An Honest Book Critique of God in the Wasteland by David Wells
I. Introduction
Dr. David Wells is the Andrew Mutch Distinguished Professor of Historical and Systematic Theology at Gordon-Conwell’s main campus in South Hamilton, Massachusetts, and an ordained Congregational minister. In 1966 he earned a Bachelor of Divinity degree from London University, England; in 1967 a Master of Theology in church history from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, Illinois; and in 1969 a Doctor of Philosophy degree in theology from the University of Manchester in England. Dr. Wells began teaching at Trinity Divinity School in 1969. In 1977 he was named to the chair of the division of systematic theology. He joined the faculty at Gordon-Conwell in 1979.
Dr. Wells is widely respected for his writing and teaching on understanding the modern world from within the framework of biblical truth. He is the author of the well-known trilogy No Place for Truth, or Whatever Happened to Evangelical Theology; God in the Wasteland: The Reality of Truth in a World of Fading Dreams; and Losing Our Virtue: Why the Church Must Recover Its Moral Vision. He is the editor of Christian Faith and Practice in the Modern World: Theology from an Evangelical Point of View; The Gospel in the Modern World, and general editor and co-author of Eerdmans Handbook to Christianity in America. Dr. Wells and his wife, Jane, live in South Hamilton, Massachusetts, and are the parents of two grown sons.
II. Brief Summary
David Wells seeks to show Christians how to live in their present culture without compromising the historical and theological heritage of Christianity in his book God in the Wasteland: The Reality of Truth in a World of Fading Dreams. Wells believes modernity has subtly, yet surely invaded and corroded the evangelical church. In order to explain and remedy this problem, Wells details accidents in history and faith (ch.1-2), the “Alternative to God (ch.3), Clerics Anonymous (ch.4), the Weightlessness of God (ch.5), the Outside God (ch.6), God on the Inside (ch.7), the Coming Generation (ch.8), and Speaking with a Different Voice (ch.9).
To begin, in the Prologue, Wells details accidents in history (ch.1) and faith (ch.2). In this section he argues that western culture is being upended (6). This however is not the result of intentional revolution, but rather an accidental one that is ultimately spiritual in nature. He argues that modernity has swept American culture through capitalism, technology, urbanization, and telecommunication (7-10). Through these avenues and various subtleties, modernity has virtually eliminated God from the public realm in which He used to be celebrated. Thus, the answer to the church’s entanglement with culture, the restoration of authentic Christian practice, and the resurrection of bold Christian witness, is God (31).
Wells then details the “Alternative to God” (ch.3). He argues for a biblical description of the world, instead of the typical Christian assumption that the culture is neutral (35-36). He argues that evangelicals are largely both in and of the world without even realizing it, for they lack discernment (55). They have largely bought into modernity, not realizing that it is counterfeit, and will eventually kill the church.
Wells then moves to discuss “Clerics Anonymous” (ch.4), specifically the church’s obsession with consumerism (62). Instead of being motivated theologically, the church has become church-centered. Pragmatism reigns as the church seeks the world’s approval. They have substituted technique for truth (86). Thus, this is a guised liberalism that will ultimately lead to the same fate of Protestant Liberalism, decline and eventual death.
He then examines “the Weightlessness of God” (ch.5), which is a by-product of the loss of truth. The culprit is modernity, but the problem is the church’s adultery with this anti-God mentality. God has been modernized to a mere feeling or a subjective thought, instead of as an objective, absolute reality (90-91). People are interested in religion and even god, just not the objective, absolute God of Christianity. Wells then details the “Outside God” (ch.6) where he argues that the remedy for modernity is the deep waters of God’s transcendence (151). Furthermore, he argues that the church must theologically understand, trust, and live that God is in control and that the cross is the answer to the sin problem (ch.7). Otherwise, modernity pressing on the church walls from without will crush the church if God’s sovereignty, holiness, goodness, triumph over evil, etc. are diminished (184-185).
Wells concludes this work detailing the “Coming Generation” (ch.8) and “Speaking with a Different Voice” (ch. 9). He examines seminarians from seven evangelical seminaries in the United States in order to understand these possible future leaders. His conclusions are that these future leaders 1) take the Scriptures seriously; 2) affirm that theology must be central to the life of the church; and 3) are dissatisfied with the current status of the church (212-213). These future leaders will have to respond to these truths that they claim to affirm if the church is indeed going to be the church (214-215). They must possess a “new voice”, but this voice is really the voice of Christians who have come before them. The church must rediscover what it means to be the church (225). Wells finishes this book by providing a detailed appendix that thoroughly details his survey of the seminary students from seven seminaries.
III. Critical Interaction with the Author’s Work
Wells clearly longs to make the evangelical church relevant to God, yet again. The churches fascination with numbers, marketing, technology, etc. and ultimately its succumbing to the deception of modernity have left the evangelical church relevant to the culture, but not to God. The purpose of this book is to briefly assess the problem and to offer an answer; and this answer is God.
Wells comes from a conservative Christian perspective. He is probably an inerrantist; and at the very least, he affirms that salvation is found in Christ alone. He also believes in the authority of the Scriptures over the church; and the entire world as well. The reaffirming of the transcendence of God, the otherness of God, is part of his suggested remedy; and thus, this doctrine must hold an authoritative place in his own theology.
One would think that in evangelicalism, everyone would know that God is the answer to the various problems encountered in the church. Evangelicals though do not realize there is a problem. As Wells emphasizes, the modernization of evangelicalism is largely subtle. Because evangelicals live in the culture, modernity is largely natural to them. The problem is that modernity is direct rebellion against the gospel. It is a philosophy that cannot and will not exist in heaven. It is a philosophy that does not flow from God’s nature. Read the rest of this entry »
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Introduction
John Calvin has been celebrated and hated ever since his public rebellion against the teachings of the Catholic Church. Many have argued that his doctrine of predestination killed his evangelistic fervor; and that it will also kill evangelistic fervor in anyone who believes or teaches it. Some have argued that Calvin had no missionary enthusiasm at all.[i] Others have gone so far as to discount all the Reformers and Puritans as being too busy with local concerns to be concerned with foreign missions.[ii] Even those who affirm predestination in the same vein as Calvin are accused of neglecting evangelism as well. Currently in Southern Baptist life, some four hundred and fifty years after the death of Calvin, this writer hears many non-Calvinist pastors and laity come against Calvinism because “it will destroy evangelism.” The arguments are not new, but are simply presented with new garnishes. Joel Beeke however disagrees with those who argue against Calvin’s destruction of evangelism. Evaluating Calvin’s evangelistic lifestyle Beeke writes,
If Calvin could not shield himself from critics even when he worked twenty hours a day, preaching, teaching, and writing, what does that say about our work for God’s kingdom? If Calvin was not evangelistic, who is? Are we willing to confess with William Carey as we labor for the souls of sinners, “I had rather wear out than rust out?”[iii]
This writer hopes that at the very least, readers will examine their own lives, the lives of their evangelical heroes, and compare them to Calvin to see who is truly evangelistic; for if Calvin was not evangelistic, then who is? The answer is virtually no one. Few in history accomplished more in the name of Christ as Calvin.
With one group arguing against Calvin’s “lack of emphasis upon evangelism”, and another group arguing that he is a great model for evangelism, one must thoroughly examine Calvin himself in order to decipher the truth. Though Calvin did emphasize the sovereignty of God in salvation, he also strongly emphasized the responsibility of the church to share the gospel. In spite of the aforementioned indictments, Calvin affirmed the church’s responsibility in sharing the gospel both through his teaching and his actions.
Calvin taught that the church should be evangelistic
Regardless of the assumptions of those who do not understand how Calvin’s doctrine of predestination and man’s responsibility can co-exist, Calvin’s own writings testify that he taught and believed the church must be evangelistic. Calvin believed first of all that jealousy for God’s glory should motivate Christians to share the gospel. Secondly, he argued that the church should be evangelistic out of love for her neighbor. Thirdly, he believed the church should pray for the salvation of the lost regardless if there is visible fruit present from her ministry. Read the rest of this entry »
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John Calvin vs. Martin Luther
Introduction
Timothy George seeks to detail the lives and beliefs of the Reformers in his book Theology of the Reformers. Two of the Reformers he examines are John Calvin and Martin Luther. This paper will seek to critique and examine the clear similarities and differences specifically mentioned by George concerning Calvin and Luther. According to His distinctions between these two men, concerning the essentials of the Reformation, their similarities in life and theology far outweighed their differences.
Similarities in Life and Theology
Unlike Luther, Calvin was born into the church. His father was an administrative assistant for the Bishop of Noyon. His mother also was considered a very pious woman (168). Both these men however studied law, with Calvin graduating, and Luther foregoing finishing law school to become a monk; and eventually a Doctor of Theology. Calvin however was not a novice in the biblical languages, but was not formally theologically trained like Luther.
Though their upbringing and education were similar, their personalities were different. Calvin was shy to the point of being unsociable. Luther however was a man of action; and is described by George as having a “volcano of a personality” (175). In spite of these differences in personality, both Calvin and Luther were reluctant to fight the opposition, but Calvin was more reluctant than Luther. In similar fashion though, both were brought into the fight by the encouragement of those who surrounded them.
With this training in the biblical languages came an emphasis upon the authority of the Scriptures. George indicates that Luther and Calvin both affirmed that the church was born from the womb of the Scriptures, instead of the Scriptures being produced by the church (197). This is one of the main “flags” of the Reformation. The Scriptures alone are authoritative. This was direct rebellion against the current thought and government of the day. It was a capital offense to usurp the absolute authority of the Catholic Church and the pope. These men however sought to please God rather than men. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: acts, biblical, christianity, christians, churches, conclusion, critique, discipline, distinctions, doctor of theology, faith, faithfulness, flesh, foundational, god, gospel, gospels, john calvin, languages, law monk, likeness, luther calvin, man of action, martin luther, obedience, pious woman, rebellion, reformation, saints, salvation, school, scripture, scriptures, similarities and differences, sinfulness, theology of the reformers, timothy george, truth, upbringing, womb
An Honest Book Review
Little, Paul. How to Give Away your Faith. InterVarsity Press, 1989. 202 pp. $10.40.
Introduction
Paul E. Little and his wife Mary worked with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship for 25 years. Paul was also the associate professor of evangelism at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He wrote several books besides this one, with such titles as Know Why You Believe and Affirming the Will of God. Since Paul’s death in 1975, his wife and InterVarsity have continued his ministry through publishing his works and a website (http://www.ivpress.com/paullittle/index.html) dedicated to his legacy.
Summary
Little hopes to help Christians “give away their faith” in this work with a similar title. In order to accomplish this goal, he begins by detailing the foundation for witnessing. First, in order to witness Christians must understand the culture they live in. They must care about the people they are seeking, caring for both their spiritual and physical lives (23). This care will always lead to understanding, and the more a Christian understands his or her culture, the easier it will be for him or her to carry the gospel to the people in this culture. Second, Little argues that Christians must be real and live out the Christian life, for those who carry the gospel must show the change the gospel produces (36-37). In reality most people read the Christian before they listen to the message.
Little then moves to show his readers how to be effective in pointing to Christ. Believers often doubt the power of the message they possess, and this is what often hinders their witnessing. To remedy this he argues that the gospel is the best gift that can be given in the world (42-43. If Christians believe this, then they will seek to give this gift to everyone, according to his logic. The gospel is thus worth more than all the money or health the world can muster. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: affirming the will of god, apostles, associate professor, benefit, bible, biblical, book critique, christianity, christians, churches, conclusion, critique, deerfield illinois, evangelicals, Evangelism, faith, fervor, foundational, fulness, god, gospel, gospels, honest book, inerrancy, intervarsity christian fellowship, jesus, legacy, logic, money, paul e little, prayer, pulpits, salvation, school, scripture, scriptures, seminaries, senses, trinity evangelical divinity, truth, wife mary, witnessing
Summary
Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart wrote How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth to help Christians understand how to handle the Scriptures in context, by showing them how to properly approach the basic genres within Scripture (9). They are concerned with teaching Christians how to properly apply the Scriptures. In order to accomplish this goal, they begin by showing their readers the need to interpret and the importance of a good translation. Following this, Fee and Stuart detail how to properly handle the various genres of Scripture, including the epistles, Old Testament narratives, Acts, the Gospels, the parables, the Law, the Prophets, the Psalms, Wisdom Literature, and Revelation.
Beginning with the need to interpret and the importance of a good translation, Fee and Stuart hope to help readers to rightly handle what they probably already have experience in, namely interpretation. Everyone who reads anything is an interpreter (14). People are either good interpreters or bad interpreters. Fee and Stuart argue that good interpreters understand the Scriptures in light of the historical and literary contexts. Furthermore, once interpreters understand the proper meaning of the text, they can properly apply this meaning to their current culture and life. Fee and Stuart then encourage their readers to use various translations when studying to compare and contrast the text in question, but to use one bible version for the aid of Scripture memory (31). They then argue for the superiority of the New International Version over the use of the King James Version due to the date of the copies used for the translation in relation to the originals.
Fee and Stuart then tackle how to properly handle all genres within the Protestant Bible. They encourage readers to think contextually and applicably concerning the letters in the New Testament. Furthermore, they encourage interpreters to handle the New Testament narratives, the book of Acts and the Gospels, in light of the historical context. Acts is given repetitious attention, though it is a narrative, due to its narrative nature often being ignored by readers because it is in the New Testament (94-95). Difficulties in the Gospels are then detailed because of the various genres contained within these four narratives.
Fee and Stuart conclude this book detailing how to handle the Old Testament Covenant in Israel, through showing readers how to handle the Law, Prophets, Psalms, and Wisdom Literature. In order to bring this Scripture to bear on the current culture, Fee and Stuart believe Christians must be careful and meticulous for the Old Covenant is not their covenant, at least not completely (150-155). From this discussion, Fee and Stuart detail how the interpreter is to handle the book of Revelation, acknowledging the fact that this book is made up of the apocalyptic, prophecy and letter genres (232).
Analysis
Fee and Stuart seek to do Christians a great service by helping them to properly understand the Word of God in How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth. In this writer’s estimation, they succeeded in their endeavor. Most of this book is worthy of praise, and thus, it is only in need of a few minor critiques.
With postmodernism and empiricism gaining steam within Evangelicalism, such a work is needed. Churches within Evangelicalism often do not teach Christians how to handle the Scriptures today. Fee and Stuart are spot-on in addressing this need. This writer loves their emphasis upon context and the practical aspects of interpreting the Scriptures. They have produced a book that all laity and leadership should read. Read the rest of this entry »
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1. – What will virtually fix the Problem – Let me be clear about what I am saying and what I am not saying. I AM saying that fun should not be part of our worship services or any other time when the Word of God is being taught. This does not mean that a joke is out of the question, but the joke should point to truth instead of entertaining the people because “they have short attention spans” or because they will not listen otherwise. Now, this does not mean that we cannot have fun in learning about the Lord, but it does mean that the enjoyment that takes place must be because of the LORD; not because of something else we have brought in because our people will not listen to the Word of God without it. In other words, we do our people no good, actually great harm, whenever we cater to their idolatry, regardless their age. Whenever a Christian says, “I will not listen to the Word of God, unless ___________,” they show themselves to be idolaters. Now, I’m not ridiculous. I realize that a two to six year old is going to have a hard time sitting and listening to detailed exposition for very long. What I am simply suggesting is that they have at least ten minutes of exposition in their classes. The rest of the time can be spent having fellowship, doing crafts, coloring Bible stories, praying, and learning songs that bring glory to the Lord. There is nothing inherently wrong with the various fun activities in and of themselves; the problem is that we are not preparing these children to eventually love the Word of God because it’s the Word of God. Furthermore, this amount of time that emphasizes God’s Word alone should increase as these children get older. Once children understand their responsibility to listen to God’s Word because it is God’s Word, the teaching time must be as much like a normal worship service as possible.
Now, let me say what I AM NOT saying. I am not saying that having fun is wrong at every other activity of the church. I think churches should have an awesome time in fellowship, encouraging one another in the Lord. The problem is that we think our worship services and teaching times should be fun for the same reason a stand-up comedian is fun to watch. The Word of God demands our attention… and to preach and teach it as if “people are incapable of listening” is something the world has taught us. Basically, I believe we can have a blast in every other area, including our evangelistic activities, but the secular fun must not touch our teaching or our worship. This is not arbitrary for God has told us in His Word the source of salvation and the means of salvation; and the salvation of souls and growth of Christians are not bound up in how much fun they have in the services or classes, but in how much they understand and submit to the Word of God. Whenever God’s Word is not the emphasis, how can this possibly help us arrive at pointing the lost and Christians to a love for God and His Word? Don’t get me wrong, I want people walking away from our services and study times having enjoyed the Lord, but I have failed my people if they leave thinking, “what a funny guy,” or “what a great preacher,” etc. To those who use “secular fun” in their teaching, do you believe you succeed when people enjoy the lesson, but not the Word of God, and not the God who the lesson was about? God must be on their thoughts and in their hearts when they leave, even if they hate us in the process.
2. What will help the problem – Even if you disagree with my emphasis on taking “secular fun” out of worship and teaching, can you at least agree with me that the Word of God must be studied because it’s the Word of God, not because it is somehow tied into or similar to a Seinfeld episode? If we change nothing about our worship services and how we teach our children and adults; but we at least start demanding, based on the authority of the Word of God, that they listen to GOD’S Word because when it speaks, God Speaks; then we will be taking a step in the right direction. Furthermore, we have learned from the world that children only have a 10 minute or 20 minute attention span. Listen to me, and listen good… at the point their attention span runs out, that is when they must MAKE themselves listen. The attention span simply means that they can listen without effort for that length of time. So, the emphasis thus must be that once their effortless listening runs out, they need to make the effort to continue listening, for “thus saith the Lord”! I mean, do we really believe that listening to God’s Word and Christianity as a whole in general is effortless? Good grief, if we believe this, then we probably are not worth our shoe size on a scale of Christian growth. For, if we are only obedient in the areas of our lives that take zero effort, then we are baby Christians; and are not growing into Christ likeness.
I hope this article has encouraged you to examine the methods you use in teaching and preaching.
What are your thoughts concerning this issue?
Tags: amount of time, bible, christianity, christians, churches, crafts, evangelicals, Evangelism, evangelist, exposition, glory to the lord, god, hard time, having fun, idolatry, joke, likeness, obedience, preacher, preachers, salvation, short attention spans, stories, truth, word of fun activities, worship service
Throughout Christian and Secular education, there is a mentality that as long as our children and youth learn, the methods we use to get them to learn are irrelevant. “The ends in a sense justifies the means”, seems to be the song of the day. The problem is that the ends we are arriving at are not where we want to be. Last week a young man knocked on my door, he was selling children’s books door-to-door. These children’s books were outstanding in that they were the coolest children’s books I had ever seen. His pitch was this, ”If children enjoy learning at an early age, then they will enjoy learning and continue learning whenever they get older.” Does this sound familiar? Does this not describe nearly every Evangelical church’s and, dare I say, Southern Baptist children and youth program’s mentalities? If we can simply get them to enjoy learning the Word of God, then they will continue in the Word of God whenever they get older. Regardless how we get them to learn is really irrelevant. We seek to make learning as enjoyable as possible, not because learning is enjoyable in and of itself, but because fun is enjoyable; so, we do whatever we need to make learning the Scriptures and learning about God “fun”. The problem is that we never teach our children and youth that learning about God is enjoyable because of WHO He is. The enjoyment in learning about Him is bound up in His identity, not in the same “enjoyable” things we would want to accompany other subjects in order to “keep our attention”. We actually get to learn about and enjoy forever the only God who exists! All learning about Him therefore should be enjoyable to those who enjoy Him! Furthermore, since this is God’s world, all truth wherever it is found is God’s truth. Learning Science, Math, etc. teaches us truth about God and His world; and thus, helps us “to enjoy Him forever.” So, there should be a holy reverence when studying all subjects, as unto the glory of God alone!
I’m going to tell you exactly what I told that young male college student who knocked on my door. “At what point do we teach children, whether elementary or high school age, that they are responsible to use the brains God has given them to the best of their abilities for His glory?” The reality is that making learning fun does not make children enjoy learning, it makes them enjoy fun. Would you brag on your child for loving brussel sprouts if you had to coat them in chocolate before your child would eat them? Of course not, for your child enjoys chocolate instead of brussel sprouts. Then why do we deceive ourselves into believing our children love the Word of God whenever in order to get them to listen, we must coat it in something else? Adding “fun” things to the study of the Bible does not make children love the Word of God; and it certainly does not make them love God anymore either; it simply makes them enjoy having fun. This even includes the charismatic personalities of preachers that spice up the Word of God for their hearers. People often do not love the Word of God, or the God of the Bible, but simply the preacher who can keep their attention. This is proven by how many Christians actually study the Scriptures on their own during the week. This further goes for children and youth; when the fun is gone, so is the study of the Scriptures. And, if our methods were really producing the love for God that we longed to produce, then Christians would enjoy learning about and living for the Lord apart from Sunday morning alone.
There is no responsibility anymore for the church’s ears to perk up and listen, for “those who have ears to hear, to let them hear.” The church largely today expects to be entertained; and instead of pastors and Sunday school teachers standing up and trusting the Word of God, demanding hearers to listen because of the authority of the book itself, we have watered it down, and have chosen instead to add entertainment to the text in order to feel good about ourselves. Our mentality seems to be that if our children want to come to church on Sunday Morning or Wednesday evening, the reason they want to come is really irrelevant to us; as long as they want to be there. And, we wonder why our children leave the church in college, never to return. We cannot lose what we never had to begin with. We think that if we get children to come to service or to come to Wednesday night, or to memorize a Bible verse, etc. then we have succeeded. My question is if we really believe this, then why not carry this out to the extreme? Let’s start paying children, youth, and adults to attend church, memorize Scripture, etc. if the goal is simply to get these truths in their heads. The goal however is to get them to love the Lord, and live for His glory alone; and this cannot be accomplished by bribing children, youth, and adults to enjoy Him. God the Holy Spirit is the only One who can accomplish this; and He determined before the foundation of the world to accomplish this “through the foolishness of the message preached.” Read the rest of this entry »
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A Brief Examination of Galatians 1:5
-We must respond to salvation being through Jesus Christ alone because Jesus…
v.1 – 1. sent His apostles to teach this.
v.2 – 2. saved the early church through this.
v.3 – 3. is the only Way to receive God’s grace.
v.4 – 4. is the only Way to be delivered from this evil world.
v.5 – 5. is the only Way we can bring glory to God.
Galatians 1:5 – To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Because of God’s identity as God, the ultimate authority, the only Sovereign Lord of all, He is to be glorified forever and ever. Not only this, but if He indeed is our authority, then He determines who He accepts, and on what basis He accepts them. And, He has determined before the foundation of the world that Christ alone would be our only Way of salvation; as well as, that through faith alone we would have access to Christ’s good works being credited to our accounts.
The apostle Peter, in Acts 2:22-24 said, “Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.” I was watching an interview on tv the other day with a lady that said, “I believe there’s one mountain; God is at the top, and there are many ways to get there.” You won’t find this in the Bible. We must therefore always realize that Jesus is the only Way to be delivered from this evil world.
Conclusion:
To all, have you trusted in Christ alone for your salvation? If you haven’t, you can be saved right now. You simply must turn from your sins continually, and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior believing He died for you, and rose from the dead 3 days later so you could conquer death through Him.
To Christians, If you stood before Christ today, and He asked you, “Why should I let you in heaven? What would you tell Him?” Would you tell Him of how His grace has been poured out on you, or would you tell Him of all the good works you’ve done? Christians, we must continually rest in the freedom we have knowing that it’s by His grace we’ve been saved, not of how good we are, and thus experience the freedom and joy you have in Christ because of all He’s done for us!
Tags: acts, apostle peter, apostles, bible, christianity, christians, churches, conclusion, determinate counsel, evil world, faith, faithfulness, foreknowledge, foundational, galatians 1, glory to god, god, holden, jesus, jesus christ, jesus of nazareth, lord and savior, midst, miracles and wonders, mountain god, salvation, signs, sinfulness, sovereign lord, ultimate authority, wicked hands, ye men
A Brief Examination of Galatians 1:4
-We must respond to salvation being through Jesus Christ alone because Jesus…
v.1 – 1. sent His apostles to teach this.
v.2 – 2. saved the early church through this.
v.3 – 3. is the only Way to receive God’s grace.
 v.4 – 4. is the only Way to be delivered from this evil world.
 v.5 – 5. is the only Way we can bring glory to God.
Galatians 1:4 – Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:
-Who gave himself for our sins,
Jesus gave Himself for our sins. The apostle Peter, speaking of Jesus, in Acts 4:11, 12 said, “This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Salvation is through Christ alone. No one else has died for our sins.
-that he might deliver us from this present evil world,
Christ died so that HE would deliver us from this evil world. The apostle Paul in Ephesians 2:8, 9 said, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” It’s by God’s grace through faith, not of us; it’s the gift of God! Apart from Christ, we cannot be delivered from this evil world. Jesus is the answer for the world today.
-according to the will of God and our Father:
Christ died in obedience to His Father. Jesus, in John 14:6 said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Paul, in Philippians 2:9-11 wrote, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” God the Father has declared Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation. Therefore, men must continually turn from their sins, turning to Him in obedience as the only Way of salvation.
Conclusion:
Those who seek to come to God the Father any other way than by His grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone will never get to Him. With all the emphasis upon the terrible economy, everyone is looking to Barak Obama to fix our problems. Church we must understand that though Barak Obama is the most-powerful man on earth, he cannot save any of us from this evil world. No mere man can. So, the most-powerful man we have to offer still isn’t all-powerful. The only Way of salvation is through Christ alone; He’s the only Way to be delivered from this evil world. We must never forget this!
Tags: apostle paul, apostle peter, apostles, churches, conclusion, ephesians 2, evil world, exaltation, faith, faithfulness, father christ, father god, father jesus, for the world today, galatians 1, gift of god, glory of god, glory to god, god, god the father, jesus, jesus christ is lord, jesus is the answer, name of jesus, nought, obedience, philippians, salvation, sinfulness, world christ, world jesus
