The Garden of Eden

Eden’s Door Was Locked

Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden of Eden a long long time ago. Their disobedience came at a high cost and we’ve all suffered ever since. They had companionship with God and they had paradise… and they lost it all! Foolish Eve listened to the serpent and foolish Adam listened to his wife. As a result the LORD God drove both of them from His garden. Eve was sentenced to pain and sorrow and Adam was sentenced to toil and sweat. Then the LORD placed a flaming sword to block the entrance and guard the tree of life (Genesis 3). They would soon find out what they had lost but there was no way back in! Eden’s door was locked. We can only imagine their shock when they found themselves banished from their garden paradise with no possibility of ever going back.

God Shut the Door

Men have been looking for paradise throughout history. Our hearts yearn for it. We dream about it, write songs and books about it and even make movies about the quest, but it has never been found because God shut the door and blocked the way. We have no idea what the entrance to Eden looks like so we could be staring it in the face and not even recognize it! Mankind can never return to Paradise unless God Himself opens the door. “These things says He that is holy… He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens.”(Rev 3:7)

God’s Plan For a Bloody Door

A lot happened after Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden of Eden and eventually some of their descendants became slaves in Egypt. And then, after four hundred years of slavery God provided a door for them, a way out. Liberation would come but it would only come in God’s way and on God’s terms. Hebrew households were told to sacrifice a lamb without spot or blemish and to spread its blood on the doors of their homes. It was a gory and strange thing that God required but freedom and deliverance were granted to all who obeyed. Those who embraced God’s plan for a bloody door were set free!

Jesus Christ is Our Bloody Door

More centuries passed and then a man stepped on the scene who was unlike any other man who ever lived. He was born of a virgin and he raised the dead, cured the blind and healed the sick. Jesus walked on water, stilled a storm with His words and fed multitudes with a few loaves of bread. He said, “I am the door” (John 10:9) and “no man comes to the Father but by me” (John 14:6). Jesus claimed to be the Christ, the Anointed One and the only begotten Son of God. Jesus Christ is our bloody door! In Him God has provided us with a way back to the tree of life. He alone is the way to immortality and the way to peace with God. He is the only way.

The Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven

When Jesus questioned His disciples about His identity it was Peter who answered rightly and declared “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” (Matthew 16:16) Based on this revelation Jesus proclaimed that He would give the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven to Peter. The knowledge that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God is the key to heaven’s door! The bloody door that leads into the garden of God and immortality is none other than our crucified Savior Himself, and the key that unlocks this door was given to Peter. When the Apostle Peter preached his very first sermon he plainly declared that men should repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ to receive the promise of eternal life (Acts 2:38). We think that was a wonderful offer then and it’s still a wonderful offer today.

PS: What are you waiting for? Who knows how much time God will give you to make up your mind? Go ahead… act now while the door is still open!

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New Wine or Old?

A Traditional Vintage of Trinitarian Wine

Christians have been drinking a traditional vintage of trinitarian wine for quite a while now and many of us feel the time has finally come for something new. Maybe what we are thirsting for is really something so ancient that it just seems new to us. Something refreshing. Old dogmas and traditions don’t truly satisfy and we thirst for something better. Still, no one denies that there is something comforting and familiar about old wine. Maybe that’s why traditional dogma still maintains its “market share” in spite of its failure to touch the heart or enlighten the mind. This was made clear by Jesus when He said, “No one having drunk old wine desires new because he says the old is better”.

Old Wine is on the Shelf Everywhere

One thing that can be said for the old wine of trinitarian dogma is that it is on the shelf everywhere and is easy to find. Because there is so much of it the price is pretty good too! All you have to do is attend a church that espouses the dogma of the trinity and you’ll probably feel that you’re in pretty good shape spiritually. That’s not a high cost at all and it’s no wonder that this kind of old wine is so popular and well known. The liquor stores (churches) that still sell the trinity carry on as if everything is just fine but in the words of Bob Dylan, “The times they are a changing.”

Something is Changing Indeed!

When you consider the long arc of history it starts to become apparent that something is changing indeed! Trinitarian theologians bemoan the fact that we are living in a “post-Chalcedonian age”. That’s just a polite way of saying that Christians aren’t as impressed (intimidated perhaps?) by church councils, creeds and the doctrine of the trinity as they were in earlier times. This development is regarded as catastrophic in some circles but we think it’s a good thing. Many Christians in our time have re-discovered a very ancient wine that knows nothing of three divine “persons” or the heady intellectualism of platonic philosophy. Instead, we proclaim a gloriously simple gospel that insists on One God and His only begotten (and human) son, Jesus Christ our Messiah.

Although the ancient wine we offer at wonderfultheology.com may not be widely available in mainline churches it is readily available on the pages of your Bible. Take a look with fresh eyes and take a drink with your old thirst and see for yourself.

Here’s New Wine Worth Drinking

There is but one God. He is the God of Israel and He is the God of Jesus. His only begotten Son, the man Christ Jesus was born of a virgin and tempted in all points like we are. He was one of us! He was filled with the Spirit of God without measure and went about doing good. The rulers of Israel hated Him because He defied their man-made traditions and so they crucified Him but God raised Him from the dead and now He sits at the right hand of God. The glorious offer He makes to us is the promise and blessing of immortality. This understanding of God and Christ is new wine worth drinking and these are things worth thinking about. Why not take a sip and see for yourself?

Mary Annoyed Martha

The New Testament contains an interesting account of a time when Jesus was teaching his disciples and Mary annoyed Martha. Martha was angry because Mary was just sitting around listening to Jesus and wasn’t helping out with dinner! This irritated Martha so much that she went to Jesus and complained about it. Jesus acknowledged Martha’s complaint but said “Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken away from her.” Martha was tuned into making dinner and Mary was tuned into hearing Jesus and that was the cause of friction between them.

An Age Old Conflict

This is really a story about the age old conflict between earthly things and spiritual. It’s a conflict that is still going on today and we see it all around us. These days there is no shortage of disputes that can pull us away from Christ and into the storms and passions of the world. Some Christians are passionate about elections and vaccines. Others have strong opinions about immigration and elected officials. Many Christians who are passionate about these earthly issues are seriously annoyed with believers who aren’t.

Disciples of Jesus Need to be Careful

There are culture wars being fought and political lines being drawn. Christian brothers are being set against each other. In just the past year I have been shunned by several Christian friends over earthly and cultural issues and another Christian brother even sent me a threatening text message. Current events illustrate the conflict between earthly and spiritual things and disciples of Jesus need to be careful. Careful not to get so wrapped up in disputes about earthly things that they begin to despise their brothers and sisters in Christ. Careful to repent of darkened hearts and attitudes.

Our Banner is Not Red or Blue

People are prone to giving their loyalty to leaders who claim to have the answers to all our problems but Christians should know better. The only leader who has any solutions to our dilemmas is Jesus Christ and when His administration takes office the world will be a far better place. In the meantime we should beware of individuals or groups that want to enlist us in their conflicts and earthly causes at the expense of Christian unity. Our banner is not red or blue. The banner over us is love and God has called us to be peacemakers.

Let’s Argue!

Christians love to argue! If you have any doubt about it just get a few believers together and bring up any doctrine you can think of. You’ll see in a hurry that we are a contentious bunch to be sure. Lord have mercy! We’ll argue over just about anything. We’ll argue about the second coming of Christ, the purpose and meaning of communion, spiritual gifts too and the list goes on and on. The debate about Christology has gone on for nearly two thousand years and shows no sign of slowing down. We all know there is no shortage of debatable points to argue about. Name any topic you like and you’ll see our motto seems to be “Let’s argue”.

Let’s Argue About Baptism

Baptism is an especially notable flash point. Many of Jesus’ disciples have been put to death by other Christians for their beliefs about baptism! There are lots of arguable points concerning baptism and believers love to debate all of them. Is baptism really necessary? If so, should we baptize infants or adults? Should we baptize by immersion or by sprinkling and by the way, who gets to do the baptizing? Do we baptize in the name of Jesus Christ or invoke the phrase “in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit”? The list of nuanced beliefs and disputes about baptism seems endless.

The First Argument About Baptism

Interestingly enough, the first recorded argument about baptism occurred on the very day Jesus himself wanted to get baptized. Christ had come to John the Baptist to be baptized but John objected to the whole idea! The Baptist was silenced when Jesus said, “Suffer it to be so now to fulfill all righteousness.” At that point John quit arguing about baptism and simply did what Jesus asked. We think that was a good idea then… and we think it’s still a good idea today. Don’t quibble about baptism, just do what Christ asks and follow His example.

If Jesus Christ, who knew no sin, wanted to be baptized to fulfill all righteousness where does that leave us? Jesus was baptized Himself and instituted baptism for His disciples, so we are baptized. He was baptized in the Jordan River by immersion so likewise, we preach baptism by immersion. Christians are meant to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ just like the early disciples did in the Book of Acts. (In fact our word baptism comes from baptizo which means to dip or submerge). Somehow baptism fulfilled righteousness in Jesus’ life and somehow it fulfills righteousness in our lives too. This isn’t complicated!

If you still feel inclined to argue about baptism please consider John the Baptist and his response to Jesus. John had an opinion about baptizing Jesus but quickly abandoned his personal beliefs in favor of Christ’s. Maybe you should abandon your personal opinions too. Instead of arguing about baptism why not simply do what Jesus commanded? Someday you’ll be glad you did.

Saved by Faith… Plus Nothing?

The rallying cry of contemporary Christianity seems to be “saved by faith plus nothing!” As expressed by its most ardent proponents, faith plus nothing lends itself to what some call “easy believism”. This is decried by many as a dilution of what Jesus taught and a radical distortion of His teachings. Think of all those silly martyrs! Consider all the misguided believers who wandered through life bereft of comforts and security. And what about those faithful ones who struggled mightily against principalities and powers? The Apostle Paul could have saved himself a lot of trouble had he contented himself with faith plus nothing.

Faith Without Works is Dead

The Epistle of James declares “faith without works is dead” (James 2:14-26). Martin Luther was so upset about this that he claimed the Book of James did not even belong in the Bible! “St. James’ Epistle is really an epistle of straw…We should throw (it) out of this school, for it doesn’t amount to much.” The problem was that the Book of James refuted Luther’s personal views…. so rather than change his views he attacked scripture. I only wish we had a record of Martin Luther and the Apostle James talking this over. Now that would be an interesting dialogue! James did grow up in the same household as his half-brother Jesus so perhaps he was on to something.

It is Possible to Please God!

Do we believe then that we are saved by faith? Of course we do! This is the essential transaction between the believer and his God. “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6) but faith greatly pleases God. On the other hand, does our faith give us permission to disregard and disobey the teachings of Jesus Christ? Of course not. Jesus told us His position plainly and in no uncertain terms! The essential point was: Don’t call me Lord unless you intend to do what I tell you. (Matthew 7:21-23 and Luke 6:46)

Where is “Plus Nothing” ?

We are wholeheartedly committed to the message of salvation by grace through faith. What we fail to see anywhere in scripture is that little addition…plus nothing. If Sola Scriptura means anything it means we don’t get to add our own thoughts and opinions to what is written in the Bible. (even if those thoughts seem plausible and can be shouted nicely from a pulpit)

This is a Better Way Than Faith Plus Nothing!

Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness (Galatians 3:6) and then Abraham confirmed the authenticity of his faith by obedience. Abraham acted on his faith and sealed his covenant with God. Obedience was even required of our Savior who was made perfect through His obedience. Faith then is the beginning and ground of our walk with God but without obedience it means nothing. Our walk with God begins with saved by grace through faith and concludes with loving God enough to obey Him. This is a far more excellent way than faith plus nothing.

PS: Let’s not be foolishly blown about by every wind of doctrine that comes our way. Let’s be of full age and recognize that salvation is the gift of God and that mercy and justice are met in Jesus Christ! In our hearts we know that God expects more from us than just a polite nod in His direction. After all, He insists that we love Him with all of our hearts and minds and “this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.” (I John 5:3)