Is Experience a Reliable Guide to Truth?

In a recent blog post at Stand To Reason Blog (STR), Brett Kunkle reflects on these comments given by Brad Pitt in an interview given to Parade Magazine:

"I thought you had to experience things if you want to know right from wrong. I'd go to Christian revivals and be moved by the Holy Spirit, and I'd go to rock concerts and feel the same fervor. Then I'd be told, 'That's the Devil's music! Don't partake in that!' I wanted to experience things religion said not to experience."

Brett writes,

"Pitt demonstrates the liability of an experience/testimony/personal story as justification for religious belief. Now don't get me wrong. I am not saying experience is an unimportant thing in our justification. I'm just saying it's not the only thing...But as Pitt reveals, experiences alone can be a poor guide for determining the truth or falsity of our religious beliefs."

The entire interview with Brad Pitt is worth reading, as he reflects on a life of fame, faith, and his search for truth.

Christian Counterculture

I took this great post from Douglas Groothuis' blog:

In John Stott's commentary to The Sermon on the Mount, he speaks to the need for "Christian counterculture." The way of Jesus is not that of the fallen world. Stott's book was written in the late 1970s, when the idea of counterculture had some salience (even if it also had some pejorative connotations).

But do we have any sense of "Christian counterculture" today? One wonders. The pressures of conformity are massive, given mass and niche media. Biblical illiteracy is high; biblical behavior is low. Christians are far too much like everyone else when they should be different.

What is required to be a Christian counterculture? Here is a short list to provoke thought and action.

1. Biblical knowledge (Psalm 119).
2. Spiritual disciplines: prayer and fasting in particular. See John Piper, A Hunger for God.
3. The restoration of the doctrine of calling. See Os Guinness, The Call.
4. Media awareness: how they often deaden us to biblical priorities for purity and spiritual power.
5. The courage to go against the crowd for Christ (Luke 16:15).
6. Accountability and community.
7. Careful, studied biblical preaching (1 Peter 4:11).
8. Repentance concerning materialism and consumerism. See Francis Schaeffer's sermon "Ash Heap Lives" in No Little People.
9. A greater concern for the world Christian movement, not just what Christians in America are doing. See P. Jenkins, The Next Christendom.
10. More sensitivity to the realities of spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:10-18). See Gary Kinnaman, Winning Your Spiritual Battles.

We must be against the world, for the world, under the Lordship of Christ (1 John 2:15-17; Romans 12:1-2). Otherwise, the salt has lost is savor.

Tim Keller in Newsweek

Check out this article in Newsweek on Tim Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church.

Is There Such Thing As a Postmodern in the E.R.?

There's a bit of truth in the common statement, "There's no such thing as a postmodernist in the emergency room!" Consider this clip from the television show "ER": "I want a real chaplain, who believes in a real God, and a real Hell!"

Can There Be Bondage in Seeking God's Will?

According to Mark Dever, many Christians place themselves in bondage by waiting to "feel" God's direction in their life concerning major life decisions. They waffle back and forth due to uncertainty as to whether their feelings are right or wrong or even from God. Dever exhorts us to always turn to Scripture, which is "NEVER wrong."

Read his entire article here.

Resources on "Grace"

Upon receiving several requests for resources on the topic of "grace", I've decided to post a few of my favorite authors.

First of all, I would suggest anything by Bryan Chapell. He is a very gifted Bible teacher, and does as good a job as anybody in blending strong theological concepts with practical and relevant application.



I enthusiastically endorse anything written by Jerry Bridges. He is most well-known for his book Pursuit of Holiness. When it comes to applying the disciplines of grace, I do not know of any modern author that compares. (I'm not sure why, but publications from the early nineties commonly donned nauseating fluorescent jackets. Don't let it scare you away!)



I have only recently come across Steve Brown by way of my brother. He is a former pastor and adjunct prof at Reformed Theological Seminary who is very candid and self-deprecating. Some have accused him of peddling "cheap grace", but he actually falls into a camp commonly referred to as "simple faith". His books are intentionally low on theological language, but abound with relevant application. You can also listen to "Scandalous Freedom" podcasts here.



If you have any comments or suggestions, let me know!