The Good, The Bad, & the Ugly (part 2)

Part 1 has addressed the issue of an overly ecumenical stance from some professing Christians to be unequally yoked to non-believers with the supposed bond of a uniformity of belief in God. But is all belief in “God” the same? Comparing Scripture, that which should solely form all that the Christian believes, with the beliefs of Hindus & Muslims, or even with the Mormon & Jehovah Witness sects, would show the vast differences across the spiritual spectrum. Most fundamentally, what sets the Christian apart from all other religion & all deceiving sects is accepting & embracing the fact that Jesus is Lord, over all physical & spiritual creation, even the full measure of anthropos’ existence. No creature is outside the scope of Christ’s ability to give both physical & spiritual birth, nor His capacity to judge such that He gives life unto (Heb. 1:2, John 5:21-23).

So we embrace Christ as Lord & as the sole mediator between God & man. Furthermore, we believe this, in part, because of a conviction in our soul; but what must primordially form our belief is the witness of God’s written Word. There was a time we can recall when that conviction existed not, but Scripture’s witness remained yet steadfast. Our convictions matter tremendously, but there always remains the possibility of even the most ostensively committed Christian losing their senses & turning away from Christ (Gal. 1:8). Scripture alone, not man’s intuitions, is solely sufficient for forming something as central to our life as our convictions. God’s Word is the physical, tangible anchor to our soul in the storm of life.

Therefore, being that these are two central tenets to Christian life, we rightly can & should judge whether someone speaks from the Spirit of Christ or the spirit of the flesh, particularly by their dedication to these two fundamentals. It is unfortunate that Rev. Benke, a pastor & leader in the Lutheran Church- Missouri Synod lead prayers at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 23, 2001 in the manner that he did. Just to make clear his failing & give assurance that we are not taking any of his statements out of context, allow me to present the full transcript of his prayer that day:

“Oh, we’re stronger now than we were an hour ago. And you know, my sisters and brothers, we’re not nearly as strong as we’re going to be. And the strength we have is the power of love, and the power of love you have received is from God for God is love. So take the hand of one next to you now and join me in prayer on this field of dreams turned into God’s house of prayer.

O Lord our God, we’re leaning on you today. You are our tower of strength and we’re leaning on you. You are our mighty fortress, our God who is a rock. In you do we stand. Those of us who bear the name of Christ know that you stood so tall when you stooped down to send a son through death and life to bring us back together.

And we lean on you today, O tower of strength. Be with those who mourn the loss of loved ones. Bring them closer to us day-by-day. O heavenly father, we pray at this time that you might extend Jacob’s ladder for those who ascended the stairways to save us as others escaped the fire and flames. O tower of strength, open innocent and victimized hearts to the sacrifice of the innocent one. Pour your consolation upon the promised eyes, especially our children.

O heavenly father, unbind, unfear, unscorch, unsear our souls, renew us in your free spirit. We’re leaning on you, our tower of strength. We find our refuge in the shadow of your shelter. Lead us from this place strong to bring forth a power of your love wherever we are in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.”

To be clear, we are not criticizing him for a failure to speak of Christ. He does so, & commendably even indicates the significance of Christ’s death, as well the cross’s ability to reconcile God & man. Our issue is not in the general indicatives of that 2nd paragraph, but the specific imperative he gives his audience at the end of the first, & what that says about the his view of Christ, despite the 2nd paragraph’s apparent soundness of doctrine. It is not his words concerning Christ that we question, but his action that surrounds those words.

As the video illustrates, the audience he instructs to “hold hands…& join (him) in prayer” is clearly & purposely made up of every kind of religious belief the melting pot of NYC has to offer. It seems, by the transcript of the entire proceedings, each & every one was accorded an opportunity to pray to his particular deity. Muslims sang & read from the Koran, & made statements like “I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God”. Sikhs prayed to their god. Hindus prayed to “guru fathers”. A Roman Catholic prays to Mary. And yet in the very midst of all this adoration for lying religion, we have a supposed disciple of Martin Luther, no less, throwing the majestic name of Christ into the mix, as if it represents nothing more than just another name, just another form, of for the same deity that all the others are addressing. One must wonder, does he really believe that one & all, they address the same God? More precisely, what does this say of his view of Christ? Can Christ really be thought of being one & same with the Muslim’s “Allah” when the Koran calls Christ nothing greater than a prophet (The Koran: “Moses and Jesus and the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them…Jesus son of Mary, was only a messenger of Allah…say not "Three”…Allah is only One God. Far is it removed from His Transcendent Majesty that He should have a son”) & even denies that Christ died upon the cross, therein also denying His life-giving resurrection (“they slew him not nor crucified him…but Allah took him up unto Himself.”) Can this image of Allah & the Christian’s picture of Christ as God ever be as one?

John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

Apparently for those in attendance, it can. It is of no surprise that the Rev. Calvin Butts, a proponent of the entirely unbiblical & Marxist “liberation theology” (recall the Rev. Jeremiah Wright of President Obama’s former assembly) can call for a joining of hands in prayer, as he is clearly heretical. But for a supposed representative of the Augsburg Confession to join his God to theirs in this way is untenable at best & utter blasphemy at worst. It is interesting to note that Butts is the only other ostensive Christian at the podium that day to call for all in attendance to hold hands & join him in prayer. Since Butts was the one to precede him, maybe Benke felt obliged to do the same. We’ve all bowed to peer pressure to do things we’ve regretted later. So I would imagine the members of the LCMS honestly believed he would be open to their rebuke & repudiate his reference to this vast gathering of disbelievers in Christ’s glory as “God’s house of prayer”.

"I am ecumenical wherever I go, that is the problem” − David Benke, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 1/10/02

Disturbingly, he not only refused to repudiate his actions that day, but presses on with his heresy in a public campaign against the those of his own body calling him to account! Their formal rebuke was private, constrained within LCMS church structure, but his response was to publicly assail their motives. He decided to retain a law firm & take every opportunity to publicly libel the faith of those doggedly holding to Scripture’s image of Jesus as the only “way”& the only “mediator between God & men”. It speaks especially poor of his character that he chose to take this fight outside the bounds of his church, & into the court of secular public opinion. To this day, as the posted recent video clearly demonstrates, he not only continues to stand by his actions that day, but he also presses on to publicly vilify those of his own assembly who refuse to lose sight of Lutheran roots in, of all the crazy things, Luther, & his attendance to sound Biblical principles, as spelled out in the 28 articles at Augsburg nearly 500 years ago. In it, Luther was likewise addressing those of his day who sought to diminish the central & fundamental positional role of Christ…

“The churches, with common consent among us, do teach that the decree of the Nicene Synod concerning the unity of the divine essence and of the three persons is true, and without doubt to be believed: to wit, that there is one divine essence which is called and is God, eternal, without body, indivisible [without part], of infinite power, wisdom, goodness, the Creator and Preserver of all things, visible and invisible; and that yet there are three persons of the same essence and power, who also are co-eternal, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. And they use the name of person in that signification in which the ecclesiastical writers [the fathers] have used it in this cause, to signify, not a part or quality in another, but that which properly subsists. They condemn all heresies which have sprung up against this Article, as the Manichees, who set down two principles, good and evil; in the same manner the Valentinians, Arians, Eunomians, Mohammedans, and all such like. They condemn also the Samosatenes, old and new; who, when they earnestly contend that there is but one person, do craftily and wickedly trifle, after the manner of rhetoricians, about the Word and Holy Ghost, that they are not distinct persons, but that the Word signifies a vocal word, and the Spirit a motion created in things.” Article 1, The Augsburg Confession

By specifically vituperating those who espouse no belief in the Biblical Christ, Luther, Melanchthon, et al. demonstrate utter opposition to the very manner of ecumenicism that Benke professes. As if there was ever doubt of his position in contrast to the Confession, Benke let slip his real belief on Feb. 18, 2003 when he incontrovertibly stated, in an e-mail exchange, his position that “the Muslim God is also the true God”.

Dr. Wallace Schulz, who was at that time the Second Vice President of the Synod, would be the one to formally charge Benke with the act of syncretism. As Benke would offer no apology, publicly or privately, on July 6, 2002, Schulz suspended him. It would seem good congregationalist church structure had won the day for orthodoxy. But, like cockroaches, you’ll never know how extensive your infestation is until you turn on the kitchen light in the dark of night. Shockingly, on April 10, 2003 the Synod’s president, Gerald Kieschnick, reinstated Benke on the grounds that he had appointed him to deliver the prayer. This absolved Benke of the charge of syncretism under LCMS rules, for it was now argued that he was simply acting in obedience to Kieschnick, his superior at the time.

Benke’s case polarized the Synod. Now it was no longer a fight for Biblical integrity in a mere district of the most orthodox representation of Lutheranism on American soil, but the Synod as a whole. By defending Benke, President Kieschnick revealed his own poor image of Christ. As Schulz succinctly summarized:

“If the Panel’s decision is permitted to stand unchallenged, its impact will reach far beyond the Benke case, fundamentally changing our Synod and leading it to resolve spiritual issues on the basis of men’s opinions rather than God’s Word.” - Dr. Wallace Schulz, official letter to LCMS Secretary Raymond Hartwig, May 11, 2003

Kieschnick won reelection in both 2004 & 2007, probably for the same reasons he was originally elected in 2001- his reputation for prospering church growth. He was well known for his ties to non-Lutheran mega churches in his prior years as the Texas District’s President, where he oversaw its 12% growth rate that looked especially favorable when compared with national numbers that shrank within the same time frame. But in retrospect, it is no surprise that he could grow membership when one considers his very inoffensive message that compels the proselyte to bear no cross of any real substance. His Gospel Lite message simply adds Christ to whatever it is one already thinks about God, the way that some “preachers” simply add a standard single tag line about Christ at the end of their so-called “sermon” every week. No doubt, he would have to have been doing something incredibly wrong to not be filling churches to the rafters in the course of leading his congregations towards the fairy tale Osteen sort of Christianity. The true Gospel always has been & always will be offensive to all who cannot accept it.

Matthew 10:34-39 Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. (35) For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. (36) And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. (37) Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. (38) And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. (39) Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Thankfully, a good majority of the LCMS finally came to their senses & replaced Kieschnick in 2010 with Matthew C. Harrison. The new president seems desirous to heal the major rifts in the church that actually date back to the Synod’s Concordia Seminary battling to maintain the concepts of sola Scriptura & inerrancy in the late 1960’s. The Synod had been going through a similar battle with many of its seminarians espousing the higher-criticism method of interpreting Scripture. Naturally, this method appeals to liberals as it generally results in a picture of Christ as not supernatural, but just another “good teacher”. This small view of Christ fits well with large scale ecumenicism & a “social” Gospel that centers on man’s work, in missions & such, instead of upon God’s work on the cross. The Synod elected a conservative, one J.A.O. Preus, principally to resurrect the concept of the Bible’s inerrancy.

President Harrison seems intended to heal the strife by taking direct aim at the “Center” of the problem:

“People follow conviction, not coercion. That’s why theology, the Gospel and all its articles, is and has to be the force which binds us. Missions are not the binding center of the church’s life. The Gospel is. And where this is actually so, there is mission aplenty. Dale Meyer has nailed the issue in a recent brief, but penetrating, editorial titled, ‘Where is the Center?’

'There, I believe, is the Center: A theological enterprise centered in the
Scriptures of Christ. Such a Center is manifest in congregations walking
together because we talk together about our shared confession of the doctrines
of the Gospel. There are very few reasons left to perpetuate the Synod except
that we want to bind ourselves together around these doctrines and voluntarily
hold ourselves accountable to one another for the theology we preach and teach.
. . . We need each other, not so much for structured work as for nurture and
growth in the full Word that leads to salvation. . . . Theology can’t just
underlie; it has to be our Center'”- “It’s Time”

He quotes a past Synod president:

“Hence, if a church-body wishes to be preserved from party spirit or be cured of this malady when it has broken out, the only remedy is diligent study of God’s Word. The Word of God has the property of unifying and preserving in unity. Those who say that doctrines should not be discussed in order to avoid divisions within the church do not know what they are talking about. Luther writes in the Smalcald Articles:
‘Therefore the church can never be better governed and preserved than if we all live under one head, Christ, and all the bishops, equal in office (although they be unequal in gifts), be diligently joined in unity of doctrine, faith, Sacraments, prayer and works of love.’”

He gives a 3-part plan for courage in the fight:

"The challenges we face are many, and it will take courage to face them. There is a great deal of fear and discouragement these days in the church. Believe me, Luther’s knees were knocking when he gave his “Here I Stand” speech before the world. And ours will be too. But courage is simply fear that has been baptized. Luther noted three things that gave him courage:
1. First, repentance, because repentance is the path to a good conscience before God. And a good conscience frees one to act, to dare something for Christ and the Gospel. “A good conscience fills a man’s heart with courage and boldness.”
2. The clear Word of God, because we are not left wondering what the will of God is, paralyzed and unable to act. If I know clearly that my action is consonant with God’s Word, I can have courage that he shall bless, come what may. “Christian faith is ready to rest completely on God’s Word with all confidence and courage, and then to go joyfully on its way” (Luther).
3. Sacred vocation, because we can have courage that the Lord has placed us in this place, in this Synod, for this moment. Now is the time for courage, and to get our act together. The situation is ripe and brings to mind a statement of Luther: When the situation is hopeless and all plans and efforts are in vain, then be courageous, and beware of giving up; for God calls all things from the dead and from nothing. When no resource or hope at all is left, then at last God’s help begins."

Though desirous to heal the Synod in its entirety, he is not living in fantasy land in regards to compelling the most hardened liberals towards this Biblical Gospel “Center”:

“It is possible to unify 85% of the Synod in doctrine, practice and mission, I’m convinced.”

The big question is how does he plan on dealing with the remaining 15%? As of now, David Benke still holds both his NYC pastorship & position as Atlantic District President…

This all bears great import because of the fact that, while much of the larger Lutheran church has regretfully fallen under the spell of “higher criticism”, the LCMS has its roots in the forthwith departure of Christ focused & Bible centered believers from that larger assembly in the mid 19th century. But merely leaving the fellowship of heretics does not free us to thereafter blithely live without thought to continue to adamantly counter heresy at its every beastly appearance. We do well to keep in remembrance the admonitions of the apostle:

2Timothy 4:1-5 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: (2) preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. (3) For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, (4) and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. (5) As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Acts 4:11-12 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. (12) And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly (part 1)

The 9/11 tragedy has illuminated the good, the bad, & the ugly of American society. We saw great acts of sacrifice in the moments & days afterward, which should inspire concordant reflection within believers upon the greatest act of sacrifice ever performed, that of Jesus Christ. In the months, years, now decades since, good preachers across this land have used those acts of heroism to illumine the Son of God hanging upon a tree, as well as pressing believers to sacrifice likewise in spiritual manifests. By God’s inspiration, these preachers find the golden nuggets in this tragedy & use them for His glory. As with Joseph, what is meant for evil, is turned for good (Gen. 50:20).

Nevertheless, this tragedy has also brought forth bad preachers & the ugliness of a doctrine that attempts correspondence with the Father outside of His glorious Son. Jesus taught “no one comes to the Father except through Me”. And the context of that clear indicative gives even more strength to it:

John 14:6-13 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (7) If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him." (8) Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." (9) Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? (10) Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. (11) Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. (12) Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. (13) Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Overly ecumenical preachers who seek bonds with people that do not “ask in (Christ’s) name” as they beseech God must be questioned as to whether they themselves know either the Father or the Son. Ecumenicism is good as it unifies the true body of Christ in course of community actions. But, as the referenced text shows, one must know the Son to know the Father, then one must ask in the Son’s name, with honor for the Son’s resplendent glory, to possess any confidence in having the Father’s ear. Prayers offered hand in hand with Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, & rabbinical Judaism cannot & do not appeal rightfully to Jesus Christ as Lord of Lords, Master, Savior, ultimate Judge, & the only Way, Truth, & Life. So ironically, He alone is the key to the core thing that such messages desire to speak towards- peace on earth! We must continually press them with this query- How you rationally preach peace all the while completely ignoring the One Person who holds that illustrious title- “Prince of Peace”?!

Isaiah 59:8 The way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their paths; they have made their roads crooked; no one who treads on them knows peace.

The straight & narrow path to God, which is through Christ alone, becomes unjust & “crooked” as they attempt to plot a route to the Father around the Son. The simplicity of Christ’s singular & direct road to the Father’s presence becomes a bewildering maze of swerving switchbacks in a vain attempt to pick up all the hitchhikers of false religion the world over. Their convoy becomes huge as they continue down the wide road that leads to destruction. “A route to God without accepting Christ? Let me on.” the masses say, in ignorance of the fact that no other bridge across the enmity between man & Heaven's gate exist, & that a bottomless crevasse is instead their fate.

Ezekiel 13:15-16 Thus will I spend my wrath upon the wall and upon those who have smeared it with whitewash, and I will say to you, The wall is no more, nor those who smeared it, (16) the prophets of Israel who prophesied concerning Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her, when there was no peace, declares the Lord GOD.

Part 2 will more directly speak to events surrounding the posted video...

Grace & Faith, Socratic Style

1 Corinthians 13:13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Faith is often touted as supreme by the popular preachers of today. These lollipop lecturers point to faith as the key that opens the door to “God’s storehouse” of “abundant living”. They err foremost by exalting themselves, in that they concordantly teach that faith is something one whips up from within, instead of exalting God as the One gives us the measure of faith from without. Faith then, so ironically, becomes a work of man instead of a gift of God to their mind, therefore actually opposing a real faith in an omnipotent & sovereign God. “What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not?” is how Paul puts it to such blowhards & braggarts.

Meanwhile, Scripture speaks of grace & faith in the same breath. Twelve times Paul has them both in even the same verse. The Bible speaks of both as gifts from above to His elect. We are here today to pose a rhetorical: Which gift from God is greater - His faith, or His grace? To rightly answer this, we must first pose an ancillary question- Which one is preeminent? Does faith bring grace or does grace bring faith?

We’ll begin with the verse that can cloud the subject if removed from its context & taken in isolation:

Romans 5:1-2 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (2) Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God

Of course this verse clearly has faith leading into “this grace in which we stand”, but is that referring to the primal formation of God’s grace? Or is it the ongoing, continuous grace that we need as long as we are continuing to fall short of the glory of God? Does not even Paul need God’s enduring unmerited favor, given his confession of concurrent sinfulness two chapters later? (e.g. Rom. 7:23) Indeed, Paul needs God’s grace ever the more! Are not the degenerations of an adopted son’s erstwhile existence, before you took him in, easier to swallow than the ones he commits now, in your very presence?

Yea, verse 1’s mention of a past event, the having been justified by faith, along with verse 2’s present & future tenses in course of exalting such grace, seems to confirm the sense of an ongoing sort of grace being referenced herein.

But lest you think otherwise, let’s get contextual & look elsewhere in Romans for more on the marriage of grace & faith:

Romans 1:4-5 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, (5) through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations.

Romans 4:14-16a For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. (15) For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression. (16) That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace.

Does not chapters 1-4 precede the supposed quandary of Romans 5:2? Is it not logical that a groundswell of support be built up to give credence to such a bold promise, of 5:2’s grace that has no lack & no end for His elect? Must not we first find substantive reason to believe in this splendid characteristic of God that will carry us into perpetuity with Him? And if our measure of faith is indeed comes from without, from another, what have we done to curry such favor? When 5:2’s supportive foundation (Rom. 1-4) tells us that all have sinned & fall short of the glory of God, where is validation to be found for God’s deliverance of the seed of faith?
The answer is there is no answer. God gives His elect favor, & clearly, according to Scripture, it is unmerited.

Yea, Romans 5:2 reads as a promise, a blessed assurance of continuing grace that we sinners find hard to swallow if it were to rest upon the shifting sands of our faith. Oh, how the image of Paul’s “wretched man that I am” would instead continue to be our fate, how untrue are the further assurances of Romans 8, if the deliverance of God’s grace were to depend on our ability to stir up the requisite faith!

Yea, wretched are we. So must not God be the one to reach down & supply the miraculous seed of faith? Must not He alone be the one to give the growth, if we really can be free to “rejoice in hope of the glory of God”? Yes, mere men- like Paul & Apollos- labor to plant & water the seed of faith, but must not it be God alone that performs the mysterious miracle of germination? (for the answer, see 1Cor. 3)

Yea, faith must rest on the quality of God’s grace, but then, we may further enquire what quality of God does grace rest its weary head upon? If sin, being negative in nature, requires judgment (& it does), & grace is a positive outpouring of God, a gift, then should not the negative be addressed in due course, before the positive? Should God be so foolish to cast His pearls to pigs? Should He bestow unfathomable riches on the contemptuous man shortly destined for damnation? What then, must precede grace, for grace, then faith, to find their lasting consequence?

Ephesians 2:4-9 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, (5) even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved-- (6) and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, (7) so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (8) For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, (9) not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Yea, faith cannot ever be something that man supplies, else it be of himself & allow his boast, in utter denial of Eph. 2:9. Therefore, its supply must depend on the God’s loving providence to the lowly sinner, in other words, His grace.

God’s gift of faith must rest on His grace, His grace must rely on His pardoning mercy, & his mercy is empowered by His great love, represented, in its highest form by the cross:

1 John 4:9-10 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. (10) In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Why does this matter so? What does it matter that we understand this order? Well, keeping things in right order seemed to matter greatly to our Lord:

Matthew 23:16-22 Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.' (17) You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? (18) And you say, 'If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.' (19) You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? (20) So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. (21) And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. (22) And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.

Homework:
1. Does not right order lead to right worship?
2. Why would Paul say love is greater than faith & hope?

What is an Evangelical?- The Term "Christian"

John 17:20-26 "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, (21) that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. (22) I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one- (23) I in them and you in me--so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (24) Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. (25) Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. (26) I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."

We’ve all seen & been surprised at the polls that indicate very large percentages of Americans consider themselves Christian. Well, either most Christians are living under rocks & in caves, only exiting to answer poll takers’ phone calls, or we have a large group of Americans who do not know what it means to be “Christian”. I think the latter is the more likely scenario, & an unfortunate recent event gives us yet another reducio ad absurdum argument against too broadly applying the term:

“A majority of so called agnostics and atheists in Europe are cultural conservative Christians without even knowing it. So what is the difference between cultural Christians and religious Christians? If you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and God then you are a religious Christian. Myself and many more like me do not necessarily have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and God. We do however believe in Christianity as a cultural, social, identity, and moral platform. This makes us Christian.” -Anders Breivik’s manifesto, page 1307

Well, we could spend hours broaching all the contradictions in this paragraph alone, much less the devilish drivel on the other 1499 pages. Nevertheless, I want to focus in on this brief moment of lucidity found in Breivik’s manifesto; the clear delineation- the line in the sand, that he makes here. He speaks of one group, calling themselves “Christian”- these “have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and God”, & yet another group, also identifying themselves as such, that “do not” have that bond. He himself speaks openly of lacking that relationship, yet he still lays claim to the title. So therein lies the pertinent question: What, or Who, should define the term “Christian”? Should it be based on a personal relationship, or can it be, as Breivik says, just “a cultural, social, identity, and moral platform”?

Defining ancient words from an etymological perspective is best way to find what should be their true meaning; and make no mistake the term “Christian” is very nearly as old as the faith that formed it (Acts 11:26). So what should be the root? (hint- this one’s a softball) Obviously, the word is a patronym, derived from a “fatherly” view of the Person of Christ (Is. 9:6). Accordingly, the first definition in any good dictionary will go along these lines: “a person who believes in and follows Jesus Christ”. Yes, the “cultural, social, identity, and moral platform” definitions will follow that primary meaning & that is key. In this case, the primary definition must truly apply for the secondary definitions to have true application. What’s more, the secondary meanings should act as an introspection to the depth one has accepted the primary meaning. Given Breivik’s actions, his factual denial of a relationship with Christ is wholly duplicitous. It should not need to be said that a person committing murder does not know Christ in any intimate way. His visible actions betray his invisible heart. (Luke 6:45)

Return then, to our question: What, or Who, should define the term “Christian”? Breivik's delineation between two clearly different entities is correct; where he errs is in the misapplication of the term "Christian" to both. To be “Christian” demands firstly a belief in, & following of, Jesus Christ, which results in the secondary connotations becoming evident. The term should be as it originally was, fundamentally founded not on the “what” of a cultural, social, identity, and moral platform, but upon a relationship with the “Who” of Christ.

Are Sinful Thoughts Sinful? (part4)

So we have this sad unmitigated reality that the seed of sin is with man from cradle to grave & that a holy God will not avert His eyes from judging all of its outgrowth, down to the very moment of germination. But there is good news! Another unmitigated reality is that there is another seed germinating in the garden of those drawn to Christ. Even more fantastically, this seed is strong enough overpower & eventually destroy the bad seed, & even its bad fruit! Hallelujah! How does this happen?

First off, believe in the eventual triumph of that seed by trusting in the ability of the Master Gardener that sowed it. We did not produce that seed, it was not of human descent, but of God, “lest any man should boast”. So while this fact denies us vanity, it also accords us tremendous confidence; a good seed does in fact dwell within, & it cannot be averted, destroyed, nor revoked (Rom. 11:29)- we indeed “will be saved” (glorification- e.g. Rom. 8:17-30, 1Cor 3:15). But faith in Christ’s seed is key to glorification’s prerequisites- justification & sanctification. We neither “were saved” (justification- e.g. Rom. 8:24, Eph. 2:8) nor are “being saved” (sanctification- e.g. 1Cor 1:18, 15:1-2) apart from faith.

Hebrews 11:24-27 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, (25) choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. (26) He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. (27) By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.

Therefore, since faith is so basic to being in Christ the pertinent question is- How does one believe to a greater extent?

The Master’s Good seed will grow a good crop, but He, in some part, leaves the when & how much to the due diligence of His fellow laborers. Paul makes the following fascinating statement as he instructs of God’s future fiery-styled judgment of our works:

1Corinthians 3:9a For we are God's fellow workers.

The honest & diligent student of the word knows Paul cannot be speaking of that aspect our salvation known as justification for, as he states elsewhere that one is justified by entirely by faith, apart from works (e.g. Rom 3:28).

Getting down to brass tacks, faith is grown in the most outwardly ordinary ways. True, it is God who delivers the measure of faith, but He does not generally do it by some arcane & mysterious impartation. It is unfortunate that so many Christians think this is the way the Spirit feeds our faith, because they therefore tend to be completely laissez-faire in regards to growing their spiritual maturity. Even reformed-minded believers can fall into this trap when they try to apply the concept of God’s utter sovereignty to the process of sanctification. Since both justification & sanctification are elements of the greater salvation (conversion) experience, some features, like repentance & faith, will be common to both. The Spirit leads all that are His to repent & believe for the purposes of justification, but the further measures of these godly traits are taken up under the auspice of sanctification. Therefore, in reference to justification & sanctification, there is an overlap in regards to the signs of repentance & faith, but not in regards to God’s utter sovereignty. God does all the work of justification Himself, but we are His fellow workers in the way of our sanctification & good works accomplished in Christ. Thus the necessity for Paul to confess our “fellow worker” status as he heralds the news that our diligence will be called to account in a very real way in 1 Corinthians 3...

“Uh… uh… I thought God was supposed to do it all” will be the regrettable words spoken by blasé believers on that day when it is revealed how little they have accomplished with all that God has given unto to them.

But of course there is a flip side to Paul’s edifying adjuration in 1 Corinthians 3, & this is directed as a warning to the other extreme- the proud & boastful overachiever. And here again, the phrase “God's fellow workers” is equally applicable; these run into the field without waiting for the Master’s lead, plowing & planting according to their own myopic understanding. They think to themselves “I’m capable of the work, I can do it on my own, I don’t need to wait on anyone else.” Their pride is all that leads them as they run ahead, leading the pack, instead of finding the Master (the Holy Spirit) in order to follow in His lead of producing eternal works likened to gold, silver, & precious stones. These infantile Christians accomplish everything & nothing at the same time.

Their lack of maturity (sanctification) is what hinders them, for increasing faith & repentance at work within them would destroy the fleshly pride that will otherwise surely cause them to be without on the day of fiery testing.

These will indeed drag copious works into God’s courtroom on their appointed day, but a giant fireball will be their only reward for all their proud deceiving diligence, as all their worthless “wood, hay, & stubble” is consumed.

1 Corinthians 3:1-16 But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. (2) I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, (3) for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? (4) For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not being merely human? (5) What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. (6) I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. (7) So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. (8) He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. (9) For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building. (10) According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. (11) For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (12) Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw- (13) each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. (14) If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. (15) If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. (16) Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?

Are Sinful Thoughts Sinful? (part 3)

Psalms 119:11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

In the former parts of this series, we delved into the depth of man’s depravity & found it sinful to the core while also discovering that God justly desires to deal with every bit of it. Man made religion relentlessly seeks to reduce his degeneracy so as to increase his comfort level in the company of a holy & almighty God. We do not feel at ease being so utterly bad in the presence of One so utterly good. But true religion seeks only truth. It never mitigates reality in pursuit of spiritual solace. The unmitigated reality is that the seed of Adam dwells within all, that we do not do right because we neither think nor desire right, & we are accordingly due swift justice for every such deviation from the nature of Christ. Grasp that. It was not merely Christ’s actions that set forth the standard for mankind, but His innermost nature. He alone was outwardly perfect because He alone was inwardly perfect...

Luke 6:43-45 For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, (44) for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. (45) The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

In pursuit of a concordant, systematic theology that aligns with Scripture, we must embrace the idea that Christ’s outward perfection stemmed from His inward perfection. Just as the tangible evidence of good fruit evidences the goodness of the tree, wholly perfect fruit evidences the wholly perfect Tree. And that Tree alone rises above all others as mankind’s model, his upward call (Phil. 3:14).

The question is often posed “Why did God even allow that cursed tree of evil knowledge within Adam’s purview?” as if all our eons of evil could have been avoided if only Adam had not opportunity to overtly display the desire of his heart. As if we would all be still be abiding in the Garden, blissfully at peace with God, if only we never needlessly tarried with that temptatious, tempestuous tree. But Christ’s words strike home here also, as we accept Luke 6:45 pointing to God’s purpose for that tree; it was as nothing more than a metaphorical marker for a mind that had already wandered outside its proper boundaries, away from the “image & likeness of God”, akin to the 12 stone monument at Gilgal (Josh. 4:20). The 12 stones of the river Jordan gave tangible testimony to an entering in, while the Garden’s tree evidenced an exiting out. Both only symbolized events of the past. Adam’s sinfulness did not begin with his grasping of that fruit, not with Eve, nay, not even with the appearance of the serpent; his sin began as pride had erstwhile developed deep within heart & mind. Adam, like his tempter, arrogantly despised his blessed portion under God, desiring instead to be as God. It is akin to a man, when presented with a gift of a perfect filet mignon, laid upon a bed of crisp asparagus, conspiring to secretly possess the farm & kitchen that gave forth such blessing, instead of rightly honoring his benefactor. Was he sinful as he first conceived his evil, or only as it was hatched? The judgment of man cannot peer into a man’s thoughts, & so cannot rightly judge thoughts, but God does know our thoughts, & therefore does rightly judge them.

“The Devil made me do it”…

Satan is not as he commonly represented by the naïve, as one who instills evil within an individual; rather, the much more ugly reality is as Job 1-2 & Luke 22:31-32 attest- his role is more often to “sift”, or draw out into the open our true, but obfuscated nature. Adam, Job, & Peter all failed Satan’s testing, as would we in their stead; in Scripture it is Christ alone who continues bearing perfect fruit in course of suffering all of the slings of Satan (Luke 4). Therefore, comprehend that Adam’s consumption of the bad fruit was simply indicative of the nature of his tree. Bad trees desire fruit that is accord with themselves; simply put, sin begets sin.

Are Sinful Thoughts Sinful? (part 2)

Mark 12:30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

In part 1we addressed the question of our culpability in regards to the degenerate nature, i.e., at what point should we feel that God judges the primordial sinful thought? Is it still sin, potentially accounted to us, even in its most nascent stage? Christ’s letter to Thyatira speaks His mandate to judge the entire human condition, from ostensive works to innermost thought & desire…

Revelation 2:18-23 "And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: 'The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. (19) "'I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. (20) But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. (21) I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. (22) Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, (23) and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.

Philippians 2:1-5 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, (2) complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. (3) Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. (4) Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. (5) Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.

1 Peter 3:8 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.

These verses contain imperatives; the verb “have” says you must do something in gain that “unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.” This clearly implicates our personal, individual culpability in regards to the primordial thought of sin. We can cultivate the ground of our heart & mind to readily grow such a bountiful crop of godliness, or we can choose to lazily let the land languish & continue to wonder why we get nothing but a crop of tiring tares & worthless weeds.

Matthew 3:8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.

Yet, despite even the most fervent nurturing, the cultivated field will sometimes bear weeds; vigilance is the key to gaining a generally fruitful crop of godliness within your heart & mind. Pulling those weeds quickly, before they gain strong root & multiply with seed & spore of their own is key to opposing their degeneracy. But there is much more towards the goal of godliness than simply trying to deny the outside evil a place within; indeed Christ states that such effort at “cleaning house” is vain if it is forlorn:

Matthew 12:43-45 "When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. (44) Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. (45) Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation."

Colossians 2:18-3:5 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, (19) and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. (20) If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations- (21) "Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch" (22) (referring to things that all perish as they are used)- according to human precepts and teachings? (23) These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.

Simply cleaning up the pig’s mess does nothing to deny the pigs habitation. They simply return to carry on rooting up & destroying the garden of your soul. Barriers must be erected to prevent the pigs entry to your garden. We must detest & live set apart from “that woman Jezebel” have sustainable growth in godliness.

But Jesus teaches, then the Apostle elucidates (the typical NT narrative), that attempting to grow in godliness by simply cleaning up the day’s mess, erecting barriers, & living minimally apart from outside worldliness (asceticism) “have no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh”. Why is this? Why can’t a ten foot, electrified barrier prevent the pigs from rooting & defecating in our garden? Because of this profoundly fundamental fact that both Savior & saint laid down as well: that we owners are primordially pigs as much as those that live outside the garden of our heart, mind, & soul. The teaching of original sin declares the shocking reality that, despite our every effort, a pig lives inside the garden, & that pig is us! (Romans 7) Nathan’s parable to David had the king in a mood of righteous vengeance, until the point in the story that appalling truth came out. “You are the man!” was stated, & then all David could do at that point is fall on his face & weep out the words of the 51st Psalm.

Psalms 51 To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. (2) Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! (3) For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. (4) Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. (5) Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. (6) Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. (7) Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. (8) Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. (9) Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. (10) Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. (11) Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. (12) Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. (13) Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. (14) Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. (15) O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. (16) For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. (17) The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. (18) Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem; (19) then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Colossians 3:1-5 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. (2) Set (imperative verb) your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. (3) For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. (4) When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (5) Put (imperative verb) to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

What is an Evangelical? (part 1)

Mark 1:14-15 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."

Christianity in Western society is often encumbered with heterodox labels that orthodox Christianity should understand so as to intelligently reject in the process of promulgating Biblical belief. These attacks frequently come from within the church. Therefore their proponents are adept at cunningly couching their heterodoxy in sentiment & language that can seem entirely benign & even benevolent to a Scriptural Gospel- in the same way that, for instance, a Pakistani could much easier reach other Pakistanis than a born & bred American could. We are naturally less guarded in the company of those who are culturally & linguistically akin to us.

“Emergent” is one label that becomes patently false to us as we contrast its teachings with the Bible. They believe in eviscerating the Gospel so as to make it acceptable to all. They teach a social gospel, not towards a goal of unifying Christianity, but instead all world religion. They are often the ones we see with the “coexist”, “peace”, & “believe” bumper stickers which morph the symbols of various religions into the letters that form these words. Their principle leader, a guy who deceptively takes the title of “Christian” himself, is Brian McLaren; his watered down “gospel”, which is really no gospel at all (Gal 1:6-7), leads to statements such as:

“I don't believe making disciples must equal making adherents to the Christian religion. It may be advisable in many (not all!) circumstances to help people become followers of Jesus and remain within their Buddhist, Hindu or Jewish contexts…”

Now if he had in mind by “context”- the cultural effects of these religions, he would of course be correct. A Indian convert to Christianity is simply going to have to practice his newfound belief within the context of a largely Hindu society (1Cor. 5:10). But he is not saying this at all; he is stating that new Christian can continue to be a Hindu, changing nothing more than those aspects of Hinduism that seem (in McLaren’s eyes), to violate Christianity- like Sati rituals & the caste system of social stratifications.

This elucidates what McLaren sees as the Gospel; to him, it is something that is soteriologically centered around simply trying to become a “follower of Jesus”. Cedar Ridge Community Church teaches WWJD not as a response to the Gospel of a crucified & risen Savior, but instead of that one Way & His Gospel message. They enervate the good news of Christ by presenting a soteriology that has our potential for righteous morality as its base, instead of presenting Christ’s utter fulfillment of all righteousness as the only possible basis for salvation. But it is only therein, in this type of belief structured around Christ alone holding the key to our salvation, wherein the believer becomes bonded to Christ; only thus achieving for God His goal, spelled out by John 4:23, of a people worshipping Him in both spirit & truth.

Titus 2:11-14 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, (12) training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, (13) waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, (14) who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

Sharecropper Co-opt

Matthew 13:1-23 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. (2) And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. (3) And he told them many things in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow. (4) And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. (5) Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, (6) but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. (7) Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. (8) Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. (9) He who has ears, let him hear.” (10) Then the disciples came and said to him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" (11) And he answered them, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. (12) For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. (13) This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. (14) Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: "'You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. (15) For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.' (16) But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. (17) For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. (18) Hear then the parable of the sower: (19) When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. (20) As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, (21) yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. (22) As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. (23) As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."

When many Christians read this parable, they become convicted towards uprooting the metaphorical rocks & weeds from their life & so thereby make their soil “good”. They rightly soul search for the things of life that deter the seed from taking firm root & growing towards full blossoming maturity. Whether it is inordinate pursuit of worldly gain, worldly relationships, or simply a big screen television with every imaginable feature except an off button, many things indeed seem to conspire against our maturity in Christ; Christians prove themselves both fervent & prudent in ferreting out such hindrances towards the hundred, sixty, or thirtyfold yield that is the Landowner’s due. But taking the Word of God not in part, but as a whole, we also know that:

“None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” (Psalm 14, Isa. 64, Rom. 3)

Knowing this fact in addition to the parable, the fact that we cannot make our soil essentially “good” in any way at all, we face a compelling quandary- How do we get the seed to sprout to maturity if all our spiritually agronominous exertion fails in making good soil?

Quite simply, through faith- in a Farmer far greater than us.

Take note of two things in the context of this parable; firstly, the nine verses (9-17) between the simple telling of the parable & His further elucidation wherein Christ implores the disciples to accept that they have been given something special from above, apart from themselves- ears to hear, & eyes to see. This gift, like any gift, is not accounted to the recipient’s deserving, but to the giver’s generosity. So we see implied therein the soil is good not through human effort, but through God’s desire.

Secondly, recognize that Jesus does not speak of the good soil evolving into that state, as would be the case if it were being improved by the application of our agronominous exertion, but that it already was in the condition of being good soil at the time of the sowing. Its goodness was not post requisite, but prerequisite to the time of planting.

That soil was good before the seed was ever sown because the good soil is not you, but Christ within you!

Jesus has this to say in the context of Mark’s testimony of the sower’s parable…

Mark 4:26-29 And he said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. (27) He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. (representing man’s ignorance & passivity in regards growing the seed) (28) The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. (representing God’s ability & activity in growing the spiritual seed) (29) But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."

Therefore understand, this passage is not leading you to labor as a farmer in the field of your soul, but instead rejoice that the essential labor is already accomplished! Rejoice exceedingly that God has worked over the soil of your soul so that it could receive Christ & produce a bountiful crop, for this gift is not universal among mankind. As Jesus told His disciples in the context of telling this parable, “blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.” Are you really so bold that you would think those “blessed eyes & ears” are instruments of your own creation? No, such good soil comes from God, & is intended to readily receive the seed & produce a bountiful harvest.

In Philippians 4:3, Paul recognizes his & others’ labors in Christ, but he immediately follows this recognition of human effort with the following revelation- “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” Why is this? Because he knows that his efforts are possible only because of Christ’s good soil already extant within him, even before the Damascus road experience, to empower him with ears to hear at the right time. Paul’s work, tremendous as it was, was nothing more than an outgrowth of the primordial work of Christ, already accomplished before Paul had done anything good at all.

So what else do we do in the midst of all this rejoicing in Christ? Get plugged in & allow God to continue working in your field. Even the Lone Ranger needed Tonto. Yeah, you’re right, that pastor, counselor, or Sunday School teacher is not God; but God will work your field through them (& others) if you’re plugged into their ministry.

1 Corinthians 3:5-11 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. (6) I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. (7) So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. (8) He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. (9) For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building. (10) According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. (11) For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Habakkuk 3:17-18 Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, (18) yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. -

As long as you’re plugged in to His work, you are a “fellow worker”, so don’t worry so much about the harvest; because, after all, ultimately it’s His seed, His soil, His field, His laborers at work in that field, all culminating in His harvest. A bit of an enigmatic epiphany found within 1Cor. 6:19-20 makes it clear that we are mere sharecroppers even in our own field (“You are not your own, for you were bought with a price”). So God bands us together in Christ to form a co-opt of sharecroppers- many individuals, banded together in a common work, each working in others’ fields, each gaining through others’ labors in his own field; but at the same time, no one truly owns any fields. There is but one Landowner, and ultimately, all the harvest is due Him to re-distribute as He pleases since it’s all founded upon His soil, seed, & labor.

Romans 11 is yet another passage with God as a spiritual Farmer carefully tending His olive tree to produce His fruit, & how does Paul close this discussion? Read for yourself-

Romans 11:36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

1 Corinthians 8:6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

Philippians 1:6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

You may ask “Why is all this so important? What does it matter whether the believer understands his salvation to be entirely from God or whether he thinks his redemption originated, even in part, of his own will & goodness? Either way, he is still saved by Christ if he ends up trusting & serving Him, right?” And the answer would be yes, to trust in & serve Christ is the essence of salvation. But the real question should be “What form of service is that latter believer saved towards?” What you save them with, is what you save them towards. Evangelization that does not present Christ as both the Author & Finisher of faith will produce weak worship, for the proselyte thinks that he has had skin in the game, so to speak. He perceives less of Christ & more of himself as author & finisher, producing false pride that inhibits full worship. And make no mistake, the Christian’s first assignment, his first call of duty, if you will, is to worship. Christ said that if no one gave praise to Him, that the stones would instead cry out (Luke 19:40). He taught likewise of the importance of right worship to the woman at the well…

John 4:19-24 The woman said to him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. (20) Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” (21) Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. (22) You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. (23) But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. (24) God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Jesus is speaking of the importance of worshipping God from a right attitude of the heart, as opposed to worshipping Him at a certain location or in a certain manner. He is saying the physical matters not- if the spiritual, the attitude of the heart, is fundamentally wrong…

Luke 7:36-50 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and took his place at the table. (37) And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, (38) and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. (39) Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner." (40) And Jesus answering said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he answered, "Say it, Teacher." (41) "A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. (42) When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?" (43) Simon answered, "The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt." And he said to him, "You have judged rightly." (44) Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. (45) You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. (46) You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. (47) Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven--for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little." (48) And he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." (49) Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, "Who is this, who even forgives sins?" (50) And he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

The point of Christ comparing Simon’s treatment of Him with the anonymous woman’s manner was not to indicate her greater sin, but her greater perception of her sin. Scripture informs us that all have sinned, & maybe this woman did have a greater degree of trespass than Simon, but that is not the point. The point of Christ’s comparison is to call on Simon to dwell on his sin & Christ’s glory, enabling him to turn & offer likewise worship. The woman in this story worshipped rightly because she was more cognizant of both her trespass & of Christ’s ability to save her from concordant judgment. She was not in any way looking to herself as salvific, but instead was relying on Christ alone as she poured out true, spiritual worship upon her Savior. Simon clearly had confidence in himself- his lineage & Pharisaic works, while this anonymous woman had no confidence in anything she was or had done. She was relying solely on Christ to save her, in His abundant power, mercy, & grace.

This prototype proselyte worshiped fully as she had nothing but humility & faith feeding her adoring veneration of Christ. It is only when these two are all that propel us to worship is when we are the true worshippers that He seeks. And His closing words to her are most pertinent, for it is only when we worship God thusly, in spirit & truth, that we can truly find peace with Him.

The Height of Hypocrisy in Legalism

Romans 10:15b As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!"

1 Corinthians 9:16b Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!

The Reformation brought the light of the Gospel out of the dark shadows cast over it by the hypocritical liars & legalists of the church at Rome. These churchmen appeared pompous & aloof as they only preached doctrines invented by man instead preaching solely God’s Word. Praise God He raised up men like Wycliffe, Tyndale, Luther, Calvin, Melanchthon, & Zwingli to brightly illuminate His Gospel light once more.

But the battle to hold the Gospel at the center of all right preaching did not end there. It carries on, & the attackers to the Gospel’s integrity come from every direction; it is like doing battle with a thousand killer bees instead of the 800 pound gorilla of the 15th century Vatican church. Nevertheless, whether centered in one very powerful institution, or distributed helter skelter all over, the basic shadowy form of such attacks takes the same form in the world of dubious Christianity- hypocritical legalists preaching God’s Law (or even their own- Matt. 15:8-9) apart from God’s mercy & grace.

I present Fred Phelps front & center as “exhibit A”- the premier hypocritical lying legalist of our day. His little hive of beastly bees, better known as Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas, is well known for their legalistic tirades primarily against homosexuals & anyone they can tie to homosexuality- which, of course is apparently every man, woman, & child on earth who does attend or embrace their fellowship. Every nation, every creed- Americans, Chinese, Swedes, Nazis, Muslims, Jews, & countless others have been inexorably linked to homosexuality & ostensibly have no alternative but the fires of Hell, if Westboro is to be believed. I find it particularly ironic that they love to proclaim “the Jews killed Jesus”; few instant litmus tests exist for a lying preacher, but know this is one. Scripture instead informs us Jesus died for the sins of His elect children; therefore every one of us who turn to Christ as Lord & Savior played a part in His death. Our bloody fingerprints are all over that hammer, those nails, that spear. By pointing the finger at others instead of themselves as the cause of His cross, they summarily prove that they themselves have no portion in Christ’s death, & therefore likewise have no portion in His life.

It would almost seem Mr. Phelps is setting us up with the perfect reductio ad absurdum argument against legalism in preaching, so lucid is his extreme hypocrisy & complete indifference to preaching the real Gospel- the “good news” that Jesus can, has, & will continue to save all manner of deviants- homosexuals, adulterers, fornicators, thieves, rapists, & murderers. By golly, I might be out on a limb here, but I would even say that He can reach out & save liars & hypocrites! Blimey! There is hope yet for the Phelps family!

Christ begins to close His Sermon on the Mount with the following:

Matthew 7:1-5 "Judge not, that you be not judged. (2) For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. (3) Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? (4) Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? (5) You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

The legalist indicter of other men’s sin, if they contained a shred of integrity or Godly humility, would consider what manner of sinner they themselves were before preaching to others. In such course, perchance there be no better place to begin this quest than the beginning of this very Sermon? In Matt. 5 Christ makes clear the standard for all goes far & above the metaphorical 30’ pole vault of the O.T. Law (when only one man in history has ever cleared 20’). But the human heart is nothing if not proud, & Jesus had to contend with the boastful assertions of many that claimed they had indeed kept the letter of the Law & deserved to be lauded for such piety. These were the foremost preachers of legalism in that day, the scribes & Pharisees:

Matthew 23:11-13 The greatest among you shall be your servant. (12) Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. (13) But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.

The legalist hypocrite of today is no different from that of yesteryear. They preach law without preaching grace, & in a manner whereas they set themselves on a pedestal. They preach a standard while insinuating they have reached that standard. They are “good”, while you, the hearer, are “bad”. They preach vertically down to their listeners, instead of horizontally across- as from one who falling short to another falling short, as from hopeless sinner to hopeless sinner, as from forlorn wretch to forlorn wretch. I believe in preaching from a pulpit to esteem God’s Word & His Gospel, but at the same, the preacher needs to also preach horizontally to demonstrate, in himself, the only Way out of our mountainous moral morass.

Isaiah begins a treatise against sin (Isa. 59) with phrases like “your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God”- to bring personal conviction to his audience; but as presses on with his indictment, he clearly amends his language- “for our transgressions are multiplied before you, and our sins testify against us”- to make his indictment complete. Paul wrote of his own sinfulness (Romans 7) as he wrote against the sins of others, therein casting his lot with theirs- yet not for Christ & His cross. Augustine’s first large literary work was the autobiographical Confessions, wherein he laid himself bare, acknowledging to all his every sin.

It takes great humility to preach in this manner, for you preach against yourself every bit as much as others. Might this be the very reason Christ began His Sermon on the Mount with the Beatitudes, summarized best in the statements “Blessed are the meek” & “Blessed are the poor in spirit”? Yes, for humility & the Gospel are the two prescriptions needed to heal the disease of hypocrisy in the preaching against sin. Ironically, legalistic preachers build no case stronger in favor of God’s judgment than the case against themselves. It seems quite clear from Matt. 7:5, as well as from the fact that Christ reserved His most acerbic tone for such preachers, that the hypocritical legalist preacher will be put at the front of the line on the day of judgment. Think about that fact- the same level of degeneracy was taking place in the world in that day as is today; yet Christ spoke harshest to unrepentant sinner in the church instead of to the unrepentant sinner of the world- despite the fact that the later likely had a greater measure of actual trespass against’ God’s Law.

Indeed we are all commanded to preach- of both sin & its requisite judgment. All the disciples followed Christ in this way; but they likewise & concordantly preached that such judgment has already been borne by our Lord for those who turn & believe on Him- His holiness, His righteousness, & His unique ability to forgive sin. They did preach “turn or burn” (to use a modern colloquialism), but the focus was always more on the turning towards Christ, than the turning from sin. It is not so much that we are called to sin less, but more so that we are called to adore & serve our Savior more. It is only therein that we can truly sin less anyway. All other effort is fruitless & justifiably so, for the main point of the Gospel is not as legalism proposes- the raising up of a people that simply sin less often or in less outwardly abominable fashion; instead the Gospel’s point is that a people be raised up for God. The eye that is on the prize, the eye that firstly examines the log of sin in itself will always likewise be the beacon of light in a dark & dreary land.

Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (2) looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Luke 9:62b "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."

We are called to simply “lay aside” sin as it is shown to be excess baggage which weighs us down, keeping us from the joy that has been set before us- Christ Jesus. The elimination of sin is not the goal, but it does remove an impediment to the goal. Olympic runners never look back, only forward, at their goal- the object of their highest desire; for the Christian, this purely & simply Christ, for He alone is worthy of such desire & affection. Hebrews 12:2 sets up Christ Himself as our example in this, as it details how Christ did not concern Himself with encumbrances like the injustice of the sinless suffering for the sinful; no, Christ’s focus was forward, on “the joy that was set before Him”, the joy of being freely & fully able to save all those who would set their eyes on Him as their prize.

Matthew 23:23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.

It is in this chapter that Jesus makes clear that hypocrisy in preaching is inexorably linked to legalism. Seven times He makes use of the word “hypocrite” & all seven times it is directly tied to the foremost legalistic preachers of 1st century Palestine- the scribes & Pharisees.

Understand, the scribes & Pharisees were hypocrites for the cause of stridently preaching towards the guilt of sin while denying their own concomitant culpability. They refused to even acquiesce (publicly, at least) the measure of their own sinfulness in the course of browbeating others for some degenerating onus.

But know as well that to simply liken your measure of guilt to that of your audience only pictures both speaker & hearer in a pit that they cannot escape without outside help. While true that you are no longer hypocritical as you preach the core Biblical narrative of universal (total) depravity, you still need to speak of the one “Way” you have found to escape the snare of sin, to give any real depth to your message & to finally move away from legalism. Priscilla, Aquila, & Paul discovered some Ephesians who were likewise only preaching sin & repentance; they found such admonition lacking & taught them to preach of Christ’s ministry of reconciliation as well (Acts 18:24-19:7).

Therefore, never let someone try to tell you that you have to become sinless before you can preach to them as sinful. You are not a hypocrite for preaching against sin- if you have rightly allowed the indicting pendulum of guilt to swing back & touch you as well, & have kept the Gospel, the “Good News” as your main overall focal point. Indeed, in preaching this way, you walk in the very shoes of all the disciples & apostles of Scripture as they likewise preached with an eye towards the Way- our Lord, God, Master, Judge, & Savior, Jesus Christ.