"I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. But in the
church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than
ten thousand words in a tongue." -I Corinthians 14: 18 - 19
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Humanism vs. the possible undisprovable
Humanism vs. the possible undisprovable
"Humanism is a democratic and ethical life stance, which affirms that human
beings have the right and responsibility to give meaning and shape to their
own lives. It stands for the building of a more humane society through an
ethic based on human and other natural values in the spirit of reason and
free inquiry through human capabilities. It is not theistic, and it does not
accept supernatural views of reality."
It is unwise to reject that which can not be disproven simply on the basis
it falls beyond the realm of experience. The medieval Church made this
mistake by insisting the earth was the center of the universe with no
documented support, religious or otherwise simply because the limits of
their contemporary observation techniques had thus far failed to render in
insight.
It is equally Nieve to discount the rich heritage, archeology, anthropology
and textual criticism that thus far has demonstrated that holy writ is at
the very least a honest attempt by reasonable people to faithfully convey
history. And given that axiom, the Bible does claim to be the Word of God.
From secular history, we know that the God of the Judeo Christian world has
since the dawn of civilization preserved a remnant for Himself through
repeated attempts to extinguish that faith system.
Since it is impossible to disprove the tenants of The Bible or Theism by
very nature, the possibility at least exists that God does indeed exist and
is generally as revealed in Scripture. Assuming that to be the case,
history has taught us that He does not take very kindly to secular attempts
to eliminate His people any more than He endorses corruption or hypocrisy
among those who call upon His name. Any movement or group seeking the
elimination of The Church would be wise to keep this possibility in mind.
While there is nothing wrong with using human efforts to improve the human
condition, why do so at the expense of the very human institution of
religion? Why disguise a philosophical beef as a substitute for genuine
altruistic motives? Why incur the anger of that which can not be disproven
and those who hold to faith therein? History has taught us that it is
unwise to do so.
But as for The Church, Many of the travails it now faces are largely due to
it's tendency to adulterate it's self to the profane and the humanistic in
an ungodly pursuit of mammon. The Church rightly ought to remain true to
that which it has been given, rather than to compromise to thos who desire
to tear it asunder. If the church can no longer be distinguished from the
world to which it is an emissary, wherein is it's value?
Let those who believe and those who do not believe both take heed.
"The leading cause of atheism today is Christians who claim Jesus Christ
with their mouths but deny him by their lifestyle. That is what an
unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable." -Carmen
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
On Prescriptions
On Prescriptions
"It would no doubt be a wonderful thing that evil should have any force of
its own, were it not that heresies are strong in those persons who are not
strong in faith. In a combat of boxers and gladiators, generally speaking,
it is not because a man is strong that he gains the victory, or loses it
because he is not strong, but because he
who is vanquished was a man of no strength; and indeed this very conqueror,
when afterwards matched against a really powerful man, actually retires
crest-fallen
from the contest. In precisely the same way, heresies derive such strength
as they have from the infirmities of individuals— having no strength
whenever they encounter a really powerful faith.
Weak People Fall an Easy Prey to Heresy, Which Derives Strength from
the General Frailty of Mankind. Eminent Men Have Fallen from Faith; Saul,
David, Solomon. The Constancy of Christ.
It is usual, indeed, with persons of a weaker character, to be so built up
(in confidence) by certain individuals who are caught by heresy, as to
topple over into ruin themselves. How comes it to pass, (they ask), that
this woman or that man, who were the most faithful, the most prudent, and
the most approved in the church, have gone over to the other side? Who that
asks such a question does not in fact reply to it himself, to the effect
that men whom heresies have been able to pervert ought never to have been
esteemed prudent, or faithful, or approved?
This again is, I suppose, an extraordinary thing, that one who has been
approved should afterwards fall back? Saul, who was good beyond all others,
is afterwards subverted by envy. David, a good man after the Lord's own
heart, 1 Samuel 13:14 is guilty afterwards of murder and adultery. 2 Samuel
11 Solomon, endowed by the Lord with all grace and wisdom, is led into
idolatry, by women. 1 Kings 11:4 For to the Son of God alone was it reserved
to persevere to the last without sin. But what if a bishop, if a deacon, if
a widow, if a virgin, if a doctor, if even a martyr, have fallen from the
rule (of faith), will heresies on that account appear to possess the truth?
Do we prove the faith by the persons, or the persons by the faith? No one is
wise, no one is faithful, no one excels in dignity, but the Christian; and
no one is a Christian but he who perseveres even to the end. Matthew
0:22" - Tertullian
As cited in previous writings, the decline of Christendom in general
particularly in the western world both continues and even accelerates at an
alarming rate in our age. During the days of the primordial church, this
or that sect might fall into unbiblical teaching and attract others to
follow. But in both Biblical and church history there have been those times
when the entire faith stood on the edge of collapse. While God has always
preserved His remnant1., it is frightening indeed to live in such times.
For the true follower of Christ finds him or her self in very small company
or standing alone.
Many among Church laity and clergy are starting to realize that modern
Christendom now rapidly approaches one such precipice. Like the Threat of
the Gnostic issue and the and the era of the great reformation, the Church
now deals with heresy on such a grand scale that the entire faith quivers
near extinction.
Story after story now elaborate on the pastor or church departing from the
institution not out of any personal failing or falling from faith, but
because the entire church has become so wanting of truth and practice that
any person found stolidly standing for Christ finds themselves ostracized.
One minister reported after his departure that the church had become a
bloated, hypocritical political institution that bore absolutely no
resemblance to what Christ intended. Another well trained layman found
himself facing condescending snickers and accusations of lacking
sophistication as he challenged a minister who actually taught a Sunday
school class that both sin and it's consequences did not exist. He was a
follower of Christ that found no place in church.
And even worse, since the church has in the past traditionally stood for the
cause of Christ and no longer does so, many individuals now reject Christ
along with the church under the assumption that one action necessitates the
other. As in the case of the Biblical church at Corinth, the faith has been
made a laughing stock because of the actions of those individuals that
remain in it's fold. The church is to admonish, teach and gently restore
the follower who has gone astray. But what is the Christian to do when the
entire church no longer follows Christ? What happens when a Christian is
actually ashamed to introduce his or her friend to the church? What happens
when the only defense a Christian can give is that "In Christ you will find
no cause to reject Christianity? Faith is based on Christ, who never
fails. But does that give the church card blanch to fail at a whim? The
church rightly ought to address the heretic for the good of the person. But
what is the Christian to do when an entire church, even the global church
has largely fallen into heresy?
Tertullian wrote a "prescription against heresy" to address the doctrinal
difficulties the church faced during it's early centuries. The prescription
included: 1. A Canon, a authoritative and definite list of those writings
considered Divinely inspired. 2. Creed, Precise statements of exactly what
Christianity teaches with references to those passages of Holy Writ which
support the statements. And 3. Episcopacy, or a well trained and thoroughly
screened church leadership.2. With this prescription in their back pocket,
the early church under the Grace of God managed to shrug off the various
little sects which later withered and died to march on through the millennia
and represent Christ faithfully to the world. But from time to time such
resets in orientation become essential.
It is at least possible now that the church is constrained not so much by an
occasional spurious teaching or sect. It is indeed likely that Christians
find themselves in a situation where their beliefs and convictions make them
unwelcome in church. That being the case, is it not time to at least give a
long, hard look at where the church in general has gone astray and at least
try to decide what must be done. The Bible teaches that the true followers
of Christ will be few indeed at all points. Well, what are those who follow
Christ to do with a church that only gives lip service to the gospel at
best?
1.
http://reformedtheologyinapplication.blogspot.com/2010/09/in-fullness-of-tim
e.html
2. http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0311.html
"It would no doubt be a wonderful thing that evil should have any force of
its own, were it not that heresies are strong in those persons who are not
strong in faith. In a combat of boxers and gladiators, generally speaking,
it is not because a man is strong that he gains the victory, or loses it
because he is not strong, but because he
who is vanquished was a man of no strength; and indeed this very conqueror,
when afterwards matched against a really powerful man, actually retires
crest-fallen
from the contest. In precisely the same way, heresies derive such strength
as they have from the infirmities of individuals— having no strength
whenever they encounter a really powerful faith.
Weak People Fall an Easy Prey to Heresy, Which Derives Strength from
the General Frailty of Mankind. Eminent Men Have Fallen from Faith; Saul,
David, Solomon. The Constancy of Christ.
It is usual, indeed, with persons of a weaker character, to be so built up
(in confidence) by certain individuals who are caught by heresy, as to
topple over into ruin themselves. How comes it to pass, (they ask), that
this woman or that man, who were the most faithful, the most prudent, and
the most approved in the church, have gone over to the other side? Who that
asks such a question does not in fact reply to it himself, to the effect
that men whom heresies have been able to pervert ought never to have been
esteemed prudent, or faithful, or approved?
This again is, I suppose, an extraordinary thing, that one who has been
approved should afterwards fall back? Saul, who was good beyond all others,
is afterwards subverted by envy. David, a good man after the Lord's own
heart, 1 Samuel 13:14 is guilty afterwards of murder and adultery. 2 Samuel
11 Solomon, endowed by the Lord with all grace and wisdom, is led into
idolatry, by women. 1 Kings 11:4 For to the Son of God alone was it reserved
to persevere to the last without sin. But what if a bishop, if a deacon, if
a widow, if a virgin, if a doctor, if even a martyr, have fallen from the
rule (of faith), will heresies on that account appear to possess the truth?
Do we prove the faith by the persons, or the persons by the faith? No one is
wise, no one is faithful, no one excels in dignity, but the Christian; and
no one is a Christian but he who perseveres even to the end. Matthew
0:22" - Tertullian
As cited in previous writings, the decline of Christendom in general
particularly in the western world both continues and even accelerates at an
alarming rate in our age. During the days of the primordial church, this
or that sect might fall into unbiblical teaching and attract others to
follow. But in both Biblical and church history there have been those times
when the entire faith stood on the edge of collapse. While God has always
preserved His remnant1., it is frightening indeed to live in such times.
For the true follower of Christ finds him or her self in very small company
or standing alone.
Many among Church laity and clergy are starting to realize that modern
Christendom now rapidly approaches one such precipice. Like the Threat of
the Gnostic issue and the and the era of the great reformation, the Church
now deals with heresy on such a grand scale that the entire faith quivers
near extinction.
Story after story now elaborate on the pastor or church departing from the
institution not out of any personal failing or falling from faith, but
because the entire church has become so wanting of truth and practice that
any person found stolidly standing for Christ finds themselves ostracized.
One minister reported after his departure that the church had become a
bloated, hypocritical political institution that bore absolutely no
resemblance to what Christ intended. Another well trained layman found
himself facing condescending snickers and accusations of lacking
sophistication as he challenged a minister who actually taught a Sunday
school class that both sin and it's consequences did not exist. He was a
follower of Christ that found no place in church.
And even worse, since the church has in the past traditionally stood for the
cause of Christ and no longer does so, many individuals now reject Christ
along with the church under the assumption that one action necessitates the
other. As in the case of the Biblical church at Corinth, the faith has been
made a laughing stock because of the actions of those individuals that
remain in it's fold. The church is to admonish, teach and gently restore
the follower who has gone astray. But what is the Christian to do when the
entire church no longer follows Christ? What happens when a Christian is
actually ashamed to introduce his or her friend to the church? What happens
when the only defense a Christian can give is that "In Christ you will find
no cause to reject Christianity? Faith is based on Christ, who never
fails. But does that give the church card blanch to fail at a whim? The
church rightly ought to address the heretic for the good of the person. But
what is the Christian to do when an entire church, even the global church
has largely fallen into heresy?
Tertullian wrote a "prescription against heresy" to address the doctrinal
difficulties the church faced during it's early centuries. The prescription
included: 1. A Canon, a authoritative and definite list of those writings
considered Divinely inspired. 2. Creed, Precise statements of exactly what
Christianity teaches with references to those passages of Holy Writ which
support the statements. And 3. Episcopacy, or a well trained and thoroughly
screened church leadership.2. With this prescription in their back pocket,
the early church under the Grace of God managed to shrug off the various
little sects which later withered and died to march on through the millennia
and represent Christ faithfully to the world. But from time to time such
resets in orientation become essential.
It is at least possible now that the church is constrained not so much by an
occasional spurious teaching or sect. It is indeed likely that Christians
find themselves in a situation where their beliefs and convictions make them
unwelcome in church. That being the case, is it not time to at least give a
long, hard look at where the church in general has gone astray and at least
try to decide what must be done. The Bible teaches that the true followers
of Christ will be few indeed at all points. Well, what are those who follow
Christ to do with a church that only gives lip service to the gospel at
best?
1.
http://reformedtheologyinapplication.blogspot.com/2010/09/in-fullness-of-tim
e.html
2. http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0311.html
Monday, September 27, 2010
The Art of the Unexplained: Tongues, Emotions, and Radical Pentecostalism
The Pentecostal charismatic movement is definitely part of modern
Christendom. Your powers of observation are without parallel. You just
described with a little tongue in cheek humor and brazen honesty the true
nature of the effervescent movement I believe now paralyzes the Christian
faith today. It has long been my opinion that shallow Christians invent
false spirituality, emotional pandering and doctrinal ambiguity. to assuage
their rather shallow faith.
I am not completely cognizant of why I agree with you so heartily. There
must be genuine Christians in these groups, of that I am sure. I know
several of them myself. But every one of them given an honest moment told
me that the emotionalism they expressed was a stylistic preference or a
personal reaction, not a response to any superior movement of God in their
midst. I have also found many such individuals doctrinally wanting. The
Bible clearly teaches in I Corinthians 14 that God prefers order (presbyter)
in worship offered to him. And he specifically states that the gift of
Tongues is to be used one at a time rather than all at once and then only a
couple of expressions at once. It also might be noted that this particular
gift died at the end of the apostolic era only to re appear around the
beginning of the last century.
I am also given to believe that these more special gifts are to re emerge
toward the end times at the behest of God Himself. I do remember from my
Christian infancy that having lacked proper training at the time, I was
given to seek the experiential to support my rather childish faith. As I
grew, I came to realize that faith in and of it's self is an act of the will
and not subject to traditional proof beyond that mentioned in Hebrews 11:1.
Then as I continued in my faith, I stumbled upon the remarkable teachings,
history, and practices of the Christian faith which demanded my attention
far more than any emotional stupor. I often wonder if some people thusly
disposed subconsciously attempt to assuage their guilty consciences because
they have decided not to practice true faith and thereby live by the even
more radical standards taught by Christ in passages like the Great White
Throne Judgment at the end of Matthew 25. But then again, who am I to call
the experience of another a fabrication just because I do not share that
experience.
I also suspect that though you and I approach life from two different
perspectives, we practice life in much the same way. Right is still right
and wrong is still wrong. Perhaps that is just part of the nature of
existence. Perhaps God placed it in the nature of existence. But I do
think a genuine, well thought out morality or ethic is best based on
rationality and documentation rather than emotional putrescence. I also
suppose this morality or ethic might come from social conventions backed up
with a little Darwinism. But on the other hand, it could also be extracted
from some pre exist and founding document like a constitution or a.. ahem..
well, let's not go there. Remember that every generalization is false,
including this one.
1.
http://theartoftheunexplained.blogspot.com/2010/09/tongues-emotions-and-radi
cal.html
Christendom. Your powers of observation are without parallel. You just
described with a little tongue in cheek humor and brazen honesty the true
nature of the effervescent movement I believe now paralyzes the Christian
faith today. It has long been my opinion that shallow Christians invent
false spirituality, emotional pandering and doctrinal ambiguity. to assuage
their rather shallow faith.
I am not completely cognizant of why I agree with you so heartily. There
must be genuine Christians in these groups, of that I am sure. I know
several of them myself. But every one of them given an honest moment told
me that the emotionalism they expressed was a stylistic preference or a
personal reaction, not a response to any superior movement of God in their
midst. I have also found many such individuals doctrinally wanting. The
Bible clearly teaches in I Corinthians 14 that God prefers order (presbyter)
in worship offered to him. And he specifically states that the gift of
Tongues is to be used one at a time rather than all at once and then only a
couple of expressions at once. It also might be noted that this particular
gift died at the end of the apostolic era only to re appear around the
beginning of the last century.
I am also given to believe that these more special gifts are to re emerge
toward the end times at the behest of God Himself. I do remember from my
Christian infancy that having lacked proper training at the time, I was
given to seek the experiential to support my rather childish faith. As I
grew, I came to realize that faith in and of it's self is an act of the will
and not subject to traditional proof beyond that mentioned in Hebrews 11:1.
Then as I continued in my faith, I stumbled upon the remarkable teachings,
history, and practices of the Christian faith which demanded my attention
far more than any emotional stupor. I often wonder if some people thusly
disposed subconsciously attempt to assuage their guilty consciences because
they have decided not to practice true faith and thereby live by the even
more radical standards taught by Christ in passages like the Great White
Throne Judgment at the end of Matthew 25. But then again, who am I to call
the experience of another a fabrication just because I do not share that
experience.
I also suspect that though you and I approach life from two different
perspectives, we practice life in much the same way. Right is still right
and wrong is still wrong. Perhaps that is just part of the nature of
existence. Perhaps God placed it in the nature of existence. But I do
think a genuine, well thought out morality or ethic is best based on
rationality and documentation rather than emotional putrescence. I also
suppose this morality or ethic might come from social conventions backed up
with a little Darwinism. But on the other hand, it could also be extracted
from some pre exist and founding document like a constitution or a.. ahem..
well, let's not go there. Remember that every generalization is false,
including this one.
1.
http://theartoftheunexplained.blogspot.com/2010/09/tongues-emotions-and-radi
cal.html
on your move to orthodoxy
ON YOUR MOVE TO ORTHODOXY
* I too was sought out and saved by the Grace of God near the end of the
twentieth century, just a few months prior to your own conversion. And as
one of my best and longest standing friends, I do not need to elaborate on
the hellish secular life from which the Gospel extracted me. I was but a
babe in Christ when we met, but my bookish nature had already allowed me to
generally pull ahead of others in my faith and even lead a few friends to
faith in Christ. In terms of my personality, you are also painfully aware
that Christ had a massive repair list on His hands when He brought me into
the fold. That work is ongoing three decades later.
* If you will recall, I had labeled the "evangelical" movement of the mid
eighties as the "effervescent movement and generally held it's minions in a
fairly unbiblical but justified contempt. The faith taught me in my
Biblical education was strictly based on scripture, antiquities, and
history. The element of faith was always the necessary mark of the follower
of Christ, but that faith was based on a rational assent. I found the
emotional goo presented to me as spirituality wanting in intellect, sense
and good hygiene.
* I also quickly concluded that God would not let fourteen centuries of
humanity burn with no recourse and chose rather to justifiably conclude that
God had always preserved his remnant from the dawn of time as illustrated in
the Bible. Just today the last remnants of dispensationalism were
effectively blown out of existence in my eschatological thinking. At the
very same time I strikingly found that I was held in genuine respect, which
is a rare phenomena in my life.
* My parents had held me in absolute contempt via their own addictions,
neurosis and bigotry. A disabled child with any value other than slave
labor and a target for abuse found no home in their cognition. Christ used
the gaping emptiness in my life to bring me into a Church that though
declining at the time was still fairly Biblical. And under the ministry of
a kindly elderly woman who coached the quiz team combined with some
literature, salvation came. But I had originally been attracted to that
Church because it was the only place my platitude of ghastly emotional
conundrums might find acceptance. The people held me as a contemptible
inferior out of their over bloated self esteem and I knew it.
* But in college I found true respect and spiritual growth in the teaching
of genuine Christian scholars I hold as among the most godly and humble I
have yet known. More importantly, the Church I became involved in possessed
the biblical aptitude and intelligence to overlook my emotional and social
maladies and find a young man who exuded passion for the cause of Christ. I
was accepted, loved and welcome into the homes of those people. For the
first time in my life outside of the chess club and the workplace I
belonged. And that Church at the time was steeped in traditional worship,
liturgy and high church hymns sufficient to make many a catholic or orthodox
comfortable. I fell in love with that style of worship and seek it out to
this day. It is home.
* My Graduate School experience allowed for even further growth in the
reformed tradition as I attended such a ministry as well. But when my
Father's death forced me home to care for my ailing mother, I made the
mistake of following a friend to a church that repeatedly showed contempt
for my physical limitations. Being a Bible college graduate as I was and
being convinced I could change the world, I signed up where I did not
belong. As a youth worker, I had promised myself that If I ever started in
that field, I would see the younglings through from middle to high school
graduation. I knew all too well the pain caused by the short tenures of
youth workers and had sworn not to follow that example.
* The next church I attended apparently wanted me there to be a token
"blind man" or something along those lines. My role was restricted to
attendance, answering questions about disability and putting money from my
meager resources in the plate. I thought I was happy because the church had
the traditional hymns and liturgy I liked and some fairly solid teaching
from an old interim pastor at the time. But as time went on, I was expected
to simply attend more and more meetings with no opportunity for ministry.
All too often I was taunted with the wealth and social standing of the
members, yet told not to turn to the church in need. I learned to dress
sharply, thinking these rich "Christians" would offer work, but discovered
that assumption invalid as well.
* So there the quandary surfaced. Every church I attended outside of my
home town embraced me warmly and every church in my home town looked down on
me for my social inadequacies, poverty or disability. It must be a regional
problem, right? Wrong. Now do not misunderstand my dyspepsia for a lack of
gratitude for all those years. I became a man at the hands of some rather
intolerant taskmasters. I stuck my ministry out at a church where the
pastor told me to keep my blind hands off the photocopier, an elder told me
"blind people can not work" and the church board insisted they would "hire
someone who can see" rather than place me on the payroll. And from that
youth group I made life long friends.. I met five of my six godchildren at
that church. And those people who befriended me and then departed early in
my tinnier remain loyal to this day. Implausibly, they possessed more
sense than I. And then several moved out of town for career purposes.
* The key is this. I sought belonging when I should have sought the Bible.
The church I spent the past three Sundays at genuinely respects me. And the
high church hymns and liturgy are there. They would probably call
themselves evangelical and they would be accurate in that claim.
Unfortunately, the very term "evangelical" has been soiled by the hypocrisy
and shallow approach to scripture common to the seeker sensitive movement.
And that movement has also unfortunately associated itself with contemporary
worship and political activism. The traditional worship of the ancient
church rubbed off on the first churches during the great reformation and
remains active in very isolated locations in the protestant evangelical
movement today. Protestant churches where the Bible is still taught do
exist and at least some of them have reverted to, or perhaps never left the
traditional style of worship. Whether through action or intent, this fact
allows them to distinguish themselves from the pagan secularism of the
shallow and rapidly failing seeker contemporary movement. A Biblical
"evangelical" protestant church more closely resembles the catholic or the
orthodox than it does the main line and seeker friendly protestant churches.
* The defining test for a Biblical Church is the extent to which it
complies in teaching and practice to the Bible and the millennia old creeds
and confessions the rich history of the Church as a whole offers. The
protestant reformation had a reforming effect on the catholic and orthodox
as well. When the protestant apostates fall to the very hypocrisy from
whence they sprouted, perhaps a reformed catholic and orthodox will rise and
take the place in the world of Christendom occupied by the fluff of the
seeker friendly country clubs. I only hope that the rich theology and
history generated in the first four centuries of the protestant movement is
preserved. I do not believe God will long suffer the tendency of the
effervescent seeker sensitive movement to excuse their own hypocrisy. So
hold in there. Christ is risen. He is risen indeed!
* I too was sought out and saved by the Grace of God near the end of the
twentieth century, just a few months prior to your own conversion. And as
one of my best and longest standing friends, I do not need to elaborate on
the hellish secular life from which the Gospel extracted me. I was but a
babe in Christ when we met, but my bookish nature had already allowed me to
generally pull ahead of others in my faith and even lead a few friends to
faith in Christ. In terms of my personality, you are also painfully aware
that Christ had a massive repair list on His hands when He brought me into
the fold. That work is ongoing three decades later.
* If you will recall, I had labeled the "evangelical" movement of the mid
eighties as the "effervescent movement and generally held it's minions in a
fairly unbiblical but justified contempt. The faith taught me in my
Biblical education was strictly based on scripture, antiquities, and
history. The element of faith was always the necessary mark of the follower
of Christ, but that faith was based on a rational assent. I found the
emotional goo presented to me as spirituality wanting in intellect, sense
and good hygiene.
* I also quickly concluded that God would not let fourteen centuries of
humanity burn with no recourse and chose rather to justifiably conclude that
God had always preserved his remnant from the dawn of time as illustrated in
the Bible. Just today the last remnants of dispensationalism were
effectively blown out of existence in my eschatological thinking. At the
very same time I strikingly found that I was held in genuine respect, which
is a rare phenomena in my life.
* My parents had held me in absolute contempt via their own addictions,
neurosis and bigotry. A disabled child with any value other than slave
labor and a target for abuse found no home in their cognition. Christ used
the gaping emptiness in my life to bring me into a Church that though
declining at the time was still fairly Biblical. And under the ministry of
a kindly elderly woman who coached the quiz team combined with some
literature, salvation came. But I had originally been attracted to that
Church because it was the only place my platitude of ghastly emotional
conundrums might find acceptance. The people held me as a contemptible
inferior out of their over bloated self esteem and I knew it.
* But in college I found true respect and spiritual growth in the teaching
of genuine Christian scholars I hold as among the most godly and humble I
have yet known. More importantly, the Church I became involved in possessed
the biblical aptitude and intelligence to overlook my emotional and social
maladies and find a young man who exuded passion for the cause of Christ. I
was accepted, loved and welcome into the homes of those people. For the
first time in my life outside of the chess club and the workplace I
belonged. And that Church at the time was steeped in traditional worship,
liturgy and high church hymns sufficient to make many a catholic or orthodox
comfortable. I fell in love with that style of worship and seek it out to
this day. It is home.
* My Graduate School experience allowed for even further growth in the
reformed tradition as I attended such a ministry as well. But when my
Father's death forced me home to care for my ailing mother, I made the
mistake of following a friend to a church that repeatedly showed contempt
for my physical limitations. Being a Bible college graduate as I was and
being convinced I could change the world, I signed up where I did not
belong. As a youth worker, I had promised myself that If I ever started in
that field, I would see the younglings through from middle to high school
graduation. I knew all too well the pain caused by the short tenures of
youth workers and had sworn not to follow that example.
* The next church I attended apparently wanted me there to be a token
"blind man" or something along those lines. My role was restricted to
attendance, answering questions about disability and putting money from my
meager resources in the plate. I thought I was happy because the church had
the traditional hymns and liturgy I liked and some fairly solid teaching
from an old interim pastor at the time. But as time went on, I was expected
to simply attend more and more meetings with no opportunity for ministry.
All too often I was taunted with the wealth and social standing of the
members, yet told not to turn to the church in need. I learned to dress
sharply, thinking these rich "Christians" would offer work, but discovered
that assumption invalid as well.
* So there the quandary surfaced. Every church I attended outside of my
home town embraced me warmly and every church in my home town looked down on
me for my social inadequacies, poverty or disability. It must be a regional
problem, right? Wrong. Now do not misunderstand my dyspepsia for a lack of
gratitude for all those years. I became a man at the hands of some rather
intolerant taskmasters. I stuck my ministry out at a church where the
pastor told me to keep my blind hands off the photocopier, an elder told me
"blind people can not work" and the church board insisted they would "hire
someone who can see" rather than place me on the payroll. And from that
youth group I made life long friends.. I met five of my six godchildren at
that church. And those people who befriended me and then departed early in
my tinnier remain loyal to this day. Implausibly, they possessed more
sense than I. And then several moved out of town for career purposes.
* The key is this. I sought belonging when I should have sought the Bible.
The church I spent the past three Sundays at genuinely respects me. And the
high church hymns and liturgy are there. They would probably call
themselves evangelical and they would be accurate in that claim.
Unfortunately, the very term "evangelical" has been soiled by the hypocrisy
and shallow approach to scripture common to the seeker sensitive movement.
And that movement has also unfortunately associated itself with contemporary
worship and political activism. The traditional worship of the ancient
church rubbed off on the first churches during the great reformation and
remains active in very isolated locations in the protestant evangelical
movement today. Protestant churches where the Bible is still taught do
exist and at least some of them have reverted to, or perhaps never left the
traditional style of worship. Whether through action or intent, this fact
allows them to distinguish themselves from the pagan secularism of the
shallow and rapidly failing seeker contemporary movement. A Biblical
"evangelical" protestant church more closely resembles the catholic or the
orthodox than it does the main line and seeker friendly protestant churches.
* The defining test for a Biblical Church is the extent to which it
complies in teaching and practice to the Bible and the millennia old creeds
and confessions the rich history of the Church as a whole offers. The
protestant reformation had a reforming effect on the catholic and orthodox
as well. When the protestant apostates fall to the very hypocrisy from
whence they sprouted, perhaps a reformed catholic and orthodox will rise and
take the place in the world of Christendom occupied by the fluff of the
seeker friendly country clubs. I only hope that the rich theology and
history generated in the first four centuries of the protestant movement is
preserved. I do not believe God will long suffer the tendency of the
effervescent seeker sensitive movement to excuse their own hypocrisy. So
hold in there. Christ is risen. He is risen indeed!
A Good Policy
A good policy
Dear Mike,
It is not a matter of a single individual or comment. Were I that
sensitive, I would already be gone. Our society, including unfortunately
most Christians are generally simply unable to accept others with major
physical flaws.
Being the historian you are, you will remember the tendency of primitive
societies including the United States through the nineteenth century, to
expose those demonstrated or believed to be of no material value to the
society. Hence, the concept of being "thrown to the wolves". The Church is
no different. Most people are terrified of the dark glasses and white cane.
The blind man allows one or two minor infractions without response and
continues. When the crowd realizes that no consequence follows such
behavior it becomes time to pile on. SEMC did this through more and more
brazen insults, then told me "you wore people out by asking for help".
SPC did so through accusing me of being "too dependant" and "asking for to
much transportation". Some became so hostile as to flat out tell the blind
guy not to ask them for a ride to Church or to only call them as a last
resort. And hence my policy of never asking for transportation, but waiting
until it is offered. That makes more sense anyway. When a blind guy asks
for help, that is a very humiliating experience. And if the other party
says no and is of any character whatsoever, they will feel terrible about
it. It is better to simply wait until the charity is offered, then accept
it or decline it if a mitigating factor is involved.
It is my belief that the Bible teaches against this human tendency to throw
those less able to the wolves. So a sufficiently Biblical Church, friend or
family member will check on the disabled loved one from time to time. Thus
far, the current Church has followed through. If they want me there, they
will call. The days of begging are over.
I know Christ will always accept me. That and my love for some very special
godchildren and long held friends has kept me alive for all these years.
What the followers of Christ do is up to them. I will show up at Church
every time I can. But I will never beg.
Warren
Warren,
Sometime in the future this church too will fail you in some way.
Whether by slight or insult, incorrect doctrine, or perhaps just some
comment by a parishioner in the hallway. Don't forget that this is
coming. It's not the church which is key to your acceptance, rather it
is Christ who accepts you. He does so, wholly and immediately. It is
that which is the only thing which matters. It is this knowledge which
should and will allow you to simply shrug off the inevitable. Warren,
remember this. God's church is full of yet to be perfected saints.
Nevertheless it is still His church. You too must learn to accept his
people, blemishes and all.
Mike
Dear Friends,
Thank God Almighty for Anchor Baptist Church of Lexington. It has been
at least a decade since I have heard the Gospel of Christ delivered so
eloquently, so precisely and so powerfully from a pulpit. And thank God
for the college student who alone insisted on taking me to a Church where I
believed there was hope. All these years I had mistakenly sought a
church that would accept me. I now know to always seek out the proper
teaching
of the Word of God.
Warren
Dear Mike,
It is not a matter of a single individual or comment. Were I that
sensitive, I would already be gone. Our society, including unfortunately
most Christians are generally simply unable to accept others with major
physical flaws.
Being the historian you are, you will remember the tendency of primitive
societies including the United States through the nineteenth century, to
expose those demonstrated or believed to be of no material value to the
society. Hence, the concept of being "thrown to the wolves". The Church is
no different. Most people are terrified of the dark glasses and white cane.
The blind man allows one or two minor infractions without response and
continues. When the crowd realizes that no consequence follows such
behavior it becomes time to pile on. SEMC did this through more and more
brazen insults, then told me "you wore people out by asking for help".
SPC did so through accusing me of being "too dependant" and "asking for to
much transportation". Some became so hostile as to flat out tell the blind
guy not to ask them for a ride to Church or to only call them as a last
resort. And hence my policy of never asking for transportation, but waiting
until it is offered. That makes more sense anyway. When a blind guy asks
for help, that is a very humiliating experience. And if the other party
says no and is of any character whatsoever, they will feel terrible about
it. It is better to simply wait until the charity is offered, then accept
it or decline it if a mitigating factor is involved.
It is my belief that the Bible teaches against this human tendency to throw
those less able to the wolves. So a sufficiently Biblical Church, friend or
family member will check on the disabled loved one from time to time. Thus
far, the current Church has followed through. If they want me there, they
will call. The days of begging are over.
I know Christ will always accept me. That and my love for some very special
godchildren and long held friends has kept me alive for all these years.
What the followers of Christ do is up to them. I will show up at Church
every time I can. But I will never beg.
Warren
Warren,
Sometime in the future this church too will fail you in some way.
Whether by slight or insult, incorrect doctrine, or perhaps just some
comment by a parishioner in the hallway. Don't forget that this is
coming. It's not the church which is key to your acceptance, rather it
is Christ who accepts you. He does so, wholly and immediately. It is
that which is the only thing which matters. It is this knowledge which
should and will allow you to simply shrug off the inevitable. Warren,
remember this. God's church is full of yet to be perfected saints.
Nevertheless it is still His church. You too must learn to accept his
people, blemishes and all.
Mike
Dear Friends,
Thank God Almighty for Anchor Baptist Church of Lexington. It has been
at least a decade since I have heard the Gospel of Christ delivered so
eloquently, so precisely and so powerfully from a pulpit. And thank God
for the college student who alone insisted on taking me to a Church where I
believed there was hope. All these years I had mistakenly sought a
church that would accept me. I now know to always seek out the proper
teaching
of the Word of God.
Warren
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Disclaimer and Hope
Disclaimer and Hope
Thus far in this forum I have lamented the woe begotten condition of modern
western Christianity. While I continue in my assertion that the "church"
largely has it's back against the wall as a consequence of it's slavery to
money, attendance numbers and secular social standards, I now realize hope
exists after all. While at least some standard must exist for a "church" to
claim any more than status as a country club, churches still exist that
meet that minimum standard. And today, I attended one Church in particular
that exceeded those minimum standards by so many orders of magnitude as to
be beyond proper description.
At Anchor Baptist Church of Lexington 1., I have been delighted by
Christian Education on a level I thought no longer existed. I have
encountered believers who invite blind people to Church rather than forcing
them to beg and then turn right around and feed them a meal fit for a king.
The worship was thoroughly Biblical, traditional without being tradition or
traditionalism.2. And the sermon delivered from the pulpit was among the
most mighty I have heard in my three decades with Christ. Based largely on
the book of Amos and the story of Lazarus and the beggar taught by Christ,
the lesson undoubtedly convinced any unbelieving soul in the building to
follow Christ. At the same time, any Christian with even an ounce of
Biblical aptitude was thoroughly convicted that they should never turn their
back on a fellow human being in need again. Amen and amen. Excelsior;
Ever higher Anchor Baptist.
1. http://www.anchorlexky.org
2. Pelikan, Jarasov: History of Christian Doctrine Volume 1.
Thus far in this forum I have lamented the woe begotten condition of modern
western Christianity. While I continue in my assertion that the "church"
largely has it's back against the wall as a consequence of it's slavery to
money, attendance numbers and secular social standards, I now realize hope
exists after all. While at least some standard must exist for a "church" to
claim any more than status as a country club, churches still exist that
meet that minimum standard. And today, I attended one Church in particular
that exceeded those minimum standards by so many orders of magnitude as to
be beyond proper description.
At Anchor Baptist Church of Lexington 1., I have been delighted by
Christian Education on a level I thought no longer existed. I have
encountered believers who invite blind people to Church rather than forcing
them to beg and then turn right around and feed them a meal fit for a king.
The worship was thoroughly Biblical, traditional without being tradition or
traditionalism.2. And the sermon delivered from the pulpit was among the
most mighty I have heard in my three decades with Christ. Based largely on
the book of Amos and the story of Lazarus and the beggar taught by Christ,
the lesson undoubtedly convinced any unbelieving soul in the building to
follow Christ. At the same time, any Christian with even an ounce of
Biblical aptitude was thoroughly convicted that they should never turn their
back on a fellow human being in need again. Amen and amen. Excelsior;
Ever higher Anchor Baptist.
1. http://www.anchorlexky.org
2. Pelikan, Jarasov: History of Christian Doctrine Volume 1.
Friday, September 24, 2010
TULIP IN THE GARDEN
THERE IS A TULIP IN THE GARDEN
I can personally testify that as conservative reformed Christians, we love
our high theology. When my mind wanders back over the three decades I have
walked with Christ, I can remember "how precious did that Grace appear the
hour I first believed"1. The mind can then wander on to discussions with
high school friends from church with pizza in hand and Bibles open to
relevant passages over the finer points made during a Sunday school lesson
or Bible quiz meet. Can one lose one's salvation? If God is sovereign,
how?" and "Why do you want out so badly anyway?" "You don't suppose the
pastor is using the fear of hell to extort money out of Christians, do you?"
Then the ones of us who took matters more seriously moved on to Bible
college and seminary. The points became even finer. How does the aorist
tense in Greek effect the great commission in Matthew 28? How in the world
can a man as intelligent as Bultman come up with this "de mythologizing"2.
stuff and still call the Bible the Word of God? How in the world can the
speaker in chapel conclude from Scripture that every believer is required to
re locate in the course of Christian ministry? On and on the memories
march. It was as fun as it was constructive.
But then there comes a time in the life of some conservative reformed
Christians that the particulars of the belief system we call the TULIP
becomes comfortable. Reformed theologians believe it with all their heart,
for if they did not, they would not have come to know it so well. It fits.
And it works. One's salvation is absolutely secure because it is based
solely on the benevolence of The Almighty God we have grown to love so much
and the knowledge that things are as they should be. We surrender to Him
and are grateful beyond bounds for what He has given. We know peace.
For the benefit of the reader, "TULIP" is an acronym for the five points of
Calvinism, the belief system that that succinctly states the distinctives of
reformed theology. The five points of Calvinism are; Total depravity:
People are unable to do anything morally good outside the Grace of God.,
Unconditional election: God decides who His followers are by His own
prerogatives., Limited atonement: Though the sacrifice of Christ is
sufficient to save all of mankind, it only saves those who follow Christ.,
Irresistible Grace: The call of God to those He has chosen can not be
resisted. And Perseverance of the Saints: Christians need not fear losing
their salvation, for it is based on the Grace and decision of God. People
who believe these five points with all their hearts, including myself, tend
to call themselves conservative reformed Christians. The debate over these
points has raged since the earliest days of Christendom and will probably
not end until the return of Christ Himself. Debating these points is not
the intention of this paper.
The problem more conservative reformed Christians face is not gaining some
edge over opposing theological and philosophical viewpoints, but a failure
on their part and on the part of the church as a whole to successfully
reproduce themselves. Anybody who has walked with Christ in the United
States for a lengthy time starting in their youth can in retrospect notice
the change. Do we remember debating the finer points of theology in our
youth? The youth of today report they have never even heard of them. Did
we memorize entire passages of The Bible in our youth and the Heidelberg
Catechism? Find someone converted in the last twenty years who claims that.
What roles did Augustine, Luther and Calvin play in Church history? Find
someone who knows. What is Palagianism and why do those stuffy old
theologians speak of it as though it is an infection? And why in the world
does it matter anyway. The kids in the youth group, the young adults and
the ladies prayer circle say "I love Jesus, He loves me and that is all that
matters." Is that right? And even if they are not right in the limited
belief system they hold, why does it matter anyway? After all, attendance
is high, the new sanctuary is nearly complete and our last sermon convinced
every last one of them that it would be great if everybody could be nice for
a change.3.
As stated in a previous paper, our current age of "easy Believism" has so
firmly taken hold in the church throughout the developed world that church
buildings are filled to the gun ports with people who have a saving knowlage
of the work of Christ at best and usually much worse. And if pastors and
other church leaders are even able to understand what this paper is talking
about, they dare not teach or preach anything beyond the milk toast they now
offer out of fear some portion of the audience might find the message
uncomfortable and compromise the financial condition of the "church". Even
worse, as the nominal "Christians" fall away, the declining numbers will
make the ministry look less effectual.
So without even once hearing the uncomfortable truth that they are sinners
just like us, That their sins have been cleansed by the Blood of Christ and
that to attain a relationship with God they must surrender both themselves
and their lives to the Lordship of Christ as well as believing in Jesus and
accepting the forgiveness He alone offers, having benefited themselves
absolutely nothing, they leave much less likely to attend again. When
they do get bored, disgruntled and dissatisfied with the mundane or even
worse die and thereby leave, they do so having not once had the Gospel of
Christ reach their ear drums. 4.
It would have been much better to preach the Word of God and lost the
numbers and money so craved by churches today than have failed to preach the
Gospel and have lost far more souls in the process. During the apostolic
era and even until the last century, pastors typically equipped believers to
go out and bring people to Christ, THEN introduce them to the church. But
now the only person who even vocalizes the Gospel or even has that ability
is the person behind the pulpit and God only knows why that person decides
not to. Gone are the days when the kid in the youth group introduced his
newly believing friend to the Youth Group or a absolutely radiant old lady
brought her neighbor to the pastor to ask about baptism and a Bible study
because she had just watched that friend pray the sinners prayer. No, The
churches are bigger than they ever were, and the number of believers is much
smaller because we are unable to accept the fact that "many are called, and
few chosen." 5. We have successfully moved from having hundreds of
Christians in little cramped buildings to having far fewer, weaker
Christians sitting in gigantic worldly assemblies that might as well be a
basketball game for all they achieve.
Given the situation as it presents it's self, it is time indeed for a
change. We need to accept the fact that the "seeker sensitive" approach was
flawed from it's very inception. If "no one seeks after God.", as the
Bible teaches, then God must be removed from the Church to make it appealing
to the seeker. Has that concept ever appeared in a seminary class or board
room? Should we tone down the message to get the person in the building,
then spring the Gospel on them? Well, that line of thinking has caught the
"church", if we can call it that in quite literally one hell of a rut. The
seeker friendly "church" is now so dependant on it's numbers that it can no
longer afford to preach christ Crucified, much less disciple the clueless
masses who succor on the offered pabulum as though it were a spiritual
opiate.
If the Church is to survive as a distinguishable movement, it must find in
it's enormous corridors a few souls familiar enough with Scripture and the
matters of the Kingdom of God and send those people out to at least offer
Christ to a lost and dying world. And if the church lacks even the ability
to accomplish even that, then those believers thusly equipped need to seize
the initiative themselves, get out of the library and start talking about
the Bible and their Savior a little more at work, the coffee shop and around
the neighborhood. And having done so, should the "church" think of them and
the excited new converts they introduce as oddballs or extremists as they
very well might 7., then perhaps the remnant Christ has preserved for
Himself is confined for the time being to the house church and Bible study
movement. But be assured that Christ will not allow the flame of His Gospel
to be quenched. We have our theology down just fine. That is just great.
Oh that others could have what we do. That is not stated sarcastically. It
is time, long time, for us to move. Our Bibles teach us that those who
follow God are few in number. That number will grow smaller yet as the end
times approach. We also know that Justification is an Act of God from His
judgment seat. But our knowlage does not authorize us to sit idly by as
those we love perish in flames. The doctrines we hold so dear should and
must motivate us to action. We also have the great commission to obey. And
we share so much in common with other branches of Christendom that what
remains of our earthly existence must be busy indeed. Please, let us
persevere to the end.
1. Amazing Grace; traditional hymn
2. Rudolph Bultman; "Jesus Christ and Mythology"
3. Douglas Adams: "The Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy."
4. Dr. Albert Mohler unpublished sermon. National Reformed Conference
ca. 2006
5. St. Matthew: Matthew 22:14
6. The Apostle Paul: Romans 3:11 Se also: Psalm 14: 1-3
7. A.W. Tozier "Born After Midnight"
I can personally testify that as conservative reformed Christians, we love
our high theology. When my mind wanders back over the three decades I have
walked with Christ, I can remember "how precious did that Grace appear the
hour I first believed"1. The mind can then wander on to discussions with
high school friends from church with pizza in hand and Bibles open to
relevant passages over the finer points made during a Sunday school lesson
or Bible quiz meet. Can one lose one's salvation? If God is sovereign,
how?" and "Why do you want out so badly anyway?" "You don't suppose the
pastor is using the fear of hell to extort money out of Christians, do you?"
Then the ones of us who took matters more seriously moved on to Bible
college and seminary. The points became even finer. How does the aorist
tense in Greek effect the great commission in Matthew 28? How in the world
can a man as intelligent as Bultman come up with this "de mythologizing"2.
stuff and still call the Bible the Word of God? How in the world can the
speaker in chapel conclude from Scripture that every believer is required to
re locate in the course of Christian ministry? On and on the memories
march. It was as fun as it was constructive.
But then there comes a time in the life of some conservative reformed
Christians that the particulars of the belief system we call the TULIP
becomes comfortable. Reformed theologians believe it with all their heart,
for if they did not, they would not have come to know it so well. It fits.
And it works. One's salvation is absolutely secure because it is based
solely on the benevolence of The Almighty God we have grown to love so much
and the knowledge that things are as they should be. We surrender to Him
and are grateful beyond bounds for what He has given. We know peace.
For the benefit of the reader, "TULIP" is an acronym for the five points of
Calvinism, the belief system that that succinctly states the distinctives of
reformed theology. The five points of Calvinism are; Total depravity:
People are unable to do anything morally good outside the Grace of God.,
Unconditional election: God decides who His followers are by His own
prerogatives., Limited atonement: Though the sacrifice of Christ is
sufficient to save all of mankind, it only saves those who follow Christ.,
Irresistible Grace: The call of God to those He has chosen can not be
resisted. And Perseverance of the Saints: Christians need not fear losing
their salvation, for it is based on the Grace and decision of God. People
who believe these five points with all their hearts, including myself, tend
to call themselves conservative reformed Christians. The debate over these
points has raged since the earliest days of Christendom and will probably
not end until the return of Christ Himself. Debating these points is not
the intention of this paper.
The problem more conservative reformed Christians face is not gaining some
edge over opposing theological and philosophical viewpoints, but a failure
on their part and on the part of the church as a whole to successfully
reproduce themselves. Anybody who has walked with Christ in the United
States for a lengthy time starting in their youth can in retrospect notice
the change. Do we remember debating the finer points of theology in our
youth? The youth of today report they have never even heard of them. Did
we memorize entire passages of The Bible in our youth and the Heidelberg
Catechism? Find someone converted in the last twenty years who claims that.
What roles did Augustine, Luther and Calvin play in Church history? Find
someone who knows. What is Palagianism and why do those stuffy old
theologians speak of it as though it is an infection? And why in the world
does it matter anyway. The kids in the youth group, the young adults and
the ladies prayer circle say "I love Jesus, He loves me and that is all that
matters." Is that right? And even if they are not right in the limited
belief system they hold, why does it matter anyway? After all, attendance
is high, the new sanctuary is nearly complete and our last sermon convinced
every last one of them that it would be great if everybody could be nice for
a change.3.
As stated in a previous paper, our current age of "easy Believism" has so
firmly taken hold in the church throughout the developed world that church
buildings are filled to the gun ports with people who have a saving knowlage
of the work of Christ at best and usually much worse. And if pastors and
other church leaders are even able to understand what this paper is talking
about, they dare not teach or preach anything beyond the milk toast they now
offer out of fear some portion of the audience might find the message
uncomfortable and compromise the financial condition of the "church". Even
worse, as the nominal "Christians" fall away, the declining numbers will
make the ministry look less effectual.
So without even once hearing the uncomfortable truth that they are sinners
just like us, That their sins have been cleansed by the Blood of Christ and
that to attain a relationship with God they must surrender both themselves
and their lives to the Lordship of Christ as well as believing in Jesus and
accepting the forgiveness He alone offers, having benefited themselves
absolutely nothing, they leave much less likely to attend again. When
they do get bored, disgruntled and dissatisfied with the mundane or even
worse die and thereby leave, they do so having not once had the Gospel of
Christ reach their ear drums. 4.
It would have been much better to preach the Word of God and lost the
numbers and money so craved by churches today than have failed to preach the
Gospel and have lost far more souls in the process. During the apostolic
era and even until the last century, pastors typically equipped believers to
go out and bring people to Christ, THEN introduce them to the church. But
now the only person who even vocalizes the Gospel or even has that ability
is the person behind the pulpit and God only knows why that person decides
not to. Gone are the days when the kid in the youth group introduced his
newly believing friend to the Youth Group or a absolutely radiant old lady
brought her neighbor to the pastor to ask about baptism and a Bible study
because she had just watched that friend pray the sinners prayer. No, The
churches are bigger than they ever were, and the number of believers is much
smaller because we are unable to accept the fact that "many are called, and
few chosen." 5. We have successfully moved from having hundreds of
Christians in little cramped buildings to having far fewer, weaker
Christians sitting in gigantic worldly assemblies that might as well be a
basketball game for all they achieve.
Given the situation as it presents it's self, it is time indeed for a
change. We need to accept the fact that the "seeker sensitive" approach was
flawed from it's very inception. If "no one seeks after God.", as the
Bible teaches, then God must be removed from the Church to make it appealing
to the seeker. Has that concept ever appeared in a seminary class or board
room? Should we tone down the message to get the person in the building,
then spring the Gospel on them? Well, that line of thinking has caught the
"church", if we can call it that in quite literally one hell of a rut. The
seeker friendly "church" is now so dependant on it's numbers that it can no
longer afford to preach christ Crucified, much less disciple the clueless
masses who succor on the offered pabulum as though it were a spiritual
opiate.
If the Church is to survive as a distinguishable movement, it must find in
it's enormous corridors a few souls familiar enough with Scripture and the
matters of the Kingdom of God and send those people out to at least offer
Christ to a lost and dying world. And if the church lacks even the ability
to accomplish even that, then those believers thusly equipped need to seize
the initiative themselves, get out of the library and start talking about
the Bible and their Savior a little more at work, the coffee shop and around
the neighborhood. And having done so, should the "church" think of them and
the excited new converts they introduce as oddballs or extremists as they
very well might 7., then perhaps the remnant Christ has preserved for
Himself is confined for the time being to the house church and Bible study
movement. But be assured that Christ will not allow the flame of His Gospel
to be quenched. We have our theology down just fine. That is just great.
Oh that others could have what we do. That is not stated sarcastically. It
is time, long time, for us to move. Our Bibles teach us that those who
follow God are few in number. That number will grow smaller yet as the end
times approach. We also know that Justification is an Act of God from His
judgment seat. But our knowlage does not authorize us to sit idly by as
those we love perish in flames. The doctrines we hold so dear should and
must motivate us to action. We also have the great commission to obey. And
we share so much in common with other branches of Christendom that what
remains of our earthly existence must be busy indeed. Please, let us
persevere to the end.
1. Amazing Grace; traditional hymn
2. Rudolph Bultman; "Jesus Christ and Mythology"
3. Douglas Adams: "The Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy."
4. Dr. Albert Mohler unpublished sermon. National Reformed Conference
ca. 2006
5. St. Matthew: Matthew 22:14
6. The Apostle Paul: Romans 3:11 Se also: Psalm 14: 1-3
7. A.W. Tozier "Born After Midnight"
Friday, September 10, 2010
This Traditional Faith
THIS TRADITIONAL FAITH
W.T. McClendon
On October 11, 1981, a young man eighteen years of age reclined on the floor
of his bedroom. Looking to the ceiling light of his bedroom, he admired the
model Klingon cruiser suspended underneath while listening to music many in
his church found disturbing. Given the behavioral patterns typical of young
men in that situation, he quickly found his mind wandering about the week's
events. Foremost in those musings was the sermon pontificated by his portly
parson but a few days earlier. "You must be born again" puzzled him enough
that he read over some materials given him and opened his old family Bible.
Shortly, he bowed his head silently and prayed a very special prayer that he
had never prayed before. "God, I come before You knowing myself to be a
sinner. I cannot ever know You as I am. So I turn my back on my sin and
toward You. Thank You for paying for my sin on the cross so I don't have
to. I accept You as my Savior and give myself to You as my Lord. Please
keep me from sin and keep me living as You would want me too."
The upbringing of this tortured young soul was far from ideal. Having been
bludgeoned and humiliated his entire life, he had become accustomed to being
victimized and accepting his own worthlessness. Suicide had crossed his
mind more than once. He never recovered from his childhood. But the Gospel
message he had encountered at a church he would later realize as far from
Biblical radically changed his life. Somebody loved him. That somebody who
loved him just happened to be God in the flesh. And Jesus Christ had loved
him enough to die for him.
In the future lay college, graduate school, the persecutions common to those
who go blind and the death of his entire family. All of these occurrences
would take place in fifteen short years. He would face the hostility of the
world to blind people who want to work, employers who literally abused him
for a physical flaw not of his doing. Even churches in the heart of modern
American Christianity would persecute him, force him into helpless
adulation, deny him ministry opportunities and show little but pity toward
him because of this physical flaw for most of his adult life. From all of
this he would become convinced that the approval given him by Christ was all
the approval he would likely have. But he also quickly realized the
approval of that same Christ was all he needed and all he should even want.
Let the opinion of others be what it may.
Through all of this, that single prayer dominated his existence more
forcefully than any single experience of his life. The prayer introduced
him to a world filled with hope and gave purpose, drive and a mission for a
rich lifetime. At the hands of his Savior he would fight a lifelong battle
against his own personal flaws and eventually find in himself a man his own
pessimistic mind would respect. The change wrought by the simple prayer was
more than a acceptance of a new ideology. It was a surrendering of the self
to the Lordship of another and a relationship that would govern his life to
the day of his death. For in this new-found faith, he would finally know
love and peace.
In our day there are many who teach "believe in Jesus" for salvation and
contentment in this life. Others deny the spiritual realm, hoping
erroneously that the Bible and the nearly four millennia of history and
archeology supporting it are mere fantasy. Still others interpret Holy writ
as allegory, choosing a symbolic or aesthetic interpretation despite the
fact the Bible claims historic intent in multiple passages. (II Peter 1:
16-21, Luke 1: 1-4, Acts 1: 1-3)
Outside the Church, many suppose the claims of the Bible false with no
knowlage to that effect and precious little knowledge of its content. And
then there are those who know the message of the Bible and with no
justification at all dismiss it as mere fiction or hope with blind faith it
does not mean what it says. Even in the halls of many "churches," people
are taught not to interpret the Bible literally, that there is no sin,
heaven, hell, Satan or judgment with no justification at all, thereby
attempting to eliminate the possibility that behavior just might have
consequences.
For the sake of this writing, the assumption is made that the reader
generally believes that there indeed is a God and that the Bible is, if not
His very Word, a genuine attempt by mortal men to honestly report the
historical events they have witnessed. These two assertions have faced
scrutiny for millennia, and the debate will continue, perhaps in these very
pages. But the intention of this writing is to equip any individual willing
to grant these first two assertions the ability to surrender to the Lordship
of Christ, thereby securing peace and joy for this life and the hope of
eternal life with Christ in the future. This is no attempt at defending the
Christian belief system. It is a humble attempt to empower the reader to
follow Christ should they elect to do so.
"Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the
law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. But now a
righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the
Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through
faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all
have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by
his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented
him as a sacrifice of atonement, {[Or as the one who
would turn aside his wrath, taking away sin} through faith in his blood. He
did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left
the sins committed beforehand unpunished--". The Apostle Paul (Romans
3:21-25)
Simply put, the Bible is the story of the attempt by God to reconcile a
sinful and fallen mankind to Himself without compromising His primary
attribute, or His "holiness." Sin in general is anything which falls short
of or "misses the target" of the Holiness of God. The very nature of sin
renders it and anyone possessing it unsatisfactory for companionship with
God. And since it takes just a single sin to place any one person in this
situation, not a single human being can attain the presence of God. All are
fallen and hopelessly lost.
"I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just
as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to
ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness
leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the
control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the
things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set
free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to
holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God is eternal life in {or through} Christ Jesus our Lord
(The Apostle Paul; Romans 6: 19-23). Just as some people would teach that
there is no set path to a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, there
are those who would teach that salvation from sin and its consequences is
merely a matter of accepting forgiveness. They might teach that "I love
Jesus and He loves me, and that is all that matters." While it is true that
the undeserved gift God gives (His Grace) is based on accepting the work of
Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary, saving faith has a twofold definition.
Jesus Christ bore the consequences for sin on the cross. Being both fully
God and fully Man in nature, He alone has the capacity to pay for sin and
its consequences both to the individual and to humanity. He pays the price
for sin so people need not do so. And that gift is indeed given freely in
response to those willing to place their faith in him.
But one must recognize that the Bible clearly teaches that one does not
simply accept the gift of God on the cross and then pursue the same path
that would have eventually led to destruction. There is the element of
repentance. Here an often difficult choice is made. In response to the
offering of Christ to forgive sin by mere faith, the question of Lordship is
addressed. Each person accepting the offering of Christ on the Cross must
also decide whether or not they want to continue in the old patterns of
behavior when they were quite literally enslaved to sin. It is
contradictory to approach God and assert that one accepts the gift He
offers, but is not willing to follow in His ways. And this is the sticking
point that so many churches today fail to honestly teach. The necessary
consequence of accepting Christ as Savior is surrendering to Him as Lord.
The two work together and are inseparable; a slave to Christ or a slave to
sin, which will it be? It is necessary to both accept by faith and be
willing to follow. By "repenting" of sin in the process of salvation, the
convert must also be willing to follow Christ as his or her Lord.
Now please note that this is a act of the will. The Bible also teaches that
there are "none righteous, no not one." No human being is ever without sin.
But in the case of the follower of Christ, the ATTITUDE has changed. A
Christian no longer desires to follow the sinful lusts which dominated them
before. The believer decides to follow Christ as a consequence of the
forgiveness they are given. And the "easy Believism" is the dominant
philosophy today that has the Church in decline. Far to many "churches"
offer Christ as Savior, but not Christ as Lord. The Bible does not teach
that one can believe as they want any more than it excuses hypocrisy in the
church.
But do not be ill advised. Salvation is a free gift. Faith in Christ leads
to obedience. Following the Lordship of Christ, surrendering to Christ and
following in the ways of Christ are the necessary outcome of faith in
Christ. Christ offers a gift with no middle ground. Take it or leave it.
Believe it or do not believe it. But the offer is there. Will you
surrender yourself to the Lordship of Christ and become his servant out of
gratitude for His work on the Cross to save your soul? If so, approach God
silently in prayer and tell Him. Tell Him you want to serve Him with what
remains of your earthly existence, that you turn your back on sin and its
consequences by accepting the salvation he offers. Pray as the young man at
the beginning of this little article did. And if you do believe it, then
follow up on that decision.
Use the web as you did just now and find these concepts. Look for schools
that teach this road to salvation, such as Southern Baptist Theological
Seminary or Westminster Theological Seminary. Print this out and go church
hunting. Many Reformed Baptist churches are good; many Southern Baptist
churches or Conservative Baptist churches are good. The Orthodox
Presbyterian Church and the Presbyterian Church of America generally hold
true. Other denominations you might want to consider are Evangelical Free,
Missouri Synod Lutheran, Mennonite Brethren or Assembly of God. Print this
out and show it to the pastor; ask for more. Ask the pastor "how might I
secure a relationship with God and secure eternal life?" The answer must be
"surrender to or have faith in Jesus Christ." Ask what you are saved from
and the answer must include "Sin and it's consequences" in some way. If
questions exist, you have this blog. Do so, and you will indeed start life
anew. Following Christ is not easy. The Bible teaches that it is a narrow
path. But on earth you will have comfort, peace and purpose known by few
others. You will have a new Lord, Keeper and Friend that you can never
lose. And you cannot even dream of what awaits you in eternity. So make
your choice; yes or no? And please choose wisely.
W.T. McClendon
On October 11, 1981, a young man eighteen years of age reclined on the floor
of his bedroom. Looking to the ceiling light of his bedroom, he admired the
model Klingon cruiser suspended underneath while listening to music many in
his church found disturbing. Given the behavioral patterns typical of young
men in that situation, he quickly found his mind wandering about the week's
events. Foremost in those musings was the sermon pontificated by his portly
parson but a few days earlier. "You must be born again" puzzled him enough
that he read over some materials given him and opened his old family Bible.
Shortly, he bowed his head silently and prayed a very special prayer that he
had never prayed before. "God, I come before You knowing myself to be a
sinner. I cannot ever know You as I am. So I turn my back on my sin and
toward You. Thank You for paying for my sin on the cross so I don't have
to. I accept You as my Savior and give myself to You as my Lord. Please
keep me from sin and keep me living as You would want me too."
The upbringing of this tortured young soul was far from ideal. Having been
bludgeoned and humiliated his entire life, he had become accustomed to being
victimized and accepting his own worthlessness. Suicide had crossed his
mind more than once. He never recovered from his childhood. But the Gospel
message he had encountered at a church he would later realize as far from
Biblical radically changed his life. Somebody loved him. That somebody who
loved him just happened to be God in the flesh. And Jesus Christ had loved
him enough to die for him.
In the future lay college, graduate school, the persecutions common to those
who go blind and the death of his entire family. All of these occurrences
would take place in fifteen short years. He would face the hostility of the
world to blind people who want to work, employers who literally abused him
for a physical flaw not of his doing. Even churches in the heart of modern
American Christianity would persecute him, force him into helpless
adulation, deny him ministry opportunities and show little but pity toward
him because of this physical flaw for most of his adult life. From all of
this he would become convinced that the approval given him by Christ was all
the approval he would likely have. But he also quickly realized the
approval of that same Christ was all he needed and all he should even want.
Let the opinion of others be what it may.
Through all of this, that single prayer dominated his existence more
forcefully than any single experience of his life. The prayer introduced
him to a world filled with hope and gave purpose, drive and a mission for a
rich lifetime. At the hands of his Savior he would fight a lifelong battle
against his own personal flaws and eventually find in himself a man his own
pessimistic mind would respect. The change wrought by the simple prayer was
more than a acceptance of a new ideology. It was a surrendering of the self
to the Lordship of another and a relationship that would govern his life to
the day of his death. For in this new-found faith, he would finally know
love and peace.
In our day there are many who teach "believe in Jesus" for salvation and
contentment in this life. Others deny the spiritual realm, hoping
erroneously that the Bible and the nearly four millennia of history and
archeology supporting it are mere fantasy. Still others interpret Holy writ
as allegory, choosing a symbolic or aesthetic interpretation despite the
fact the Bible claims historic intent in multiple passages. (II Peter 1:
16-21, Luke 1: 1-4, Acts 1: 1-3)
Outside the Church, many suppose the claims of the Bible false with no
knowlage to that effect and precious little knowledge of its content. And
then there are those who know the message of the Bible and with no
justification at all dismiss it as mere fiction or hope with blind faith it
does not mean what it says. Even in the halls of many "churches," people
are taught not to interpret the Bible literally, that there is no sin,
heaven, hell, Satan or judgment with no justification at all, thereby
attempting to eliminate the possibility that behavior just might have
consequences.
For the sake of this writing, the assumption is made that the reader
generally believes that there indeed is a God and that the Bible is, if not
His very Word, a genuine attempt by mortal men to honestly report the
historical events they have witnessed. These two assertions have faced
scrutiny for millennia, and the debate will continue, perhaps in these very
pages. But the intention of this writing is to equip any individual willing
to grant these first two assertions the ability to surrender to the Lordship
of Christ, thereby securing peace and joy for this life and the hope of
eternal life with Christ in the future. This is no attempt at defending the
Christian belief system. It is a humble attempt to empower the reader to
follow Christ should they elect to do so.
"Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the
law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. But now a
righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the
Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through
faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all
have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by
his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented
him as a sacrifice of atonement, {[Or as the one who
would turn aside his wrath, taking away sin} through faith in his blood. He
did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left
the sins committed beforehand unpunished--". The Apostle Paul (Romans
3:21-25)
Simply put, the Bible is the story of the attempt by God to reconcile a
sinful and fallen mankind to Himself without compromising His primary
attribute, or His "holiness." Sin in general is anything which falls short
of or "misses the target" of the Holiness of God. The very nature of sin
renders it and anyone possessing it unsatisfactory for companionship with
God. And since it takes just a single sin to place any one person in this
situation, not a single human being can attain the presence of God. All are
fallen and hopelessly lost.
"I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just
as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to
ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness
leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the
control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the
things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set
free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to
holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God is eternal life in {or through} Christ Jesus our Lord
(The Apostle Paul; Romans 6: 19-23). Just as some people would teach that
there is no set path to a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, there
are those who would teach that salvation from sin and its consequences is
merely a matter of accepting forgiveness. They might teach that "I love
Jesus and He loves me, and that is all that matters." While it is true that
the undeserved gift God gives (His Grace) is based on accepting the work of
Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary, saving faith has a twofold definition.
Jesus Christ bore the consequences for sin on the cross. Being both fully
God and fully Man in nature, He alone has the capacity to pay for sin and
its consequences both to the individual and to humanity. He pays the price
for sin so people need not do so. And that gift is indeed given freely in
response to those willing to place their faith in him.
But one must recognize that the Bible clearly teaches that one does not
simply accept the gift of God on the cross and then pursue the same path
that would have eventually led to destruction. There is the element of
repentance. Here an often difficult choice is made. In response to the
offering of Christ to forgive sin by mere faith, the question of Lordship is
addressed. Each person accepting the offering of Christ on the Cross must
also decide whether or not they want to continue in the old patterns of
behavior when they were quite literally enslaved to sin. It is
contradictory to approach God and assert that one accepts the gift He
offers, but is not willing to follow in His ways. And this is the sticking
point that so many churches today fail to honestly teach. The necessary
consequence of accepting Christ as Savior is surrendering to Him as Lord.
The two work together and are inseparable; a slave to Christ or a slave to
sin, which will it be? It is necessary to both accept by faith and be
willing to follow. By "repenting" of sin in the process of salvation, the
convert must also be willing to follow Christ as his or her Lord.
Now please note that this is a act of the will. The Bible also teaches that
there are "none righteous, no not one." No human being is ever without sin.
But in the case of the follower of Christ, the ATTITUDE has changed. A
Christian no longer desires to follow the sinful lusts which dominated them
before. The believer decides to follow Christ as a consequence of the
forgiveness they are given. And the "easy Believism" is the dominant
philosophy today that has the Church in decline. Far to many "churches"
offer Christ as Savior, but not Christ as Lord. The Bible does not teach
that one can believe as they want any more than it excuses hypocrisy in the
church.
But do not be ill advised. Salvation is a free gift. Faith in Christ leads
to obedience. Following the Lordship of Christ, surrendering to Christ and
following in the ways of Christ are the necessary outcome of faith in
Christ. Christ offers a gift with no middle ground. Take it or leave it.
Believe it or do not believe it. But the offer is there. Will you
surrender yourself to the Lordship of Christ and become his servant out of
gratitude for His work on the Cross to save your soul? If so, approach God
silently in prayer and tell Him. Tell Him you want to serve Him with what
remains of your earthly existence, that you turn your back on sin and its
consequences by accepting the salvation he offers. Pray as the young man at
the beginning of this little article did. And if you do believe it, then
follow up on that decision.
Use the web as you did just now and find these concepts. Look for schools
that teach this road to salvation, such as Southern Baptist Theological
Seminary or Westminster Theological Seminary. Print this out and go church
hunting. Many Reformed Baptist churches are good; many Southern Baptist
churches or Conservative Baptist churches are good. The Orthodox
Presbyterian Church and the Presbyterian Church of America generally hold
true. Other denominations you might want to consider are Evangelical Free,
Missouri Synod Lutheran, Mennonite Brethren or Assembly of God. Print this
out and show it to the pastor; ask for more. Ask the pastor "how might I
secure a relationship with God and secure eternal life?" The answer must be
"surrender to or have faith in Jesus Christ." Ask what you are saved from
and the answer must include "Sin and it's consequences" in some way. If
questions exist, you have this blog. Do so, and you will indeed start life
anew. Following Christ is not easy. The Bible teaches that it is a narrow
path. But on earth you will have comfort, peace and purpose known by few
others. You will have a new Lord, Keeper and Friend that you can never
lose. And you cannot even dream of what awaits you in eternity. So make
your choice; yes or no? And please choose wisely.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
In the Fullness of Time
IN THE FULLNESS OF TIME
Conservative reformed Christianity in a secular age
W.T. McClendon
We Christians who approach Holy Writ from a conservative reformed
perspective find ourselves living in a context which demands accommodation.
In terms of general population, those who largely grasp the concept of
reformed Christian theology find themselves few and diminishing in number,
even in an area of the world thought by many as the buckle of the Bible
belt. Any student of history will tell you that those who follow The God of
the Old and New Testaments have varied widely in number over time. From the
conservative Christian perspective, the followers of God have ranged even
more widely, from quite nearly entire nations to only a single Man hanging
on a cross, another willing to offer his son for a sacrifice to God, or
another about to face banishment or execution for his beliefs. When such an
individual is found willing to stand facing such consequences, the
importance of the message, the consequences for failure and the nature of
the individual who stands alone are axiomatic.
Anyone identifying themselves as a conservative reformed Christian, while
fully cognizant of the implications of those assertions, likely realizes the
rarity of those beliefs. For in the eyes of an increasingly secular,
ignorant and apathetic society, the message and mission of Christ face
mounting disapproval. Many in this small circle rightly observe that the
tolerance espoused by those around them applies to virtually every belief
system but their own. The "politically correct" mindset quickly embraces
those who espouse women's rights, offenders' rights, victims' rights, moral
pluralism, religious pluralism materialism and conditional ethics will as
quickly condemn those who state "I stand for Christ" as being intolerant.
While reformed theology would teach its advocates that no human being is
ever anything more than a forgiven sinner in moral terms, designed at outset
"to worship God and enjoy Him forever," it is possible that the larger
church, has become every bit as seduced by the very secularism they condemn
to the extent that they themselves condemn those among their ranks who stand
firmly for Christ as intolerant, unrealistic or unsophisticated. And only
after having disavowed the moral absolutes for which the Cross of Christ
provided atonement do they set about preaching adherence to Christian
morality to a world which by their own definition lacks even the ability to
comply. And having failed that, they turn to human vanity, building with great pains
and fortunes material monuments to the pride of sinful men, in the hope of
filling those vast halls and corridors with individuals having as scarcely a
clue to the true meaning of the message they theoretically teach as they
lack the ability to teach that message. So as in the death of a massive
sun, they swell enormously in volume and glow with many times the luminosity
of their youthful vigor. But those end times are short indeed, for within
the vast, tenuous envelopes of the over bloated star resides a core whose
massive expenditures of energy cannot long be sustained. The star then dies
with one brilliant convulsive explosion so violent as to attract the
attention of the entire universe. And hopefully, prayerfully we dare trust,
the dead remnants of the glory years now long gone contain the seeds from
which a rebirth of new light can be found.
The solution for the church hidden in the church is not to force Christian
morality on an unbelieving world, to surround ourselves with masses of
people we leave ignorant of the Gospel entrusted to us, to accommodate and
concede to an unbelieving world, or even to impress the world with our
wealth and the monuments we build for ourselves. The solution is to
accommodate ourselves and our teaching to the Bible and the Christ that gave
that Bible to us. We must accept the fact that though our numbers might at
times in history be small, we find solace in the fact we did not compromise,
but held true to Holy Writ. An old preacher once stopped by an old church
entering its death throes and was accused of ruffling feathers and preaching
a message which made people uncomfortable. That very discomfort might have
been the hope of new life if embraced. An elder spouted "it's change or
die." Adapt and change, yes. But change by accommodating ourselves to
scripture, not the secular world. If the Church can not be discerned from
the secular world, like the dying star, is it not already dead?
So let us talk. Reformed web sites are a dime a dozen now. But lest we
find ourselves pleasantly sniffing and admiring our tulips in the garden
while another sows, another waters, God gives his increase and sends forth
the harvesters, we will be found wanting. We think ourselves astute with
our books stacked about us. What are we to do with what God has given us?
Might we be the seeds of a new birth of light? And how might we accomplish
this end?
Bibliography:
a. The Heidelberg Catechism
Conservative reformed Christianity in a secular age
W.T. McClendon
We Christians who approach Holy Writ from a conservative reformed
perspective find ourselves living in a context which demands accommodation.
In terms of general population, those who largely grasp the concept of
reformed Christian theology find themselves few and diminishing in number,
even in an area of the world thought by many as the buckle of the Bible
belt. Any student of history will tell you that those who follow The God of
the Old and New Testaments have varied widely in number over time. From the
conservative Christian perspective, the followers of God have ranged even
more widely, from quite nearly entire nations to only a single Man hanging
on a cross, another willing to offer his son for a sacrifice to God, or
another about to face banishment or execution for his beliefs. When such an
individual is found willing to stand facing such consequences, the
importance of the message, the consequences for failure and the nature of
the individual who stands alone are axiomatic.
Anyone identifying themselves as a conservative reformed Christian, while
fully cognizant of the implications of those assertions, likely realizes the
rarity of those beliefs. For in the eyes of an increasingly secular,
ignorant and apathetic society, the message and mission of Christ face
mounting disapproval. Many in this small circle rightly observe that the
tolerance espoused by those around them applies to virtually every belief
system but their own. The "politically correct" mindset quickly embraces
those who espouse women's rights, offenders' rights, victims' rights, moral
pluralism, religious pluralism materialism and conditional ethics will as
quickly condemn those who state "I stand for Christ" as being intolerant.
While reformed theology would teach its advocates that no human being is
ever anything more than a forgiven sinner in moral terms, designed at outset
"to worship God and enjoy Him forever," it is possible that the larger
church, has become every bit as seduced by the very secularism they condemn
to the extent that they themselves condemn those among their ranks who stand
firmly for Christ as intolerant, unrealistic or unsophisticated. And only
after having disavowed the moral absolutes for which the Cross of Christ
provided atonement do they set about preaching adherence to Christian
morality to a world which by their own definition lacks even the ability to
comply. And having failed that, they turn to human vanity, building with great pains
and fortunes material monuments to the pride of sinful men, in the hope of
filling those vast halls and corridors with individuals having as scarcely a
clue to the true meaning of the message they theoretically teach as they
lack the ability to teach that message. So as in the death of a massive
sun, they swell enormously in volume and glow with many times the luminosity
of their youthful vigor. But those end times are short indeed, for within
the vast, tenuous envelopes of the over bloated star resides a core whose
massive expenditures of energy cannot long be sustained. The star then dies
with one brilliant convulsive explosion so violent as to attract the
attention of the entire universe. And hopefully, prayerfully we dare trust,
the dead remnants of the glory years now long gone contain the seeds from
which a rebirth of new light can be found.
The solution for the church hidden in the church is not to force Christian
morality on an unbelieving world, to surround ourselves with masses of
people we leave ignorant of the Gospel entrusted to us, to accommodate and
concede to an unbelieving world, or even to impress the world with our
wealth and the monuments we build for ourselves. The solution is to
accommodate ourselves and our teaching to the Bible and the Christ that gave
that Bible to us. We must accept the fact that though our numbers might at
times in history be small, we find solace in the fact we did not compromise,
but held true to Holy Writ. An old preacher once stopped by an old church
entering its death throes and was accused of ruffling feathers and preaching
a message which made people uncomfortable. That very discomfort might have
been the hope of new life if embraced. An elder spouted "it's change or
die." Adapt and change, yes. But change by accommodating ourselves to
scripture, not the secular world. If the Church can not be discerned from
the secular world, like the dying star, is it not already dead?
So let us talk. Reformed web sites are a dime a dozen now. But lest we
find ourselves pleasantly sniffing and admiring our tulips in the garden
while another sows, another waters, God gives his increase and sends forth
the harvesters, we will be found wanting. We think ourselves astute with
our books stacked about us. What are we to do with what God has given us?
Might we be the seeds of a new birth of light? And how might we accomplish
this end?
Bibliography:
a. The Heidelberg Catechism
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