Dr. Greg Johnson – he of same-sex attracted sodomite but celibate fame – invited on his Twitter feed to view his first sermon following the gathering of his denomination to discuss his curiosities. He insisted that it was going to be pure on Gospel, and as I am the guy who is forever bending over to give people the benefit of the doubt I did watch his sermon… twice. This is my commentary on that sermon.
1.) “While the ex-gay movement is dead, its cadaver walks about undead among us. Its presence was palpable (at PCA GA).”
Johnson has all kinds of “evidence” for his position and much of that evidence will be seen in his new book coming out soon. The problem is that I am slow to believe the evidence he will be providing (I have heard some of it in an interview that was done with the good Dr. Johnson) just as I am slow to believe the evidence that those who are shrieking about climate change want to provide. Dr. Johnson has an axe to grind and I do not believe any evidence that suggests that God cannot take what is twisted (homo attractions) and straighten it out so that hetero attractions arise.
2.) Johnson, in his sermon, subtly went after Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary by referencing repeatedly the problem with “Sothern pietistic moralism.”
This is important to note. Those who are occupying the Pink Mafia in the PCA view their enemies as being the conservatives and they will do anything they can to castigate this enemy. I suspect that the only reason that Johnson believes he has a problem with Southern Pietistic moralism is that he is, 1.) Not Southern, 2.) Not Pietistic, and 3.) Not moral.
However, St. Paul in Romans also says in the starkest fashion possible that Christians should not go on sinning that grace may abound. St. Paul teaches that sin shall no longer be the Christian’s master.
So, while we praise God that the Gospel is a good news declaration of what God has accomplished in Christ in the stead of the elect we note that the good news of Jesus Christ includes deliverance not only from the presence of sin but also from the power of sin. The Gospel includes the word about the ongoing renewing work of Christ in us by the living power of the Holy Ghost who works in us the renewing of our minds so that one does not return like a dog to his vomit to one’s old sins of experiencing same-sex attraction. That Greg didn’t articulate so well in this sermon.
Does Greg ever articulate in his sermons that Christians are
22 to put off your old self,[a] which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
In his sermon I listened to Greg insisted that (paraphrasing here) the Gospel is not to make us think we are good people but that we are bad people who have been rescued by a good saviour. There is truth to this. A good deal of truth. So much truth that if this was left out of a Christian’s understanding it would be tragic. However, the Gospel has a sanctifying effect so that we bad people are no longer as bad as we once were. While on one level Greg, it is true that we are not better than a Jeffrey Dahmer (an illustration that Greg used), it is also true on another level that a converted Jeffrey Dahmer himself experienced such renewal that he could say that he was no longer the man he once was. Spirit wrought sanctification makes a difference my dear Brother in Christ and if you can’t find the capacity to admit that in relation to your sinful same-sex experiences then at the very least you have a profound misunderstanding of the Christian faith and at the very worst you yet remain outside of Christ.
So, Johnson has down the idea that we all forever are sinners in need of grace. Who could disagree?
4.) Dr. Greg Johnson complains about Christians who think they are “good people” but the irony here is that Johnson sees himself as superior to those “good people” because he finds his goodness in his lack of being good.
It is a good warning to all of us to avoid self-righteousness and the temptation to look down on others because we are not like other people who are sinners (Luke 18:11). Thank you for that warning Dr. Johnson.
However, if I may, I suggest that you have not avoided this yourself. The conviction of your own superiority vis-a-vis those putative vainglorious Southern pietistic moralists was palpable. It is not hard in the least Greg to envision hearing you pray nightly, “Lord I thank you that I am not like this Southern pietist moralist. I go around admitting my most shameful sin and freely admit that my condition is hopeless.”
5.) “Today the church is feeling the tensions of a new rigorous aggressive legalism on one side of the church and a falling away into unbelief on the other side.” Dr. Greg Johnson – 04 July 2021 Sermon
Let’s keep in mind Greg that legalism is the idea that men are seeking to be saved by the keeping of God’s law in its total demand. Legalism teaches that we are so exacting in our obedience to God’s law that we can reasonably demand of God salvation that we have earned by our law-keeping expertise.
Given that definition, Greg do you really think your Presbyterian opponents are going all legalistic? Do you really believe that your opponents think that they have reached this state of perfection or is it instead the case that you are just reaching for any handy club in order to beat off those who dare disagree with you? I’m pretty confident that this is a case where legalism is being defined as “anyone who dares disagree with Greg Johnson.”
Greg, I can be pretty caustic and sarcastic at times but allow me to put that aside for just a second. Greg, your position puts you in an even more dangerous situation than your average pew sitter. You are considered a leader and clearly, there is a whole train of people who see you as their leader. Greg, if you keep heading in this direction the weight of the damage that you do to yourself and others is incalculable. Won’t you please at the very least reconsider your position?
I do not doubt you could be in Christ. I also have no doubt that what you’re teaching could be absolutely soul damning in your life and the life of those following you. For the love of God, others, and yourself please repent.
Nicely put, Bret. There is latent (maybe even patent) antinomianism in those who wish to retain their gay identity and refuse to accept the possibility of having their homosexual desires removed. There can be no victory for those who only expect defeat. How can one’s gaze be on Christ, the perfect man into whose image we are being fashioned, and still want to claim anything associated with the flesh? Paul considered even earthly glories (which were not inherently sinful) to be filth compared to the surpassing glory found in Christ. There is remaining corruption that this false teaching clings to, and it will leaven the lump if it isn’t cut off.
Exactly Joshua.
The time for debate is now over. If there is a refusal to repent then the church courts must do their job.
But the PCA isn’t going to do that. They are not going to drag Johnson through the courts. It’s just not going to happen.
Too many Christians in our culture have misplaced compassion. I wonder if we would feel sorry for the people whom God judged in the Flood more than feeling sorry for Noah, who alone was righteous in the midst of a most wicked generation. Or if we would feel sorry for Achan and his family more than the Israelites who were slaughtered at Ai because of his selfish rebellion. Or would we feel sorry for Ananias and Sapphira for being struck down, more than for the infant Church that was being threatened by their covetousness. Because we do not look to Christ for our righteousness–a righteous standing as well as our maturation in righteousness–we coddle unrighteousness in our midst. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.
The PCA courts are taking up this case.
https://www.theaquilareport.com/update-from-the-pca-sjc-on-the-greg-johnson-case/
Yeah … and I’m sure they will get to it before hell freezes over.
Oh how hard is it for anyone to have faith in Christ’s saving power,
but have no faith for His delivery power.
The REAL issue is that one cannot believe in Chrit’s delivery power
BECAUSE one does not want deliverance.
They simply want to love what they love even if they put it on the self
just to look at and remember who they are.
It is like someone who is so dependant on their disability pension they
don’t want His healing power to manifest in their lives.
Forever keeping themselves in Bondage to their supposed old life.
But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted. (1Tim 1:8-11)
Homosexuality is clearly a matter of lawlessness and rebellion. Greg imagines that by his celibacy he escapes the charges. Greg misses, or hopes his audience misses, that actions proceed from antecedent conditions. An act does not make a person something, it merely reveals them to be that something. Greg could have kept his mouth shut about his attractions but that won’t do as he is looking for the church to legitimize his position. He has gone so far as to own them as his identity and that an identity that even God cannot change. So much for being transformed by the renewing of the mind. As a man thinks in his heart so is he. Greg Johnson IS a homosexual.