Book Review: Once Saved Always Changed

Once Saved Always Changed by Steve Fernandez

This book has six chapters on the topics: 1. Significant of Regeneration: Crucial Truth, 2. Necessity: Sin, Depravity, Gospel, 3. Character: Radical Renewal, 4. Consequences: Changed Lives and Sin in the Church, 5. Order: Conviction, Regeneration, Saving Faith, 6. Implications: Evangelism, Discipleship, Counselling. As the subtitle of the book claims itself, it is about the meaning of new birth or regeneration of a believer. He wrote about the aspects, necessity, nature, and consequences of regeneration, and also about the relationship between regeneration and faith. The book ends with practical implication of the doctrine of regeneration.

It begins by stating that new birth (or regeneration, to use the theological term) is a radical change of the core disposition and nature of a person that fundamentally transforms both their attitudes and behavior of life. The author contends that the biblical and historical Christian position is that regeneration actually breaks and dethrones the general controlling power of sin so that the believer’s basic life-direction is now away from self and sin, and toward God and holiness.  He rightly refers to regeneration as the root of obedience and holiness. He writes that Christ’s purpose with Nicodemus (as with the entire Sermon on the Mount) was to show that external righteousness is totally inadequate. Regeneration is necessary because of man’s depravity. Man is born with a sin-corrupted nature and is an object of God’s wrath. Man is spiritually dead, he cannot be revived. Man has a God-hating heart and cannot welcome truth and needs a recreation through regeneration by God Himself. When a person is regenerated, it gives him not only a new birth but a new capacity, and new conduct which always follows because it made him a new person. He is born of the Spirit and it produces the life of the Spirit. Without Him, there can be no Salvation. He possesses a single nature, radically transformed, but with sin remaining as a vestige and remnant of the old man. He does not possess an “old nature” and a “new nature” as is commonly taught.

In chapter 5, Steve deals with the order in which God brings sinners, dead in their sins, to personal salvation and life in Christ under the term “calling.” God not only invites to salvation (the general external call heard by many through the preaching of the gospel), He also effectively brings specific people to the saving relationship with Himself. This call is the internal or effectual call. The initial step is the proclamation of the gospel. Next is the conviction process. When exposed to the truths of the gospel, the person becomes aware, and even concerned about their need to turn to Christ and of their guilt before God. Conviction, however, is not efficacious. That is, it does not bring a person to saving faith. People, because of their hardened heart, would not turn to Christ. The heart of a person must change, this is regeneration. God must do a further work in regeneration, or there will be no embracing of Christ in saving faith. The Word of God is the instrument (I Pet 1:2), and the Holy Spirit is the agent, but the new birth itself is totally the work of God acting directly upon in the person. Faith is exercised as the immediate and inseparable result of the new birth. Instantly and inseparably the sinner renounces sin and exercises trusting, reliant faith as he gladly embraces Christ. The reason he exercises saving faith, the reason he has come to salvation, is God Himself, in His love, interposing and regenerating and renewing his heart. It is to Him all the glory goes!

Steve, in the last chapter, writes about the implications of regeneration: to pray for the work of the Holy Spirit before evangelism and witnessing and not manipulations of tactics, and to avoid giving false assurance.

Recommendation:

It is the first book of Steve Fernandez I ever read. It motivates me to take prayer seriously for unregenerated people, especially those we are about to witness. It reminds me to take prayer seriously, and not just to rest on the power of the gospel, and not on intellect. It also reminds me of the depravity of myself, and mankind and the saving works of God. The implication of regeneration will force every reader to depend on the Holy Spirit and not on psychology or methods of counselling.

I recommend this book to every professing Christian to read this book and examine oneself and our church members on what it really means to be born again.

June 13, 2014

Book Summary: Knowing God

Knowing God by J.I. Packer

It is indeed a book that every Christian ought to read not because it is J.I. Packer’s most famous book but because of the content of it. The author aptly titled it as “Knowing God,” and not “Knowing about God.” He explained the difference between “knowing” and “knowing about” God. One may know about God and not know God, but one who knows God knows about Him. This book has three sections entitled as: Know The Lord, Behold Your God, and If God Be For Us. It has also 22 chapters, each having sub-headings. He has written in such a way that each chapter can be read independently for devotional reading. However, there is a pretty logical flow from one chapter to another chapter. It is interesting to see lots of hymns in this book. Each chapter has a hymn or more. Though the book is just 41 years old, some of his vocabularies seem to be missing in our present days’ books.

In the first section, Packer writes about why one needs to know God. He writes that one should study God like a “traveler” and not like a “balconeers”. He draws from Spurgeon that studying theology is the most profound and most humbling study to do. He points out that there are four pieces of evidence of knowing God: great energy, great thoughts, great boldness, and great contentment in God. Ultimately, what matters is not one knows God but God knows him. He writes sternly against using images in worship for whatsoever reasons. He writes about the incarnation of Christ as the supreme mystery – neither Good Friday nor Easter. In his word, “nothing in fiction is so fantastic as is this truth of Incarnation.” He also rejects the theory of “kenosis” pointing out that it cannot stands. In the last chapter of this section, he writes about the important works of the Holy Spirit. He observes that “the doctrine of the Holy Spirit is the Cinderella of the Christian Doctrines.”

In the second section, Packer points to the attributes of God. Firstly, he writes about the immutability of God. He defines repentance as “revising one’s judgment and changing of one’s action” which God does not do. Then he writes about the majesty of God so that one may have an optimistic view of God’s grace and mercy, and not to have “the thought about God as too human.” He also writes about the Wise God who knows everything about one’s trials. The wise God gives wisdom, and Packer gives steps to get it. He comments on Ecclesiastes that the “pessimistic conclusion” will lead to an optimistic expectation of finding the divine purpose of everything. Packer says that wisdom “is not sharing in all His knowledge, but a disposition to confess that He is wise, and to cleave to Him and live for Him in the light of His Word through thick and thin.” Then he writes about the truth of the Word of God, His Love, His Grace, His Judgment, and the Wrath of God. It is exhilarating to know that the NT writers invented the word “agape” to write about the wonderful Love of God. Packer also thrust one’s mind to God’s goodness and God’s severity. It makes one appreciate God’s discipline for He is patient and good. In the last chapter of this section, he writes about the holy Jealousy of God. God demands from His redeemed people the absolute loyalty. He will vindicate Himself from unfaithful people. Thus it implies to Christians that they must be zealous for God too – to be faithful.

 In the last section of this book, Packer writes about the richness of a person if the God he mentions above is to be his God. He goes directly to the heart of the Gospel to explain what God has done for this richness. He writes that Christ died as propitiation, not expiation. Christ not only removes the barrier of sins before God but pacifies the wrath of God. Justice sounds real only in the idea of propitiation. So, it was not easy for Christ to die. In the words of Luther, “never man feared death like this Man.” This gospel brings peace to a believer. His peace is a “power to face and live with one’s own badness and failings, and also contentment under the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune (for which the Christian name is God’s wise providence).” He is adopted as the son of God. He gets an intimate relationship with God as Father and highest privilege. He lives a Christian life, prayerful life, and a life of faith. Adoption shows the great love of God, gives the hope of glorification, gives the Spirit to understand the mystery. It motivates to repentance, and to live holiness of life. The Holy Spirit guides the believer through His Word for all matters. Then Packer writes about the trials in the believer’s life. He writes that God gives grace in trials not by shielding from troubles but by exposing to them “so as to overwhelm him with a sense of his own inadequacy, and to drive him to cling to God and be close to Him.” Then in the last chapter, he writes about the adequacy of God from the book of Romans, particularly chapter 8. He points to the sovereignty of God for a believer to rejoice in Him. He mentions that nothing can separate him  (a Christian) or accuse him, and nothing good will be withheld from him if God is for Him. Packer concludes that this God is the God of the Bible, the God revealed in Jesus Christ. Learning God is in Christ, which means it involves having a personal relationship with Christ.

 24^th November 2014

Choosing a Bible Version

Lots of Bible (versions), Which One Should I Use?

If you have not owned a Bible you must be wanting to visit OM Bookstore, Barik or Beautiful Books, Laitumkhrah, just below our UESI-NE Centre. There are Bibles in different prints, different versions, and different categories. You are confused, “lots of Bible, which one should I buy?” Well, it is very easy. All of them is Bible. You can pick up any one of them. Nonetheless, take time to shop as much as you do to buy Jeans or Mobile-phone. You better be serious to get the right type of Bible. Regarding size, have the dignity to carry a big Bible like you are in having a hi-fi phone. Of course, it should be convenient to use in your room and in church. Concerning category, get a Study-Bible which has headings, cross-references, concordances, footnotes, and maps. However, you must remember that footnotes and headings are not inspired – they are just the opinions of man who undertake that project.

There are hundreds of English Bible versions today. Bible was originally written in Hebrew and Greek, and some portion in Aramaic. Therefore, it is necessary for the translation of these original languages into vernacular languages. So we have lots of translations/versions. Some of them are a very accurate translation from the original, and some translations are just labeled as a paraphrase. Most of the people I know use NKJV, NASB, ESV, or NIV. Indeed, they are the most read and best-selling versions. Some people cling to KJV and TEV (GNB) too. Therefore, I feel necessary to write about these 6 Bible Versions. Personally, I love NKJV and NASB, but I use many other translations for comparison in my Bible Studies. Remember these 4 criteria before you buy:

1. Historical Background of Translations and the Translators: KJV, NASB, NKJV, and ESV are to be favored over others for they follow the historic tradition of Tyndale. NIV and TEV do not have any historical lineage.

2. Textual Bases of Translations: There are two families of manuscript – Byzantine, and Alexandrian. Alexandrian though fewer in manuscripts are considered to be the older one. There are few differences between these families – Byzantine has more words and verses than Alexandrian. However, there is no question regarding the inerrancy of God’s Word in its original manuscript, and the preservation of it. KJV and NKJV use the Byzantine (Textus Receptus). NASB, ESV, NIV, and TEV use the Alexandrian. NKJV does a good job by acknowledging all the variants in its footnotes (esp. NU-Text and M-Text).

3. Philosophy/Techniques of Translations: This is by far the greatest decisive factor for choosing a Bible version. There are two types of translation – Formal-equivalence (literal-translation) and Dynamic-equivalence (free-translation). Each has advantages and disadvantages. Free-translation translates thought-for-thought and aims it for readability. Literal-translation translates word-for-word and aims it for accuracy to the original text. Free-translation tends to commit the mistake of explaining, instead of translating. Some translations such as The Message, Living Bible are so free in their translation that they are in the category of Paraphrase (not considered as a translation). Bible-study is to seek for the meaning of the text, not for the explanation of the translator. For somebody’s explanation, read Bible Commentary. Therefore, for a Bible-study, Literal-translation is to be favored over Free-translation and Paraphrase. Free translation may serve you the best for devotional reading. If you are very new to the Bible or young, Paraphrase may be the best. However, it should not take you long to have a more literal version such as NKJV, NASB, or ESV. The most literal translation includes ASV and KJV. Whereas the Amplified Bible, TEV, are known for their free-translational philosophy. NIV stands in between literal and free translation, yet it is purely a free-translation.

4. Theological Perspectives in Translations: Theological biases is certain to be more if the translation is done by an individual or by a specific denomination (e.g. NWT). It is also certain that the dynamic-equivalent translations will have more. You can discover the theological biases from the theological position of the translators. Obviously, you should not depend for your spiritual growth from the works of liberal scholars, who have the low view of Scriptures. NKJV, NASB, KJV, ESV, and NIV have the background of conservative evangelical theology. Each of them is produced by a committee.

            I hope you have got some information from this article. Yes, I have not addressed the issue of English. It’s because the preference of English belongs to the individual. Most people say NIV’s English is very easy to understand. For me, ESV is easier, and TEV is easiest. Most people like the style of KJV and ESV. Of course, everyone will agree KJV’s English is difficult. Check for yourselves which version is better for you.

18 November 2014

Book Summary: Does God Exist?

Does God Exist? by William Lane Craig  

Dr. William Lane Craig is arguing for the existence of God philosophically. He is employing five different types of argument, each independent of one another. However, he also shows the connecting link between one after another so that the reader will find enough evidence for believing or affirming in the existence of God. Indeed, the reader will acknowledge that it is reasonable to believe the existence of God. However, all the arguments he employs can be used by other theistic groups. These arguments do not carry the message of the Gospel. It does not point to the God of the Bible. Therefore, these arguments may not be fruitful for evangelism, yet it will challenge the minds of people who do not care that God exists. Definitely, these arguments will strengthen the faith of believers as we see the world has been campaigning for the anti-theistic society.

In chapter 1, Professor William Lane Craig presents the Cosmological Arguments which are defended today by philosophers such as Timothy O’ Connor and Richard Swinburne and others. The tenets of these arguments are 1. Everything that exists has an explanation of its existence. In other words, nothing exists without the explanation of its existence. 2. Granting the fact that the universe exists, the argument follows, the explanation of its existence is God. Because such a universe has to be originated from the immaterial and infinite One. This argument presents God as the uncaused God whose explanation of His existence is Himself.

In chapter 2, Dr. Craig presents his favorite argument, the Kalam Cosmological Argument. Philosopher such as Stuart Hackett and others defend this argument against criticism and counter-views. 1. The main argument of this is that everything that begins to exist has a cause. This rule out God because God does not begin to exist. He is eternal. He is uncaused being. The argument goes on to say that nothing comes out from nothing. 2. Drawing from scientific evidence and the affirmations of the scientific community, he proves that the universe has its own beginning. Granting these two premises, it is logical to come to the conclusion that the universe has its own cause. The cause of it is God, the creator.

In chapter 3, he presents the Teleological Argument which is defended by scientists and philosophers such as William Dembski, Michael Denton, Paul Davies, and others. This is also the most favorite argument of Intelligent Design’s Proponents. The argument is that the universe is intelligible beyond comprehension. It is not because of physical necessity or by chance. Therefore, it points to the designer who designs this universe. Evolutionist like Richard Dawkin questioned who design the designer. Craig rightly pointed out that one doesn’t  need an explanation of the explanation. Or else, it will lead to infinite regression. Thus this argument points toward the designer or Creator.

In chapter 4, Dr. Craig presents the Moral Argument. This is defended by people like Paul Coplan, Stephen Evans, Robert Adams, and others. This argument is by far the most touching one for humankind because of the sufferings, pains, sorrows, and so on. The argument is that, only in the framework of theism, can one establish the existence of absolute moral values and duties. If one denies the existence of God, there can be no absolute moral values and duties. Witnessing the fact of the existence of moral absolutes in everyday life, it is therefore, God, the moral law-giver exist.

In chapter 5, Dr. Craig presents his last argument, the Ontological Argument which was propounded by Anselm and is defended today by philosophers like Alvin Platinga, and others. One can appreciate the uniqueness of this argument. It is the argument of possibilities. Intuitively, everyone can grant the possibility of the existence of “maximal greatness” which means God, who is logically coherent in attributes like perfectness, omniscience, omnipotent, and so on. The argument follows, it is possible for God to exist. This argument though, thought-provoking and interestingly put up has to find good reasons for it to be accepted. Thus, evidence or arguments from other sources (it could even be cosmological and teleological arguments too) are brought in to support the second premise of this argument. This argument presents God as the maximal being, the Supreme Being.

Dr. Craig acknowledges that all the arguments he employs in this book do not build a case for the God of the Bible, though they give much for the ground of it. And therefore, he recommends one of his books, “Did Jesus Rise from the Dead” for anyone who wants to know more about Christianity, and the God of the Bible.

21^st November 2014