Sermon Video: Bring the Good News - Isaiah 40:9-11

Having brought good news to the exiles of Judah in Babylon, the prophet Isaiah now calls upon them to share that news, shouting it from the mountaintop.  Likewise, when the Advent of Jesus brought forth a greater fulfillment of Isaiah's words, the Good News was shared by the shepherds, later by John the Baptist, and eventually by Jesus' disciples following his command to take the message of forgiveness and hope to the ends of the earth.

What is our calling?  Take the Good News to everyone who needs to heart it.

Sermon Video: The Gospel in a nutshell - Romans 6:23

The Gospel in one sentence.  Think about that for a moment.  God's plan to redeem humanity from sin and death, to turn humanity history from a tragedy into a triumph, can be summed up in one sentence.  Romans 6:23 does this beautifully, and in it virtually word is worth our pondering.

Listen to the Word of God: 62 Scripture passages that refute 'Christian' Nationalism - #13: Matthew 16:25

Matthew 16:25     New International Version

For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.

In 1519, Spanish Conquistador Hernan Cortes, facing attempts by some from his expedition to abandon their mission and sail back to Cuba, ordered his entire fleet to be scuttled {The popular story is that the ships were burned, but given how costly they were, Cortes would have only put holes in the ships, making sailing them impossible in the short-term so they could be salvaged at least for the wood later on}.  Having eliminated the possibility of retreat, Cortes then led his men onward in the Spanish conquest of Mexico.

An illustration from a conquest carried out, at least on paper, in the name of Christ is not something one would normally use when writing against 'Christian' Nationalism since that's the attitude we need to avoid, but the well known actions of Cortes, in an unjust cause, still serve as a reminder of how differently people act when they have passed the Point of No Return.

Every single legitimate follower of Jesus Christ throughout history was past the Point of No Return from the moment he/she became committed to Jesus until death.  What does this mean?  This world is not our home, this life is not ours to do with as we please.  We are here on a mission from God, called to serve a purpose, we cannot do that and try to live for wealth, power, or fame in this world too.  

'Christian' Nationalists certainly have a sense of purpose and mission, that's not the problem, the problem is that they've turned the focus of our calling as Christians toward this world and not the next, toward the physical and not the spiritual.  Toward power and control here and now, not the service and sacrifice that Jesus demands of us.  In the end, they're still trying to save their lives (and/or country) here rather than give them over to the Gospel.

As the Steven Curtis Chapman song, Burn the Ships, inspired by Cortes' bold move says,

"Burn the ships we're here to stay

There's no way we could go back

Now that we've come this far by faith

Burn the ships we've passed the point of no return

Our life is here so let the ships burn and burn"

Listen to the Word of God: 62 Scripture passages that refute 'Christian' Nationalism - #11: Matthew 7:1-5

 

Matthew 7:1-5     New International Version

7 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

One of the most damaging aspects of 'Christian' Nationalism with respect to evangelism and the integrity of the Gospel is its built in tendency to shout from the rooftops about the sins of 'them' (the political enemies of 'our team'), and at the same time downplay or even cover-up the sins committed by 'us' (the political allies of 'our team').  This rank hypocrisy isn't fooling anyone, and both other Christians who disagree with the favored political stance of the 'Christian' Nationalists and non-believers can readily see it.

The question then becomes, "Why?"  Why are 'Christian' Nationalists so concerned with the sins committed by people they don't want to be a part of their group {either because they're Christians who don't think like them about politics, and therefore in their minds not Christians at all, or they're non-believers who aren't acceptable partners in such a 'holy crusade'}, and so unconcerned about the sins committed by the people that belong to their group?  The only possible answer is that this is being done in the pursuit of worldly power {and its unholy partners, fame and money}.  In order to 'win', morality must be set aside.  This not only applies to employing tactics and strategies that would otherwise be called evil {more on that with other texts}, but in this case being hyper-partisan in the use of the moral authority that they supposedly wield on God's behalf.

One of the key things to look for when this is happens is 'what-about-ism'.  When a person on 'our team', especially a powerful political leader or influential religious figure, is credibly accused of a deeply disturbing sin, even a heinous crime, the immediate response is to say in essence, "What about that person on the other team who did something else that isn't right?!?!"  This of course is a way of avoiding accountability and facing the hard truth that political allies not beholden to the demands of Christian discipleship are only playing lip service to the morality that 'Christian' Nationalists proclaim is essential to the future of America.

In the end, such hypocrisy may help win some elections, but the cost is always high, not only fostering schism and animosity within the body of Christ, but showing non-believers that to 'Christian' Nationalists at least, the sharing of the Gospel and the call to righteous living are commands of less importance {since they're willing to compromise them so thoroughly} than gaining and maintaining power here on earth.  Why would they seek salvation from such a Gospel?

Sermon Video: The Gospel is incompatible with boasting - Romans 3:27-31

Concluding his section on the triumph of faith in Christ, being both our means to justification and forgiveness, the Apostle Paul asks what room is left for boasting?  The answer, clearly, is none.  All who come to God by faith do so because they realize they are not self-sufficient, that they don't measure up on their own.  

Along with this thought, Paul points out that God is the God of both his covenant people (Jews and Church) and the rest of the world (Gentile and un-Churched).  That being said, faith is the solution for both even though one group has the advantage of knowing more about God, both need Christ's salvation, both need grace.

Pride?  We don't have room for it.

Sermon Video: Righteousness by Faith - Romans 1:16-17

It was the study of Romans, in order to lecture upon the letter, that led Martin Luther to question the accepted understanding of the relationship between faith and righteousness, and it was these two verses, in particular, that brought Luther into conflict with his contemporaries.

Romans 1:16-17 is Paul's thesis statement, the idea that he will prove in his letter moving forward.  Paul proclaims that the Gospel (the Good News about Jesus Christ) is the power of God on display for EVERYONE who believes.  How?  The Gospel combines both God's justice, for payment for sin is indeed necessary, and God's love/mercy/grace because that payment comes not form ourselves but through Jesus by faith in him.

It is not our righteousness that is revealed by the power of the Gospel, for we have none and that's the heart of the problem, but God's, which he has in abundance in the sinless life of Jesus Christ.  Thus it is not the wonders of Creation that most reveals the power of God, but the willingness to die upon a Cross.

Sermon Video: Paul's letter to the Church in Rome - Romans 1:1-7

Thus begins a long journey, a marathon not a sprint, of verse by verse preaching through the letter of Paul to the Church at Rome...In this introduction, Paul mentions some of the themes that he will soon delve deeply into: (1) that the Gospel is for all people, (2) That it requires obedience to the law of God (righteousness), (3) that such obedience is made possible by faith, (4) that the Gospel will glorify God, and finally that (5) those who become the people of God will have been 'called' by God.

The book of Romans is an intellectual and spiritual challenge, but also one that greatly rewards the effort.

Did God answer Jesus' prayer for Unity among his followers? - John 17

 

A memento for the once dominant multi-clergy trivia team created
by my wife Nicole (our one non-clergy member on the team,
 but representing yet another faith tradition).

John 17:20-23     New International Version

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

Recently a wise Christian brother from my parents' generation wrote this to me: "I have always been puzzled that the Father never answered Christ’s prayer for Christian unity in John 17".  After reading the email I came back to that statement.  If Christian unity was a debate topic, it seems you would have plenty of people willing to argue that the Church is not now, nor rarely has been, unified.  But that sentence stuck with me, and I wrote him back that I just might want to argue the opposite in a blog post, so here we are.

One of the community wide ecumenical planning meetings
that would soon lead to the founding of Emmaus Haven
(Note: Clara Powell ready to share her input)

Is the Church 'one' and does that level of unity encourage others to believe that the Father sent the Son?

To begin to answer such a wide ranging question we must first ponder its basis.  What would unity look like among followers of Jesus Christ, and how would that differ from disunity?  Peaceful co-existence vs. violent antagonism is one measure, and we can consider how much of that those claiming to be Christians have shown to each other.  But what other measures should we consider?  What about commonality of Authority?  Creeds?  What about leadership structure, is unity defined by having one ecclesiastical flow chart, or by having a variety of entities that all more/less follow Paul's writings on how a church ought to be governed?  Is unity of worship style part of the discussion, or is that a cultural manifestation instead? {I would argue that cultural unity of style was never Jesus' intention}  In the end, how much unity or disunity one finds in the Church today or in various points in its history, will depend to an extent upon how many factors are being considered and which ones receive the most emphasis.  In brief, then, let me offer the following marks of unity for consideration:

1. The functional unity of the Early Church

While our evidence is somewhat scanty, the period from the founding of the Church by the generation that witnessed Jesus' life, death, and resurrection firsthand, until the years of great persecution by the Roman Emperor Trajan (AD 250-260) saw the Church functionally as one unit with a loose and developing ecclesiastical structure that began with virtual local church autonomy in the first few generations, and then in succeeding generations saw the bishops of the great Christian communities like Alexandria, Antioch, and Rome gain authority in their areas, all without significant schism or heretical movements.  As the Church's leadership structure and connectivity was developing (organically, not by the will of any one person of group), the Church was also able to informally develop a common canon of authoritative scripture with remarkable levels of agreement regarding its contents.

Following Trajan's persecutions there some cracks in the unity of the Church began to develop.  That these developments became more acute following the embrace of Christianity by Constantine and the Church's quick turn from being a persecuted minority to having the world's most powerful man as a benefactor is noteworthy.  How much of a factor acquiring power in this world was on straining Church unity is open for debate, that it had a negative impact is not.  Following Trajan's persecutions Christians in North Africa who had refused to denounce their faith in the face of persecution, refused to allow 'lapsed' Christians who had done so to save their lives to return to fellowship without the express forgiveness of a bishop.  This led to what is called the Donatist Controversy involving rival claimants to be the rightful bishop, an argument that Saint Augustine joined on the side of those advocating amnesty for those who had renounced out of fear.  After Constantine's embrace of Christianity, Augustine approved of using Imperial troops to force the Donatists to rejoin the 'rightful' Church.  The effort failed, and the Church in North Africa remained divided until the region was conquered by Islamic armies nearly four centuries later.  Localized rifts like that of the Donatists aside, the Church remained a remarkably unified organization, and despite a growing East/West divergence (cultural more than theological) it remains one unit until the Great Schism's dual excommunications by the Roman Pope and Patriarch of Constantinople in 1054.  Thus for the first thousand years of its existence, for the vast majority of its adherents, the Church was functionally and technically one.  Remember that this period saw not only the break-up of Rome which led to generations of chaos, but also the rise of a massive external threat from Islam which threatened both East and West alike.  Given how far and wide the Church spread in its first 1,000 years, and the massive disruptions it faced, that unity lasted as long as it did, and functioned as well as it did, seems rather evidence of divine guidance and mercy than of human failing for the schism that eventually occurred.

2. The acceptance of the Nicene Creed (the triumph of the trinitarian viewpoint)

The development of trinitarian orthodoxy, and with it the complex questions of the dual nature of Jesus as both God and Man, certainly seems like an area where a disunited Church would have faltered and fractured.  The discussions among theologians were both deep and technical, opinions were deeply held, and there was the added confusion of translations of theological terms between Greek and Latin to contend with.  In the end, however, the vast majority of the Church, both ancient and modern, has been and continues to be in full agreement with the decisions of the Council of Nicaea (AD 325) which led to the nearly universally accepted and acclaimed Nicene Creed, which with the exception of three words added later in the West, holds to this day for Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant Christians.  Thus even in that great three-way divide, there remains unity of belief about the most essential questions of the nature of God.  Were there some who refused to accept Nicaea's dictates?  Yes, but statistically a small minority that grew smaller over time.  There remain some who reprise the heresy of Arius, notably the Jehovah's Witnesses fit this bill, but they, like the Mormons who also askew trinitarian belief, are not properly a part of the Church and thus fall outside the scope of Jesus prayer for unity among his followers (they also constitute less than 1% of those claiming to be Christians in our world today).

3. The triumph of the Gospel's emphasis on the death and resurrection of Jesus

This may seem to be a given, but when Jesus prayed for unity among his future followers he had not yet gone to the Cross.  That his future followers would universally proclaim that the foundation of their belief was the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, a death he entered into willingly on their behalf, is a remarkable level of consistency.  Down through the centuries, when other issues drove a wedge between Catholic and Orthodox, and later between Protestant and Catholic, no significant portion of anything that could be called the universal Church has embraced any other aspect of the life of Jesus as the cornerstone of their faith, nor has any significant portion of the Church attempted to replace Jesus with any other Savior.  It may seem like a stretch to consider adherence to Jesus and his work on the Cross as a mark of unity, for we take that belief as a given among anyone who follows Jesus, but who is to say that this outcome had to be?  As the Gospel spread throughout the world, and new peoples, cultures, and languages were added to the great diversity of the Church, the focus on Jesus Christ and his sacrifice remained front and center.  While Christians across time and cultures would have difficulty understanding each other, they would have common ground on the one thing that brings that matters most: Jesus Christ died to save sinners who have faith in him.

4. The healing of schism's animosity has begun

While it is unlikely (and unnecessary) that the Church will again be one ecclesiastical unit with all roads leading to a common human leadership, it has been remarkable how much healing has taken place in recent history of both the Great Schism (now 1,000 years old) and the Protestant/Catholic divide (now 500 years old).  It would have seemed unlikely, even 100 years ago, but in 1965 Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras I formally withdrew their predecessors' excommunications.  In the decades that followed, ongoing outreach between Orthodox and Catholic Christians have continued.  Likewise, the Second Vatican Council (known as Vatican II, 1962-65) saw the formal adoption by the Vatican of recognition that God is working with his Church beyond Catholicism, that true followers of Jesus are to be found in the Protestant and Orthodox churches.  

In the end, my answer to the question of whether or not God answered Jesus' prayer for unity is as personal as it is historical.  I serve an American Baptist Church as an ordained Baptist minister.  Baptists are famous for being separatists, for being willing to disfellowship each other over things as minor as the use of a guitar in worship (how dare they!!), but here in Franklin, PA where I serve that history seems to matter very little.  We have a ecumenical county-wide ministerium that organizes joint worship each year on Palm Sunday and the Sunday before Thanksgiving.  Those services are attended by Christians representing, on average, thirty churches from nearly a dozen denominations.  Our differences and peculiarities are nowhere near anyone's minds as we worship, pray, and fellowship together.  Similarly, I am the President of Mustard Seed Missions, a para-church ministry supported by volunteers and donations from dozens of area churches, and throughout our ten years of existence helping for than 5,000 clients we have never encountered an issue that was a stumbling block because of the differences between Methodist and Lutherans, or Catholics and Brethren.  The mission of helping others in the name of Christ overshadows the things we do and believe that are different.  The more recent Emmaus Haven, whose building renovations Mustard Seed Missions had a large hand in making happen, also has the same ecumenical history and support.

Did the Father answer Jesus' prayer for unity?  Yes he did.  It may not always look like what we would expect unity to look like, and it hasn't always been supported by people claiming to be Christians (some genuine, some not), but it has endured, and in our world today it is once more gaining momentum. 

Ronald Reagan was wrong, America is not a "city on a hill", it never could be.

When you ignore the context of the Bible to apply it in a way that works for you, bad things happen.  I liked Ronald Reagan as a President, and as a young man would have cheered on his nationalistic blending of American patriotism and Christian imagery.  But the truth is, his use of John Winthrop's use of Jesus' imagery from the Sermon on the Mount is wrong, and dangerous.

Matthew 5:13-16  New International Version

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

The 'you' that Jesus is addressing in his sermon are his followers, in other words those who seek God, living by faith and doing righteousness.  Shockingly to his contemporaries who thought otherwise, the people of God don't belong to either an earthly kingdom or a specific ethnicity.  In fact, the Kingdom that Jesus established transcended both political kingdoms and racial barriers, becoming a spiritual kingdom both more widespread and more powerful than any kingdom of men that ever was or will be.

I appreciate that Ronald Reagan loved America, I do too.  But America is not, indeed cannot, be the 'city on a hill' to which all men should aspire.  Is America the ideal destination for millions, if not billions, in our world today?  Absolutely, and we can be proud of that distinction.  Yet America is NOT the salvation of anyone's soul.  It may be the world's best place for political and economic freedom, but it offers nobody freedom from sin and death.  It cannot, it is a country, not the Kingdom of God.  The purpose of God in our world is not political freedom or economic prosperity (although both are certainly a blessing), but instead the moving of the Spirit throughout the world to bring men, women, and children to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and lives transformed by the Spirit to selfless discipleship.

When we conflate America and the Kingdom of God in our overzealous patriotism (leading to Christian Nationalism), we do a disservice to not only the true meaning and purpose of the Church, but that of America too.  We ask too much of our country, expect it to represent too much, achieve too much, and we ask far too little of the Church.  No earthly kingdom was ever supposed to be to us what the Church must be.

The only true ideal that shines forth and draws all people to its light is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It alone can set people free, it alone can transform the hearts and minds of the Lost and save souls by the power of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  That was the city that Jesus was talking about.

America has no monopoly on the Light of Christ, no monopoly on God's blessings, let's not pretend otherwise, doing so leads not toward the light but in the other direction.

Related writings of mine:

The blasphemous "One Nation Under God" painting by Jon McNaughton

A profoundly biblical and powerful book: The Myth of a Christian Nation - by Gregory Boyd: a summary and response

Sermon Video: What is the Kingdom of God like? - Mark 4:26-34

An unhealthy overemphasis on politics

Beware of the Political Church: John MacArthur declares, "any real true believer" can only vote one way.

Rejecting Idolatry: No, Mike Pence, we will not, "Fix our eyes on Old Glory"

'Owning the Libs' isn't advancing the cause of Christ, it is hurting it

1. The Gospel is not championed by those seeking wealth, power, and fame, but by humble, loving, and kind servants.

How much money has your favorite Culture Warrior made from 'defending Christianity'?  There are many such personalities who would not be well known, would not wield influence with politicians, if not for their perpetual state of political war against 'them'.  Where in the New Testament is this model of letting spokespeople for the Church choose themselves practiced?  Where do we read of the Apostle Paul's use of sarcastic lies to 'own the Romans'?  Mansions, fancy cars, expensive clothes, private jets, none of these are compatible with servants of the Gospel, they condemn the purveyors of the Prosperity Gospel whose conspicuous consumerism sits in judgment of them, and they condemn the self-appointed champions of American Christianity as well.  If any of these were truly servants of the Lord God, they would live like God's servants, not like aristocrats.  To look to such as these for guidance regarding what Christians should think, how they should feel, or even how they should vote, is to elevate political views above biblical mandates.  For tens of millions of Americans, it is not the preacher on Sunday morning expounding the Word of God and living a life of service in front of his/her congregation that molds and shapes their worldview, but the political pundits they spend far more time listening to, cheering on, and living vicariously through.

Matthew 7:15-20     New International Version

15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

2. Even if (they are not) fellow Americans who happen to be Liberals were EVIL these tactics would still be in direct violation of the Word of God, they would still corrupt God's people who use them, and they would still hinder Gospel witness.

I have often heard/read argumentation to the affect that America is on the verge of a precipice, that we are but one step away from a being taken over by godless socialists.  This 'sky is falling' mentality is then used to justify an 'any means necessary' response that sanctions character assassination, lying, anger, illegal behavior, even violence.  Why?  Because the stakes are too high to trust in the Gospel path of overcoming evil with good.  I do not accept the premise that America's Liberals hate this country and want to destroy it, anymore than I accept the premise about America's Conservatives {making exceptions on both sides for the radicals and pundits, but even then most of them just want to get rich, not destroy the country which would hinder their wealth making ability}.  But, EVEN IF our nation were on the verge of destruction, the path of deliverance would not be, could not be, for the people of God to abandon Christian morality.  This is not the calling that any faithful follower of Jesus Christ has ever received.  There have been many such instances when those claiming to do God's work have done great evil, from the Crusades to the Inquisition, with many a raped, tortured, and murdered person in between.  All of these, every last one of these actions, were an insult to God, an abandonment of the work of the Spirit in our world in favor of the sinful deeds of men.

The Kingdom of God is advanced by the use of the Fruit of the Spirit, period.  That tens of millions of American Christians (self-professed, I don't know how many have a true conversion) have become convinced that God's will must be achieved through immoral means is a glaring sign of the sickness of the Church in our nation today.  

Romans 12:21     New International Version

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

James 1:13     New International Version

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;

Philippians 4:8     New International Version

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Matthew 5:43-44     New International Version

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

3. More dedicated servants of Christ than these tried this method before, and it nearly destroyed them.

I don't consider myself a fan of Jerry Falwell, but I have no doubt of his passion for Christ and can look at his decades of service to the Church when I ponder what the pursuit of power did to him.  Today's 'Christian defenders' are a paler version, with lesser credentials, and much less actual Gospel ministry.  We are but repeating history with less chance of 'success' than the Moral Majority or the Christian Coalition were able to accomplish in the last two generations.

One glaring example of the corrupting influence of this path will show how deep the rot of following false teachers who happen to be rich, famous, and powerful has spread.  In 2019, Paula White Cain, Prosperity Gospel 'preacher' well known for her heretical views published a book that was endorsed by numerous politically active Conservative Christian 'leaders'.  Why?  Because she is on 'our side' in the Culture Wars against 'them', no need to look any further.  Jerry Falwell Sr. whatever you think of him, would not have done this, nor would Billy Graham have, despite his well known embrace of ecumenism, both men drew the line at unorthodox false gospels.  The Culture War has grown more noxious, and its warriors less noble, this will not end well.

Evangelical leaders come under fire for promoting Paula White's new book, By Leah MarieAnn Klett, Christian Post

I don't want to 'Own the Libs', I want to work with those liberals who are genuine followers of Jesus Christ, just as I will with those conservatives who are genuine followers of Jesus Christ so that we might advance the Kingdom of God through acts of loving kindness.  As for those liberals and conservatives who do not know Jesus Christ as Lord, my prayer is that you may come to "grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ" (Ephesians 3:18).  May God show them his love through us.

The Myth of a Christian Nation - by Gregory Boyd: a summary and response

Turning Point USA ignores the warning of Matthew 6:24

The downward spiral of Bonhoeffer biographer Eric Metaxas

An unhealthy overemphasis on politics

God and Politics: Greater than, less than, or equal to?

Beware of the Political Church: John MacArthur declares, "any real true believer" can only vote one way.

My thirty year journey away from Rush Limbaugh

Plus this six hour seminar I created on the relationship between the Church and Politics (Power)

The Church and Politics

"My body, my choice" is Individualism that spits in the face of God our Creator, Redeemer, and Lord - abortion and vaccine refusal

 

Actually, it doesn't count for either of you.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20     New International Version

19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

Much of the Church in the modern West is wandering astray in a sea of Individualism.  Our Culture is so thoroughly inundated with the idea that our Rights rise above our responsibilities that we often don't even notice when we, as Christians who are called to live by a far different standard, go along with the flow.  Abortion and vaccine refusal are just two instances that happen to also be political cudgels using the same flawed slogan, there are many others including: euthanasia, alcoholism, drug addictions, gluttony, and sexual immorality.  In addition, we have also readily accepted the parallel lies: "My money, my choice" with all of its economic implications (gambling, wasteful consumerism, lack of charity) and "My time, my choice" (laziness, lack of direction and purpose, unwillingness to help our neighbors).  None of these individualistic perspectives conform to our calling as the people of God.  In the end, Satan does not have to lessen our devotion (emotionally, but also prayer and worship) to God if we've already placed severe limits on what we're willing to give over to God because we've declared both everyday activities and many of life's most important decisions to be 'my choice'.  Thus millions of Christians, who if they examined their own hearts would consider themselves to be fully devoted to the Lord, are in fact holding back from God's purview much of their lives in the name of personal freedoms.  This attitude is incompatible with the Covenants of both Judaism and Christianity, foreign to the Biblical narrative, and dangerously destructive of the mission of the Church in our world today.  Long story short: our Individualism is a cancer within the Church.

This isn't a Red/Blue or Left/Right issue, self-professed Christians from many different political perspectives offer up rationales (excuses) for their behavior built upon the notion that personal freedom is more important than group responsibility.  However one interprets the text of Genesis, the moral lesson of the Fall of Adam and Eve is that human autonomy apart from God is not only against God's explicit direction, but a really bad bargain.  We can cry 'Freedom!' all we want, but in rebellion against God that word is pitiful.  From its first chapters the Bible is the story of God restoring humanity to its proper relationship with its Creator, a relationship that cannot be built upon autonomy.

God our Creator

Hard for it to be 'your body' when you're not responsible for the fact that it exists.  That gift can be traced back to your parents and keeps going on and on until we arrive at the question of human origins.  While Christians may not all agree on how God brought about creation, we all acknowledge God as Creator.  The Apostle Paul emphasizes this by saying,

Romans 9:19-21

19 One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?” 20 But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” 21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?

As Paul discusses the intersection of human freewill and the sovereignty of God in Romans he is far removed from 'my body, my choice' precisely because he has a clear view of God as Creator and is more focused on God's right as the one who made us than on our rights as the ones made.  This may not sit well with Christians flying their 'Don't tread on me!' flags, but it is biblical, and it is reality.

Not only were we made by the hand of God, we were made in the image of God (Imago Dei in Latin, Genesis 1:26) and this too has implications that refute Individualism.  Because God is trinitarian, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, those made in his image are likewise designed to exist in community.  The Genesis account emphasizes this truth when God says, "It is not good for the man to be alone.  I will make a helper suitable for him." (Genesis 2:18)  That need for mutual benefit between man and woman is subverted when Adam and Eve assert their independence from God, disobey the one (symbolic) rule in the Garden, and subsequently Adam blames God for putting Eve there with him for their failure (Genesis 3:12).  Instead of mutual help, the Fall reveals the human tendency in this state of rebellion toward 'every man for himself', in this case literally.

God our Redeemer

Given that we were designed to live in community, it is no surprise that when God begins to unfold his plan to restore humanity by calling Abraham he does so with the express intention of building up a people/nation (Genesis 12:2), one that will be a light shining in the darkness for all of humanity to see and seek.  The Law of Moses, instituted at Sinai, follows up on this intention by giving both broad and explicit instructions as to how these people, whom God has chosen, can live together in a just and righteous community in fellowship with each other and with God.  If you don't think God intended the Israelites to look out for each other, and be responsible for each other, just study the Year of Jubilee {Sermon Video: The Year of Jubilee (1st service at Franklin) Leviticus 25} or {Sermon Video: "The Year of Jubilee - Leviticus 25 (last sermon at Palo)}

This community-based plan is further developed beyond ethnic/national boundaries when the Apostle Paul writes just prior to his celebrated chapter on Love,

1 Corinthians 12:12-31     New International Version

12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.

As members of a local church, and the universal Church, we are a people called out of Darkness into the Light for the purpose of taking our designated place within the Body of Christ and thereby contributing to the purposes of God here on earth.  When people tell me that they worship God on their own, apart from a connection to the Church, or that they don't need to participate in corporate worship with God's people, what they're really saying is that they as a hand, wrist, or spleen (to use Paul's body analogy) have no need of the rest of the body, thank you very much.  I understand that the church (locally or denominationally) may have failed you, it is comprised of redeemed by fallible human beings after all, but you cannot fulfill your purpose in this world apart from that community.  In fact, according to the Apostle John, you cannot even prove your salvation to yourself apart from demonstrating that you love other brothers and sisters in Christ, something that belonging to a church makes a weekly necessity. {For an in-depth analysis of John's 3 fold test of true Christianity, try my 'book': Christianity's Big Tent: The Ecumenism of 1 John}

As much as God loves you, the one lost sheep he was willing to seek and to save, he didn't save you so that you can elevate your 'rights' above your obligations to serve the people of God and the community in which that church is called to be salt and light.

If we claim Jesus Christ as Savior, why would we continue to live our lives as if we are still the master of our destiny, the writers of our own story?  When you bow the knee before the Lamb of God that life ends, and a new one begins.

Galatians 2:20     New International Version

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

God as Lord

Philippians 2:10-11     New International Version

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,

    to the glory of God the Father.

This is the vision of God triumphant that we, as Christians, proclaim, but also one that we struggle in this life to reflect.  If God is Creator, Redeemer, AND Lord, what limits are placed upon God's authority in our lives?  What prerogatives do we retain, what points of privilege and political preferences are we allowed to hold apart from the Lordship of Jesus Christ??  None, none at all.

A slave in the Roman Empire may have had less trouble with this topic, they were already being forced to bend their will to that of another.  When the Gospel proclaimed to them freedom it was not freedom free of obligation to a master, but a change of master to one whose love for them sent the Son to die on the Cross.  It was not an illusion of freedom in this life, but true spiritual freedom which only exists under the Lordship of God.

Colossians 3:22-4:1     New International Version

22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.

1 Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.

As modern Americans we rightly give thanks to God (and those people who have sacrificed for freedom's sake) that we are not under the thumb of an earthly master, but often it seems we forget that we, just as the Roman slave, have been called to serve a Heavenly Master.  Our bodies, our money, our time, our very lives, to not belong to us; remember, you were bought at a price.

Abortion

From the Christian perspective life is sacred because it was given as a gift by our Creator and reflects the image of God.  Thus while it is indeed a woman's body that is used to nurture that life from conception to viability, neither her own body nor that of the unborn child belong to her (nor by extension do they belong to the baby's father).  The protection of that mother-to-be by society, and the choices she makes that affect the future health of her child (for example: not smoking, drinking or doing drugs, plus having access to healthcare) are not questions of her 'rights', not simply because her choices affect a helpless and innocent child, but because those same choices were not her 'rights' before the pregnancy, nor will they be after.  God is the giver of life, to waste it through foolish or dangerous choices is to insult God, and to take it from another (except in clear cases of protecting against evil) is likewise an affront to God, a sin.  Note: Women who have chosen abortion in the past, like any other person who has sinned against God (and that means everyone) can be forgiven, the Blood of the Lamb is capable of washing away any stain from those who repent and believe.

Vaccine refusal

Our willingness to be given medicine, in this case vaccines, that will help stop the spread of communicable diseases, is likewise not a personal choice, not a matter of 'rights' at all, but also a question of community obligation.  I, as a Christian, do not have the right to waste my own life as it is a gift from God the use of which I must answer to God about, I also do not have the right to put the lives of others in danger.  This same perspective would apply to cases of drunk driving, the making of unsafe products, weapons in the hands of dangerous people, and many other instances when the actions/inaction of one person harms another person.  Intent to harm others would certainly increase the judgment of God against a person, but negligence also entails responsibility.  

There is a secondary related issue at work here as well.  The wisdom and talent necessary to create a vaccine, any vaccine or other treatment, is likewise a gift from God because the men and women working to develop it are using the talents, wisdom, and time that God has gifted them to help others. Were they not made in the image of God, they would be unable to unravel the mysterious of this created world.

The Christian Mind

These words were written in 1963, but they have become more relevant, more necessary as a warning,

“There is no longer a Christian mind.  There is still, of course, a Christian ethic, a Christian practice, and a Christian spirituality…But as a thinking being, the modern Christian has succumbed to secularization.  He accepts religion – its morality, its worship, its spiritual culture; but he rejects the religious view of life, the view which sets all earthly issues within the context of the eternal, the view which relates all human problems – social, political, cultural – to the doctrinal foundations of the Christian Faith, the view which sees all things here below in terms of God’s supremacy and earth’s transitoriness, in terms of Heaven and Hell.” (Harold Blamires, The Christian Mind, 1963, p. 3-4,)

Are we considering the issues of the day from a Christian Worldview?  Not if our priority is our own rights above our community obligations.

“We have inoculated ourselves against sensitive realization of the world’s evil…for we have now sufficiently secularized our minds to be in the habit of viewing the social and political set-up in which we are involved as something wholly, or largely, good in the eyes of God.  We have kept alive our Christian urge to discriminate between good and evil by the convenient device of labelling our own institutions good and those of our past enemies, or potential enemies, as evil…We complacently absolve ourselves from passing judgment on the set-up which nourishes us so comfortably.  We lean back in our armchairs, toast our toes by the electric fire, turn on the radio or the telly, and indulge in the righteous pleasure of learning how much evil there is in the world – elsewhere.” (Harold Blamires, The Christian Mind, 1963, p. 86-87,)

This speaks to our comfort with our own hypocrisy of demanding our own rights, when it suits us, and seeking to diminish those same rights when enjoyed by our political enemies.  Regarding 'my body, my choice' both the Left and Right invoke it, when it suits them, and both do so in defiance of God.

“Take some topic of current political importance.  Try to establish in your own mind what is the right policy to recommend in relation to it; and do so in total detachment from any political alignment or prejudice; form your own conclusions by thinking Christianly.  Then discuss the matter with fellow members of your congregation.  The full loneliness of the thinking Christian will descend upon you.  It is not that people disagree with you (Some do and some don’t)  In a sense that does not matter.  But they will not think Christianly.  They will think pragmatically, politically, but not Christianly.  In almost all cases you will find that views are wholly determined by political allegiance.  Though he does not face it, the loyalty of the average Churchman to the Conservative Party or to the Labour Party is in practical political matters prior to his loyalty to the Church.” (Harold Blamires, The Christian Mind, 1963, p. 14, emphasis mine)

I feel this loneliness on a regular basis.  I read what self-professed Christians write on social media and shake my head wondering where in that opinion is God acknowledged as Creator, Redeemer, and Lord.  Too often, our thinking (and thus our words spoken and written) is entirely self-centered, pragmatic and political, but hardly Christian.  For the sake of the Church's future in America, for the sake of our own local churches, and for our sake as those called by God to a higher purpose, this needs to change.

Earlier things I've written along these lines:

2020 has taken the measure of the Church, and found us wanting

This post is in many ways a follow-up to: "You do you, I'll do me" - Quintessentially American, but incompatible with the Judeo-Christian worldview

The Purpose of Freedom: A Christian Viewpoint

For a similar example of a Christian Worldview in conflict with American politics/culture: Christianity has always been a self-imposed Cancel Culture, on purpose

Sermon Video: How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God - Mark 10:17-31

 "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" This is, indeed, THE question for all of humanity. Asked of Jesus, he responds by considering the Law of Moses which offers humanity understanding of the character (holiness, righteousness) of God, which we are commanded to imitate. Jesus then shows that God requires total commitment from human beings, a requirement that weights heavier upon the rich and powerful. If those with the most resources among us have no chance of earning eternity, what chance have any of us? None, but don't despair. God has already offered the answer to this question through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which offers us forgiveness by grace through faith. In the end, our devotion to God is not akin to padding our resume or studying for a final exam, instead it is our thank you note to God, our response to what he has already done for us.

Sermon Video: Mark 8:22-33 - Can you see Jesus clearly?

 After healing a blind man, enabling him to see clearly, Jesus asks his disciples who others believe him to be? That easy question answered, he asked the tought one, "Who do you say I am?" Peter answers correctly, "You are the Messiah." Peter's answer demonstrates that the Light of Jesus can be seen even though humanity is living in darkness. With God's help, Jesus can be seen clearly. Unfortunately, the text continues and reminds us of the difficulty of the task by showing that Peter's next answer was dismal. After Jesus tells his disciples that he must soon suffer and die (before being raised to life), Peter rebukes him and tells Jesus that he doesn't see his own future clearly. Jesus strongly rebukes Peter, showing that an impartial view of Jesus isn't good enough. We can't just have Jesus at Christmas, we need Good Friday and Easter too. Jesus didn't just come to heal and to teach, although both of those were very important, but to save humanity from sin and death. In order to fulfill this role given to him by the Father, Jesus had to die on the Cross as the Lamb of God. When we see this fulness of Jesus and his mission, we see him clearly.

Sermon Video: Where defilement comes from - Mark 7:14-23

 Where does evil come from? The answer from Jesus is simple: the human heart. Surface level things do matter, but they need to be kept in perspective. In the end, we need to recognize the root cause ("The Beast is us" as Simon says in Lord of the Flies) in order to combat it. Thankfully, Jesus is both the great physician who correctly diagnoses the disease, and the cure.

Sermon Video: The Right to become Children of God - John 1:12-13

 In response to those to did not recognize or receive Jesus, John writes of the gift received by ALL who did receive him. Not only that, John emphasizes that those 'who believed in his name' will also be given the gift, reminding us that it is not our knowledge/wisdom that saves us, but the work of Jesus. What is this gift? The right to become a child of God. All of humanity are in one sense the children of God as image bearers, but in this much deeper and necessary sense, only those who receive (believe in/put their hope/trust in) Jesus will have a relationship with God and be able to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. This is the greatest gift every offered to humanity, it only need be accepted by faith to be applied.

Sermon Video: The Light Shines in the Darkness - John 1:1-5

 Where does the Christmas story begin?  Matthew starts it with a genealogy, Luke with the birth of John the Baptist, and Mark with the ministry of John the Baptist, but the Apostle John starts the story much further back.  In the beginning, that is before time and space, before anything existed except God in three persons as Holy Trinity.  John also highlights the amazing capacity of the Word of God who took upon himself humanity, declaring him to be both Life and Light.  The Life is not merely biological, but spiritual, offering freedom and restoration to all through his self-sacrifice.  The Light of that Good News is able to shine through any darkness, to overcome any obstacle and accomplish God's will of saving the Lost.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

The purposeful tension between Unity and Purity within the Church: A Scriptural Mandate

One of the earliest impulses toward schism within the Early Church, preceding even the great theological controversies regarding the nature of Jesus Christ in the 3rd and 4th centuries that led to the Council of Nicaea {A brief theology derived from the Nicene Creed}, was between those who believed that the Church was intended to be a small community of spiritually elite disciples, hand-picked by God for salvation, and those who viewed it as a mixed group of sinners and saints (tares among the wheat), all works in progress, even the redeemed.  The monastic movement, soon to become one of the central forces in the Medieval Church, was a response to the mixed company of the local church, that allowed those seeking a deeper commitment to live among like-minded individuals.  Likewise, the Donatist Controversy that tore apart the North African Church for six centuries began as a squabble between those who had fiercely resisted the great Roman persecutions and remained true to their faith, and those who had succumbed to imprisonment and torture by recanting.  After the time of persecution ended, those who had risked death were unwilling to allow anyone short of the bishop the authority to welcome the 'lapsed' Christians back into the fold.  St. Augustine weighed-in against the majority 'pure only' Donatists, even welcoming Imperial persecution of them for not returning to the official Church, for he believed that the Church was not reserved for the pure alone, but for all those seeking to become pure.

{For more on Church History: What Every Christian Should Know About: Church History, scroll down to the bottom of the page}

While the tension between unity and purity is inherent when working with flawed human beings, some of whom will always be more committed to spiritual discipline (or further along the journey) than others, it is also inherent within the text of Scripture.  In other words, God commanded his people to care about both unity and purity, knowing that these two ideals would be at times in opposition, and knowing that his people would at times struggle to balance them.  Why?  Because both unity and purity have value in the Church, both are necessary.

Consider a hypothetical church that stresses unity at the expense of purity: By what standard will admittance into this church be made?  How will such a church respond to beliefs and practices that are contrary to Scripture, even harmful to the Gospel?  A church that accepts everyone and every belief ceases to make progress toward transforming those who belong to it into Christ-likeness.  Such a church lacks both discipline and definition.

Consider a hypothetical church that stresses purity at the expense of unity: How will such a church fulfill the call to evangelism?  How will such a church avoid endless schism, and avoid becoming a church where only those who agree on everything are welcome?  A church that accepts no one but like minded individuals can neither grow nor impact its culture.  Such a church lacks both freedom of conscience and grace.

Examples abound, to varying degrees of churches that exemplify both extremes.  Going beyond a balance of the two priorities is unhealthy, whether one emphasizes unity or purity.  This observation is not my own brilliant analysis, rather it is in keeping with the thesis of Dr. Ronald Mayers book, Both/And: A Balanced Apologetic.  I have a much highlighted copy on my shelf, having had Dr. Mayers as my professor for nearly half of my religion classes at Cornerstone, and having even taught two of his classes during my senior year while he was at a seminar.

It is one thing to say that the Bible says this or that, another to demonstrate it.  The following examples are thus offered as a partial demonstration, they are but a sampling:

Texts on the importance of unity:

John 17:20-21 (NIV)

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

Ephesians 4:1-6 (NIV)

4 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Titus 3:9-10 (NIV)

9 But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. 10 Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them.

1 John 4:7-8 (NIV)

7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Texts on the importance of purity:

Matthew 7:15-20 (NIV)

15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

Galatians 1:6-9 (NIV)

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!

1 John 4:1-2 (NIV)

4 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,

Notice that examples can be found stressing both purity and unity from Jesus in the Gospels, as well as the writings of the Apostle Paul.  The two examples from 1 John are instructive.  They occur only a few sentences apart, and while John throughout his letter stresses the absolute need for Christians to love each other, going so far as to declare that without love for the brethren an individual should doubt that he/she is genuinely saved, he still feels that it is necessary to warn his readers that not every person claiming to represent God is actually doing so.  John applies a standard for unity: affirmation of the incarnation.  

{For more on the theology of 1 John: The Ecumenism of 1 John.  In the book I explain John's threefold test of faith (1. Affirmation of Jesus Christ, 2. Righteous living, aka 'walking in the light', and 3. love for fellow Christians.)  That standard is then applied to various groups to see if they belong inside or outside of the Church}

In the end, the Church needs to honor the tension inherent in the Scriptures by being both ecumenically minded, with a tent as big as Scripture allows, and on-guard against false teachers, maintaining the purity of the Gospel message.  My own life in ministry reflects my belief in this principle.  On the one hand, through the Franklin and Venango County ministeriums and Mustard Seed Missions, I regularly work with committed Christians from both a variety of Protestant churches and Catholics, and on the other hand, I consider it an obligation of my ordination to point out the dangerous and heretical views expressed by others, especially those that endanger the evangelistic mission of the Church by either warping the Gospel (for example: the Prosperity Gospel) or damaging the character/reputation of the Church itself (for example: the marriage of Church and politics).  It may seem odd to be both ecumenical and judgmental (in a good way, hopefully) to those who are not aware of the reasoning behind such a stance, but it is in keeping with my understanding of what the Scriptures require of both the Church and its ministers.

[In Evangelical Perspectives: Toward a Biblical Balance, a companion to Both/And: A Balanced Apologetic, Dr. Mayers identified twelve scriptural issues that require a both/and perspective: (1) Reality: Both God and Creation, (2) God: Both One and Many, (3) Christ: Both Divine and Human, (4) Man: Both Dignified and Depraved, (5) General Revelation: Both Within and Without, (6) Special Revelation: Both Event and Word, (7) Inspiration: Both Holy Spirit and Human Authors, (8) Testaments: Both Continuity and Discontinuity, (9) Salvation: Both Provision and Response, (10) Holy Spirit: Both Holiness and Eternal Security, (11) Church: Both Proclamation and Charity, and (12) Last Things: Both Already and Not Yet.  It is my view that Church: Both Unity and Purity fits within this framework.]

Sermon Video: "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Mark 2:13-17

After preaching yet again to large crowds, Jesus decides to add to his group of disciples by making an unorthodox addition: the tax collector Levi (Matthew).  After this stunner, for the tax collectors were viewed as traitors and thus outcasts in Jewish society, Jesus goes a step further and has dinner with Levi and his friends.  The Pharisees, shocked by this co-mingling with 'sinners' ask for an explanation.  Jesus famously replies, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, bu the sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."  Jesus reaches out to society's outcasts, 'lost causes', and villains, hoping to find there those who recognize their lost state who might be willing to repent.  Jesus calls us to do likewise, finding ways to connect with those who aren't like us, remembering the grace we have received, that we too might help the 'sick' find the Great Physician.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Mitigating racism can't wait: Why Pastor Robert Jeffress is wrong

1. The Gospel isn't only about saving souls.

One of the things that has been misconstrued, particularly by some Protestants, and often by Evangelicals in particular, is the notion that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is only really about saving souls.  This tends to manifest itself in an abnormal focus on getting people to say a 'Sinner's Prayer' together with a lack of follow-up discipleship.  In other words, it is a focus on the beginning of the Christian experience to the detriment of what follows after, on becoming a Christian but not on being a Christian.  This imbalance isn't healthy, and it isn't what the Scriptures have taught us about how the Church should function. 

Ephesians 2:8-10  New International Version
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Too often, Ephesians 2:8-10 is quoted as Ephesians 2:8-9, but Paul didn't end his thought there, our salvation by grace through faith is the first step toward the 'good works' that we are called to do once we are saved.  These 'good works' are not an optional part of being a Christian, for God himself has 'prepared in advance' what we are to accomplish because of our redemption has made us capable of so doing.

James 2:14-18  New International Version
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.

Here we see faith in action, knee deep in issues of poverty, those same issues that are often derided as 'social justice' by those who claim the Gospel has no room for them.  Can we afford to address social issues ONLY and neglect the spiritual need of the Lost?  Of course not, but we are equally unbalanced when we, as a Church, put all our emphasis on spiritual needs and neglect physical/emotional/social needs.  Every Christian, and every church, needs to be able to 'show me your faith' through acts of righteousness.

2. The Bible is full of examples of systematic actions taken in response to sinful behavior.

If the only progress we could make in society against evil was to convert the Lost, why in the Bible is God always taking larger, more systematic actions?  The examples are plentiful, from the flood of Noah, to Joseph's program to feed the people during the famine, to Moses leading the people out of slavery (when Pharaoh was in no mood to change his mind), to the punishment of the people of Israel wandering for 40 years in the desert, to the command to Joseph to eliminate the Canaanites as God's wrath against multiple generations of wickedness, to the the Law of Moses' provisions to help the widows and orphans (which benefited Ruth because Boaz obeyed them), not to mention the Year of Jubilee's commands to free all slaves and forgive all debts.  The ideal society, envisioned by the Law of Moses, contained example after example of rules, from God, designed to ensure justice and to eliminate generational poverty.  When the prophets cried out against the mistreatment of the oppressed, they were addressing the spiritual need of the people, because that injustice was one of the ways in which spiritual illness manifested itself.  Pastor Jeffress rightly understands that racism is connected to darkened human hearts, but has decided that only one tool can be used to combat it, thus abandoning the example of how the prophets sent by God addressed the spiritual need of Israel: holistically.  The cancer analogy he uses is a false one.  When fighting against cancer, doctors use everything that will help the patient survive, just because chemotherapy (for example) is what is needed to kill the cancer cells and other efforts would be futile without it, doesn't mean the patient won't also receive IV fluids or steroids; a holistic approach is needed in medicine, and in society as well.
Jesus himself continues this trend, challenging the Pharisees by healing on the Sabbath, overturning the tables in the Temple, and even rejecting the half-measure of establishing a Messianic Kingdom in favor of a far deeper and more systematic upheaval in the form of his own vicarious death and resurrection.  When Jesus saw injustice at work, he confronted it directly on an individual level, challenged those who upheld the system that created it, and ultimately gave his very life to destroy the root of the problem.  Had Jesus followed Pastor Jeffress' racism approach, he would have told those seeking healing that their suffering was a symptom, and thus not his problem, would have ignored the Pharisees (rather than going out of his way to confront them), and would have simply waited until his Passion to address the 'real problem'.  Jesus, of course, did not such thing.  Even though he fully intended to conquer sin and death to set the spiritual captives free, he still did everything he could to help both the individuals who were suffering and to challenge society's injustices.
The Bible doesn't advocate a principle of minimalism regarding societal evil.  It doesn't consider these evils to be inevitable or beyond change.  The reality of human nature, fallen and in rebellion against God, guarantees that we cannot create an utopia on earth, but the impossibility of eliminating an evil entirely in no way diminishes our responsibility to mitigate it in our time and place.  While the Word of God calls for individuals, families, communities, and even whole nations to repent and turn to the Lord (i.e. to have changed hearts), it doesn't hit pause on the need for structural change until that day comes. 

Zechariah 7:8-14  New International Version
8 And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah: 9 “This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. 10 Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.’
11 “But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and covered their ears. 12 They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the Lord Almighty was very angry.
13 “‘When I called, they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen,’ says the Lord Almighty. 14 ‘I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations, where they were strangers. The land they left behind them was so desolate that no one traveled through it. This is how they made the pleasant land desolate.’”

Does God care about societal justice?  God was willing to send his people, those with whom he had a Covenant, into exile because they weren't willing to change their hearts and minds, as evidenced by how they treated the widow, orphans, foreigners, and the poor.  Are we to understand that God would have told the Jews living prior to the exile to not bother fighting against injustices because their efforts were only 'a Band-Aid'?  Note also, the entire nation was sent into exile, including the righteous, because of the collective injustice (sin) of the people.  Surely God takes injustice seriously.  Here's the thing, America isn't in the place of privilege of Israel (Judah), we don't have a Covenant with God, which should make us less complacent about injustice in our society, for there is no promise from God to America that would ensure a return from exile should God, by way of administering his justice, choose to punish our nation.  God was willing to chastise his own children, can we expect to escape unscathed?

3. When will there be 'enough' Christians to confront racism in America? 

If America didn't have enough hearts trusting in Christ during the height of the Jim Crow era (when the vast majority of Americans were self-professed Christians), when exactly in the future is Pastor Jeffress suggesting it will be time to confront racism?  If America couldn't mitigate racism through the hearts and minds of individuals, alone, when 75%+ of those individuals claimed to follow Jesus, what percentage is required?  Clearly, the Church is not capable of eradicating racism, even within its own members, through solely spiritual means.  The shameful evidence of our past and present confirms this.  There needs to be an effort, in combination with, ongoing efforts to win souls to Christ  to address the legal and societal frameworks of systematic racism.  That some Christians are unwilling to consider this option, or even actively oppose it, calls into question how serious an evil they believe racism to be.
A parallel might help with understanding the situation.  Abortion has been legal in America since Roe vs. Wade.  Over the past few generations, Christians (and others) have worked continuously to shape hearts and minds on this issue, AND at the same time have opened hundreds of crisis pregnancy centers (We have one here in Franklin, ABC Life Center), have supported adoption agencies, fought battles over school sex education curriculum, put together lists of judges who are Pro Life, and have again and again advocated for and supported political candidates who promise to work to overturn Roe vs. Wade.  In the case of abortion, we are not told to wait until the day when Christ has changed enough hearts, but to fight on every front, to continue the fight year after year until the goal is achieved.  Why can't we wait until the demand for abortion ceases because Christ has changed hearts?  Because unborn lives matter. 
Perhaps you may have heard, Black Lives Matter too.  But with racism the answer is different.  Some say that racism isn't real, and even complain about reverse racism.  Others deny that racism is systemic, claiming that only 'bad apples' exist, and that every law and policy is already as it should be, that race isn't a factor in justice (again, some even going further, claiming society favors minorities above Whites).  Evidence to the contrary is belittled, treated as anecdotal only, or simply smeared with political epitaphs like 'socialism' or 'liberal'.  There is absolutely a different tone and attitude among millions of (mostly White) Christians (going by self-profession) when it comes to racism. 

4. You don't have to wait for the cure to fight against evil.

The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly taught us the need to take steps against it while we wait for a vaccine.  By the same logic employed by Pastor Jeffress, the only cure for COVID-19 is a vaccine, any efforts at social distancing, mask wearing, or therapeutic treatments being researched to keep those infected alive, are only a Band-Aid.  We have already lost 180,000 Americans, and rising, to COVID-19, imagine the death toll if we had taken no measures against it.

The Gospel's efforts to rescue hearts and minds from darkness have not made murder disappear, but it is still illegal, those who commit it are prosecuted, and a myriad of measures are in place to mitigate the risk that those willing to commit murder would be able to do so.  Likewise, after 9/11 we didn't wait to convince the Jihadists of the error of their ways, we took extraordinary safety measures, and took military action against terrorists and their supporters.

The ultimate, final, solution against any evil is the victory of Jesus Christ over sin and death.  What Christ has accomplished for us, and what Christ can do for anyone wiling to repent and believe, does not eliminate our responsibility to do our part to fight against evil.

I refuse to believe that we have to wait to fight against racism. 

Open Letter to White Christians: When it Comes to Racism, Changing Hearts Isn’t Biblical Enough - by Pastor Geoff Holsclaw

Sermon Video: "Son, your sins are forgiven." - Mark 2:1-12

 When crowds prevent access to Jesus, 4 faithful friends lower a paralyzed man into his presence so that he can be healed. Before he heals, Jesus says, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Religious leaders object that only God can forgive sins (true), so Jesus heals the man in front of them to demonstrate his claim as the Son of God. Forgiveness is a universal need, common to all of humanity, and only God can forgive. As Jesus demonstrated, he is the path to forgiveness.

To watch the video, click on the link below: