Round the Sphere Again: The Gospel and Justice

Four Points
Don Carson tackles the question “How do Christians work for justice in the world and not undermine the centrality of evangelism?” From point 3:

By learning, with careful study of Scripture, just what the gospel is, becoming passionately excited about this gospel, and then distinguishing between the gospel and its entailments. The gospel is the good news of what God has done, especially in Christ Jesus, especially in his cross and resurrection; it is not what we do. Because it is news, it is to be proclaimed. But because it is powerful, it not only reconciles us to God, but transforms us, and that necessarily shapes our behavior, priorities, values, relationships with people, and much more.

Read the rest at The Gospel Coalition Blog.

Nine Reasons
Jared Wilson explains why the gospel’s content does not include economic justice for the poor (while affirming, in case you’re worried, that the church has a mandate to care for the poor). From reason 9:

If the gospel’s content includes economic justice, it makes little sense to say we believe in this gospel with the gift of faith.

Read the rest at The Gospel-Driven Church, and while you’re at it, make sure you have this blog on your feed-reader.

A Catechism for Girls and Boys

Part I: Questions about God, Man, and Sin

4. Q. How can you glorify God?
    A. By loving him and doing what he commands. 

(Click through to read scriptural proofs)

Click to read more ...

Theological Term of the Week

prevenient grace
The synergistic (or Arminian or Wesleyan) doctrine that there is a universal grace of God that counteracts the universal spiritual death that resulted from the fall, sufficiently restoring lost human freedom so that every person is able to choose to cooperate with saving grace; also called preventing grace.

• Proof texts used to support prevenient grace:

  The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. (John 1:9 ESV) 

  And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself. (John 12:32 ESV)
  

• From On Working Out Our Own Salvation by John Wesley:

  For allowing that all the souls of men are dead in sin by nature, this excuses none, seeing there is no man that is in a state of mere nature; there is no man, unless he has quenched the Spirit, that is wholly void of the grace of God. No man living is entirely destitute of what is vulgarly called natural conscience. But this is not natural: It is more properly termed preventing grace. Every man has a greater or less measure of this, which waiteth not for the call of man. Every one has, sooner or later, good desires; although the generality of men stifle them before they can strike deep root, or produce any considerable fruit. Everyone has some measure of that light, some faint glimmering ray, which, sooner or later, more or less, enlightens every man that cometh into the world. And every one, unless he be one of the small number whose conscience is seared as with a hot iron, feels more or less uneasy when he acts contrary to the light of his own conscience. So that no man sins because he has not grace, but because he does not use the grace which he hath.

Learn more:

1. Ra McLaughlin: What is “prevenient grace”?
2. R. C. Sproul: Does the Bible Teach Prevenient Grace?
3. Thomas Schreiner: Does the Bible Teach Prevenient Grace in the Wesleyan Sense?
4. Sam Storms: Arminians and Prevenient Grace
5. C. Michael Patton: Why I Reject the Arminian Doctrine of Prevenient Grace
6. Fred Butler: Examining the Arminian Doctrine of Prevenient Grace (mp3)

Related terms:

• monergism
• regeneration
• synergism

Do you have a a theological term you’d like to see featured here as a Theological Term of the Week? If you email it to me, I’ll seriously consider using it.

I’m also interested in any suggestions you have for tweaking my definitions or for additional (or better) articles or sermons/lectures for linking. I’ll give you credit and a link back to your blog if I use your suggestion.

Clicking on the Theological Term graphic at the top of this post will take you to a list of all the previous theological terms organized in alphabetical order or by topic.