All posts by 0215ag3sxa

Biblically Speaking, Resources to Consider

“Back To Faith” is now available

9 Comments

Go To: BACK TO FAITH

I’ll have them on sale at the Free Grace Alliance Conference (www.freegracealliance.com)

I’ll also offer a .pdf for purchase shortly (if you buy the book…I’ll probably give you the .pdf for your Kindle by request)

This is like nothing you’ve ever seen…I hope it turns out to be quite a resource!

TO ORDER BACK TO FAITH, CLICK HERE:

Order BACK TO FAITH by Fred Lybrand

“Maintaining veneration for Calvin, this work resolves inherent contradictions to the Gospel found in the Reformed tradition.  Lybrand reiterates “faith alone in Christ alone,” and works accompanying salvation are “normal but not necessary” while cogently requiring the reader to reexamine theological traditions.  My prayer for the mindful Reformer: Read and wrestle with these words. Be willing to abandon all, for the clarity of the Gospel cannot be undervalued.”

Jay Quine, ThM, PhD, Dallas Theological Seminary;
President, College of Biblical Studies

………………………………..

“Fred Lybrand’s analysis of the common saying, ‘Faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is not alone,’ exposes the logical and biblical fallacies inherent in Calvin’s famous statement. With careful exegesis he dissects James’ discussion of faith and works with fresh insight into this controversial passage. When I read his doctoral dissertation I immediately encouraged him to publish this so that many others could benefit. The book is well written and finally puts Calvin’s cliché to rest—where it belongs.”

– Jody Dillow

……………………………….

TO ORDER BACK TO FAITH, CLICK HERE:

Order BACK TO FAITH BY Fred Lybrand

Biblically Speaking

What is Faith?

56 Comments

I’ve been pondering faith a bit more of late.  It seems universally accepted that we can choose to believe whatever we want to.  I’m not sure this is really that clear in the Bible or in the world of common sense.  For example, take a moment just now and ‘choose to believe’ that you are the opposite sex.  If you are a man, just believe you are a woman for a few minutes…a woman, then believe you’re a man.

So, how did that go?  You see, it isn’t just a matter of ‘choosing’ something else is in operation.  The word in Greek has the idea of ‘fully persuaded’  or ‘fully convinced’ as mentioned of Abraham in Romans 4:21.  I’m not arguing that God has to give us faith as a gift, since clearly we have the capacity to believe as part of our design as humans.  We’re not always that willing or interested in believing, however.

Of course, we are ‘saved by grace through faith’ —which means that believing in Christ, which includes who He is and what He did—make the question paramount.  Yet, again, what is faith and how do we come to ‘believe’?

As I’ve thought about it a little more, I’m thinking the word ‘conclude’ could be very helpful here.  When we believe something to be true we have come to a conclusion.  Faith also does not have the absolute ‘proof’ of certainty as we describe it of facts in the real world…but it still has a kind of certainty and knowing that comes with the conclusion of what we believe.

So, when we conclude that “Jesus Paid It All” …when we conclude that He delivers us eternally…we we conclude that our works make no contribution—it is in that conclusion, that faith, that we are delivered and assured (according to His promise).

Now, with daily or living faith; isn’t it the same?  Isn’t it about reading God’s Word and coming to a conclusion about something it says about the Lord, others, or our own lives?  Which leads to a simple application.  If you are wrestling with believing something that God says (like in Matt 6 when He says the Father will take care of you), why not just start asking a very simple question:

What would it take for me to conclude  ________ ?

As you fill in the blank, you at least know what the issue is about your faith; or, you may just discover you really do believe!

Fred Lybrand

Uncategorized

Communication 102 – Opinion Hurts

11 Comments

Sorry for the absence…been on vacation…did a lot of reflecting!

Here’s another key point in communication: separate FACT from OPINION

It is a simple fact that people don’t really conflict about facts; but it is a further fact that people go to war over opinions.  The next time you are wrestling with someone (or are overseeing a disagreement), just set the facts on one side of a sheet of paper and the opinions on the other.  Suddenly you’ll know what you are EXACTLY disagreeing (and agreeing) about.

It gets even cooler when you ask this question, “Now, can we find out if this (name one) opinion is true or not?”  If you can’t, then why argue?—you can’t prove it.  If you can prove your opinion, then go do so and make it into a FACT (so everyone will agree).

Frankly, theology and the news is loaded with all this strident and nonsensical brandishing of opinions.  I’ve been the victim of plenty of this and I’m afraid I’ve left a few marks on others as well.  Not now.

Maturity in communication finds out the facts…and…sure doesn’t pass along opinion as fact.  Of course, following these thoughts will kill a lot of the email that flies around.  But so be it.

Grace,

Fred Lybrand

Uncategorized

Communication 101…How often do you flunk?

5 Comments

Communication fouls up everything…and…helps make everything work! My personal conviction from Genesis (see Babel incident) is that God put a judgment on communication so we wouldn’t accomplish near so much (and gloat in our own press releases!). Well, here’s a little way in which we flunk communication 101 as we battle the judgment.

We tend to assume that

DISAGREE = DON’T UNDERSTAND

Have you noticed how often people keep telling you and telling you something…and you simply disagree? The reason is simple; they think you don’t understand. I’m mean, let’s face it, “if you understood me, you’d surely agree with me!” Of course, this presumes we are right.

What would happen if you really began to explain to people exactly what you understand them to be saying to you? What would happen if they BOTH knew you understood their view AND disagreed with them?

It’s pretty obvious…you both could talk about the real issues and maybe get somewhere instead of explaining, and explaining, and explaining!

That’s one beauty of my friends who disagree with the Bible…it often means they at least understand something it says well enough to disagree with it. Sometimes, I think we believers are actually busy agreeing with things we don’t understand (but that’s another discussion).

Fred Lybrand

Biblically Speaking

Should Christians Try to Make Converts?

1 Comment

Well, I know it sounds a little odd, but consider a conversation I had Sunday after church with a visiting couple.  They had visited another bible-believing church near their home, but found that the church was against ‘evangelism’…just for ‘friendship evangelism’.  I really didn’t know that idea was still around, but it is very scary talking to others about our faith.  We don’t want to offend, but we do want to be faithful to tell them what we care about…and we want to be faithful to the Lord’s directive to ‘go…’.

I’ve been in both ditches.  I have taught and done street evangelism…and…I have taught and done ‘friendship’ evangelism.  The truth is that there is another option.  Most of problems arise from TRYING to CONVERT people.  At some level or another we all must recognize some role of freedom and will in the matter.  Regardless of your extreme views of Calvinism or Arminianism…it is still an individual thing for the person to come to faith in Christ and His work for his eternal destiny.

A phrase we started using a few years ago is ‘we’re concerned about contacts not converts’.  Of course, we all hope people will embrace Christ; but really, it’s really only our role to clearly and graciously share the message.  Focusing on converting others invites us toward a hard-sales approach.  Focus on friendship invites us to (often) never get around to the subject.

Why not learn a clear way to explain your own faith and just explain it?— truly, indeed, aren’t the results God’s business and the individual’s concern?  Can’t we share our heart while respecting their autonomy?  This includes NOT SHARING if they don’t want to hear it (of course)!

I’ve notice in Uganda was see thousands each summer put their faith in Christ.  Those who go seem to think it is about how ‘open the people are’–maybe.  All I know, is that we can’t compare America to Uganda until we do in America what we do in Uganda.

Make sense?

Fred Lybrand

P.S.  My friend Larry Moyer has some excellent material with this line of thinking at  www.evantell.org