Prayer and Free Will

 God gave Adam and Eve the power to make the most amazingly powerful decision of all, to choose to obey God or disobey!! 

Humans were empowered to make real decisions, otherwise they would not reflect the image of the supreme decision maker, God.

And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree of the garden,
but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.” Ge 2:16–17 CSB

God gave Adam and Eve the ability to sin, to resist His own will. This is what sin is.

This is the reality of free will. God has never removed this free will, to obey or resist His will. Why do born again Christians still sin, if they have been given a new heart and a new nature? Because we still have a free will which God has sovereignly determined that we should have.

If humans do not have a free will to obey or resist the will of God, if all our actions are determined by God, then we would have to agree with Calvin, who said “God not only foresaw that Adam would fall, but also ordained that he should.” (Calvin’s Inst., b. 3, c. 23, sec. 7.) 

.... “he fell not only by the permission, but also by the appointment, of God.” (Calvin Responsio ad Calumnias Nebulonis
cujusdam ad Articulum primum.) “He sinned because God so ordained,
because the Lord saw good.” (Calvin’s Inst., b. 3, c. 24, sec. 8.)

Does that mean every person has complete freedom to recognise the choice he or she is confronted with? Sadly not.

But if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.
In their case, the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Co 4:3–4 CSB

• It is very difficult to believe if you are brought up to believe there is no God in a Communist country.

• It can be very difficult to believe if you are taught from infancy that Christians are bad people who believe in three gods.

• It can be difficult to believe in the goodness of God if you are brought up in a brutal, abusive family where you are led to believe in Jesus as a severe judge who hates you when you sin.

This is where we see the necessity of the mighty grace of God to open blind spiritual eyes.

How can we as believers penetrate this darkness?

There are many people who cannot believe only through hearing a message. They need a personal experience or direct encounter with God.

Millions of people are converted from other religions in our time through healing miracles and dreams and visions, in which Jesus personally reveals Himself.

This is the result of millions of Christians who pray for the conversion of atheists and believers in other religions. God commands us to pray and believe in His willingness to answer with great supernatural power.

Women in Ministry

Why I do not agree with John MacArthur’s view that women may not teach or lead in church:

(Article by Bob Edwards. Copied with permission)

This is how the Greek New Testament describes the ministry of women:

• Phoebe: διάκονον (deacon) and προστάτις (leader), Romans 16:1-2

• Priscilla: one of the συνεργούς (co-workers) of Paul, Romans 16:3; ἐξέθεντο (expounded, interpreted) “the way of God more accurately,” to a man Acts 18:26.

• Junia: ἐπίσημοι ἐν τοῖς ἀποστόλοις (outstanding among the apostles), Romans 16:7

My understanding of why 1 Timothy 2:12 and 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 do not prohibit women from teaching, leading, or speaking in church:

1st Timothy 2:12 is not a prohibition against “all” women teaching or leading in the church of Ephesus.  Priscilla taught a man the way of God more accurately, in Ephesus.  

The context of the verse is in a letter against “false doctrines” (1 Timothy 1:3), “godless myths” (1 Timothy 4:7), “opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge” (1 Timothy 6:20).  A woman *engaged in false teaching* should learn before teaching.

I do not believe 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 was a command from Paul telling women they must be silent in church; nor do I believe Paul was saying it is “shameful” for women to be heard in church.  The rabbinical oral law of the day said those things:

“A woman’s voice is prohibited because it is sexually provocative” (Talmud, Berachot 24a).  
“It is a shame for a woman to let her voice be heard among men” (Talmud, Tractate Kiddushin).

I believe Paul’s response to the oral law appears in 1 Corinthians 14:36-39:

“What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only? … Therefore, my brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.”

In other words, oral tradition should not be used to prevent women from expressing their spiritual gifts in church, everyone must simply express their gifts in an orderly manner (see verse 40).

Ministry roles are not given according to gender.  They are given according to spiritual gifting: 

“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith;  if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach;  if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.” (Romans 12:6-8)  

The Greek word used to describe the gift of leading is προϊστάμενος; it is the verb cognate of προστάτις, the word used to describe the leadership role of Phoebe in Romans 16:2.

“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). 

 Paul really believed this.  When Peter related to Gentile Christians differently than Jewish Christians (by refusing to eat with them) in Galatians 2:11-14, Paul rebuked him.  As in 1 Corinthians 14, Paul explained that it is wrong to “force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs” (Gal 2:14).

When John MacArthur tells women that they may not teach or lead in the church, I believe he is acting like Peter in Galatians chapter 2, he is nullifying the word of God by holding on to human tradition (see Jesus’ remarks to the religious leaders of his day in Mark 7:13

Social Justice and the Gospel

 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Ga 3:28 NIV

Why oh why do so many Christians ignore this revolutionary teaching of Paul, this message from God Himself?

In Christ there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all. Col 3:11 CSB

Why do so many Christians aggressively support white supremacy and Christian nationalism? Why is there so much political partisanship amongst Christians?

My brothers and sisters, do not show favouritism as you hold on to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.

For if someone comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and a poor person dressed in filthy clothes also comes in,

if you look with favour on the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Sit here in a good place,” and yet you say to the poor person, “Stand over there,” or “Sit here on the floor by my footstool,”
haven’t you made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Jas 2:1–4 CSB

So many Christian churches have ignored God’s command to love each other as brothers and sisters. Instead, we have prioritised hierarchy and obedience to someone of higher rank.

The founding fathers of the American republic declared that all men are created equal, but President George Washington owned slaves.

The Southern Baptists separated from the American Baptists because they insisted that Southern Baptist pastors should own slaves.

They quoted bible verses to justify their injustice.

Slaves, obey your human masters with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as you would Christ. Eph 6:5 CSB

Many conservative evangelicals still twist scripture in a similar way when they demand that wives always obey their husbands, no matter how unspiritual or domineering they might be.

Why do so many conservative Christians overspiritualise the Gospel? Loving your neighbour is reduced to nothing more than preaching at people to get them converted.

We are saved by faith and not works, as they accurately quote Paul.
But they conveniently ignore what James says, James the younger son of Mary and the brother of Jesus.

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can such faith save him? 

If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food
and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, stay warm, and be well fed,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it?

In the same way faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself. Jas 2:14–17 CSB

Love Growing Cold

Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold. Mt 24:12 CSB

Gang violence, terrorism, domestic violence, corruption in politics and business, brutal racism, gender confusion, chaotic sexual promiscuity, sadistic pornography, human trafficking, brutal dictatorships, aggressive military powers, wars and fear of war, live birth abortions.

Lawlessness is multiplying.

Mass media and the internet are making us more aware than ever of the horrors in the world.

It is so overwhelming, that we often shut off our emotions or seek escape in entertainment. 

On the other hand, we can get emotionally involved in this or that issue and we get tunnel vision. We cannot bare to face more than a narrow range of issues.

What is the result? Some people are enraged about abortion, but they don’t look at some of the problems that often lead to abortion.

Low wages, poverty, domestic violence, real estate speculation, unaffordable housing, homelessness and prostitution all produce unwanted pregnancies and women who can’t cope with more children.

When we are overwhelmed by the horrors in a world out of control, our emotions become numb or unbalanced and our love grows cold. If we care for unborn babies, but don’t care for the suffering of many pregnant women, it shows our love has grown cold.

If we are upset about corrupt trade unions, but ignore corruption in business boardrooms, it shows we have lost our ability to judge justly. When our love grows cold, our wisdom is corrupted. 

We may be aware of the Bible text about the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things. Ga 5:22–23 CSB

When we become emotionally involved in the culture wars raging around us, it can lead to a loss of tender feelings, the feelings that are the fruit of the Spirit.

Instead, we see the works of the flesh, manifestations of the sinful nature, even in zealous Christians.

Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity,
idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, … Ga 5:19–20 CSB

We are seeing Christian leaders involved in culture wars but being exposed for secret sexual sins. 

We see zealous Christians engaging in moral self-righteousness, hating cultural, political or theological opponents, Christian factions furiously denouncing each other.

Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold. Mt 24:12 CSB

Some American preachers are trying to redirect people to the Sermon on the Mount, to humility, empathy, love of enemies, but they are fighting a losing battle. So many Christians are absorbing culture wars every day on the internet.

When the pastor preaches humility and gentleness, he sometimes gets a hostile response from the culture warriors in his congregation.

Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold. Mt 24:12 CSB

God and Political Confusion

 The violent conflicts in Africa and the Middle East are terrible, but not new. The political conflict in North America, Britain and Europe is another matter.

National unity and mutual tolerance is fading fast. Conservatives hate progressives, and progressives hate conservatives. Christian churches are being torn apart by internal ideological conflicts which reflect the wider society.

Many British Christians passionately supported Brexit, while other Christians were horrified and wanted to stay in the EU.

When an American preacher preached on the Sermon on the Mount, many aggressively conservative members objected that these pacifist teachings were too weak and unworkable.

Many American conservatives want to support any leader who supports their beliefs, regardless of how authoritarian, dishonest or immoral he might be.

On the other hand, some progressive politicians are allowing live birth abortions and promoting extreme post Christian policies on gender issues.

Christians used to support strong American military defence against potential Russian aggression. Now many conservative Christians are supporting Putin because he goes to church and persecutes homosexuals. They forget that Hitler also persecuted homosexuals and enlisted the support of churches.

There are Christians who support minimum wage laws, legal protection for trade unions, government help for sick, disabled and disadvantaged people, social justice for racial minorities, and equal rights for women, but they also oppose unlimited abortion and post Christian gender ideology. Who can they vote for?

As I lay in bed early this morning, a bible text came to me.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. Ps 46:1–4 NIV

Everything is shaking. There is an epidemic of homelessness in rich countries because of unjust laws governing tax, real estate investment, low wages and inadequate welfare benefits.

God is our refuge. God is still God. God is not asleep in these confused times.

God is not a left wing progressive and not a right wing capitalist. God is God, and He is good.