Big Shoes, Small Minds (or "Sovereignty and Freedom in Perspective")

So ... I believe that God, who created the world and everything else that exists, exercises absolute, meticulous and exhaustive sovereignty over all events, including every thought, word and deed of mankind, through His definite predestination and continual providence. I also happen to believe that human beings make real, significant, voluntary and uncoerced choices for which they are morally responsible in a just economy.


This is not "hard" determinism or "soft" determinism, but FREE DETERMINISM.

Does this compatibilistic belief in FREE DETERMINISM strike you, upon reflection, as contradictory, irrational or illogical? Then I suggest you read the fifth word in the first sentence again. In case you have forgotten, we are speaking about GOD. My friend, have you come to to terms with the fact that the self-existent, eternal God created the world and everything else from exactly nothing? If you think it is impossible for Him to give His creatures genuine freedom without relinquishing His meticulous sovereignty, you may have never imagined a God big enough to wear His own shoes. You may be trying to fit Him into a small space that can't hold Him. That small space is the sum of what you consider logically conceivable. If God must fit into this space, then your mind's capacity, rather than His omnipotent ability, has become the measure of Truth. Yet Truth was there before your mind came into being; and Truth contains your mind within it, not the other way around.

While our minds can hold the knowledge of His greatness, they cannot hold His greatness. This is an important fact to remember when we feel we must tell God what He can and can't do. Indeed, you may not happen to believe that God employs FREE DETERMINISM in His administration of the universe. But if you don't think it is possible for Him to do so, it is possible that you may not actually believe in the Biblical God at all.

And if you go to the Bible with an open heart to find out how God actually administers His universe, you will find FREE DETERMINISM is the only real possibility.

John MacArthur on the Paradox of Salvation

The following THEOparadoxical thoughts are excerpted from John MacArthur's article, "Is Your Salvation Secure?"

"Contemporary Christianity has a shallow view of salvation. Many people don't understand the security of the believer. God, in eternity past, chose us to believe in the truth (2 Thess. 2:13 ). Now we have to show a response. I don't fully understand how those two come together. Some people think that the people who go to hell go there because God rejected them. But the Bible says that people go to hell because they reject the gospel (John 3:18 ). That may not make sense to us, but it shouldn't matter. God is smarter than us. Would you want a God who is our equal? I wouldn't!

The paradox regarding God's choice and man's responsibility isn't the only paradox in Scripture. For example, who wrote the book of Romans? Paul did, but so did God. Did they take turns writing verses? On the one hand, every word is pure and from the mind of God. Yet, every word also came from Paul's heart and his vocabulary. How could Romans have been fully written by both God and Paul? We know it was, but we can't explain it fully.

Is Jesus God or man? He was both. Christ was not a blend of God and man. He was 100 percent Himself. He was fully God and fully man. We can't figure that out.

How about this: Who lives your Christian life? Paul said, "I discipline my body and make it my slave" (1 Cor. 9:27 ). He also said, "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me" (Gal. 2:20 ). Which is the right answer? Both you and Christ live your life.

Most major doctrines in the Bible have an aspect that we cannot fully explain. When we try to bring God down to our level, there is still much we won't understand. We simply can't resolve everything in our minds. So the reason anyone goes to hell is because he rejected Christ and is completely responsible. But when a person comes to Christ, it's because he was chosen in Him before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4)."

(Source)

The Paradox of Fearing God

Justin Taylor recently posted a reflection on the differences and similarities in the responses of Mary and Zechariah when the angel appeared to each of them. He points out that both responded with fear and were immediately told to "fear not," and then he points out that in Mary's song the "fear of the Lord" is extolled, while in Zechariah's prophecy it is said that Israel was delivered in order that they might serve God "without fear." An interesting paradox.

Taylor explains the apparent contradiction with a quote from John Newton. See the post here.

A further thought on this: God's holiness is so powerful that He is able to sanctify attitudes and characteristics which we would normally account as undesirable or negative. Jealousy. Hatred. Anger. There is a good, godly version of each of them, and it is God's own version. The Bible is surprisingly candid about God's use of these characteristics; they are shockingly commonplace within its pages. He can use jealousy as an arm of benevolence, hatred as a vehicle for His grace, and anger as a catalyst of forgiveness. Similarly, our fear response can be man-centered and sinful or God-centered and holy. But unlike jealousy, hatred and anger, fear is a purely human characteristic. God does not have a sanctified version of fear. What could He ever fear, since there is none greater than Himself?

We, on the other hand, cannot live without fear. So God claims our fear for Himself.

Perhaps God tells us about His holy jealousy, hatred and anger to remind us that we are not His judges, and that it is not our prerogative to decide what is good and right for God. We will either glorify Him for all that He is, or we will condemn ourselves by trying to cross-examine Him under our warped, humanistic and sin-tainted ideas of justice and goodness.

God's Holy Jealousy

• Exodus 34:14 for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God
• Deuteronomy 4:24 For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
• I Corinthians 10:22 Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?

Man-centered Jealousy Prohibited

• Isaiah 11:13 The jealousy of Ephraim shall depart, and those who harass Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not be jealous of Judah, and Judah shall not harass Ephraim.
• Romans 13:13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy
• Galatians 5:19-20 Now the works of the flesh are evident: . . . jealousy . . .

God-centered Jealousy Enjoined

• Numbers 25:11 Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy.
• II Corinthians 11:2 For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

God's Holy Hatred

• Psalm 5:4-5 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you. The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.
• Romans 9:13 As it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."

Man-centered Hatred Prohibited

• Leviticus 19:17 You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. 
• Matthew 5:43-44 You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you . . .

God-centered Hatred Enjoined

• Psalm 119:113 I hate the double-minded, but I love your law.
• Psalm 139:21-22 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies.
• Luke 14:26 If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

God's Holy Anger

• Numbers 32:13 And the LORD's anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the LORD was gone.
• Revelation 14:9-10 And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.

Man-centered Anger Prohibitied

• II Chronicles 26:19 Then Uzziah was angry. Now he had a censer in his hand to burn incense, and when he became angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead in the presence of the priests in the house of the LORD, by the altar of incense. 
• II Corinthians 12:20 For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish--that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder.
• Colossians 3:8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.

God-centered Anger Enjoined

• Psalm 4:4 Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah
• Ephesians 4:26-27 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.

Man-centered Fear Prohibited

• Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.
• Isaiah 35:4 Say to those who have an anxious heart, "Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you."
• I John 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
• Romans 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!"
• Heberews 13:6 So we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?"

God-centered Fear Enjoined

• Joshua 24:14 Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.
• Proverbs 19:23 The fear of the LORD leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.
• Matthew 10:28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
• Romans 11:20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear.
• I Corinthians 2:3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling . . .
• Philippians 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling . . .
• I Peter 1:17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile
• I Peter 2:17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

Putting the pieces together, we might say that the reason Zechariah can say Israel serves God "without fear" is because the God-centered "fear of the Lord" swallows up every lesser fear. Thus, we are freed from the fears that could otherwise keep us from serving Him. We can never maintain this freedom apart from that one fear-slaying FEAR we must have in order to serve God worthily: the fear of Him. So, we must fear God in order that we may serve Him without fear! While lesser fears tend to multiply and paralyze us, the fear of the Lord sets us free.

The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever . . .

Psalm 19:9

Take a moment to think about the universal characteristics fear. It always directs and focuses our attention toward something or someone greater than ourselves (beyond our control), and it always influences and determines our actions in significant ways. These things are true whether we are facing a snarling dog, wrestling with a difficult school exam, dealing with a financial crisis, trying to hide something embarrassing, running from the law, or worshiping the living God. Above all else, fear is powerful motivation. The object of our fear will win the battle for our attention, appreciation, and action. In a very real sense, the thing we fear most is our God.

Fences and Contradictions - An Illustration and a Parable

Some who oppose the idea of paradox in the Bible do so for very good reasons. Many want to affirm that Scripture is free from contradiction. Some want to maintain philosophical foundations that uphold the validity of logic. Others want to emphasize the sufficiency of Scripture. Some simply desire to avoid any appearance of irrationality or confusion.

Ironically, THEOparadox shares each of these viewpoints and holds them as essential.

1. Scripture is free from actual contradiction. 

2. Logic is valid. 

3. The Bible is entirely sufficient. 

4. Irrationality and confusion are not desirable.

However, there is a vast difference between actual contradiction and apparent contradiction. The validity of logic does not rule out supra-logic. The sufficiency of Scripture does not turn it into a propositional Rubik's Cube. And a rational view of reality does not mean we can understand everything.

THEOparadox does not affirm that there are explicit contradictions in the Scriptures and in orthodox Christian theology. Rather, based on a firm commitment to inerrancy and Biblical balance, it affirms that there are implied contradictions. A paradox is formed whenever two or more true statements appear, through implication, to contradict one another. This situation can arise whenever some information is not available. The following example serves to illustrate this point.

THE ILLUSTRATION

APPARENT CONTRADICTION #1 

P1 The fence was built to keep things out 

P2 The fence was built to keep things in 

Two stubborn, logically consistent people could argue about these apparently contradictory propositions for a long time before realizing that both are true. The purpose of a fence is to keep some things out and to keep other things in. At this point one would be wise to affirm both propositions, for they do not actually contradict one another. Perhaps one could quibble over which is the more prominent purpose, but there's no contradiction here. There is only an apparent contradiction because "out" seems to be opposed to "in."

APPARENT CONTRADICTION #2 

P1 The fence was built to keep animals in 

P2 The fence was built to keep animals out 

On the surface, this is self-contradictory. But the types of animals haven't yet been articulated. The fence was actually built to keep certain types of animals in (e.g., sheep), and certain types of animals out (e.g., goats).

That's simple and logical enough, but this may blow your mind . . .

APPARENT CONTRADICTION #3 

P1 The fence was built to keep sheep in the pen 

P2 The fence was built to keep the same sheep out of the same pen 

APPARENT CONTRADICTION #4 

P1 The fence was built to keep sheep in the pen 

P2 The fence was built to keep goats in the same pen 

P3 Goats and sheep are always separated by the fence 

All of the statements are entirely true. What hasn't been discussed up to this point is the chronology involved. Each morning the sheep are led out to pasture through the south gate, while the goats are led into the pen by the north gate. Each afternoon, the animals go back to their original places again. Although these paradoxes always apply to the sheep and the goats, they do not apply to other animals, such as lions. The fence is only meant to keep lions out. Thus, we have worked through four apparent contradictions in a perfectly logical, coherent fashion, and have demonstrated conclusively that there is no actual contradiction in this scenario. But, without the help of some necessary details, there is apparent contradiction that cannot be avoided. In every case, the issue was not actual contradiction but missing information.

THE PARABLE 

Imagine, if you will, that the farm on which our fence was built is private. It is located on a secluded island and carefully kept from public view. It is the only farm of its kind in the entire world. It was built from unique materials that have never been used anywhere else, and it utilizes farming techniques that are generally unknown to the world of agriculture. The farm is operated by a brilliant farmer with an IQ of 400. He writes a book to explain some things about his farm to the rest of the world. In the book, he mentions several times that the fence was built to keep animals in. However, in other parts of the book he says that the fence was built to keep animals out. The farmer never discusses the daily pasturing of the sheep and the goats. He never mentions the north and south gates. He never details the inner workings of his farm because that is not His purpose. 

As a result, some skeptics point to the farmer's book and say "this is contradictory! Surely the farm doesn't exist. He says his fence is built to keep animals in, then he says his fence is built to keep animals out. It's obviously just a fairy tale." Meanwhile, the skeptics munch on some carrots that were grown in the farmer's garden. 

Some agricultural students study the farmer's book very carefully. They diagram all of the sentences in the book, carefully noting the parts about keeping animals in. They build a fence around themselves and develop an elaborate theory to prove that the word "out" really means "in" when used in the farmer's context. Some of them throw rocks at people on the other side of the fence who say "out" and "in" are two opposite things that seem contradictory to rational people. They call these people irrational heretics and misologists.

A group of gardening enthusiasts who have met the farmer declare that he is brilliant. They use the farmer's book to develop vibrant gardens full of vegetable and livestock. They build fences carefully, leaving room for dual purposes. They defy the skeptics who claim the farmer's book is contradictory, and the agricultural experts who explain away the paradoxical aspects. These disciples readily acknowledge that the farmer's intelligence exceeds their own, noting that some of his ways are too hidden to examine, and they strive to follow his instructions even when the unrevealed information leaves them perplexed. 

Can you see how paradoxes arise from mysteries? Unless one posits that human beings have access to all of the information, paradoxes cannot be ruled out. Even if all of the information was available to us, would we find the logic and rationality required to systematize and categorize it accurately? Only the omniscient God has enough knowledge and wisdom to put all of the pieces together, but the things He has revealed to us in His Word are fully sufficient for our needs, absolutely reliable, totally trustworthy and perfectly tailored to our greatest benefit and blessing. His words are not illogical or irrational, but they are sometimes supra-logical and beyond the rational limits of our human minds. He is good in what He graciously reveals to us, and He is good in what He withholds. He is always and only good, and He builds His fences in all the right places.


Deuteronomy 29:29 The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.

Soli Deo Gloria.

Phil Johnson on Paradox and Logic

Recently, on the Pyromaniacs blog, Phil Johnson posted an interesting perspective on the concepts of paradox and logic. Let me start by saying Phil is way smarter and way more educated than I am. I should also say that I largely agree with what he wrote. However, I did submit a detailed comment in which I challenged him to open the door for mystery and paradox just a tad wider - without shutting the door on the laws of logic in the process. 

I believe mystery and paradox exist within the framework of and because of the laws of logic - but they DO exist. THEOparadox is not misology (hatred of reason). Quite the opposite - it is a dual acknowledgement of the Source of reason (God), and the limitation of reason (our creaturely and fallen minds). We want to avoid rationalism on one side, and irrationality on the other. In the work of inspiring the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit did a remarkably good job of balancing this. It's exactly what we would expect from the God Who IS the Truth.

I'm not sure if Phil will answer my questions, but if he does I am sure I will learn something. Here's an excerpt from the Pyromaniacs post:


"When faced with two difficult truths we find hard to reconcile, we ought to view it as an opportunity to work out the kinks in our thinking and try to gain a better understanding of truth. If two biblical truths seem to contradict, we need to take another look and be humble enough to acknowledge that perhaps we have misunderstood one or the other (or both) of the seemingly contradictory ideas. We need to understand—like those mathematicians did at the start of the 20th century—that if "truth" really contradicted itself, the very concept of truth would be moot. Christians of all people ought to stand firmly against every charge that truth is inherently self-contradictory."


Here is a link to the post:
http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2009/11/most-ingenious-paradox.html


And here is my comment/question to Phil Johnson:


As one who finds paradoxes (i.e. apparent contradictions of greater and lesser degree) all over the place in Scripture and theology; as one who passionately believes in the fallen-ness and limited-ness of human understanding which result from total depravity; as one who deliberately embraces a very real sense of mystery in God's revelation (or, in some cases, non-revelation) of Himself; and as one who takes seriously the implications of God's incomprehensibility, I have to say . . .

AMEN!!!!

Because of the above checklist, I am sometimes confused with those Neo-Orthodox and PoMo people you are talking about. For the record: I'm not them.

Here's a really cool paradox that helps to keep me balanced and always has me hunting for possible solutions to Biblical paradoxes:

One cannot even say there is an apparent contradiction unless one has already acknowledged the fact that the law of non-contradiction is normative. IOW, if the law of non-contradiction is invalid, then there IS no such thing as an "apparent contradiction." There could only be a vague mish-mash of what might be called "ungrounded propositions" (welcome to Postmodernism). So, in my view, the Biblical way to approach paradox is to START by acknowledging the Law of Non-Contradiction.

I believe the Holy Spirit deliberately placed some APPARENT contradictions (i.e. paradoxes) in the Scriptures in order to get our attention. To Him, they are not contradictory at all, but to us they appear contradictory. Given enough time, information, and application of logic, all would be solved - but we're not fully equipped.

To go a little further, and at the risk of alienating some readers . . . don't we have to admit with Spurgeon (and contra Gordon Clark, I think) that there are some things revealed in the Bible which man's creaturely and fallen mind can't quite comprehend? That is to say, in at least some cases, the logic which reconciles two apparently contradictory truths is with God alone? Who's to say God has given us ALL of His logical tools? Maybe we've only got enough to confuse ourselves on certain issues. Hence Calvin's many warnings against "morbid speculation" and the like.

The laws of logic, like other valid laws, aren't OVER God (nothing is) - rather, they FLOW FROM His Essence and Nature. So, can't there be aspects of logic that remain incomprehensible to us?

What I'm really trying to say is that, from a practical standpoint, we shouldn't go too far with our rational DEMANDS when it comes to the things not revealed. We can get ourselves into trouble applying laws of strict logic when some of the needed propositions are unknowns. IOW, we are sometimes in danger of jumping to conclusions. The results can be errors like Arminianism and Hyper-Calvinism.

Happy Birthday THEOparadox!

It's been one year since THEOparadox first launched with the post, "What is THEOparadox?" Since that time, there have been almost 120 posts added. Here are some of the highlights from the year:

• The Hardening of Pharaoh's Heart (2 Parts)
• The Relationship Between Divine and Human Goodness (4 Parts)
• Repentance and Amazing Grace in Psalm 32 (15 Parts)
• The Impossible Sayings of Jesus (10 Parts)
..... • You Must Be Born Again (3 Parts)

..... • The Rich Young Ruler (3 Parts)

..... • The Sermon on the Mount (4 Parts)
• The Free Offer of the Gospel (3 Parts)
• The Paradoxes of Prayer (3 Parts)
• The Suffering Servant in Isaiah 53 (In Progress)

We also discussed the defining characteristics of the Gospel
We started a review of James Anderson's "Paradox in Christian Theology"

..... (I'll finish it at some point, but I'm a slow reader, so please be patient)
We followed (and participated in) some controversies about theological paradox
We articulated a theology and philosophy of paradox
We distanced ourselves from false forms of theological paradox

We defined our terms
We offered up 8 "PARADOX FILES" as examples of the basic thesis behind the blog
We formed a team of 4 like-hearted (if not always like-minded) members.


And we had a little Reformed fun, too . . .

I want to extend a hearty thanks to the following people, each of whom has significantly contributed to this blog in some way . . .

• My Precious Wife (the AMAZING woman!) - for putting up with late-night study sessions when I just can't let go of those tricky theological questions, and for helping me stay focused and God-centered. And for her forgiveness. LOTS and LOTS of forgiveness.
• Dr. Chris DeVidal (who is not a "real" doctor and who no longer blogs, unfortunately) - because he's one of my best friends, a godly example, a good thinker, and a challenging "hold-you-accountable" kind of brother in Christ. And he loves his wife. (his blog is still available for viewing, and the old articles are still really good).
• Pastor Craig Bowen of Lakeside Community Church - for being a true disciple-maker, a fearless preacher of the Word, a faithful example and a brother in Christ.
• Tony Hayling of "Agonizomai"- for his friendship and lots of great discussions (when you suggested I write a blog, did you ever think it would come to this? Me, either).
• Barry Wallace of "Who Am I?" - for his friendship and TONS of encouragement.

• Dr. John Piper - for loads of great sermons that help me remember how wondrously great God is!
• Dr. Curt Daniel - for helping me to understand historic Calvinism in its beautiful balance (his 75 lectures are super and well worth your time - trust me on that).
• David Ponter of "Calvin & Calvinism" - for helping me better understand the strengths of the moderate wing in Reformed theology.

• Dr. James Anderson - for brilliantly laying out the historical and philosophical case for theological paradox (you may want to check out his blog).
• Phil Johnson of Pyromaniacs - for a brief, but very helpful, conversation about theological paradox. And a pride-bashing, grace-empowered sermon. I'm still chewing on that!
• My Dear Daughter (a.k.a. GirlWhomGODloves) - for her excellent and insightful guest articles.

Finally, I'd like to thank everyone who has linked to this site, re-published THEOparadox articles, commented on the posts, faithfully followed the progress of this blog, or simply stopped by on occasion. I pray the God of all grace will meet you powerfully in His boundless love and mercy through what you have found here - and that His glorious truth may always renew our minds so that we are conformed to the image of His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

For God and the Gospel!

Grace & peace,
Derek Ashton

THEO-barry-dox

My friend Barry Wallace has recently written a couple of great posts on Biblical paradox. Here are the links:

Randy Alcorn On Embracing Biblical Paradox

Don't Tell the Bible What It Can't Say

The second article has two very helpful John Piper quotes, and there is some interesting discussion in the meta.

I really appreciate Barry because, as a blogger, he's not afraid to take risks, tackle tough topics, open his heart to his readers, and admit when he doesn't know something. Yet he stands steady on the truth of God's Word and deals with questioners in a firm, truthful, fair minded and gracious way. Evidence, perhaps, of the grace of God that has come to him - sometimes painfully - through the Gospel.

If I had Barry's picture, I 'd give him a "THEObarrydox" t-shirt. I thank God for the day I "accidentally" stumbled on his blog.

Out and About

This weekend, Chris DeVidal and I visited a nearby Sovereign Grace church. Chris introduced me to one of his friends who attends the church, a man from the Netherlands who holds an earned doctorate in theology. When Chris told him I study Biblical paradoxes, the man smiled broadly and replied, "Veech vahns? Der are so many ahv dem."

That deserves a t-shirt.

PARADOX FILES, Vol. 8 - David Harrell

This Paradox File features Dr. David Harrell of Calvary Bible Church in Joelton, Tennessee. Dr. Harrell has been a committed Biblical (nouthetic) counselor for over 20 years, and has taught Biblical Counseling courses at the Master's College. Here, he encourages us to hold fast to the time-tested paradoxes of Christ's teaching as an antidote to the Purpose Driven Life fad of recent years. He manages to deliver a rather provoking expository sermon while simultaneously critiquing the seeker sensitive fads and affirming the THEOparadox concept. It's just beautiful!

The message is entitled,
"The Power of a Paradox Driven Life."
Click here for the message on Sermon Audio

Here are some notes and quotes from the message . . .

Introduction

"Certianly it's true that the character and the purposes of God are incomprehensible, and, frankly, only through the eyes of faith can we even get a glimpse of who He is . . . Indeed, there is an infinite chasm between man's minute understanding and God's omniscience . . . we quickly discover that His plan for glorifying Himself through salvation of sinful men is filled with paradoxes. His ways seem illogical to our way of thinking."

There is a very good overview of some key Scriptures and concepts that address Biblical paradox in this introductory section (especially the first 7 minutes of the message). He does a great job of showing just how paradoxical the Gospel message is. This is why he gets the shirt.

"These paradoxes of the Christian life stand in stark contrast to the superficial, watered down gospel that is popular today."

1. A cross comes before a crown

"We prefer happiness over holiness. We prefer recreation over re-creation, right? We don't want to be regenerated and born again, [and] become new creatures. We want to be happy and enjoy everything in the world, that's the idea. We want health and wealth, not forgiveness. We want purpose, not redemption. Well, Jesus said 'Get behind me, Satan, you are a stumbling block to me.'"

"Jesus is saying, again, 'My ways are not your ways. Your ways are selfish, mine are selfless. Your ways are short-sighted, mine are eternal.'"

2. We win by losing

"This is the opposite of the self-centered gospel of Neo-Evangelicalism that paints God with a smiley face running around trying to make us all happy. We must understand that Christ suffered the agony of the cross for our spiritual (not our physical) needs . . . When we come to faith in Christ, we are to come ... poor in spirit, utterly bankrupt, we have nothing to offer, we're crying out for this undeserved mercy and grace from the Lord. We come to Christ renouncing our old self." Whew!

"Beloved, we want to preach the Gospel clearly enough for unbelievers to reject it." AMEN!

"I stand before you this morning calling us back to the great paradoxes of the Christian faith. These are the divine principles that should drive our lives." Double AMEN!

In this section, Dr. Harrell explains the meaning of one of my favorite Greek words: agonizomai. That's also the name of my favorite blog, which is perfectly fitting.

3. Lasting joy comes through suffering.

"Each one of us, the Bible says, will stand before God and give an account. And make no mistake about it, the penetrating eyes of our holy and omniscient God will not be deceived. There'll be no place to hide, and your fate will not be determined by a jury of your peers, but by a holy and omniscient God, the Judge of the universe. And so I leave you with this question: will He see a life driven by selfish ambition and phony religion that loves cotton candy Christianity, or one driven by the glorious paradoxes of the Gospel of Christ?"

Dr. Harrell powerfully refutes the errors of the Purpose Driven Life and leads us right back to the Gospel according to Jesus Christ. I thank God for men like him.

DISCLAIMER: Although the topic is not mentioned in this sermon, Dr. Harrell is clearly pre-millennial/Pre-tribulational and strongly dispensational in his eschatology. I appreciate some aspects of dispensational theology, but reject it in general. However, I do not believe eschatology alone should divide Bible believing Christians. The Together for the Gospel conferences (t4g.org) are an example of eschatologically diverse Reformed believers joining hands over the ESSENTIALS of Biblical teaching. In this spirit, I commend Dr. Harrell without reservation, but I don't necessarily endorse his eschatology. I also forgive him for having more hair than me.