The substantial shortfall of so much 19th century Protestant theology in Europe (Germany and the Netherlands in particular) and England (though not so much in Scotland) is that it never broke through to a realization that what Messiah’s faithful obedience to all of God’s directives and desire acquired via his final combat on the cross was the Holy Spirit! Furthermore, no one seemed to recognize that the realization of the Kingdom of God that Jesus and the apostles proclaimed was entirely dependent on the governing influence of that Spirit in human affairs. Without the miraculous powers and messianic virtues of the promised gift of Holy Spirit to lead the citizens of God’s Kingdom into new conquests over their own fleshly impulses as well as over the vast corporate evils that result from their outworking in the culture, all that remains is just so many ethical good intentions and feckless big ideas.
Hence the whole liberal development of “ethical” Christianity fell flat for the power of the Spirit was not sufficiently invoked and walked in. However, the Evangelical Revivals in England and America in the 18th century, along with the Second Great Awakening that kicked off the 19th century in America immediately after the founding Era closed with the death of George Washington, were the heralds of radically new developments along just the lines regained to make Christianity more fruitful. But after the unprecedented successes of Methodism in England throughout John Wesley’s long lifetime, although there were periodic waves of revival and even new denominations raised up on its premises, sustained revival–a sustained presence of the Kingdom of God in power and multi-faceted wholesomeness and justice–did not make a start (was barely valued) until the opening decade of the 20th century. With the Pentecostal outpourings in Topeka, Kansas and Azusa, California as well as Wales (all “Nazareths”!), God moved in ways that started getting conserved (although the Welsh revival was disappointingly short lived). John G. Lake’s labors in America and South Africa at this time were also auspicious, as well as Alexander Dowie’s founding of Zion, Illinois. Flawed as all these new starts were, they laid the foundations for sustained advancement of God’s Kingdom into world culture.
Needed now, at the opening of the 21st century, is a convergence of diverse and heretofore divergent traditions of Christianity with the fresh and humble recognition that the work of Messiah Jesus was intended to inaugurate God’s Kingdom in the governing power of Holy Spirit. [8/18/06]
GOD SALTED OUR OATS!
Many of the ancient ordinances of Israel given through Moses were ways for God to “salt their oats” to keep them thirsty for God’s salvation. He was always a God of “benignity…and…abundant ransom. And He Himself shall ransom Israel from all its depravities.” For if He should “keep account of depravities…who should stand? For with You is pardon that You may be devoutly feared” Psalm 130:7-8,3-4. Thus it was no “problem” for Him to remit [the “penalty” of] sins for His disciplines are remedial, not woodenly penal or vindictive. The problem was to keep His people supple so they would reflexively [re]turn to Him for His necessary forgiveness before they became hardened in their sinful practices. Pardon goes hand in hand with prodding toward maturity. God’s forgiveness stems…streams from His native kindness that “leads to repentance“ (Romans 2:4). But when that doesn’t do the job, then severer measures are called for: “Whenever He killed them, then they sought after him. And they returned and sought early for God. Then they remembered that God is their rock, and God, the Supreme is their redeemer” (Psalm 78:34-35). For their big problem was that “their heart, it was not established with Him, and they were not faithful to His covenant” (v.37). That’s what had to be fixed in this arrangement. AND THAT GOT FIXED IN THE NEW COVENANT. NOW THE VERY POWER OF WHOLESOMENESS GOT “POURED OUT RICHLY“ (Titus 3:4-7) BECAUSE OF GOD’S “KINDNESS AND FONDNESS FOR HUMANITY“ (v.4). Thus the Savior’s afflictions on the cross won God’s diametric reversal via resurrection, with further exaltation and award! THIS IS HOW GOD GOT SO GENEROUS AFTER THE BLOODY CROSS! IT PIQUED GOD TO SHOW HIS HAND OF TRUE JUSTICE WITHIN OUR HISTORY!
This all means (if it’s not already obvious) that the “crossurrection” finally abolished those old methods of salting our oats to keep comin’ back to Him for a drink of His graciousness. GRACIOUSNESS GUSHED FROM ON HIGH IN A NEVER-ENDING STREAM NOW THAT GOD HAS TURNED THE “KEY” OF THE CROSS TO REVERSE MESSIAH’S MISERY BY OPENING THE FLOODGATES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND UNBURDENING HIS COMPASSION ALL OVER HIS DEAD SON…AND IN THE PROCESS ALL OVER US! THIS SHOW, THIS DISPLAY, THIS DIVINE EXHIBITIONISM OF MERCY MADE ALL HEAVEN WEEP! [8/19/06]
The Premial Atonement 