Should the Lord tarry in His return, which is unlikely, and should He give this nation more time to ply its wares while feigning some semblance to historic Christianity, which I also believe to be unlikely, an historian might someday decide to take on a research project of America in its last days. Should part of that research include the American pulpit there would be scant evidence of anything controversial, threatening or even intellectually engrossing. What one would find is advice central, albeit Biblical advice, on how to live joyous and fulfilled lives during an economic downturn in an intolerant age; at least it would be found in those churches that because of the lack of the Gospel, the cross of Calvary, the terrible existence of hell and salvation only in Jesus Christ, are pampered by the media and academia and essentially preach a salvation of works towards whatever deity one feels comfortable with.
Politics dominates our 'serious' time and that amounts to two incompetent, incompetent at best, political parties whose only true talent is more indicative of a theater arts degree than history, political science, philosophy or even economics.We are a people who seem to live merely by referring to statistics, survey results, polls and daytime television guest experts than anything remotely resembling analysis, common sense or involving historical documents.
Doctrine is divisive! Plus it is hard work, and doesn't let one freely express their innermost thoughts and feelings. It's much more desirable to paint a word picture of God, one that fits in nicely with the eclectic decor of our minds, than to actually learn boorish catechism texts which we didn't have any input on anyway. The following post is from December of 2012:
Sola Cremora......or Cream Alone!
I give way too much money to McDonald's for coffee. A conservative estimate, being that I'm a Conservative, might be ten large coffees a week or over forty-two dollars a month. The folks working at McDonald's at 6 A.M. know me. If I don't show up for a week they might ask where I have been and if I show up at nine or ten they might comment on it. They're very good and I never have to worry about my order. Last week was one of those days where my schedule was different and so was the crew working at McDonald's when I showed up. I gave my order of a large coffee with two creams at the drive-thru and a few miles down the road sipped the coffee and there was cream and sugar in it, sugar...blah! I think that I said "blah" after every sip. A few hours later that day I was at the drive-thru again with the same order..."large coffee with two creams...please put them in." And once again I was a couple miles down the road and...blah! I like only cream in my coffee, or cream alone! Anything added to that and it's just not the same.
I bring this up for an analogy. A great problem in the church today is the failure to preach faith...alone.....sola fide...one of the five solas of the Reformation and the Gospel itself. As Scripture reveals to us....Scripture alone or sola Scriptura.... salvation is in Christ alone...solus Christus, by grace alone...sola gracia, through faith alone...sola fide with all glory to God alone...sola Deo gloria. When we add anything to sola fide it is no longer sola fide, it is no longer faith alone, it is no longer efficacious for salvation. My coffee is enjoyable without the addition of sugar. Our salvation is efficacious when it is in Christ alone...by grace alone...through faith alone, as revealed to us in Scripture alone and with all to the glory to God alone!
I bring this up for an analogy. A great problem in the church today is the failure to preach faith...alone.....sola fide...one of the five solas of the Reformation and the Gospel itself. As Scripture reveals to us....Scripture alone or sola Scriptura.... salvation is in Christ alone...solus Christus, by grace alone...sola gracia, through faith alone...sola fide with all glory to God alone...sola Deo gloria. When we add anything to sola fide it is no longer sola fide, it is no longer faith alone, it is no longer efficacious for salvation. My coffee is enjoyable without the addition of sugar. Our salvation is efficacious when it is in Christ alone...by grace alone...through faith alone, as revealed to us in Scripture alone and with all to the glory to God alone!
