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A Call to Revolution
By pitchford | May 17, 2008
It is the year 2008. The gospel has been spreading and the Kingdom of Christ has been growing for nearly two thousand years. But not without setbacks. For almost a thousand years, in the middle ages, the gospel was slowly obscured by the corruptions of a satanically-influenced medieval church. The light was almost entirely extinguished. But then God raised up a man, shaken to the core by a sudden insight into the inexpressably glorious truth proclaimed in Romans 1:17, “The just shall live by faith,” and the whole world was again turned upside down with the divine power of the gospel. Two hundred years later, when hypocrisy and self-motivated will-religion had nearly swallowed up the good effects of the Reformation, a diverse and unlikely group of men, including John Bunyan, John Owen, Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, and even John and Charles Wesley trumpeted the joyful news that once again shook up the sleeping world, and fueled a missions movement that has reached across the globe for the sake of the Name. And now, more than two hundred years later, the gospel that has once more been attacked and suppressed, and has given way on many fronts to the false gospels of prosperity, self-esteem, inclusivism, and tolerance, is on the rise again. The heavenly insights of Edwards, Owen, and others on the sovereignty of God, his unconquerable grace, and the joy which his glory produces in those who are his has fueled another generation of outnumbered but unfailingly victorious men and women ready to give up their lives for the King. A last, great missions-minded movement is preparing for a final thrust into the heart of unconquered territories, and the trumpet sound which announces that the kingdoms of this world are the kingdoms of our Savior can almost be heard.
But this movement, as all the other Kingdom operations before it, will not be without trouble. If we would be involved, we may well claim the assurance of the apostle that we must with tribulation enter into the Kingdom. The bloody persecution of thousands in China, North Korea, Uzbekistan, Turkey, and many other places, is on the rise. The satanic lies of Word of Faith, secular humanism, and many other devilish deceptions are abounding. Great opposition calls for great discernment, great effort, and great reliance on the great King of kings.
Would you be involved? It will not be easy – but know that you are fighting on the side which has already won! In your struggle, which seems in every way to be set against you, you are more than a conqueror! Trust in the prevailing Christ, and your victory is already certain.
But be sure you move wisely. A wise battle plan will take into account both the operations and stratagems of the Enemy, of whose devices we are not ignorant, and the stratagems of godliness that cannot fail to overcome him. As we move into the next, and we hope in God’s grace, the last phase of redemptive history, we must be aware of our status.
In the midst of growing Christian persecution and terrible world calamities, such as the Asian tsunami of 2004, hurricane Katrina, the earthquake in Pakistan, and most recently the terrible cyclone in Myanmar and the earthquake in China, and as we look ahead to all the fearful disasters which might yet be coming, we may be certain that the end is approaching, with all the prophesied disasters that it will bring ready to burst upon us with a terrific force. Let the nearness of the time fuel our efforts – this generation might not have passed before the appearance of our great God and Savior!
Let us then be strategic in our efforts, both geographically and ideologically. Geographically, the great remaining battlefield, and the last and fiercest front for the battle of the ages, is Central Asia, the stronghold of Islam. Let us rise up in the strength of our King, and snatch a horde of sinners from every kindred, tribe, tongue, and nation out of the ravages of the false god of Mohammed and into the glories of the true God of creation, Jesus Christ our Savior, and the eternal Father and his life-giving Spirit.
Ideologically, we must take stock of our position as well. Just recently, we have seen much rich fruit, that had been dormant for many years, spring up again in verdant lushness from the past labors of the Puritans. Men who have read Owen and Edwards have recast and trumpeted the truths which they gleaned from the scriptures, truths of God’s unstoppable sovereignty and overcoming grace. Arminianism, Easy-Believism, and so on, are all around giving way before the glorious truths of Edwards’ great masterpiece, On the Freedom of the Will, and Owen’s indisputable tour de force, The Death of Death in the Death of Christ. Modern day reformers such as John Piper and J. I. Packer have spread abroad in current terminology the rich insights of such theological treatises as Jonathan Edwards’, The End for which God Created the World, and The Religious Affections.
But now, we have the need for another such truth as God’s sovereign grace, a truth which has long been dormant, to come again into focus, and shake the evangelical world to its roots. A resurgence of reformed theology, drawing much sustenance from Edwards’ now-termed “Christian Hedonism,” is already shaking the world, and destroying the deadening effects of Arminianism and man-centered theology. But a new resurgence of Edwardsian theology is now most pressing, which cannot fail to shake the foundations of a naturalistic and Christ de-centralizing hermeneutic: and that is, a biblical theology which derives from a reading of his great masterpieces, A History of the Work of Redemption, and Types of the Messiah. Arminianism and anthropocentrism have been waning, and this has greatly factored into the evangelization of the nations. But now, Dispensationalism and modern naturalistic hermeneutics must also be defeated, for this will be the factor that will energize the evangelization of the remaining nations of the world, which still lie crushed in the hegemonic grip of Islam.
The simple observation of Edwards, that God is most glorified when his glory is not just understood, but delighted in, has suddenly sprung up anew in this age and has destroyed much anthropocentric theology. The indisputable syllogism of Owen, proving the particular redemption of Christ, coming to the attention of this generation once again, has thoroughly cut off the legitimacy of any Semi-Pelagian or Arminian ways of approaching the gospel. And yet, in spite of the overwhelming example of Edwards, Owen, and countless others before them, the Old Testament is still read today as one might read Homer or Plato, with a mind to discern, through humanistic canons, what the original author might have intended the original audience to understand, without taking into account the divine super-intendence of the whole. What Evangelicalism-shaking effects might the clear teaching of Edwards have, that the chief mode of instruction in the Old Testament was typology, and that this typology was without exception focused on the Christ? If his treatise on the end for which God created the world, getting into the heart of one passionate servant of God in this generation, has been so fruitful in a very barren field, might we not expect that same fruitfulness in the barren field of modern, post-Enlightenment, Dispensationally-influenced Old Testament hermeneutics if another such servant, getting into his heart the vision of Edwards for redemptive history, went about to certify Christ’s statement that all the scriptures testified of him? There have been a few lone voices urging such a hermeneutic – but the dam has not yet burst, which will flood the world with the unspeakable glory of a Christ-centered way of understanding all the scriptures, all of history, all of reality. God grant that such a soldier of the Kingdom might arise today.
Christians of the twenty-first century, turn to Christ as the focus of the universe, of world history, of all redemption, and especially of the Old Testament! You have the last great bastions of Satan to conquer, the riches of Central Asian kingdoms to draw into the Kingdom, and nothing to lose but your earthly bodies, which will soon be replaced with glorious bodies like the resurrection body of our Lord!
Solus Christus
Topics: Articles, Missions, Christ and the Cross |
May 18th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
Wow! Please email this to ALL your email list…promise?!
May the Holy Spirit cause this challenge to stir and stoke raging flames of Jesus worship in the OT and Central Asia!
(spoke on Psalm 2 this AM and Psalm 96 this PM…I’m sure I utterly butchered both…but at least, by God’s grace alone and through the merciful assistance of the Spirit, I trumpeted the glory of Jesus alone throughout both…and btw, WHERE THE JUNK ARE ALL THE SERMONS THAT OUGHT TO BE PREACHED AND EXULTED DAILY ON PSALM 2????!!!!! IS THERE ARE MORE RICH OR COMPLETE CHORUS OF CHRIST ANYWHERE (OUTSIDE OF ISAIAH)??? sorry, I had to vent….)
May 21st, 2008 at 7:51 am
I agree with Dave. This made my heart thump my brother. Yes, indeed may the Holy Spirit wake us up and fan the flames of real worship of our Lord in Spirit and Truth through our obedience to all His commands.
May 21st, 2008 at 9:19 am
I agree as well, with a hearty amen. Thank you for this inspirational and well-written call. It is refreshing to read blog posts like these that are full of imagery and dignity and are also inspiring and enthusiastic. Yes, there are many issues with the “church” today, but the true Church, the bride of Christ, will always be victorious. Your call to us to be Christian soldiers is similar to some of the imagery I have been using on my blog to inspire Scriptural, godly manhood: imagery of the Knight of the Living God.
Your eschatalogical hope in the triumph of the church and the victory and reign of Christ are full of Christian joy. What a refreshing post!
For King, Kirk, and Covenant!
The Aspiring Theologian
Knight of the Living God
May 21st, 2008 at 10:03 am
He will build his church, man thinks they are building His church. He alone builds His church by His Spirit and the purchase of it is already done, we simply get to participate in the proclaiming of his glory to those he has purchased and called!
The Holy Spirit has already been placing all things in order…my daughters are already learning Arabic for the testifying of His Glory to the Arabic people here local and to the uttermost parts of this earth, and He will be with His people, because He walks IN them and Among them!
His name alone - “Jesus” the Name above all names will be praised through His people!
Amen to this article!
May 21st, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Amen, and amen! Man-centered Arminianism is on the retreat everywhere — may its tribe decrease!
May 21st, 2008 at 1:13 pm
this is a great piece, the best I have read in a while. It challenges even those already in the battle to move forward and advance, for the victory is ours.
Thank you,
In His service,
Steve Blackwell
May 21st, 2008 at 3:15 pm
“The simple observation of Edwards, that God is most glorified when his glory is not just understood, but delighted in, has suddenly sprung up anew in this age and has destroyed much anthropocentric theology.”
I will believe that Christians are delighting in God’s glory and the eternal not the temporal when I see all of us empty our savings and retirement accounts, earthly treasures laid up mainly for our future consumption, and spill them out without a thought on the evangelistic imagery to which you allude. Until then we live anthropocentric lives indeed.
In this Arminian and Calvinism are disobedient brothers. No one can serve two masters. No one can worship God for one hour and worship his portfolio the next. The evangelism effort you describe is a consummation devoutly to be wished, and God will overlook the obvious and pungent anti-Arminian bias. Many Calvinists were saved under that horrible Arminian cult before ariving in the promised land.
Your view that evangelism is sweeping the world sounds like the Pentecostal last day harvest theology. They quote Acts 2 for their basis, what New Testament Scriptures indicate such a coming scenario as this:
“But now, Dispensationalism and modern naturalistic hermeneutics must also be defeated, for this will be the factor that will energize the evangelization of the remaining nations of the world, which still lie crushed in the hegemonic grip of Islam.”
The world’s missionaries labor underpaid, without necessary recourses, in obscurity, and in proportion to the number of western believers under sent. All the while American believers fare sumptuously. I hope your scenario is coming, I fear the contiuation of the opposite.
May 21st, 2008 at 10:09 pm
Everyone,
Thanks for the comments, and let’s keep our eyes fixed on our Savior as we forge ahead in his Kingdom-mission!
Rick,
You sound a little like Elijah after his confrontation on Mount Carmel. Yes, there are many insincere believers and imposters in the outward Church, but there are also genuine believers, who genuinely delight in God’s glory, and are giving of their bank accounts, their time, their prayers and themselves to see the Kingdom spread. And they will ultimately be victorious, through Jesus Christ. There is no room for defeatism in the battle for the kingdom. The gospel will penetrate every people group under heaven (Matthew 24:14). It will call out true worshipers from every kindred, tribe, tongue, and nation (Revelation 5:9). I’m not opposed to pointing out problems in the contemporary church (I did that quite emphatically at a couple points above), but that is not in contradiction to an unwavering belief in the victorious spread of the Kingdom, and in the growth of gospel-knowledge in the hearts of believers, so that they will lay aside doctrines and hermeneutics which obscure the glory of Christ, and give up their lives to see the gospel spread.
Don’t lose heart in the midst of much apostasy and lukewarmness — your labor is not in vain, if you are in the service of the King. Final victory is certain indeed.
In Christ,
Nathan
May 22nd, 2008 at 7:55 am
“Final victory is certain indeed.”
Amen. But it will not come through the evangelistic efforts of men regardless of which doctrines of grace they espouse. Final victory will be wholly and completely upon the glorious appearing of the Great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.
And that will not be in response to our self defined faithfulness, it will be in spite of us.
May 22nd, 2008 at 8:21 am
Rick,
Yes, actually, victory will come through the evangelistic efforts of men. Jesus’ appearing will not come prior to the gospel’s calling out worshipers from all the ends of the earth — the gospel will already have gone out and been successful before he appears. And while only God himself can change a sinner’s heart, he does choose to do that through the means of “evangelistic efforts of men”. “How shall they hear without a preacher?” To suggest otherwise is hyper-calvinistic and unbiblical.
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:57 am
Great post, Nathan. May we all be encouraged to join Christ in His world-wide work.
May 22nd, 2008 at 11:42 am
I love the word “efforts”, it’s so…well…Arminian!
May 23rd, 2008 at 7:38 am
Hi Mike - love your website. I read and forward your articles all the time. Dispensationalism seems to be used as a bad word in this article. I consider myself a classic dispensationalist as oppossed to a replacement theologian. Simply “The Church is the body of believers indwelt by the Holy Spirit, distinct from Israel, that began on the day of Penecost. Ethnic Israel still has a future in the program of God due to the Abrahamic Covenant” No more and no less. What do you consider wrong with this thinking? Do you know of some articles that I could read to help me understand what you mean by”dispensationally-influenced Old Testament hermeneutics” Thank you. John Marsh
May 23rd, 2008 at 8:10 am
Hi John,
This isn’t Mike here, but Nathan Pitchford, the author of this article, which Mike linked to from his site. But I happen to know Mike wouldn’t consider himself a dispensationalist either.
To answer you briefly, I think dispensationalism detracts from the centrality of Christ and the continuity of his redemptive work. I have several articles dealing with dispensationalism, and supporting my contention here:
http://pitchfordsramblings.com/category/articles/dispensationalism/
Included is a simple, categorized list of scripture passages on the topic. It is my belief that, when the scriptures are read as naturally as possible, they strongly argue against dispensationalism and an ongoing distinction between true Israel and the church. Ethnic Israel, I believe, does still have a place in God’s plan — but it is just being grafted back into the tree of God’s one people, through faith in the Messiah, just as Gentiles who believe have been grafted into that tree and made “Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise”. If you have questions about any of my articles on dispensationalism, feel free to ask, and I’ll be glad to respond.
In Christ,
Nathan
May 23rd, 2008 at 8:12 am
By the way, I wouldn’t consider myself a “replacement theologian” either. God’s true Israel expanded across the nations, in accordance with Isaianic prophecies (et al). In a word, not replacement but expansion. Just to clarify.
May 23rd, 2008 at 9:17 am
Hi Nathan - I realized my error as soon as I had hit the send button. Thanks for the info. I look forward to reading the articles on your website.
It is well with my soul.
God bless you
John
May 28th, 2008 at 4:02 am
Hi Nathan, I wondered if you had come across the work of Paul Blackham in the UK and his ministry with Richard Bewes, Biblical Frameworks (www.biblicalframeworks.com), the aim of which is to teach Christ from ALL the scriptures? Glen Scrivener has been blogging recently in a similar vein, http://christthetruth.wordpress.com/christ-in-ot/, which demonstrates the debate and various objections as they are encoutered here in the UK. It’s a huge encouragement to read your work on the same subject, as to hold to a clear revelation of Christ in the Old Testament is seen as anything from odd to dangerously heretical in contemporary conservative evangelicalism in the UK.
May 28th, 2008 at 7:23 am
Hi Pete,
No, I haven’t heard of them, but I’ll definitely check them out. It’s always encouraging to hear of someone else taking Christ’s statements seriously, that all the scriptures testify of him. Yes, here in the US as well a clearly Christ-centered OT hermeneutic is seen as unscholarly at best, and perhaps even a dangerously flawed hermeneutic. Thanks for the comment.