to be kind, this book is blunt. This is
not popular in our day, for no one wants to “offend.” But right here we have
our first illustration of our deviation from the Word of God, for Paul, John,
Jude, and other Biblical authors greatly
offended people (believers and unbelievers alike) when they preached the Word
without compromise. And what can we say of our Lord Himself? He offended more
than all the others. Some will say here, “But you aren’t Jesus or Paul.”
Indeed, I am not, but I preach the words that Jesus spoke and Paul wrote, and
when we do this, it does offend.
This book will do one of two things:
it will either challenge you to return to Sola
Scriptura, or it will upset you and drive you further from It. If you want
to live by Biblical authority, it will be the former; if you do not want
Biblical authority, it will be the latter.
The Seed for This Book
The seed for this book was planted
in the spring of 1987, though at the time I didn’t know it. Because of my
passion for the pulpit ministry and the conviction that it is the primary duty
of the pastor, a pastor friend asked me to come and speak to a gathering of
pastors on this subject during an all day regional meeting of that national
association, as he was the president of that region. I appreciatively agreed
and traveled to that city on my way to a week of meetings at another church in
the area. Arriving the night before, the host pastor invited me to his home to
eat dinner with him, his family, and my pastor friend, who had traveled from
his church to be at the meeting. After the meal, the three of us retired to the
living room for what I thought was going to be a good time of fellowship. It
was far from that.
Within a few moments of sitting
down, I learned the real reason I was there. The host pastor informed me that
he had learned that I had not renewed my membership in that association for
over a year and asked why. I answered that I’d rather not say, but this, of
course, was unacceptable. After another attempt to avoid the coming
confrontation, I began by saying, “Well, I honestly don’t think that this
organization is necessary.” By the reaction of the host pastor, one would have
thought I just denied the virgin birth of Christ. As the conversation
continued, I shared several of the things contained in this book concerning
Biblical church ministry, the primacy of preaching, and missionary outreach,
each time citing Scripture alone as my guideline. I not only received no
support, but I did not even receive the common courtesy of respecting my views.
The most noteworthy aspect, however, was that in all this man’s criticism and
disagreement, he never once went to the Scripture. He cited a lot of this organization’s policy and a lot
of Church tradition, but never did he go to the Book.
That incident grieved me so much
that I struggled for almost two years with leaving the ministry altogether.
Then, as I was driven back to the Book, I realized that what I had experienced
that night is the central problem with Christianity. It was that experience
that became the catalyst that brought me to a new realization of what Biblical
authority really means.
The Reason for This Book
If one will sit down and objectively (and I repeat, objectively) compare modern Christianity
with Scripture, it will not take him long to see the places of departure. The honest
observer will quickly see that men have removed many of the necessities, such
as strong expository preaching, and then added a lot of baggage. How many
doctrinal statements, church constitutions, and denominational creeds say, “We believe the Holy Scriptures,
the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, to be the only verbally
inspired, inerrant, infallible Word of God, the final authority for faith and
life,” or words to that effect, but how many truly practice it? How many pastors are standing in pulpits and preaching
“the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27) and following It alone as their authority for ministry? How many Christians live a
life that follows solely the principles and precepts of the Word of God?
I wrote this book for one reason: to
point out what the high sounding words in our doctrinal statements mean, to
confront each of us with our claim that we believe in Biblical authority, to
restate the Biblical principle that the Bible is sufficient and adequate for everything.
The Title of This Book
Sola
Scriptura: A New call to Biblical Authority. What does this title mean?
Those first two words are Latin for “by Scripture alone.” I borrow them from
the Protestant Reformers of the sixteenth century. These two words were, as one
author puts it:
The so-called formal
principle of the Reformation. The Reformers appealed to the sole authority of
Holy Scripture as the infallible Word of God over against human opinion and
ecclesiastical tradition. [Timothy George, Theology of the Reformers
(Nashville, Broadman Press, 1988, p. 328)]
We will
examine this term in more detail in Chapter 7, but we here need to point out
its basic significance. The purpose of Sola
Scriptura was to reposition the Bible as the final authority over the Church.
Roman Catholicism had elevated the Church and the Pope over Scripture and
therefore made the Scripture inferior to the Church. Using the principle Sola Scripture, the Reformers (Luther,
Zwingli, Calvin, and others) reaffirmed the authority of Scripture. To them
Scripture was the norma normans
(determining norm) not a norma normata
(determined norm).
What is the significance of this
today? Quite frankly, the same as it was then. Not only is Roman Catholicism
alive and well, but efforts to unite Catholicism and Protestantism continue to
make headway. Even more basic than that, however, is the fact that much of
professed evangelical Christianity does not live by Sola Scriptura. So, this book is a new call to Biblical authority,
a new call to Sola Scriptura.
The Contents of This Book
The first part of the book presents
the basic principles of the doctrine of the Scriptures. After a brief
introduction concerning what “doctrine” is and why it is important, we’ll then
explore what makes the Word of God unique from all other literature and then
examine the doctrine of “inspiration” and related Biblical doctrines. This
first part provides us with the tools for the second, and I strongly urge the
reader not to skip over this first part just to get to the more controversial
second part.
Part II is the main point of the
book, namely, a return to the Bible as
the sole and sufficient authority in all matters.
I urge you to continue reading
prayerfully. I encourage you to set aside preconceived ideas, opinions, and
traditions and to consider Sola Scriptura.
Call or write
for details and scheduling. Meetings, tapes, and books are on a love-offering
basis.
Contents
Introduction:
Why a New Call? - 4
Part
I: The Doctrine of Biblical Authority
Chapter 1:
The Need for Doctrine (II Tim. 1:13) - 6
What is Doctrine? • Why is Doctrine
Important?
Chapter 2:
The Wonders of the Bible (II Tim. 3:16-17; Heb. 4:12) - 12
Unique Authorship • Complete Unity • Central Theme •
Written in Superior Languages
Unmatched in Sale and Circulation • Prophetic Accuracy •
Archeological Authentication
Scientific Accuracy • Timeless Age • Indestructibility
Chapter 3:
The Inspiration of Scripture (II Tim. 3:16-17; II Pet. 1:19-21) - 26
The Fact of Inspiration • The Force
of Inspiration • The Finality of Inspiration
Chapter 4:
The Inerrency and Authority of Scripture (Matt. 5:18; II Pet. 1:19) - 39
The Inerrency of Scripture • The
Authority of Scripture
Chapter 5:
The Canonicity and Textual Reliability Of Scripture (II Pet. 1:19) - 45
The Canonicity Of Scripture • The
Textual Reliability Of Scripture
Chapter 6:
The Interpretation of Scripture (II Tim. 2:15) - 49
• The Reverence Principle • The Diligence Principle • The
Plain Principle • The Grammatical
Principle • The Historical Principle • The Contextual
Principle • The Comparison Principle
The Outline Principle • The Progressive Principle • The
Illumination Principle • The Paradox Principle
• The Practical Principle
Part
II: The Demand of Biblical Authority
Chapter 7:
A Return to Biblical Authority (Ps. 119:11; II Tim. 2:2) - 65
The Word on the Word • Men of the
Word
Chapter 8:
Biblical Authority and the Home (Eph. 5:22-6:3) - 104
An Issue Concerning Women • An Issue Concerning Children
• An Issue Concerning Parents
Chapter 9:
Biblical Authority and the Church (Matt. 16:18) - 114
Issues Concerning Pastors • Issues Concerning the Church
and Ministry
Chapter 10:
Biblical Answers For Today’s Issues (Rom. 4:3; Gal. 4:30) - 143
Abortion • Birth Control • Capital Punishment • Crime •
Civil Disobedience • Education
Homosexuality • Politics and Political Activism •
Psychology and Counseling • Race
Answering Other Questions
Chapter 11: The King James Version Debate: A Plea for
Authority - 183
The Westcott and Hort Textual Theory • The Majority Text
Theory • Bible Versions
A Plea For Authority •
Conclusion
Conclusion:
A Final Plea - 202
Notes – 203
The Doctrines of Grace Expounded By a
Former Arminian
187 Pages
Introduction:
Reflections From a
Former Arminian
Why
another book on the Doctrines of Grace? There are already many books on this
subject, so why rehash it all? Can anything be said that hasn’t already been
said many times before?
The
answer to the last question is undoubtedly “No,” for I could never equal many
of those who have come before me. The answer to the first two, however,
provides the impetus for this work. There are really two reasons for this book,
both of which demonstrate that while this book is certainly not better than others, it is unique from others.
The Doctrines of Grace Expounded By a Former Arminian
The main
reason this book is unique is because it comes from the pen of a former
Arminian. For some twenty years of my ministry I was strongly Arminian in my
approach to the doctrines of salvation, with the exception of the security of
the believer, which I did hold. Worse, I was not passive in all this, rather, I
am ashamed to say, I was quite vocal in criticising the Doctrines of Grace and
castigating anyone who taught them. I would spit out the word “Calvinism” as
though it were sour milk. I even wrote a book against Calvinism, which (glory
be to God!) was never published.
But
then, because He is a great God, He began working in my heart to illumine the
truth to me. How did He do that? In keeping with the way He always reveals His truth, and that being
through His Word, God began showing me the truth of the Doctrines of Grace
while I was preaching through the Epistle to the Romans in the local church I
pastor.
Words
fail to express what God did through that process. For the first time I began
to see just how wretched man is and how great God is, what He alone accomplished for us in Christ. For
the first time I saw the arrogance with which I was looking at the doctrines of
salvation, all the while thinking I could comprehend the depth of a sovereign
God. For the first time I caught a glimpse of what great men of God long before
me had fought for, how they stood for the pure Gospel, which, like today, had
been watered down and polluted.
I am
convinced that much of my abhorrence for these doctrines was caused by the same
thing that causes this abhorrence in many others, namely, misunderstanding. I believe that one of the major reasons, if not the major reason, for the controversy
that has raged for years is the fundamental misunderstanding of what the
Doctrines of Grace represent.
A
perfect example of this is seen in an incident recounted by R. C. Sproul:
If we want to be understood, we must learn to say what we
mean and mean what we say. I once heard a theologian giving a lecture in
Reformed theology. Part way through his lecture a student raised his hand and
said to him, “Sir, should we assume as we are listening to you that you are a
Calvinist?” The scholar replied, “Yes, indeed I am,” and returned to his
lecture. A few moments later he stopped in the middle of a sentence with a
sudden look of understanding in his eyes and turned his attention back to the
student who had asked the question. He said, “What do you understand a
Calvinist to be?” The student answered, “A Calvinist is someone who believes
that God brings some people kicking and screaming against their will into His
kingdom while excluding others who desparately want in.” With that the
lecturer’s mouth dropped open with shock and he said, “Well, in that case,
please do not assume I am a Calvinist.” [R. C. Sproul, Knowing Scripture (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1977), p.
80.]
As I read that incident, I thought to myself, “If I
didn’t know better, I would think that I was that student.” This indeed reveals
the general misunderstanding that exists concerning those who hold the
Doctrines of Grace.
What,
then, is it that people misunderstand? What are the Doctrines of Grace? Boiled
down to their bare essence, the Doctrines of Grace say only one thing: Salvation is of the Lord. That’s it.
It’s just that simple. It is this that provided the basis for the title of this
book, for as the prophet Jonah declared: Salvation
is of the Lord (Jon. 2:9).
I will
share more about this verse in the closing pages of Chapter 4, but this one
verse summarizes the very essence of the Bible. The Doctrines of Grace
demonstrate that man is a totally helpless sinner whom God alone has saved by
His love and grace. Isn’t this what evangelicals believe? Yes, but I am
convinced that many do not know that
they believe it, that they simply do not understand what the term “saved by
grace” really means. I in no way want
to imply that Arminians are not saved, rather what I am saying is that they do
not fully understand their salvation. I am convinced that if the Doctrines of
Grace are presented properly, God’s people will thankfully and lovingly embrace
them.
As a
former Arminian, I know this misunderstanding first hand; I know the arguments,
I know the mind set. This, then, is the first reason for this book and the
first thing that makes it unique. I know of no other “Arminian” who ever wrote
a defense of the Doctrines of Grace. My prayer is that this book will be
accepted by many who still believe as I used to. This book is not meant to
argue or to castigate, rather it is meant to teach, to teach that salvation is solely of God, solely of grace
from beginning to end. For if everything
is not from God, then why do we need grace at all?
I believe
there is another reason for the abhorrence that I had and others have for these
doctrines, namely, that we are earthly minded; our minds are here instead of there.
But seek ye first the
kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto
you. (Matt. 6:33)
We need to keep our minds on the things of God, to
transcend human thinking. Human thinking has gotten men into nothing but
heartache, but still many Christians often think earthly, even when it comes to
their Theology!
One
other reason for men’s abhorrence of these doctrines is that by his very nature
man rebels against anything that says he is not in control. By nature man is
repelled by the thought of a sovereign God. We will go into much more detail on
this point as we continue.
The Doctrines of Grace Presented Expositionally
The
second thing that makes this work unique is the way it presents the Doctrines
of Grace. The usual approach to this subject is the topical approach. While
there is nothing necessarily wrong
with this, it does have a weakness.
Topical preaching and teaching has the inherent tendency to pick and choose
verses to prove one’s point. Again, this is not wrong, for this is the
foundation of great books on Systematic Theology, but the exposition of Scripture
does not have this weakness. The dictionary defines “exposition” simply as “the
setting forth of meaning or intent” [American
Heritage Dictionary ]. When applied
to Scripture, then, we can define exposition as, “The setting forth of the
meaning of Scripture by studying its grammar, context, and historcial setting.”
So, by expositing specific portions of Scripture that deal with the Doctrines
of Grace, we avoid the danger of removing “proof texts” from their context.
Therefore,
each chapter of this book begins with a foundational text, which I then exposit
and cross-reference with other Scripture. Whenever necessary, I will also
exposit cross-references. The only exception to this rule is Chapter 1, which
presents attitudes with which we should approach this study.
Before
going on, I would like to address one other matter. Although the doctrines I
present in this book are classic “Calvinism,” [See Appendix A for a summary of
Calvinism and Arminianism]. I much prefer to us the term “Doctrines of Grace” because
they transcend Calvin and every other person who taught these truths (the
Apostle Paul, Augustine, the Waldenses, Wycliffe, Huss, Luther, the Puritans,
Spurgeon, et al.). We must agree with Charles Spurgeon, who introduced his
Bible conference on “Exposition of the Doctrines of Grace,” held on April 11,
1861, with these words:
It may happen this afternoon that the term “Calvinism” may
be frequently used. Let it not be misunderstood, we only use the term for
shortness. That doctrine which is called “Calvinism” did not spring from
Calvin; we believe that it sprang from the great founder of all truth . . . We
use the term then, not because we impute any extraordinary importance to
Calvin’s having taught these doctrines. We would be just as willing to call
them by any other name, if we could find one which would be better understood,
and which on the whole would be as consistent with fact. [The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Vol. 7, p. 298]
Well, I sincerely believe that the term “Doctrines of Grace”
does just that. I believe it makes the doctrines in question more
understandable and makes them easier to receive. So, although I still use the
term “Calvinism” in this book, I use the term “Doctrines of Grace” much more
often.
May I
add that these doctrines also transcend “theological systems.” The accusation
often leveled against these doctrines is that they come from “Covenant
Theology,” a system of Theology that sees little or no distinction between
God’s program for Israel and His program for the Church. It teaches that God’s
promises to Israel are already fulfilled symbolically through the Church. In
contrast, Dispensationalism sees a distinction between God’s program for Israel
and His program for the Church, and teaches that all God’s prophecies to Isreal
will be literally fulfilled, such as a literal 1,000 year millennial reign of
Christ on the earth.
Considering
these differences, a Dispensationalist might say, “Since Berkhof, Hodge, and
all other Covenant Theologians aren’t Premillenial, this proves their Calvinism
is also wrong.” Obviously, it proves nothing of the sort. Such a statement is
not only inaccurate, but it also originates from a wrong motive, namely, to
dismiss the whole subject. As we’ll discover, truth is truth, whether you hold
the Covenant position, the Dispensational position, or little “theological
system” at all.
I say
this because salvation doctrine is foundational, it stands by itself, and it
rises far above all other doctrine. While there are differences between Dispensationalism
and Covenant Theology (mostly in their eschatology), these differences have
nothing whatsoever to do with salvation doctrine. On the contrary, if either of
these systems has a “problem” when it comes to salvation doctrine, it would
actually be certain Dispensationalists, who at times are a little weak about
what “grace” really means and what it implies. So, even though I personally
hold one of these theological views, I have tried throughout this book to hide
which one, not because I am ashamed of it, rather because it doesn’t matter in
the present context.
This
leads us to one final introductory thought, namely, that this book has one
other purpose: to present a pure Gospel.
In recent days we have seen numerous dangers threaten the Gospel message. A
serious threat to a pure Gospel is today’s “easy-believism,” which discounts
the need to emphasize sin and total committment to Christ as Lord in the Gospel
presentation and advocates just “believing in Jesus,” that is, mentally
assenting to certain facts about Jesus, for salvation. Another threat is
“pragmatic evangelism,” which says the end justifies the means, that “anything
goes” in ministry. Still another is the supposed need for “unity” between Roman
Catholicism and Protestantism that is being preached by many.
All of
these, and many more, have one thing in common: they dilute the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ. To one extent or
another I will address these “issues,” not for the purpose of creating more
controversy, but rather “to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to
the saints” (Jude 3).
Of the
many servants of God who have lived in the last hundred or so years, one who
stands out as one of the greatest is Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892). Much
has been written about him, and we will explore him a little further in
Chapters 4 and 8. For the moment, however, let me say that the reason for his
“greatness” (if it is right to call any man great) was because of his view of
God and salvation. In Spurgeon’s view, salvation was all of God from beginning
to end. Many Arminians have tried to downplay Spurgeon’s strong Calvinism, but
their efforts are fruitless. Spurgeon contended earnestly for a pure Gospel,
one untainted by the very errors that are tainting and diluting the Gospel
today. It is for this reason that I will quote him often throughout this book.
Each chapter, for example, begins with a quote from Spurgeon’s preaching on
that doctrine. For now, consider these words:
There are certain fundamental and vital truths which must
be believed, or otherwise no man would be saved. If you want to know what you
must believe if ye would be saved, you will find the great things of God’s law
between these two covers; they are all contained here. As a sort of digest or
summary of the great things of the law, I remember an old friend of mine
saying, “Ah! you preach the three R’s, and God will always bless you.” I said,
“What are the three R’s?” And he answered, “Ruin, redemption, and
regeneration.” They contain the sum and substance of divinity. R for ruin. We
were all ruined in the fall; we were all lost when Adam sinned, and we are all
ruined by our own transgressions; we are all ruined by our own evil hearts, and
our own wicked wills; and we all shall be ruined unless grace saves us. Then there
is the second R for redemption. We are ransomed by the blood of Christ, a lamb
without blemish and without spot; we are rescued by His power; we are ransomed
by His merits; we are redeemed by His strength. Then there is the R for
regeneration. If we would be pardoned, we must also be regenerated; for no man
can partake of redemption unless he is regenerate. Let him be as good as he
pleases; let him serve God, as he imagines, as much as he likes; unless he is
regenerate, and has a new heart, a new birth, he will still be in the first R,
this is ruin. These things contain an epitome of the Gospel. [The New Park Street Pulpit, Vol. I, p.
114]
This truly is the Gospel, and there are few evangelicals
who would disagree with the preacher’s presentation of it. Many, in fact, would
no doubt say, “What a good outline that is; I think I’ll borrow it and preach
it this Sunday.” But Spurgeon does not end here, for he continues in the very
next sentence:
I
believe there is a better epitome in the five points of Calvinism: Election
according to the foreknowledge of God; the natural depravity and sinfulness of
man; particular redemption by the blood of Christ; effectual calling by the
power of the Spirit; and ultimate perseverance by the efforts of God’s might.
It was from this that I rebelled for two decades, and
what many others rebel against today. But, Dear Christian Reader, this is the Gospel! This is the truth! And it is this that I want to present in this
book.
My Dear
Christian Friend, whether you be a preacher or laymen, a new believer or long
established disciple, an “Arminian” or “Calvinist,” please read on prayfully. I
offer these studies to you for your edification and “to the praise of the glory
of His grace” (Eph. 1:6), for truly, Salvation
is of the Lord.
CONTENTS
Introduction: Reflections From a Former Arminian
Chapter 1: The
All Important Foundation
We Must Approach These Doctrines
Biblically Ÿ We Must Approach These Doctrines Humbly Ÿ
We Must Approach These Doctrines Believingly Ÿ We Must Approach These
Doctrines Prayerfully
Chapter 2:
The Greatness of God (I Chron.
29:11-12)
The Definition of the
Sovereignty of God Ÿ The Explanation of the Sovereignty of God Ÿ
The Objections to the Sovereignty of God Ÿ The Application of the
Sovereignty of God
Chapter 3:
The Walking Dead Man (Rom. 1:18)
The Creation of Man Ÿ
The Ruination of Man Ÿ The Salvation of Man
Chapter 4: The Full Grace of Salvation (Eph. 1:4-6;
Rom. 8:29-30)
The Reality of God’s Election Ÿ
The Reasons for God’s Election Ÿ The Root of God’s
Election Ÿ
The Results of God’s Election Ÿ The Reactions to God’s
Election
Chapter 5: The Result of the Cross (Eph. 1:7-12)
The Meaning of Redemption Ÿ
The Obtainer of Redemption Ÿ The Recipients of
Redemption Ÿ The Price of Redemption Ÿ
The Time of Redemption Ÿ The Results of Redemption Ÿ
The Reason of Redemption Ÿ The Extent of Redemption
Chapter 6: The Power to Believe (Rom. 8:29-30; Eph.
2:8-9; II Tim. 2:25)
The Holy Spirit Calls Us Ÿ
The Holy Spirit Gives Us Faith Ÿ The Holy Spirit Grants
Us Repentance
Chapter 7: The Security of Grace (Eph. 1:13-14; Rom.
8:31-39)
The Holy Spirit Seals Us Ÿ
The Holy Spirit Preserves Us
Chapter 8: The Test of History (Jude 3)
Historical Evangelical Christianity Ÿ
The History of Arminianism Ÿ The History of
Calvinism Ÿ
The Danger of Compromise
Chapter 9: Living By Grace (Eph. 4:1-3)
Humility Ÿ Gentleness Ÿ
Patience Ÿ
Love Ÿ
Unity
Conclusion:
Final Reflections of a “Calvinist”
Appendix A: Summary Comparison of Arminianism and Calvinism
Appendix B:
A Biblical Gospel Tract
Appendix
C: The Order of Elective Decrees
Also see the author’s booklet What Are the Doctrines of Grace?
A. W. Tozer’s Challenge to Today’s Church
154
Pages
Gone
But Not Forgotten
(from
the Introduction)
Christianity today is man-centered, not
God centered. God is made to wait patiently,
even respectfully, on the whims of men.
[Man: The Dwelling Place of God, p. 27]
Like
many Christian readers who have heard of A. W. Tozer (who preferred to be
addressed simply as “Tozer”), I first became acquainted with his writing
through his classic book, The Knowledge
of the Holy. While there have been and are many books on the attributes of
God, none blends Theology and spirituality together better than Tozer’s.
Other
than that classic work, however, I read almost nothing else of Tozer in my
nearly two and one half decades of full-time ministry, that is, until recently.
It was during my research and writing of another book, one on the authority of
Scripture, that one of the lambs under my care handed me a copy of God Tells the Man Who Cares and said,
“After reading this I thought it might be an encouragement and maybe even a
challenge to you.” Well, it was both of those. What I read positively astounded
me! I had no idea that Tozer, decades ago, faced and addressed most of the same
issues that are diluting Christianity and undermining the Church today. Along
with other men of history, I mentioned Tozer in the aforementioned book as one
of those who has upheld the authority of Scripture and purity of the Church.
As I
continued to reflect on Tozer and mention him to other preachers and Church
members, it became clear that, like me, few knew of this aspect of Tozer’s
burden and ministry. Truly, it seemed to me, while he remained one of the great
“Christian mystics” and one of the greatest of the “devotional writers,” this
timely aspect of Tozer had been tragically (perhaps even conveniently)
forgotten.
With
that observation in mind, I envisioned this book on The Forgotten Tozer, which I pray will serve to remind us not only
of what Tozer said but that what he
said was true. While this book
contains some biographical material, it is not a biography. It is a review and
analysis of Tozer’s thought on contemporary Christianity. The following from
Tozer’s pen will set the stage:
Within the circles of evangelical Christianity itself there
has arisen in the last few years dangerous and dismaying trends away from true
Bible Christianity. A spirit has been introduced which is surely not the Spirit
of Christ, methods employed which are wholly carnal, objectives adopted which
have not one line of Scripture to support them, a level of conduct accepted
which is practically identical with that of the world—and yet scarcely one
voice has been raised in opposition. And this in spite of the fact that the
Bible-honoring followers of Christ lament among themselves the dangerous,
wobbly course things are taking.
So radically is the essential spirit and content of
orthodox Christianity changing these days under the vigorous leadership of
undiscerning religionists that, if the trend is not stopped, what is called
Christianity will soon be something altogether other than the faith of our
fathers. We’ll have only Bible words left. Bible religion will have perished
from wounds received in the house of her friends. [The Price of
Neglect, pp. 6-7].
My method of presenting Tozer’s thought is simple: state the problem, present the Scripture, and permit Tozer to comment, making applications to our day as needed. While some writers might just summarize what he said, I believe that we should allow Tozer to speak for himself. Is it not better to read the man himself than to read the man’s interpreter? Is this not what we wish the news media would do today, just let someone speak for himself instead of telling us what he said?
One
thing I want to avoid, and I know he would agree, is to set Tozer up as the
authority. We certainly have enough of that today with various Christian
leaders. While this book is based largely on quotations from Tozer, I do not
present them with the attitude of: “This is what Tozer said.” Rather I present
them from the perspective: “This is what Scripture says and what Tozer
preached.” There is a vast difference. Various Christian leaders today, who
have been dubbed with titles such as, “Christian Leader,” “Successful Church
Builder,” “Christian Psychologist,” and others, are often followed no matter
what they say, without a moment’s consideration of whether their words match
the Scripture. My purpose here, then, is not to lift up A. W. Tozer as the authority, rather to call our
attention to the fact that Tozer proclaimed The
Authority.
While
writing this Introduction, I was reminded of a statement about the Americans
who were killed in Vietnam. As many Americans (although not enough) remember,
the Vietnam War was one we “lost,” and it is for that very reason that most
Americans want to forget about it and those who fought there. But the statement
I’ve read in various sources over the years by people who do care about those
who gave their all in Vietnam is, “Gone but not forgotten.”
This is
how I feel about many of the things A. W. Tozer wrote and spoke. They seem
forgotten by the masses. Oh, many Christians like to read his “devotional
thoughts,” but they pass by his observations and criticisms about contemporary
Christianity. Many, for the sake of unity and tolerance, choose not to discern
what is good from what is not.
So, it
is with great burden that I offer, for whatever it might be worth, this
analysis of Tozer’s “contemporary thought.” By the end of the book, I pray that
you will say with me about Tozer: “Gone but not forgotten.”
In true
Tozer fashion, may we open with a word of prayer:
Father, may I come humbly before You
in worship. May I praise You and glorify You alone, for only Thou art worthy.
May I examine my heart and prove that it is pure in attitude and action. Give
me the courage to set aside my preconceived ideas and notions and turn to the
Word of God alone for my guide in life and ministry. Give me the strength to
not be conformed to contemporary thought but transformed by the renewing of my
mind. Father, change me in whatever ways are needed to make me what I should
be. I ask it all in the Saviour’s precious name, Amen.
