Just War, Pacifism and Nonviolent Resistance

Books That Have Shaped Me – Part Twelve

Bob Rakestraw

July 2, 2012

 “The Benediction Project”

http://bobrakestraw.blogspot.com

14.  Nuclear Holocaust and Christian Hope: A Book for Christian Peacemakers, Ronald J. Sider and Richard K. Taylor, InterVarsity, 1982, 369 pp., paper.


During the fall of 1982 I was serving as a T.A. (teaching assistant) for the dean of Drew Theological Seminary, Dr. Thomas Ogletree. I was a doctoral student in the graduate school of Drew University in Madison, New Jersey, and I appreciated the opportunity to work with this highly regarded Christian ethicist.

Part of my service as one of the dean’s two T.A.’s during that fall semester was to attend his lectures on Christian Ethics and then meet with the seminary students (half of the class of 50 or so) twice a week to lead them in discussion and cooperative work on a project concerning disarmament. This was during the “cold war,”  and the politics of deterrence, arms control and disarmament (especially nuclear disarmament) was all the rage—among the intellectuals at least. With these issues in mind I bought a copy of Nuclear Holocaust and Christian Hope for my personal study.

There are 4 sections in the book. First: “The Threat of Nuclear War.” Second: “Biblical-Theological Perspectives.” Third: “What to Do: Concrete Steps Toward Peace.” Fourth: “Biblical Faith and National Defense.”

While I had some familiarity with issues of war and peace from a Christian perspective, I accepted the “just war” tradition because I grew up with it and never considered any other approach to war. This view holds that war, while always tragic, is justifiable and even necessary when an enemy nation sets out to harm and/or conquer our nation or some other nation/nations our country decides to protect. Our military, however, should follow certain criteria concerning when to go to war, as well as how to conduct the war once it has begun. In both respects the war must be “just.”

One very prominent advocate of the just war position is Arthur F. Holmes. He writes, “War is evil. … To call war anything less than evil would be self-deception. … [However], could participation in war perhaps be a lesser evil than allowing aggression and terror to go unchecked and unpunished?” Holmes continues, “not all evil can be avoided” (italics his). “We are trapped in moral dilemmas…such that whatever we do involves us in evil of some sort.” The early church father Augustine “advises the Christian who goes to war to repent in advance, because the ambiguities of the situation confuse moral issues and because passions confuse the moral intention.” (War: Four Christian Views, edited by Robert G. Clouse, 1981, pp. 117-118, 128.)

In opposition to the just war position, Sider and Taylor advocate a pacifist view. This is not the only pacifist position, however. The highly esteemed Mennonite scholar John Howard Yoder presents 29 (that’s right) varieties of religious pacifism in his book, Nevertheless (1992). The just war approach, while not monolithic, is a much more unified position than pacifism.

For the purposes of this brief article we may define Christian pacifism as the view that it is always morally wrong for a follower of Christ to participate in war in any way. Such Bible believing pacifists do not deny the ugly realities of evil (including the cruelty of violent and sadistic rulers), but they believe they are morally bound to follow the nonviolent life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Actually, Christ’s life is every bit as important for Christian pacifists as are his teachings (see 1 Peter 2:21-23).

Some pacifists call their position “nonviolent resistance,” meaning that they seek to actively resist evil in this world, but without the use of violence. They are not afraid to fight for truth and righteousness. In fact, they consider themselves obligated to do so. But, even if they and other innocent people will be killed, they—like the thousands of early Christian martyrs—will fight not by the sword but by prayer, praise, trust in the blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimony, and not loving their lives so much as to shrink from death”  (Revelation 12:11). In addition, those who hold to nonviolent resistance often participate in large demonstrations, strikes and boycotts that sometimes, largely or totally without weapons, lead to the downfall of entire corrupt regimes. The fall of communism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe is the most striking example in my lifetime, and there are numerous other accounts of similar nonviolent triumphs in Non Violence: The Invincible Weapon? by Sider, 1989.

There are many arguments against Christian pacifism, two of the most common being that God used warfare in the Old Testament and Jesus used a whip to cleanse the temple. Sider and Taylor address these and other objections, especially in section two.

I had never read anything like the material in this book. I had never considered other perspectives than my own. But this book profoundly shaped my life (not only my intellectual arguments) and my whole attitude about how, in my view, Christ desires to advance his kingdom of peace and righteousness in this world today.

I realize that this is an extremely sensitive topic and book. My purpose here is not to push a certain view but to show briefly how the arguments (and facts) affected me. I would like, however, all Bible-believing Christians, the great majority of whom (I assume) probably accept the prevailing just war view, to read, think and pray about the serious biblical and historical case for nonviolence made by devout people of God over the centuries. Thousands of early Christians martyrs understood clearly why they held firmly to their views, and knew very well where their convictions might lead. It would be good for all of us and our children to understand the minds and hearts of these early nonviolent believers.

I have chosen the way of the cross which, in my (admittedly fallible) view, includes a life of nonviolence. Many other servants of Christ have chosen the way of the cross also, and to them this may mean serving actively in the military and following orders to participate in warfare as their leaders direct. In either case, neither should in any way look down upon their brothers and sisters in Christ for their choice, or consider themselves more “spiritual” than those with whom they disagree. The arguments pro and con are far more complex than most Christians realize, and total objectivity on the part of either side is simply not possible in this fallen world.

Let us love our God completely, love our neighbors as ourselves, and love our enemies sincerely no matter how we think on these issues. And may each of us, whatever our views at present, be open to further illumination from the Spirit. We may change from one view to another, stay the same, or simply declare, “I don’t know.”

God, however, does know. He knows our hearts and understands us better than we know ourselves (1 John 3:18-24).

The Second Greatest Truth (Part 2 of 2)

Books That Have Shaped Me – Part Eleven

Robert V. Rakestraw

June 2, 2012 

“The Benediction Project”

http://bobrakestraw.blogspot.com

13b. The Works of John Wesley, edited by Thomas Jackson, 14 vols. 3^rd ed. (Reprint of 1829-31 edition), Baker, 1979. [All of Wesley’s writings, esp. “The Scripture Way of Salvation” in vol. 6, pp. 43-54.]

This posting is the second of a two-part discussion on “The Second Greatest Truth.” If you read the preceding posting (part one), this piece will be more clear and helpful.

In part one I began to write about the issue of sin in my life after I experienced the new birth at the age of 19. Before that life-changing conversion I thought of sin only as something that would send me to hell. Since I became a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ, I thought quite differently. While I still saw sin, and sins, as leading to eternal separation from God if not forgiven, I came to see it not only as a damning power but also as something that grieved and dishonored God, hurt other people, broke my communion with God and hindered my spiritual growth and usefulness in this world.

As a new believer and follower of Jesus, I didn’t want sin in my life and I desired to live consistently above it. In part one I related my frustration as I tried to find some truth or “key” that would unlock the (to me) tightly barred gate to God’s victory garden.

A major breakthrough for me came when I was reading one of John Wesley’s sermons, “The Scripture Way of Salvation.” For the previous year or so I had been reading Wesley’s numerous writings: his letters, journals, essays, sermons and edited works by others that he highly valued. I had come to appreciate Wesley greatly, and now I was reading some of his sermons for a course on Wesley I was taking from Dr. Thomas Oden at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey, where I was a doctoral student. (I later did my Ph.D. dissertation on Wesley.)

Concerning “The Scripture Way of Salvation,” Albert Outler, one of the premier Wesley scholars of the last century, said, “If the Wesleyan Theology had to be judged by a single essay, this one would do as well as any and better than most” (John Wesley, ed. Albert C. Outler, Oxford University Press, 1964, p. 271).

Wesley’s sermon is based—very appropriately—on “You are saved through faith.” By the words “saved” and “salvation” he includes not only our initial coming to Christ for forgiveness and pardon (justification) but also our being set apart to be conformed to the image of Christ (sanctification). Both are accomplished by God’s free grace (his favor and power) as we receive them by faith (God’s work of opening our eyes and enlightening us to the truth, and giving us the trust, belief, conviction and assurance that he will do what he has promised in his word as we call upon him like little children).

John Wesley thought much and wrote much about the issue of sin in those who are justified. Even though new followers of Christ are regenerated and inwardly renewed by the power of God, they come, before long, to realize that not all sin is gone from their lives. They now feel two principles in themselves, plainly contrary to each other: “the flesh lusting against the Spirit”—nature  opposing the grace of God. If they are true Christians, however, they seek to overcome sin in their lives by worshipping God in spirit and in truth, taking up their cross daily, and denying themselves every pleasure that does not lead them to God.

Wesley’s following remarks are pivotal. “It is thus that we wait for entire sanctification; for a full salvation from all our sins—from pride, self-will, anger, unbelief; or, as the Apostle expresses it, ‘go on to perfection’. But what is perfection? The word has various senses: Here it means perfect love. It is love excluding sin; love filling the heart, taking up the whole capacity of the soul. It is love ‘rejoicing evermore, praying without ceasing, in everything giving thanks’.”

John Wesley never used the term “sinless perfection.” He did use “Christian perfection” at times, but even more used such terms as full salvation, circumcision of the heart, entire sanctification and—his favorite—perfect love. While God’s people wait for full salvation by serving him with works of piety and works of mercy, they also need to receive from him “a conviction of our helplessness, of our utter inability to think one good thought, or to form one good desire; and much more to speak one word aright, or to perform one good action, but through his free almighty grace, first preventing (preceding) us, and then accompanying us every moment.”

Wesley then explains the faith that is necessary for receiving the gift of perfect love. “It is a divine evidence and conviction, First, that God hath promised it in the Holy Scripture. Till we are thoroughly satisfied of this, there is no moving one step further…. It is a divine evidence and conviction, Secondly, that what God hath promised he is able to perform…. It is, Thirdly, a divine evidence and conviction that he is able and willing to do it now. And why not?... He cannot want more time to accomplish whatever is his will.”

Wesley continues: “To this confidence … there needs to be added one more thing—a divine evidence and conviction that he doeth it. In that hour it is done: God says to the inmost soul, ‘According to thy faith be it unto thee!’ Then the soul is pure from every spot of sin; it is clean ‘from all unrighteousness.’ The believer then experiences the deep meaning of those solemn words, ‘If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin’.”

Wesley then urges his listeners and his readers to ask God for this gift. “You shall not be disappointed of your hope: It will come, and will not tarry. Look for it then every day, every hour, every moment! Why not this hour, this moment? … If you seek it by faith, you may expect it as you are; and if as you are, then expect it now. It is of importance to observe, that there is an inseparable connexion between these three points—expect it by faith, expect it as you are, and expect it now! … Stay (hold back) for nothing: Why should you? Christ is ready; and He is all you want. He is waiting for you: He is at the door!”

 *    *    *    *    *     *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *

As I read these words, I realized that this was the truth I had been missing for my twenty years as a child of God. I knew God commanded his children to be filled with his perfect love (Matt. 5:48; 22:37-40; 1 Cor.10:13; 2 Cor. 7:1; 1 Thess. 3:12-13; 5:16-24; 1 Jn. 3:3-6; 4:16-18; 5:18), but I had never heard that this full salvation was actually possible in my life right then, by faith, apart from works and self-effort. In fact, I had been taught (directly or indirectly) that these scriptures referred to an ideal toward which we should strive but never expect to live completely. This teaching discouraged me, and even, at times, gave me license to sin. I wondered: why would God command us to live a certain way yet not enable us to live that way?

As I pondered these solemn yet exciting and liberating words of John Wesley, I knew I was at a crisis point in my life, just as I was when I was born into God’s family 20 years earlier. God was stirring me deeply, and I received Wesley’s words as though God were speaking them to me. I knew the time had come. I cried out to God silently and asked him for the full salvation I had come to see as God’s will for his children in this life. I came poor and needy, thirsty and desperate, expecting his blessing by faith (trust) alone, just as I was and at that moment.

Just as when God brought me to initial salvation many years ago, I believed at that moment that the work had been done. I felt no tingling, heard no bells nor angels singing, but simply rested and rejoiced with gratitude and astonishment that God had begun a new work in me. I knew I had much to learn (and still do) about this new understanding of the spiritual life. But I also knew that God had graciously worked in me—in my head and in my heart—The Second Greatest Truth.

I am aware how sensitive—and perhaps confusing, and even boastful—my words may seem. I know how Wesley’s view is not only greatly misunderstood but sometimes ridiculed. I will therefore close with three thoughts that may be helpful.

First, I have not lived a sinless life since that momentous day in 1982. I sometimes violate God’s word, and when I do, I repent by confessing the sin to God and anyone I may have hurt. God graciously forgives me and I move on, trusting God’s perfect love to flow through me again.  Wesley never taught that a believer who has had an experience (or crisis) of entire sanctification (or “second blessing”) is thereafter guaranteed never to fall. Furthermore, any sin in such a believer of which he or she is unaware (since no one is perfected in love in an absolute sense) is continually being washed away by the blood of Christ (I John 1:5-2:6).

Second, I have never been the same since that wonderful experience. Before, when I arose in the morning I never expected to live that day fully pleasing to God. Now I start the day with (among other important thoughts) the very encouraging awareness that, unless I am convicted otherwise, I am living for the glory of God. Holiness and happiness are blended closely together as I “pray without ceasing” throughout the day, and as I look to (and expect) God’s Spirit to produce his delightful fruit in and through me (Gal. 5:22-23). To God alone be the glory!

Third, my purpose in these two postings is not to advocate for Wesley’s views or anyone else’s views. I am simply telling my story. It is one among millions of stories that could be told by God’s people, many of them probably quite different from mine. One common denominator in all of them, however, is that our growth in holiness is a process—a lifelong process. If there are crisis experiences after the new birth for some Christians, they are never once-for-all. We must continue, until the day we see Christ, living closely to God and making progress continually in love for our God and our neighbors.

 *    *    *    *    *     *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *

I recognize that this is a long piece, and if you are still with me I rejoice in your seriousness about holy living and serving. Of the 100 or so postings I have published during the five-year span of this blog, the previous article and this one are, in my view, the two most important I have sent out. And the most difficult to write. I’d love to read and publish your comments!

                                                                                                                       

The Second Greatest Truth (Part 1 of 2)

Books That Have Shaped Me – Part Ten

Bob Rakestraw

May 2, 2012 

“The Benediction Project”

http://bobrakestraw.blogspot.com

13a. The Works of John Wesley, edited by Thomas Jackson, 14 vols. 3^rd ed. (Reprint of 1829-31 edition), Baker, 1979.

For the first 20 years as a new and serious follower of Jesus Christ I experienced some times of spiritual success and some times of spiritual defeat. Fortunately, the latter did not dominate, but they did trouble my mind and soul.

From the time God revealed to me his way to salvation by grace through faith in 1962 until the time God revealed to me his way to holiness by grace through faith in 1982, I was searching for the highly elusive (to me) truth about the way to the remarkable life of godliness described and prescribed in the Bible. I was especially struck by certain statements in the epistles of Paul, but also by the words from the Torah and from Jesus: “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength, and your neighbor as yourself.”

During these 20 years I grew steadily (but sometimes shakily) in my Christian life through the reading of the whole Bible (about12-15) times, reading good Christian literature, hearing and preaching numerous sermons and Bible lessons, serving as a pastor in two churches, earning B.S. and M.A. degrees in Biblical studies, missions, and theology, teaching Bible and preaching courses in college, and studying the Church Fathers, ethics and more in two years of Ph.D. course work.

Over these years, however, I was hungering for a more consistently victorious Christian life. I had some areas of my life (thoughts, words, actions, attitudes) in which sin was sometimes the victor instead of the vanquished. I didn’t know how to take the “next step” (if there was one) to live a life more pleasing to God—a life of true holiness.

For the first half of this period of searching I was under the influence of “Keswick” (pronounced without the “w”) teaching on (what was variously called) the deeper life, higher life, crucified life, surrendered life and other such labels. Most of the key points of Keswick teaching are found in Romans 6-8, especially chapter 6. I learned that even though I had been crucified with Christ, in order to have victory over sin I had to continually “reckon” (count, consider) myself dead to sin and alive to God, and surrender my will, hopes, ambitions and all of my “self” to God. I also had to present my body and the parts of my body to God, not to sin. Victory over sin was available to those who did these things, and who “let go and let God.” Human effort and struggle were not emphasized in Keswick theology.

While I knew that these teachings were biblical, I felt there was something more I was not seeing, or not being taught. I longed for holiness more and more, but sin was still a bothersome presence.

During my years under Keswick theology I was also reading many books in the Reformed or Calvinistic tradition. While a good number of these works helped me significantly in increasing my thirst for God, I was not able to find the way to positive spiritual living.

Reformed theology emphasizes the inbred nature of sin in every person, even born-again Christians who have the indwelling Holy Spirit. There is a way of living righteously, however, by reading the Bible and being faithful in prayer, and by refusing the lures of the tempter.

While both Keswick and Reformed teaching are based in the Bible, and overlap in essential points, they both left me with a negative view of the extent of godliness possible in this life. The Keswick approach so stressed our death with Christ and living the crucified life that it tended to neglect the resurrection life. And the Reformed approach stressed our inbred sinfulness so much that it failed to present a robust picture—attainable in this life—of the joyful, holy, Spirit-filled person we may become.

One Reformed theologian friend of mine told me he believes there is an element of sin in everything he does, even when he is worshipping God or helping others. Sin is ever-present in the life of every Christian, he believes, and taints all that we do and are.  We must continue to struggle upward, even though we regularly slip back down the hillside.

After 20 years into my Christian life I was more frustrated than ever. I confessed every sin that I was aware of, and I knew that God forgave me, but I did not really expect to live as a consistent conqueror in Christ. Perhaps Romans 7 (“what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate, I do”) was the best any Christian can hope for in this life. Yet I did not believe that! And I determined that I was not going to settle for that!

Late one night in our small two-bedroom apartment, after Judy and our girls had been asleep for hours, I was reading some of the writings of John Wesley. It was very quiet, Judy was asleep on our bed next to my desk, and I was reading for my work toward the Ph.D. degree. But, as indicated above, I had been hungering for a more God-honoring life. I was poor and needy and spiritually weak. I longed to be drenched and filled with the water of holiness that I knew God had for his children.

In the stillness, about 1:00 a.m. I suppose, I was reading one of Wesley’s sermons. God saw this hungry soul—one who had been saved by his grace for 20 years—and came to him with the breakthrough he had been seeking all these years.

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *  *  *

The Greatest Truth I had ever heard, and ever expect to hear, is that the eternal God took on a human body, lived like you and me, was murdered, rose by his own power and now lives forever to draw all people to him. Those who come to him sincerely, in whatever condition they are, are welcomed into his eternal family because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ in our place.

The Second Greatest Truth was about to be revealed to me. However, because I have exceeded my (self-imposed) word limit I will need to continue this account in my next posting.

Expect the Fire

Bob Rakestraw
April 3, 2012

“The Benediction Project”
http://bobrakestraw.blogspot.com


12. Preaching and Preachers, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (Zondervan, 1971), pp. 325.


Most people enjoy a public speaker who has something substantial to say and says it with clarity, creativity, and enthusiasm. Even if we are walking by a political rally and don’t care to hear about the cause being promoted, we may stop and listen a while just because of the speaker’s intriguing ideas and dynamic style of communicating. One famous preacher said, “When you preach, be on fire; at least people will come to see you burn.”

In Preachers and Preaching Martyn Lloyd-Jones focuses on the preparation and delivery of sermons. Everything in this book builds on the conviction that during the preparing and preaching of the message there must be the presence and power of the Holy Spirit at work. This should be true of every sermon preached from every pulpit every time.

The most powerful way this book has influenced my life and ministry (teaching as well as preaching) has been through this persistent and consistent emphasis on the Spirit. Lloyd-Jones is both convinced and convincing concerning his thesis because it is based solidly on scripture and experience.

This is not a formal textbook on homiletics—the art and science of preaching. It is, rather, almost completely a transcript of a series of lectures the author presented at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia during six weeks in the spring of 1969. He was speaking, as he says, in a “conversational and intimate style” about “the various detailed problems and questions that [ministerial students] have often put to me privately, and which have also often been discussed in ministers meetings.”

Even though Lloyd-Jones writes, “I can say quite honestly that I would not cross the road to listen to myself preaching,” many thousands of people did just that, and most of them traveled much farther than across the road. During his most active ministerial years the author—a former heart doctor—was the pastor of two churches: eleven and a half years in South Wales and thirty years (1938-1968) at Westminster Chapel, London.

He was the most outstanding preacher of his day, and was especially known for his expository preaching—working from one specific text of the Bible and allowing the Spirit to “expose” the truth in it by a sustained and rigorous examination of the content and its implications. He also taught expositorily. I remember reading that he taught a weekly Bible study attended by 1200 people—on Friday nights in London! He spent years just teaching through the book of Romans in these sessions.

I wish I had discovered this remarkable book much earlier in my life, instead of serving for 17 years of ordained ministry before reading it. When I obtained the book, however, in 1984, I devoured it. While my years serving as a senior pastor were then behind me, I continued doing guest preaching and interim pastoral ministry until my poor health necessitated the end of my preaching. In the later part of my preaching career, after I read and thought deeply about this God-inspired book, I experienced a distinctly heightened awareness of spiritual power and authority in my preparation and preaching. This was no small thing to me. Actually, it was glorious!

After I had preached several sermons led by this growing and gripping power of the Spirit, a man came to me with great seriousness in his face and voice, and said that my past few sermons had been definitely more powerful and convicting (my paraphrase) than my previous sermons. He had sat under my weekly preaching for years before this, so while I rejoiced in his comment I also regretted that I did not fully grasp the liberating and quickening ministry of the Spirit previously.

In the last chapter—the most stirring—Lloyd-Jones quotes Paul’s words to the Corinthian church: “The kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.” He then adds: “There is no text, perhaps, of which we need to be reminded so much at the present time as just that.” He also revels in the truth of First Thessalonians: “For our gospel came not to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance.”

Lloyd-Jones concludes the book with a strong plea. “What then are we to do about this? There is only one obvious conclusion. Seek Him! Seek Him! ... But go beyond seeking him; expect him. Do you expect anything to happen when you get up to preach in a pulpit? … Seek this power, expect this power, yearn for this power; and when the power comes, yield to Him. Do not resist. Forget all about your sermon if necessary. Let Him loose you. Let Him manifest His power in you and through you. … Nothing but a return of this power of the Spirit on our preaching is going to avail us anything. … It is the greatest need of all today.”

Searching for Truth

Bob Rakestraw

“The Benediction Project”
http://bobrakestraw.blogspot.com


11. Christian Theology(Second Edition), Millard J. Erickson (Baker, 1998), 1312 pp. First published as three separate volumes: 1983, 1984, 1985.


Two thousand years ago Pilate uttered (seemingly in frustration) the famous words, “What is truth?” The very definition of truth, how one can know truth and test for truth, whether any truth is absolute, and whose truth is the “truer” truth—all of these questions, and more, have been swirling in the eddies of vast and often murky philosophical and theological waters for many centuries, and will be with us until the end of time.

Millard Erickson is a valuable contributor to the never-ending quest for truth. He has been a distinguished professor of theology in several leading seminaries, including the school where I served most recently before retirement, Bethel Theological Seminary. He is an outstanding scholar and prolific writer, noted for his method of interacting not only with ancient, medieval and modern theologians, but also with the most recent thinkers and the latest controversies. Erickson is the author of dozens of highly regarded works of theology.

The most comprehensive and influential of all of Erickson’s works is Christian Theology. It is his magnum opus, and has had widespread use in dozens of colleges and seminaries both within and outside of the United States. As a professor I used it mostly in the three volume set, but some in the revised one-volume edition of 1998. It was my primary classroom text for fifteen years, and served well at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. My students greatly profited from it, as I did.

The twofold way this work shaped me and helped me since I first started using it is that it served as a clear and comprehensive overview and review of much that I had learned in my educational pilgrimage, and it taught me and deepened my knowledge in areas where I was not well informed. I agreed with many of Erickson’s conclusions, disagreed with some, but always benefitted from the reverent, biblically-grounded and scholarly manner with which Erickson wrote.

All of the main theological loci are covered here, from the nature of God, the nature of revelation, creation, sin, humanity, the person and work of Christ (Erickson excels here), salvation, and every other division of theology.

Even those who say they want to learn about the great Christian truths from the Bible, not from man-made theology books, will be very grateful for this volume if they read it. Like me, they will be shaped by the topics studied, the questions raised and the proposals offered. The book will influence both your mind and heart, and will prepare you for further discovery in the never-ending search for truth.

Amazing Grace Books That Have Shaped Me - Part Seven

Bob Rakestraw

“The Benediction Project”
http://bobrakestraw.blogspot.com


10. Grace Unlimited, Clark H. Pinnock, editor (Bethany Fellowship, 1975), 264 pp.


This book came to me at a crucial time in my life and ministry. There was a crisis coming, and I knew I had to face it soon. I was just finishing my second year as pastor of a Baptist church in New Jersey, and the pastoral responsibility that gave me the deepest satisfaction was preaching. I thoroughly enjoyed both the sermon preparation and the sermon delivery. As in most churches, our Sunday morning service was considered the major gathering time for the church members and all others who wished to attend.

As I stood at the pulpit preaching, I was always aware of the possibility that some in attendance might not be true followers of Jesus Christ. In light of this, I always—at some time during the sermon—explained in brief the message of the Bible that everyone is sinful and needs to respond to God’s invitation to come to him, through the cross of Jesus Christ, to be saved for time and eternity. I always included a plea to those present who had never received Christ in true repentance and faith to “receive him now—today!”

But I had a problem, and it was growing worse every Sunday. Basically, it had to do with my telling the truth. When I urged people to “come to Christ today,” whether they were regular attenders or visitors, I would also emphasize that God was reaching out to them and to all people to bring them by his grace into his spiritual family. God longs for everyone to be saved.

My difficulty was that I was becoming more and more aware of a contradiction in my mind between this open invitation to come to Christ and the idea that everyone—before his or her birth—has been predestined to go either to heaven or hell, and nothing can change God’s sovereign decree.

The latter view, which has come to be known as the Calvinistic or Reformed view of salvation, is in contrast with the Arminian or Wesleyan view that I was preaching. My issue was that I regarded myself as a Calvinist, because I felt that Calvinism was what the Bible taught, yet I was preaching as an Arminian. The tension within me was becoming unbearable. I knew I needed to present the truth of the Bible consistently, no matter what the consequences would be. Yet, what was the truth?

When I came to the church as pastor two years earlier I did not have this problem. I was a Calvinist, but a reluctant one, because the “horrible decree” (John Calvin’s own words) of predestination was extremely difficult to accept, both in my mind and in my heart. Yet I was determined to be faithful to God’s Word. God’s ways were just and good, and his wisdom was past finding out.

When I offered an invitation on Sunday mornings before my conversion from Calvinism to Arminianism, I would qualify my words enough so that they did not contradict my Reformed theology. “I urge you, if you sense God working in your heart right now, drawing you to himself, then come to him in repentance and faith to receive his gift of salvation. God will not turn away anyone who comes to him.” Of course, in my mind, I assured myself that my words were biblical because the only ones who would come to God were those who had been predestined to do so. They, and they alone, are given true repentance and saving faith. So my words in themselves were true, but I felt insincere by leaving out the huge Calvinistic qualifications.

As time progressed I felt I could no longer perform these mental gymnastics on Sunday mornings. I began to study in a fresh, new way the biblical teachings on how people come to Christ. I studied the major scriptures that seemed to support Calvinism and the major scriptures that seemed to support Arminianism. Gradually I was returning to the Arminian view that I had held for my first several years as a new Christian. And I was becoming more and more excited about this renewed theology that was fitting together harmoniously and biblically. I no longer felt discomfort while I was inviting people to come to Christ.

Grace Unlimited, contending for the Arminian view, came along at just this time. My switch from Calvinism back to Arminianism was pretty well complete by the time I discovered this book. Even so, I simply devoured it. So many of the biblical teachings explained in this valuable book were points that I had discovered already. These twelve essays confirmed over and over the truths I had been finding, and explained and refined them even more clearly.

In addition to his introduction and article, editor Clark Pinnock includes essays from I. Howard Marshall, Grant R. Osborne, David J.A. Clines, Vernon C. Grounds and other highly-esteemed scholars—all building a solid and biblically consistent case for Arminianism. (I really don’t care for the labels Calvinist and Arminian, but they are so widely used I decided to stick with them.)

Even though the church congregation had no idea of my recent struggles, I felt a freshness and a freedom as I preached, counseled, served and lived daily. While I have numerous Calvinistic friends—ones I have respected deeply for many years—I have to live and serve God according to the scriptures as I see them.

This is all God asks of any of us. He does not expect us—whether Calvinists or Arminians—to devise a flawless theological system with no loose ends, no questions unanswered, and no elements of mystery. But he does ask us to study his word with diligence, open-minded attention to other views, honesty, humility, and with an eagerness to believe and obey what we are finding. He also asks us to love and respect all people, including those with whom we disagree on predestination and the universal salvific will of God.