St. George and the Blasphemy Dragon

In a sermon entitled "You Must Be Born Again: Why This Series and Where Are We Going ...", John Piper makes the fascinating statement that George Barna has blasphemed.

George Barna is America's Christian pollster. He has simultaneously supported the growth of the mega church by providing polling data while also writing books extremely skeptical of evangelical practices.

The reason that John Piper levies that charge of blasphemy against George Barna is because Barna has lumped a wide variety of people into the group that may be identified as "born again." Barna's polls have consistently found that there are no differences between those that are identified as born again and the rest of the world. Barna does not create the born again polling group by allowing them to self-identify. There are a number of questions that he asks that, per his definition, dilineates born-againdom.

Piper takes umbrage because he believes that Scripture teaches that the Holy Spirit makes a difference in a person's life once they accept Christ. Per Piper's perspective, a saved individual is by definition a changed individual. Saved people cannot continue to live like the rest of the world because the power of an omnipotent God is working His sanctification in them.

Piper is right. When we tell the world that true Christians are not different from anyone else, we are telling the world a lie. If a person does not act like a redeemed person, they are not a redeemed person. Jesus gave us two standards for identifying Christians; profession of the truth and lifestyle. If either of these are missing, the person is not known by Christ.

It is a form of blasphemy to say that Jesus' work is not efficacious. Since only God can know the human heart, George will probably continue to fight the blasphemy dragon since his definition does not take into account the God prescribed human evaluations of truth and lifestyle.

I'll conclude by letting John Piper speak for himself:

In other words, in this research the term "born again" refers to people who say things. They say, "I have a personal commitment to Jesus Christ. It’s important to me." They say, "I believe that I will go to heaven when I die. I have confessed my sins and accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior." Then the Barna Group takes them at their word, ascribes to them the infinitely important reality of the new birth, and then blasphemes that precious biblical reality by saying that regenerate hearts have no more victory over sin than unregenerate hearts.

The Unforgiveable Sin and the Blasphemy Challenge

A wonderful pastor friend of mine wrote to me about the Blasphemy Challenge last week. The Blasphemy Challenge was a promotional activity sponsored by the Rational Response Squad, a new breed of militant atheists who are busy developing their perception that they are a martyr or under-privileged class.

If you have browsed through Youtube.com to look at some of the videos of those who have "renounced the Holy Spirit," your heart will no doubt be grieved. Thousands have taken the challenge and not-so-boldly, but ever-so-defiantly looked into their webcam to denounce the existence of God. Their ages vary from the pre-pubescent to the aged. Their socio-economic class ranges from the affluent atheist to the still dependent, stay-at-home computer geek. But they all feel proud of their moment to announce independence from the tyrant God.

Perhaps most tragic and laughable is that they are not accomplishing the unpardonable sin. Per most Biblical expositors that I have read, the unpardonable sin is to deny the works and person of God when he has personally manifested Himself. The specific scenario was when the Pharisees attributed a healing by Christ through the Holy Spirit to the work of Satan (Matthew 12:22-30). Confronted by the very person (Jesus) and works (the healing) of God, they refused to believe. When God was at his most persuasive through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, the Pharisees chose to cling to disbelief.

Those that participate in the Blasphemy Challenge have likely not had the opportunity to commit the unpardonable sin. Are they walking dangerously? Absolutely. However, I think that we will find many of these 'denouncers' with us in heaven after Christ beckons to them. Such was Paul at one time.

Note: I would welcome different perspectives on what constitutes the unpardonable sin.