Who’s playing this game?
Posted: September 17th, 2009 | Author: James Duncan | Tags: Evangelism, Sovereignty | 24 Comments »Oftentimes when NewSpring marks important spiritual moments like salvations and baptisms, its members and ministers celebrate publicly by announcing that they’re running up the score against the devil, as Noble did recently and Cooper did last night. Three questions:
If someone dies without being saved by Christ, who has scored?
Does it mean that God lost, however briefly?
Who’s ahead on the souls scoreboard right now?
UPDATE: Commentator Shane had the best answer:
The scoreboard is down. The drinks are put away. The bases are picked up. It is finished (I think my Jesus said that). He wins. Done and Done.
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Love this quote from the Perry link : “Reality is this…satan got kicked in the nuts this weekend!”
There they go again picking on Satan. Unwise.
I suppose by Noble’s math, Satan returned the favor on Monday. Unless I missed where the baptism explosion continued for another day.
To look at it another way, Noble “wins” on Sundays, but Satan wins Mon-Sat? Uhhh. Why is he bragging?
You know, if Jesus was down with the Scoreboard argument, He should have made the path to Heaven wide, and the road to Hell narrow.
Stopped by your site today to make sure you all were still doing what you do best. Glad to see you are still doing all you can to advance God’s Kingdom.
You are right Tommy, it’s just stupid to brag about people being saved and baptized. That’s nothing to celebrate or talk about. What in the world was Newspring thinking?
It is stupid Ben, because the person bragging had nothing to do with it.
Consider this Ben, despite the fact that there are more mega-churches in America than ever before, there are fewer Christians. So who is winning this game that Perry is always talking about?
Gee James, I guess Pajama Pages is winning. My question to you: Who are you pulling for?
I’ll answer your question, Ben, after you answer the three in this post.
Those are easy.
1) Satan
2) Yes (also means the person who died lost)
3) Wish I knew. I do know that there are at least 276 more people who moved from death to life this past weekend. Oops, not supposed to talk about that though (sorry).
P.S. I still don’t expect you to answer. I’ll check back in another couple of months.
Peace out!
(didn’t really mean to get peace out of your life. Just a figure of speech.)
I am pulling for Jesus and His Church.
Ben,
Yes, they’re easy (the first two, at least), but your answer is incorrect. It’s not a contest. God doesn’t lose when someone isn’t saved.
As much as you all talk about kicking the devil in very sensitive spots, you give him infinitely more credit than he deserves by considering him a legitimate competitor in a game against God.
To think that he can beat God. Sheesh. Read Job.
Now, to answer your question: by God’s grace, I’m on his side .
Here is an interesting question. Is God glorifed when a person is condemned to hell because of his failure to repent and believe in Jesus? I would argue yes. God’s holiness and wrath WILL be upheld in one of two ways. It is poured out on Christ on behalf of those who would believe, or on the person who refuses. Either way, God wins. His glory, holiness, majesty, beauty, etc. is upheld. Enough with this fascination on kicking Satan. How about we praise the name of Jesus instead.
Paul, I agree.
When God condemns a soul to Hell, it is a good thing. It sounds awful to our ears, but that’s because we’re not God. We cannot possibly fully understand God’s holiness and righteous justice, but we do know that he is all good, and all of his judgments are perfectly good and holy.
So, yes, when a soul enters Hell, it’s because God always wins.
I would word it more along the lines of; when God condemns a soul to Hell, it is justice. Remember, 2 Peter 3:9 – “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
God is eternally loving, but is also so perfectly Righteous. That doesn’t mean he takes joy in the damnation of any soul, rather that is completely jusitfied, never a mistake, and certainly not an accident.
James,
Absolutely. Thanks for the good Word. We must keep that perspective of God’s love and desire for repentance but yet at the same time understand that God will always maximize his glory. He is is equally glorified in teh salvation of his people, and the eternal punishment of sinners. This doctrine should bring us to our knees in worship and gratitude for His grace that he saved us, and at the same time beg him for mercy on those who are lost in their sins that they would repent and believe.
Right. In saying that it’s good, we’re not saying that it’s something he takes pleasure in. If God is good all the time, then all he does is good, including his judgments.
It sounds jarring to our ears and human sensibilities, but acknowledging God’s goodness in all things is much to be preferred than supposing God is in the habit of losing.
“Running up the score against the devil” is the..dumbest thing I have ever heard. The scoreboard is down. The drinks are put away. The bases are picked up. It is finished (I think my Jesus said that). He wins. Done and Done.
Shane: Applause.
Duncan – Well Said.
Shane – Hallelujah!
I agree with you Shane on your last point….
“It is finished (I think my Jesus said that). He wins. Done and Done”
Sounds like the ultimate “SCOREBOARD” to me even though that makes many of you so uncomfortable for some reason.
Ben, Just keep your eyes closed and your hands over your ears. It will all be OK.
Here’s another question: When we say we’re saved, what are we saved from?
Is it from the devil? From ourselves? From a life of meaninglessness? No.
Hebrews 2:2-3:
God saves us from his own wrath.
That’s true Duncan. We are saved from receiving what we justly deserve.