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This Foolish Galatian

November 18, 2008 – 10:47 pm

Apologies to my two faithful readers.  I just started a new job, am working a new schedule, and have not had the time I’d like to dedicate to my blog lately.  However, given the choice, I will always neglect my blog before I ever neglect my family, my time alone with God, or the wonderful body of believers whom Christ has privileged me to serve alongside.  This is just a luxury, albeit one I enjoy and that aids in my own development.

In my absence here, I have been studying through the book of Galatians.  In addition to reading this wonderful little book several times now, I have also been reading the commentaries by John Stott (The Message of Galatians) and Philip Ryken’s “Reformed Expository Commentary”.  One of these days, I’m going to have to read the Luther commentary, as everyone seems to refer to it in their own writings.  I know that the letter of Galatians (and Luther’s correct understanding of its importance) is the primary reason we even have a Protestant church (or, rather lots of them) today.  I also listened through all of J. Vernon McGee’s “Thru the Bible” series on this epistle.  So far, it has been a very profitable endeavor to my soul.

I have also been listening to a very, very well done lecture series by Jerram Barrs on Apologetics and Outreach.  It is available for free from the Worldwide Classroom. I think I am on the ninth lecture right now, and I must say that Mr. Barrs has really challenged my thinking about how we evangelize in our postmodern culture.  I think the first fourteen lectures are actually specifically aimed at different aspects of our postmodern culture and how we should be prepared to interact with it as Christians.  Very, very thought-provoking.  I highly recommend it.  I will probably go back and listen to them again when I finish the first pass.

Well, in keeping with my own best practice here, I will post a portion of someone else’s writing here so that you may be blessed by the words of instruction of a seasoned saint.  Today’s snippet comes from L.R. Shelton’s “The True Gospel”.  I read this today, and thought it was very convicting:

A Holy Life Follows Salvation

My friend, I would not have you deceived! A holy life, a sowing to the Spirit, must follow the salvation that God gives in Christ, or it is not God’s salvation; for Christ came to save His people from their sins, and not in their sins (Matt 1:21). A holy life, a sowing to the Spirit, must follow the salvation that God gives us in Christ or God’s purpose in saving us would be defeated, and this cannot be. Did we not read that God has chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world “that we should be holy and without blame before him in love” (Eph 1:4). We cannot thwart the purpose of God toward His people. Listen again to this definite and positive statement-”For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness” (I Thess 4:7). Yes, a holy life must follow the salvation that God gives in Christ, or God’s will would be turned aside, and this cannot be-”For this is the will of God, even your sanctification” (4:3). Sanctification is your being set apart from sin by the progressive work of God’s Spirit in your heart and life.

Again, a holy life, a sowing to the Spirit, must follow the salvation that God gives in Christ, or the grace of God would not reign in the believer’s life; and this cannot be, for we read in Titus 2:11,12: “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.” I want you to pay particular attention to these verses and pray that the Holy Spirit will write them upon your heart. When the grace of God that brings salvation appears to all, it teaches them the same thing. And what does God’s grace teach us?-that we will be self-denying ones. In what way?-saying no to the world and denying ourselves ungodliness and worldly lusts, because we hate sin, self, Satan and the world of ungodliness. “All” learn this lesson, not just some of God’s children. “All” of them are taught by the Holy Spirit to hate sin and deny self. If this self denial and hatred of sin is absent from the life, then God’s salvation is absent (John 16:13,15; Isa 54:13).

But this Scripture does not end only in giving us the negative; the Holy Spirit shows the grace of God that brings salvation will teach us something positive as well-how to live soberly, righteously and godly. Where? in heaven? No, in this present evil world, right at home, on the job, or wherever we walk! For by His grace and blood He has delivered us from “this present evil world” (Gal 1:4).

Remember this: the same Holy Spirit teaches all of God’s children the same lessons. What are they? He trains us to reject and renounce all ungodliness, and worldly, passionate desires; and He also trains us to live sober, temperate, self-controlled lives in an upright, devout manner (Titus 2:12). In other words, He teaches us to live spiritually-whole lives controlled by Him, here in this present evil world.

The False Gospel - no power over sin

What a far cry this is from the present-day gospel that is preached-a gospel that gives no new heart or new nature, a gospel that does not break the power of sin, but allows one to live on in it, a gospel that gives only an insurance policy against hell and knows nothing about holiness of thought and action, a gospel that will let you indulge the flesh, and puts no restraint upon your passion, pride and evil heart! Oh, this is not a gospel, but a false thing! I say false because it says that all one has to do is say “yes” to the four spiritual laws and believe in a historical Jesus; and after he “believes” he is saved and saved for ever, no matter what he does.

Did you know that the average individual tells you that he made a profession when he was 6, 8, 12, or 15 years of age; but he drifted off into sin, and after 10 years or so he came back and rededicated his life and now gives himself to religious service? It is from this group that the majority of our missionaries, teachers and preachers come, and they know nothing of heart-felt repentance or standing before God as a guilty, lost sinner! If you are in this group, I tell you in love, you have mistaken the call to salvation -to come to Christ as a guilty, needy, lost sinner-as the call to service; and therefore you have become two-fold more the child of hell than you were before, unless the Holy Spirit by His Word and grace gives you a heart to see your desperate need of Christ. You see, you have mistaken the call to a broken heart and a contrite spirit, to repentance and faith-the call to break with sin and to walk in holiness of life in conversion-as a call to the ministry! I know this does happen, for I have heard so many testimonies given along this line. It even happened to me! I mistook the call to salvation as the call to the ministry, and only by the grace of God was I awakened to see that I had missed true repentance and faith, and was still in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity.

Therefore, let me proclaim today that I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for that Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth (Rom 1:16). This salvation is the deliverance from the power of sin, which I have experienced by the grace of God in Christ; and beloved, I praise the Lord that Romans 6:18 is true: “Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness,” servants of Him Who has delivered us from the law of sin and death! (Rom 8:2).

C. H. Spurgeon has said it so well:

Each creature brings forth after its own kind: the old nature being radically evil continues to produce and to send forth swarms of sins; it is not reconciled to God, neither indeed can be, and therefore its thoughts and acts are those of rebellion and hatred toward God. On the other hand, the new nature “cannot sin because it is born of God”; it must have its fruit unto holiness, for it is holiness itself. Out of a dove’s nest we expect only doves to fly. The heavenly life breeds birds of paradise, such as holy thoughts, desires, and acts; and it cannot bring forth such unclean birds as lust, and envy, and malice. The life of God infused in regeneration is as pure as the Lord by whom it was begotten, and can never be otherwise. Blessed is the man who has this heavenly principle within, for it must appear in his life and cause him to abound in holiness, to the glory of God. Reader, have you this divine seed within you, or do you remain under the dominion of a corrupt nature? This question deserves a present and thoughtful reply.

Peace & Blessings,
Simple Mann

Posted in Apologetics, Culture, Evangelism, General, Gospel | 2 Comments »

Doubt & Deception

November 5, 2008 – 4:10 pm

“Doubts never sent anyone to hell, but deception always does.”

I read this quote yesterday in an excellent article written by Jim Elliff entitled “Southern Baptists, an Unregenerate Denomination”.  Well worth the read.  That particular quote (in context) comes from this section of the article:

<snip>
We must preach and teach on the subject of the unregenerate church member. Every author in the New Testament writes of the nature of deception. Some books give major consideration to the subject. Jesus Himself spoke profusely about true and false conversion, giving significant attention to the fruit found in true believers (Jn. 10:26-27; Mt. 7:21-23; Mt. 25:1-13, etc.). If this sort of teaching creates doubt in people, you should not be alarmed, nor should you back away from it. Given the unregenerate state of so many professing Christians, their doubts may be fully warranted. In any case, as one friend told me, “Doubts never sent anyone to hell, but deception always does.” Most will work through their doubts, if they are regenerate and if we continue to preach the whole truth. Contrary to popular opinion, all doubts are not of the devil. Speak truthfully the whole counsel of God. You cannot “unsave” true believers.

It is true that there may be some who are overly scrupulous and overwhelmed by such examination. But most who will be affected are those who are too self-confident, having based their assurance on such shaky platforms as their response to an invitation, praying a perfectly worded “sinner’s prayer,” or getting baptized. If they are unregenerate, they may take offense and leave. But if they are truly regenerate, patient teaching and care will help them to overcome their doubts and gain biblical assurance. Such preaching may even result in true conversion for some who are deceived. And don’t forget that the overconfident ones are not the only ones at risk. Quiet, sensitive, insecure people can be deceived also.
</snip>

Peace & Blessings,
Simple Mann

Posted in Church, Doctrine, General | 1 Comment »

Television & Teen Pregnancy

November 4, 2008 – 10:37 am

Some people wonder why I detest the television so much.  Here is just another reason why.

Television and teen pregnancy.  Wow.  Who would have ever thought?  Over thirty years ago, studies found that violence and aggression in children had a direct link to television.  Now, it has been linked to teen-age pregnancy.  Could it be that sex and violence are the two biggest pillars of sin that the idol of television rests upon?

Here’s a clip from the CNN story (the highlights are mine): http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/11/03/teen.pregnancy/index.html

<snip>
(CNN) — Sexual content on television is strongly associated with teen pregnancy, a new study from the RAND Corporation shows. New information linking sexual content on television with teen pregnancy will help develop prevention programs.

Researchers at the nonprofit organization found that adolescents with a high level of exposure to television shows with sexual content are twice as likely to get pregnant or impregnate someone as those who saw fewer programs of this kind over a period of three years. It is the first study to demonstrate this association, RAND said.

A central message from the study is that there needs to be more dialogue about sex in the media, particularly among parents and their children, said Anita Chandra, the study’s lead author and a behavioral scientist at RAND.

“We know that parents are busy, but sitting down and watching shows together with their teen, talking about the character portrayals, talking about what they just witnessed, and really using it as a teachable moment is really, I think, a good recommendation from this research,” Chandra said.
</snip>

Isn’t it funny that the best suggestions are:

1) Talk to your children about sex in the media; and
2) Watch the shows with inappropriate content so that you can discuss what they just saw.

Who suggests taking your child to a bar, or a drug house, or a whorehouse to expose them to the sin to be found there and then “use it as a teachable moment”?  Isn’t it funny that at no point these solutions even suggested:

1) Do something to limit the amount of content and material that has been proven to be unhealthy and detrimental to our children.
2) Remove the source of the problem (stop watching it, get rid of it, whatever), and teach your kids without the use of the television.  Here’s a suggestion - teach them from Scripture!

No, the best our secular worldview can come up with is, “Go ahead and let them consume the poison, but then talk to your child about how deadly it is and make sure they vomit it up before it has a *really* harmful effect.”

The article goes on to say:

<snip>
To measure exposure, the researchers used a method developed by another research group evaluating 23 shows for sexual content. Then, they asked teenagers how frequently they watched each of those shows, and developed a score based on exposure to the shows.

“We know that if a child is watching more than an hour of TV a day, we know there’s a sexual scene in [the] content every 10 minutes, then they’re getting a fair amount of sexual content,” Chandra said.

“Oh, the guy gets the girl, they fall in love, happily ever after, babies come, I thought that was one way of being loved,” said Monroe, now 26. “Happily ever after doesn’t happen.”

</snip>

Does this give you some insight into why I have such an issue with that vile instrument of idolatry?  It is the window to the worldview that we are supposed to be protecting our children from, not exposing them to.  I talked about in my previous two articles (The Sin of Abortion and The Abortion of Sin) how that heinous, evil act will continue to be practiced in our society regardless of who wins the election today.  And it is because we are a sinful and selfish society.  And the sad and sobering truth is that for all our talk about morals and values, the vast majority of people in this society (Christian or otherwise) allow themselves and their children to be more influenced by the media (the window to the worldview of our secular society) than by Scripture.

How can we ever hope to affect a change with regards to abortion when collectively as a society we refuse to turn from the idol of television–that altar in our living room that glorifies sin?  Is it any wonder that our devotion and attraction to this deadly device–where sex and violence are glorified to the extreme–would result in a society where abortion is so prevalent.  And is not abortion simply the manifestation of that sick combination of extreme sex and violence that so many of us bow down and worship every we time we grab the remote?

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Luke 12:34)

Posted in Culture, Rant | No Comments »

The Abortion of Sin

November 2, 2008 – 4:52 pm

In my previous post, The Sin of Abortion, I talked a little bit about the problem of abortion, but also some of the problems that surround it… that it is not the root of the problem with our society, but a fruit of it. After I wrote these posts, I discovered a link to a couple of really good videos on John Piper’s Desiring God site, discussing the election and the importance that, as Christians, we should place on it. I think he presents a very healthy perspective, and it is one I share as I’m sure these posts will attest. How can we deceive ourselves for even a second by placing our hope in man-made systems of law to solve our sin problems, when man could not even abide by God’s system of law as given to Moses? We can no more look to our government to fix the sin problem in our society than we could look to our own selves to fix it before we came to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. Until and unless the gospel of our Lord creates a new heart in us, we are dead in sins and trespasses. As Paul makes quite clear, no one is made alive in the Law; it has no power to save, only to bring condemnation. In this post, I intend to address the abortion of sin (of which the sin of abortion is just an active member), and the problem with a political approach to that end.

The Abortion of Sin

God gave the law to Moses because the people were rebellious and over and over again, the Israelites collectively (and individually) sought to satisfy the lusts of their flesh and their own sinful natures rather than to submit to God. The Apostle Paul, who was a Pharisee of Pharisees discovered after his revelation of Jesus Christ that the law can only condemn; it has no power to save. The rich young ruler found out the same thing when he asked Jesus Himself what he needed to do to obtain eternal life.

My friends, abortion would not be such a problem if we didn’t live in a society that encouraged us to “live for the moment”, “indulge yourself”, “take what you want”, “jump in with both feet”, etc. Our culture encourages us to look with lust; to take and eat the fruit God has warned us not to eat, to satisfy the desires of the flesh. Our culture–and its multi-headed media–entices us to abandon God, attempts to make a mockery of Him, and peddles the wares of the flesh and the devil to all too eager consumers.

We have an endless stream of messages coming through our televisions, our radios, our computers, our cell phones, and our mailboxes that tell us the most important thing we should concern ourselves with is the satisfaction of our lusts, and that three-letter word “S-E-X” is chief among them. Nothing is peddled with more intensity in our society than the flesh and its pleasures, and marriage, much like God (through the influence of our media) has been chided, derided, and scorned. Marriage in America has lost much of its esteem and has been made into a mockery. Now, given these conditions, is it any wonder that the number of abortions in this country is so high? We have been conditioned to abandon God, any sense of morality, a reverence and esteem for marriage, and even self-control. So long as our lusts are satisfied and we don’t have to delay their gratification, well, that is what our culture has conditioned us to do. Abortion is really just a symptom of an even greater problem with our culture.

Now, consider that for just a moment. Will passing a law making abortion illegal fix the root of the problem? Of course not. Will it cause a mass repentance and revival in the land? I doubt it. Will it do anything to address conditions that lead to its practice? Not likely. My guess is that, just like the majority of the Israelites throughout the history of God’s people recorded in the Bible, the law would not make us any more holy or just, or any less sinful and selfish. Laws were passed and then repealed that prohibited the sale of alcohol; they did little to prevent consumption, and actually led to more crime (law-breaking) as a result. Laws have done nothing to stop people who desire to use drugs from using them. Laws have done little to hinder prostitution. Time and time again, we see that “the law” has no power to overcome “the sin”; it can only show us to be sinners. It does not, however, fix the problem of sin.

I read something recently in one of Vincent Cheung’s freely available commentaries that says much better than I can do some of the problems with the law of the Pharisees in the time of Jesus. This is taken from his commentary on The Sermon on the Mount (p. 65):

Now, the Pharisees and the scribes are legalists, in both of the ways explained earlier. That is, they seek to attain a sufficient righteousness by their works. The problem is that God requires a perfect righteousness, which they can never achieve. Also, they do not go about establishing their own righteousness by truly obeying God’s laws; rather, they have constructed an elaborate system of human traditions permitting them to disobey God’s commandments altogether while still giving people the impression of supreme piety.

When interpreting and applying God’s commandments, they find ways to get away with as much as possible, but more than that, they redefine the terms and heap up traditions in such a manner as to do away with having to obey the plain demand of the commandments altogether. This is why Jesus says elsewhere, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!” (Mark 7:9).

In the passages immediately following verse 20, Jesus will give us a number of examples on how God’s commands have been distorted and subverted, and what it really means to obey them. As Stott rightly observes:

What the scribes and the Pharisees were doing, in order to make obedience more readily attainable, was to restrict the commandments and extend permissions of the law. They made the law’s demands less demanding and the law’s permissions more permissive. What Jesus did was to reverse both tendencies. He insisted instead that the full implications of God’s commandments must be accepted without imposing any artificial limits, whereas the limits which God had set to his permissions must also be accepted and not arbitrarily increased. (John Stott, Message of the Sermon on the Mount, p. 79)

Nowadays, many people have the misconception that Jesus condemns the Pharisees and the scribes because they are too meticulous in studying and obeying God’s laws. They think that a strict and precise application of God’s laws constitutes legalism. Precisely the opposite is true. The Pharisees and the scribes – commonly considered legalists – are the ones who relax God’s commandments and teach others to do the same. In contrast, Jesus calls his followers to exhibit a genuine righteousness by truly practicing and teaching God’s laws and their various implications (v. 19). What all this entails is explained in the upcoming sections.

So, what is my point? And what do we do about abortion? What do we do about the sickness in our society?

I wish I knew. I can say that based on the light God has given me through the gauze over my eyes, it does not appear that a legal approach will work for abortion any better than it has throughout all of history in addressing any other sin in any other sinful society. But I do know that God’s grace can effect changes that His law can only suggest. What I mean is that without God’s redeeming grace, we are all powerless to counteract the sinful nature that will otherwise carry us away in direct contradiction to His law. We are powerless to stop it.

One thing that we need to do is remove the cancer of our culture from the church. We cannot be effective agents of His grace when we go the way of Baalam, alternating between proclaiming God’s word and serving our own selfish interests. We can not hold to the things of this world and the things of God, or as Christ said, we cannot “serve both God and mammon”. God’s church should be a mighty helper for His purpose; she should be as the woman described in Proverbs 31, not a limping leper with a blind eye to her sin.

That the church has so little power and ability to effect change in people’s lives that it would seek to do so through government as opposed to the grace of God should bring about a sense of conviction within the Church, causing her to repent and turn again to her first love. That the church is relying on men and man-made legal systems and church leaders are spending more time informing the body about government legislation than the gospel of Christ is a horrible indictment of just how far the inroads of culture have found their way into the pulpit. This is NOT the way of the Master, nor of the Master’s men. It is approaching adultery on the behalf of the church; the bride of Christ needs to stop flirting with governors, senators, and judges and return to the groom who has called her to Himself. Isn’t Jesus good enough? Shouldn’t we look to our provision in Christ to affect the change of heart that “the law” can never accomplish? Isn’t there something tragically ironic about the church attempting to establish “the law” and demand obedience? Am I reading this wrong when Paul said to the Galatians:

Gal 2:15 “We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles;

Gal 2:16 nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.

Gal 2:17 “But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be!

Gal 2:18 “For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor.

Gal 2:19 “For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God.

Gal 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Gal 2:21 “I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.”

Unless I am mistaken, Paul is chastening those churches he had visited and ministered to because they were turning away from the grace of Christ and instead placing their trust back in the tenants of the Jewish laws. The people that Paul called Judaizers were going in to the churches where Paul had painstakingly preached the gospel, and attempting to convince the believers there that the grace of the gospel was not really sufficient. A greater demand must be met for salvation; they must adhere to the Mosaic law if they were to be saved. And yet these believers were Gentiles; they were not even Jews. Paul took them to task for “so quickly deserting Him” who had called them; for adding to the gospel of grace of Christ some additional work of law as necessary for salvation.

Now, I am not saying that abortion should be legal and protected under the law in the United States. But it is. And despite all the rhetoric from any politician to the contrary, it will remain so because this country is full of sin and selfishness. It is not full of Christians. Despite what the checkbox on the questionnaires might say, the vast majority of people who call themselves Christians in America are far more like the masses that turned away from Him in John 6:66 than the few who remained in John 6:67. The vast majority of people who call themselves Christian in this country will abandon Him the moment their profession prohibits them from their heart’s true desires, which unless He has done a real work in them are rooted and selfishness and sin.

Abortion is evil. And just like the vast majority of people in this country will call themselves Christians, so will the vast majority agree with this statement. It is evil and detestable in the sight of the Lord. It is murder. It is wrong. But it is only one of ten commandments that this selfish, sinful people break every day despite all the laws in effect under the United States justice system. And while it sounds great to trust in the law for protection, the law can only affect a change in behavior and not a change in heart. Christ and Christ alone can affect a lasting change in heart that will have profound effects on our behavior. As long as we continue to focus on the outside of the cup, the inside will remain full of filth. The allure of politics and of legislative efforts to curb sins that stem from our selfish, wicked hearts will never address the heart of sin like the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. I think it is time for many of us who claim His name to repent, to turn away from the world and its worldly systems, and to once again make the power of the gospel of grace more important in our battle against sin than the legal systems of men.

I think many of us have a problem just “sitting back and doing nothing” as sin seems to overtake the world, and that is why political involvement poses such a great temptation to us. It seems better than just accepting the world on its terms, and I am sad to say that for most evangelicals it is much easier than going out and sharing the gospel with a lost world. But as “painful” and “hopeless” as it might seem at times to put your hope in the power of God instead of the systems of man-made governments, it is the only way any soul have ever come to repent, to turn from sin and trust Christ. Think of the prophets, of Moses, and more importantly our Savior Himself. Think of the Pharaohs, the Pharisees, the Roman Empire, and the Roman Catholic Church prior to the Reformation. And think of men like John Hus, Martin Luther, William Tyndale, and John Calvin. Reflect on our roots, and those who have walked these roads long before we did. And as you consider the history of sin and salvation, ask yourself honestly if there is any real hope in a political or legal solution to sin.

As evangelists, preachers, teachers, and disciples of the gospel, I think it is time to return to our roots. May we abandon our hope in governments, in courts, in senators, and the leaders in the world. Let us remember that God is in sovereign control of all and that everything He does, He does for the purpose of His glory. Let us remember that when we see and revile the sin of this world, that He has allowed it and that He causes ALL things to work together for good to those who love God, and who are called according to His purpose. Let us remember that no man has come to power if not by His hand. Let us not to lose our hope in His eternal promise because of a temporary change in power in our government! Let us remember that even the wicked Pharoah was appointed by God for the purpose to which he was called; that is, the purpose of His glory. No sin ever beset a man, good or bad, throughout the entire redemptive history that has been laid out for us in His Holy Word that did not serve that same purpose. Let us trust in Him, above all else, that His will and His purpose is being accomplished just the way He has foreseen and foreordained, and not be troubled or anxious for anything. And let us be faithful ministers of the good news of Jesus Christ, even (and most especially) in the most troubling of times. And my friends, we here in America, do not have it that bad.

There are men and women who give their lives for the gospel every day in places that most of us would never dream of going. Many (if not most) of us will not even give twenty minutes of our time to someone across the street that we know needs to hear it. We are much more comfortable trying to accomplish His purpose through political means than Biblical ones. We are much more comfortable condemning the sins of people we’ve never met in a public forum, than we are confronting people we know intimately in a private one. This is not the way of the Master. This is not the method or the manner or the message that we have been given. Again, I say, let us return to our roots. Let us return to Christ. And let us find our satisfaction in Him, full and complete.

Peace & Blessings,
Simple Mann

Posted in Church, Culture, General, Gospel, Politics, Rant | No Comments »

The Sin of Abortion

November 2, 2008 – 4:43 pm

When it comes to the topic of abortion, the thing that no one really wants to confront directly is that for there to be a dramatic change in the sin of abortion, there must be a dramatic change that affects the abortion of sin itself. I will state clearly and publicly that I am no proponent of this evil act, but I will not allow myself to be manipulated by the world–which politics is most certainly a system of the world, and any who have failed to see that have failed to see clearly. I think it is rather unfortunate that so many professing Christians–many of whom have denounced so many other worldly influences that take us away from our focus on God, such as movies and television, newspapers, magazines, catalogs, and even video games–will allow themselves to get carried away by the lure of politics. In my lifetime, the bait of abortion has been set on the hook of politics to lure many Christians away from their first love, diverting them away from the Great Commission of sharing the gospel, endeavoring instead in a humanitarian effort that, as much as I hate to admit is destined to fail. The focus for many well-meaning Christians has shifted from saving those sinners who need to be born again to those who have yet to be born at all, and while it is a noble and virtuous position to take, it is one that will never succeed through political means.

I read somewhere that 4,000 fetuses are aborted every single day in this country. That is an outrageous travesty. That means that 11,688,000 occurred (or will have occurred) under the leadership of the Conservative, confessing Christian George W. Bush. No substantial changes in legislation have occurred, not even when he had both houses of Congress, a fairly agreeable Supreme Court, and the support of an entire nation behind him after 9/11. Why? Because the real truth of the matter is that no matter who is in the White House, abortion isn’t going away.  But why? Because we are a selfish, sinful people. We’re sinners.

Something most people do not want to talk about when it comes to this topic of abortion, is abortion at a personal level. Do you know anyone who’s had an abortion? I do. I know a few, and truth be told, I probably know more than I think I do. What do I mean? I mean, the people that I know had one, I know intimately enough to know about. I’m sure our churches and possibly even our families, and the families of our closest friends are littered with people who live with the guilt of one, although we may never even know it. Are they horrible, damnable people who deserve nothing more than the fires of hell? Absolutely. But so am I. And so are you, friend. We all are.

I know people who were once alcoholics, drug addicts, sex addicts, adulterers, Satanists, God-mockers, and some who were just plain vile and vicious, selfish and sinful. I know some people still are, and many will stay that way. But I also know some whom God has chosen and whom God has changed. I consider myself blessed to be one. Sinners all, and I will say as Paul, myself a chief among them. All too many (dare I even say every SINGLE one) of us who call on the name of Christ as Savior today have made decisions in the past for which we are ashamed, done things motivated by sin and selfishness and all the power of Satan upon us. All of us deserve His righteous judgment and the full fury of His wrath. Yet God in His great mercy took pity on us. This is the gospel ~ that we may be saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ! Not because of anything we have done, but because of what He has done.

We won’t be saved because we voted Republican or voted Democrat (or chose not to vote at all). We won’t be saved because we had a baby instead of an abortion. Indeed, I am sad to say I know (and love) people who have had lots of babies and unless God does a work in their lives, they are destined for hell. I don’t like to say that, but it’s true.

When it comes down to it, abortion is a matter of the law, and we know well enough that no one is saved by the law. I don’t like it, either, am not here to defend it, but I have come to understand that some things like abortion, adultery, and pornography will not go away simply because a segment of the population is publicly offended by them. They won’t go away because for all of our public offense, enough people still commit themselves to them privately that their presence will persist. Until our Lord comes to establish His Kingdom in all His glory, we will live in this fallen world and suffer its sin. And why? Because it is full of sinners who love their sin–just as we ourselves once did and even today rely completely on the power of His Spirit to overcome. And lest I forget myself, Lord, help me to not pray like the Pharisee, thanking you I am not like that poor sinner who stands over there beating his breast and pleading for mercy, for I am that poor sinner, crying out, “Have mercy on me, A SINNER!”

I cannot count the number of emails I’ve received over the last couple of months that have sought through all sorts of persuasion, often relying on fear, deception, and half-truths to convince me that Barack Obama is evil, that he’s a Muslim, the anti-Christ, an abortion-lover, or some such other wicked thing. Truth be told, I don’t think that he is any of those things. And neither is John McCain. You know what they are? Sinners. Just like the people who keep sending me the emails. Sinners. Just like you and me.

But let us return to this topic of abortion. Yes, it is a sin. Thou shalt not commit murder. It’s the sixth commandment. It is an abomination in the eyes of the Lord. As I already said, though, how many people do we really know that might have had one at some point in their life? And are they outside the bounds of Christ? That does not make it right, and one would hope that our brothers and sisters in the church are not still having them. And I’m sure we’d all agree, it is a great and polarizing topic to discuss. We can all get together and hate this sin collectively.

But what of adultery? Is this not the very next commandment given by God–and how often has this one been violated WITHIN the very walls of the church!? Yet, do we say that this is less abominable in the eyes of our Holy God? That some sins are more forgivable? Does not adultery destroy just as many (if not more) families in our culture–and especially in our church–as abortion? Yet who makes this a platform position–to do away with any and all forms of adultery–including and starting with pornography!? No one. Now why is that? Because it has become an acceptable sin in the eyes of man? In the eyes of God, though, is the one worse than the other or are they equally abominable? In fact, did God Himself not punish David for his adulterous sin with Bathsheba by committing an abortion on the child she bore him in their sin? That was the judgment that the prophet Nathan pronounced in 2 Samuel 12. This by no means justifies the act of abortion, for the actions of God are always just. God does not violate His own law because sin is not in Him, and unto Him alone should be the power to grant and take away life. But I think it is a point worth considering in light of this discussion.  Abortion was the judgment God visited upon David for his adultery with Bathsheba.  Is it possible that abortion is the judgment God is visiting on us for our adultery, too?

The truth about this heinous practice is that it is NOT a cause, but an effect. It is not the source of our sickness, but a symptom. It bears witness to our selfish, sinful natures, but is the fruit and not the root of them.

(To be continued…)

Posted in Culture, General, Gospel, Politics, Rant | 1 Comment »

Truth and Election in America

October 31, 2008 – 9:44 am

“If you vote for a pro-abortion candidate for personal reasons (like economics) that are not more weighty than justice concerns (the wholesale destruction of children), then you are doing something profoundly un-Christian. If this happens often enough, you are either not a Christian or your Christianity completely fails to inform your political life. One wonders if it informs any other aspect of your life as well, and if it doesn’t, then by what right do you call yourself a Christian?” ~ Gregory Koukl

So, who do you vote for then, when both candidates support abortion, you earn less than you did five years ago, have children to support and a family to provide for and are losing your house because of failed economic policies? Or do we vote? As Christians, how do we interact with “the world” system—how does the body of Christ interact with the body politic without becoming stained and tainted in the process? Is this even possible?

I copied that quote above (from Gregory Koukl) from another blog post I read recently, and I intend to write a little bit about statements like this as well as many emails I’ve received over the last few months leading up to this election. I am not here to endorse either candidate, and quite frankly I don’t care who you vote for. But I would like to address a matter of concern that has been pressing upon me and share my thoughts with whoever might be interested.

Over the last couple of months, I have received countless emails and read countless blog posts—some from respectable evangelicals and others from less reputable sources—decrying the character of Barack Obama. Almost all of them contain some deception, distortion, and more than a little bit of fear-mongering. The issue for me, however, is not the person and character of Barack Obama. I fully trust in God’s sovereignty, and I know that whoever is elected to office in the coming weeks will be as much a selection of God as an election of the people.

The issue for me is the character of the Christian—those of us in the Body—and my concern is this: Why are we so willing to compromise our principles and so quick to adopt the strategies of our enemy? Is this not the very tactic that the serpent used in the Garden, deceiving the man and the woman with half-truths and enticing them so that by the corruption of their hearts sin entered into the world? Should we be so quick to follow that lead, or as followers of Christ, should we take a different path? Twisting the truth to manipulate people to do our bidding might be the way of this world (or, this present evil age, as Paul has put it), but I would attest that it is not the way of Christ and it is patently un-Christian. My Savior did offend many people, but He spoke truth.  In fact, he called Himself the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and I believe to worship Him is to love and worship the Truth. Jesus did not and does not offend as a result of a deception or concealment of the truth, but because of the revelation and conviction that the truth in Him brings. The truth He spoke revealed the evil in men’s hearts to the point that they cried out for His blood.

“This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” (John 3:19-21)

Now I will admit my ignorance up front. I do not know much about Barack Obama, nor about John McCain. I do not watch the news or follow the media coverage; in fact I rather detest the television to be quite honest. I am not big on politics, either. I prefer the Bible and a good commentary to all that. I would prefer to know my Savior more intimately than either of the two men running for office because I don’t plan on spending eternity with Barack Obama or John McCain, but with Jesus Christ.

Now having said that, I do not think Barack Obama is a Muslim or a socialist. I do think that he is black. As a person, he seems genuine enough, as does John McCain. I can’t say I like Obama’s stance on abortion, but I will address the problem of abortion in my next post. I will say this, though. John McCain is only slightly more restrictive in his practical philosophy on abortion than Barack Obama, which made him rather unpopular I think when he ran against George W. Bush for the Republican candidacy back in 2000. He, like Barack Obama, claims to be a Christian. I read somewhere that Senator McCain considers faith to be a private matter, and he prefers not to talk about it openly in a public manner. I recently heard an excellent sermon that took that position to task, and it is clearly stated in Scripture (Matthew 10:32-33, Luke 9:26, and Romans 10:9-10 are just a few examples) that we are to confess Christ publicly.

It is not my intention to criticize Senator McCain, and lest I be misunderstood, let me say I admire this man and appreciate his service to this country.  I am not trying to call his faith or his character into question.  My point is that we evangelicals are often far too quick and eager to forgive (and dare I say ‘justify’) those candidates who we’re subtly (or not so subtly) urged to support and align ourselves with, while viciously attacking with all the tactics of the enemy those we’ve been encouraged to oppose.  The problem is not that either one of these men are terribly wicked people.  Neither one of them is going to lead us into heaven or take us straight to hell.  I honestly believe that they are both men who desire what’s best for the men, women, and children who live in this country.  I also believe that they are both, like me, sinners.

But the real issue, I think, is that the church needs to quit committing adultery with the government; her heart should belong to God. To be quite honest, I do not think either party (or either party’s candidate) really represents my faith in the righteousness of Christ. I think this love affair of religion with politics is especially bad for the children, and by that I mean the children of the Living God. I honestly don’t care who wins the election, but I’m tired of seeing so-called Christians mindlessly following political party leaders as if they could (or should) be our shepherds. Personally, I am not looking to Washington–where people who are driven by their love of money attempt to make decisions to satisfy their own self-interests–to solve the problem of sin in our society. There is only one place to go for that, and that is Christ. People are sinners, and we live in a selfish, sinful society. That’s just the truth of the matter.  There are more people who love and hold on to their sins than to the promises of God and, my friends, I am afraid it has always been that way. I don’t imagine we are too different from the Israelites who, in their sins and selfishness, stoned the prophets, preferring instead people who told them things they want to hear with no regard for truth. Let us practice some discernment and distinguish between the voices we hear in the kingdom of men, and that which we hear from the Kingdom of God.

God is not going to save this nation through the election of a president. Isn’t it time we stopped acting like He will? God will continue to save His people by election as He so chooses through the person and divine revelation of His Son. This is the same manner He has always worked, and to believe that it is up to us (our vote, our effort, our involvement, or whatever) is to deny the absolute sovereignty of God.

A call to Christians–please take to heart the words of John:

Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. (1 John 2:15-17)

Jesus did not come to overthrow a government, but to establish a Kingdom no man-made system could ever touch or tarnish. Put your treasure there, and trust in Christ lest you continually disappoint yourself by the hopes of men.

Regardless of who you vote for, or who wins this election, I pray that this nation of ours would repent and look to Christ instead of corruptible men for leadership. I pray that we would ALL begin to honor and glorify God, to love Him with all of our hearts, all of our souls and all of our strength; and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. I pray that we would be doers of the Word, and not hearers only. That we would die to ourselves and live in Christ. And to stop looking to our government to either fix or blame for all our problems. Our government gives us some liberties we ought to value and protect. But it is overrun with the influence of those who love money, and the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. I pray that as individuals and as a society we will start to overcome that because I am afraid that we have become like the Israelites who, in their sin and their selfishness, stoned their prophets, turning instead to men who would tell them things they wanted to hear. I pray for repentance and I pray for forgiveness… for me, for you, and for our country. May the Lord hear these prayers as He directs His will in the affairs of men. In Jesus name, amen.

Peace & Blessings,
Simple Mann

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Book Lover - Words from Spurgeon

October 20, 2008 – 9:17 am

A quote from Charles Haddon Spurgeon, with whom I heartily concur:

“The man who never reads will never be read. He who never quotes will never be quoted. He who will not use the thoughts of other men’s brains, proves that he has no brains of his own. Brethren, what is true of ministers is true of all our people. You need to read…. My books are my tools. They also serve as my counsel, my consolation, and my comfort. They are my source of wisdom and the font of my education. They are my friends and my delights. They are my surety, when all else is awry, that I have set my confidence in the substantial things of truth and right.” (Charles Spurgeon)

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Quotes from Coates: Favour and Freedom

October 19, 2008 – 4:49 pm

I don’t know much about this fellow (C. A. Coates), but I read some of this reflection on Romans and thought this was a good thought worth sharing, especially in light of some of my meditations lately on providence and contentment, worldiness and godliness.  I thought his remarks on a Christian “flavouring” to the contemporary culture we live in (i.e., “the world”, as it is called in the Scriptures) were just as applicable to our American culture today as his own British culture when he wrote this (probably 75 or more years ago).

From C. A. Coates’ “Favour and Freedom”:

If our bodies are to be a “living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,” it is clear that there must be no working of the will of the flesh. The body must be held as dead towards sin, if it is to be a “living sacrifice” towards God. It must be held now as a holy vessel sanctified by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and dedicated to God absolutely. A sacrifice once presented could not be recalled. It became a “holy” thing which could no more be diverted to common uses. If a man regarded it as common he was cut off from his people. I have no doubt there is a moment when the Christian presents his body as a living sacrifice, and then he is responsible ever to regard it as being devoted to God. It is never more to be animated by the will and lusts of the flesh. It is never to be for self-gratification or vain-glory. It is to be for God.

And this is not to be a mere sentiment awakened by reading a book, or the passing impulse of religious fervour roused by a stirring address; it is the “intelligent service” of the Christian. It is the sober and deliberate action of spiritual intelligence energized by the Holy Spirit.

“And be not conformed to this world.” Let us dwell a moment upon this! This world [age] is in many respects more seductive now than in the days of the apostles. The whole course of things in Christendom, has to some extent, become coloured by Christianity. Certain ideas of propriety affect most people, more or less. This makes it very easy for believers to drop down to the level of things here without coming in contact with any gross form of evil which might affect their consciences. For example, people give a Christian flavouring to politics, or try to do so. But politics certainly belong to this age, and form perhaps one of its most prominent characteristics. There will be no politics, as we understand the term to-day, in the age to come, or in heaven.

Then again, think of religion. We live in a country where Christianity has a public and recognized place as forming part of what is right and proper in this age. No great state ceremonial would be complete apart from the presence of those who are supposed to represent Christianity, and to give its sanction to the proceedings. So that Christianity, instead of being quite apart from the course of this age, is looked upon as its crowning glory. But the Christian is not to be conformed to this age.

Take the ordinary social life of the world. It has its pleasing amiabilities, its many devices to pass smoothly the hours of leisure, its entertaining intelligence of everything that is done under the sun, and, it may be, a pinch of religious flavouring thrown in. But it all belongs to “this world,” to which the Christian is not to be conformed.

“But be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” The renewing of the mind is that gracious operation of God whereby saints become capable of entering intelligently into the apprehension of things which lie altogether outside this age. The Christian has a new kind of intelligent faculty by which he apprehends things that are outside the sphere of sight and the range of the senses. He becomes intelligent in the actings and ways of God, and familiar with that resurrection world which is the scene of “the wonderful works of God.”

The effect of apprehending these things is that the Christian is transformed; he comes out here in a new way, with new traits and characteristics. He thinks soberly of himself (v 3); he does not mind high things, but goes along with the lowly; he is not wise in his own conceit (v 16); he does not avenge himself, but overcomes evil with good (vv 19-21); he is subject to the powers that be (Rom 13:1-7); he puts on the Lord Jesus Christ, and makes no provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof (Rom 13:14); he bears the infirmities of the weak, and does not please himself (Rom 15:1). If we think of what we are naturally, this is indeed a wondrous transformation.

- C. A. Coates

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J.C. Philpot on Humiliation

October 17, 2008 – 2:24 pm

From the J.C. Philpot page on GraceGems:

Man’s religion & God’s religion

“That no flesh should glory in His presence.” 1 Cor. 1:29

Man’s religion is to build up the creature. God’s religion is to throw the creature down in the dust of self-abasement, and to glorify Christ.

A mystery to yourself

“I find then, the law that, to me, while I desire to do good, evil is present.” Romans 7:21

Are you not often a mystery to yourself? Warm one moment—cold the next! Abasing yourself one hour—exalting yourself the following! Loving the world, full of it, steeped up to your head in it today—crying, groaning, and sighing for a sweet manifestation of the love of God tomorrow! Brought down to nothingness, covered with shame and confusion, on your knees before you leave your room—filled with pride and self-importance before you have got down stairs! Despising the world, and willing to give it all up for one taste of the love of Jesus when in solitude—trying to grasp it with both hands when in business!

What a mystery are you! Touched by love—and stung with hatred! Possessing a little wisdom—and a great deal of folly! Earthly-minded—and yet having the affections in heaven! Pressing forward—and lagging behind! Full of sloth—and yet taking the kingdom with violence! And thus the Spirit, by a process which we may feel but cannot adequately describe—leads us into the mystery of the two natures perpetually struggling and striving against each other in the same bosom—so that one man cannot more differ from another, than the same man differs from himself.

But the mystery of the kingdom of heaven is this—that our carnal mind undergoes no alteration, but maintains a perpetual war with grace. And thus, the deeper we sink in self-abasement under a sense of our vileness, the higher we rise in a knowledge of Christ, and the blacker we are in our own view—the more lovely does Jesus appear.

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Identity Matters

October 17, 2008 – 11:29 am

A couple of weeks ago, I asked a question:

“Are you only as important as what you do?”

I think the correct answer to this question is both yes and no, and it really depends upon the lens through which one views it.

I know a lot of people find their sense of importance in their work, whether that be the particular work they do, the company they work for (or own), or some other organization they associate themselves with.  Introductions typically begin with someone stating their “position” or “title”, the organization they’re associated with, and/or their line of work as if this particular information defines them.  How often do we introduce ourselves to others by telling them what we do or what title someone else has bestowed upon us as if that somehow gives us some esteem?  This is not just true of secular society, either.  Many who work for the church (or for other civic institutions) seem to define their sense of importance in a very similar way.  But our “measure” of importance in the world and whatever “role” or “position” we may hold in it–to the eyes of men, including our own perception of ourselves–is all really quite meaningless.  In this regard, I think the answer to the question is a strong and emphatic “No!”

Our real sense of importance is realized only in our usefulness and obedience to God, for the purpose of His glory.  At least that’s how I see it.  Do you love Christ and cast your cares on Him?  Do you walk as He walked?  Do you love God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, all your strength?  Do you love your neighbor as yourself?  Do you carry your cross and deny yourself?  To the extent that you do these things, the answer is a resounding “Yes!“  In God’s eyes, you are only as important as what you do.  Not the things you do in the world of men, but in the Kingdom of God.

Your thoughts?

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