John Piper videos

John Piper answers a couple of tough questions:

God's Final Word by Dr Joseph Mizzi

This month's Gospel e-Letter from Dr Joseph Mizzi was very helpful:

What is God’s ultimate message to the world?

In the past God spoke to his people by the prophets; ultimately he spoke to us by his Son. “This is my beloved Son;” declared the voice from heaven, “Listen to him.” The Lord Jesus reveals the Father because he is the living Word, the perfect image of the
invisible God.

Thus when the disciples asked Jesus to show them the Father, Jesus answered: “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?” (John 14:9). Whereas he warned the Jews who refused to believe in him that they did not really know God. “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also” (John 8:19).

This then - our attitude to Christ - is the dividing line between Christianity and the heretical sects and other religions. Christians believe in the eternal Son of God who also became man for our salvation; we therefore entrust our souls to his care and worship him with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Whereas non-Christians deny the Deity of our Lord and refuse to bow down before him.

Islam claims that God’s final word was given by the prophet Mohammed some 600 years after Christ. Therefore Islam must deny the unique dignity of Jesus as the Son of God so that it won’t be seen as a regression from God’s final revelation. Indeed the
Qur’an says that Jesus is just another prophet, and it specifically denies that he is the Son of God. “The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only a messenger of Allah … Far is it removed from His Transcendent Majesty that He should have a son” (Sura 4:171). [1]; “The Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before; may Allah destroy them” (Sura 9:30). [2]

Visit the site for the rest of the article.

The Exclusivity of Christ - Part II

Recently I did a post on why Jesus is the only way to God (exclusivity is the fancy, harder to pronounce word). Next week my Bible study at work will be looking at this very topic, so I was delighted to come across TWO more excellent resources on the topic.

• Tim Keller has some fabulous downloads in his series "The Trouble with Christianity: Why it's so Hard to Believe It". Click here for free sermons and study guides.
• John Hendryx (not related to Jimi) has written a phenomenal article about the exclusivity of Christ. Hendryx asks the question: Is Jesus really the only way? I hope you read all of this article (many times!), but there is a short summary of the Gospel at the end that is worth "giving away" here. It's essentially the Gospel, the good news of how a Holy God SAVES sinners like me and you. Please, read this carefully!
  

Man was created to glorify God & Enjoy Him forever
"Worthy are you, our Lord and our God to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things." (Rev 4:11) "Do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor 10:31)

Man has failed to glorify God & is under His just condemnation
"For all have sinned..." (Rom 3:23) The wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23) "These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction" (2 Thes 1:9)

Jesus fully bore the wrath and suffered the punishment sinners deserve
Not wishing that sinners perish forever, God determined to save a people for Himself in the Eternal Son who became a man and lived the life we should have lived and died the death we justly deserve. God loves sinners and sent [His] Son to [be] the wrath absorbing sacrifice for their sin (1 John 4:10; John 6:37) he "...gave His life as a ransom for many" (Mk 10:45) & "rose again" from the dead (2 Cor 5:15) on their behalf.

All who, by the grace of God, turn to Jesus in repentant, submissive faith are forgiven & begin a life-changing, eternally satisfying relationship with God! "Repent and believe the gospel (Mk 1:5) "In Your presence is fullness of Joy (Ps 16:11)

Click here for the rest of the article.

The Exclusivity of Christ

On Monday, Aimee and I saw a piece on ABC News and have been nauseated ever since. Here is the online article version:

Religious Americans: My Faith Isn't the Only Way

The subtitle says it all: "Religious Americans embrace many paths to eternal life _ even if their denominations don't" Here is an excerpt from the article (emphasis mine) ...

Among the more startling numbers in the survey, conducted last year by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life: 57 percent of evangelical church attenders said they believe many religions can lead to eternal life, in conflict with traditional evangelical teaching.

In all, 70 percent of Americans with a religious affiliation shared that view, and 68 percent said there is more than one true way to interpret the teachings of their own religion.

"The survey shows religion in America is, indeed, 3,000 miles wide and only three inches deep," said D. Michael Lindsay, a Rice University sociologist of religion.

This is an eye-opening and tragic reminder that Truth is found not in surveys but in the timeless pages of the Word of God!

As I have shared before here, John Piper does a great job of bringing the light of Scripture to bear on this heresy that denies the exclusivity of Christ. Piper answers--biblically--these three questions:

1. Will anyone experience eternal consious torment under God's wrath?
2. Is the work of Christ the necessary means provided by God for eternal salvation?
3. Is it necessary for people to hear of Christ in order to be eternally saved?

The clear answer to each of these questions is YES!

I'll close with my favorite scene from Trains, Planes and Automobiles. It perfectly illustrates the heart of American "Religion" right now.



If you're not following the Jesus clearly revealed in the Bible, ... YOU'RE GOING THE WRONG WAY!!!

"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. (Matthew 7:13-14)"

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.' (Matthew 7:21-23)"

I hope to follow up with the specific passages dealing with these crucial questions in later posts.