Faith by Hearing
Sanctifying the MP3 RevolutionArchive for Soteriology
N.T. Wrights View of Justification Discussed
Al Mohler moderates a panel discussion with Tom Schreiner, Mark Seifrid, Denny Burk and Brian Vickers at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. The topic of their discussion is N. T. Wrights revisionist view of justification. This was a very good interview about justification and the challenges raised against it today, and the importance that we deal with this kind of error firmly.
Atonement: Scripture on Penal Substitution
The Master’s Seminary Faculty Lecture series for 2009 looks at penal substitution, which is under heavy attack in some corners of “Christianity”. TMS is known for very thorough academic level work, and these messages will be published in the TMS Journal soon.
From TMS:
Because of recent attacks on this crucial doctrine, we believe this will be one of the most important issues that the journal has ever published.
The Challenge of the New Perspective on Biblical Justification
Ligon Duncan and John Piper join Al Mohler on his radio program to discuss the doctrine of justification and the challenges posed by the New Perspective on Paul.
Piper’s series that spawned ‘Finally Alive’
Last year John Piper published the book ‘Finally Alive’. This book was spawned by a 16 part message series he preached in 2007 titled ‘You Must Be Born Again’. This is a marvelous book and series that looks closely at conversion, the new birth, what it is, what man does in it, and what it produces in man.
This is a very good series and certainly worthy to have in book form.
Two Adams, Two Covenants, Two Righteousnesses
Guy Prentise Waters gave two interesting messages on some very important doctrinal points that play heavily in justification. Waters compares and contrasts Adam and Christ, the Old Covenant and the New, and the implications they have in terms of righteousness.
While I love Guy Prentise Waters, these two messages required more than the usual amount of attention. They are lectures, and as such, are a bit on the dry and monotone side of things. The information is great. But the format of the delivery will require work for the listener. Not commuter friendly audio. Be warned.
N.T. Wright’s Doctrine of Justification
The boys at Christ the Center give us a 2 part discussion with Guy Prentiss Waters about N.T. Wrights new book ‘Justification: God’s Plan and Paul’s Vision‘. Wright’s book is a response to John Piper’s book The Future of Justification, which itself was written in response to Wright’s teachings on Justification which provide the most theological weight to what’s become known as the New Perspective on Paul.
While this isn’t a discussion for everyone, it is very helpful in providing a big picture of this theological engagement. Waters and the CTC team are not supportive of Wright’s conclusions, and they point out some major flaw’s in Wright’s arguments in his new book as he tries to engage with John Piper’s masterful critique.
The Gospel and Sanctification
Richard Gaffin, Professor at Westminster Theological Seminary, joined the panel at Christ the Center to discuss the relationship of the gospel with sanctification, and how sanctification relates to justification. This was a very interesting and helpful discussion.
Gaffin challenged the prevalent idea that once justified, our sanctification is simply to perform the law out of gratitude to God. Gaffin clearly outlines how our sanctification is dependant upon Christ, and not merely a response of gratitude, but an actual working of the Spirit of God in our lives to perform good works as we are God’s workmanship, and not the other way around.
Paul Washer’s Shocking Sermon
Here’s the sermon that often doesn’t get Paul Washer invited back. And no, it’s not because he’s boring. Washer preaches with clarity and passion. The reason Washer has caused such an uproar in some places is because he makes a frontal attack on some of Evangelicalism’s most sacred cows: Assurance of Salvation, and sincerity in “making a decision” for Christ.
Washer pulls no punches. Nor does he just attack for the sake of attack. He attacks these forms of Evangelical religion like a surgeon attacking a cancer. He dissects and explains.
Washer rails against how Evangelicals are so quick to proclaim people ‘believers’. One of the most damnable practices in the church is when a person doubts their salvation, they are usually taken back to that day when they “made a decision” for Christ and “asked Jesus into their hearts”, neither of which are statements found in Scripture (apart from a poor hermeneutic). We are often guilty of giving people a false assurance that is based more on the ’sincerity’ of their decision than on the presence of a transformed life. Washer claims this tactic sends countless people to hell. At the very point that a person may be coming to Christ with a legitimate doubt about salvation, we kill off that work with a sloppy proclaimation of false salvation.
Washer broadsides contemporary evangelistic practices, including child evangelism and Sunday School programs. He says he would not put his children in 80% of the Sunday school programs, because the gospel presentations we give to children are so seriously distorted they border on heresy.
This message needs to be preached to every church in America. The congregations response would serve as a good litmus test of spiritual health.
John Piper Interview on Justification
The Theology Network’s Table Talk interviewed John Piper on the subject of Justification. As you may know, John Piper has held up the banner in defending the biblical doctrine of justification and imputation from modern day critiques within the church. His book Counted Righteous in Christ is a very strong defense of these doctrines.
If you’re new to the challenges being raised against these doctrines, this interview would be a good place to start. Piper discusses the difference between justification and imputation, and explains why these are important. He also covers the ‘external righteousness’ idea that defines historic, biblical Christianity. The discussion is very clear and stays on a very accessible frequency.
Discussion on Justification with John Fesko
Fascinating interview with John Fesko and 
the team at Christ the Center iabout the subject of Reformed Justification. Fesko recently published a book ‘Justification; Understanding the Classic Reformed Doctrine’, with the intention of providing a resource that is a one-stop shop, so to speak, on Reformed, historical Justification.
Fesko touches on N.T. Wrights error as well as the position of the federalist vision. Fesko argues very convincingly that the death Adam faced at the fall was not primarily a postponment of physical death. He brings Scripture to support an ‘exile’ death, as Ezekiel described the death of Israel as a death of exile. Given that life is to be in the presence of the Lord, death is to have that presence removed, which is what happened in the Garden.
Fesko also draws a number of very interesting parallels between the first Adam and second Adam, and their representative natures. For example, the Old Testament describes Israel coming out of the Red Sea and God descending upon them hovering like a bird to protect them, and Fesko connects that imagery to Christ coming out of the waters of baptism and the Spirit of God descending upon him like a dove.
Election is a crucial element to the proper understanding of justification, and Fesko makes that case and discusses how justification can become skewed without it.
Fesko is the pastor of Geneva Orthodox Presbyterian Church of Woodstock, Georgia, and adjunct professor of theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Atlanta. The team at Christ the Center gives John’s book a sweeping recommendation for it’s clarity, accuracy and readability.
