What does "common grace" mean, and is it something I should believe?

I have read about common grace, and heard that it is a term invented by John Calvin, and not found in Scripture, and that he used it to slice up the concept of grace, and who God offers grace and who he doesn't. What does "common grace" mean, and is it something I should believe?

Answered by Randy Alcorn

I do not see common grace as an invention of John Calvin or any other man. Rather, I see it as a magnificent and beautiful doctrine that flows right off the pages of Scripture and is repeatedly confirmed by daily observation.

In his excellent book Bible Doctrine, Wayne Grudem says, "Common grace is the grace of God by which he gives people innumerable blessings that are not part of salvation. The word common here means something that is common to all people and is not restricted to believers or to the elect only."

Any Bible-believing Christian should agree that some people are saved and others aren't. No matter how you understand the "elect" (whether God elects them, as I believe, or that they somehow "elect" themselves) it is a biblical term, used of people about ten times in the New Testament, and of angels at least once. All "common grace" does is point out that God loves the whole world, and exercises patience and kindness even to those who ultimately reject him. In my opinion, an Arminian (non-Calvinist) could agree with that also, and probably would if he didn't know John Calvin had used the term. (I'm wide open to another term, by the way; it's the doctrine that I wouldn't want to part with.)

Regardless of the reasons for it, if someone doesn't become saved he doesn't experience saving grace, correct? But he does experience other aspects of God's grace, what is here called "common grace." To me this just shows the depth and breadth of Christ's love. Common grace is demonstrated in Christ's words, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust" (Matt. 5:44-45). If not for this, we would have "all grace to believers, no grace to unbelievers," and this would be impossible, since if no grace was shown to someone in rebellion against Christ, he couldn't draw his next breath, let alone commit his next sin.

Common grace emphasizes the goodness of God. It exactly reverses the standard logic, e.g. Rabbi Kushner who asked "Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?" and concluded in his bestselling book that God is either not all-good or not all-powerful. He bailed God out (so he thought), rescuing Him from not being good by concluding God is not all-powerful. This has become the predominant logic. Understanding neither God's holiness nor the reality and extent of our sin, we fail to realize that the question of why bad things happen to good people is exactly backwards. It's the wrong question. The real question, which angels likely ask (having seen their angelic brethren permanently evicted from Heaven for their rebellion) is "Why Do Good Things Happen to Bad People?" If we understood how God is and how we are, that is exactly the question we would ask.

This is the wonder and awesomeness of the doctrine of common grace. God graciously and kindly brings good to people who deserve the fires of Hell not simply eventually, but right now. (This goes back to the doctrine of human depravity.)

It is characteristic of bad people to not THINK of themselves (i.e. ourselves) as being bad. We imagine we are good (not perfect, but good enough). So we fail to marvel at God's common grace. When a tsunami happens we ask "Where is a good God?" But when a tsunami doesn't happen we usually fail to thank Him for restraining from us the devastations of a world in rebellion against God. And certainly we never say "Where is a just God? Why hasn't He struck me down for my sin today?" Instead, we moan that we can't find a close parking space on a rainy day.)

Jesus appeals to God's common grace as a basis for our extending grace to others, even those who hate us (cf. Luke 6:35-36). If not for God's common grace, i.e. if God brought immediate terrible judgment on unbelievers, the world as we know it wouldn't exist. Among other things, no one would have an opportunity to come to Christ, since we would be immediately cast into Hell.

Paul said to unbelievers, "In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways; yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good and gave you from heaven rains and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness" (Acts 14:16-17). I find this a very touching statement of God's grace toward all, and an appeal for all people to realize his love, even in a world under the curse. Satan is taking his toll on this world in bondage to sin, but even though none of us deserve his grace, God extends it to us. This world gives foretastes of both Heaven and Hell. Tragically, it is the closest to Heaven the unbeliever will ever know, and wonderfully, it is the closest to Hell the child of God will ever know.

David says, "The LORD is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made. . . . The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand, you satisfy the desire of every living thing" (Ps. 145:9, 15-16). God cares for his creation and extends his grace to all, not only people but animals, though they suffer under the curse and will until Christ's return.

Another thing I appreciate about common grace is its irony. God gives atheists not only food to eat and air to breathe, but the very minds and wills and logic that they use to argue against him. The man who says God cannot be good since he allows suffering doesn't grasp that God is withholding from him the full extent of suffering he deserves for his evil, and that is the very thing that gives the man the luxury of formulating and leveling his accusations against God.

Common grace, along with the fact that we are created in God's image, also explains how sinners can still do good. Jesus says, "If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same" (Luke 6:33). This explains how human culture has developed much that is good alongside the evil. I love John 1:9, that Jesus came as the light that "enlightens every man." I think this reflects that fact that all people in history have benefited from the coming of Christ, even those who reject him. The model of Christ, his grace and truth, his elevation of women and conciliatory words created a reference point for bringing freedom and civil rights to many societies. As far as we still have to go, the progress in affirming the rights of women and racial minorities in our own culture is due not to the current beliefs of moral relativism, but to the teaching and model of Christ which sowed the seeds for later reversal of the injustice (including slavery, women unable to vote, etc.) that still hung over this country when it was founded.

As for distinguishing between common grace and saving grace, don't we agree that not all people will be saved and go to Heaven (even if we disagree on the meaning of election), yet all people are nonetheless recipients of many of God's kindnesses and provisions and acts of grace? Personally, I think John Wesley could have coined the phrase "common grace" as easily as John Calvin (though of course he would have attached different nuances to it). To me it is a wonderful doctrine, true to Scripture and true to the world we see around us.

If someone prefers to call it something besides "common grace," that's fine (though I like the term), but whatever we call it I think it's biblical and significant, and it causes me to praise God for the breadth of His grace.

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Peggy Gill Bracken – 1931-2010

I want to express gratitude to our church family, First Baptist Lakeland. You have been so faithful to pray for my Mother, Peggy Bracken, over the past years. My mother was so blessed to receive cards from our Sunday School classes and from many in our Church. I have been so humbled by your calls, and notes and your stopping me to ask how my Mother was doing and offering your support, prayers and concern. I passed on your prayers, love and concern to her and she was so blessed to know of your support and prayers. It has been a difficult path but there has been such amazing grace manifested to me and my family, and much of that grace has been through you, our Church family.

I have no anger or animosity against our Maker, but genuine devotion and love born out of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For the same God who sovereignly ordains disease and catastrophes is the same God who by His determined purpose ordained that sinful men with their sinful intent would nail His Son to a cross. Two verses come to mind:

(Job 1:21 NASB) And he said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD."

(Rom 8:28 NASB) And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Cancer and illness are such a reminder that we are made for something so much better than this broken world. Pain causes us to look for relief. In Christ, that relief has now been personally ministered to my Mother by Jesus Christ Himself (Rev 21:1-7). I believe that following death we will enter into that relief just as Jesus promised the thief who placed his faith in the Lord Jesus, “Today you will be with me in paradise.”

For those in Christ, we have a great future hope!

At this point we are planning to have the funeral this Wednesday morning and the visitation on Tuesday evening. The specifics will be worked out Monday morning as we meet together with the funeral directors.

By the way… something personal about my mother that many of you will appreciate. She always said, “Flowers are for the living”. I always thought that was a private family comment but apparently it got out. Ever since December, there has rarely been a weekday that flowers have not been delivered to my Mom.

My mother requested that any memorial gifts be given to First Baptist Church, Brewton, AL or First Baptist Church, Lakeland, GA.

By God’s grace and for His glory,
Brother John

Peggy Gill Bracken – 1932-2010
Williams Memorial Chapel Funeral Home, 2353 South Blvd, Brewton, AL 36426-7152; (251) 867-4304

Peggy Bracken “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” – Philippians 1:21 (ESV)

Some may not have known that my Mother has been suffering from two forms of Lung Cancer for well over 2 years. This morning at 8:58 am (Central Time) an awesome and wonderful thing happened, my Mother found herself directly in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.

My Mother was a wonderful Christian lady. I could spend hours talking about all the good things that she has done. One of the greatest things she has done is to find grace and strength to graciously love me, for I am not always easy to love. I am so thankful that God chose me to have such a wonderful Mother in Peggy Bracken.

One thing I want to clearly state: My Mother being able to stand in the presence of the Lord has nothing to do with her being a good lady or a "saint". Her hope, as is my hope and hopefully yours, is in "Jesus' blood and righteousness" (On Christ The Solid Rock, Edward Mote, 1797-1874).

I love what John Newton, at age 82, said, "My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things, that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Saviour."

Many things will be remembered over the coming days concerning my Mother. We will relive the memories, laugh and cry, honor her and remember that she, by God's grace, stands in the presence of God because Jesus died in her place granting to her salvation by grace through faith (Eph 2:8-9).

Funerals that are done for people who have lived for Christ, trusting in His substitutionary death for their salvation, often unwittingly communicate a works false gospel (salvation merited or earned). We end up bragging on this person saying things like “If they can’t make it to heaven, then none of us have a chance”. The Gospel truth is that none of us have a chance. When the disciples were astonished that the rich young ruler was not good enough to enter into heaven they asked Jesus about it and this is what was said:

“When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, ‘Who then can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’” (Mat 19:25-26 NIV)

It is impossible for us to save ourselves, only God can save us. Our sin and offense was so great, that no man could atone for it. Only God could reconcile us to Himself. He alone is the hope of our salvation.

As we eulogize my Mother, may we celebrate the life she has lived as a gift from God. May we remember her and honor her. More than anything, may we celebrate the God who saved her from eternal condemnation and saved her to be with himself for eternity (And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. [John 14:3 KJV]).

Before Holy God, we are all great sinners in desperate need of the GREAT SAVIOUR – JESUS CHRIST.

With gratitude to God for His great merciful saving work for sinners,
Proudly Peggy Bracken's son, John

A Wretch Like Who?

Before I spoke at a conference, a soloist sang one of my favorite songs, "Amazing Grace."

It was beautiful. Until she got to the tenth word.

"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a soul like me."

My heart sank. The word "wretch" had been edited out! I thought about John Newton, the song-writer. This former slave-trader, guilty of the vilest sins, knew he was a wretch. And that's what made God's grace so "amazing." Mind-boggling. Knock-down awesome.

If we're nothing more than morally neutral "souls," do you see what that does? It guts grace. The better we are, the less we need grace. The less amazing it becomes. (Change the Baby Jessica story to rescuing Osama bin Laden and you have a better picture of redemption.)

The Bible makes an astounding proclamation: "God showed us his love in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
When you cut "wretch" out of the song, you shrink grace. You reduce it to something more sensible, less surprising.

If we weren't so bad without Christ, why did He have to endure the cross? Paul said if men were good enough, then "Christ died for nothing" (Galatians 2:21).

Grace never ignores the awful truth of our depravity. In fact, it emphasizes it. The worse we realize we are, the greater we realize God's grace is.



Grace isn't about God lowering His standards. It's about God fulfilling those standards through the substitutionary suffering of the Standard-setter. Christ went to the cross because He would not ignore the truths of His holiness and our sin. Grace never ignores or violates truth. Grace gave what truth demanded: the ultimate sacrifice for our sins.

Human depravity may be an insulting doctrine, but grasping it is liberating. Why? Because when I realize the best I can do without Him is like "filthy rags" in His sight (Isaiah 64:6), it finally sinks in that I have nothing to offer. Salvation therefore hinges on His work, not mine.

You and I, after all, weren't (or aren't, if you don't yet know Him) merely sick in our sins, we were dead in our sins (Ephesians 2:1-3). That means I'm not just unworthy of salvation, I'm utterly incapable of earning it. Corpses can't raise themselves from the grave.

What relief to realize my salvation cannot be earned by good works—and therefore can't be lost by bad ones.

If we see God as He really is, and ourselves as we really are, there's only one appropriate response: to worship Him. Humility isn't pretending we're unworthy because it's spiritual—it's recognizing we're unworthy because it's true.

A. W. Tozer said, "Only the humble are sane."

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Tim Hawkins - The Government Can

Why I Hate Religion - Mark Driscoll

This provides an excellent contrast between religion and/or "do goodism" & the Gospel...

“Preach to yourself” by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

“Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself? Take those thoughts that come to you the moment you wake up in the morning. You have not originated them, but they start talking to you, they bring back the problems of yesterday, etc.

Somebody is talking. Who is talking? Your self is talking to you. Now this man’s treatment was this; instead of allowing this self to talk to him, he starts talking to himself. ‘Why art thou cast down, O my soul?’ he asks. His soul had been depressing him, crushing him. So he stands up and says: ‘Self, listen for a moment, I will speak to you.’…

The main art in the matter of spiritual living is to know how to handle yourself. You have to take yourself in hand, you have to address yourself, preach to yourself, question yourself. You must say to your soul: ‘Why art thou cast down’– what business have you to be disquieted?

You must turn on yourself, upbraid yourself, condemn yourself, exhort yourself, and say to yourself: ‘Hope thou in God’– instead of muttering in this depressed, unhappy way. And then you must go on to remind yourself of God, Who God is, and what God is and what God has done, and what God has pledged Himself to do.

Then having done that, end on this great note: defy yourself, and defy other people, and defy the devil and the whole world, and say with this man: ‘I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance, who is also the health of my countenance and my God.’”

–D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Its Cure(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1965/2002), 20-1.

The Cost of Grace

Hounded by the Pharisees, betrayed by a friend, forsaken by His disciples, brutalized by police, beaten by His inquisitors, led in disgrace to a rigged trial.

Arrogant men sitting in judgment over Him, crowning Him with thorns, mocking and disdaining. Beating Him without mercy, nailing Him to the cross, the worst of tortures, stretched out between thieves.

Miserably thirsty, utterly forsaken by His Father for the first time, the picture of utter aloneness.

Hell on earth! Not just one man's hell, but the hell of billions. At any moment-in a millisecond—He could have called legions of angels to deliver Him and destroy His enemies. Instead, He bears forever the scars of sin, rebellion, mockery, and hatred…the scars of God's grace.

The cost of redemption cannot be overstated. The wonders of grace cannot be overemphasized. Christ took the hell He didn't deserve so we could have the heaven we don't deserve.

If you're not stunned by the thought of grace…then you aren't grasping what grace offers you, or what it cost Jesus.

In 1987 eighteen month old "Baby Jessica" fell twenty-two feet into a Texas well. Rescuers labored nonstop to save her. After 55 grueling hours, her life hanging in the balance, finally they reached her, and extracted her from the well. The nation breathed a sigh of relief and cheered the heroes.

This was not the story: "Baby Jessica clawed her eighteen month old body up the side of that twenty-two foot well, inch by inch, digging in her little toes and working her way up. She's a hero, that Jessica!"

Baby Jessica was utterly helpless. She could do nothing to deliver herself. Her fate was in the hands of her rescuers. Left to herself Jessica had no chance. Likewise, when it comes to our salvation, we're utterly powerless. That's grace: "at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly" (Romans 5:6).

We get no more applause for our redemption than Baby Jessica got for being rescued. God alone deserves the ovation. In the story of redemption, He's the only hero. And it didn't just cost him 55 hours of hard work—it cost him everything.

Do you want to say "thank you" right now?

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Advance 09: Matt Chandler - Preaching the Gospel to the De-Churched

Matt Chandler, pastor of The Village Church, Dallas, TX Metro Area (multi-site) will be speaking at this year's Southern Baptist Convention's Pastors Conference. He recently was diagnosed with a form of aggressive brain cancer, underwent surgery and has been undergoing chemo and radiation treatments. Below is one of his many excellent messages that he has preached over the past years. To see other video messages from the Advance 09 Conference click this link.

Why I hate religion - Mark Driscoll

What is Grace?

We spent an unforgettable day in England with Phil and Margaret Holder. Margaret had been born in China to missionary parents with China Inland Mission. In 1939, when Japan took control of Eastern China, thirteen-year-old Margaret was imprisoned in a Japanese internment camp. There she remained, separated from her parents, for six years.

Margaret told us stories about a godly man called "Uncle Eric." He tutored her and was deeply loved by all the children in the camp. We were amazed to discover that "Uncle Eric" was Eric Liddell, "The Flying Scott," hero of the movie Chariots of Fire. Liddell shocked the world by refusing to run the 100 meters in the 1924 Paris Olympics, a race he was favored to win. He withdrew because the qualifying heat was on a Sunday.

Liddell won a gold medal—and broke a world record—in the 400 meters, not his strongest event. Later he went as a missionary to China. When war broke out, he sent his pregnant wife and daughters to safety. Imprisoned by the Japanese, he never saw his family in this world again. Suffering with a brain tumor, Eric Liddell died in 1945, shortly after his forty-third birthday.

Through fresh tears, Margaret told us, "It was a cold February day when Uncle Eric died."

At times it seemed unbearable to be cut off from their homes and families. But Margaret spoke with delight of "care packages falling from the sky"—barrels of food and supplies dropped from American planes.

One day, Margaret and the other children were lined up as usual to count off for roll call. Suddenly an American airplane flew low. They watched it circle and drop more of those wonderful food barrels. But as the barrels came near the ground, the captives realized something was different. Her eyes bright, Margaret told us, "This time the barrels had legs!" The sky was full of American soldiers, parachuting down to rescue them.

Margaret and several hundred children rushed out of the camp, past Japanese guards who offered no resistance. Free for the first time in six years, they ran to the soldiers, raining down everywhere. They threw themselves on their rescuers, hugging and kissing them.

Imagine the children's joy. Imagine the soldiers' joy.

God rejoices in the grace He offers, as much as we rejoice in receiving it. Whether it's Him returning from the sky to liberate us, or drawing us to Himself through our deaths, we will be rescued and at last reunited with loved ones who've gone before us. We'll be taken home.

Permissions: Feel free to reproduce and distribute any articles written by Randy Alcorn, in part or in whole, in any format, provided that you do not alter the wording in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. It is our desire to spread this information, not protect or restrict it.

Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: by Randy Alcorn, Eternal Perspective Ministries, 39085 Pioneer Blvd., Suite 206, Sandy, OR 97055, 503-668-5200, www.epm.org, www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com, www.facebook.com/randyalcorn, www.twitter.com/randyalcorn

Achieving Balance

The apparent conflict between grace and truth isn't because they're incompatible, but because we lack perspective to resolve their paradox. The two are interdependent. We should never approach truth except in a spirit of grace, or grace except in a spirit of truth. Jesus wasn't 50% grace, 50% truth, but 100% grace, 100% truth.

Truth-oriented Christians love studying Scripture and theology. But sometimes they're quick to judge and slow to forgive. They're strong on truth, weak on grace.

Grace-oriented Christians love forgiveness and freedom. But sometimes they neglect biblical study and see moral standards as "legalism." They're strong on grace, weak on truth.

Countless mistakes in marriage, parenting, ministry and other relationships are failures to balance grace and truth. Sometimes we neglect both. Often we choose one over the other.

It reminds me of Moses, our Dalmatian.

When one tennis ball's in his mouth, the other's on the floor. When he goes for the second ball, he drops the first. Large dogs can get two balls in their mouth. Not Moses. He manages to get two in his mouth only momentarily. To his distress, one ball or the other spurts out onto the floor.

Similarly, our minds don't seem big enough to hold onto grace and truth at the same time. We go after the grace ball—only to drop the truth ball to make room for it. We need to stretch our undersized minds to hold them both at once.

A paradox is an apparent contradiction. Grace and truth aren't really contradictory. Jesus didn't switch on truth, then turn it off so He could switch on grace. Both are permanently switched on in Jesus. Both should be switched on in us.

Truth without grace breeds a self-righteousness legalism that poisons the church and pushes the world from Christ.

Grace without truth breeds moral indifference and keeps people from seeing their need for Christ.

Attempts to "soften" the gospel by minimizing truth keep people from Jesus. Attempts to "toughen" the gospel by minimizing grace keep people from Jesus.

It's not enough for us to offer grace or truth. We must offer both.

That's what this little book is all about.

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Thinking of my friend Matt Chandler and the difference between Hope and Desire

Pastor JR Vassar
I write this today because I need to. I need to tell myself these things. I just read the pathology report from the Village Church on Matt Chandler (http://ow.ly/MM81). I have known Matt for many years and love and respect him deeply. I am praying for him and for his sweet wife Lauren, and their kiddos, and the Village. And, I am praying with this in mind: there is a difference between desire and hope.

I am praying with great desire. My desire is that God would heal Matt, hand him to Lauren and the kids to be her husband and their daddy, restore him to the pulpit, empower him to preach his heart out for the magnification of Jesus, and one day let him play with his grandkids. I think God wants me to desire those things and ask Him for them, knocking until my knuckles bleed, making it clear to God how I desire Him to respond. And, those desires are good. But those desires are different than our hope.

Sometimes desires are not fulfilled. But, our hope is. Hope does not disappoint us (Romans 5:5). Our hope is certain and sure. Our hope is that none who trust in Him will ever ultimately be put to shame. Our hope is that in Jesus we are forgiven, given his Spirit, adopted as sons and daughters of God, and will one day be revealed as such (Romans 8:14-16; 1John 3:2-3). Our hope is that Jesus has defeated our greatest enemies of Satan, Sin, and Death and through Him we will triumph (Romans 8:37). Our hope is that God is sovereignly moving heaven and earth to secure the good of his elect and bring about their glory and joy (Romans 8:28). Our hope is that we who are in Christ are the eternal objects of God's love and that nothing, absolutely nothing, can change that status or rob us of its privileges (Romans 8:38-39). Our hope is that these momentary and light afflictions are preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison (2Cor 4:16-17); that the things we suffer are not worth comparing to the glory that God will reveal to us (Romans 8:18). Our hope is that God will not leave us nor forsake us so that even as we experience ten thousand shadows of death come over us, we shall not fear because He is with us (Psalm 23). Our hope is that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us into his presence (2Cor 4:14). Our hope is that if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united to him in a resurrection like His (Romans 6:5). And, our hope is that Christ, who is our great treasure, will be exalted as such whether by life or by death (Philippians 1:20). This is Matt's hope. He knows this hope; he lives this hope; he preaches this hope. Lauren knows and lives this hope as well, and Matt is blessed to have her at his side.

I just needed to tell myself that today. I need to remember that as I voice desires to be fulfilled and as I plead with the "God who is able," for Matt's strength and healing and restoration, I must not confuse my desire and my hope. I am holding tightly to hope and finding my comfort in the God of Hope. Praying we all will. Apostles Church will be praying for the Chandlers.

Surprised by Grace

That first century Jewish culture understood truth far better than grace. Grace comes first in John 1:14 because it was more surprising.

When Jesus stepped onto the world's stage, people could not only hear the demands of truth but see Truth Himself. No longer fleeting glimmers of grace, but Grace Himself. "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world" (John 1:29).

When God passed in front of Moses, He identified Himself as "abounding in love and faithfulness" (Exodus 34:6). The words translated "love" and "faithfulness" are the Hebrew equivalents of grace and truth.

Grace is a delightful, fragrant word.

It intrigues.

Attracts.

Compels.

Dazzles.

It also confounds. It's as though God said, "You know about truth. It's taught in synagogues every Sabbath. But let Me tell you about grace…."

The Old Testament teaches the fear of God, spelling out the horrendous consequences of disregarding truth. It presents truth relentlessly. Uzzah was struck down just for steadying the ark with his hand.

There's certainly grace in the Old Testament—lots of it—but it was overshadowed by truth. The Pharisees, God's self-appointed gatekeepers, never emphasized grace. Christ's hearers had seen truth in the law of Moses, but it was He who gave them their first clear view of grace. The law could only reveal sin. Jesus could remove it.

Some churches today embrace truth, but need a heavy dose of grace.

Other churches talk about grace, but cry out for a heavy dose of truth.

I invited a lesbian activist to lunch. For the first hour, she hammered me, telling of all the Christians who'd mistreated her. She seemed hard as nails. I listened, trying to show her God's grace, praying she'd see the Jesus she desperately needed. She raised her voice and cursed freely. People stared. But that was OK. Jesus went to the cross for her—the least I could do was listen.

Suddenly she was crying, sobbing, broken. I reached across the table and took her hand. For the next two hours I heard her story, her heartsickness, her doubts about the causes she championed. I told her about Christ's grace.

After four hours we walked out of that restaurant, side by side. We hugged.

In our conversation, truth wasn't shared at the expense of grace, or grace at the expense of truth.

Birds need two wings to fly. With only one wing, they're grounded. The gospel flies with the wings of grace and truth. Not one, but both.

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John Piper and the Prosperity Gospel

I'd so love to be able to attend the Together for the Gospel Conference (http://www.t4g.org/). Below is an interview with one of the main speakers, C.J. Mahaney, one of my favorite Bible teachers and authors. He gets around to talking about one of the great benefits of the conference - the singing together, as men the praises of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

C. J. Mahaney - Study Video from Together for the Gospel (T4G) on Vimeo.

Does God Hate Haiti?

The following article is by Dr. Al Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and is timely, in light of the disaster but also those who would say for whatever reason, that what has happened is in response to God's judgment. You can link directly to this article at: http://www.albertmohler.com/2010/01/14/does-god-hate-haiti/

Posted: Thursday, January 14, 2010 at 5:19 pm ET

The images streaming in from Haiti look like scenes from Dante's Inferno. The scale of the calamity is unprecedented. In many ways, Haiti has almost ceased to exist.

The earthquake that will forever change that nation came as subterranean plates shifted about six miles under the surface of the earth, along a fault line that had threatened trouble for centuries. But no one saw a quake of this magnitude coming. The 7.0 quake came like a nightmare, with the city of Port-au-Prince crumbling, entire villages collapsing, bodies flying in the air and crushed under mountains of debris. Orphanages, churches, markets, homes, and government buildings all collapsed. Civil government has virtually ceased to function. Without power, communication has been cut off and rescue efforts are seriously hampered. Bodies are piling up, hope is running out, and help, though on the way, will not arrive in time for many victims.

Even as boots are finally hitting the ground and relief efforts are reaching the island, estimates of the death toll range as high as 500,000. Given the mountainous terrain and densely populated villages that had been hanging along the fault line, entire villages may have disappeared. The Western Hemisphere's most impoverished nation has experienced a catastrophe that appears almost apocalyptic.

In truth, it is hard not to describe the earthquake as a disaster of biblical proportions. It certainly looks as if the wrath of God has fallen upon the Caribbean nation. Add to this the fact that Haiti is well known for its history of religious syncretism -- mixing elements of various faiths, including occult practices. The nation is known for voodoo, sorcery, and a Catholic tradition that has been greatly influenced by the occult.

Haiti's history is a catalog of political disasters, one after the other. In one account of the nation's fight for independence from the French in the late 18th century, representatives of the nation are said to have made a pact with the Devil to throw off the French. According to this account, the Haitians considered the French as Catholics and wanted to side with whomever would oppose the French. Thus, some would use that tradition to explain all that has marked the tragedy of Haitian history -- including now the earthquake of January 12, 2010.

Does God hate Haiti? That is the conclusion reached by many, who point to the earthquake as a sign of God's direct and observable judgment.

God does judge the nations -- all of them -- and God will judge the nations. His judgment is perfect and his justice is sure. He rules over all the nations and his sovereign will is demonstrated in the rising and falling of nations and empires and peoples. Every molecule of matter obeys his command, and the earthquakes reveal his reign -- as do the tides of relief and assistance flowing into Haiti right now.

A faithful Christian cannot accept the claim that God is a bystander in world events. The Bible clearly claims the sovereign rule of God over all his creation, all of the time. We have no right to claim that God was surprised by the earthquake in Haiti, or to allow that God could not have prevented it from happening.

God's rule over creation involves both direct and indirect acts, but his rule is constant. The universe, even after the consequences of the Fall, still demonstrates the character of God in all its dimensions, objects, and occurrences. And yet, we have no right to claim that we know why a disaster like the earthquake in Haiti happened at just that place and at just that moment.

The arrogance of human presumption is a real and present danger. We can trace the effects of a drunk driver to a car accident, but we cannot trace the effects of voodoo to an earthquake -- at least not so directly. Will God judge Haiti for its spiritual darkness? Of course. Is the judgment of God something we can claim to understand in this sense -- in the present? No, we are not given that knowledge. Jesus himself warned his disciples against this kind of presumption.

Why did no earthquake shake Nazi Germany? Why did no tsunami swallow up the killing fields of Cambodia? Why did Hurricane Katrina destroy far more evangelical churches than casinos? Why do so many murderous dictators live to old age while many missionaries die young?

Does God hate Haiti? God hates sin, and will punish both individual sinners and nations. But that means that every individual and every nation will be found guilty when measured by the standard of God's perfect righteousness. God does hate sin, but if God merely hated Haiti, there would be no missionaries there; there would be no aid streaming to the nation; there would be no rescue efforts -- there would be no hope.

The earthquake in Haiti, like every other earthly disaster, reminds us that creation groans under the weight of sin and the judgment of God. This is true for every cell in our bodies, even as it is for the crust of the earth at every point on the globe. The entire cosmos awaits the revelation of the glory of the coming Lord. Creation cries out for the hope of the New Creation.

In other words, the earthquake reminds us that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only real message of hope. The cross of Christ declares that Jesus loves Haiti -- and the Haitian people are the objects of his love. Christ would have us show the Haitian nation his love, and share his Gospel. In the midst of this unspeakable tragedy, Christ would have us rush to aid the suffering people of Haiti, and rush to tell the Haitian people of his love, his cross, and salvation in his name alone.

Everything about the tragedy in Haiti points to our need for redemption. This tragedy may lead to a new openness to the Gospel among the Haitian people. That will be to the glory of God. In the meantime, Christ's people must do everything we can to alleviate the suffering, bind up the wounded, and comfort the grieving. If Christ's people are called to do this, how can we say that God hates Haiti?

If you have any doubts about this, take your Bible and turn to John 3:16. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. That is God's message to Haiti.

________________________________

I am always glad to hear from readers and listeners. Write me at mail@albertmohler.com. Follow regular updates on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AlbertMohler.

In giving assistance to the people, I recommend giving through the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. They have an excellent Haiti response in place through Baptist Global Response.

Photo credit, International Mission Board.

Whence and Why the Earthquake?

John Piper gives his repsonse to the why's of disasters in the following article in an article titled, "Whence and Why the Earthquakes In Turkey".

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By John Piper August 18, 1999
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"Weep with those who weep" (Romans 12:15). When love has wept and worked, it must have some answers. Not all the answers, but some. No earthquakes in the Bible are attributed to Satan. Many are attributed to God.** This is because God is Lord of heaven and earth. "He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him" (Luke 8:25). "He sends forth His command to the earth. . . . He gives snow like wool; He scatters the frost like ashes. He casts forth His ice as fragments; who can stand before His cold? . . . He causes His wind to blow and the waters to flow" (Psalm 147:15-18). "He looks at the earth, and it trembles; He touches the mountains, and they smoke" (Psalm 104:32). "[He] shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble" (Job 9:6). And if the devils try to intrude on his control, "He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him" (Mark 1:27).

Earthquakes are ultimately from God. Nature does not have a will of its own. And God owes Satan no freedom. What havoc demons wreak, they wreak with God's permission. That's the point of Job 1-2 and Luke 22:31-32. God does nothing without an infinitely wise and good purpose. "He also is wise and will bring disaster" (Isaiah 31:2). "The LORD is good" (Psalm 100:5). Therefore, God had good and all-wise purposes for the heart-rending tragedy in Turkey that took thousands of lives on August 16, 1999.

Indeed he had hundreds of thousands of purposes, most of which will remain hidden to us until we are able to grasp them at the end of the age. "How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord?" (Romans 11:33-34). "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever" (Deuteronomy 29:29).

Yet there are possible purposes revealed in the Bible that we may pray will come to pass.

The end-time earthquakes in the book of Revelation (see the footnote) are meant as calls to repentance to warn people who deny Jesus Christ that a day is coming when unbelievers will cry to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb" (Revelation 6:16).

The end-time earthquakes in Matthew 24:7-8 are meant to be interpreted as "the beginning of the birth pangs." That is, they are a wake-up call to this oblivious world that God's kingdom will soon be born; so be alert and prepare to meet Jesus Christ.
God's unilateral taking of thousands of lives is a loud declaration that "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away" (Job 1:21). The message for all the world is that life is a loan from God (Luke 12:20) and belongs to him. He creates it and gives it and takes it according to his own will and owes us nothing. He has a right to children (2 Samuel 12:15) and to the aged (Luke 2:29). It is a great gift to learn this truth and dedicate our lives to their true owner rather than defraud him till it is too late.

The power felt in an earthquake reveals the fearful magnificence of God. This is a great gift since "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Psalm 111:10). Most of the world does not fear the Lord and therefore lacks saving wisdom.

When the earth shakes under your feet there is a dramatic sense that there is no place to flee. In most disasters the earth is the one thing that stands firm when wind and flood are raging. But where do you turn when the earth itself is unsafe? Answer: God.

May the Lord fulfill two other purposes for this painful catastrophe. 1) That Christians repent of worldliness. "I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3). 2) That Christians, around the world, step forward with extraordinary, sacrificial love to show more clearly the mercy of Christ who laid down his life in the midst of the Father's judgment.

Praying, giving, trembling, trusting,

Pastor John

** 2 Samuel 22:8; Isaiah 13:13; 24:18-20; 29:6; Psalm 60:2; Nahum 1:5-6; Revelation 6:12; 8:5; 11:13f; 16:18.

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© Desiring God

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Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org

Found: http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/TasteAndSee/ByDate/1999/1136_Whence_and_Why_the_Earthquake_in_Turkey/

Regina Spektor "Laughing With" Video, Lyrics and Song

Some time back Josh Harris posted the following concerning a hauntingly realistic song about how lightly we take God except when we face devastation. Here is what he had to say along with the video and lyrics below. ( http://www.joshharris.com/2009/07/regina_spektor_no_one_laughs_a.php#more )

I listened to Regina Spektor's haunting song "Laughing With" several times today. I don't know Regina's personal religious beliefs, but I think she's written a powerful song. To me the song speaks of the fact that suffering strips away our flippant attitude towards God. We can laugh at God when all is well or when we encounter a caricature of him, but when tragedy strikes we're confronted with the reality that we're helpless. "No one laughs at God in a hospital."

The video and song lyrics follow. Let me know what you think.



"Laughing With" Lyrics:

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one's laughing at God when they're starving or freezing or so very poor

No one laughs at God when the doctor calls after some routine tests
No one's laughing at God when it's gotten real late and their kid's not back from that party yet

No one laughs at God when their airplane starts to uncontrollably shake
No one's laughing at God when they see the one they love hand in hand with someone else and they hope that they're mistaken
No one laughs at God when the cops knock on their door and they say "We've got some bad new, sir,"
No one's laughing at God when there's a famine, fire or flood

But God can be funny
At a cocktail party while listening to a good God-themed joke or
Or when the crazies say he hates us and they get so red in the head you think that they're about to choke

God can be funny
When told he'll give you money if you just pray the right way
And when presented like a genie
Who does magic like Houdini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus

God can be so hilarious
Ha ha
Ha ha

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one's laughing at God when they've lost all they got and they don't know what for

No one laughs at God on the day they realize that the last sight they'll ever see is a pair of hateful eyes
No one's laughing at God when they're saying their goodbyes

But God can be funny
At a cocktail party while listening to a good God-themed joke or
Or when the crazies say he hates us and they get so red in the head you think that they're about to choke

God can be funny
When told he'll give you money if you just pray the right way
And when presented like a genie
Who does magic like Houdini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus

God can be so hilarious

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war

No one's laughing at God in a hospital
No one's laughing at God in a war

No one's laughing at God when they're starving or freezing or so very poor

No one's laughing at God
No one's laughing at God
No one's laughing at God
We're all laughing with God

Laughing With by Regina Spektor from the album Far

Patrick Henry Hughes

Finding grace in unexpected ways is sometimes very evident, but sometimes we have to take more time to look for it. In the case of Patrick Henry Hughes (see video below), with the passing of time the grace is very evident. But for many, that grace wasn't so evident the day he was born.

In a related article, Dr. Al Mohler comments on the eventual possibility of "designer babies" at the following link http://www.albertmohler.com/2009/02/17/the-age-of-the-designer-baby-arrives. With the use of such technologies in the future, the Patrick Henry Hughes would likely be eliminated and the grace and blessings that come with such persons.

Brit Hume's comments on Tiger Woods need for the Gospel

When I first saw Brit Hume's comments on Tiger Woods need for the Gospel on a YouTube post, I had a mixture of feelings, ranging from excitement, to empathy, and to concern. Excitement - because the Gospel was being declared in a major public venue as something needed and not only needed but supremely needed. Empathy - because having made statements that are not politically correct, I knew in a very small measure the backlash that Hume would experience. Concern - because I have to often seen people in the public arena make statements that they were not prepared to back up whether by a lack of training or maturity.

My concern for Hume's ability to backup his statements have been very much satisfied with the interview he did with the magazine Christianity Today. I was very pleased with Hume's grasp of the Gospel and to find out more about his personal journey. There is a link below to the interview.

I was particularly amazed by Hume's statement concerning those Christians in the public eye who have failed and his antidote for failure. That antidote for failure can be applied for all of us, the need for more Gospel and not less Gospel.

CT: Some people might say, "What about Christians like Ted Haggard or Mark Sanford?"

BH: I don't think I would blame Christianity for the failings of people like that. Christianity is the right religion for people like that. Christianity is a religion for sinners. Christianity is not about the salvation of perfect people. Christianity is a way for people who are not perfect to be saved. What Mark Sanford needs is not less Christianity. He needs more of it.

Link to complete interview:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2010/januaryweb-only/11-42.0.html