Covenant Theology vs Neonomianism (Part 4)

Welcome to No Compromise Radio, a ministry coming to you from Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston. No Compromise Radio is a program dedicated to the ongoing proclamation of Jesus Christ based on the theme in Galatians 2, verse 5, where the Apostle Paul said, �But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.

In short, if you like smooth, watered-down words to make you simply feel good, this show isn�t for you. By purpose, we are first biblical, but we can also be controversial. Stay tuned for the next 25 minutes as we�re called by the Divine Trumpet to summon the troops for the honor and glory of her King.

Here�s our host, Pastor Mike Abendroth.

Covenant Theology, Law and Gospel, and the Third Use of the Law

Welcome to No Compromise Radio, a ministry. My name is Mike Abendroth, and today is part four of the show where I was on Pastor Aldo Leon�s Gospel on Tap podcast, also known as Kingdom Polemics. Sometimes I think of Kingdom Prologue with Meredith Klein.

Remember, he was on No Compromise Radio a couple months ago when the whole Federal Vision Doug Wilson, Kosti Hinn thing blew up, and I would say we got about 20 ,000 downloads for each one of his shows, of my shows that he was on.

So, that was kind of fun. Whenever they say they�re not in for the numbers, they�re in for the numbers, but we weren�t in for the numbers. We don�t get paid any more. And so, today is part four, Covenant Theology versus Neonomism, Sanctification, Law Gospel, Grace, Gratitude, et cetera.

Enjoy part four.

I know some people in this grace conversation that they regularly want us to be, you know, like re-experiencing like our covenant curse status because of our unrighteousness. So, you said like once you come into Christ, you�re no longer under the laws of the covenant works.

You don�t need to re-experience that, correct?

Yeah, that�s right. And if you want to look back in gratitude and see how many times Paul, for instance, talked about his old life in the book of Acts and that Damascus Road experience, fine. But you�re never, you know, you�re not under the law in that regard anymore, right?

You�re no longer under the law for first use. Second use is more in the civil realm. Don�t really, that�s not really apropos at the moment, but that word is curb and sin is curbed both in the unbeliever and believer in the civil realm.

And then the third use of the law is only for Christians and that�s to guide us. And what I would say to people is simply this, and I think I can win the argument every time, at least in my mind it�s one.

We only have one sermon in all the Bible written to an established church, at least this side of the resurrection. It�s the book of Hebrews. And Hebrews 13 .22, it�s a sermonic epistle or an epistlatory sermon, whichever way you want to say, but it�s a sermon.

And even if you read it out loud, you would sense that and you could hear it and it�s about 45 minutes. It�s not a prescription, but that�s just what it is. And so what does the writer do? Chapter 13, I think there�s 10 imperatives in chapter 13.

Don�t love money, respect your leaders, remember your leaders, marriage beds undefiled, remember the prisoners. There�s a bunch of commands there that are for the Christian to guide them, to show them what to do.

Because remember, these are people suffering, they�re on the run, they�re losing property, chapter 10. But what does he do the first 12 chapters? Yes, with some warnings, big warnings. But what does he do?

Here�s who Jesus is, divine, chapter 1. Here�s who Jesus is, divine, chapter 2. He�s better than Aaron. He�s better than Moses. He�s better than the old covenant. He�s better than all these things. He�s better than the sacrifices.

He is the one. He is the high priest. The whole sermon is summarized in chapter 8, verse 1. The point in what I�m saying is this, we have such a high priest. So is law important? Yes. But he really gives them the engine of motivation and appreciation in the first 12 chapters so then the GPS can guide them in chapter 13.

Something else I was thinking about when you were talking, Aldo, was, all right, how do we live as Christians? Now I have got another question. How do you die? How do you die as a Christian? And this is very, very important for us to remember, talking about how gospel motivates and grace motivates.

I thought I was going to die last year in the hospital. I visited other people in their deathbed. My friend Ray, I went to him earlier this year. He�s dying in his room in Boston and his four children and his wife are there.

And I went up and I said to Ray, his eyes were closed, a good friend here of the ministry and the church, 63 years old, eyes can�t open because of morphine. And I said, Ray, are you afraid to die? Because I asked the same question to everyone on their deathbed and I want the loved ones to hear as well.

If they say that they�re unbelievers and we walk through it, but he�s a believer and he said, he just shook his head, I�m not afraid to die. And I said, good. But I�d like to know, have you been evangelizing the nurses?

How�s your prayer life? I don�t see an open Bible here anywhere soon. Are you leading your children properly? Okay, fine and dandy. I guess I could have asked any of that. You know what I said instead?

Instead of giving him any law, what motivates a Christian to not only die well, but to live well? I said, Ray, all because of grace. Jesus loves you. Jesus died for you and was raised for you. Jesus always keeps his promises.

There's no condemnation for you, Ray Johnson, because you're in Christ Jesus by faith alone. You can trust him. God loves you. So I think often, we understand that's how we should talk to Christians on their deathbed, but we then think about their life and we only try to motivate them by more law.

We have said, both Aloha and I on this show, we are not against law as long as it's used lawfully. We are no longer going to put Christians back underneath the covenant of works, if we could, and therefore tell them they have to do this so they can live.

No, no. They live in Christ and so now third use, do this to honor the Father. He accepts your even weak works. My father would send me out to mow the grass and trim the weeds. He'd come out and check it, never good enough for him.

I'd double check my work the next time, never good enough for him. And so what does all this extra law do? I just did a half-baked job every time after that because it wasn't good enough for him in the first place.

But because God accepts you, dear Christian, he accepts your works and therefore you can try to obey the law. And when you fall short, you ask him for forgiveness. And even that is a sign of your Christianity.

Yeah. Amen.

Covenant Theology in Preaching, Communion, Counseling, and the Home

Good stuff. Here's like the last thought we could land the plane with, and we could probably have a whole episode on this, but we won't. So what are some ways that people who hold to Reformed theology, Covenant theology, they would affirm everything they were saying categorically and conversationally, and yet they would utterly negate this in ways that they flush out their ministry.

We did address this a few things, but what are some ways that you hold to Covenant theology, you know, Reformed theology, which I believe are the same thing. I've conceded to Scott Clark's point that Reformed and Covenant theology are not separable concepts.

You know, so predestinarianism is not Reformed theology. As a matter of fact, one of the issues that we're talking about is all these guys who are predestinarian, but they don't believe in the architectonic covenantal grace narrative, and they tend to preach the doctrines of grace like Armenians or medieval Catholics.

But you know, that's another conversation. But yeah, like there's a way to carry these things out in a way that is contra to what you're, because I know a lot of people, I've met many people that say, I've been to Presbyterian churches and they don't preach the way you do, you know, like whether it's like they go to like a fundamentalist, you know, type of pulpit, which I don't think it's common, but I'm saying that you'll find it, or like the woke stuff where it's like the legalism of wokeness.

Like, what are some ways you've seen people undermine Covenant theology by the way they flush out ministry?

Sure. And speaking as one who's not truly Reformed, since no Baptist can be truly Reformed, I sometimes think to myself, how can I know about this and the Presbyterians don't? You know, OPC or URC and what are they doing, right?

How can it be a Baptist who knows and a Presbyterian that doesn't? But I remember saying to Scott Clark, I said, you know, I'm never going to become a Pado Baptist. And he says, I know. And he said, but you don't think like a Baptist.

I said, okay, good. So here's my point. I think it shows up in preaching, specifically in the tincture of the preacher or his attitude. And therefore, you've got an attitude of, you know what, I'm going to scold, you aren't measuring up, who do you think you are?

I'll teach you not to mess with me. The pastor must reflect, not to say, you know, if the imprecatory Psalms are imprecatory, then the way we deliver it should be in line with that. If it's a Psalm of lament, that's the way we deliver it.

If it's a song of praise, a Hallel, Psalm 113, we deliver it that way. But we also need to make sure even the concepts and we're representing who God is. And sadly, people begin to think my attitude toward the congregation is God's attitude to the congregation because I'm speaking for God.

And if God is for Christians, then why aren't the pastors acting like, and with their personality and with their delivery and what they say, and even with the smiles or lack thereof on their faces, why aren't they trying to communicate to the people that they're loved by God and there's nothing that can separate them from this love of Christ?

And why are they trying to hammer away? It's like T. David Gordon writes in his book, Why Johnny Can't Preach. I mean, it's a devastating book. Here's what he said. Some of the Neo Puritans have apparently determined that the purpose and essence of preaching is to persuade people that they do not in fact believe.

The subtitle of each of their sermons could accurately be, I know you think you're a Christian, but you aren't. This brand of preaching constantly suggests that if a person does not always love attending church, always look forward to reading the Bible with their family or doing family worship, they're not probably a believer.

So I just think to myself, wait a second. We don't want to do this. This is a means of grace, just like with communion. And when communion turns into, have you examined yourself only? I didn't say you couldn't do that, but it's a means of grace.

And it's a reminder that everything's been done for you. And what did Jesus say? Do this in remembrance of me. The Lord's Supper is to be about who Jesus is. And so therefore, when there's unbelievers present and you say, if you're an unbeliever here today, these promises aren't for you.

You need to repent. You need to believe whatever you want to say. Perfect. But ecclesiology says, I'm preaching to the saints. These are Jesus's sheep. He's already died for them, lived for them. And how do I talk to them and encourage them?

And instead of, hey, you better listen to me or else, and it's God's word. And I don't care if you had to stay up all night. No, no, I'm supposed to be a shepherd. These people struggle. They're up all night with their children.

They're sick. They want to come and be encouraged. And my job is to proclaim Christ, him we proclaim. So I want it to translate my theology into the pulpit ministry so that I'm there as a preacher of Christ Jesus, because that's the most important thing.

Everything in the Bible is important, but the most important thing, 1 Corinthians 15, is Christ.

Amen. Yeah. So the way you preach on a regular basis can undermine that communion. That's a big one, right? I mean, if communion is conveyed in such a way that it seems that your moral fitness is the crescendo and means by which that you're able to enjoy the work of Jesus.

And there is, you know, I was reading like the BCO says, look, it says there's two people that can't do this, those who are ignorant and scandalous. OK, so that's like you don't know Jesus or you're living.

I say la vida Christian loca, but this idea that everything in your life that is questionable or sinful becomes some kind of eight foot fence to climb, like it's just that you're supposed to fence the table from lawless professing Christians and those who don't know God like it.

But, you know, but apart from that, you know, the Lord's table is a celebratory, affectional Lord's presence, you know, all these wonderful things, assurance, sign and seal of grace. And it becomes this dreadful, threatening fest and nothing more, you know.

And so that's that's how you fence a table can undermine your view of theology. Another thing, too, is the way you counsel people, the way you enter into a marriage situation and you do in premarital counseling, the way you discipline somebody, the way you work through problems with your elders.

What I've noticed is that the gospel is purely sermonic. It's purely systematic. It's purely, you know, Easter and Christmas or whatnot. And you'll notice something that like you won't actually use. Like the works of Jesus and apply them as you navigate church life.

And if you ever want to just undermine the necessity of Jesus, then act like he's only necessary to be applied and believed when you are publicly preaching and you're in Sunday school, you know. So to me, it's like what you believe about the sufficiency of the gospel, it'll be manifested when you're talking to someone.

I mean, I'm like, so when I am dealing with sin in church, I am reminding people of who they are in Christ as I'm calling them to live on the Christ. I'm not simply, you know, I've seen elders so many times they just get into situations and they just call people to just behave.

They call people to respond and submit. And all of a sudden, like, you know, like the redemptive story is behind them. So I think how you flush things out, right, is important. You know, I also believe that you can undermine your belief of God's grace by soft peddling it when you're in the presence of certain kinds of sin issues and then promoting it very boldly when you're in the presence of others.

It makes sense. Like you're kind of like when you're in certain situations, you underplay like the sufficiency of grace. And when you're in other situations, you kind of like emphasize. So, for example, like what I've seen in the church is when it comes to racism, people underplay the effectiveness of the gospel to be applied to partiality and racism, right?

And why? Because, you know, like there's this kind of like suspicion in certain kinds of things. So there's a lot of ways for you to do that, right? There's even like in the home, you know, like if all you tell your kids all day long is what they need to do and who you are as parents, as authority over them and what they shouldn't be doing, if that's all that you're doing, you're teaching your kids to be atheists and hate God one day.

Like you need to, particularly in my world of Presbyterianism, where like we believe that God is multigenerational and he makes promises to us and our children, like, you speak to your kids in a way that reminds them about union with Christ, identity in Christ, the grace of Christ, as you call them, you know, to behavior, you know, or in marriage, you know.

I tell men in the church, you're a reformed guy, you're a covenant theologian, you hold into the doctrines of grace and all these things, and you spend 99 of your time telling your wife what she should be doing as your wife, and you don't give her any understanding about who she is in Christ.

You are not doing your job. So there's a whole lot of ways for us to function in such a way that isn't saying we believe in like this neonominism, you know, but like, I think at the end of the day, like you can tell me that you're a Dolphins fan all you want.

But if you're always watching Eagles games, you know, really like, what does that really matter? So you can tell me all you want about covenant theology. But if, let's put it this way, if you're the pastor who can never be corrected, who could never be admonished, if you're that pastor, who's always sensitive, always defensive, you're telling people what your theology really is.

And I'm not talking about like, I'm the gospel. But if you believe the gospel of grace, which says your identity is not in your ministry qualifications and performance, you're going to be able to be spoken to about your limitations because I'm identified by Christ.

And so there's a lot of ways, a lot of ways where you could function as a Nomean, you know, a Nomean guy, and yet you would never, ever, ever preach that or hold that or confess that. Is that what I'm saying?

Making sense? Totally. I just kept thinking about my parenting style years and years ago. My children are grown now and out of the house. But since I'm built for law, it's in my conscience and children disobey and they need instruction.

It was basically just do, do, do, right? Sit up, no chewing with your mouth full, you know, shut your mouth when you're chewing, shake your hand, shake his hand firmly, no elbows on the table, the list goes on and on and on.

And then it finally dawned on me when I began to think, how does God motivate people to obey? Do, do, do, pretty soon becomes a Spurgeon said, nothing gets done. And so then I changed my tactic and I would say things like, dad loves you.

Do you know everything in your room I bought for you? And I was glad to do it. Do you know, I take you to the best doctor, isn't Dr. Lucy the best doctor? Yes. I said, matter of fact, I take you on the best trips.

We go all across the world, even as a pastor and his family, we've been everywhere, haven't we had so much fun. And I matter of fact, I make you, I take you to the best church in all the world with the best pastor in all the world.

And then my daughter, one time she said, so daddy, no hitting, right? That's right. No hitting. So even the parenting and marriages, you know, we give our wife a little to-do list. Nothing wrong with that.

Nothing wrong with rules, but we need to reflect God's way of how he motivates us and how we should motivate others in a relationship at work, relationships with our wife, children. It needs to be built in and what Gramsgold worthy called, you know what most churches, they'll have a theoretical gospel.

It's in the statement of faith, death, burial, resurrection, soon return, but it never makes itself into the operations of the church. It's not operational even for sanctification. So it's the same thing.

Our home, we believe in the gospel, but dads, it's incumbent upon you to make it operational in terms of forgiveness, in terms of how do you motivate, in terms of encouraging, in terms of self-sacrificial love, and the list goes on and on and on.

But I will say this, and then I probably should get going. It's harder to do. Why don't pastors preach Christ-centered sermons like they should? Lots of reasons. Here's one. It's easier to preach law than it is to talk about the Lord Jesus.

Why do parents default to law only? It's easier. It's built in. It takes nothing else to do, except it's just natural. Just be yourself. Yeah. I know. I know. And so I really think the theme of homes and churches, it needs to be Him we proclaim.

Paul already knew it. I'm not even in Corinth yet, but I knew when I was going to get there, I was going to preach Christ Jesus. Yeah. Yeah. That's good.

Opposing Counter-Gospels and Refusing Soft-Pedal Neonomianism

That's good. I'll say one more thing, and we'll close. And I think another thing to keep in mind as to how you can undermine covenant grace theology and promote a soft-pedal neonominism is when you don't defend the gospel against counter gospels, when you condone false gospels, I think you undermine what you're doing.

So an example of this would be, you can't be for life and not oppose and hate abortion. Like I said, it's like, I'm just for life, but I don't hate and oppose abortion so far as I'm able in my spheres of life.

You can't do that. You cannot love the true gospel and not despise the counterfeits. That's something that I feel like that point is something that I deal with all the time. People want to be gospel-centric people, but they don't want to despise and oppose the counter gospels.

So, you know, if you promote covenant theology and you promote the new perspective on Paul and N .T. Wright and these guys like Doug Wilson and Peter Lightheart, like what you're really saying about covenant theology doesn't really mean a whole lot.

You know what I'm saying? And so if you're going to truly advance what we're talking about, you have to be the bad guy when people corrupt the gospel. And you also have to have no parts, no parts with, you know, soft peddling and kumbayaing with those people.

To love Jesus' free, unmerited grace that he earns, you must be antithetical and the arch nemesis of the counterfeit. And this is something that I think really, really hurts the gospel a lot is this. I love the grace of Jesus and covenant theology, but you know what?

I don't oppose the other. So this conversation was fantastic. It was easy. It was fluid. And hopefully the Lord will give you many more years to continue this conversation in your platforms.

No Compromise Radio with Pastor Mike Abendroth is a production of Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston. Bethlehem Bible Church is a Bible teaching church firmly committed to unleashing the life transforming power of God's Word through verse by verse exposition of the sacred text.

Please come and join us. Our service times are Sunday morning at 1015 and in the evening at 6. We're right on route 110 in West Boylston. You can check us out online at bbcchurch .org or by phone at 508 -835 -3400.