A Brief Word on "The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven"

I was asked by a friend of mine for my thoughts on the recantation of Alex Malarkey, the son of author Kevin Malarkey and the figure of the 2010 book "The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven". I have been an open critic against these books (though this is my first time to write of them online) and I am encouraged by Alex's recantation and the subsequent removal of the book from Lifeway bookstores and from Tyndale's presses.

Let me start by saying this: I am not a fan of Christian bookstores in general. I've been to a few, namely bookstores connected to seminaries or Christian colleges, that contain solid material, but I have not been a fan of Lifeway, Mardel, and other such chains for a long time. I have friends who work at said bookstores, and I have nothing at all against them as individuals, but I have tried to go out of my way as much as possible to avoid purchasing materials from these bookstores.

Pulpit and Pen, with their Twitter movement #the15 (a movement I do NOT support for other reasons), has been going after Lifeway over the past few weeks in an attempt to get some of these "heavenly tourism" books pulled, and it seems that Kevin Malarkey's "The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven" is the first to go. This is good. Lifeway, or any other Christian retailer for that matter, should never have picked this book up or any other book in the I-died-went-to-the-afterlife-and-came-back genre (including 90 Minutes in Heaven, 23 Minutes in Hell, and others). They might mean well by selling these books, but in their attempt to possibly encourage believers in the existence of the afterlife, they have undercut the authority and sufficiency of the Scriptures in the process. If the Scriptures were truly enough for our comfort, we would not need the testimony of others in this regard; the fact that these "heavenly tourism" books have sold millions of copies is a testimony of our nonexistent confidence in the Scripture.

Alex Malarkey's move is a brave one, and while there are some articles on the Interwebz that suggests that he and his mom Beth have been trying to get this book pulled for some time, it is disappointing that the Christian publishers had to wait until a recantation before recognizing the crap behind the book. The same can be said for the equally ridiculous Heaven is for Real and other similar books - must we wait for a recantation before we admit the obvious concerning these and other similar books? John MacArthur, in his book The Glory of Heaven, makes this point embarrassingly clear:

"For anyone who truly believes the biblical record, it is impossible to resist the conclusion that these modern testimonies—with their relentless self-focus and the relatively scant attention they pay to the glory of God—are simply untrue. They are either figments of the human imagination (dreams, hallucinations, false memories, fantasies, and in the worst cases, deliberate lies), or else they are products of demonic deception.

We know this with absolute certainty, because Scripture definitively says that people do not go to heaven and come back: "Who has ascended to heaven and come down?" (Proverbs 30:4). Answer: "No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man" (John 3:13, emphasis added). All the accounts of heaven in Scripture are visions, not journeys taken by dead people. And even visions of heaven are very, very rare in Scripture. You can count them all on one hand." (1)

Legitimate spiritual damage is being done in the promotion of these books and in the consumption of these books. Whether the authors intend for it to be or not, these books cannot co-exist with the Bible.  Either the Scriptures are sufficient, or they are not.

In short, good on Lifeway and Tyndale for deciding to pull the book, even though it took them way too long to get this done and they presently have shown no remorse for carrying the book in the first place. Hopefully this will open their eyes to see the BS that this book and other books in this lucrative genre are. This is a good step, but more need to be made, and more books need to be pulled.


(1): http://www.gty.org/Blog/B121018

The Resurrection of the Posts of Old

If you'll notice (in addition to a mild redesign) in the blog archive feature of this blog, the posts that I wrote back when Another Ascending Lark was my personal blog and not a blog for arts and the Christian worldview have been moved over here and republished. Or at least, some of them have.

I want to caveat that four years of my writings are now visible on this blog, and I have changed in my thoughts and practices over the years. If you decide to check out some of my older apologetics work in particular, please know that I am working on a theological base than I was back in the day. I may not agree with myself as much as I used to.

This is all for now. Carry on.

Moving on from Young, Restless, and Reformed

I recently turned 23 a few weeks ago. A small milestone, and really not all that important a year or an age. But with a new year brings a new season of personal change.

Starting at a new school, getting deeper in my job, and closing an era of my life after four years of service has put me in a state of contemplation and reflection on my life the past few years and the life that is now before me. Things that I wish to change, things that I want to stay the same, and things that I want to see come about (i.e. marriage) run through my mind and, given where God has placed me in the present time, are examined. Undoubtedly, this means that my theology about God comes under a similar scrutiny, and over the past few months a conviction has arisen that I felt the need to write about: I am ready to move on from the Young, Restless, and Reformed movement. 

It’s not that I think the Young, Restless, and Reformed movement has been a negative time of my life from me. Far from it, in fact; I have been blessed by it in numerous ways, and I have seen others blessed as well. It’s also not to say that I think ill of the movement; no movement within Christiandom has been free of mistakes or blemishes, and only the naive think that the YRR movement doesn’t have its shortcomings. Intellectual and personal immaturity is a common charge against the movement and I have (and will be) guilty of both. But just as one realizes that it’s time to begin swimming in the deep end, I have realized that, theologically, its time I grow up and move beyond TULIP, Piper, and all the other staples of this movement that I have identified myself with for the past few years. 

Swimming in the deep end is a scary thing. If you’ve not done it before, you undoubtedly realize you need help. Once I realized that there was more to my faith than TULIP and wearing the Calvinist badge - that the Reformed belief system goes much deeper and spans a larger horizon - the once-confident-that-he-knows-everything Calvinist realized that he is a guppy in an aquarium of sharks. Mostly nice sharks - but still sharks that can swallow you in one bite. 

So I dive into the aquarium of the confessions, of the creeds, of the history of the church, of paedobaptism and credobaptism (of which I presently hold the latter), of understanding the covenants, of many other things that I presently had not considered, and my mouth is silenced. I am not the expert in this area I once claimed to be. If anything I know nothing at all. Wrestling with the Westminster Confession of Faith, reading through Michael Horton’s “The Christian Faith” (which I cannot recommend enough), and struggling through Calvin’s Institutes with my church family has been one heck of a smack in the face of humility. Not that I have become pride-less, as my flesh would be happy to bring that out in me, but any confidence of theological boasting I once had isn’t quite what it used to be. 

I realize that, demographically and practically, I am still a member of the Young, Restless and Reformed movement. Whether or not others identify me with it is irrelevant to me. There is still  plenty of good hearted joking, rimshots and facepalming to be had (those darn "predestinated" jokes never get old or good). But, as far as my conscious before Christ is concerned, I am willing to re-enter the cage - albeit a much different cage from my Calvinist cage days - to submit myself to learning and listening, knowing that for every day I learn something new that there is a whole year of potential learning, falling, failing, and rising to be had. And not just learning for the sake of my own personal gain, but learning for the sake of blessing and benefitting others, sheathing the sword of debate only to draw it more infrequently than before. The old is gone; behold, the new slowly cometh.

Beach Reach 2014: Disappointment and Resting in the Bigger Picture

A row of short people + one tall guy

I would like to be able to write a post saying how I had a great time at Beach Reach and I walked away from it with no regrets and fully satisfied with how the week went.

But I can't. 

If I were honest, when I stepped off the van at the WT BSM yesterday, I was stepping off with a heavy weight of disappointment.

It's not that the week was bad for me - far from it, actually. I got to share the Gospel with a lot of people. I had the best Midnight Breakfast night of my three years. I got to spend time outside my comfort zone on the beach. I was part of an awesome team. All things considered, it really was an good week. 

Why then was I disappointed? Simple: Beach Reach was underwhelming this year. Compared to the first two years (especially last year), this year was an absolute cakewalk. 

Beach Reach, in my mind, didn't really begin until Thursday. The days prior had been wrecked by  unpleasant weather - the sun did not come out until Tuesday afternoon, and Wednesday was so windy it made Amarillo look tame. We didn't have to clean the beach on Tuesday because nobody had been on the beach and so there was nothing to clean up! But even with the weather complications, it gets very frustrating to hear friend after friend after friend tell stories of long conversations with atheists/agnostic/skeptics/universalists/ect and not think "why is everyone else getting all the exciting conversations?!" It's annoying to have to hear story after story of exceptional and exciting conversations and have nothing to share other than the general "yeah, we picked up a lot of people and the conversations went great."

All this to say: I was disappointed because the trip didn't go the way I wanted it to.

I wrote before the trip began how I wasn't ready or prepared for the trip, spiritually/mentally/physically. I made that remark thinking that I wasn't ready in terms of health, or spiritual strength, or getting into that missional mindset, but it seems that I was missing one major ingredient of preparation: surrender. Surrender to God to let the trip flow how He wished it, surrender to God my expectations and standards to evaluate the trip by, surrender to be used however He wished me to be used regardless if it was how I personally wished to be used. It wasn't until I was riding on the van back home that I realized that I had carried a heavy baggage of expectation that was crafted based off my personal desires (all inspired by the nearly flawless Beach Reach 2013), and that by living the week out with that unconscious expectation, satisfaction and joy has thus eluded me - at least, it will stay away from me if I continue to see the trip through the lens of me.

The question that God is pressing into my mind as a result of Beach Reach is a question of grounding joy. Will I ground my joy (or lack thereof) in *my* trip, *my* conversations, *my* work, or will I ground my joy in the fact that 104 people were raised from death to life through the proclamation of the Gospel in Satan's backyard? Will I focus on *my* life, *my* experience, *my* story, or will I rejoice in the fact that people were saved from eternal separation as a result of our collective ministry? 

The struggle at the moment is dying to my personal disappointment and resting in the bigger picture. I'm still wrestling through it at the time of this post, but then again, I'm also exhausted. Hopefully, as the post Beach Reach season begins, this joy will become solidified in my heart and will lead to an outpour of the Gospel in every area of my life in the real world.

/end Beach Reach 2014

Beach Reach 2014 (Fifth Update)

(Note: During the week, updates will be posted in reverse chronological order, starting with the newest updates on top).

Update #5: Day 6, 10:30ish

Sorry for no update on Day 5 - that day was just busy from start to finish.

Brief recap on Louie's Midnight Breakfast: it was outstanding! It was hands down the best Louie's night of my Beach Reach history thus far, and it could take quite a bit to beat it. I was on the vans the whole night (meaning four hours of practically nonstop rides) and of the 16 rides we had, I can say that only two or three of the rides were marked by over intoxicated and out of control partiers. Everyone else was sober or reasonably sober and I had several great conversations - one of which where I got to utilize my apologetics training to help a backsliding brother to reconsider his faith! After having two days of Beach Reach Lite, it felt so good to finally jump into the real deal.

Yesterday afternoon a group of us went to the beach to talk with people around the sand sculpture. Truth be told, that was my least favorite part of the trip so far. It was unbelievably windy - so windy Amarillo would be jealous - so hearing people and talking to them were difficult. Second, while there were definitely conversations that took place, they were few and far between compared to the breakfasts and van rides. Most people were too busy drinking/dancing/flashing/ect to know we were even there, much less willing to stick around long enough to have a Gospel chat. I'm not gonna lie, I wish I had been on the vans (though I was told that not much happened there either).

Buddy's sermon last night rocked me extremely hard. Ever since the end of Panfork III, I have felt aimless and directionless with where I am going in life and what I am going to do with it. Buddy's sermon on Romans 15:18-21 showed me that the reason why I have felt aimless and directionless is because I have lost my ambition for the Gospel. Without the daily drive to make Christ known and minister to those who need to know Him, I have been feeling the despair of the never-ending college career, the well paying 8-6 M-F job, and, well, the despair of the daily grind in general. How I lost that ambition, I don't know, but at least I know now that it's not there and I can focus on getting it back: thankfully, the evening was only beginning.

This morning was the last morning for us to stay up at ungodly hours of the night - we sign off at midnight, and truth be told I have extremely mixed feelings about it. Last night/this morning was a great  shift all around. My van ride conversations were awesome. None of them were outstanding or spectacular, but I was able to proclaim the Gospel both in conversations and when it came time to pray. When it came time to hit the prayer room, reports were pouring in of great conversations all night long. The usual Wednesday harvest wasn't there (usually Wednesday and Thursday are the days were the salvations usually pour in), but then again, this has been an extremely unusual Beach Reach to begin with, so at least the unusualness is consistent.

We are about to go eat lunch, give our rides for an hour or so, and then head to the beach to baptize disciples in the (freezing cold) ocean. Baptism time is definitely a major highlight of the trip - baptizing Beach Reachers who have never been baptized, and baptizing Spring Breakers who have become our brothers and sisters in Christ. We will also have worship on the beach in the evening, and immediately after that's over, we begin our final shift - and if tradition holds true, it will be the climatic final struggle that will leave lasting memories for years to come.

Update #4: Day 4, 21:00ish

"As the battle rages on and on
I face the things that put my faith to the test
When fallen angels won't leave me alone
Father, come and lay the demon to rest
When my sword has broken off in my hand
I see the dark futility of the flesh
When I'm about to fall, please help me stand
Father, come and lay the demon to rest"

- Theocracy, Laying the Demon to Rest

The newbies of this year have it lucky - this has been, so far, Little League Beach Reach. The weather has severely dampened the island population, meaning that the rides have been fewer and the situations less intense. 

But for us tonight, this is where the fun really begins. 

In less than an hour we begin our shift of the Midnight Breakfast at Louies. For those of you who know what I'm talking about, you already know how/what to pray. For those who don't…this is hands down the most chaotic night of the week. It's a massive operation. We will be talking with people as they come out of the club (usually extremely intoxicated) and taking them from there to where they are staying. It's pure war - but in a good way.

I feel great. I am on fire and ready to get the night underway, but I am totally nervous. Please pray that the Spirit would work through me to be able to to share Jesus and have good conversations in the midst of the madness and insanity. I don't do well around groups, drunk people, and especially groups of drunk people, so pray that God would override my weaknesses and that tonight would rock.

Update #3: Day 3 and 4, 3:30ish

Just got done with my first night and my first van ride shift. Gosh it was rough. I found myself in one of the most difficult positions I've ever been in on a van - and on one of the first rides!

We picked up a group from Louie's, and I am the only guy on my van (sans the driver). Three of the four guys that get on are drunk, but composed and polite. The fourth guy had to be a Top 5 Most Drunk Guys for me - the only rational sentence I got out of him was "Take your good news and shove it up your ass!" Soon the guy started to hope the rows and sit with the girls. He made it to the Door Mama row, and our driver (a powerful man of God) sat him back down and shut him up, but he tried getting physical with our girls. Soon I had no choice but to grip my knife and be prepared to spring it should he try to do something. He soon got off, and that was the end of it, but my gosh that seriously rattled me. God definitely wanted to throw me into the cold swimming pool for the van rides.

The rest of the night went alright. Tomorrow we have pancake breakfasts and hotline rides. The weather is supposed to change tomorrow afternoon so hopefully the activity will pick up.

Update #2: Day 2, 22:00ish

It has now become a tradition: fresh, grilled, shrimp fajitas from Pirates Landing. Three years, three plates, three food-coma naps. Lunch was a great time for the AC students to congregate and each lunch as a school, as we usually don't see each other much as the week goes on. A lot can happen in a year: the table we sat at was the same table we sat at last year, only with a different director and a new set of faces. A radically different AC in such a short time.

One nap later, we went back to Port Isabel for the first dinner with the ENTIRE Beach Reach Army. Not just AC, not just WTAMU - *all* the schools. There's quite a group this year! I reconnected with several acquaintances from across the state and from other schools, as well as with Jenny, the previous director of the AC BSM. Right off the bat we begin to give each other a hard time - just like old times. I dearly miss seeing her, but I was overjoyed to finally meet some of her new students and know that we share the common bond of Jenny Cummings, a whiny Californian hard working servant of the Lord.

The night of community prayer is always a great time to shove the introvert side of you into the closet and let your pet extrovert out for a few hours. Tasked with meeting and praying with new people for roughly two hours is a safe warm up (of sorts) for the ministry of the next week. Humbling yourself together with brothers and sisters and bringing your requests before the Lord is one of the most beautiful things about the body of Christ. Part of our Gospel witness is our unity during the week -we are all here for the same thing, and the island knows that. We are not divided in our task - when we our, the message suffers.

This is the only night of normal sleep we will get on the island. We have church in the morning and then we begin canvasing the island with hotline information. By this time tomorrow night, I will either be in the prayer room or on the van sharing Christ. Either option sounds fine with me. /end update 2

Update #1: Day 2, 9:45ish

There is no update for Day 1, largely because the first day of the trip is a trip of nothing but travel. We left Canyon around 7:00 and arrived at our overnight condo at around 10:30, finishing with an average travel time of 15.5 hours. I still felt like crap, so I tried (mostly in vain) to get some sleep, but my sleep was less than restful. I tried to read Greg Koukl's Tactics - as is my custom for the ride down - but was not able to. There was plenty of classic rock and comedy to be found on my van, as well as a disproportionate amount of testosterone and nerdiness.

After a good night's sleep (something I have not had in days), we woke up to an overcast day with the Gulf of Mexico roaring at our back door. I woke up with enough time to get some Word study in, but then again, there is something to be said for taking some time to enjoy God's creation. The warm breeze, the sound of birds chirping, the chorus of crashing waves set against a cloudy backdrop - there will be plenty of opportunities to study the Word. At the moment, the holy thing to do was to observe and enjoy a sight that I only get to see once a year.

We are now in the process of showering and preparing for a glorious feast at a restaurant of Beach Reach fame: Pirate's Landing. All you seafood lovers, be jealous. /end update 1

Countdown to Padre: The Evening Before (*Cough*)

*cough hack cough*

I don't think it's settled into my soul that in 12 hours I will be on a van heading to South Padre Island. When the alarms go off at 5 AM, then it will probably hit me, but for now, I know something is coming tomorrow - but the implications do not burden me.

*cough*

Right now I feel awful. Turns out I have a mild (?) case of bronchitis. It didn't help that I worked a full day and helped load a massive truck a few hours ago - if I could call in sick for this trip, I probably would out of concern for my progressing illness.

But I can't. Know why? Because BEACH REACH.

This is the trip I look forward to every year. This is the trip where I come alive. This is the trip where the Gospel flows freely out of my mouth. This is the trip where I grow closer to my brothers and sisters in Christ through fierce battle. This is the trip where the weight of being set apart and being adopted into the family of God becomes heartbreakingly obvious. This is the trip where the warfare of two kingdoms clashing is deafening and overwhelming. This is the trip where the shouts of victory are sweet with the tears of faithful labor.

This is the trip. *cough* And it begins tomorrow at 7:00 AM CST.

Follow me on @aalblogaustin for live updates and prayer requests. Check back here daily for detailed updates. You may not be coming with me, but I intend to share as much of my experience as I can with you.

*cough* I am going to bed now. Until tomorrow morning.

Countdown to Padre: 3 Days (Being Drunk is Fun!)

Don't worry, I've never been drunk. Heck, I've never even had a sip of alcohol in my life (yet).

But every Beach Reach season, I look forward to getting drunk.

Pretend drunk, of course. The last training of Beach Reach season is always the night where people who would otherwise never dream of putting a drop of alcohol in their bodies somehow become gleefully eager to act like they've done a keg stand. Myself included. Simulation night is always a thrilling night - not only do you get to put a month's worth of training into practice, but you get to act like a drunk/high/stoned/ect fool and get away with it! Or, in my case, you can act like a drunk Irish/Scottish/Yiddish New Atheist and have all sorts of fun trolling your friends on your least favorite arguments and subjects.

By God's grace, all of us are paid for. We are short one van, but getting the final ride won't be too hard.  The evangelism training is complete - now we begin the logistical olympics of gathering luggage, supplies, equipment, a sound system, and more. Please pray that we maintain our cool and Christlike love in the midst of executing a mobilization of a unit of special forces to our island headquarters and coordinate the arrival of other special forces units.

Today was a normal day of work, albeit one with an increasing case of chest congestion and a rather deep, painful cough. Whether or not this gets worse remains to be seen, but I would prefer to go the island physically healthy - if I have to go under the weather, so be it. For now, there is a men's Bible study, and a very special Wednesday. 

Countdown to Padre: 4 Days (Screw-Ups and Spiritual Warfare)

(Unlike last year, where all of my Beach Reach writings were on Another Ascending Lark, I will be doing all of my Beach Reach posting/updating here.)

I am quite sick and tired of snow.

Around 5:30 AM, as I limped out the door of my Canyon apartment, a bitter breeze slapped me in the face. Sluggishly I rounded the corner to where my car was parked and found it totally iced up. I turn the car on, grab the scraper out of my back seat, and begin de-icing my ride. Several minutes later, the car is drivable, but I am not. Early mornings and frigid temperatures do wicked things to the body - needless to say, it wasn't until I neared Amarillo city limits before I could move my fingers again. 

I arrive at the FM90 station for my morning shift just in time to turn the transmitter on and fire off the legal ID. Normally, by the time I fire the sign on ID, I have already checked the weather, the setlist, everything, but today I fire it with seconds to spare and nothing prepared. What then followed for the next three hours was probably the worst day on the air I've had - by the time my replacement showed up, my palm was still planted on my face for absolutely butchering my news piece just minutes prior.

Now it's close to 9:30, and I have another hour to wait before class starts (where I will undoubtedly get asked "dude, what happened today?" by my classmates and professor). Despite my Sabbath rest yesterday, I am already exhausted. The cold morning, the bad day at the radio, and another freezing bug-slaying afternoon are putting me in a less-than-stellar condition, physically and mentally.

This all before the fact that we leave for Beach Reach in four days. I haven't even gotten there yet.

I still have shopping (and packing) I need to get done for the trip. Friday aside, my normal schedule is still in place, meaning early mornings, long days, and packed evenings. Even though this is my third Beach Reach, and I know the system in and out, I feel completely unprepared to go. I am horribly out of shape as an apologist (thank goodness we have an 15+ hour drive before us), I am starting the week off on fumes, and I am doubting my ability to do the work the Lord has called me to do.

Hopefully you caught that possessive pronoun before the word "ability". It's the wrong pronoun. Heck, its the wrong phrase.

One does not simply go down to Beach Reach in order to show off their evangelistic/apologetic/missional muscles. At least, nobody usually makes past a day or two of ministry before reaching their tipping point of their own strength. I fight feel like a screw up at the moment, subjected to the jeers and taunts of spiritual warfare, but perhaps that's not a bad thing. Rather than being confident in my fleshly abilities as a think tank, experienced apologist, and Beach Reach veteran, I have no choice but to turn to Christ and rest in Him. Not only that, I have no choice but to worship him for the fact that He is the one who equips me for the work He has called me to do.

I will have what I need. It may not be what I *want*, but it will be what I need to make Christ famous.

/end pre-update 1

What Is The Biggest Obstacle To The Apologetics Movement?

Image credit:
 www.genwhymovement.com

Right now is a great time to be an apologist. We are living in a period of time where apologetics is booming, both in academic and everyday life. It's never been easier to get your hands on material that can strengthen your faith and empower your evangelism, and the time to utilize these resources has never been more urgent. With the rise of the current missions movement abroad, religious persecution in the Middle East, and increasing secularization in America and Europe, being equipped to give a defense of the Gospel wherever it is challenged is no longer optional; it is required if you are to be a witness in today's world.

Every movement has it's obstacles to overcome, and the apologetics movement is no different. Right now we are living in what one apologist has described as "the anti-intellectual age of the church", and we are seeing the fruit of this anti-intellectualism wreck havoc on churches and Christians, many whom end up leaving the church when they arrive at college. Another consequence of this anti-intellectualism is the rise of apathy - Christians just do not seem to care about defending their faith or developing a solid worldview. 

I've been pondering what the biggest hindrance to this movement is. Is it the problem of the anti-intellectual church? Is it the apathetic indifference of the average Christian? Is it the lack of funding, or publicity, or accessibility? What is holding this movement back from accelerating a full speed? 

My personal opinion: apologists are the biggest hindrance of the apologetics movement. 

Hear me out: I don't believe apologists *in of themselves* are the biggest hindrance. Obviously the work of diligent apologists, both professional and layperson, has born much fruit already! I also don't believe that the problems listed about aren't considerable challenges for us to face; indeed, they are tall, looming obstacles to overcome. When I say that apologists are the biggest hindrances, I am talking about a specific type of apologist: the unloving apologist. 

The problem with the unloving apologist is that they are everywhere. They may not have the audience of William Lane Craig or Lee Strobel, yet they have a bigger influence in the lives of their congregation than the heavyweights do. They may not travel the nation on speaking tours at sold out college lecture halls, yet collectively they can impact numerous churches every week. The problem is not that they have tense moments or occasionally lose their cool; we have all had encounters where we failed to love others. The problem is that these apologists routinely show a lack of love for others; they are unloving people in general. They are not what Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 13: "4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful…" (1 Cor 13:4-5 ESV). 

The main thrust of 1 Cor 13 is that love makes or breaks us. Without love, all of our efforts, publishing, researching, debating, evangelizing, studying, sharing - it all goes down the drain (vv 2-3). It doesn't take a moral failing of a big-name apologist to turn off the Church from taking apologetics seriously - all it takes is hundreds of average Joe apologists in congregations across the country who are rude, disrespectful, arrogant, and condescending to convince Christians that apologetics isn't worth it. 

There are Christians who won't consider apologetics even if their fellow apologist gives the shirt off their back and sells their house for the Kingdom. That problem is on their heads. However, where we see an apologist live without the love of Christ, we must admonish them to show love rather than winning every argument at any cost. If that apologist is ourselves - if we are the ones who are not living a life of love - then we must repent immediately and drink deeply of the sacrificial love of Christ. We should keep in mind, as apologist Jim Spiegel wrote, "When it comes to proving religious truth, an ounce of love is worth a ton of argument." (1)  

---------------------------------------------- 

1: Spiegel, James (2010-01-21). The Making of an Atheist: How Immorality Leads to Unbelief (Kindle Location 1191). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.

An Intentionally Provocative Question on the Bible and "Jesus Calling"

I was thinking about this the other night, and it's bothered me to the point that I should write something rather unrefined/unpolished on it.

In America we have a plethora of Bibles of many different translations, in many different sizes, and in many different specialties and customizations. On my desk I have a hardcopy of the ESV Study Bible, the Apologetics Study Bible for Students, and a plain text HSCB and ESV. If I factor in all the Bibles I have through my Logos software, I easily own 50 different Bibles (irrelevant is the fact that maybe a third of those are in languages I can't read.) If I factor in the Bibles owned by my three theology junkie roommates…you get the point.

There are countries and places in the world where owning a Bible is punishable by death (see North Korea or most of the Middle East), or literacy is so low that even if you have one you can't read it even if you tried. Voice of the Martyrs has a ministry called Bibles Unbound where the sole point is to get Bibles into the hands of Christians in places where it's pretty freaking hard to do so safely and effectively. Whereas I have brothers and sisters in Christ who would risk their lives to get a basic copy of the Word of God in their own language, I have copies of Bibles that are gathering dust from their non-use.

And then there's Jesus Calling.

There's been plenty of cyberink spilled on the theological BS of the book, it's blasphemous premise, its pathetic, powerless, spineless, 21st century Americanized carved-by-the-hands-of-man "Jesus" problems of the book: the White Horse Inn Blog, Reformation21 Blog, and Tim Challies have written solid critiques of the devotional. If you haven't read these insights, you should. If what they have to say scares you/concerns you/motivates you to hold a book burning party, good. If you feel convicted that you should get rid of the book learn to study the Word, praise the Lord!

This is my question: how many Christians in America, if given the choice between owning a Bible and owning a copy of Jesus Calling, would choose the latter over the former?

I have a feeling that if you asked that question to brothers and sisters who have been longing for their own copy of the Bible that they wouldn't even acknowledge the existence of the second option. The Bible would be enough. Why is it not the enough for us?

Why is it not enough for me?

Welcome to The Diakonos Musings!

To those who step foot (or IP address) on this blog, welcome to The Diakonos Musings.

This is the personal blog of the cultural apologist/music critic Austin Gravley (yours truly). My main blog, Another Ascending Lark, is currently on hiatus for reasons you can read here. I created this blog because, between Another Ascending Lark and the Christian Apologetics Alliance blog (where I serve as an editor and monthly contributor), I have no outlet for personal writing or writing on subjects that are unsuitable for the previously mentioned blogs. The Diakonos Musings is my solution to that restriction.

I have learned from the first time I started Another Ascending Lark and the second time I started it/reformed it (almost a year ago) that I am good at over promising when it comes to what I want to write about. I will not be setting any expectations here. I will write about whatever I want, whether its on cultural issues, theological topics, personal stories - I make no promises about what to expect and what not to expect (or when to expect them, for that matter). Unlike Another Ascending Lark, I will not be making a Facebook page or a dedicated Twitter for this blog (although I will definitely be tweeting new posts from my personal account @AALblogAustin). On the sidebar to your right is an email subscription option for all you email lovers. Really, if anything, this is my informal, deadline-less writing outlet that is subject purely to my whim and wit as to what I want to say. 

So, now that you have taken up precious seconds of your life to read this brief little introduction, I would invite you to look around - but alas, there is nothing to look at! All in good time. For now, although Another Ascending Lark is on hiatus, the posts there are still viewable, readable, and, therefore, consumable. Obviously if you found this blog because of the hiatus announcement, you probably knew that already, but if you didn't…well, now you know. In the mean time, I wish you all a Happy New Year and a good Monday!

A Brief Word On Whether Or Not The Bible Is A "Moral Book"

A couple of days ago, I had a discussion with a few atheists on Twitter on whether or not the Bible was a "moral book" or not. I challenged them to explain what moral system they could appeal to that would render the Bible an "immoral book". Rather than giving a legitimate answer, they instead pressed me to defend why I thought the Bible was a "moral book", which was a claim that I had never made. Confused, they asked if I agreed with them when they said the Bible is an "immoral book". I told them that I did not agree with that statement. So I deny the claim that the Bible is a "moral book" but I also deny that the Bible is an "immoral book". This then led them to throw all of the nasty things in the Old Testament (e.g. genocide, wars, slavery, ect) in an attempt to get me to agree with them that the Bible is an "immoral book".

The inherent problem with classifying the Bible as a "moral" or "immoral" book is that it is simplistic, engages in hardcore reductionism, and is a lazy way of not doing your homework when it comes to studying the Bible in an intellectual way. To summarize the entirety of the Bible and classify it as either a "moral" book or an "immoral" book is to ignore the vast amount of research and study that has gone into ANE (Ancient Near East) culture to help us understand the times and cultures of the Bible in a better way. For a worldview that claims to be the pinnacle of reason and rationality, they often take the most shallow, most anti-intellectual path possible when it comes to the Old Testament. Criticizing the Bible by calling it a "immoral" book is not a deep critique of the Bible - if atheists were truly about knowledge and reason, why are they not digging deep into ANE culture to get a better understanding of the things that happen in the Old Testament? Why is it that they often stop with a knee jerk reaction when the read of war and slavery and strange dietary laws? 

Christian intellectuals explore the archeological, historical, sociological, and theological areas related to those things to attempt to understand a better picture of those things to see if there is anything about our understanding of those things that change once we understand them more fully. Paul Copan has written an excellent (and thorough) book called "Is God A Moral Monster?" that deals with all of the things in the Old Testament that are certainly difficult to deal with, and explores all of those areas (archeological, historical, sociological, and theological) in connection to the sticky parts of the Old Testament. If you want to hear a thorough Christian explanation of those things, I highly encourage you to check it out. 

Michael Horton on Assurance of Election

"Scripture itself teaches us to draw assurance from God’s unconditional election. Believers are not taught to doubt or question their election, but to “make [their] calling and election sure” (2 Peter 1:10). Jesus promised that he will gather his elect from the whole earth and deliver them from the wrath to come (Mark 13:27). He cares for his elect and answers their cries (Luke 18:7) and assures his own that they are chosen not only to be saved but to be preserved in that grace (John 13:18; 15:16). Who can charge against God’s elect, since Christ has died for their sins and even now intercedes for them at the Father’s right hand (Rom. 8:33)? Sometimes storming out of the room, my father used to react viscerally whenever, as a teenager, I was debating election with my mother. On one occasion, I followed him outside and apologized for raising the subject when he made it clear that it offended him. Turning to me with tears, he asked, “What if your dad’s not one of the elect?” It is so easy for us to turn gospel into law, faith-creating good news into anxiety-generating questions. It is true that in some circles election is not understood as a comforting and assurance-producing doctrine, but the very opposite. In some pietistic circles, a Christian can refrain from receiving communion for years — even over a lifetime — out of a lack of assurance concerning his or her election. However, this is not how we find election taught in Scripture. In response to my dad’s question, I quoted Jesus’ words in John 10:27: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” “Have you heard his voice and followed him?” I asked. “Yes,” he replied. “Then this is Jesus’ answer to you in the next verse: ‘I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.’ “ Everything changed, even in his countenance. Once he understood that point, election became the opposite of what it had been before to him; it was now a marvelous comfort. He would always say thereafter that this was a life-changing moment."

Horton, Michael S. (2011-10-11). For Calvinism (Kindle Locations 1240-1257). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

A Brief Word on Obama's Re-Election

Unless you live out in a place where there is no human contact or any kind of data service, you all know that last night President Obama won his second term. While I admit I was surprised at this, and I also freely admit that I was greatly disappointed, I also must admit I did not like Romney at all. For the record, had I gotten my voter's registration in before the deadline, I would have voted for him, but solely on the basis for the unborn having slightly more favorable conditions in the infant genocide of 21st century. On every other issue, I did not think Romney was any better than Obama.

It was disheartening to see some of my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ express blatant idolatry last night as news broke that Obama won Ohio (and, subsequently, the election). It's perfectly okay to be upset and disappointed that your candidate didn't win, and I grieved last night that an evil man has once again resumed control of a nation. Some of the responses of my fellow Christians, however, led me to believe that the Messiah failed to show up last night. Not every Christian I know was like this; indeed, there were some Christians who said things that I have no doubt brought a smile to the Father's face.  However, I believe that last night showed a great stain on the American Church; we are more willing to mourn and lament the fact that a Mormon did not take control of a nation than we are more willing to mourn and lament that our nation does not acknowledge Christ as it's true King. We Christians give lip service to the claim that Jesus is our true King, but our actions grossly betray it, and last night is a shining and prime example.

I believe that God in His sovereignty has appointed America to suffer another four years under this president for the sake of waking up the Church and purifying her. My prayer is that this will finally wake Christians up by putting them in a situation where their comfort is threatened. The Church has always been the strongest when it is most threatened, and while I am certainly not suggesting that American Church is the new pinnacle of persecution in the world, a small dose of unfavorable conditions for the Church is better than no taste of persecution whatsoever. My biggest hope and prayer is that Christians will begin to take up the call to defend the faith, and that the apologetics resurgence would grow in influence and power. I pray Christians discover that they have been given an intellect and that they would begin to use it in their schools, places of employment, and the public square. Regardless, we can praise God that He has not abandoned His bride (which is not America), and that is true even when Obama is inaugurated in January. We can rest in the great power of God and know that whatever happens to us in the next four years and the next 20 years is not a threat to God's saving work in Christ Jesus, which no king or ruler can undo.

This morning I had a deep time of confession and prayer for this nation, out of brokenness and love for my fellow Americans and our President (yes, I love President Obama). If the re-election of Obama brings the Church to her knees before her Savior in a broken and contrite spirit, then glory to God.

Tim Keller on Authentic Christian Fundamentalism

 "The Greco-Roman world said, "We don't know who has the truth. Everybody's got their own." So why did Christians live the most peace-loving, the most generous, the most sacrificial, the most inclusive possible lifestyle out of the most exclusive possible truth claim? Here's the answer. Actually, my wife Kathy gave this to me some years ago, right after 9/11. All the papers were saying this is the problem with religious fundamentalism. If you're a fundamentalist, if you really believe you have the truth, this is what happens. Kathy said, as I tried to show you here, everybody's a fundamentalist, in a way. Everybody believes fundamentals; everybody's got exclusive truth. I remember Kathy said, "Fundamentalism doesn't necessarily lead you to terrorism. It depends on what your fundamental is. Have you ever seen an Amish terrorist?" And if the Amish are not fundamentalists, there ain't no such thing. So why will there never be Amish terrorists? I'll tell you why. If your "fundamental" is a Man dying on the cross for his enemies, if the very heart of your self-image and your religion is a Man sacrificing and praying for his enemies as he died for them, loving them-if that sinks into your heart of hearts-it's going to produce the kind of life that the early Christians produced. The most inclusive possible life out of the most exclusive possible claim. This is the truth. But what is the truth? The truth is a God who became weak, who loved and died for the people who opposed him, forgiving them. Take that into the center of your heart and you will be at the heart of the solution that we need in this world. And that is the "divisiveness" of exclusive truth claims by the Christian."

Dallas Willard. A Place for Truth: Leading Thinkers Explore Life's Hardest Questions (Kindle Locations 757-766). Kindle Edition.

A Brief Word on Apologists, Temptation, and Defending the Truth of the Scripture

The goal of every apologist is that those who do not believe in Christ would repent and acknowledge their need for a Savior. We ourselves are sinners saved by grace, once dead but now made alive by the sacrifice of Christ. One of the main tasks of the apologists is defending the Scriptures from attacks that would demonstrate its falsehood. The Bible is God's special revelation it man - if the Bible is false, then what we believe is false. Part of our defense is intellectual, to be sure, but another part of our defense is practical living. Some truths of the Scripture can be demonstrated historically, philosophically, or intellectually, while some truths can be demonstrated by living it out.

Paul writes in 1st Corinthians 10

12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

If what Paul is saying is true - namely, that God will provide a way of escape against temptation - then it makes sense that his claim must be tested in real life. I believe this is where personal testimony becomes a very powerful tool. If I have experienced God providing a way of escape against the temptations I face, then


The defense of the Christian faith is often an intellectual endeavor, and while that is certainly a good thing, we should also show how Christ helps us overcome our struggles in a personal way. I'm a guy - sexual temptation is a common temptation for normal males. When I try to deal with it on my own, I usually succumb to it. When I seek God for strength to deal with it, I am able to "stand up under it" as the passage says. But maybe for you the temptations are different. Whatever it may be, if we want to convince unbelievers of the truth of this particular Scripture, we should be willing to acknowledge our temptations and provide testimony for how God helps us deal with it.

Apologists interact with everyday people, and sometimes we need to engage people on the heart in addition to the head. In doing so we are showing another element to what we are defending; we are not defending mere ideas or propositions, we are defending ideas and propositions that, if true, changes lives,and our lives should be the first and foremost defense of that transformation, so much so that we can openly speak of our struggles and proclaim the strength of The Lord.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

A Response to Phil Snider: Spotlighting a Secular Response

When something goes "viral", it's a good idea to pay attention. Here's the newest viral sensation: a Missouri pastor, speaking at a city council meeting, opens up his speech by taking a stance against gay marriage - or so everyone thought. In a stunning turn of events, he closes the speech by saying that his speech up until that point consisted of quotes from preachers gone bye who attempted to justify racism, and since contemporary pastors are using the same lines of reasoning to justify an anti-SSM stance, we should allow same sex marriage.

Don't take my word for it - watch his speech below:

 

My friend and colleague Tom Gilson has posted an excellent text and video response in direct response to the video. I highly encourage you to read that post and watch that video - Tom does a thorough (but polite and respectful) job of debunking the speech. Rather than give another Christian response (which Tom and others have already done), I want to take a secular perspective against same sex marriage. Are all arguments against SSM strictly from religious grounds?

I'm a fan of savvy media, so I thought I would share this little video that makes a case against same-sex-marriage from a secular standpoint as my contribution to this viral sensation.




If this secular argument against same sex marriage is a good argument, then the issue cannot be pigeonholed to a matter of supposed Christian bigotry. A good argument is a good argument, no matter where it comes from, and unlike Phil's "argument", good secular arguments against same sex marriage exist and should be taken seriously.


Other responses from the Christian Apologetics Alliance:

Carson Weitnauer (Reasons for God): A Response to Phil Snider

A Brief Word on Atheists, Pineapples, and Shunned Messages

The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science tweeted a story this morning that caught my attention. I follow them for informational purposes, and occasionally something interesting comes to my feed from them. This particular story was about an atheist society getting kicked out of a freshman club fair for displaying a pineapple and naming it "Mohammed".

Yes. A pineapple.

The society said they "wanted to celebrate free speech and promote their upcoming debate 'Should we respect religion?' The pineapple named Mohammed was upsetting Muslim students there, and so they were given a choice to take the pineapple down or get kicked out (you can read the full story here)

The point of my post is not about muslims being offended. The muslim student's response has no real bearing on my post. Instead, I would like to ask one question that may or may not be somewhat obvious: what in the world does a pineapple have to do with debates on religion? Or better yet, what does this atheist society hope to communicate by starting off a "discussion about blasphemy, religion, and liberty" with a personified pineapple? I don't understand how anyone in that society thought that grabbing a pineapple and naming it Mohammed (knowing that there would be Muslim students there) communicates "Hey, let's have a serious discussion about this." The ideas and subject wasn't inappropriate - indeed, a discussion about blasphemy, religion, and liberty would be a good discussion to have, and I give credit to that society for wanting to have that discussion. They weren't thrown out for the discussion that they wanted to have; they were thrown out because their actions undermined what they were supposedly trying to do. If they truly wanted to encourage this discussion, they would not have allowed a pineapple to get them kicked out of this club fair.

Christians preach the gospel of Christ, which is arguably the most provocative idea to have ever existed. Christian apologists deal with objections that would prove the Gospel to be false. But if you are a Christian apologist, don't let something silly or unimportant be the reason why your message is not welcome. It is one thing to be shunned for a message - it is another thing to be shunned for something that has absolutely nothing to do with your message, like a pineapple. Give care to how you conduct yourself as an apologist, and don't allow yourself to be shut down for any other reason than the message you defend.

¹⁴ If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. ¹⁵ But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. ¹⁶ Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. - 1 Peter 4:14-16

What To Pray (When You Don't Know What To Pray)

Prayer is one of the greatest blessings and privileges of the Christian. It is only possible because of the shed blood of Christ that we would have direct, uninhibited access to the throne of the Father whenever we wish. But what if there are times when you go to the throne and you do not know what to pray? Maybe you want to pray for a friend or coworker but aren't sure of anything specific. Maybe you are praying for a complete stranger that you don't even know the name of. Does the Scripture give us a prayer we can pray when we don't know specifically how we should pray? Over the next few posts, I will break down one of the most beautiful prayers of the apostle Paul in Colossians.

The passage this series will be looking at is Colossians 1: 9-14

9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
11 May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy,
12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. ~ Colossians 1:9-14 (ESV)

Paul is writing to a church that he did not start. A few verses back, he mentions a guy named Epaphras, who was "a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf" who told Paul their "love in the Spirit" (verse 13). This is the backing context that is being mentioned in verse 14; Paul is referencing what Epaphras made known to him about the Colossian church.

Paul's next remark is the remark that describes how he prayed for the church - "we have not ceased to pray for you" (verse 14). This point is a point worthy of a whole post itself (and hence why the first post of this series is about it). Paul is openly exhibiting the fruit of steadfastness in his life when he claims (and we believe is true) that "we have not ceased to pray for you". He was ongoing in his prayers for the Colossians. The point of this post is to ask, "Are we being steadfast in prayer?"

This is a point of examination for every Christian. Could we say that we are "pray[ing] without ceasing" (1 Thess 5:17) in our lives? Maybe we have given up on praying for people we want to see saved, or our circumstances that test and try us. Even as I write this I can remember a few things that I have given up on. Steadfastness must be shown in prayer, as prayer is a part of our daily walk with Christ. It is a smaller part of the big picture - the race we are running.

The next post will begin breaking apart Paul's prayer. Before this prayer gets dissected, our foundation must be set. Pray for steadfastness in your prayer life, and ask God to help you demonstrate that fruit in your life.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

9/11 - Two Worldviews, Two Responses

[Note: Due to networking situations, this post appeared first on the Christian Apologetics Alliance blog before it was published here. This is the same post from there]

On this day, eleven years ago, this nation was struck with a terrible act of evil. I don’t have to recount the events – if you don’t know the story of 9/11, you must be living in a cave. Last year I published a post on 9/11 and religious pluralism, but this year I want to focus on two worldviews, the atheistic worldview the Christian worldview, and their responses to 9/11.



On the atheistic worldview, 9/11 was a horrible atrocity, but at the end of the day, death is the destination of all humanity, with extinction the final stopping point. Nothing exists beyond this world or beyond this life, so 9/11 was the arrival of the final destination for those who died that day. For those who still live, they will arrive there soon enough. Worse, there is no accountability to good or evil, punishment or reward, on the atheistic worldview since everyone is headed to the same state. The terrorists can only be condemned with the full force of humanity, which will eventually die out. It is a temporal, subjective, and weak condemnation. The same thing is for the heroic first responders of the day. The praise they deserve is temporary, subjective, and weak. They will receive the same ultimate end as the terrorists.

On the Christian worldview, 9/11 was a horrible atrocity, but there exists an accountability to good and evil that allows for the terrorist’s actions to be justly condemned. There exists an unchanging standard of right and wrong, good an evil, which lasts eternally – God Himself. We can desire that the terrorists be punished, and there exists a standard by which they are punished with the full wrath of God. By that same standard, we can praise the first responders for their bravery and know that their accomplishments are not forgotten. Death is not the final destination for us, and God will not forget their brave actions and will always find them praiseworthy.

However, with the Christian worldview, comes the condition of all mankind. If God Himself is this standard by which we condemn the 9/11 terrorists, how do we measure up to this standard? This standard is perfect, and we have failed to keep it. We are also subject to God’s wrath because, in our own failures, we have failed to keep His standards. The punishment with which God dealt the terrorists is aimed just as much at us, because we have violated it in some way. How have we violated it? When Jesus was asked what the most important commandment of the Law was, he said:

37 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
38 This is the great and first commandment.
39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39)

We have failed to love God with everything in us, and we have failed to love our neighbor as ourselves. If we have failed here (and we all have), we have broken God’s law. But the hope of the Christian worldview, the hope of 9/11, is Christ. He took the wrath of God that we were each supposed to receive, and He promises that “there is now no condemnation” (Romans 8:1) for those who realize their need for Christ to save them and put their trust in Him for salvation. Those who do not do this still receive the wrath of God as a punishment for breaking His law. The terrorists did not put their trust in Christ, and received the full wrath of God for 9/11. But we will receive the same wrath if we do not put our trust in Him to be spared from this wrath. Also, evil is defeated once and for all on the Christian worldview: when Christ returns, this existence where actions like 9/11 is possible will never happen again.

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.
4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.
7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:3-8)

On atheism, there is no such hope or promise to look forward to.

Consider your response to 9/11. If the Christian worldview’s response to 9/11 makes the most sense of the world, examine yourself. Have you acknowledged you need to be spared from God’s wrath? If not, do not wait. None of us are guaranteed tomorrow. If the Christian worldview is the worldview that makes the most sense of 9/11, you must accept the entirety of it, or none at all. Do what Romans 10:9-11 says:

9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”