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Contending for Our All: Defending the Truth And Treasuring Christ in the Lives of Athanasius

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This book is the fourth in the series The Swans Are Not Silent by John Piper. He writes three brief biographies of great men of faith who faced controversy at critical times in the life of the church. They contended for the truth of God’s Word not because controversy was enjoyed or for pride and recognition by others, but because the truth of the gospel was at stake. The three men are Athanasius (298-373), John Owen (1616-1683), and J. Gresham Machen (1881-1937). Each in his own way faced the controversy against Christianity and stood his ground for the cause of the truth as revealed in Scripture alone. They faced the battle out of love for Christ and for His Church.

Piper gives one a taste of the lessons to be learned from the lives of these stalwarts of the faith: “In view of the witness of church history and Scripture to the necessity of controversy in this imperfect world, and the compatibility of controversy and revitalization, we will do well to learn as much as we can from those who have walked through controversy and blessed the church in doing so. Athanasius and Owen and Machen have done that. The lessons they have to teach us are many.” Piper then reminds the reader that in the learning “let us resolve to renounce all controversy-loving pride and all controversy-fearing cowardice. And with humility and courage (that is, with faith in the sovereign Christ) let us heed Martin Luther’s warning not to proclaim only what is safe while the battle rages around what is necessary.”

Athanasius was exiled and driven out of his office five times during the great Arian controversy as he defended the deity of Christ. When it seemed the whole world had abandoned orthodoxy, the phrase “Athanasius contra Mundum” (against the world) was coined. What lessons can be drawn from Athanasius’ life? Here are several: “Defending and explaining doctrine is for the sake of the gospel and our everlasting joy,” “Joyful courage is the calling of a faithful shepherd,” and “Loving Christ includes loving true propositions about Christ.” You will find other wonderful lessons as well in reading the book.

Piper quotes J.I. Packer regarding John Owen as being the greatest of all Puritan theologians. Owen lived and served in the middle of the great Puritan century 1560 to 1660. After his conversion the driving force of his life became communion with God and holiness of life. He practiced his faith in a time of great controversy and persecution. God in his good pleasure raised up Owen to serve in various capacities as a pastor, as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, and a chaplain to Oliver Cromwell and his troops in Ireland and Scotland. From 1660 until his death in 1683 he was a fugitive pastor in London. He was the great evangelical voice for independence against the Act of Uniformity under Charles II and the Anglican Church. During all this time he was a prolific writer of books and articles defending the Reformed faith even though he later in his life became persuaded toward the congregational form of government.

The deep desire of Owen’s heart and life before God was the mortification of sin in his life leading to holiness of life. The other thing that was a driving force was his communion with God through contemplation of Christ. Piper summarizes this thought, “In the midst of all his academic and political and ecclesiastical labors he made many visits to his Friend, Jesus Christ.” In Owen’s own words, “When we have communion with God in the doctrine we contend for-then shall we be garrisoned by the grace of God against all the assaults of men.” Piper ends his biography with these words, “We are debtors to his mighty pen and to the passion for God’s glory and his own holiness that drove it.”

J. Gresham Machen wrote in his book What Is Faith, “Controversy of the right sort is good; for out of such controversy, as Church history and Scripture alike teach, there comes the salvation of souls.” Piper takes the reader back to the early twentieth century to discover the third stalwart of the faith who should be emulated for the defense of the truth in the face of what he termed another religion, namely Modernism. Piper recounts how Machen met Modernism face-to-face and was shaken profoundly in his faith under the influence of Wilhelm Herrmann at the University of Marburg. By the grace of God Machen came through this time without losing his evangelical faith and he came to see that the Princeton theology was firmer ground for life and joy. His experience in Germany also gave him a basis for teaching and preaching that there needs to be both intellectual credibility and joyful, passionate zeal for Christ. Machen wrote, “Preaching doctrine should not be confusing or boring…The preacher should present to his congregation the doctrine that the holy Scripture contains; but he should fire the presentation of that doctrine with devotion of the heart, and he should show how it can be made fruitful for Christian life.”

Some lessons to be learned from Machen’s life and teaching are:

Warfare Witness: Contending with Spiritual Opposition in Everyday Evangelism

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Spiritual warfare has led to a prolific printing of books about Satan’s opposition to Christians as they seek to live and serve the Lord. Stanley Gale has written to help believers develop a mindset about their call to serve as fellow warriors extending the Kingdom of God. Christians are urged to understand that we are not living in peacetime, but in a great conflict between two kingdoms, that of Satan and God.

There are three main sections to the book. In the first entitled “Enlistment,” we are reminded that we have a divine commission and that we are called to active duty as long as we live on this earth. He describes the hostile environment of this fallen world. Even though this is Satan’s territory, Gale warns that it does not mean as some sensationalist writers like to describe it that it is divided into territorial regions under demonic landlords. We are not called to identify such beings.

Gale develops the Kingdom conflict by contrasting the Kingdom of God with Satan’s kingdom and the victory that is won through Christ. The very nature of the growth of the Kingdom comes through evangelism. Christians cannot bear a peace mentality when it comes to proclaiming the gospel of reconciliation and emancipation.

In the second main section addressing the “Equipment” Gale gives a good description of the spiritual weapons to be used in the battle of what he calls “plundering Christ’s spoils.” The most powerful weapon he describes is the Holy Spirit, and he follows that up with an indepth study of the weapon of prayer followed by how to wield the weapons of prayer and the Word of God.

The third main section is “Engagement.” Here Gale does a very good job of encouraging and challenging those who believe to take the gospel into the world and make contact with those who are still captive to the kingdom of Satan. He does it in a manner that will cause you to see there are more opportunities than you might realize. He provides a good chart for a believer to record how many relationships he has in different locations. He calls it “life-sphere mapping.” The chapter on Rules of Engagement is excellent in that it stresses relationships and the importance of communication, which includes listening. We shouldn’t just talk at people, but talk to them especially in a manner as the Apostle Peter says, with “respect and gentleness.” He again emphasizes the importance of prayer in that we “talk to God for people, and we talk to people for God.” A believer does this while being in step with the Holy Spirit of God. The believer engages with communication, and the Spirit, in his own time and way, engages with conversion.

Gale writes in a warm and winsome way that will touch your heart with a desire to re-enlist in the great warfare between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan. You do not have to do it with a sense of winning a victory, but rather realizing the victory is already won by Jesus Christ.

Why Men Hate Going to Church

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David Murrow is a layman who has served as an elder in the PCUSA. He is the director of an organization called Church For Men. He lives with his family in Anchorage, AK. As he noticed what he called a “gender gap” in churches he was perplexed as to the reasons for this situation. He began to research and found very little written on the subject. In his research he found men want to know God, but they want nothing to do with the church. He says that for years we have been calling men back to church, but now we need to call the church back to men.

Some of the reasons he found for the lack of presence of men in the church is the way the church has structured itself along feminine lines. Men’s religion is masculinity and when they come to church they don’t feel comfortable with the sensitivity and emphasis placed on relational activities. He finds that there is not enough challenge, risk taking, and vision in the church for men. He notes that the church is male led, but dominated by women. He has an interesting profile of men who are seminary trained and called to pastor churches.

He emphasizes the importance of the church, but leaders need to change the thermostat in the church more to challenge rather than promote comfort, conformity, and ceremony. If the church is to survive he says, we need more men, and they need to be made to see the importance of their mission. Murrow writes, “Men have no idea how vital Christ is to the future of mankind. Nor do they realize how needed they are. Without men and their warrior spirit in the church, all is lost. Our job is to lift the veil of religion and call men to the battle.”

He has a section on three gaps, identified as the gap of presence, the gap of participation, and the gap of personality. These are good reviews about men and women and the roles they play in the church.

He also has a number of chapters where he deals with the way men view the church. Some readers will not agree with all the descriptions or possible solutions he makes for change, but it is good to know what perceptions men have about the church and how the church needs to address these perceptions. Murrow makes a point of how mainline churches have adopted “inclusive language,” stripping masculine pronouns from hymns, liturgy, and even Scripture, in order to make women feel more comfortable in church. He also shows how denominations that have opened their doors widest to female leadership are generally declining in membership. He warns how this can be an obstacle in ministering to men.

He concludes the book with the importance for every man to have a spiritual father, and to become a spiritual father to another. Second, he underscores that every man needs a band of brothers. Why is it important? Murrow writes, “Jack received Christ during an invitation at his local church. Two months later, he no longer went to church, had lost all contact with believers, and was not living any discernible Christian life.” More than half of Christian conversions end this way. (Barna)

What if a spiritual father had taken responsibility for Jack? What if he’d been scooped up by a little platoon of men and discipled? With a band of brothers spurring him on, do you think Jack would abandon the faith just eight weeks later? That’s the strength of a little platoon-no man gets left behind. (226)

This is a good book for pastors and elders to read, and use in training men involved in leading men’s ministry in the local church. Murrow says this is not just a book for men, but for women also and I would agree.

Filed Under: Men

Stewardship in a Postmodern World

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Martin Luther is credited with the statement, “You can’t preach the gospel unless you preach it in the light of the issues with which men struggle.” If this is a true statement then stewardship would certainly fall into the struggles category for many people, even born again people. The Barna Group surveys show that people give away enormous amounts of money and churches receive the largest amount. The survey taken in 2004 also shows “The average amount of money donated to churches was $895 per donor in 2004. On the face of it, that sum appears healthy: it is substantially more than the average amounts over each of the past several years. However, when inflation is factored in, the current dollar average is actually less than the amount that houses of worship received in the late 1990s.” In tracking the practice of “tithing,” which is giving at least ten percent of income, the survey showed only 9% of born again adults tithed to churches in 2004.

One issue that makes stewardship a struggle for Christians is the culture of postmodernism. Dr. Albert Mohler wrote, “The postmodernists reject both the Christian and modernist approaches to the question of truth. According to postmodern theory, truth is not universal, is not objective or absolute and cannot be determined by a commonly accepted method. Instead, postmodernists believe truth is socially constructed, plural, and inaccessible to universal reason.” There are ways in which this thinking has impacted the church’s view of stewardship.

Jill M. Hudson has written a book entitled, When Better Isn’t Enough: Evaluation Tools For The 21st Century Church, published by the Alban Institute. She describes the postmodern culture this way, “No longer are the rules and principles that formerly governed society understood to be passed down through families, religious groups, or community norms. Morals, ethics, and values are created and re-created out of personal experience. Relationships become the crucibles in which values are collaboratively constructed.”

Statistics tell the church there is a problem with stewardship. The philosophy of postmodernism which is permeating our culture shows there is a problem with the people’s worldview. Though our reformed churches may think and feel we are not influenced by such a worldview as described above, we may be unaware of just how much we are. Stewardship presents several challenges for the church and its leadership. Is stewardship something that personal experience can decide? Does the Bible set principles for giving or leave it up to the individual? What about tithing? Has postmodernism affected your views on stewardship?

Wesley K. Willmer has written a book God and Your Stuff, and he writes, “The topic of faith and possessions is explosive-like walking in a snake pit or across a minefield. It is a no-no in many churches. We like to think that what is in our pocket, wallet, or purse is our own business-no one else’s” (pp. 8-9). Do you hear the voice of postmodernism in this statement?

Stewardship is a spiritual matter and should be kept as one of main disciplines of the Christian life. Richard Halverson has often been quoted as saying, “Money is an exact index to a man’s true character. All through Scripture there is an intimate correlation between the development of a man’s character and how he handles money.” Many people don’t like to hear such statements. Randy Alcorn makes the point, “In the Christian community today, there is more blindness, rationalization, and unclear thinking about money than anything else.” (Money, Possessions, and Eternity, p.27).

Where to begin regarding stewardship? The only place for the Christian is the Bible– which does not teach relative, non-absolute truth. Rather it teaches in Francis Schaeffer’s words “true truth.” When it comes to stewardship the first truth is:

I. God Owns It All


Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.” Psalm 50:10-12, “For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine.” This is the framework for stewardship. The Almighty God is Lord of all and owner of all. This truth is foundational and not open to question or debate. From the farthest planet in space to the most remote nation of the earth, all belong to the Creator. From these verses stewards learn they can offer nothing that does not already belong to God. As He says in vs. 12, “If I were hungry I would not tell you.”

The risen Lord Jesus Christ said in commissioning His disciples, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Even such a clear statement about the universal authority of the Lord will be questioned by the postmodern culture. The vain philosophies of the world will seek to give their own interpretation. Remember they are under the arch enemy Satan who challenged God’s authority in the beginning and used it with Adam and Eve.

What follows from this foundational framework is:

II. Man Is A Steward In The Kingdom Of God


In a most poetic fashion God speaks about man’s position as a steward over all creation. Psalm 8:4-9, “What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the sea. O Lord, our Lord how majestic is your name in all the earth!”

The glory of man who has been created in the image of God is given by God to exercise dominion over the works of God’s hands. He is a vice-regent here on the earth. But man must realize this does not make him the center of the universe so that all things revolve around him. The psalm closes with the words, “O Lord, our Lord how majestic is your name in all the earth.” It is not man’s name that is majestic. The Lord’s name speaks of his person; He does not share that majesty with any other.

Another area of man’s stewardship is taught by the Lord in Matthew 25:14-30 in the parable of the talents. A master was going on a journey so he called his servants and entrusted to them his property. This was a significant amount (some have said a talent could amount to twenty years in wages.) He divided his property (money) according to the ability of each servant. Then after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. This parable supports the stewardship principle that Christians are servants/stewards, not owners, and are going to be held accountable for how they have discharged their responsibilities to their Lord and Master. This story deals directly with financial matters. The master says to the slothful servant, “You ought to have invested my money with the bankers so that I could have received what was my own with interest.” Stewards are called to be industrious and productive in their stewardship. The Lord wants you to be the best you can be for His glory.

The question for Christians is What are you doing with the Lord’s money? Does your life testify to the foundational principle that the money you have is really not your own, but belongs to the Lord? Do you see yourself as a steward of the earnings you make, or do you see them as yours to do with as you please? One writer has said, “Stewardship is nothing less than a complete lifestyle, a total accountability and responsibility before God.”(Ronald Vallet, Stewardship Journal). This is reinforced in Mt. 24:45-51 where the Lord describes a faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household and cares for the needs of others by giving them food at the proper time and does not squander the master’s possessions.

III. The Culture Of The World Denies The Scriptural Teaching on Stewardship


When the world tries to deconstruct truth, (by rejecting any universal, absolute, objective truth) then people can look upon themselves as totally free agents who can determine and decide for themselves what is right or wrong. There is no standard outside themselves by which to determine morality and values. They cease to see themselves as stewards and now they see themselves as owners. There is no accountability as epitomized in the old bumper sticker, “He who dies with the most toys wins.”

What is it in the culture of the twenty-first century that denies the biblical principles of stewardship, and tempts Christians to buy into its philosophy? Democratic capitalism in its humanistic form which exalts the individual and his own self-interests has led many to turn away from serving the Lord’s work and helping others. We no longer seek the common good by loving our neighbor as ourselves.

Western Christians struggle with a wealth factor that boggles the mind. We are the wealthiest generation of people who have ever lived. The productivity of our western world is far beyond anything ever seen in history. What are some results of such progress and productivity? C.S. Lewis has pointed out one result: “Prosperity knits a man to the world. He feels he is finding his place in it, while really it is finding its place in him.” The productivity of the industrial revolution led to supply side economics. We can produce more than the demand of people’s needs. This in turn led to the advertising industry built upon the premise to sell more by influencing people to buy more, even if it was not needed. Advertising created in the minds of people more needs, and want of things they did not even know they wanted. TV commercials are a good example of this. And so materialism has invaded the hearts and lives of people so that their self-esteem is tied to how much they have in the way of possessions. In their worship they see themselves as owners and not stewards. What does a man have that he has not received of the Lord? How often should a person ask himself that question?

Along with materialism comes the sin of consumerism. Today economists have developed the consumer price index (cpi) which measures how much things cost and thus affects how much people buy. Here is the way one writer describes consumerism, “Normally, however, consumerism is lamented as a significant behavioral blemish in modern industrial society. It suggests an inordinate concern-some might even say an addiction-with the acquisition, possession and consumption of material goods and services. Even more seriously, consumerism suggests a preoccupation with the immediate gratification of desire. It implies foolishness, superficiality and triviality, and the destruction of personal and social relationships by means of selfishness, individualism, possessiveness and covetousness.”

David Myers reports in a survey that few of us would say “yes” to the question, “Does money buy happiness?” But to the question, “Would a little more money make you a little happier?” many would reply with a smile and nod. “What would improve your quality of life?” Most answered, “More money.” J.D. Rockfeller, Sr. said a long time ago in response to how much money it takes to make a man happy, “Just a little bit more.”

IV. The Church Needs Always To Be Reformed And Reforming In Its Understanding and Practice of Stewardship


This means getting back to Luther’s comments about preaching the gospel in light of issues where men struggle.

  • The answer to accumulation is giving to the Lord what is rightfully His. This begins with tithing. The Scriptures teach this in both the O.T. and N.T. by example and by instruction. (Gen. 14:20; Gen. 28:22; Lev. 27:30,31; Deut.14:22-27; Mal. 3:8-11; Mt. 23:23; Lk. 11:42).

  • The answer to materialism is preaching that stewardship means you cannot serve two masters, you will love the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon. (Mt. 6:24). In II Cor. 8 and 9 Paul teaches how sacrificial giving to those in need would manifest their love for Christ and others.

  • The answer to consumerism is preaching what it means to “hunger and thirst after righteousness,” Mt. 5:6; and Phil. 3:7,8, “whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ…all things I count as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ.” Jim Elliot said in 1956, “He is no fool who gives away what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

  • Another answer to consumerism is contentment, Phil. 4:11,12, “…for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.” Add to Paul’s example I Tim. 6:7ff, “Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.


Finally, the reformation of the church depends on how well it heeds the charge of Paul to Timothy in I Tim.6:9,10;17-19. It will take courage for elders and deacons to know the postmodern culture in order to instruct believers the desire to be rich can lead one:

  • to fall into temptation,

  • to wander from the faith,

  • to pierce themselves with many pains.

Those who are rich should be charged:

  • not to be prideful nor set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches.

  • The only real riches are those stored in heaven where moth and rust cannot destroy. John Wesley said, “I value all things only by the price they shall gain in eternity.”

  • To set their hope on God.

  • To be rich in good works.

  • To be generous and ready to share.

Paul wrote these words for Timothy to preach because even Christians are prone to succumb to the temptation of desiring riches. It takes courage to preach and command such things in a materialistic and consumerist culture. May God give strength and courage to pastors and leaders to call the church to practice biblical stewardship.

Depression: A Stubborn Darkness

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This book may be one that a person would be tempted to pass over due to the subject matter. I would recommend that one not be so quick to dismiss this as just another book on counseling and psychology. It is a book filled with hope and encouragement, whether you have experienced discouragement because of certain situations in life, or you know someone who has or is battling severe depression.

In the introduction, Dr. Welch writes that the path ahead is a partnership between the “whys” and the “how-tos.” The “why” questions are religious in nature and are about God and the basic questions of life. To ignore them and focus on the “how” questions might lead to temporary mental relief, but your heart will still be famished.

As he writes about the technical diagnosis of depression as often being a chemical imbalance he urges the reader to not buy into a medical explanation too quickly. The reason being that if a depressed person assumes their problem is fundamentally medical they will not see any usefulness in looking at their relationships or basic beliefs about God.

He also warns against just assuming that depression is only rooted in spiritual causes. He points out that strong faith can coexist with emotional highs, lows and everything in between. “It is a myth that faith is always smiling.”

In part one of the book he writes that depression is suffering. He discusses some of the causes, but he always keeps us coming back to the Scriptures and God. “But all suffering is intended to train us to fix our eyes on the true God. Therefore, depression, regardless of the causes, is a time to answer the deepest and most important of all questions: Whom will I trust? Whom will I worship?” He goes on to introduce the reader to God who is sovereign, powerful and good. The exhortation is to cry out to the Lord, to battle with the enemy Satan, and to persevere in the fight.

In part two, “Listening to Depression,” he discusses in more detail the reasons for depression, but I think a key chapter is thirteen, “The Heart of Depression.” Here he writes about what comes out of a person, such as autonomy, indulging his/her desires, and wanting more, none of which changes one’s depression. You will also be ministered to, and challenged by the other chapters on fear, anger, dashed hopes, failure and shame, guilt and legalism, and death.

“Other Help and Advise” is the third section of the book and deals with medical treatments, and how families and friends can help those depressed. There are good practical suggestions throughout this section, and expectations to learn and be used by God.

Part four is entitled “Hope and Joy: Thinking God’s Thoughts.” Dr. Welch ends the book with great encouragement as he writes, “While our culture elevates riches and health, hope is one of the most coveted spiritual possessions. You get it by asking for it and by practicing it. You practice it by remembering and meditating on God’s story….Joy is not the opposite of suffering…Instead, joy can actually be a companion to suffering.” In the end get the message of Jesus’ words “I love you.”

Welch has written with compassion, gentleness, and has kept a Christ-centered focus on how to handle depression. He has saturated the book with Scripture, and therefore it is recommended for your reading.

Why I Am a Christian

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John Stott has been known for many years for his writing and preaching skills, which he has used to point people to Christ. Here is a book that grows out of his own search and questioning of why he is a Christian, and why others should consider God’s search for them. He gives some very cogent arguments for the claims of Jesus Christ and his redemptive work on behalf of sinful man. You will find the third chapter on the cross of Christ speaking with great clarity on the need of his death, and man’s need to recognize his serving as our substitute. Also the last chapter on “The Greatest of All Invitations” is very persuasive in its appeal to respond to the call of Christ.

This would be a good book to give to a person who may be inquiring about the Christian faith, or maybe wanting answers to the meaning and purpose of life. This book is not a difficult read; it can almost be read in one sitting. It is very timely-with the release of the movie The Passion people are asking questions about the purpose of Christ’s death. This would be a good book to give them.