Reflection from breakfast

I was discussing Baptist Catechism question #5 with a young man the other day, and as I was reading something today by Francis Schaeffer, something came to mind. This question of the catechism asked "How do we know that the Bible is the Word of God." The first part of the answer is where this blog entry is going to be focused. The first part of the answer to this is "the Heavenliness of it's doctrine." Or...you could say...in some sense...It's teaching is supernatural.

Liberal theology has for a long time tried to separate out the "supernatural" component in God's revelation. For instance, in years past, they have set on a course to prove that there is a "historical Jesus" and that you can prove everything that he did by history, and there is no need for the "supernatural" because everything can certainly be explained in "naturalistic" thinking. (I know...for some...may be some big words here.)

Let me discuss in one area...how this has shifted our thinking. (I would encourage some research in the areas of science in the 1800's because you can see how the theology of the Universities and the seminaries paralleled the thinking of the secular world.) The church univsersal largely has accepted this same position in regard to salvation.

One can clearly see this in the "popular view" of what salvation is. It has been reduced, over the years from a supernatural, God-pleasing act that was decided long before the world began, where God's plan was to crush is Son in order to redeem a chosen people for His own possession. What does the reduction look/sound like? Well, there are many different manifestations...such as salvation being reduced to a mere human decision.

Now, we are reaping the results of such teaching and ideology. What are the results? One result is largely unregenerate congregations of people that participate in "church." Even among those who are born-again, there are large groups of people that judge manifestations of God's supernatural work by natural argument rather than looking at God's Word for direction (how sad). Put all of this together...what are we creating for ourselves? When the world looks at us...they see powerless, divisive, less than genuine people that are meeting together to attend something that we call "church."

What is the cure? Oh to Look upon the Christ in the Scriptures and to believe in Him and have life abundant. Oh to be set free to love the truth of the Word of God rather than the world's teaching.

I would encourage those who have been formally "turned off" by the concept or the name of "catechism" to rethink your reasons and consider embracing such a tool. I will now include some comments from Catechism Question #5...

Question 5: How do we know that the Bible is the Word of God?

Answer: The Bible evidences itself to be God's Word by the heavenliness of its doctrine, the unity of its parts, and its power to convert sinners and to edify saints. But only the Spirit of God can make us willing to agree and submit to the Bible as the Word of God.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:6-7,13-16; Psalm 19:7-9; 119:18,129; Acts 10:43; 26:22; 18:28; Hebrews 4:12; Romans 15:4; John 16:13,14; 1 John 2:20-27; 2 Corinthians 3:14-17; 4:4, 6.