Free Will?, Part 3

The Study of Theology

Live from Salt Lake City, Utah, this is Heart of the MatterTGNN’s original show where Shawn McCraney deconstructed religion and developed fulfilled theology. where we do all we can to worship God in Spirit and in Truth. I’m Shawn McCraneyFounder of TGNN and developer of the fulfilled perspective—calling people to faith outside of religion., your host.

Show 49 526
Free Will? Part III
November 29th 2016

Hey, if you are not attending a church but want to learn the word join us online by going to www.campuschurch.tv any or every Sunday at either 10am for Milk or 230 for Meat. We in half way through the book of Acts in Milk and are in the first chapter of the Book of RevelationA symbolic prophecy fulfilled in 70 A.D.—not a prediction of future global events. in Meat. I am personally convinced that these teachings will help people who are tired of brick and mortar man made religion and are just looking to hear the Bible taught and the freedom to take away from it what they find most convincing and supported by the Word itself.

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Additionally, we encourage seekers to consider the contents of our latest book, Knife to a Gun Fight. It’s available by going to www.hotm.tv and you can hear me read it, you can get a downloadable copy, you can get it through ebook or you can order a copy and we’ll send it to you, free if you are in financial straights. We just encourage you to consider – just consider – its contents.

Knife to a Gun Fight

Misinterpreting the Purpose and Place of the New Testament today.

And with that how about a visit to our board of Direction –

(RUN BOARD OF DIRECTION HERE)

Got a phone call from a young man who was worried about my statement that “doctrine doesn’t matter.” I touched on this last week due to an email or phone call but talk for a minute about theology, and doctrine, and actions. The word theos means God, and ology is the study of a thing, therefore we can see that theology is defined as a 'study of God'. Theology, the study of God, matters – it is this study (by the Spirit) that people come to know Him better and better. The Study of God – Theology – is key and vital to all Christians. In fact all Christians are – or shall we say, ought to be – theologians – studiers of God.

In scripture God reveals to all who seek Him by study His will, His ways, and His person. To know Him and His Son whom He has sent is life eternal. In a non-Christian sense the study of God is simply theology – Muslims, Buddhists and the like are all theologians. But a Christian theologian is someone who studies God through the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. Since Christian theology includes the phrase, “the study of” we have come to assign the term theologian to men and women who possess the tools (from formal education and intelligence) to apparently “study God” better than the rest of us.

The Equalizer in Theology

Time and experience has shown that while many professional theologians have added much to our understanding of God through academic tools, many a Christian theologian have allowed those very tools (of formal education and intelligence) to lead as many people away from God as to Him. The equalizer in the study of God (theology) is the presence of the Holy Spirit and a person’s ability to use both their brains and the Spirit to discern truth and not just intellectualism or academia.

Some so-called Christian theologians have chosen to offer the world something called systematic theology which is their attempt to take the entire word of God and systematize it into a cohesive understandable whole relative to specific areas of focus. But in the end any systematic theology winds up being nothing more than the Bible (as a whole) filtered and categorized and interpreted by a single individual. Not sure the book was ever intended to be seen or understood in this manner.

(ON BOARD)
THEOLOGY
• Every Christian is a theologian
• Theology matters
• It is a personal endeavor by the Spirit.

Let me say this again – the study of God matters – greatly – to all who seek to know God and His Son, which is defined as possessing “life eternal.” Now, we then come to what we call doctrine, the thing

Understanding Doctrine

Doctrine doesn’t matter IF it means treating people badly who have come to know God and His Son Jesus Christ theologically. Doctrine doesn’t matter IF it creates division among people who embrace Jesus as Lord and Savior, the author and finisher of the faith, the Son of the Living God, who resurrected from the grave. Doctrine doesn’t matter if a person insists that their pet doctrines save them. Doctrine does not save us – that’s called religion. Jesus saves us – by God’s grace through faith. Period. And finally, Doctrine doesn’t matter IF it in any way acts as a substitute or takes precedence over agape loveSelfless love marked by patience, mercy, and humility—central to living in spiritual liberty.. In other words, no doctrine gives anyone the right to treat anyone on earth badly – ever.

Defining Doctrine

So what is doctrine? If theology is the study of God, doctrine might be the beliefs we maintain as a result of our study of God. The Greek word is “didache – instruction, what has been taught.” From it, we get the word, didactic, which means, “this is what it is!” Bottom line – it’s the beliefs of an individual or the beliefs of a group – any group – philosophers, denominations, political parties. And while it simply means instruction or what is taught and/or accepted as belief, it is doctrine that divides, and doctrine that demands, and doctrine that often destroys the unity of people who, in their study of God, UNDERSTAND Him and His ways differently from others.

The Doctrine of the Christian

What is the doctrine of the follower of Christ? Well, what is the instruction? What is taught? In my study of God and Christ, I have come to believe that the true doctrine of the Resurrected Lord Jesus Christ is given to us by John the Beloved in 1st John:

1 John 3:22: And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, (His instructions, His entole – His doctrine) and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
23: And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. (instruction)

Believe . . . and love. Our only “doctrine.” Believe in Him and love one another as He instructed. This is all that John the Apostle forwards here. He could have added baptism. He could have added ideas on every single doctrinal position under the sun. But he only gives two – believe in the Lord Jesus and love one another. We choose to live by faith (which God sees and validates) and we love one another (which others see and validate). Everything else can be boiled down to things we disagree on, divide over, and which can be done as pretense to allegiance to God. But there can be no pretense in true faith and true love. When men and women start bringing in other beliefs – doctrines – along come denominations, then divisions and debates… and it is here that I maintain that doctrine doesn’t matter.

Discussion About Receiving the Good News

Okay, we have been talking about the Good News and this leads us into a discussion about how it’s received – God appoints us to receiving it and we do OR all people can and will freely choose. How to discern which approach is true?

We considered the Spirit, but one person says the spirit confirms to them the monergist view and another says the Spirit confirms the synergist view. So we go to the Word – but the Monergist finds passages that support his or her view and the Synergist finds passages that support theirs. In this situation, we might take a look at what the early church leaders said on the subject – admitting that they are imperfect and, quite frankly, did produce a number of traditions and beliefs that are off – so we look at them lightly – and try to get as close as we can to the apostolic church when the opinions would likely be closer to the apostles' view of things.

And for the last two weeks, we have seen that there was a united frontTGNN’s model for loving outreach—no converting, just humble presence and relational peace. supporting free will. No question. This accomplishes several things: First, it causes us to rethink all passages that are used today to support the monergist stance. Second, it removes the ideology that human beings, who are made in God’s image, are without an ability to choose. We all

Exploring Free Will and Salvation

Can, we all do, and we are all accountable for the choices we make. Taking the sway of what the early church leaders said about free will, we can’t help but feel a bit taxed by the stance. After last week’s show, my youngest daughter Delaney, who even attended four years of college at a non-determinist school, came up to me. While amazed at the central message of those quotes seemed to bear – that every individual does have an ability to choose the Gospel or not, good and evil, right and wrong – she wondered about this teaching creating pride in the hearts of man. Her point is really insightful because if we admit that we are all responsible for the choices we make wouldn’t this translate into pride among those who make the choice to receive the Gospel and then to follow God rather than self thereafter. Let’s talk about this tonight.

Ephesians 2:8-9

Central to Delaney’s concern we are faced with the very well-known passage where Paul says in Ephesians 28-9:

Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.”

I think it’s important to ask what is the object in these passages being discussed and would say the object is salvation – being saved. “For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves (we are not saved of ourselves), IT (salvation) is the gift of God and not (the product of our works) lest any man should boast.” Grace is God’s part in the Salvation of all human beings faith is ours.

GOD MAN
Grace Salvation Faith

This is the synergistic exchange. He gifts us with salvation – by His grace – it is not the product of ANYTHING that we do to create it, produce it, or to cause it to exist. Salvation has been established by Him and His grace (summarized in the Good News) we, by faith, choose to receive it. Just like automobiles are created, forged, assembled, and ready to go from the factory and the consumer does not need to melt rubber and create tires or melt sand to make windshields or produce the engine.

Understanding Faith and Works

Salvation is the product fully created – we do nothing to create or cause it. It is done there by His grace. Let’s say that BMW worldwide has decided for some reason to grace all the inhabitants of the world with its finished cars.

The cars are complete. Ready to be delivered. No efforts or labors are required to receive one – no labors to create the car (which we are likening to salvation) all we have to do is receive it – and in this example, we would receive it by telling BMW that we believe they are going to make good on their promise. I mean they even deliver the car to your home (like God delivers salvation to the recipient's heart).

Now we note that Paul says:

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Because Paul says that we are saved by grace through faith and not of works, we see clearly that faith is not a work, though many try to suggest that it is. Again, Paul says that we are saved by grace “through FAITH AND NOT of WORKS” meaning faith and works are very different things – mutually exclusive – it's either one or the other, right.

So appealing to our BMW example (who represents God) they have created, produced, and assembled the 720i completely and have told the world that they will gift one to all who will receive it – all they have to do is ask for one by faith, trusting BMW will provide. There is nothing in this that is of works so nobody who receives one can boast.

The Nature of Receiving Gifts

Now, some might say, “well, those who told BMW that they want to receive the car could look at those who didn’t and be proud that they were smart enough to receive it. Let’s examine this now. From a worldly fleshly point of view, this idea may be true. I mean, BMW is giving away a luxury automobile to all who simply say they want to receive it. We might agree that all who have a BMW after the give-away could see themselves as wise and all who did not could be looked upon as fools but we must admit that upon hearing that BWM’s were being given away would never want one – and would refuse accepting one because BMW would become, by the mere fact one was given to all, cheap.

So then, what if the product being given away to the world wouldn’t enhance the social status of the recipients who receive it but would instead cause them to appear foolish, and poor, and unwise in the world? Why would anyone receive such a free gift? A gift that would automatically, because of what it really does in people, make them less concerned about money, appearance, fame, power but would instead make them meek, like a child, broken before God, humble, and cast out from the confines of the city?

Human Will and the Gospel

In this sense, we can see that what is really being challenged in the presentation of the Gospel to all, the free complete gift of God’s grace to all is not their faith, it’s their will. And this brings us back into the discussion about human will – free that it is. There is a marked difference between the human will (which is a reality) being: Willful and Willing. Herein lies our answer as to why someone who truly (but willingly) receives the “graceful gift of the Good News from God” would never become proud or boastful for it. In opposition to the material wonders of a free BMW 720i, the Gospel is offered to people who first believe that they need it. Why would someone need the gospel? Because they see themselves as sinful and alienated from God. Someone who does not see themselves as sinful before God would have no need for His free gift – anymore than the super wealthy would lower themselves to receive a free new 720i when most of the world is going to be driving one. Get it?

The Gift's True Value

So for starters, the free graceful gift of God must be seen as having value. The willful will not discover much value in it – but the willing would. And why would most be willing to receive His free gift? Because it has great value to them. Someone who receives something that is of value to them is grateful for it, not boastful for having taken it. Next, if the gift being offered was going to bring a person down in this world, was going to reduce their social standing and their wealth and their esteem among men, only those who truly understood their need for the gift would willingly receive it. And in them there would be no boasting either. This was extended and they rejoice over the opportunity to accept or receive it.

We might like the gift of the gospel in this way to a mother of a four-year-old who is dying of stage four cancer and there is no hope remaining for the little one – nothing can be done. She gets a knock on her door and a man is standing there and says that he felt impressed to come to her door and tell her about this water that if consumed would heal her dying boy. The woman says, “I have no money.” He says, it’s free to you. All you have to do is get the boy to sip some.” Desperate but uncertain, the woman accepts the water, gives it to the boy and he is healed – saved. Wherein is the boasting? In such a case I would only see rejoicing and gratitude and praise that the gift was offered to her, that it was free, and all she had to do was believe in it enough to accept it into her.

Free Will and Willingness in Christian Faith

For her to boast that she opened the door, that she had the wisdom to accept the water, and that she went to all the work of getting her dying son to drink some would only prove that she was willful and not a willing soul. And was therefore not truly converted – a judgement that only God can make in the end. So the clue to free will and boasting comes down to will of the person involved.

Willful people will:

• Think they don’t need the Good News.
• Think that they were the ones to get it in their lives.
• Allow themselves to boast for accepting it into their lives.

But willing people will:

• Humbly and gratefully praise God for making it available to them.
• Know that they had a desperate need for the Good News in their lives and that without it they would be lost.
• Allow the elements of its presence dig deeply into their soul, allowing God to work out His will in them, while refusing their own.

God's Gift of Salvation and Free Will

All that was about receiving the free great Good News gift of salvation from God by faith through “free willingness” (which I like better than free will). But then what about thereafter? The very same principles continue to apply – do we have a willful approach to being Christians or a “free willingness” to let Him abide, live and thrive. Again, saved Christians, those who gratefully received His free gift must constantly decide if they are going to approach their Christian walk willingly or willfully. One produces pride and religious arrogance, the other allows God to work in and through the individual which is synonymous with willingly dying to self will.

Again, a free willingness is always present with each individual to die to self will and live to Him or willfully live according to ones own ways, and flesh, and laws. Coming full circle to tonight's content, I would suggest strongly that the study of God (theology) goes much much further to supporting and endorsing personal willingness than doctrine – which, as a form of law, does more to create willfulness than anything else on earth.

Personal Reflections and Viewer Engagement

With that, let’s open up the phone lines: (801) 594-8413. And while the operators are clearing your calls let’s take a look at this:

From: Ryan
Subject: Black Hebrew Israelites
Message Body:
What is your opinion on the black Hebrew Israelites? (Division, Division, Division) What is my opinion on “white, Italian, Gentiles” or “Yellow, Indonesian transvestites?” Or of “Democrats,” or “Republicans,” “Communists,” or “bicyclists?” All one in Christ – all one in Christ. If the BHI admit Jesus as Lord and Savior they are my brothers and sisters. If they don’t, they will and until them they receive all the love I have for them.

From: Virgil in New Zealand
Hiya Shawn! Been a while but I've recently started watching your show again. I just love your thoughts and revelations. My favorite by far has to be subjective ChristianityA direct, personal relationship with God—free from institutional authority, guided by personal relationship, faith and agape love. and PreterismThe belief that all biblical prophecy—especially “end times”—was fulfilled by 70 A.D. More. Unfortunately, here in Wellington, New Zealand, every other Christian in my life is an objective Christian with a futurist view. I'm glad I heard you speak on subjective Christianity before I went guns blazing with the doctrine of Preterism. Now I'm a lot more gracious and rely more on the Spirit, instead of being dogmatic with the word. I don't want to be that guy at the picnic arguing. I also like your view of social and political justices. Christianity isn't about stopping abortion or gay marriage, but about Christ. It's the unseen not the seen. Sure, I can disagree with things like abortion but it's not a Christian thing. Like you said, Jesus and the apostles preached the kingdom not marriage or abortion. The other interesting thing about Preterism is that I'm seeing scripture in a new light. I'm no longer reading everything and just applying it to me. It was to them: time, place and circumstance. This stops a multitude of potential gaffes. Anyway, I did have one query. I was thinking of spreading your message around to my family and friends. Would "If/Then" and "Knife to a Gun Fight" be good books to help my family get a different perspective? By the way, if you manage to read this before the show, give me a shout out! (You're welcome to read or refer to this email). 🙂 Love you brother!! Virgil

From: Andrew Smith
Subject: Matt Slick
Message Body:
Dear Shawn: I love your show. I just started checking you out on YouTube about a month ago and it has really helped me through a period of doubt in my life. I watched your show with Matt Slick, and I just had a

Reconciling Faith, Salvation, and Religious Understanding

question about one of the comments you made. You said that you believe that in the end people will be reconciled to God, but only few will be saved. Can you explain to me what that means?

From: Kevin Craig
Subject: Christmas music
Message Body:
I first heard your music on a Don Preston debate. Someday I hope to be able to afford some of your CD's. Do you have any Christmas music? Have you heard this group before? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qasM2QT5W14 Some parts reminded me of your music. You use the word "anarchist." Can you send me a link to a page on one of your websites that explains this term? Thank you.

The Challenge of Religious Teachings

From: Bradley
Subject: The Conflict of whats what…
Message Body:
This is a tough situation, one man feels this way, this man feels this way. I personally at this time cannot figure out why GOD would make this so tricky? Sometimes I feel LDS again, in some situations i read it different from what the prophets were teaching, they were the boss of my religion when i felt a different way. I believe GOD gave the new commandments FAITH AND LOVE. that is the only way i can see how he can get everyone on the same page. Other than that its like herding 20 cats. This might change in my mind later with time, I think GOD wouldn't leave a great plan that he has in THAT much disarray? Ya know it takes it seems forever for ANYONE to actually find the truth… THINK ABOUT IT!! and then make it a daunting puzzle to figure out the truth?? Shawn Please keep up the great work, you're my inspiration right now. I thank you and keep on keeping on brother.

From: Joseph Manry
Subject: Going to hell
Message Body:
Hey Shawn I served a mission in Missouri and learned a lot about church history that shocked me but put on the shelf not asking questions. Having kids in. It drove me crazy that they weren't taught the real way Joseph Smith translated the book of Mormon. 8 months ago I learned Smith married other men's wives and I have not been to church since. When I was active I had Christian tell me I'm leading my family to hell but now my family is telling me that. Luckily my wife is with me and see things as they are.

Perspectives on Grace and Faith

From: Brandon
Subject: Grace
Message Body:
Hey I went to the mormon church this sunday because a missionary I'd secretly been planting seeds in was getting sent home early for losing his testimony that day after church so I had to drop off some free materials from Adams Road with him and my testimony that his tokens are worthless. I went to their sunday school where they the teacher asked "what do you think it will be like when you stand before God" and in my heart I was saying what you had taught me and the scriptures do, I'd stand before God and say all my works are as filthy rags and all I have is faith in Jesus and I rely and believe on His blood. A female (The gender doesn't really matter though) missionary raised her hand and answered the question "We will stand before God and say look at all our good works, look God, we kept all of your commandments; and God will be so happy with us and love us!" I even believe it sounded like she started crying while saying that. My blood went cold and I felt such a depression in this saying. Thought maybe it would be cool to mention this on the show again sometime so the people who still think of works get a bit of a new thing to hear. Thanks for all you do Shawn! Love your books! God bless you! Brandon