3.) Johnson clearly has the “Christ for us” down. His sermon was wonderful on this score. It is the kind of sermon that the sinner who has been smitten by God’s law needs to hear. It is the kind of sermon that the Christian needs to hear who is becoming ever more conversant with his own sin. I tip my cap to Dr. Johnson for his clear articulation of Christ for sinners, Christ in the place of sinners, and Christ as the sinner’s righteousness.
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, 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?
What Johnson doesn’t have down is that the Spirit in sanctification works in us incrementally but unalterably increasing Christlikeness so that we can be described as “God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works.”
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.