Don’t be lazy when it comes to your study of the scriptures…

Dig deep… KNOW GOD!

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I form light and create darkness,
I make well-being and create calamity,
I am the Lord, who does all these things. (Isaiah 45:7)

One of the most common questions I am challenged with when debating with Atheists is the century old question “If your God is so good why does he allow evil and pain in the world”. This very question is what drove Charles Darwin to further his research in evolution after his daughter Annie died. I mean, surely, if there is a God who knows all things and loves all things he would not allow evil to exist in his world, let alone create it? It is a hard question, but one that of course, can be answered by the Gospel.

The Nature of God

God is love (1 John 4:8), but scripture also teaches that God is wrath (Romans 1:18). This is all very crystal clear in the Old Testament as God is shown having mercy on whom he wishes and bringing destruction on those who already have it coming because of their love for sin. The act of bringing justice through wrath does not make God evil nor a sinner. It is important to understand that God has never brought wrath upon anyone who didn’t deserve it besides Jesus (that will come later). Even though God desires that no man should perish (2 Peter 3:9) He above all things, desires to be glorified (Isaiah 48:8-11) and everything, good and evil, blessings and wrath, is being worked out according to his will (Ephesians 1:11) and therefore for his glory.

The Garden

In Genesis 1 God creates, and calls it all good. Since God is all good (1 John 1:5) and created everything good (Genesis 1:31) and evil is not good, he cannot be the author of evil. In the Garden God gives one rule and one rule only, and that is to not eat of a specific tree. Man has yet to know or understand what evil is, or experience the pain that it causes because Total Depravity is not yet present. In Genesis 3:5, the snake tells Eve that the tree of which God told her and Adam not to eat of will show here the difference between good and evil. Up until this point God and man fellowshipped together in bliss and God is merely glorified for breathing life into man and providing him a beautiful place to live. After eating of the tree, man sees all the blessings God was showering and all the pain he was withholding.

It is important to remember that man sinned against God and must be punished because that is what is just. God had made Adam good and holy with imputed capabilities of rebellion against holiness. Although God provided enough rope, man still decided to hang himself. God put the snake in the garden, but man listened to the snake. So it is not with God that evil originates, but with Adam in the Garden. God had put his stamp of approval on creation and Adam by his own evil intentions, corrupted the pure nature that God had given him. By doing this, Adam brought all of humanity down with him into destruction. This is why all mankind is born totally depraved, hating God, kicking and screaming against all that God thinks, feels, and wills. Adam’s rebellion against all that God proclaimed as good is at the core of our evil hearts.

This makes it easy to ask “Why put the snake in the garden at all, or why make objects to defy God?” First and foremost, understand that Adam did not do anything that we would not have done and therefore, we all deserve eternal punishment for our defiance against the holy God. He owes us nothing (Romans 9:14-18). More importantly though, God is absolutely sovereign over all things and is working in and through the evil that we commit (Romans 8:28). He, from eternity past, in his most wise and holy will, ordained all that has and will come to past, including our sin. This does not make him the doer or author of evil, nor does it make man any less guilty for his selfish desires and actions. God is ultimately, purposefully orchestrating the horrible things that we mean for rebellion, and reconciling them back to his holiness. We make the decision to do evil, and God, even though the sin is so vile, has meticulously purposed it to happen for good. This becomes more apparent as we continue…

Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:22-24)

The Law

Now that we are out of the Garden, Total Depravity exists and man is born wicked, hating God, and out of communion with him. Adam’s sin has cursed mankind and no longer is man set at a crossroads, but from his first heartbeat in the womb causes suffering on others and himself for the wicked choice he makes. When sin is committed, because God is a just God, the playing field must be leveled and for blood there is blood and there is a lot of it early on i.e. the flood. Then, God chooses Abraham out of great mercy to be the father of a new nation in which He has favor on (Genesis 17:5 & 9). God has mercy on the Hebrews, despite them being just as evil as any other people, and gives them the law (Exodus 24:12). Much like what took place in the garden, the law simply gives ground rules for the Hebrews. This proves to be insufficient for man, who is incapable of following the law and must be given a way to atone for the sins through sacrificing animals. This proves insufficient for paying for evil, and still God is not glorified to the fullest extent.

Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root will be as rottenness, and their blossom go up like dust; for they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts, and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. (Isaiah 5:24)

The earth lies defiled under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant. (Isaiah 24:5)

The Cross

The temple steps run red with blood for years. Man is incapable of following the law and incapable of atoning for his own sins. Then the One who has always been becomes flesh and enters into the time line of man to fulfill the law for the first time and be murdered as if he hadn’t (Matthew 5:17); Jesus is alive. In order for the Cross to do anything at all Christ had to live a life of perfection, not once disagreeing with God’s law. This is because when Christ was nailed to the Cross it could not be for any sin of his own but for other men. If the wages of sin is death, than Christ is the only man to live who did not deserve death. Yet he died anyway, and his death, unjust, allowed for atonement. Him being the son of God makes it a sacrifice carried out by God himself for his creation helplessly caught in the snares of hatred toward him. This brings the MOST glory to God, that he would sacrifice himself for those wallowing in evil with smiles on their faces as they curse and spit at God. Christ is not some trial and error experiment gone right that God pondered over the drawing board about as the he gave the law of the Jews a try. Christ was a plan before creation, and the men atoned for on the cross are part of the plan.

…knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. (1 Peter 1:18-21)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, (Ephesians 1:3-7)

Death in Adam Life in Christ

The failure of the Garden and of the Law had to take place in order to show the need for the Cross and to show off ultimately God’s glory. As many reformist say, “The people atoned for by Jesus on the Cross show God’s glory to the fullest extent through his abounding Grace, and those not atoned for show God’s glory to the fullest extent through his abounding justice.” So good exist so man can see how holy God is and evil exist so man can see how holy God is. Evil exist so that God could lovingly sacrifice himself for people who love it and hate him, but because of such a sacrifice now praise His name forever and forever, AMEN!

12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.

15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 5:12-21)

I was a baby Christian at that time, all I knew was that I had broken God’s commandments every day and that I needed to repent and believe in Jesus Christ to be saved.  I had a great love and appreciation for the Savior because of what He had done for me.  I had a desire to serve Him in any way that I could and tell others about Him.  I was hungry for His Word!

Week after week the pastor would teach the Word and have altar calls at the end of the service.  Back then, I would say that he would more often than not preach on sin, hell, righteousness, judgement, etc…  Every once in a while I would hear something a little different coming from the pulpit…  “if you’ve come to the end of yourself… your marriage is on the rocks, you’re on the brink of divorce, you take drugs, you’re an alcoholic and you need to break out of the addiction, you’re sick and tired of being sick and tired…  then just come to Jesus, and He’ll make it all better.” At that time I didn’t think too much of it, I even believed it to be biblical… and so I went with the flow of things.

Over the next couple of years I actually began to hear more and more of the message I just described and less and less of the biblical Gospel.  I now know that God was definitely speaking to me and opening my eyes to see what was going on during that time.  As this was happening week after week, (I heard gradually less about sin, hell judgment, Law) and as I was studying the scriptures on my own God began to show me that there was something wrong with what I was hearing.  I couldn’t really pinpoint what it was right away, but I just knew that something was off.  It just sounded a little too squishy to me…  as Todd Friel would say.  I continued to press on as a worship leader in various ministries even though I knew that something was wrong with what was coming from the pulpit.

It wasn’t until about 3 1/2 years ago, probably about March of 2006 when I started listening to then Way of the Master Radio hosted by Todd Friel.  (Now Wretched Radio)  One day, he was talking about the Reformers and Reformed Theology.  This was something that I had never heard before… I mean, I had heard of Calvinism but I didn’t know that it was also called Reformed Theology.  It struck interest in me so I endeavored to find out what it was.  And I endeavored… and researched… and studied the scriptures… and endeavored some more.  After wrestling with it for about 6 months, I was a Calvinist!

This led to more and more studying… going deeper into the scriptures, going to the greek and hebrew and studying the Word exegetically, using  proper hermeneutics.   I have studied ecclesiology, eschatology, dispensationalism, covenant theology, missiology… and I’m still going praise God!  Prior to learning about reformed theology I didn’t even know these words existed in the dictionary!  I didn’t know church history, I didn’t know anything about Martin Luther, or any of the reformers. (except C.H. Spurgeon, cause every good Calvaryite throws in a little Spurgeon every now and then!)

Since then, my eyes were fully opened to the pragmatic ways of Calvary Chapel. (”If we get them to get up and walk down the aisle during an altar call and repeat the sinners prayer after us, then they are saved.  Look at how many raised their hands tonight!  How many decisions were there?  Praise God they made a decision to follow Christ!” – paraphrased)   I want to say one thing: This does not pertain to every Calvary Chapel, I know full well that there are a few out there that are swimming against the flow!  They’re not all like this. But let me say this:  Just because someone raises their hand, or stands up, or walks the aisle and repeats a prayer after you doesn’t mean they are saved at all!  Especially if they heard the “weighed and found wanting”,  “squishy” interpretation of the Gospel that we hear so prevalent in the American church today.  You know what I’m talking about too… “God has a wonderful plan for you life…” or “Just give Jesus a chance and He’ll make everything better…”  or “Accept Him into your heart…” or “There’s a God-shaped hole in your heart that can only be filled by Jesus…” or “you’ve tried everything else and you find that there is nothing that can fulfill you so give Jesus a go, He will fulfill you…”

None of these are biblical. Go ahead, try and give me one text (in context, no proof-texting allowed) that resembles any of the examples I just gave…  You’re not going to find one if you’re being honest, rational and exegetical in your approach to scripture.

Check this out.  Dr. James White, founder of Alpha and Omega Ministries, just posted a blog featuring a youtube video with Chuck Smith and other Calvary Chapel leadership taking a call during the radio program “Pastors Perspective” the other day and I wanted to include it here to show you just how shallow their approach to interpreting the text can be.  So I’m going to embed the video and then include the audio of James White discussing what he heard.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKXYeUqH8QE

Now, here’s James White’s podcast “Dividing Line” where he also plays the video and then shares his thoughts on what he heard. (What you want to hear is about 12 minutes into the podcast)
James White’s original post can be found here.

My friend Michael Brewer who blogs over at Diary of a Broken Vessel wrote a post about his experiences at Calvary Chapel a couple of weeks ago that I thought pretty much hit the nail on the head as to some of the problems we find within the Calvary Chapel movement or brand as he calls it.  I wanted to add his thoughts here within this post since I agree with most if not all that he had to say…

Original post here. Or just read below…

I have a tendency to be very critical and sharp when it comes to discussing Chuck Smith, the Calvary Chapel “brand“, the church of my youth, and those leading (or involved with) them.

Chuck Smith’s system,beliefs, theology, or whatever you want to call it is questionable at best. The Word is mishandled and conformed into his image and heavily backed by verses that support only the Calvary Chapel position.Controversial subjects that can be quite uncomfortable are handled in a way to find themiddle road so that everyone is kept happy and peaceful -though ignorant- so as not to lose numbers (Calvary Chapel Distinctives, pp.56-57).

Some people object because they feel that I gloss over certain passages of Scripture, and they’re correct. But glossing over controversial issues is often deliberate because there are usually two sides. And I have found that it’s important not to be divisive and not to allow people to become polarized on issues, because the moment they are polarized, there’s division.

~Calvary Chapel Distinctives, Chuck Smith, pp. 55

Chuck Smith also holds to an authoritarian form of church government known as the Moses Model.

Let’s look at an example of theocracy in which God was ruling. Under God there was a man called Moses. Moses went to God for guidance and direction. Moses was the earthly leader who was recognized as receiving from God the guidance, direction, laws, and rules for the nation. It was recognized by the people that he was their link to God…

…In the church today we see this structure in a modified form. We see that Jesus Christ is the Head over the body of the church. It’s His church. He’s the One in charge. As pastors, we need to be like Moses, in touch with Jesus and receiving His direction and guidance. As pastors we need to be leading the church in such a way that the people know that the Lord is in control…Also like Moses, within the church we have a Board of Elders who are there to pray with us and support us in seeking the Lord’s leading for the church.

Let me warn you. First of all, you want to get elders who are men of prayer, and who recognize that God has anointed you and ordained you as the pastor of the church…

…It’s necessary to have godly men who recognize that God has called and ordained you as the pastor of the church. Men who will work with you and support those things that God is directing you, as the pastor, to implement within the church…

~Calvary Chapel Distinctives, Chuck Smith, pp. 21-23

In short, the pastor is a type of Moses, he has the greatest access to God, hears God the clearest, and surrounds himself with those who approve of him and support his moves (cult of personality). This has lead to all sorts of abuse within many Calvary Chapel churches (not limited to the senior pastor alone!).

Critics say this “Moses model” produces pastors who refuse to let their authority be challenged. Such pastors often resist accountability measures such as financial audits and providing detailed financial statements. Some curious Calvary Chapel attendees, who have sought financial information from their churches, say they were ostracized.

Other churchgoers say Calvary Chapel pastors also don’t like to be questioned. During the investigation for this article, Smith cautioned CT’s reporter: “The Lord warns, ‘Don’t touch my anointed. Do my prophet no harm.’ I think that you are trying to do harm to the work of God. I surely wouldn’t want to be in your shoes.”

-Day of Reckoning, Rob Moll, Christianity Today

Chuck Smith’s “Distinctives” are to be accepted by all affiliate churches via their “fellowshipping” process according to the Calvary Chapel Outreach Fellowship website.

Can I become a Calvary Chapel if I don’t necessarily agree with the Calvary Distinctives and have Biblical proof for my position?

No, because we want the use of the name Calvary Chapel (copyrighted) to imply the doctrinal positions expressed in the “Distinctives”. This is not to say other positions are wrong, they are simply other positions than those held by Calvary Chapel. It is no different in the secular world and referred to as “branding”. When a name comes into widespread recognition that describes what one can expect, it needs to be maintained as such.

~CCOF FAQ

So it really comes as no surprise that there are so many people who have experienced similar abuses (and treatment when that abuse is challenged or brought to light) across the board. I have talked to many current and former Calvary Chapel goers who have shared similar stories of abuse of authority, ostracism when they questioned prominent members/leaders within their Calvary Chapel, and how they are called out as being unfaithful to forgive when they have sought to have their problems addressed (the victim being told that they are at fault).

Personal Stories

The church of my youth also followed closely in the way of Chuck Smith, which as discussed above, makes perfect sense. I experienced certain abuses, and when I brought them to light I was turned away to deal with it myself, or was told to just forgive. And I completely agree that we should forgive those who have wronged us, but when the wrongs are being committed habitually and blatantly, you have done as Scripture demands, and you are still brushed off, there then comes a point when the church needs to step up.

We didn’t do that. In not just my case alone, in several instances I witnessed practiced sin ignored for the sake of maintaining peace among the saints. This turned those of us who made claims of wrong doing into dividers and enemies of peace. Without accountability or real church membership, the matter was simple: if you don’t like it, there’s the door.

Now I have written about some of the wrongs I’ve seen and experienced before. I used to own a blog titled The Mess You Left Behind where I -in a rather sinful manner (and for which I later repented)- spewed forth vile rhetoric in response to the wrongs committed against me. And I have since forgiven those who have wronged me, but still I am critical.

Calvary Critical

I am critical of Chuck Smith because he does what is right in his own eyes. He holds his own views superior even though their may be Biblical support against them. The Moses Model (really?). Heencourages scoffing at ideas contrary to his own (and also demonstrates a lack of knowledge of what happened at the cross, and proper exegesis of Scripture -see link-).

I am critical of the Calvary Chapel Brand because of the abuse I have experienced, witnessed, heard, and read about. I am critical because of the treatment of God’s Word. How God’s Word is made into a play thing that we manipulate to fit our own reasoning and conscience. How peace and love are to be sought after in all things, at all cost.

And I am critical of the church of my youth for a number of reason similar to the things discussed above. But chiefest of all things I have regarding them is this: a family was utterly destroyed before them. They were warned before, they were talked to during, and they were asked begged to help after, but in silence they stood for the sake of peace, ignoring sin, and that family is utterly undone. And I have not spoken to my father since then.

Because of all of this, I will always be critical of Chuck Smith, the Calvary Chapel Brand, and the church of my youth. But…

All Things Are Not Equal

But please understand that NOT ALL CALVARY CHAPELS ARE THE SAME! There are some that break what seems to be the general mold. There are those Calvary Chapels that submit first to the Word of God, understand what the Church is supposed to look like, practice what they preach, practice church discipline, and seek the Will of God first and foremost.

So…

So if it ever seems that I am being critical of Chuck ‘n’ Pals or of the Calvary Chapel Brand or even the church of my youth this is my official reason as to why you can expect these things from me. I pray that they are not the overarching theme of my life or my writings. And I write this for anyone who has ever been hurt like I have, or for those who have ever wondered why I am so critical of the things I have spoken of here today.

– Michael Brewer

And here’s a brother who is a Bible College director within the movement who has questions…

Me again.  Now, like I said before there are Calvary Chapels out there that are in opposition to what Pastor Chuck has laid out in the distinctives.  As he continues to grow older there is no doubt in my mind that there will be many more that will “come out” so to speak.  Here is an good example of a church that has different views. (albeit biblical)

My earnest prayer to God is that He will bring about change within the CC movement.  That He will raise up pastors and elders that will be biblically honest, properly exegeting the scriptures and not suppressing the truth of His Word in order to keep people in the pews.  God’s Word is divisive by nature… and if you’re interpreting it and preaching it rightly that’s exactly what it will do.  But at the end of the day, you will know that you have true Christians there who care about being true to the text of scripture whether it is palatable or not.

As for me and my family, we will be moving on.

– Feel free to leave comments, they are welcome.  Even if you’re feeling a bit snarky…

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