I’m now back home after a wonderful week of spiritual refreshment.  Together for the Gospel 2008 was perhaps one of the most theologically and spiritually beneficial conferences I’ve ever attended.  The speakers displayed a zeal for truth as they defended the gospel.  The fellowship with other believers from a variety of different theological contexts was edifying.  Most importantly though, the affection for the gospel in all its fulness left an indelible impression of spiritual earnestness and joy that I hope will continue to characterize both the speakers and the attendees.  The conference opened up with Ligon Duncan’s lecture on the necessity of systematic theology.  His premise was that systematic theology, in the midst of severe criticism from orthodox and unorthodox alike, must be celebrated and defended in our post-enlightenment age.  Particularly interesting was Ligon’s Biblical defense of systematic theology.  In an age where Biblical theologians often scornfully degrade systematic theology as a scholastic concession to modernity, Christians must be aware that the systemization of doctrine is a process used by Christ and the apostles repeatedly in Scripture.  From Jesus’ words to the disciples on the road to Emmaus wherein he systematically revealed Himself in the OT Scriptures, to Stephen’s sermon before his martyrdom- its obvious that systematic theology is much more than a modern method used by Christians influenced by enligthenment thinking. 

Thabite Anybawile’s lecture was a wonderful and unexpected call for “ethnic unity” grounded in our federal union in Adam and Christ.  He labored in emphazing the point that the category of “race” doesn’t exist.  Racial categories imply significant biological differences between people groups, a line of thinking which has logically concluded in biogotry, prejudice, and inhumane atrocities.  A Biblical solution calls for an understanding of ethnicity, a fluid category which maintains biological unity, while simulatenously affirming the ethnic differences between cultures and people groups.  This understanding of ethnicity as a fluid category, in which peoples of all cultures and people groups can enter in and out, has as its center the federal union of mankind in Adam and Jesus Christ.  Regenerate and un-regenerate alike possess a biolgogical and spiritual unity manifested in both original and actual sin.  We’re all born in Adam, dead in trespasses and sins, children of wrath, deceitful beyond measure, hostile to God, and plauged with corruption.  On the other hand, the church possesses a spiritual unity in the person of Jesus Christ.  Our federal union with Christ provides a spiritual unity which transcends any kind of ethnic, cultural, or geographic categories.  This message burned into my heart, convicting me of my often unconcious ethnic prejudices.  It also provided a Biblical summons towards ethnic unity in both the kingdom of this world and the kingdom of Jesus Christ.

The next morning, John MacArthur spoke on total depravity.  Throughout the past few months, I’ve spoken out against MacArthur’s theological ignoracne with respect to amillenialism.  While I still don’t appreciate MacArthur’s views on the issue, I nevertheless profited greatly from this lecture.  It was basically a systematic study of the doctrine of total depravity in the Bible, with an emphasis on the implications of this doctrine for preaching.  One of MacArthur’s best comments was made during the panel discussion.  The group was talking about evanglisim, and MacArthur made a comment to the extent of “My evangelism is really no different from my preaching.  I try to get to the topic of sin as quickly as I can.”  This made me think: While friendships and relationships are important, we must never think that our post-modern culture presents us with so much difficulty that we simply cannot go to the reality of sin before talking about other more important things.  Post-modernism is one particular cultural manifestation of mankind’s hostile rebellion to God.  People in all ages are blinded to the truth of the gospel, and they’ll always abhore its truths, regardless of what kind of conversational methods we try to use.  We don’t see the apostles, reformers, or puritans, setting forth some kind of unique cultural methodology to use while evangelizing the lost.  That’s because the unregenerate man desperately needs the law of God to reveal his sin, and this is true in all ages.  Apart from the law, there is no conviction of sin, and no earnest thrist for gospel truth.  The unregenerate man, once confronted with the law in all of its terror, must then be presented with the beauties of the gospel.  Jesus Christ in all of his glorious spelndor is held forth to the unregenerate man as the perfect righteousness to be embraced by faith alone. 

The next lecture was given by Mark Dever.  Dever’s task was to examine unbiblical theology so that pastors and laymen alike might be aware of the current attacks the gospel is receving from false teachers.  Dever’s message was a needed excercise in theological polemics, the kind of polemics which are being replacecd in the church by an all pervasive spirit of theological cowardice. 

After Mark, R.C. Sproul gave a stunning lecture on the curse motif of the atonement.  Unfortunately, R.C.’s health doesn’t seem to be in prime condition.  Still, Sproul’s spirit was as youthful as any other time I’ve heard him speak.  His passion for the cross was evident in every word.  His premise was that the curse theme of the atonement is a Biblical concept which has been ignored in our day.  In the beginning of the lecture I was taking notes.  By the end of the lecture, I was so incredibly overwhelmed by a sense of Christ’s glory, that I put down my pen and soaked in every word.  If you can only listen to one messsage from this year’s conference, I highly recommend that you listen to Sproul’s. 

Wednesday’s night’s final message was delivered by Albert Mohler, president of Southern Seminary.  Mohler sought to explain the doctrine of penal substitution historically and theologically, while also examining some of the attacks which this particular doctrine has received by theologians like Clark Pinnock, Steve Chalke, etc. etc.  Mohler’s lecture was a joyful defense of penal substitution, and reaffirmed in my mind the necessity of maintaing this doctrine in the midst of soteriological error. 

John Piper delivered the first message on Thursday morning.  While T4G is a wonderful conference, the schedule is nonetheless exhausting.  So unfortunately, I was very tired during Piper’s lecture.  Still, Piper’s words on “How the Supremacy of Christ Creates Radical Christian Sacrifice” were needed remedies to the lazy self-love inherent within all of our sinful hearts.

C.J. Mahaney presented the last lecture.  His topic was “Sustaining A Pastor’s Role”, and he practically and Biblically laid a theological foundation for the specifics of pastoral ministry.  What I personally love about C.J. and Sovereign Grace Ministries is their ardent love for Christ manifested in their careful attention to the application of Biblical truth.  This is a struggle in my life, and I thank the Lord for men like Mahaney who keep re-enforcing the need for a lively and Christ-centered piety in the life of every Christian.

T4G 2008 was a wonderful experience.  It displayed the kind of catholicity which is so needed in our churches.   This unity isn’t some kind of ecumenical compromise of theological conviction, but a real unity grounded in the essence of the gospel.  May this kind of gospel-catholicty be revived in a day of schism, cowardice, and needless division.  If you would like to listen to any of the lectures, you can download all of them for free here.  You can also find much better summaries of the conference written by Tim Challies here.