“There is not a single instance in history in which civil liberty was lost, and religious liberty preserved entire. If therefore we yield up our temporal property, we at the same time deliver the conscience into bondage.”
John Witherspoon
[John Witherspoon (February 15, 1723 – November 15, 1794) was a signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of New Jersey. He was both the only active clergyman and college president to sign the Declaration. ]
For a soldier's uniform to be “sanitized” it is not washed in bleach or any other germ killing cleansers. A “sanitized” uniform is one that is stripped of any and all reference to anything that would identify the origin of that soldier. In the book by Tom Clancy, Clear and Present Danger , the special operations troops fighting the drug cartels wear “sanitized” uniforms to aid in confusing their enemies and to allow the government to deny knowledge of the operation.
Christians are increasingly being “sanitized” as well. We can do what we do as long as any reference to the king we serve is removed or covered. Hide the cross. Remove scripture references. Don't let on that it is because of Jesus that we have the good things we enjoy, the institutions we have built, or the services we use. Recently I read an article about chaplains in the Armed forces of the united states being told to pray but to pray without using Jesus' name. We would never require a Muslim chaplain to eschew the name of Allah. And while it may be argued that Allah is simply Arabic for the generic term, God, For the Christian to refuse to pray in Jesus name is to deny the very reason we can pray in the first place. We do not pray on our own merit, because God has to hear us, or because our clergy are sanctified and made clean to enter the presence of God. We can pray because we are all made clean by the blood of Jesus, purchasing forgiveness of sins and giving us free access to the “throne of grace.” To pray in any other name or no name at all, is to deny the very source of our ability to pray.
Now I will admit it is perhaps fair to submit to some “sanitization.” Sometimes going and doing what we do without waving a banner will gain us access to those who might not hear the gospel. But this is not true sanitization, but more like discretion. When it counts, when the opportunity arises, or when it is necessary to do what we are doing, we unashamedly and clearly share the gospel. But again this is at our discretion and led by the Holy Spirit. It is recognizing that to certain audiences the name of Jesus must be introduced after we have shown that Jesus and his people (most often his people) can be trusted.
We cannot however willingly allow ourselves to be bullied, legislated, or otherwise made to silence the name of Jesus from our lips. When we abandon the freedom to declare the source of our freedom, we abandon any hope of retaining our own clear conscience, that we might live as Christians.
In Christ and on the Shepherd's path,
Mark
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Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
To Be enough...
To get right to the point. God's name is I AM.
As I sit in the office this morning I am struck by all of the things I want, the world seems to want, and where God fits. It seems to me that God's name says it all, I Am. I spend an awful lot of time worrying about how to get what I want, and yet God seems to want nothing. God needs nothing in the sense that God is all and self sufficient. God IS, pure and simple.
But God also chose, mysteriously, to make a covenant, a contract, that included me. This contract makes me want to please God, not to live up to my end of the contract, since my end was met by Jesus, but because I love God.
Problem is there are an awful lot of things I think might please God. One of which is that there are people who need to know God's love, hear the good news of Jesus, and be equipped to be His disciples.
In the past few weeks I've seen more than the usual number of people who need what the Church, and I, as part of that church, can offer. Hurting people, lost people, clueless people, people who, like me would be terrified if they slowed down long enough to wonder where they fit.
On top of all of this is the fear I have of not being enough. Those people need a pastor and a church that will meet their needs. They need worship that will not entertain but welcome them into the real presence of God present in Word and sacrament. They need friendships in the congregation who will draw them close, lift up, challenge, and sharpen them. They need opportunities to make a real difference in their world. Can I... can we be enough.
No we can't...but God is. We need to slow down enough and give God enough of our attention to hear where we fit and what we must do so that we can be enough in our own small part to be the means God uses to be all in all to them.
Take some time today. Slow down. sit down... or kneel if the knees allow, and listen. What do you hear?
In Christ and on the shepherd's path,
Mark
As I sit in the office this morning I am struck by all of the things I want, the world seems to want, and where God fits. It seems to me that God's name says it all, I Am. I spend an awful lot of time worrying about how to get what I want, and yet God seems to want nothing. God needs nothing in the sense that God is all and self sufficient. God IS, pure and simple.
But God also chose, mysteriously, to make a covenant, a contract, that included me. This contract makes me want to please God, not to live up to my end of the contract, since my end was met by Jesus, but because I love God.
Problem is there are an awful lot of things I think might please God. One of which is that there are people who need to know God's love, hear the good news of Jesus, and be equipped to be His disciples.
In the past few weeks I've seen more than the usual number of people who need what the Church, and I, as part of that church, can offer. Hurting people, lost people, clueless people, people who, like me would be terrified if they slowed down long enough to wonder where they fit.
On top of all of this is the fear I have of not being enough. Those people need a pastor and a church that will meet their needs. They need worship that will not entertain but welcome them into the real presence of God present in Word and sacrament. They need friendships in the congregation who will draw them close, lift up, challenge, and sharpen them. They need opportunities to make a real difference in their world. Can I... can we be enough.
No we can't...but God is. We need to slow down enough and give God enough of our attention to hear where we fit and what we must do so that we can be enough in our own small part to be the means God uses to be all in all to them.
Take some time today. Slow down. sit down... or kneel if the knees allow, and listen. What do you hear?
In Christ and on the shepherd's path,
Mark
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
TULIP?
A member of our church asked me "What is TULIP."
TULIP is an acronym for five doctrines of the reformed (calvinist and Presbyterian) church. It is a summary of Biblical teaching on several subjects including Sin, God's sovereignty, Grace, and salvation.
TULIP stands for:
Total Depravity- Human beings are totally lost and incapable of doing anything to aid in their own salvation. We are sin Dead, not merely weak or sick. No good that we do is good enough to earn God's favor and therefore we are in need of a savior. Whatever we choose to do with our "free will" we can do nothing to be "good enough for salvation.
Unconditional election- With no merit of our own God none the less chose a people for himself to demonstrate his grace and glory. This is first demonstrated in God choosing Noah, then Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all of Israel, and then electing both Jews and gentiles for salvation in Jesus Christ. God does this not out of consideration for anything we have done but only by His own free grace. Nothing we do forces God's hand to make him save us.
Limited atonement- This is where most people stumble if they haven't already. The benefit of Christ's death on the cross was only for the elect (saved) not for all. Consider the alternatives Jesus died for all and not just the elect. Then either All are saved which would deny any teaching of the Bible on Hell, or All are not saved and God is unjust exacting from some the same penalty twice (once on Christ and once on the person himself) and a person's salvation is left in their own hands not in God's But that would make us only partially depraved and not "sin dead".
Irresistible grace- The elect are incapable of doing anything to ultimately resist God's power to save them should God elect them. The effect of this is we can be sure that since we contributed nothing to our salvation we can do nothing to lose it.
Perseverance of the saints- Our final assurance is found in the truth that since we did nothing to earn grace, and can do nothing to lose it, that all who are truly elect will persevere in faith to the end and beyond, and will do such works including obedience to God, by the power given to us by the Holy Spirit that demonstrate that we are in fact the elect people of God.
Why this matters. Belief in TULIP has several effects. Remember this is a doctrine to help us understand biblical teaching and for the assurance of the elect, not a means to bar anyone from entering the church. We are to proclaim the good news of salvation to all, that the elect may come to know the joy of knowing their security in Christ. Effects of TULIP include.
Security- A believer may not fear that he will not merit salvation because she or he doesn't. It is a free gift to be received. A believer may not fear that he or she will lose salvation since grace is irresistible and in Christ we persevere. We also can experience forgiveness for mistakes, knowing we are secure in God.
Evangelism- Opponents of TULIP say if we believe these things we will not evangelize since salvation is in God's power of election or (often incorrectly called and understood) predestination and it matters not what we do. This is false for two reasons. First, Means. God uses certain means to call the elect to himself. The ordinary means God has chosen of a sinner coming to know he or she is an elect saint of God is through the preaching of the gospel. God has power to use other means certainly, but the bible has revealed that the ordinary means is from one believer to another. Second, Obedience. Jesus told us to proclaim the gospel. Who are we to say no, even if we believe it is all in God's hands.
Worship- If salvation is entirely ultimately in God's hands then our worship is magnified. We are more grateful and give more glory to God alone for doing for us what we could not do for ourselves. There is no smugness or superiority that has us looking at the lost and saying "I'm glad I was smarter than them and came to Jesus." There is only pity for those outside and the compassionate hope that they too will come to receive what we have since we were once like them. Our worship is then focused on God and his Glory and especially His grace.
Boldness. Since the salvation of others is in God's hand and not ours we can share the good news boldly without fear that a person will be lost for our stumbling words, lack of skill or creativity or inability to be there for them all. The lost (Called the reprobate) will be lost for their sin alone and the saved (elect) will be won by the Holy Spirit working through our words and example, no matter how feeble.
Hope this helps.
In Christ,
Mark
TULIP is an acronym for five doctrines of the reformed (calvinist and Presbyterian) church. It is a summary of Biblical teaching on several subjects including Sin, God's sovereignty, Grace, and salvation.
TULIP stands for:
Total Depravity- Human beings are totally lost and incapable of doing anything to aid in their own salvation. We are sin Dead, not merely weak or sick. No good that we do is good enough to earn God's favor and therefore we are in need of a savior. Whatever we choose to do with our "free will" we can do nothing to be "good enough for salvation.
Unconditional election- With no merit of our own God none the less chose a people for himself to demonstrate his grace and glory. This is first demonstrated in God choosing Noah, then Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all of Israel, and then electing both Jews and gentiles for salvation in Jesus Christ. God does this not out of consideration for anything we have done but only by His own free grace. Nothing we do forces God's hand to make him save us.
Limited atonement- This is where most people stumble if they haven't already. The benefit of Christ's death on the cross was only for the elect (saved) not for all. Consider the alternatives Jesus died for all and not just the elect. Then either All are saved which would deny any teaching of the Bible on Hell, or All are not saved and God is unjust exacting from some the same penalty twice (once on Christ and once on the person himself) and a person's salvation is left in their own hands not in God's But that would make us only partially depraved and not "sin dead".
Irresistible grace- The elect are incapable of doing anything to ultimately resist God's power to save them should God elect them. The effect of this is we can be sure that since we contributed nothing to our salvation we can do nothing to lose it.
Perseverance of the saints- Our final assurance is found in the truth that since we did nothing to earn grace, and can do nothing to lose it, that all who are truly elect will persevere in faith to the end and beyond, and will do such works including obedience to God, by the power given to us by the Holy Spirit that demonstrate that we are in fact the elect people of God.
Why this matters. Belief in TULIP has several effects. Remember this is a doctrine to help us understand biblical teaching and for the assurance of the elect, not a means to bar anyone from entering the church. We are to proclaim the good news of salvation to all, that the elect may come to know the joy of knowing their security in Christ. Effects of TULIP include.
Security- A believer may not fear that he will not merit salvation because she or he doesn't. It is a free gift to be received. A believer may not fear that he or she will lose salvation since grace is irresistible and in Christ we persevere. We also can experience forgiveness for mistakes, knowing we are secure in God.
Evangelism- Opponents of TULIP say if we believe these things we will not evangelize since salvation is in God's power of election or (often incorrectly called and understood) predestination and it matters not what we do. This is false for two reasons. First, Means. God uses certain means to call the elect to himself. The ordinary means God has chosen of a sinner coming to know he or she is an elect saint of God is through the preaching of the gospel. God has power to use other means certainly, but the bible has revealed that the ordinary means is from one believer to another. Second, Obedience. Jesus told us to proclaim the gospel. Who are we to say no, even if we believe it is all in God's hands.
Worship- If salvation is entirely ultimately in God's hands then our worship is magnified. We are more grateful and give more glory to God alone for doing for us what we could not do for ourselves. There is no smugness or superiority that has us looking at the lost and saying "I'm glad I was smarter than them and came to Jesus." There is only pity for those outside and the compassionate hope that they too will come to receive what we have since we were once like them. Our worship is then focused on God and his Glory and especially His grace.
Boldness. Since the salvation of others is in God's hand and not ours we can share the good news boldly without fear that a person will be lost for our stumbling words, lack of skill or creativity or inability to be there for them all. The lost (Called the reprobate) will be lost for their sin alone and the saved (elect) will be won by the Holy Spirit working through our words and example, no matter how feeble.
Hope this helps.
In Christ,
Mark
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