When Larry Alex Taunton of Fixed Point Foundation explored why many American college students are atheists, the following “composite sketch” emerged:

As I read Taunton’s article “Listening to Young Athesits: Lessons for a Stronger Christianity, I found myself agreeing with the young atheists. As a teenager I experienced the same journey — but with the opposite result.

While I did not grow up attending church and the internet did not yet exist, ages 14-17 were crucial for me; when I began searching, I found most churches vague, superficial, and avoiding life’s difficult questions; I respected those who took the Bible seriously; and emotions — or at least the acceptance and support of serious believers — played a part in my decision to embrace belief.

Fortunately for me, unlike Phil quoted above, my high school pastor was not fired in favor of someone who would “teach less and play more”; And, in college I found a church that passionately tackled hard questions and difficult passages of Scripture.

Still, I find the same problems identified by these young atheists in many churches today. For example,

• A large church asked if I would speak at their women’s retreat.  After listening to several of my MP3s, the Director of Women’s Ministries asked if I could “be more entertaining, tell more stories and drop all that Bible-stuff?” I declined.

• I have an long “debate” with a pastor who is trying to persuade me that women’s ministries should not  focus on teaching the word of God, discipleship and fellowship because we are “over-taught.”  Instead, he argues, we should replace bible studies with activities like refuge outreach, soup kitchens, budgeting and parenting classes.  We continue to disagree.

My teenage spiritual journey ended in faith due to the grace of God and the willingness of other believers who took the Bible seriously to answer critical questions and to live like they believed the answers.

These young atheists have a point.  After all, if you were an atheist and most Christians you encountered rarely read the Bible and were largely ignorant of its content, what would you think?

Three of today’s major religions are rooted in Abraham:  Judaism views Abraham as its founding patriarch.

In Islam, Abraham (known as Prophet Ibrahim) is the friend of God and the father of Prophets: Ishmael and Isaac,  and the grandfather of Prophet Jacob . He is also one of the ancestors of the Muhammad.

Mormonism — with its emphasis on the priesthood of Melchizedek — also testifies to Abraham’s importance.  Standing side by side with the Bible in the Mormon canon are the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Book of Abraham which was an Egyptian manuscript Joseph Smith believed was written by Abraham’s “own hand.”

Given the importance of Abraham’s influence, we should know what the New Testament teaches about him.

The Apostle Paul argues in Romans 4 that everyone who will ever know God must follow the example of Abraham.   The question is what is that example exactly?

At the end of Romans 3 Paul made three claims about justification by faith:

• the gospel ends our pride (Romans 3:27);
• the gospel ends our prejudice (Romans 3:29) and
• the gospel fulfills the Law (Romans 3:31).

In Romans 4 Paul illustrates those claims with the life of Abraham and explains what saving faith is.

Listen to the rest

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• Does God Control Everything? (Kindle)
• Does Prayer Change Things? (Kindle) (iTunes)
• How Should I Live in this World? (Kindle) (iTunes)
• What Can I Do with My Guilt? (Kindle) (iTunes)
• What Does It Mean to be Born Again? (Kindle) (iTunes)
• What Is Baptism? (Kindle) (iTunes)
• What Is Faith? (Kindle) (iTunes)
• What Is the Trinity? (Kindle) (iTunes)
• Who Is Jesus? (Kindle) (iTunes)
• Who Is the Holy Spirit? (Kindle)

Download your copies!

Thanks, Dr. Sproul!

A random internet search on the phrase “positive thinking” uncovered a plethora of websites that promised

• “the ability to create positive mental states you can summon instantly on command;”
• tools that promised to “deliver the maximum value from positive thinking, so that you can overcome the negative thoughts that are holding you back and allow your self-esteem to rise naturally”;
• an “eWorkbook” that will deliver a “permanent cure for your worries” and “the life you want – guaranteed” as you learn how to “harness your personal power… now you can be on the way to achieving your dreams in just minutes.”

By contrast, in Romans 3 the Apostle Paul has even better news for you:  You’re sinful wretch who deserves hell, and apart from the grace of God, there’s nothing you can do about it.

All  these websites — despite their popular shiny appeal — share a fatal flaw in this philosophy of self-improvement — it can’t be done.

Take a little closer look at their claims.  How do you “summon your most enabling emotional states any time you want”?   What tools exist that could possibly help you “achieve your dreams in just minutes”? This kind of a philosophy is a problem trying to solve itself — which is impossible

One of my mentors explained it this way:  Israel is like the Surgeon General who had been given the scalpel of God’s word to probe deeply into the human heart.  The disease of sin so damages the heart that nothing short of a heart transplant will cure the disease.  Israel, as the surgeon, is not immune to the disease and needs the same cure herself.  But instead of radical surgery, she tries topical cures which amount to putting a band-aid on the cancer.

Or signing up for the programs at any one of these websites I quoted.

We may not have joined a website program, but we could ask ourselves the same questions.  Have you tried topical cures like serving the poor, church attendance, charity and bible study without submitting to actual conversion?

The outward marks of religion are of no value unless they reflect a radical heart transplant on the inside (Romans 2).  Paul says in Romans 3, take your own medicine; you, too, need a heart transplant.

Listen to the rest

The early chapters of the book of Romans are like a courtroom drama where Paul acts as a prosecuting attorney, systematically proving the guilt of the human race in its rebellion against God.

In Romans 1 Paul addressed the self-identified rebels who exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped the creature rather than the Creator.

While many of us would agree with Paul that “those” other folks are terrible, the list would not include us.   Because, after all, we are good citizens.  We pursue high ethical and moral standards.  Those of us with the minimum middle-class morality are certainly good enough.

Notice the pronoun shift as Paul starts Romans 2:

Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things.  - Romans 2:1-2

Like the prophet Nathan told King David (2 Samuel 12:1-6), Paul is saying “YOU are that man.”

In Romans 2:1-16  Paul addresses the moralist, and in Romans 2:17-29, he addresses the religious.   He warns both not to think they are exempt from God’s wrath because they are religious on the outside.

Listen to the rest

If you asked the average person on the street whether God exists and who He is, what do you think you would learn?

Two researchers asked 3000 teenagers that question. In their book: Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers, Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton describe their findings as “Moralistic Therapeutic Deism” (MTD) which is characterized by following 5 beliefs:

1. A god exists who created and ordered the world and watches over human life on earth.
2. God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions.
3. The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself.
4. God does not need to be particularly involved in one’s life except when god is needed to resolve a problem.
5. Good people go to heaven when they die.

Does that sound familiar? Perhaps you’ve heard a version of this “creed” from your neighbor, child or coworker?  While MTD certainly reflects the politically correct view of religion propagated by the media, the more scary question is what if it also reflects the comforting religion preached on Sunday mornings in our churches?

Moralistic Therapeutic Deism  is a far cry from the gospel the Apostle Paul articulates in Romans.   In Romans 1:18-32, Paul contends that God is a personal God; that there is a right and wrong and ignoring what God says about right and wrong has serious eternal consequences.

Before Paul discusses the good news of the gospel, he spends 3 chapters on God’s wrath and refutes every tenant of MTD.

Listen to the rest

The book of Romans will change your life.  Many scholars have claimed that Romans is the most important letter you’ll ever read.

• Martin Luther called Romans “the chief part of the New Testament and the very purest Gospel.”
• John Calvin wrote in the preface to his commentary on Romans: “If we have gained a true understanding of this Epistle, we have an open door to all the most profound treasures of Scripture.”
• Samuel Taylor Coleridge called Romans “the most profound book in existence.”
• William Tyndale believed that every Christian should learn Romans by heart.  He wrote:  “The more Romans is studied, the easier it is; the more it is chewed, the pleasanter it is.”

Unlike other letters which are addressed to a particular situation or problem, the Apostle Paul’s purpose in The Epistle to the Romans was to systematically explain the gospel message.  From the day this letter was received, it has changed history:

Romans was instrumental in Augustine’s conversion to Christian faith.   After reading Romans, Augustine wrote in his journal:  “No further would I read, nor had I any need; instantly at the end of this sentence, a clear light flooded my heart and all the darkness of doubt vanished away.”

Romans became the cornerstone of the Reformation.  Martin Luther read chapters 1-3 and wrote:  “This passage in Paul became to me a gateway to heaven.”

Not that I am in the company of Augustine and Luther, but Romans also changed my life.  I never fully understood the gospel until I heard Romans 5-8 taught at a college retreat.  I still have the notes I took that weekend.

My prayer is that this series on Romans will change you as it has so many others.

Listen to the rest

The apostle Paul writes to explain the good news of Jesus Christ, who as Messiah, is the Savior for all people; who as the Transformer of lives writes His Law on our hearts; and who as the Lord of history is carefully bringing this salvation to all nations — culminating in the restoration of Israel.

01 Romans 1.1-17 The Power of the Gospel
Teacher: Krisan Marotta on September 7, 2005
Paul’s letter to the Romans is the best place to build secure platform that will bear all our weight.

02 Romans 1:18-32 God’s Wrath and the Pagan
Teacher: Krisan Marotta on September 14, 2005
Paul acts as a kind of prosecuting attorney, presenting three cases. The first is his case against the pagan.

03 Romans 2 God’s Wrath and the Religious
Teacher: Krisan Marotta on September 21, 2005
Paul acts as a kind of prosecuting attorney, presenting three cases. In the second, verse 1-16, he addresses the moralist. In the third, verses 17-29, he addresses the religious.

04 Romans 3 Objections Overruled
Teacher: Krisan Marotta on September 28, 2005
In chapter 3, Israel protests her innocence and Paul overrules her on each point, substantiating his indictment from the Old Testament.

05 Romans 4 The Example of Abraham
Teacher: Krisan Marotta on October 5, 2005
In chapter 3, Israel protests her innocence and Paul overrules her on each point, substantiating his indictment from the Old Testament. In chapter 4 Paul illustrates those claims with the life of Abraham.

06 Romans 5:1-11 The Hope of the Gospel
Teacher: Krisan Marotta on October 12, 2005
With chapter 4, Paul finishes his case for justification by faith. Chapter 5 answers the question, “so what?”

07 Romans 5:12-21 Grace Abounds
Teacher: Krisan Marotta on October 19, 2005
Paul ends his argument for justification by faith with a final summary: grace abounds.

08 Romans 6.1-14 Grace and Slavery to Sin
Teacher: Krisan Marotta on October 26, 2005
With chapter 6 Paul begins answering objections to the gospel. First, “shall we sin that grace might increase?”

09 Romans 6:15-7:6 Grace and the Law
Teacher: Krisan Marotta on November 2, 2005
Paul answers his second challenge to the gospel: “But without the law there is no incentive to not to sin.”

10 Romans 7:7-25 Law and Sin
Teacher: Krisan Marotta on November 9, 2005
Paul answers the question: so if the Law multiplies our sin, is the Law sinful?

11 Romans 8.1-12 Deliverance from Sin
Teacher: Krisan Marotta on November 16, 2005
Paul explains how faith in Jesus rescue us from the moral dilemma he described in Chapter 7.

12 Romans 8:12-25 Grief over Sin
Teacher: Krisan Marotta on November 30, 2005
Paul argues that the Holy Spirit produces within believers grief over sin and eager hope for their inheritance.

13 Romans 8:26-39 Confidence in Christ
Teacher: Krisan Marotta on December 7, 2005
Paul argues that because of the activity of the Spirit, we can have confidence that everything that happens to us is in our own best interests.

14 Romans 9:1-13 Is the Gospel too Good to be True?
Teacher: Krisan Marotta on January 4, 2006
Romans 9-11 must be read as a unit that builds to a wonderful climax. It contains some of the most difficult material in the Bible.

15 Romans 9:14-33 God’s Sovereign Choice
Teacher: Krisan Marotta on January 11, 2006
On what is the basis does God choose? Paul’s answer is that God as God has a sovereign right to choose who receives mercy.

16 Romans 10 Prayer & Legalism
Teacher: Krisan Marotta on January 18, 2006
Taking religion seriously is not the answer.

17 Romans 11:1-32 Did God Reject His People?
Teacher: Krisan Marotta on January 25, 2006
Twice Paul raises the question: “Did God reject His people?” Twice he answers: “By no means!”

18 Romans 11:33-12:21 How Shall We Live?
Teacher: Krisan Marotta on February 1, 2006
Based on what we now understand about God and His grace from Romans 1-10, how shall we live?

19 Romans 13:1-17 Submission, Fearlessness and Conscience
Teacher: Krisan Marotta on February 8, 2006
Paul continues his application of how we should live in light of the gospel. In this often-debated passage he explains how to be good citizens.

20 Romans 13:8-14 Freedom in Christ
Teacher: Krisan Marotta on February 15, 2006
Paul explains what it means to live as people who are free to love one another – free of guilt, uncertainty, or doubt.

21 Romans 14:1-20 The Problem of Christian Taboos
Teacher: Krisan Marotta on February 22, 2006
How can you have fellowship with somebody who does things you do believe a Christian should do? Paul’s first answer: what you should not do.

22 Romans 14:19-15:13 Handling Disagreement
Teacher: Krisan Marotta on March 1, 2006
How to live with those you disagree with and what happens when you handle strife properly.

23 Romans 15:14-33 Paul’s Reflections
Teacher: Krisan Marotta on March 8, 2006
Paul closes this letter as he began, with a personal word about himself and the church in Rome.

24 Romans 16 – Paul’s Roman Yearbook
Teacher: Krisan Marotta on March 16, 2006
Paul closes his letter with collection of names, greetings, memories, and thoughts about life.

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Recently, I shared an interesting blog debate on a theological topic dividing our denomination with a friend.  He responded that the blogger would have no influence in the debate because he was not widely known and lacked the right degree from the right university.

My friend is exactly right:   The blogger will be evaluated on his pedigree, not whether his argument is biblical, insightful or right.

It’s not just education, of course.  Modern folks also tend to judge a speaker’s wisdom by appearance, charisma, and entertainment value.  If a beautiful person shares an opinion, we take heed.  If an academic weighs in, we listen.  If the message consists of sound-bite zingers, so much the better.  But if the not-so-beautiful, the boring, or the uneducated deliver a thought, we ignore it.

The Apostle Paul scolded the Corinthian church for exactly this kind of misplaced values.

Some in the Corinthian church were judging and rejecting Paul because he was not an eloquent and impressive teacher (2 Cor 10:9-11) like Apollos (Acts 18:24-28).  Divisions in the church resulted as they took sides (1 Corinthians 1:10-17).  Paul argues their split results from bad theology: some believe that rhetoric, style, and flair are more important than content.  Paul argues that the content of the message — not the charisma of the messenger — is critical, and they are fools to think otherwise (1 Corinthians 1:17-31).

In our age of Facebook, Pinterest, and tweets, we ought to reflect deeply on Paul’s warnings about valuing style over substance.  Today the person who wins the debate is usually the person who looks the best and delivers the most memorable sound bite.   Our culture debates serious issues in 140 character tweets.

That bleeds over in the church so that we seek preachers who tell us stories, make us laugh, and tickle our ears with poetry and platitudes.   We would rather listen to Bill Cosby than Jonathan Edwards.

We ought to take Paul’s warnings seriously and consider whether we are guilty of rejecting the Word of Life because we find the teacher dry.  Are we missing the deeper truth of the gospel because we crave a diet of stories and zingers?  Sure, no one wants to be bored.  But like the Corinthians, we can cross a line.

We ought to think critically about how far we have slipped down the slope of valuing style over substance.  The content of the message is more crucial than the letters after the messenger’s name.