Slave to the King

Unworthy rebels, redeemed by the King of Kings and made servants fit for His use.

Tag: Scripture

Deconstruction is Not Reformation

July 7, 2022 / / 1 Comment

On July 4, 2022, Adam Page, a pastor at Amelia Baptist Church made a post on Twitter that read: “I wish I could find my church deacons from the 90s & tell them Daniel Haseltine (Jars of Clay) Derek Webb (Caedmon’s Call) & Kevin Max (DC Talk) no longer hold to sola scriptura and/or have deconstructed, but John Cooper from “devil band” Skillet is persevering strong in doctrine.” This is a great observation from Page as we see numerous Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) artists either loudly leave the faith or advocate for heretical and apostate ideologies. Page’s tweet did not tag any of the artists themselves. He was not seeking to score any points against them. It was simply an observation made to his followers and friends on social media.

Enter then, Derek Webb. It is unclear just how Mr. Webb found Adam Page’s post but find it he did. Webb did not enter into a conversation with Page. He did not ask any questions or seek to make any clarifications. However, what Webb did was share Page’s original post with a comment of his own (known as “quote tweeting”). Webb wrote, “‘deconstructing’ is part of reforming’. i’d like think your church deacons would be comforted knowing that we’re following the reformation’s cry of ‘semper reformanda’ (always reforming), calling out teaching & practices that the church should repent of and leave behind.”

What Derek Webb did in that single quote tweet was to claim that those engaging in deconstruction are just being modern-day Reformers. That is a bold claim. But is it true? Should deconstructionists be seen as acting in concert with the Reformers, seeking to draw themselves closer to Christ while discarding man-made traditions that have been added to His word? An examination of deconstruction as compared to the essence of the Reformation, sola Scriptura, will demonstrate that such an association is not only undeserved but it is a false claim that exposes how apostate is the deconstructionist ideology.

Deconstruction

First, it is recommended readers of this article listen to the 3-hour long podcast episode #117 of “Just Thinking” entitled “Evangelical Deconstructionism.” Yes, it really is 3-hours long and it is worth listening to every minute of the program. Darrell Harrison and Virgil Walker take the time to establish what our source of authority truly is (Scripture), where deconstructionism originated from (Marxist philosopher Jacques Derrida), and how the ideology is being employed to tear down the orthodox Christian faith. Listeners will get a seminary-level education on an ideology that is incongruent with Christianity.

Deconstructionism is the practice of taking something apart (language, a text, a system, a practice); looking for what is believed to be inconsistencies or problems; using what is found to proclaim the system is broken, oppressive or destructive; and then rebuilding the matter into the examiner’s own image. Deconstructionists always engage in this practice in a negative sense. This means they enter into the process assuming the system produces brokenness, oppression, inequality, and more. They do not enter with an intent to determine objective truth. Deconstructionism presumes there cannot be any real objective truth. Deconstructionists also distrust all systems and apply a “hermeneutic of suspicion” when engaging in the process of deconstruction (see again “Just Thinking” episode 117).

Therefore, deconstruction is not concerned with determining whether a system or practice is true as it stands. Since objective truth does not exist in the mind of the deconstructionist, the quest is not about determining if the system is valid or in need of reformation. Deconstruction is concerned only with the process of questioning, it does not concern itself with testing or supporting an argument. Therefore, it focuses on simply questioning the system, breaking it down to find where the cracks exist, then reforming it to achieve the deconstructionist’s predetermined goals. In the end, deconstructionism is ultimately about tearing apart a system so that something else can be built in its place.

Once the deconstructionist has introduced sufficient levels of doubt into the process to tear apart the system, reconstruction can begin. However, reconstruction is not about finding objective truth by which the system should be established. Instead, it seeks to add the voices of intersectionally oppressed groups to be included in the new system. The goal is to ensure the new system meets with the approval and inclusion of groups who previously claimed hurt, oppression, inequality, or some other grievance. Reconstruction is about creating a pluralistic system by which all previously grieved or oppressed classes have their demands met at the expense of the class said to be at fault. Deconstruction and reconstruction are humanistic and godless tools by which men can force the desires of their hearts to be met at the expense of truth.

Evangelical Deconstruction

In the aforementioned “Just Thinking” episode, Darrell Harrison outlines “The Five Points of Progress of Evangelical Deconstructionism.” According to Harrison, the points are:

  • Embrace and posit the idea that the church is a socially constructed system, not a divinely ordained idea that originated in the mind of God;
  • Assume the socially constructed system is designed to be exclusive of certain intersectional identities, traditions, and behaviors (i.e. LGBTQ);
  • Identify subjective points and cracks in the socially constructed system that have failed, in the estimation of the deconstructionist, and need to be fixed or reconstructed;
  • Apply a “hermeneutic of suspicion” to that socially constructed system so that anyone who is even remotely associated or connected to that system is, by default, deemed untrustworthy;
  • Reconstruct that socially constructed system into the image and likeness of the culture with a culturally acceptable theology, soteriology, anthropology, hamartiology, and eschatology.

Remember that that point of deconstruction is not about determining truth. It assumes the system – in this case, Christianity – is one of oppression and inequality. Therefore, evangelical deconstructionists begin with the idea that Christianity, as it exists now, is not something ordained by God in His word. They presuppose the nature of the Christian faith is untrustworthy and damaging in its current state. And, since Christianity is only a social construct, not a divine mandate, then it must be deconstructed to do away with the inequalities that exist.

Evangelical deconstructionists are not starting with God and His revealed word. They are starting with a philosophical ideology that presumes systems are all about power and control. This is not an examination of who God is and what He desires for His people. This is determining what they believe Christianity is supposed to be and how it falls short of meeting cultural expectations.

If, as Derek Webb claims, evangelical deconstructionists are simply the modern-day equivalent of the Reformers, then one would expect they would seek to apply the same standard of examination the Reformers used. However, when we look at what the Reformers taught, we realize these two groups are worlds apart. Deconstruction is the polar opposite of the Reformation for one basic reason: the principle of sola Scriptura.

Sola Scriptura

According to Michael Kruger in his article, “Understanding Sola Scriptura,” on Ligonier.org, the “conviction of sola Scriptura— the Scriptures alone are the Word of God and, therefore, the only infallible rule for life and doctrine—provided the fuel needed to ignite the Reformation.”

The Reformers stood against the Catholic Church which acknowledged that Scripture “was the ultimate standard for all of life and doctrine…” but they also believed God communicated outside the written text. The Church “claimed a trifold authority structure, which included Scripture, tradition, and the Magisterium. The key component in this trifold authority was the Magisterium itself, which is the authoritative teaching office of the Roman Catholic Church, manifested primarily in the pope.” The Reformers recognized that there was no other equal or higher authority than the word of God. And they held their ground resolutely on this matter.

The Reformers taught sola Scriptura demanded that man be held to the ultimate authority of God’s word. No man could introduce ideologies, beliefs, commands, or principles of the Christian faith that did not first pass muster under the authority of the Scriptures. This did not mean the creeds or confessions, books, historical examinations of doctrinal development, or other realms of study could not guide or instruct the Christian church. Those very things could be of great help and guidance to the church at large. They could even provide guard rails to prevent Christians from wandering into personal interpretations that were inconsistent with the faith. Yet, none of these tools could be equal to or exceed the authority of Scripture. All such matters must be subservient to the Word of God.

Where sola fide (faith alone) was the material cause (the source) of the Reformation, sola Scriptura was the formal cause (the essence) of it. How could men know that they were saved by faith alone in Christ alone? By the very word of God as revealed in the Scriptures. It was by this that the Reformers sought to combat the man-made traditions of the Catholic Church. They fought and reclaimed the orthodox Christian faith from the ideas and traditions of men who sought to dominate the church. The Reformation was about rejecting outside ideologies and calling Christians to cling more tightly to the revealed word.

For the Reformers, the Reformation was not simply about discarding theologies and practices they did not like. Rather, they examined the claims of the papacy against the Scriptures themselves. Reformers, such as Martin Luther, were not initially seeking to break from the Church but to conform the Catholic Church to the Scriptures. The birth of the Protestant church was a call to turn from worldly traditions, to die to self, and be conformed to Christ as He revealed Himself in His word.

Did the Reformers call out for repentance from false doctrine? Absolutely. But what were those calls based upon? The examination of the Scriptures which demanded the Christian understand the context of the writers and readers. To learn what was meant at the time the words were written, what the original audience was expected to understand, and how they were supposed to apply the teachings in their lives. The Reformers knew that the key to refuting the false teaching of the papacy lie not in simply believing that Rome was wrong and it hurt people. It lay specifically in knowing what God meant in His revealed word, interpreting it rightly, teaching it to the people, and calling them to obey it.

Genuine reformation starts with the Word, not with assuming the Christian faith is just bad because people do not like how it is practiced.

Deconstruction is Not Reformation

Deconstructionists like Derek Webb want to picture themselves as modern-day Reformers who are rescuing the church from itself. In truth, they have much more in common with the Catholic Church of Luther’s day.

Deconstructionists do not examine first the Word of God to determine how they should live and practice the faith. Instead, they begin with a presupposition that the church today simply is wrong because the culture at large feels excluded and oppressed by its practices. Rather than examine those presuppositions against Scripture, they seek to force their ideology upon the church and require it to conform to their man-made traditions. They have elevated their philosophies to be equal with and above Scripture itself. The Christian faith is expected to change to meet their expectations instead of their being required to conform to the commands of Christ.

Christian, the deconstructionist is not a reformer. He is, at best, a confused and deluded person but, at worst, he is an apostate and false teacher. Do not be manipulated by the emotional appeals to see such persons as merely practicing the battle cry of the Reformers. They could not be further from “Semper Reformanda” if they tried. Deconstructionism is antithetical to the Christian faith and it is a direct challenge to the authority of Scripture. Reject such appeals and seek first the kingdom of God as He has revealed it to you in His precious, inspired, infallible, inerrant, and all-sufficient Word.

On Rick Warren, Women Pastors, and “Secondary Issues”

June 15, 2022 / / 1 Comment

On June 14, 2022, during the Southern Baptist Convention’s Annual Meeting in Anaheim, California, Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church was given the opportunity to speak at the Messengers’ microphone for approximately five minutes (more than any other Messenger at the time). Pastor Warren gave an impassioned statement about his love for the SBC and how being part of the Convention made his many accomplishments possible (a list he was only too proud to share). 

While much can be said about Pastor Warren’s braggadocios claims (and his apparent lack of self-awareness about how much he was making of himself rather than Christ) it was his conclusion that struck a rather interesting chord for some. As he finished his statement, Pastor Warren said, “are we going to keep bickering about secondary issues or are we going to keep the main thing the main thing. We need to finish the task and that will make God smile.”  Bickering over secondary issues. That is what Rick Warren challenged SBC Messengers to do, stop bickering over secondary issues. 

Just what kind of issues is he referring to? One of the primary matters of discussion at the Annual Meeting was the ordination of women as pastors, especially in light of the fact that Saddleback Church had recently, and very publicly, ordained three women to that office. So much of a discussion was this issue that a call for the disfellowshipping of Saddleback had been brought up (it didn’t happen) and an hour-long discussion over whether the Credentials Committee could take time to study what “pastor” meant occurred (thankfully, it did not pass). This particular issue was very much in view when Pastor Warren made his plea.

What is a secondary issue? It is a poorly phrased term (I’ll say why shortly) for those doctrinal issues that do not fall within the area of what can exclude someone from the faith by its denial.  In other words, certain doctrinal beliefs – such as the deity of Christ, the Triune nature of God, salvation by faith alone in Christ alone, and others – are of such importance that the denial of them prohibits the possibility of calling oneself a Christian. To deny that we are saved by Christ alone, for example, to espouse that there are other means of salvation, means we have denied the words of Christ alone when He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). You cannot deny these necessary truths and possess the salvation of Christ. These would be considered “primary” doctrines.

“Secondary” doctrines are important matters of faith where it is possible to be wrong or in error and yet still be saved. Such doctrines can include baptism (such as debates over infant or believer’s baptism), end-times doctrine (amil, postmil, premil, etc), and, to an extent, discussions over the nature of salvation (monergistic vs. synergistic). Included in that designation of “secondary” doctrines would be who can be appointed to the office of pastor. These are matters that Scripture speaks with authority and clarity, but can often be interpreted differently for a variety of reasons (ignorance, preconceptions, traditions, importation of personal ideologies, etc). As such, Christians will find themselves in debates over these matters, yet, in many cases still be able to call one another brethren.

Pastor Warren wants members of the SBC to see the ordination of women as simply a “secondary issue” over which “bickering” need not occur. That, rather than debating what Scripture says, they need to lay the matter aside, link arms in unity, and “keep the main thing the main thing.” In other words, stop worrying about whether Saddleback is right or wrong on this matter, just get back to evangelism, and bring bodies into the church. And for that, many gave him a standing ovation.

Here is the thing though, does a doctrine being a “secondary” issue relegate it to the realm of being unimportant? Should Christians simply disregard their differences on these matters for the sake of unity? Or are these doctrines still important enough that churches are called not only to determine what is right but actually apply and live by those doctrines? Of course, the correct answer is the last one. 

Pastor Warren, and many others like him, are simply wrong when they tell us to stop worrying about secondary doctrines. God’s Word is not a book of recommendations that we ought to pick through, using what we like and discarding what we do not. It is God’s inspired, inerrant, infallible, and all-sufficient revelation for all Christian life and practice (see 2 Timothy 3:16-17). We are to study it daily, conforming ourselves to its precepts and commands. We are to grow in our understanding, never being satisfied to think we somehow have mastered it all. We are to submit humbly to the Word, examine ourselves by it, and repent whenever we find ourselves in contradiction to what God has said.

That means that the so-called “secondary issues” have as much importance in our lives as the primary ones.  Remember, we are new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17) in Christ. When we were called to him in repentance and faith, we were told to be baptized and obey all that Christ has commanded us (Matthew 28:19-20). How do we know what He has commanded? By diligently studying His Word. Scripture, all of it in its entirety, is God’s revelation of Himself, His nature, and His work in us. Therefore, there are no unimportant doctrines. All of doctrine is important. 

This is why the term “secondary issues” is a train wreck. It gives a less than subtle implication that, because it is not “primary” or salvific, it does not matter what you believe. Nothing could be further from the truth. If God has commanded us in a given matter, we are obligated to believe and obey Him. To refuse to obey God is to be lawless, it is sin. When we have His Word before us, we are called to study and understand what His commands are and to commit them to our hearts and minds. And we are then to live by them. We do not have the freedom to stay ignorant. We do not have the freedom to relegate something as being unimportant. We have a duty to read, study, meditate on, and obey His word.

This is why debating these matters of doctrine is also important. Because we are fallible and prone to disobedience, it is incumbent upon all Christians and churches to examine our doctrine and practice regularly. This means that those other factors I mentioned earlier (ignorance, preconceptions, traditions, and ideologies) must be examined and challenged. If we love the church, if we truly care for the bride of Christ, we cannot simply sit by and not speak when we see professing brethren openly reject and disregard the Word of God. We must speak up, we must challenge, we must debate, and we must demand that we all conform ourselves to the Scriptures.

Rick Warren does not want his ordaining of women challenged. Yet, Scripture is clear. God has reserved the office of pastor to particularly qualified men (1 Timothy 2:12-14). While God does indeed give gifts and calls certain persons to given roles (Ephesians 4:7-11), He never contradicts Himself. If God calls a person to pastor, then He will call the very persons He has authorized in His Word. Pastor Warren wants to say that the gift of pastor and the office of pastor are different things. Yet, there is no such distinction in Scripture whatsoever. It is a rejection of the totality of the teaching of the Word to claim otherwise. And when called out for this, Pastor Warren says this is bickering. That the matter is secondary. That it is an obstacle to “the main thing.” 

What Pastor Warren is really saying is that he wants to ignore Scripture because it interferes with his preferred church business model. And he wants other Christians to quit telling him that he is disobeying the Word. Pastor Warren is elevating his personal ideologies above the clear commands of God and he is trying to recruit other Christians to do likewise.

Christians, “secondary issues” are still God’s commands to His church. They are not open to personal interpretation and application. And they are most certainly not open to rank disobedience because we do not like them. These doctrines inform us of the character and nature of our Lord and Savior. They call us to humble ourselves and submit to Christ that we might make much of Him. Our commitment to study and live in accordance with these doctrines brings glory to His name. They point the watching world to the Savior who is greater, more majestic, and more beautiful than anything we have to offer. To do anything but make a diligent effort to be transformed by these doctrines is to put ourselves over His Word. May this never be. Pastor Warren and those who applauded him need to humble themselves and repent. 

Secondary doctrines are important doctrines. Study them. Know them. Live by them. Be humbled by them. Glorify God in obeying them.

Philosophies and Empty Deceits – The Battle for the Sufficiency of Scripture

April 9, 2021 / / 3 Comments

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul repeatedly urges his readers to grow in faith, maturity, and knowledge. And from that growth, he calls on them to live in such a manner as they honor and obey God. It is precisely because Christ has redeemed them and made them new creations that the Colossians are not only able but expected to grow and live in this manner. Throughout his writings, Paul makes it clear that unsaved people are unable to honor and obey God. They are dead in their sins and cannot be pleasing to God unless they are made holy in Christ. Yet, to Christians, Paul gives repeated commands to demonstrate holiness and obedience to God. Followers of Christ are to reject the ways of the world and cling tightly to the commands of our sovereign Lord.

To the Colossians, Paul’s ever-fervent prayer is that they will “be filled with the knowledge of his [God’s] will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding” (1:9). Paul wants Christians to not only know God but to know His will. He prays for this so that the Colossians will “walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (1:10). In other words, knowing God’s will (what He wants us to know and do) makes it possible for the Christian to actually live their lives in a manner that bears godly fruit. In order to practice rightly, they must know His will rightly.

A Battle Brewing

In our current age, there is a battle over the sufficiency of God’s Word. Many professing Christians will claim they believe Scripture is inerrant but demonstrate in practice they find it is not sufficient. By stating that the Bible is inerrant, Christians are proclaiming, rightly, that all that God has spoken in His revealed Word is without error. That the perfect and holy God did not allow for error to be written into the Scriptures. This has been a battle long fought for many generations. And it is a battle that must still be fought daily as many progressivists in our current age still deny God’s Word is divinely inspired.

The battle today is one of the sufficiency of Scripture. Does the Word of God contain all that is needed for faith and practice in the life of a Christian? Does it speak to the issues of our day and does it give the answers we need? Can we trust that this document, despite its Divine authorship and whose canon was closed approximately 2,000 years ago, actually understands the conflicts, sins, and issues of the 21st Century? The answer for the Christian must be a resounding “Yes!” For if we cannot trust that God provided us with sufficient instruction in the Scriptures, then we cannot trust that God is truly omniscient. And if God is not omniscient, then He is not God and He ought not to be trusted when He tells us that salvation is in Christ alone. In short, if Scripture is not sufficient, then God is not trustworthy and we have no hope of eternal life.

Yet, there are those today who, if not by full admission then by practice, deny the sufficiency of the Scriptures. Perhaps the most evident indication of this is the ongoing debate over the matter of social justice. No matter which form it takes – critical race theory, gender theory, queer theory, etc. – social justice advocates proclaim that the ideological framework of Theory is an analytical tool by which we can understand systemic oppression and then go to the Scriptures to apply the gospel imperatives. Such argumentation, no matter the claims of those who deny it, practically puts the ideology above Scripture because we must use the analytical tool to understand how and why such oppression occurs. Therefore, it is a practical denial of the sufficiency of Scripture.

Rejecting Plausible Arguments

In Colossians, Paul tells his readers that he has written to them and prayed for them to grow in knowledge “in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments” (2:4). Paul literally labors and struggles for those in the church that they may “reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery” (2:2). He does this so that the arguments of the world can be distinguished and separated from the true knowledge of God. Paul does not want his readers to be beguiled by claims of knowledge that seem to have a veneer of truth but ultimately lead one away from godly life and practice.

Paul writes to the Colossians, “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ” (2:8). Paul is warning the Colossian believers that there are worldly arguments that are antithetical to the teachings of Scripture. They are man-made and without biblical substance. They come from the wicked heart of sinful men and are not from Christ. And he makes it a point to tell the Colossians that these arguments are capable of taking a person captive. They are that persuasive. These arguments seem to be legitimate. There is something about these philosophies that, without examining them against the light of Scripture, a person might just find themselves caught up in them and believe them wholeheartedly.

Later in chapter 2, Paul points out two types of arguments that fall into this category. First are those arguments that appear biblical, but neglect the full revelation of Scripture. “Therefore, let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ” (2:16-17). In the early church, there were many who tried to call Christians to come back under the Jewish law, to practice circumcision, and to adhere to the festivals and sacrifices. Paul admonished the Galatians in his epistle to them for doing this very thing. This is because the Old Covenant had been a type and shadow of the “things to come,” pointing to their ultimate fulfillment in Christ under the New Covenant.

The Old Covenant could never bring about salvation because it was intended to be a schoolmaster, pointing the Jews to the fact they never would be able to earn merit with God as they were dead in trespasses and sins. It was a signpost pointing to the coming Christ who fulfilled the law in its entirety and who was the perfect sacrificial lamb who would take away the sins of the world. For the Colossians, Paul was warning them against any argument which would take them back under the law. They had the sure word of God in all of Scripture revealing to them that Jesus was the promised Messiah and it was He alone who was the substance of these things. They did not need to listen to those who were outside of Christ and who rejected the revelation He was their promised deliverer. To go back under the law was to reject the revealed Word of the one whose prophets foretold of Christ’s coming. It may have sounded plausible, but in truth, it was a complete rejection of the revealed Word.

Secondly, Paul writes about arguments that appear to have some kind of biblical basis but are entirely worthless. He states, “let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind,” (2:18). He later writes in verses 20 to 23, “If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were alive in the world, do you submit to regulations – ‘Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch’ (referring to things that all perish as they are used) – according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh” (emphasis added).

These arguments seem to have a connection to the Old Covenant. Certainly, the Jews had laws regarding dietary restrictions, not touching dead bodies, etc. However, never were they commanded to live ascetic lives, never were they allowed to worship angels, and anyone with a claimed vision better have it proven 100% accurate or the were to be slain as a false prophet. Paul makes it clear that, no matter how persuasive these arguments may have seemed, they were without any biblical support. A Christian may have thought practicing these actions could have somehow added to their holy walk, but in fact, they were completely worthless. By examining such claims against the genuine knowledge found only in God’s revealed Word, the Colossians would realize that all of these arguments had no value in combatting the desires of the flesh. They were worldly practices that did not even point to the God of Scripture and were never commanded by Him at any time.

Paul was concerned for the Colossians that they were to understand, firstly, they belonged to Christ and that He purchased them by His blood. He pointedly writes about how Christ is the creator of all things (including the Colossians) who made all things by and for Himself. He is the image of the invisible God who is now revealed to the saints and is the Savior of all, Jews and Gentiles alike. It is in His Word these things are revealed and there was no worldly argument, no matter how plausible it seemed, that could change this very truth. Therefore, Paul commands the Colossians to reject those arguments which could lead them into prideful practice, thinking they somehow could add to the work of Christ and achieve something of their own merit.

Paul calls upon the Colossians to live in a manner worthy of Christ. “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (3:5). When Christians adhere to the Word of God, our desire ought to be that which denies the desires of our flesh and submit humbly to God.

Social Justice – An Empty Deceit

This takes us back to the arguments of our current age. In the matter of social justice, what are the advocates of such a philosophy concerned with? Equality. Specifically equality of outcome, especially in the arena of worldly wealth and power. Social justice claims that oppression is systemic in culture and that those who have power and wealth have obtained it unjustly by oppressing certain groups. Primarily, the oppressed groups are argued to be minority ethnic persons, women, and persons who practice sexual immorality. Advocates argue that for true justice to reign, the oppressed persons must be elevated and given the wealth and power denied them by the oppressive group (which by definition are caucasian, heterosexual men). Social justice is focused on earthly matters which can only be defined by earthly categories. It then takes those categories and attempts to force them into God’s Word by insisting the world’s definitions are the same as the Scripture’s definitions.

This is a perfect example of the type of “philosophy and empty deceit” against which Paul warns. Certainly, Christians are to be concerned for the oppressed and downtrodden. We are called to love our neighbors and are to care for those in need (staring within the church first, then extending outward to the world). Christians live in a world that is broken and ruled by tyrants. While we are to be obedient to those in authority over us, we are also expected to call our leaders away from sin and to repentance (see John the Baptist’s interaction with Herod for example). However, Christ makes no command within Scripture to be concerned with the overtaking of government, to reign in politics, or to command arbitrarily what is to be considered equal or equitable. Rather, the command of Christ is to go forth and preach the gospel to the nations. Our primary mission is to call the world away from sinful, worldly desires and to follow Christ.

The beautiful thing about such a command and call is the impact it brings to the nations who follow Christ. As people reject sinfulness and embrace Christ, they have a new nature that leads them to walk in the commands of God. People develop loving hearts and desire to help others. Wherever Christianity has blossomed, nations have changed for the better. Therefore, the most loving thing we can do is preach Christ and Him crucified to the world. This doesn’t mean we don’t call out sinful governments and practices, we most certainly do. But we are not caught up in the vain pursuits of the world, trying to make a utopia in a fallen creation.

Social justice, however, commands the opposite. It divides people into oppressors and oppressed. It stirs anger, evil desire, and covetousness. It focuses on our earthly identities and makes them unchangeable. It tells people they are either always victims or always victimizers. There is no hope of atonement, only the never-ending treadmill of works one must do in hopes of receiving a token of acknowledgment for their efforts. It promises worldly possession and powers on the basis of victim status and perpetual punishment to those who do not accept their designation as oppressors. It brings no promise of joy everlasting, no hope of salvation, and no possibility of unity. Social justice is posited as a “plausible argument” but is nothing but “empty deceit.”

God’s Word Humbles and Equips

In Colossians 3, Paul commands the church to not only reject what is earthly in us but also put on what is fitting as God’s chosen ones. We are to put on “compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so also you must forgive” (3:12-13). Genuine knowledge of the Word leads us not to that which keeps us in pride-filled division. Rather, it leads us to humble submission to one another, loving one another, and most of all, forgiving one another. We are not lead to hate another for what they have that we do not. We do not desire their downfall that we might be lifted up. Rather, it is a joyful self-giving to one another, not that we are benefitted in a worldly way, but that we would glorify Christ who purchased us.

We build each other up by letting “the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teach and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (3:16). We identify ourselves as one body, unified in Christ, “Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all” (3:11). We are not divided by earthly designations, but we are united in the Savior who was promised by the prophets in the Scriptures as revealed from God. We look solely to His Word which commands us and rejects the precepts and philosophies of this world.

Brethren, far too many Christians and local churches (not to mention parachurch ministries and “celebrity Christians”) have been taken captive by the empty deceit of social justice. In doing so, they have denied that God’s Word sufficiently speaks to the issues of our day. They claim that only modern-day “Theory” can adequately explain how and why society is in its current state. They allow worldly definitions to replace the meanings of justice and equality that God has laid out in His Word. They tell us that we must embrace these “plausible arguments” which have an “appearance of wisdom” if we are to do the work of the gospel. But in truth, these arguments are worthless and have “no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.” Therefore, I implore the reader to stop being swayed by what the world is demanding we accept. See social justice for what it is, a worldly system by which we can be taken captive and lead from the truth of Scripture. Apply yourself daily to the reading of the Word and pray God gives us all wisdom to speak the truth in a time such as this.

Less Does Not Equal More

April 18, 2018 / / 0 Comments

Within Evangelicalism, there seems to be a common strain of thought that, while well-intentioned, causes great spiritual harm to our youth. The idea is that, if we give our youth too much biblical teaching, we will somehow cause them to run far away from Christ. The stated argument is that too much exposure to the Word and its teachings will cause the youth to be overwhelmed and want to know nothing about the Lord. We tend to believe that the hard concepts of doctrine and theology are beyond the grasp of young believers and, as such, it is unwise to expect them to learn these essential truths.

This thinking has driven much of our current youth ministry practices. Since doctrine is far too difficult to grasp, and we don’t want the youth to depart the church, we often turn to various forms of entertainment. By making youth groups about games and church lock-ins, we can appeal to kids by showing them we care about how they feel about being at church. If we can sprinkle in some gospel nuggets between pizza parties and gross-out games, we can keep them coming back and maybe, just maybe, they’ll make a profession of faith.

Herein is the problem with the thinking, we already expect our youth to grasp all kinds of big concepts and work hard in other areas of life. How much time do we expect our children to spend doing homework in subjects such as science, languages, history, and math? How many days do they spend practicing baseball, football, soccer, or other sports? Our children can cite movie lines, song lyrics, and television programs by heart. All of these things we willingly allow and support without question. We never argue that doing these things will drive them away from school, sports, or entertainment. In fact, we recognize that a greater commitment results in a greater love and passion for whatever they are working toward. It is only in the arena of biblical education that we erroneously believe that less devotion will magically result in greater godliness.

Now, in all fairness, every person reading this article can attest to how being forced to study a subject in school that they hated didn’t exactly build up a passionate love for the matter. Some of us have painful memories of trying to learn how to apply the quadratic equation, believing we would never use this device of mental torture. Others may remember excruciating hours spent trying to conjugate the verbs of a foreign language, deciding this was all gibberish and everyone just needed to learn English. Clearly, hard work will not always equate to a great love and passion for a subject.

While we would agree that some of us fled these hated classes the moment we were done with them, we can likewise agree that not a single one of us would have absorbed any of the material we learned by mere osmosis. We may not have scored well on the midterms and finals during the year, but we would have utterly failed if we were never taught any of the material, to begin with. Imagine coming into a biology class where the teacher said, “I don’t want to overwhelm you with the detailed explanations of how blood circulation, breathing, and the central nervous system work. I wouldn’t want to scare you away from the possibility that many of you may one day work in the medical and science fields. So, instead of teaching you how biology actually works, we’re going to play some icebreaker games, have pizza parties, and talk about how we think the concept of biology makes us feel.”

I can imagine many of us would have applauded a teacher who never taught us anything and let us goof off all semester. Spending our school hours having gabfests and being able to have more free time in the evenings sans homework would have seemed like Heaven on Earth. But then imagine one more important detail. At the end of the semester, the teacher comes to you with a 20-page final exam. The entirety of your grade is dependent on scoring a completely perfect score. Even missing one question would result in a failing grade. How prepared would you be when faced with such a daunting and detailed test? If your teacher spent all year letting you do little to no work, but then expected you to have mastered the subject in detail, how fair would you believe that scenario to be? Would you not argue that your teacher utterly failed you by doing nothing to teach you all that you needed to know? Does his fear of driving you away from subject seem reasonable when weighed against the outcome of the actuality of test before you? If you have an ounce of rationality, you would have to agree that something is profoundly wrong with a teacher unwilling to prepare his students for what was about to come.

The truth is, this what we are doing in the Church with our youth. We claim that we are actually helping our kids love God by failing to teach them His Word. But there is a final judgment coming that they are woefully unprepared for. The difference is, however, if they get God wrong, they don’t just get a failing grade, they will end up in the fires of Hell. No, I’m not being overly dramatic here. There is only one means of salvation, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is His gospel message – the propitiatory death, burial and resurrection of Christ – that makes a person in right standing with God. There is no makeup exam, there is no extra credit. If a person remains outside of repentance and faith in Christ alone, then they are dead in their trespasses and sins. If someone dies outside the salvific work of Christ, there is no forgiveness for those sins. That means, if our youth go to the grave without Christ, then they are going to Hell. That is fact. That is not being overly dramatic. When we fail to teach our youth the truth of God’s Word, we are actually helping them pave the road to Hell to make the trip more comfortable.

God’s Word is clear that we are to teach our children diligently His word. As they prepared to enter the land of Israel, God spoke to the Jews saying:

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (Dt 6:4–9, ESV, emphasis added).

The Jews were to make it a constant, daily effort to be teaching their children God’s Word. We are not exempt from this command just because we are in the New Testament church.
In Ephesians 6, the apostle Paul writes:

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” (Eph 6:1–4, ESV, emphasis added).

It is evident that God is very interested in His people rightly bringing up their children to know and obey His Word.

In Proverbs 1, King Solomon writes to his son:

“To know wisdom and instruction,
to understand words of insight,
to receive instruction in wise dealing,
in righteousness, justice, and equity;
to give prudence to the simple,
knowledge and discretion to the youth—
Let the wise hear and increase in learning,
and the one who understands obtain guidance,
to understand a proverb and a saying,
the words of the wise and their riddles.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Pr 1:2–7, ESV, emphasis added).

It is the clarion call of the Word that we ought to desire to know and fear the Lord, which comes directly from the study of the Bible.

Repeatedly, we are commanded throughout the Scriptures to make the spiritual and biblical education of our children a priority in our lives. It is only through diligent teaching and study that they can come to know and understand the God to whom they owe their very existence. While Romans 1 makes it clear that all mankind knows God exists through creation and conscience, they can only come to know His direct revelations of Himself through His Word. No person can truly understand the God of the universe, and their desperate need for His forgiveness, outside of the Scriptures that His Holy Spirit moved on men to write. Thus, it is imperative that we make a diligent effort to teach them all that the Scriptures say.

It should also be said that this is a duty that primarily falls to the parents, not solely the Sunday School teachers in our local church building. When we look at the commands of the both the Old and New Testaments, God commands His followers to speak of His Word to their children on a daily basis. This is not to be reserved for one hour, once a week, apart from their families. This is a task that we, as parents, are to make part of our constant instruction and correction in their lives. Consider this: we spend countless hours teaching our children from the moment they are born. We teach them sounds, words, colors, how to walk, how to run, how to dress, how to bathe, how to catch a ball, how to eat, how to be respectful to others, etc, etc. We never consider that those important, daily tasks ought to be delegated to another person. It is our natural inclination to raise them in all these areas. Likewise, their spiritual development ought to be as important to us as making sure they know to check both ways before crossing the street, or to not put a fork in the outlet. We want our children to be safe, so we teach them the dangers that exist which can hurt or kill them. In like manner, there are spiritual beliefs that can kill them for eternity. Their spiritual safety should be as important, if not more so, as their physical safety is to us.

This being the case, we have the opportunity to speak the truth of God’s Word into their lives daily. This does not mean we need to use every spare moment to give our kids a seminary level education on the finest points of doctrine. Rather, we can use opportunities throughout their days to point them back to the fact God’s Word speak authoritatively on all kinds of issues. Sibling rivalry can be a chance to teach that we are to esteem others over ourselves. Struggling with science in school can be an opportunity to talk about how God created everything precisely, which reveals there is a divine Creator, whom we ought to love and obey. Catching our beloved progeny in an act of lying or thievery gives us the moment in which we can talk about sin and condemnation, yet point to the cross of Calvary where there is remission for sins.

If we as parents would spend our days reading, praying, studying and teaching with our children diligently, they would come to know that their Father in Heaven is an amazing God through whom they can find mercy and forgiveness. Yet, He is also a just and holy God who will not withhold His judgment if we do not come to Him in the manner He has prescribed.

Can teaching our children this way cause them to fear God? Yes, absolutely. Might they even flee from a God who will judge their sins? Yes, they may indeed. But if we do not rightly teach them the truth of this God, then something distinctly worse could happen. They may fashion a god of their own choosing in their minds, one not based on what Scripture teaches. This is the sin of idolatry. They may live their lives in a false peace believing this god is absolutely fine with their sinfulness. A god who is good with them the way they are, never making demands of them, letting them live however they choose. Then, one day, they will meet the true God face to face, and find Him saying, “depart from me, I never knew you.” What a horrible fate that would be.

They may also fashion a false image of God, a caricature whom they can cast strawmen in front of that they may reject Him easily. If we do not know of the true God by the diligent study of Scripture, it is easy to fall prey to our sinful arrogance and paint God as someone we have no duty to love or obey. Our children then are free to follow the claims of this world who state that God is mean, spiteful, prideful and worthy only of rejection. While still an idolatrous view of God, it is one that makes it possible to reject Him out of hand, without any real need to examine what He has revealed about Himself. This too will result in their condemnation on the day of judgment.

Only by teaching our children the truth of the Word of God can they rightly know Him. We want them to come to Christ with a right understanding of their sin and His offer of salvation. While the message of the gospel is a simple one, it costs a person everything to obtain the forgiveness it offers. Our youth may reject God even when they know all He has revealed of Himself, there is no denying this. But one cannot be manipulated into salvation by being presented a god and a gospel that does not exist. Any profession of faith that is based on a false view of God is likely to produce only a false convert who will one day fall away. Therefore, it is imperative that we rightly present the true God and the true gospel. Perhaps we may not see an immediate profession of faith, but salvation is of the Lord. He will redeem all who will be saved in His timing, not ours. We must trust that His command to teach His revealed Word in its entirety will produce the result He wants, not that which seem to produce the outcome we want the most quickly.

In summation, less does not equal more. We do no favors to our youth by giving them less doctrine and theology. By denying them the full counsel of God, we will not make them fall more in love with God. The truth is that all we are doing is setting them up to fail before a holy and righteous God who will one day judge them for their sins. If we do not teach them all that is true and to flee from the wrath to come, well, Jesus had a warning we ought to remember: “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matt. 18: 5-6, ESV).

Obedience from Love

September 5, 2017 / / 0 Comments

Recently, my pastor taught from Romans 7, speaking of Paul’s inability to keep the law of his own accord and his realization of his need for a Savior. In the culmination of his teaching on the law, my pastor made a wonderful application about our obedience to God’s law: out of Christ, we cannot obey the law to merit God’s favor due to our sin nature; inside of Christ, we cannot be more loved of God by trying to prove how good we are through our obedience; thus our obedience can have only one motivation, our love for our Savior.

The Purpose of the Law

Scripture teaches us that the law is our guardian, or schoolmaster, leading us to Christ (Galatians 3:24). It is the reflection of the perfect nature of God Himself. God does not give us the law simply because He had the desire to make up a list of dos and donts. In order to be in fellowship with God, we would have to be perfect as He is perfect (Matthew 5:48). Thus the law is God’s standard of perfect righteousness. Anything less than utter moral perfection keeps us from His presence. This is because He cannot look on sin without judging it. To do so would be a grave injustice. In His divine forbearance, he allows us to continue in this earthly existence until the time of deaths. But none will escape His perfect justice on that day.

However, we often try to think of the law as something we can achieve, a means of meriting the favor of God. We see this played out in the gospels as Jesus took the Pharisees to task for adding their traditions to the law. Ceremonial cleansings, Sabbath limitations on what was considered work, tithing and more were subject to extensive writings by the Jewish leaders. They defined every aspect of the law to such an extent that they believed it was actually possible to merit the salvation of God by their very works. Christ repeatedly rebuked them for their traditions as it actually laid further burdens on the Jews, but did nothing to lessen the load. In doing so, the religious leaders barred the way of salvation to those who followed them.

The purpose of the law is not that we can achieve moral perfection before God. Scripture is again clear that, outside of Christ, every person is a slave to sin (Romans 6: 17, 20). We were born with a sin nature, therefore, we cannot help but sin. It has been said that we are not sinners because we sin, but we sin because we are sinners. Christ made this evident when He spoke of the fact that it is not what is outside of ourselves that we take in that makes us unclean. Rather, it is that we are unclean in our hearts which works itself out in what we think, say, and do (Mark 7: 18-23). That is why He taught that it is not only the outward acts of adultery and murder that were sinful but also the very inward lusts and anger that we feel as well (Matthew 5: 21-22, 27-28). Therefore, the law’s purpose is that it exposes our utter inability to be morally perfect like God. For every command we fail to follow, we only expose that the condition of our heart is evil continually.

Thus the point of the law is not to give us the “how to” of making it to Heaven. Instead, it is the means by which we come to know we are utterly incapable of meriting the favor of God and are deserving of His wrath. Unless we have Someone who intervenes on our behalf, the law only illuminates that we have no hope of eternal life. Thus, it is the spotlight which points us to the Cross of Calvary where there is One who took the penalty for our sins.


In Christ Alone…But We Can Still Earn It, Right?

The cross is the place of the great exchange (Romans 5: 12-20). Jesus, the Son of God, fully God and fully Man, willingly laid down His life, taking the full wrath of God for sinners. It is at the cross where justice and mercy meet. Christ had no sin of His own for which He was crucified. He was perfectly sinless, having always obeyed the will of His Father. Yet, Christ allowed sinful men, who were deserving of His condemnation, to whip Him mercilessly and nail Him to a cross to die. This was a penalty for the worst of criminals. It was not only the most painful means of capital punishment but the most humiliating. Why would the Son of God endure such ignominy? Because such is the wages of our sin (Romans 6:23). It is what we deserve for the rebellion we have committed against our Creator.

In His love for us, while we yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). His perfect love for us was played out in that Jesus took on Himself the full wrath that we deserve for our sins. And after being in the grave for three days, He rose again, defeating sin and death. Those who see the vileness of their sin through the law and repent, putting their full faith in the completed work of Christ, receive forgiveness for their sins. Not through any merit of their own, but because not only took our sin on Himself but because He gives us His righteousness. Now the believer not only has his sins paid in full, but he is made perfect in the eyes of God. It is as if the believer perfectly kept every aspect of the law, down to the smallest detail, because Christ Himself has done so.

When we receive salvation from Christ, we are receiving the full and perfect love of God Himself. We can never be more loved by God now or in the future because the Father’s love for the Son is perfect. And because we now have the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, we have the perfect love extended to us. This is the beauty of the cross, the great exchange that makes us the beloved of God.

The problem with us as Christians is that, while we have a new nature, we tend to still struggle with our old way of thinking. Where we once may have thought we could merit salvation from God through works, we now think that we can coax God into greater love or blessings by being really, really good. James teaches us that faith without works is dead (James 2: 20). And Paul made it clear the law still has a place in the life of the believer (Romans 3: 19, 6: 1-2). So it is indeed necessary that we seek to live our lives in obedience to the commands of God. Yet, we tend to think that our obedience earns us some kind of approval from God.

We can tend to believe that our times of study, prayer, worship, discipleship, etc. make God happier with us. As a result, we will credit any blessing in our lives to the fact that we have been obedient in these areas. Yet, when we fail to adhere to the spiritual disciplines we attribute any tribulation in our lives to these failures. As a result, we tend to think God blessed us because we were obedient, and gave us a smack down when we’re not. We find ourselves in another form of legalism that leads us to wrongly believe that God can still be bribed into blessing us through our good works.

This is not to say that God does not demand our obedience, or that He will not discipline us in our times of sin. Most certainly God desires to have us be conformed to the image of His son. And He will bring discipline into our lives when we sin against Him (Hebrews 12: 6). However, this is not a matter of quid pro quo. God isn’t nicer to us when we’re good and mad at us when we’re bad. He already loves us perfectly and has given us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3). Thus, His discipline is to draw us into a close relationship to Himself, purifying us and purging us of the sin that lingers in this flesh. We must disregard the notion that we can buy a greater love from God by our works. Christ already purchased that in full at Calvary, therefore, we are free to enjoy his great love and mercy now and into eternity.

So Why Should We Worry About Obedience?

In his letter to the Romans, Paul called on the church to pursue holiness and forsake unrighteousness. He rightly asked how believers, who had once been slaves to sin, continue in the very transgressions from which Christ freed them (Romans 6: 15-19). Continual repentance and the pursuit of holiness is not a work in which we merit salvation or approval from God. It is the conforming of ourselves to Christ, of whom we are now servants. And our desire to do so is motivated by our deep and abiding love for the One who set us free.

When Christ willingly surrendered His life at the cross, He took the wrath that we godless rebels deserve for our sins; past, present, and future. In other words, the price He paid for our salvation was the full wrath of God against every sin we would commit in our lifetimes. Every single one of them. Therefore, how can we have any desire to commit the thoughts and deeds, or speak the words which cause our Savior to be tortured and crucified? If we have no desire to obey the commands of our God, then we have no concept of what He did to redeem us. In the greatest act of love in all of history, Jesus willingly sacrificed Himself to save those who were yet in their sins. The only proper response to this act should be deep humility and undying gratitude from those who name Christ as Savior. Obedience should then be the result of our unceasing desire to be made like Him who died to purchase us.

When a condemned sinner turns from his lifestyle of sin and commits himself wholly to Christ in faith alone, He promised that the Holy Spirit would enter into that person and make them a new creation (2 Corinthians 5: 17). They are given a new heart, with new desires. The Holy Spirit then goes through the process of sanctifying the new man, conforming him to the image of Christ. The outworking of that sanctification should be that the Christian then pursues, out of love and humility, obedience to the commands of our Lord and Master. Thus, our good works are an extension of our salvation and sanctification, showing that God Himself has indwelt and changed us. Christians should care about obedience to God’s commands because it is that which helps us to see that we are bearing the fruits of the Spirit in our lives (Galatians 5: 22-24).

If there can be one takeaway from this article, it should be that you cannot in any way merit God’s redemption or approval by the works you commit through your own effort. However, if you are redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, one evidence of your saving faith is that God has worked in you an abiding desire to grow in your obedience toward Him. You will abhor the sin that condemned you more and more, and you will find yourself desiring to become more holy, just as He who saved you as holy. Christian, pursue good works, not that you may bribe God with some token effort, but that you may be conformed to Him that saved you by His precious shed blood.

Stop Reading Revelation With the Headlines in Hand

August 24, 2017 / / 0 Comments

Author’s Note: As a premillennial dispensationalist, I’m a bit of an enigma to my biblically conservative brethren. It tends to follow that if you are a believer in the doctrines of grace and in cessationism, you will likely be amillennial in your eschatology. However, there are still many of us who hold to a premillennial view and even believe in (gasp) a literal rapture of the church. The following article is not meant for those who hold to an alternate eschatological view. Nor is it an invitation to start an eschatology debate. There are proper places and forums for those discussions to occur. This is not to say if you disagree with my eschatology that you are not welcome here. You most certainly are. However, it is to say that I want to address an issue specifically that affects my premillennial brethren and do not want to obfuscate the issue with an unnecessary argument. Much thanks for your cooperation in advance.

As I type this article, it is August 21, 2017, and the first full solar eclipse in several decades has come and gone. Much to the dismay of many “end of the world” websites, nothing happened. Seriously, nothing. The eclipse came and went. Many families and schoolchildren got to experience the remarkable precision of God’s handiwork in the heavens. Some places in the United States experienced a darkening of the skies as the moon cast its shadow while passing before the sun. People wore specially made glasses that let them stare at the eclipse without burning their retinas to a cinder. But that was it. Nothing significant happened. The world did not end. World War III did not begin. The Middle East did not invade Israel and the Messiah did not return for His church. Just another celestial event occurred that allowed us to give glory to God for His marvelous handiwork.

Why do I make a point of this? Simply because, for as long as I can remember, there are those within the premillennial camp who seem to look for just about any event that they can point to that says Jesus is coming back. Not soon, or quickly, as in a biblical sense. But as in, tomorrow. No seriously, I mean tomorrow. As though we can pinpoint a day or hour that it is happening. That somehow there is a message in these events that we can discern the exact point of His return. All we need is the right Lucky Charms decoder ring and a little luck, and we can get this thing figured out. Oh, and that admonition that Christ gave us, that no one knows the day or the hour (Matt. 24-36)? That just means we have to figure out the correct Bible code first. Until then, we won’t really know.

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“I’m Offended!” – The Anti-Intellectual Argument

August 16, 2017 / / 0 Comments

Postmodern philosophy declares that all truth is valid truth. Since every person’s particular definition of truth is considered to be, in fact, true, there can be no competing ideologies. In other words, everyone can hold to their own personal ideology, regardless of whether or not it can be proven true, because it is true in the mind of the beholder. Since it is true to the person holding it, it is not necessary to actually prove or defend said truth, as it does not have to be true in the eyes of any other person. This results in creating a personal echo chamber wherein truth holders surrounds themselves with only that information which affirms their belief and never allows anything in that could challenge their thoughts.

The problem with the postmodern belief system is that it still allows other persons or groups to belief and espouse truths that contradict our own. Despite the fact that multitudes of people attempt to live in their personal echo chambers, opposing belief systems will ultimately crash into each other. To use an extreme example, if a person believed that traffic laws did not apply to them, and that they could drive on any side of the road they chose, a person who believed the opposite would one day have a face to face meeting with them. Likewise, our individual belief systems impact how we think, speak, and act. No matter how much culture says your beliefs can only be your own, and hence, should not impact others, the reality is that we will act out on our beliefs in our interactions with other people. Therefore, our personal echo chambers cannot filter out other belief systems no matter how hard we try to plug our ears.

Once we are confronted with truths that contradict our thinking, especially if we hear those truths espoused en masse, we are forced to defend what we believe. This is one of the most difficult aspects of the post modern philosophy to deal with in practicality. We cannot isolate ourselves from the rest of society, so we must live with the reality that ideas have consequences. Our personal truths do not exist in a vacuum. They impact our lives in how we live, how we work, how we vote, and so forth. When people are allowed to pursue whatever truth they wish, they ultimately we live out those truths around us. They will speak to us and act toward us in ways that are inconsistent with our personal truths. We are then forced into a series of options: we can remain consistent with post-modernism, allowing their actions to impact our lives in uncomfortable ways; we can abandon postmodernism, returning to the search for truth by debating which belief is actually true; or we can determine that competing belief systems are intolerant and offensive, thus are not deserving of protection in the postmodern philosophy. It is this last option that has been resoundingly accepted in our current culture.

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Doctrinal Disputes and Loving Our Brethren

July 10, 2015 / / 0 Comments

bible-open-to-psalm-118 (1)It can be safely said that, since the birth of the church on Pentecost, for every opinion expressed there have been divisions in the body of Christ. Professing followers of Jesus always have and always will struggle with temptation and sin until the day we are glorified in Heaven with the Savior. Prior to being redeemed, sin permeated every last aspect of our nature. We were enslaved to it, there was nothing we did or thought that was without its foul taint. Yet, in Christ, we have been set free, no longer slaves to the passions that drove us. From that day until we are called home, we go through the process of sanctification. We are changed day by day, being purged and purified. God brings our sins to the surface so that we might repent and be changed. This takes a lifetime, and it is hardly an easy journey.

With that said, we must understand that divisions in the church come as a result of sinful pride. Were we already perfected in our flesh, we would all rightly understand the Word of God and we never would be in disagreement. However, given our lack of perfect comprehension, we must understand that as we grow in knowledge, so we can also grow in our pride. We are prone to lifting ourselves and our accomplishments up high. So, when we begin to grasp the greater and deeper truths of scripture, there is a great temptation to act as though this knowledge was gained of our own accord. And as doctrine becomes more open to us, we begin to have disdain for the shallowness of understanding in which we once walked.

If you have ever engaged in doctrinal discussions, especially on the internet, you know just how easy a rigorous debate can transform into a vile argument with character assassinations and name calling in abundance. Sadly, much of the public face of Christianity today, especially in the arena of social media, has reflected this. I am not referring to the debates between liberal or false theology and sound doctrine. Those debates will clearly be contentious as though who seek to downplay biblical truth will almost always engage in emotional rhetoric in order to claim victory. Rather, what I am referring to are the heated arguments between Christians who fall within diverse, but orthodox, doctrinal views. Such debates can be necessary to help us grow and understand the nature of God and the Christian faith. However, pride in our doctrinal stances can often result in a lack of grace being shown to our brethren. It doesn’t take long for us to move from debate, to argument, to anathematization of one another when pride gets in the way.

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