When some friends of mine who are in the ministry told me they belonged to an organization called the “Free Grace Society,” I asked them who Grace was and if she had been incarcerated unjustly. I had this mental picture of people with placards bearing this slogan, picketing at Huntsville State Prison.
Then it was explained to me that this was an organization to promote the teaching and preaching of “free grace.”
Now, I don’t belong to this organization, but I am in agreement with their objectives. However, I have some questions:
-- Isn’t this redundant?
-- Isn’t grace, by definition, always free?
Apparently some think not. And many more are uncertain.
“Grace” has become another one of those terms that has to be defined by a synonym, like “true facts.” (See CHEAP GRACE.)
I guess a definition is in order here. The Evangelical Dictionary of Theology says: “ … its meaning is that of undeserved blessing FREELY bestowed on man by God – a concept which is at the heart not only of Christian theology but also of all genuinely Christian experience” (pg. 479).
Berkhof’s Systematic Theology says it “ … generally means favour or good-will. … The fundamental idea is, that the blessings graciously bestowed are freely given, and not in consideration of any claim or merit” (pg. 427).
When we speak of God’s grace, we may be speaking of any number of “favors” that God extends to man (and woman), but we are primarily speaking of His grace in Christ. (Ephesians 2:8, 9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.”)
We are reconciled to God through the death of His Son. (2 Corinthians 5:21: “He made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”)
All that is required on our part is faith plus nothing. (Romans 4:5: “But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness.”)
These passages and many others like them seem to be clear, yet there are many who object. And it gets personal. I have been accused by some of my students and others, “You are teaching that all a person has to do is make a profession of faith and then they can live as they please! Those people who do this aren’t saved!”
Some object that there must be some sort of “commitment,” along with faith, or that faith must be redefined to include commitment. Others object that there must be some criteria used to distinguish between “true believers” and “professing believers” (by the way, neither of these is a biblical term).
Apparently, according to these objectors, I am sending people to hell by preaching and teaching the gospel!
This is not just some minor (or even major) doctrinal disagreement. This goes right to the heart of what Christianity is all about. It is an either/or. (Galatians 1:8: “But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed.”)
So in reply, I’d like to say the following:
1. Our salvation is totally based on the work of Christ on the cross. It is His work completely. No one can add anything to it. He died for ALL of our sins.
2. Our receiving of that salvation is by FAITH, not by “profession of faith.” These are two different (though not unrelated) matters.
3. Grace can be abused. As any parent knows, there will be those children who see freedom as an opportunity to sin. God’s children are no different than ours. There are those who say, “Let us do evil that good may come” (Romans 3:8). But possibility is not permission.
4. We are not the arbiters of who is saved and who is not. God is. He alone can see whether faith is real or not.
5. Christianity is not primarily a moral code. It is first of all a religion of rescue. Jesus said, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).
6. It is only AFTER we have experienced the grace of God in Christ that we can do works pleasing to Him. We will fail often. But our eternal salvation is based on that initial faith in the finished work of Christ, not on our successes and failures afterward.
Bill Ball
12/8/2006
Bill's Thoughts on the Bible, Theology and American Culture
Friday, December 8, 2006
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
FEAR
Apparently the results of the recent election have struck fear into the hearts of many:
-- There will be increasing terrorism in our country.
-- Our marriages will be destroyed.
-- The gay conspiracy will now be free to take over our nation.
-- Illegal aliens will overrun our country.
-- There will be increased slaughter of our babies.
-- And worst of all – we have set ourselves up for the presidency of the evil demonic Hillary.
-- America is doomed!!!
This would all be laughable if it were the tongue-in-cheek remarks of some TV comedian like Colbert or Jon Stewart. Or even if it were merely the rantings of some cynical far-right radio or TV loony like Limbaugh or Coulter.
But it’s not only from them that we hear these things. Concerned citizens write letters to the editor of my local newspaper expressing these fears. Worse than that, some of my concerned evangelical Christian friends express these same fears. And they are totally mystified that I don’t share their fears.
Get over it!
God is in control!
I see a number of serious problems here, all of which need to be addressed.
First, many of these expressed fears are based on lies and half-truths spread by politicians, demagogues and others who inhabit the fringes. These people build a following based on fear of and hatred for all those who disagree with them. All sources of information are considered false unless they emanate from “us.” It’s a sort of a cult mentality that plays on our normal human fears.
Then there is the problem that we’ve forgotten the doctrine of original sin and total depravity. We are ALL sinners: “ … for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). We love to divide mankind between the good guys and the bad guys, between “us” and “them.” But it’s not that way. This nation is governed by sinners of both political parties. One or many elections won’t change that.
And bad things have been happening in this country since the beginning. People have done and will continue to do evil acts, no matter who is in the majority in Washington. My fearful friends see conspiracies everywhere. Maybe there are, maybe not. But the ultimate conspirator is Satan, not the “liberals,” the Democrats or even the religious right: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).
God is the One Who is ultimately in control. He put G. W. Bush in office and He gave us a Democrat majority in Congress: “ … In order that the living may know that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, and bestows it on whom He wishes, and sets over it the lowliest of men” (Daniel 4:17). If Hillary Clinton is our next president it will be because He will put her there.
Finally, fear is not fitting for those who trust in Christ: “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love” (1 John 4:18).
Bill Ball
11/15/2006
-- There will be increasing terrorism in our country.
-- Our marriages will be destroyed.
-- The gay conspiracy will now be free to take over our nation.
-- Illegal aliens will overrun our country.
-- There will be increased slaughter of our babies.
-- And worst of all – we have set ourselves up for the presidency of the evil demonic Hillary.
-- America is doomed!!!
This would all be laughable if it were the tongue-in-cheek remarks of some TV comedian like Colbert or Jon Stewart. Or even if it were merely the rantings of some cynical far-right radio or TV loony like Limbaugh or Coulter.
But it’s not only from them that we hear these things. Concerned citizens write letters to the editor of my local newspaper expressing these fears. Worse than that, some of my concerned evangelical Christian friends express these same fears. And they are totally mystified that I don’t share their fears.
Get over it!
God is in control!
I see a number of serious problems here, all of which need to be addressed.
First, many of these expressed fears are based on lies and half-truths spread by politicians, demagogues and others who inhabit the fringes. These people build a following based on fear of and hatred for all those who disagree with them. All sources of information are considered false unless they emanate from “us.” It’s a sort of a cult mentality that plays on our normal human fears.
Then there is the problem that we’ve forgotten the doctrine of original sin and total depravity. We are ALL sinners: “ … for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). We love to divide mankind between the good guys and the bad guys, between “us” and “them.” But it’s not that way. This nation is governed by sinners of both political parties. One or many elections won’t change that.
And bad things have been happening in this country since the beginning. People have done and will continue to do evil acts, no matter who is in the majority in Washington. My fearful friends see conspiracies everywhere. Maybe there are, maybe not. But the ultimate conspirator is Satan, not the “liberals,” the Democrats or even the religious right: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).
God is the One Who is ultimately in control. He put G. W. Bush in office and He gave us a Democrat majority in Congress: “ … In order that the living may know that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, and bestows it on whom He wishes, and sets over it the lowliest of men” (Daniel 4:17). If Hillary Clinton is our next president it will be because He will put her there.
Finally, fear is not fitting for those who trust in Christ: “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love” (1 John 4:18).
Bill Ball
11/15/2006
Friday, November 3, 2006
A LIFE LOST
Last night, I received word that one of my students had taken his own life. Though I have been close to many who have died, this is different. Both of my parents and both of Uni’s parents have passed on. As a pastor and a hospital chaplain, I’ve spent time with many dying people.
It seems so senseless. I know and have known of many wasted lives. But I’ve also seen many of these lives saved. And while they are still alive there’s always hope. But death is final. There is no further opportunity for him to be saved.
I had talked to him just a little over a week earlier, and though he said he was angry with God and hated Christians, he had trusted Christ as his Savior.
Is he “saved”? In the sense of, “Is he in heaven?”, I believe he is. “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? … For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, … nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:33-39).
He will stand before the judgment seat of Christ “saved, yet so as through fire” (1 Corinthians 3:15). I hope to see him one day.
But this life was wasted.
Some further thoughts:
The Bible never uses the word “suicide” and it says little, if anything directly regarding suicide as a moral issue. The Mosaic Law is silent regarding suicide, as is the New Testament.
But the Bible relates a number of suicides, making little comment on them. We should be very careful not to make “prescriptions” out of “descriptions.”
Samson (Judges 16:23-31), as a prisoner of the Philistines, blinded and forced to perform for their entertainment in the temple of their god, found a way to bring the whole building down on himself and his captors. The only comment made was that “the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he killed in his life.” He is listed as a judge of Israel and is included among the heroes of faith of Hebrews 11 (vs. 32). His final act (as most of his acts) is neither commended nor condemned.
Saul (1 Samuel 31). Wounded by the Philistines, Saul took his own life to avoid humiliation by his enemies, as did his armor bearer. Again, his act is neither commended nor condemned, although he is given a sort of hero’s burial. Later, David commends those who heroically rescued Saul’s body from the Philistines (2 Samuel 2:4-7).
Ahithophel (2 Samuel 17:14, 22), David’s counselor, sided with Absalom, David’s son, in his rebellion against David. When Absalom did not follow Ahithophel’s counsel, Ahithophel committed suicide, possibly realizing that his wrong choice would catch up with him. No moral pronouncement is made.
Judas (Matthew 27:3-10; Acts 1:15-20, 25), the betrayer of Jesus, is probably the best known of all biblical suicides. It is notable that although the New Testament speaks condemningly of Judas, it is his act of betrayal, not his suicide, that is condemned.
A biblical perspective
1. The undeserved taking of a human life is a violation of the sanctity of human life (Genesis 9:6) and is to be regarded as a sin. This, it seems, would include suicide.
2. The taking of one’s own life, however, is not an “unpardonable sin.” To die with unconfessed sin would bring shame and loss of reward at the judgment seat of Christ, but the believer who commits suicide would “be saved, yet so as through fire” (1 Corinthians 3:10-15; 1 John 2:28).
3. An exception would be that of giving one’s life for another (John 15:13; Romans 5:7). This is not suicide. Jesus did this for us.
4. We who know Christ need to be aware of those around us – brothers and sisters who are hurting -- and should deal compassionately with those who have these tendencies. We can’t always know what their motives are and what their actions will be. We can’t always save them. But we can show them the love of Christ.
Bill Ball
11/3/2006
It seems so senseless. I know and have known of many wasted lives. But I’ve also seen many of these lives saved. And while they are still alive there’s always hope. But death is final. There is no further opportunity for him to be saved.
I had talked to him just a little over a week earlier, and though he said he was angry with God and hated Christians, he had trusted Christ as his Savior.
Is he “saved”? In the sense of, “Is he in heaven?”, I believe he is. “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? … For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, … nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:33-39).
He will stand before the judgment seat of Christ “saved, yet so as through fire” (1 Corinthians 3:15). I hope to see him one day.
But this life was wasted.
Some further thoughts:
The Bible never uses the word “suicide” and it says little, if anything directly regarding suicide as a moral issue. The Mosaic Law is silent regarding suicide, as is the New Testament.
But the Bible relates a number of suicides, making little comment on them. We should be very careful not to make “prescriptions” out of “descriptions.”
Samson (Judges 16:23-31), as a prisoner of the Philistines, blinded and forced to perform for their entertainment in the temple of their god, found a way to bring the whole building down on himself and his captors. The only comment made was that “the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he killed in his life.” He is listed as a judge of Israel and is included among the heroes of faith of Hebrews 11 (vs. 32). His final act (as most of his acts) is neither commended nor condemned.
Saul (1 Samuel 31). Wounded by the Philistines, Saul took his own life to avoid humiliation by his enemies, as did his armor bearer. Again, his act is neither commended nor condemned, although he is given a sort of hero’s burial. Later, David commends those who heroically rescued Saul’s body from the Philistines (2 Samuel 2:4-7).
Ahithophel (2 Samuel 17:14, 22), David’s counselor, sided with Absalom, David’s son, in his rebellion against David. When Absalom did not follow Ahithophel’s counsel, Ahithophel committed suicide, possibly realizing that his wrong choice would catch up with him. No moral pronouncement is made.
Judas (Matthew 27:3-10; Acts 1:15-20, 25), the betrayer of Jesus, is probably the best known of all biblical suicides. It is notable that although the New Testament speaks condemningly of Judas, it is his act of betrayal, not his suicide, that is condemned.
A biblical perspective
1. The undeserved taking of a human life is a violation of the sanctity of human life (Genesis 9:6) and is to be regarded as a sin. This, it seems, would include suicide.
2. The taking of one’s own life, however, is not an “unpardonable sin.” To die with unconfessed sin would bring shame and loss of reward at the judgment seat of Christ, but the believer who commits suicide would “be saved, yet so as through fire” (1 Corinthians 3:10-15; 1 John 2:28).
3. An exception would be that of giving one’s life for another (John 15:13; Romans 5:7). This is not suicide. Jesus did this for us.
4. We who know Christ need to be aware of those around us – brothers and sisters who are hurting -- and should deal compassionately with those who have these tendencies. We can’t always know what their motives are and what their actions will be. We can’t always save them. But we can show them the love of Christ.
Bill Ball
11/3/2006
Saturday, October 14, 2006
COMPASSION
Eight times we read in the gospels that Jesus “had (or felt)compassion.” The Greek verb is splanchnizomai and comes from the word splanchna which means the inner organs – the “guts” (See Acts 1:18 where we read that Judas “burst open and all his splanchna fell out.”)
The verb is used to describe the feelings of the father of the lost son in the parable (Luke 15:20) and the feelings of the Samaritan for the half-dead man on the road (Luke 10:33).
The definition of compassion in my Websters is “sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress with a desire to alleviate it.” Tying this with the Greek word we see a deep “gut feeling” for those in need.
I have long been fascinated by the emotions that the Gospel writers tell us Jesus felt. I have often wondered how they knew His feelings. Sometimes He told them, but often He did not. But as I studied I realized that He didn’t have to tell how He felt. It showed. Every time we’re told that Jesus “had compassion,” we are told that He did something about it.
Matthew 9:36: “Seeing the crowds, He had (not felt) compassion for them because there were harassed and cast down like sheep without a shepherd” – and the following story tells that He sent His disciples to preach and heal.
Matthew 14:14: “He saw a great crowd and He had compassion for them and He healed their sicknesses.”
Matthew 15:32 and Mark 8:2: “He said, ‘I have compassion on the crowd, because they’ve been with me 3 days already and they don’t have anything to eat’” – so he fed them.
Matthew 20:34: “ … and Jesus had compassion” (on the blind men) – so He healed their blindness.
Mark 1:41: “ … and He had compassion” (on the leper) – so He healed him.
Mark 6:34: “ … and He saw a great crowd and He had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd” – so He taught them.
Luke 7:13: “ … and seeing her (a widow grieving for her dead son), the Lord had compassion on her” – so He raised her son to life.
Every time we read of Jesus’ compassion, it is not simply a deep sympathy. It shows itself by His actions. He healed, raised the dead and taught the Word, whatever was needed to alleviate suffering He had more than feelings. His feelings were translated into actions. He in a real sense entered into their sufferings.
Isn’t that what He did in the incarnation? As God in His pre-incarnate state He loved us – felt compassion for us in our need. And He became man to enter into our sufferings and alleviate them, ultimately by His death on the cross.
So do we as followers of Christ, have compassion? Do I? We’re commanded to. Paul tells us to “put on compassion (splanchna) and mercy” (Colossians 3:12).
I like to think of myself as a pretty sympathetic guy. I cry at the movies. I cry at weddings and funerals. But that’s not compassion. Compassion is when I not only enter in peoples’ feelings, but when I enter so deeply that I do something about it.
We in this century are confronted with hundreds of images of people in need. We see people not only suffering physically, but people “like sheep without a shepherd.” Are we compassionate? Only if we are doing something about it.
Bill Ball
10/14/2006
The verb is used to describe the feelings of the father of the lost son in the parable (Luke 15:20) and the feelings of the Samaritan for the half-dead man on the road (Luke 10:33).
The definition of compassion in my Websters is “sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress with a desire to alleviate it.” Tying this with the Greek word we see a deep “gut feeling” for those in need.
I have long been fascinated by the emotions that the Gospel writers tell us Jesus felt. I have often wondered how they knew His feelings. Sometimes He told them, but often He did not. But as I studied I realized that He didn’t have to tell how He felt. It showed. Every time we’re told that Jesus “had compassion,” we are told that He did something about it.
Matthew 9:36: “Seeing the crowds, He had (not felt) compassion for them because there were harassed and cast down like sheep without a shepherd” – and the following story tells that He sent His disciples to preach and heal.
Matthew 14:14: “He saw a great crowd and He had compassion for them and He healed their sicknesses.”
Matthew 15:32 and Mark 8:2: “He said, ‘I have compassion on the crowd, because they’ve been with me 3 days already and they don’t have anything to eat’” – so he fed them.
Matthew 20:34: “ … and Jesus had compassion” (on the blind men) – so He healed their blindness.
Mark 1:41: “ … and He had compassion” (on the leper) – so He healed him.
Mark 6:34: “ … and He saw a great crowd and He had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd” – so He taught them.
Luke 7:13: “ … and seeing her (a widow grieving for her dead son), the Lord had compassion on her” – so He raised her son to life.
Every time we read of Jesus’ compassion, it is not simply a deep sympathy. It shows itself by His actions. He healed, raised the dead and taught the Word, whatever was needed to alleviate suffering He had more than feelings. His feelings were translated into actions. He in a real sense entered into their sufferings.
Isn’t that what He did in the incarnation? As God in His pre-incarnate state He loved us – felt compassion for us in our need. And He became man to enter into our sufferings and alleviate them, ultimately by His death on the cross.
So do we as followers of Christ, have compassion? Do I? We’re commanded to. Paul tells us to “put on compassion (splanchna) and mercy” (Colossians 3:12).
I like to think of myself as a pretty sympathetic guy. I cry at the movies. I cry at weddings and funerals. But that’s not compassion. Compassion is when I not only enter in peoples’ feelings, but when I enter so deeply that I do something about it.
We in this century are confronted with hundreds of images of people in need. We see people not only suffering physically, but people “like sheep without a shepherd.” Are we compassionate? Only if we are doing something about it.
Bill Ball
10/14/2006
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