Abortion and Honesty

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

 

Another election, and again many Christian friends have voted for Republicans

because "Republicans are pro-life."

 

The question I would ask those friends is, "And you believe them !?!?"

Most people are wise enough to be skeptical of the words of politicians, any 

politicians.  Even more are wise people today distrustful of the words we hear

from Republicans, who have shown themselves to be the foremost party of liars

and hypocrites, and devotees of the great liar.

 

So I would call out scripture's words to all Christians, to those who before God

should be the most honest of all people, "Test yourself to see if you are in the faith !"

(II Corinthians 13:5).

Honest people can certainly be wrong: that's why God commands self-examination.

But only the honest are capable of fruitful self-examination: able to hear God when He says

anything contrary to their own "thoughts and ways," able to admit to themselves they've gone

astray from God's ways, and capable of turning back from their wrong ideas and wrong ways.

Even though he's a politician, I consequently have hopes that Joe Biden (for example) may

be able to look at abortion as the moral issue it is in God's word, rather than the political

"right" his party has made it.  Joe Biden is a man who could possibly repent his political

support of "abortion rights."

 

I consequently have virtually no hope that the liars and hypocrites will repent...

especially when lies and hypocrisy are the foundation of their political "success."

Except for Almighty God's sovereign work-of-power in his heart, can anyone

imagine the Republicans' demigod admitting...to himself, first of all...that he

was ever wrong...and repenting ?  And obviously none of his worshippers would

dare his wrath by questioning his ineffable wisdom (i.e., lies) ?

So we hear many Christians say they vote for the liar, and his false prophets,

because "Republicans are pro-life."  So we see that many Christians believe

and follow liars because they are led astray by their "politics," and pay no heed

to the Spirit of Truth.  An honest Christian is a rare thing, in this time, in our nation.

May God yet send a spirit of repentance on all Christians (if they are) who love

neither righteousness nor Truth !  May God yet call back to Himself any, if there are

any, honest hearts among the deceived now following the father of lies.  Amen !

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Repentance and Franklin Graham

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

I don't know how many times a year Franklin Graham preaches: maybe 150-200 messages, all over the world ?

In his lifetime I have to imagine he's preached the gospel message of repentance to hundreds of millions of people, in person, on radio, on T.V., in all the inhabited parts of the earth.

For an evangelist, of course, repentance is exactly the right message.  Repentance is the first step toward following Jesus: without looking honestly at all your wrong deeds and wrong ways, and turning away from them, no one can truthfully follow Jesus.

I wonder then if Franklin Graham believes in repentance.  He certainly knows what it is.  And if anyone knows how central repentance is to living in Christ, we'd have to say he know that, in and out.

Does Franklin Graham believe repentance is something he needs to do ?  I doubt he'd say or believe (as some church-goers seem to) that he repented on some specific date...and that took care of it.  I'm sure Franklin Graham knows that living in Jesus is a continuing process: I'm sure he knows that human beings continue flawed, foolish, rebellious, conniving, hypocritical, and self-deluded, in greater or lesser degree, every day of their lives.

I'm fairly confident that Franklin Graham is enough of an expert on the Biblical teaching about repentance to know that repentance has to be a daily discipline, a lifestyle, in every Christian's life.  I'm sure he's honest enough to realize that includes himself; and I'm sure he probably practices daily repentance in his own life.

So I have to wonder why he's never repented his endorsement of this current destructive president during the last election: or of appearing at last year's inauguration to tell the world the current president is "God's man:" or of his continuing support for the current president's violent foolishness, such as his threat to incinerate every North Korean in a nuclear attack ?

I have to believe Franklin Graham, of all people, must know that no one whose heart is continually filled with lies and murder (which Jesus defines as hateful contempt for others, in Matthew 5:21-22) is "God's man."  I'm sure he knows the scripture where Jesus said such a person shows he is satan's child (John 8:44).

Has Franklin Graham, the world's foremost preacher of repentance, confronted our current president with his need to repent all that ?   I of course have no way of knowing the answer to that question, one way or the other, with any certainty.  It seems unlikely, however, that anyone who'd told a sinner he needed to repent would thereafter approve and encourage him in his evil deeds.

Has Franklin Graham, the world's foremost preacher of repentance, looked at his own actions honestly; questioned if his public endorsement of a liar and murderer as "God's man" might have been wrong...and might have led millions who trust his spiritual leadership to revere and follow a person of the enemy's spirit ?

It seems a question that any Christian of rigorous honesty should ask himself, in his self-examination.  It seems a very great sin that any Christian should whole-heartily repent of.

Franklin Graham, like everyone else, will have to examine his own need for repentance.  He's preached that message often enough we have to presume he knows it.  But so does every other Christian: knowing about and doing repentance is the only way anyone has ever become a follower of Jesus, so we all have the necessary experiential knowledge.

So we all have the same question to ask ourselves in self-examination: have we obeyed God, or disobeyed Him, in what He commands of us ?  If we've disobeyed (and anyone honest with himself will sometimes have to admit he's missed God's mark), we have to choose...again, continuingly...whether or not we will confess and heartily repent our failing.

In this day, the great questions thrust on American Christians are whether God wishes us to follow and revere men of satan's character...and does He want His people to join themselves to liars and murderers, encourage them in their ways, and approve and support their evil-doing ?

It seems beyond incredible to me that Christians should EVER have to examine themselves on those self-evident questions: but the accelerating corruption of the times and the world has made it so.  And the "witness" of so many American Christians is corruptly affirmative to those questions that it's become controversial to even raise them to Christians.

(Note: those questions have become politically controversial...never Biblically controversial.)

But I hope some in the American Church will...in their secret heart, if not in public...consider those questions.  Anyone honest enough to ask themselves those questions, probably has the integrity to answer them honestly: and the courage to repent, if need be.

Two scriptures come to mind, to encourage anyone who will honestly self-examine::

"Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is...to keep oneself unstained by the world."     --  James 1:27

"Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves."     --  Romans 14:22


                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Sin is Stupidity, and Stupidity Sin

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Sin is absolute stupidity.  And stupidity is absolutely sin. 

There's all kinds of ways to work that through: but here's a biggie.

Doing self-destructive things is laughable...and fatally stupid.  We're all familiar with the Darwin Awards.

Sin is self-destructive.  Going against God's commands is ASSURED self-destruction.  That's real stupid.

But wisdom keeps us from being stupid.  And God offers WISDOM to anyone who asks Him in faith (James 1:5-6).

Maybe some haven't heard His promise, and don't know to ask.

But the profoundly stupid are those who know God's promise, and choose instead to "turn to his own way" (Isaiah 53:6)

God says that choice is sin.  God says that choice assures self-destruction.  That choice is stupid.

The good news is that although we've all been stupid ("all have sinned..."), we don't have to stay stupid.  God offers us the chance to change our minds: the Bible's word for that is "repent."

That starts by admitting you were stupid, and asking God for His wisdom to keep you from continuing in stupidity.

Father, open the eyes of CHRISTIANS in this country to repent this destructive political foolishness.  Father, please forgive us for so sorely OFFENDING you all these years.  God, Father, forgive us !!

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

The Purpose of Clarification

I wrote a few weeks ago that I strongly sense this is a time when God is clarifying all things.  Clarifying our minds, too, about all things.

"All things" kinda resonates for me with "Alpha and Omega," Who Jesus IS.  And it makes theological sense to me that Jesus is God's clarity to us, in all things.

Jesus said "I AM...The Truth."  That's been the most clarifying realization of my life.  So I'm always super-aware of anything about Truth...and anything against Truth   How could I not be, when Jesus said that IS His very IDENTITY ?

Jesus' statement is not abstruse "head-polish" theology.   Truth exists.  Truth exists as part of the ordinary reality of our world.  (Which is, of course, what today's holiday supposedly celebrates about Jesus.)

We think and act, every day, in ordinary dependence on the existence and operation of truth in our world.  Juries are charged to sort out the facts of a case they hear, and witnesses to tell "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth."  We expect journalists (real journalists, at least) to report what really happens: even the weatherman.  The professions of scientists and historians is to look for truth, and report it truthfully.

So it's particularly significant that "post-truth" is the Word of the Year, describing people who ignore "objective facts" in making their decisions.  It's particularly significant that this year we needed that new word, for the new idea that Truth doesn't really matter.  Significant, too, that that new word and new idea came out of politics.

In that political attitude toward Truth, I think God's spoken some simple clarity: especially to Christians.

If your politics makes you unable to distinguish between righteousness and unrighteousness, your politics are not of God.

If your politics tells you Truth doesn't matter, your politics are not of God.

If your politics leads you to believe lies and follow deceivers, your politics are of "the father of lies" (john 8:44).

Christians who've let politics confuse them about Truth need to repent their politics.

Repent immediately and deeply.  This is a time God is clarifying all things, including who is really His.  He knows His own by their love of Truth: because that's who actually loves Jesus.

Questions, and Good News, for "Trump Christians"

Do you not know that human beings are transient in this world ?

Do you not realize an individual's true importance is the spirit they manifest in this world at spiritual war?

Does your vote for the person to lead us not say you want to be led by the spirit he manifests ?

In all you've seen and heard , didn't Donald Trump show his spirit is pride, and hatred, and lies ?

Didn't you notice ?

Do you not know his spirit is not the Spirit of Christ ?

Does your vote not say you approve his spirit ?

Do you not know we condemn ourselves by what we approve ?  (Romans 14:22)

You had a choice of several candidates, and the choice of not voting:
did your vote not say you choose to follow, and you approve, the spirit your candidate manifests ?

The good news is that God still offers forgiveness to all who will repent.

The Word of the Day Is Repentance

It seems many people are beginning to realize they made a mistake in entrusting Donald Trump with America's future.

That includes many Christians.  And those who know in Jesus, or should know, what righteousness IS, have more cause than anyone else to be ashamed at having followed a man of so little.

But Christians probably only need to be reminded of the basics Christ has given us for times like these.

The most important is to be honest. Christ is not deceived, and He offers forgiveness only to those who ask for it honestly.

Confess honestly.  Winking at, or worse, promoting unrighteousness is not inadvertent.  It is always a conscious choice.  Approving unrighteousness by vote is a deliberate act, not "a mistake."  Call it what it honestly is, sin.

Confess from the heart.  Admit the sin is your own: that you have done it from your own thoughts and will, by your own choice.

Repent honestly.  Meditate on and acknowledge, to God and yourself, the wrong and the harm your sin has caused, and will cause.  Don't go easy on yourself.

If God directs you to do an outward act of repentance: to publicly confess your sin, for example, or make restitution to those your sin has harmed: do it.

Let repentance do its inward work of instruction.  Ask God to sharpen your discernment of righteousness and unrighteousness, and keep you from ever again being confused between the two.  Meditate on how you were deceived, and by whom.  Ask God to keep you from the deceptive assumptions, attitudes, and people that persuaded you to sin.

Ask God to forgive you.

Accept God's forgiveness.  Then put your sin from your mind: it is no longer your sin.

Christians are also commanded to pray for those God has placed in authority; even when Nero was the early Christians' ruler.  In our current situation, there is probably a special responsibility to pray for Donald Trump, since Christians took him to their hearts.  But we know God can bring good even from disaster.

We can pray that God send on Donald Trump a spirit of wisdom, and of repentance.  "This is good and acceptable in the sight of God" in praying for those in authority, because God "...desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (I Timothy 2:3,4; my emphasis).

We can also pray that America's Christians "...may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity" (ibid, v. 2).  Whether our ruler obeys God or not, this is God's will for His people of humble and honestly-repentant heart.  It is especially important in these dark days that we pray His will be done.

Amen, Lord !  You Alone are our Great King !

You Alone are worthy of our praise and our love !!

Allelujah, Abba !  Maranatha !!

Following Tradition II

It seemed necessary to begin with some definition and foundation on "tradition." But as long as that blog became, it really said nothing except what believing Christians have always universally affirmed, what C. S. Lewis called "mere Christianity:" that God has given us His full counsel in scripture, and we should obey Him. That is very much what I understand as "the tradition" Jesus taught: to put it in His chosen terms, the Kingdom of God.

If we recognize scripture as God's word, that's good: and not enough. The operative question for hearers of His word, even (especially) believing hearers, is what we DO to obey it.

The answer seems to be "not much."

One small "tradition" comes to mind, because we were formerly members of a congregation which practiced it. The "holy kiss" (or "kiss of peace") is repeatedly taught in the New Testament: in Romans 16, I Corinthians 16, II Corinthians 13, I Thessalonians 5, I Peter 5. I'd frankly never heard of it: those scriptures were hurried-over, if read at all, in the mid-American evangelical Bible-believing "Christian" tradition I grew up in. It was a revelation to be among believers who did attentively read those scriptures: and simply did what scripture said.

It's a very small thing, of course: and we tend to consider small things unimportant. But wisdom is that small things are often the most important.

Jesus' teachings, even to the very words He used, embodies that wisdom. Derek Prince pointed out, for one example, that Jesus rarely used multi-syllabic words. Especially in His parables, He almost always spoke about ordinary one-syllable things like salt, seeds, coins, fish. We like to think that deep understanding only comes by mastering complexities: but I doubt greater spiritual wisdom and edification is found in the 12 volumes of The Fundamentals' theologizing (for example), than in Jesus' few sentences about a lost sheep.

The holy kiss is not even on most Christians' radar. That's largely because it's a scriptural tradition that hasn't been taught to believers. (And if my experience is any indicator, even where taught, only a few do it. In that regard, the kiss of peace is very much like prayer. Both are traditions uncomfortably intimate for us.)

The "kiss of peace" is a very small thing. Our shame is that we don't do even this small thing God commands. In Jesus' terms, we want to say we follow Him without even being "faithful in a very little thing" (Luke 16).

We'd much prefer He be pleased with our smug cleverness in working out the "right" position on "immanent sanctification" (or some other arcane theological construct no one can possibly know with absolute certainty)...and defending it violently against every Christian who thinks otherwise. But Jesus instead simply commands that we "greet each other with a holy kiss." He reserves His highest praise: "Well done, good slave:" for the one who obeys Him, "because you have been faithful in a very little thing..." (Luke 19).

Worship, however, is not a small thing. It's the outpouring of the love-for-God that Jesus said is the first and greatest commandment. Jesus says the Father seeks those who will worship Him "...in spirit and in truth..." Jesus says His Own appearing signals that time "now is" that we worship the Father as pleases Him: and those who worship in spirit and in truth He calls "true worshippers." (John 4) That's a very pale and flat recap of all that Jesus says in these few sentences: but we undoubtedly speak truth when we say man's whole purpose is to worship God. It's no small thing.

Surprisingly, some (teachers of scripture among them) have told me (and I believe, sincerely) that they don't find scripture teaches how we should worship !! I'll testify whole-heartedly that I do. Indeed, I'd find it completely unbelievable that scripture NOT teach us what pleases God in His foremost desire for us !

In most basic terms, I understand that worship "in spirit and truth" is scripture's explicit teaching in I Corinthians 12-14. (And taught in other scriptures as well...for those who can see it. Of course, there are many professed Christians today who take a theological position that refuses to see it.) In most basic terms, the manifestations of God's Spirit given to each believer (charismata) all have their primary use in worshipping Him. I don't think there's any better, clearer, or simpler way to understand what constitutes "worship in spirit and in truth" pleasing to God. Amen !

But whether or not we will make that identification, Spirit-powered worship is clearly what scripture teaches. With reference to the scriptures in the first part of this blog, we can be certain that this is the worship Paul taught orally and by letter in all places. We can be certain that the "pillars" of the Church in Jerusalem unanimously approved this worship as in accord with Jesus' teaching. The worship we read about in I Corinthians 12-14, led and empowered by the Spirit, is manifestly the Church' worship tradition.

Some just don't see it. If they are sincere in saying so, I trust God will open their eyes, in His time, in His love toward them.

Some refuse to see it. But God is immeasurably loving: He may even open the eyes of some deniers. His wisdom and mercy are greater, and His power stronger, than man's nay-saying. Or in His absolute sovereignty, He may let deniers continue to tie themselves in the self-constructed theological knots they love more than Him, to await the time He treads His enemies underfoot.

Whether He wills to glorify Himself by showing mercy, or glorifies Himself by crushing His enemies...God will be glorified in His unsearchable RIGHTEOUSNESS. The only question for us is whether His Glory in our life will show in His mercy towards us, or in His judgement: and that comes down to what attitude we adapt toward Him, our operative theology.

Theologies can be believing or unbelieving: and everyone has a theology. For most of us, it's not an actual academic study: thankfully, since academic theology seems so often to embody disbelief more than belief. But disbelief is also embodied in the theology of "ordinary" Christians.

The best example I know is the comment of one older lady in our Sunday School class, when we were studying I Corinthians 14:26ff: "Well, we don't do that." (I'd hasten to add this was in response to my, I think, rather mild comment that this was one of the places scripture "let us in on" how the early Church worshipped.)

She was absolutely right, of course. That "we don't do" the traditions scripture teaches, is the exact point of unbelief in many "ordinary" Christians' theologies. It may be only my fore-shortened perspective and experience: but that unbelief seems to be the general mid-American white evangelical Bible-believing "Christian" worship-tradition.

If that perception is true to any extent: is there any regard in which we more show ourselves rebels against The King than "turning to our own way" of worship !? If that perception is to any extent true, the Church' deepest need in our time is to hear, really hear, Jesus' first teaching again: "Repent; for the Kingdom...is at hand." (Matthew 4:17)

Our Father still seeks and still delights in any who will worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. Our confession must be that "we don't do that."

God forgive us !!

Repentance

In the first gospel, it was the first word Jesus spoke as He began His public ministry: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17). It's the very first step by which the unrighteous and unholy (ourselves) must approach Him Who IS Righteousness and Holiness: and a continual requirement of a continuing relationship with Him. But how do we get there ?

Meditating on that question, there seem two requirements. I'm not sure of their order, or ranking: or if they should be ordered or ranked. Indeed, the two work so closely together I'm not sure they're separate things at all, except for convenience in talking about them. In themselves, they seem more like intertwined aspects of one reality.

Honesty with ourself, about our self, seems crucial: how else can we unrighteous and unholy ever perceive, much less admit, that's what we are ? But, apart from Sovereign grace, how can malefactors such as we are even conceive a measure perfect enough to gauge our own depravity ?

Yet we do. C. S. Lewis points out in opening Mere Christianity that we all behave as if we believe there's a universally-recognized moral standard: we appeal to it, as if certain everyone knows the rules, when we are wronged by someone flouting it. And more to the point, we go to elaborate lengths to justify our own shabby behavior in terms of that standard: arguing that we did not really transgress its rules because (insert excuse here).

Unrighteous and unholy as we are, we yet seem to believe there is a "right" and "wrong," which others (at least in their dealings with us) should adhere to. Our choice for honesty comes in how we personally relate to that moral standard we believe incumbent on all...do we believe it incumbent on ourself ? If we except our self from its authority, we lie to ourselves that we acknowledge its absolute force. Honesty with ourselves begins in acknowledging that we are limited beings: and limited first as subject to a standard of righteousness independent of our own desires and purposes.

If we are not thus honest with ourself about our self, how honest can we be with God ? The only possible honesty to God is acknowledging we are NOT God. If we hold ourselves only to a standard whose highest "good" is our self, how truly do we acknowledge One more righteous and holy than ourself: or how honestly desire His forgiveness, if we're satisfied with our own ? The dishonest heart's repentance and forgiveness are hollow; a lie; self-deceiving religious form; hypocrisy. Only fierce honesty can repent as God requires, in spirit and in truth.

Repentance also requires (in the wonderful title of Derek Prince' seminal teaching) agreeing with God. First, that HE IS GOD: that His rule and His law (present in attenuated form in Lewis' "universally-recognized moral code") are infinitely more righteous than our own. In the same honesty, our heart must agree with God's that we have transgressed against His righteousness, rule and law: no excuses. Repentance.

If we agree with God that He IS The King and The Authority, honesty must acknowledge Him as the One against Whom we transgress. If we agree, as He says, that He is the Judge, honesty must recognize His right to condemn and His power to punish. Unless we agree honestly with God that "I AM" is Sovereign- and True-Alone GOD as He says, our repentance is empty: and worse than empty, it is the stench of fleshly self in His nostrils.

With any honest heart which agrees in Him, God is pleased: His pleasure, the highest honor granted by The King. And to any who thus pleases Him, He is pleased to give more of HIMSELF: His mercy-to-forgive, His Fatherly care...even adoption as His sons. To honest hearts, He grants the greatest desire to which man can aspire: God's Own PRESENCE, now and forever.

All praise to HIM Who IS all in all. Amen.