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I've update my list of links. There's one problem. They all come from the relatively same standpoint as myself theologically. I'd like to expand my reading so I can remind myself how others think. Click the email link under the links to give me your recommendations.

Gauging our need - Romans 3:23

I was awakened very early this morning by one of my boys. I got him settled pretty quickly and he was back asleep within minutes. I, on the other hand, was up for the remaining part of the night. I thought about this blog and where to start. After much thought, I've decided to start with the need. Why do we need God?

Now, I'm not talking about "need" in the sense of the provision for our daily needs. Nor am I talking about the more philosophical, esoteric needs of the universe that must be held together by a higher governing force. Why do I care about God in the first place? Why have I chosen to follow a vocational call which has as one of its main duties telling people about God? There are certainly many factors here, but one of those is because we all have a need for forgiveness.

Allow me to elaborate. This of course is probably not the best place to start because there are a lot of issues that now have to be underlying assumptions in order to start here. Starting with our need for forgiveness assumes the following things (and probably a few others):

1. God is perfect, holy, loving, merciful, just, etc.
2. He wants a relationship with us.
3. Something in our lives has a created a situation where we need forgiveness for the sake of that relationship.

It is with number 3 that I shall start. I believe that all human beings stand in the need of divine forgiveness because of sin in their lives. I believe this need is present at birth. Starting with the most basic of Biblical references, Romans 3:23 says, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (NIV). This in fact the beginning of the Roman Road, an evangelism technique/script used to demonstrate to an unbeliever that he or she needs forgiveness.

It is interesting to me to look at the context of this verse for when we do, I find that it says much more than just an quick affirmation of our fallen nature. The major theme of Romans is righteousness - what it looks like, how do we attain it, how do we keep it, who can get it, etc. Very early in this letter, the Apostle Paul indicates this will be a major focus point for his writing. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel, a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it written: 'The righteous will live by faith.' " (Romans 1:16-17, NIV). In these verses, Paul asserts that God has revealed his righteousness to humans AND in that revelation we can find the power to find salvation. The possibility of salvation requires a need to be saved from something.

Continuing on through Romans, Paul describes the sinful state of humanity. In 1:18 - 32, Paul provides a list of both general characteristics (ex: godlessness, wickedness, greed, deceit) and specific offenses (ex: sexual immorality including homosexuality, murder, idol worship). He opens this section with the assertion that "the wrath of God is being revealed" against these things (1:18). Certainly, the wrath of God is something to be avoided. It is salvation from this wrath that is being offered.

It is proper at this time to note that here is where many evangelistic efforts concentrate. We have all heard evangelism referred to as "selling fire insurance," i.e. helping someone avoid the fires of hell as punishment for their sins. Paul does not explicitly provide details of what God's wrath against these things will be in Romans. He warns there will be "trouble and distress for every human being who does evil" (Romans 2:8) but "eternal life" for those who persist in doing good, etc. (2:7). He echoes this again in Romans 6:23 when he says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (NIV) Death and Life are recurring contrasts in this letter.

In the current evangelical church, we tend to look down on evanglistic efforts that center around this avoidance of God's wrath. Using an approach that became popular in the late 1980's, we like to now refer to Christianity as a "relationship, not a religion". Such a perspective is certainly a necessary corrective to some overzealous methods that were heavy of the judgmental, angry nature of God. In many of these cases, a shallow faith centered around obedience methods did result. Relationship metaphor provided a discipleship paradigm that hopefully led to a deeper faith. We talk frequently of "a growing relationship with Christ."

But, as in all corrective movements, some who major on the relationship are now being accused of proclaiming a watered down Gospel, one that has no mention of the need for forgiveness of sin. Criticisms on both sides are valid. Evangelistic efforts must proclaim the need for forgiveness AND present the reality of relationship with the Creator through the Savior.

In chapter 2 of Romans, Paul begins to set up another major contrast that controls much of the content of this letter. It is a contrast of the Jews vs. the Gentiles, of Law vs. Faith. The Jews were well aware of the lack of righteousness and presence of sinfulness in the human creature. They were after all God's chosen people. He had given them a special revelation - his Law. It is through the Law that the Jews maintained their relationship with God. The law had provisions for how to make atonement for sin through various offerings. The law guided their conduct and daily affairs so that obedience would theoretically enable one to avoid sin.

This understanding of what it takes to be righteous is what Paul undertakes to correct in this letter. Paul does not invalidate the law. "For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous" (2:13) He immediately goes on to say, however, that the law is not necessary for righteousness. "Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them." (2:14-15). It is in this statement that Paul begins to set up his contrast of Law vs. Faith that will, as stated above, control the direction of Paul's argument for righteousness by faith.

So, by the time we approach the end of chapter 3, the readers, both Jew and Gentile, are hopefully ready to admit that they stand in the need for forgiveness. The Jews already knew they needed it, although it can be argued they had become quite presumptious in the assurance that they had the system all figured out and were safe from God's wrath. The Jews acknowledge that the Gentiles needed this same forgiveness, but it could only be found in becoming a law-abiding Jew. The Gentiles were now beginning to hear about another way through faith in the gospel being revealed through the proclamation of the death and resurrection of Jesus (Romans 1:2-6) and hopefully Paul's words convinced them of their need.

A final note about this all inclusive judgment of humanity put forth in Romans 3:23. Paul's argument in chapters 1-3 eliminate all other possibilities. In these first three chapters he has not directly made any claims that there is only one way to find forgiveness. What he has said is that everyone needs this forgiveness. Paul has not allowed that those who desire to worship other gods do not need this forgiveness because they are under a different system. Gentiles fell into many categories when it came to deity worship. They certainly fell outside the Jewish system. Paul says that whether we want to play or not, we still have to abide by the end results of that game. It really is an "all have sinned" situation.

This discussion of course raises a couple of obvious questions. Why does everyone sin? If everyone does it, why doesn't God gives us a break? What exactly has to be done to get this forgiveness? Why the claim that the need is present at birth - how can an infant sin? What happens to an infant who dies and does not have the mental faculty to understand their need and do something about it? For that matter, when does the need become present - birth, in utero, or conception? My next post will address the question of why we sin.

What do you think?

• - Is my assessment of Romans 3:23 correct or have I made much ado about nothing?
• - What are the implications for evangelism? Is there a "best" way or "more complete" paradigm with respect to evangelistic methods?
• - Have I left anything out or are there any other questions I have missed?

Where to start?

Saying I'm going to work out my own theology and then actually doing it are two very different things. The sheer magnitude of such a project is enormous. How many volumes did Calvin, Aquinas, and others write? And how much time did they have to strictly devote to their works? In that sense I have to appeal to the example of Wesley. He is often undervalued in his worth as a theologian for not composing an intentional corpus of his thought and process. But Wesley was my kind of theologian. He was a man in the trenches. He was a pastor first and foremost. And he was a highly educated and trained one at that.

So as someone who is a pastor first and foremost, I do much of this work not just for my own benefit. It is also for the sake of the people who call me Pastor, listen to me every Sunday, and seek my guidance on many things the other six days of the week.

Now, where do I begin? What should my general outline of topics be on this lifelong journey of understanding? If my gut is right, one will naturally lead to another.

What would you suggest as starting points? What are the main themes you think need to be covered?

Day One - Purpose

I've been much more intellectually engrossed with my faith lately. I've experienced the melancholy of homesickness for seminary mixed with the joy of learning. It's so easy to get engrossed in the daily operations of life and forget about God. Even for a pastor. I find myself getting lost in the leading of the machinery called church that it's hard to remember the Lord of that church. Don't get me wrong - the machinery is necessary. The Apostles needed machinery. Moses needed machinery. The machinery, if put together correctly and with the proper anointing of the Holy Spirit, will glorify God as it leads people to properly love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.

I'm an information junkie. Lately, I've spent a lot of time debating on other blogs about issues of import for the church universal, for my particular denomination - The Wesleyan Church, for my alma mater Asbury Theological Seminary, and numerous other theological issues. It has created somewhat of a renaissance within me. Maybe not a renaissance but more of a resurgence of the desire to study even more. I wish I had 40+ hours a week to study for each sermon. I wish I had a gazillion dollars to buy all those books I wanted in seminary and all the new ones I want now. I wish I had paid closer attention in some of those classes that required toothpicks for the eyelids.

So here I am. For the next "ever how many" I am going to work on my theology. What does Matt Guthrie believe and why? I generally operate from a logical and rational point of view. I am a Wesleyan. I admit that I believe some things because I just want to believe them.

I believe the Bible is the primary source (like 99%) of the answers we all seek. The remaining percentage we get from tradition and the rest of the church, our own personal experience, which for me includes my logic and reason. In that, I am thoroughly Wesleyan, though I was so before I ever heard of the Quadrilateral.

So all the work that progresses here will be shaped by those factors. Yet I will strive to remain open to ever how God chooses to reveal and impart his desired understanding to me.