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The cracks are showing in Big Evangelicalism. Part of the issue is confusion, as untold numbers of Christians are more influenced by our culture than the Scriptures. At the same time, some of our leaders have simply capitulated. We could certainly deal with any number of things including Revoice in the PCA or the muddy waters constantly flowing from the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the SBC. The crack du jour though is the further slide into the pit of Critical Race Theory, as Big Eva jumps on the woke bandwagon in the aftermath of the brutal murder of George Floyd.
Christians Issuing Statements
While some urge us to consider the hundreds of years of burdens our black brothers and sisters bear, and by the way, in their parlance our black brothers and sisters include unbelievers, our genuine black brothers and sisters tell them not to project that wokeness on them. African-American believers find their identity in Christ, not in their skin color or what happened to others in the past. On the other hand, one black leader in Big Eva said his identity as a black man outweighed his identity in Christ. That’s a crack a mile wide.
So Christians everywhere are issuing statements concerning what we owe our black brothers and sisters; how we can’t tolerate racism in our police force and our culture at large; and even how we stand with the protestors including rioters, pillagers, and looters. To be fair, some object to the beatings and murders we’ve seen on television or video in the midst of the chaos, and others object to the destruction of private property, yet, their objections are mitigated by the expressed sentiment that we whites just don’t understand their plight, and they therefore support the protests in general.
Systemic Racism?
A large segment of evangelical leaders have bought the lie that America is racist at its core; that systemic racism means that whites are racists because they’re white whether they realize it or not. They see groups and not individuals. Police are racist. Whites are racist. Not individuals. And of course, the problem is not human depravity, but white privilege. What is the solution then in that construct? It’s not the gospel, because even Christian whites are still racist.
It’s interesting, and sad, how our leaders blow with the cultural wind. When Eric Garner was brutally murdered by the police six years ago, a number evangelical leaders defended the police officers involved and police methods in general. I called them out then: to defend the police in the Eric Garner case is idolatry. The man was brutally murdered by those in power, as he pleaded for his life telling them over and over again, “I can’t breathe.” Now, the police in the George Floyd case can’t be defended either. Once again, those in power brutally murdered a man when he was already subdued. But this time around, our leaders have played the woke card. The officers involved are racist they say. We must put a stop to racism in the police force.
The Real Issue
Here’s the issue: as of this writing, we don’t know whether the officer in the George Floyd case is racist or not. Moreover, even if he is, racism is not the issue. The issue here is police brutality. That brutality is rooted in human depravity. The woke crowd would have us believe that black men are being hunted down in the streets. While every black man murdered by a cop is tragic and should be dealt with by the rule of law, the notion that blacks are being hunted is false. In fact, far more white men are killed each year by the police than black men, even though far less white men than black men are involved in the types of crimes that invite potentially violent altercations with the police. Check the CDC on that. We certainly need to reevaluate police methods and rid out bad cops -- those with a penchant for over-aggressiveness and violence. But to blame the problem on racism is to miss the real cause and thereby fuel greater problems including the increasing racial divide that leads to the violence we’re witnessing on our televisions right now. It’s only going to get worse.
As a side note, we must also understand that while racism is evil, it’s not a crime. Yes, we should seek to rid our world of racism, and the only way to do that is through the gospel. But to say that racism will not be tolerated in our culture -- I have to ask -- what does that mean? If it means we’ll work to eliminate it with the gospel or other kinds of messaging, then fine. If it means we’re going to somehow outlaw views and attitudes with which we disagree, then no. Freedom of thought, religion, and speech is sacrosanct, even thought, religion, and speech we abhor.
Black Lives Matter, Antifa, the State, and Lawlessness
Yet, what we are witnessing is the fostering of a race war, chaos, and lawlessness in our streets by bad actors, namely Black Lives Matter and Antifa. They’ve joined forces to create the mayhem. Their goal is to overturn the current social order. The leaders of these groups are of the same persuasion as others promoting woke ideology -- it’s rooted in cultural Marxism. Their goal is the destruction of the current order that a new socialist order can be put in its place. And Big Eva has fallen for the deception.
How can we condone in any way, shape, or form the murder of George Floyd? How can we condone in any way, shape, or form police brutality? How can we condone in any way, shape, or form, the rioting in our cities? How is it that the mayors of major cities have pulled the police back and allowed the destruction of private property to the tune of billions of dollars, not to mention the injuries and deaths of their citizens as a result? It’s all evil, and it all must be unequivocally called what it is. If we as Christians don’t speak the truth, who will?
What we’re experiencing is lawlessness. And that’s where the government should step in. The biblical role of government is to protect the citizens in their God-given rights including the rights to life, liberty, and property. Yet, it’s the government who put George Floyd to death. It’s lawlessness. It’s the government that’s allowing the destruction of our cities. It’s lawlessness. And don’t forget, it’s the government that’s locked down our entire nation and brought about even more death and destruction on untold numbers we don’t hear about who didn’t get the medical attention they needed, despite the fact our hospitals weren’t near capacity; or on those increased numbers who committed suicide; and on so many more. And yes, it’s lawlessness -- because they had no right to lock us down. No man and or entity has the right to do such no matter what the reason.
And that’s why I’m calling on Big Eva to repent. Racism is evil, but that’s not the problem. The problem in our culture is lawlessness. Let those who love God and man say so.
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We’re shaped by what we hear -- by the things with which we fill our minds. People in the communication business know that very well. Their goal is to influence thinking and thereby behavior. We see it in advertising. Why is it that certain brands become popular and others do not? The answer is market saturation.
Think about those with political or moral agendas. There’s no doubt that Americans in general think very differently about homosexuality than they did twenty years ago. The more one sees famous people embracing same-sex attraction or bi-sexuality; the more television shows that have homosexual characters; or the more same-sex love scenes one views whether graphic or not; the more desensitized we become and the more homosexuality is embraced as a normal orientation for some.
We’re all more or less influenced depending how much we take in vs. how much we counteract such messaging by filling our minds with godly things. It’s inevitable.
Think about your children. They are not isolated from the world’s propaganda. You’d be surprised how much they see, hear, and even talk about, depending upon their age, of course. Yet, if your kids have friends, or go to school, or are involved in some kind of extracurricular activity, they’ve already been exposed to more than you can imagine, even if they’re only eight or nine years old.
Their schoolmate shows them their dad’s magazine; their friend’s older brother smokes marijuana; the neighbor likes to talk about sexual things; they’ve heard about the latest Youtube video; and they’ve inadvertently come across objectionable material on the internet. If they’re just a little older, they or their friends are into Instagram, Snapchat, TicToc, and a host of other social media platforms of which parents are unaware.
You can’t assume your children are the exceptions when it comes to the world’s messaging. They might be great kids! They might be born again. But they’re exposed whether through radio, Spotify, teachers, coaches, or even kids at church.
To assume such is to underestimate the reach and influence of the world, something God warns us about. It fails to take into account the reality of Satan and his sole mission: to seek those whom he may devour. And frankly, it’s to discount the flesh -- the fact that your children are sinners. They’re either dead in sin, or they must battle their flesh even as born-again believers.
You don’t need to think less of them when you come to grips with the struggles they have. Every single one of us struggles with sin, including mature Christians. We might have learned to fight better, and we might have defeated certain temptations, but the flesh still wars against the Spirit. And there’s no way your kids have the experience or the tools that you have to fight that at this point in their lives.
Now, you can make sure they’re never exposed to objectionable things or people. You can keep them from the outside world. Or, you can cast off all restraint, and let them do whatever they want. After all, they’re responsible for the choices they make, right? But you know neither of those options is any option at all.
You can do what most parents do. You can send your kids to church, say a little prayer at meal-time, and hope it all works out. But to do that is really only slightly better than throwing off all restraint. You’d be essentially burying your head in the sand. None of these options are viable. What can you do then?
God’s answer is filling their minds with truth, constantly and regularly. It’s putting more of Him into them than the world puts into them. Our minds have to be renewed day by day by day by day. That’s why Paul says so more than once for example. “Do not be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom. 12:2). “Be renewed in the spirit of your mind” (Eph. 4:23). You are to be “renewed in knowledge according” to the image of God (Col. 3:10).
We’re told over and over again that it’s the word that God uses to save and sanctify (Rom. 1:16; 1 Thes. 2:13; Jas. 1:18; Jn. 17:17). We hide God’s word in our hearts that we might not sin against Him (Ps. 119:11). It’s the word of God that keeps us from stumbling (Ps. 119:165). I could go on.
Perhaps the most comprehensive text with particular reference to children is in Deut. 6: “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”
That’s what you can do. You can fill your children’s minds with truth when you’re at home, when you’re on the way to school, before you go to bed, when you get up, when you’re at the table, when things come up, in the midst of difficulty, on special occasions, and so much more.
Fill their minds with God’s word and their minds will be renewed, that is, they’ll be made like new, and the things of the world will have little influence.
You’re Enough?
The concept of self-care seems normal, wise, and even biblically prescribed. We’re to exercise, eat right, be good stewards of our bodies -- after all, they’re temples of the Holy Spirit. Yet, our culture uses the term in a slightly different way. Though they’ll include things like exercise and eating right, self-care actually refers to doing something just for you. It’s the notion that you’re worth it; you’re enough; you’ve got it going on, and you should think so to the max. Take that “me time,” after all, you deserve it. And, if you don’t have that bubble bath just for you, then you sure can’t be expected to do whatever else you need to do.
Self-Focus?
The world puts a premium on self-focus. We can’t escape cultural virtues like self-esteem, self-promotion, self-worth, or self-assertiveness. But God’s word says something very different. A focus on self is actually sinful. We’re to die to self and focus on God and others. To the Romans, Paul says, “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion” (Rom. 12:10-16). It seems that God’s opinion is radically different from the world’s when it comes to the issue of self. To the Philippians he says, “Fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Phil. 2:2-4). It seems that God’s ethic is radically different from the world’s. Paul goes on to tell us that we need the mind of Christ. He’s the One who humbled Himself and gave Himself for others in an ultimate way (Phil. 4:5-8). We need His mind.
Identity in Christ
Rather than a constant pat on the back, or affirmations that you’re enough, or aroma bubble baths every night, we need to overcome our preoccupation with self. The only way to do that is to find our identity in Christ. Whatever value we might have, it’s not inherent in us. It’s not owing to us in any way. It comes from God. I am what I am by the grace of God, period. When we get that figured out, we find our value, or better yet, our meaning, in Christ. That’s where it’s at. The antidote to a focus on self is simple: “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” (Col. 3:2-4).
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The word of God, inscripturated, is our authority on all things, including the word of God, or prophecy, which is a word from God, or direct revelation from God. In Part 1, we looked at a couple of unbiblical views of prophecy. We turn here to two more.
The Reformed-Charismatic View
A number of persons who hold loosely to Reformed Theology have adopted a quasi-Charismatic view of prophecy. They would say that prophecy is a primary means of encouraging one another in the church. God might impress a message upon you that is meant for someone else. You have a general idea of what the message is, but you might not get all the details right. In fact, you might be completely wrong. You might misunderstand the message. Nevertheless, you are to give the message to build up another even if ultimately the message is not from God at all. This view is similar to Matt Chandler’s view outlined in Part 1, but without some of the more bizarre elements. The proponents of this view cite Agabus in Acts 21 who predicts Paul will be bound by the Jews and turned over to the Roman authorities. They say it didn’t happen the way Agabus prophesied, though it generally came to pass. In other words, his prophecy had errors in it, though the gist of it was true.
As with the first two views highlighted in Part 1, this view does not line up with the biblical definition of prophecy. The biblical gift is a direct, accurate, and infallible word from God. There are no errors or misunderstandings when someone has the genuine gift of prophecy. The Reformed-Charismatic view is built on a stretched interpretation of the Agabus prophecy in Acts 21. It is clear in that account that the Jews are responsible for Paul being bound and turned over to the Roman authorities. There is nothing in error or inaccurate about the prophecy. Here is a case when otherwise careful exegetes are grasping at interpretive straws to support their preconceived notion of what prophecy is. We don’t impose our view of prophecy on the text of Scripture. Rather, we extract it from Scripture.
The Evangelical View
Then there’s the view that prophecy today is not direct revelation from God, but powerful preaching. That preaching might be against sin, or the state, or those in sin. It’s preaching that seemingly carries a weight of authority by virtue of the boldness of the preacher and the message he delivers. But even here, one has no right to redefine the biblical gift of prophecy. If it doesn’t fit the biblical definition, it might be powerful preaching, it might be a wonderful exposition of Scripture, but it’s not the biblical gift of prophecy.
Miracles & Revelation in Redemptive History
There were three primary periods in redemptive history when miracles occurred: the time of Moses and Aaron, representing the law; the time of Elijah and Elisha, representing the prophets; and the days of Jesus and the Apostles, pointing to the establishment of the New Covenant era. The miracles served to authenticate the claims of those who spoke for God as well as Jesus’ Messiahship. Along with healing, the gifts of prophecy, the word of knowledge, and tongues were sign gifts. We’ve also alluded to the fact that they were revelatory gifts. They were given in the first century that God’s New Covenant community might have a revelation by which to live under that covenant, just as Old Covenant Israel had received the Old Covenant revelation to guide their lives in that context. While we’re merely scratching the surface here, 1 Corinthians is instructive, as it not only tells us what purpose the revelatory gifts served, but also the fact that they would cease at some point during the church age.
The Corinthian Church
The Corinthian church had a lot of problems, to say the least. One of those problems concerned those who had revelatory gifts. They were prideful, called themselves “spirituals,” and asserted their gifts were superior than those with ordinary gifts. Paul corrects them by saying that every gift is a manifestation of the Spirit at work in them, for He is the actual gift. He also tells them the Spirit’s work in them in particular ways is all of grace.
Prophecy Ceased
As 1 Corinthians 13 unfolds, Paul says that love of the brethren is more important than the revelatory gifts (vv 1-2). Love will never cease, says Paul, but the revelatory gifts will (vv. 8-10). They will cease when the “perfect” comes. He’s not referring to the second coming of Christ. Keep in mind the context. Paul’s not talking about the coming of Christ. He’s talking about revelation from God, the unveiling of the “mystery.” That’s what he’s referring to in v. 2 when he refers to understanding all mysteries. The word mystery is a technical term in the New Testament that refers to something given in seminal form in the Old Testament, but now fully revealed in the New Testament. So the coming of the perfect is not the second of Christ, but the completion of the New Covenant revelation. The word translated “perfect” refers to the goal, realization, maturity, or completion of something. We have these gifts in part, that is, we receive God’s revelation piecemeal, but when the completed revelation comes, the revelatory gifts will be done away. They will no longer be necessary.
Paul gives a couple of illustrations to drive home the point he’s talking about the completed revelation of God. The revelation is brought to maturity, just as a human being is. Having the full picture of God’s word is like seeing someone face to face as opposed to looking at a face in a mirror. The mirrors of Paul’s day were more akin to tarnished silver. Again, Paul is not talking about seeing Jesus face to face. That is to read Jesus into the text. It’s an illustration. Paul is saying that he will know God’s word fully just as you can look at him and know him fully.
Finally, in the very last verse of the chapter, Paul says, in contrast to the revelatory gifts that will vanish away, certain things will remain: namely faith, hope, and love. The contrast here is enlightening. Faith and hope won’t remain once Jesus comes, for those things are not necessary once we see him (Rom. 8:24; Heb. 11:1). But Paul says those things do remain. He means they remain now in the church age until Jesus comes. By way of contrast, the revelatory gifts will cease; they won’t remain until Jesus comes. As we’ve seen, they ceased with the completion of the New Covenant revelation. Hence, those gifts are not in operation today.
No doubt some will want to know how then we encourage one another? We do so with the word that God has already given us.
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I hear more and more talk about the gift of prophecy and how it serves a major function in authentic church life. We’re told that we’ll experience life in the Spirit in a greater way, and the church will more effectively build itself up in love. If that’s true, then that’s what I want. Yet, I wonder if Christians aren’t satisfied with biblical life in the Spirit consisting of heartfelt worship regardless of our emotional state, dealing with sin at the heart level, and engaging in plain ole encouragement of one another, among other things. I wonder if Christians are conditioned to want something more -- to seek the experience. We’re trained that way, especially in America, and we’re taught that way by an increasing number of pastors and pseudo church leaders.
What is the Gift of Prophecy?
What is the gift of prophecy? Biblically, prophecy is direct revelation from God. That’s it’s main feature. The bible is filled with prophets declaring, “Thus saith the Lord.” They had a word from God, and it was one-hundred percent accurate. And yes, while prophecy may be primarily described as forth-telling the word they had from God, it often had an element of foretelling the future. If the prophet declared anything contrary to Scripture already given, or made a prediction that did not come true, he was to be put to death (Deut. 13; 18).
The Charismatic View
Today, there are other views of prophecy. Of course, if they contradict the Scriptures, they’re false views. Broadly speaking, there’s the Charismatic view. Those holding this position assert they receive direct revelation from God, yet often that revelation contradicts Scripture. They might predict a financial windfall for someone, or a healing, but more often than not these things fail to come to pass. Many predict that Christ is coming again in a particular time-frame, something the bible clearly tells us no one knows. Further, they redefine the gift of tongues, a gift that also involves direct revelation from God. Tongues is just an old King James era word for known languages as defined in Acts 2. Charismatics claim the gift of tongues is an unintelligible heavenly language. When spoken to others it is prophetic. They also claim tongues is a private prayer language. Neither of these claims is biblical. The notion the gift of tongues refers to a heavenly or private prayer language flows from misinterpretations of certain verses in 1 Corinthians 13 and 14.
Matt Chandler’s View
Another view that’s gaining popularity is that put forth by Matt Chandler and others. It really falls into the Charismatic view, but has slight differences. He illustrated on one occasion by asking an audience to imagine he had a dream. By way of summary, in this dream he saw a pirate ship; it had a number of canons that were firing; a shark was chasing it; and a number of other things happened. He then asked the audience to imagine that this dream was a word from God that he was to give to a friend. Chandler said you don’t really know what the dream means, you might get some of it wrong, but nevertheless, you must go to your friend, and tell him about the dream. You don’t try to interpret it by surmising that Jesus is the shark for example. You simply go in obedience with the prophetic word. You might ask, “Does that mean anything to you?” It might not, he said. Even so, you'll be experiencing more of the Spirit, and those who engage this way will be edifying one another.
The major problem with this view is two-fold. First, prophecy is not defined in the bible this way. If you don’t know whether the word came from God, whether you got it right, or even what it means, then it’s not biblical prophecy. Second, we’re not told in the bible to use the gift this way: taking dreams or impressions that make no sense to anyone and dispensing them to others. Christianity is not built upon random, nonsensical notions that pass through our heads. It’s built on truth. That’s one reason Paul says God is not the author of confusion (1 Cor. 14:33).
The Gift of Exhortation
The church edifies itself in love by speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 3). Why not merely engage in the simple practice of encouraging one another with the Scriptures? For some, apparently, it’s not exciting enough.
Of course, there are other views of prophecy. And, there is the main question: is the gift of prophecy in operation today? We’ll turn to those issues in Part 2.
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Churches as Agents of the State
Pastors and denominational leaders from our state (SC) were in on a live stream conference call with our governor, and we were told to make sure our churches do contact tracing. The first thing that needs to be said is that churches aren’t agents of the state. So, no can do. Except, I was shocked to hear a number of pastors happily comply and ask the best way to do such a thing. So much for understanding the times, or the nature of the state, or the nature of the church for that matter. So, no can do, for a few of us.
State Power
The second thing that needs to be said is that the state must not arrogate more power to itself. The Mayor of Kansas City is demanding the names, addresses, and phone numbers of every person attending worship. According to World Net Dailey, Liberty Counsel founder Mat Staver said, “The new order states that by recording names and contact information, the health department will be able 'to more quickly trace, test, and isolate individuals who may have been exposed to COVID-19. The Germans did this very thing to Jews – collecting the names and locations of all known synagogue attendees - in the early days of the Nazi regime.’”
So, a friend of yours tests positive for COVID-19, and you were with him for a few minutes a week earlier. Your friend will be asked for a list of those with whom he’s been in contact, and your name will be on the list. You’ll get a call or a visit and be force quarantined for two weeks. And that’s the least of it. Your privacy will have been compromised, and you’ll be put on other lists that ban you from certain things, like travel, unless you have proper health documentation.
The reality is this move is simply a push for total surveillance. Thomas Luongo noted, “The goal is to finish off the last vestiges of anonymity and individuality started with the destruction of financial privacy during the Clinton Adminstration.” Of course, the surveillance state was ramped up tremendously after 9/11.
Another frightening aspect here is the measure is not merely for tracing and surveillance, but for ensuring social distancing. Millions of people will unwittingly download a contact tracing app on their phones ostensibly to aid with public safety. If they’re not social distancing properly, they’re apt to get a visit from the local authorities. Of course, there are those who think that’s a great idea and are unaware of the consequences of our loss of liberty and privacy.
The Scarlet Letter
Further, those who test positive for COVID-19 become social pariahs. No one wants you around if you’ve got the scarlet letter C on your chest. Even worse, if you’ve been named as someone exposed to COVID-19 through contact tracing, you’ll be punished if you don’t comply with the demands of the state. The end result is an even greater expansion of the surveillance state. As Luongo noted, “They want us snitching on each other and suspect of each other. This is the most pernicious form of social control ever devised, to distrust basic human contact and interaction because there are germs in the world. . . It’s time to end the mass hallucination that we’ve never dealt with something like this before. The mass branding of this COVID-19 as the plague is laughable, and the push for global surveillance is pathetic.” Here’s where we really need a grass roots public service campaign: just say no – to contact tracing.
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It’s usually not a good idea to listen to the world’s advice on how to have a happier marriage. We’re told to buy gifts, spice things up, take trips, or other things along those lines. Gifts often lead to a “what have you done for me lately” attitude. Spice hardly works on something that’s rotten. And the problem with taking a trip is you bring yourselves along. These things don’t really fix relationship problems. But there are some habits you can develop that will serve to make your marriage happier.
First, talk about the things of God together. True happiness comes from knowing God, and you know Him better by spending time with Him. Talking about the things of God with your spouse serves to draw you closer together as you draw closer to Him, because He’s at work. It doesn’t have to be a lengthy theological study, though that might be for you. You could study the bible, use a devotional, talk about a Christian article, discuss a biblical worldview on something that’s going on, or discuss how God is working in your life. It could be any number of things. Just develop a habit of talking about God together.
Second, examine your heart on a regular basis. Your heart is desperately wicked (Jer. 17:9). We’re called to examine our hearts for any number of reasons, not the least of which is we don’t truly know what’s in our hearts until we examine them through the lens of Scripture (Heb. 4:12). When you see sin in your heart, put it off, and replace it with a godly habit pattern. Paul talks about these things constantly. Put off lying, and put on truth-telling. Put off anger, and put on forgiveness. Put off stealing, and put on hard work. You get the idea. And, you do these things only through the renewing of your mind: by saturating your mind with the Scriptures (Col. 2; Col. 3; Eph. 3; Rom. 12).
Third, resolve conflict quickly. One of the purposes of marriage is sanctification. It reveals the sin in our hearts. That’s why we examine them, and when sin comes out by way of conflict, we must resolve it. We do that by confessing our sin to God and to our spouse, and repenting. We say, “I was wrong,” and we commit to not sinning in that way again. It’s a constant battle, but that’s the battle! We also have to forgive. If your spouse repents, you forgive. That means you won’t allow the sin to come between you; it means you won’t dwell on it; it means you won’t gossip about it; and it means you won’t bring it up again, especially in a future argument. And, be the one to initiate the conflict resolution. Swallow your pride, and honor God and your spouse. You’ll avoid bitterness over time and have a happier marriage if you’ll get into the habit of resolving conflict – quickly!
Fourth, challenge one another spiritually. This is not a time to pull out a laundry list of things you don’t like about your spouse and have at it. I’m talking about helping your spouse if they’re doing something that’s detrimental to them spiritually or is bringing reproach on Christ. Give each other permission to lovingly and helpfully challenge in this way. It’s not easy, no one really likes it, but it’s so beneficial!
Fifth, pray for one another. All of these things are an attempt to get God in on your marriage, and prayer is essential. God works through prayer. He hears, and He answers. He alone can change the heart. And, it’s hard to be mad at someone for whom you pray. It’s also hard to pray for your spouse without being convicted of your own sin.
Prioritize these things in your life. Make them habits. Do these five things every day, and your marriage will be happier.
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Most Christians understand that abortion should be outlawed. At the same time, it’s good to have some arguments under our belt. Here are three reasons that are fundamental: it’s unconstitutional, uncivil, and unbiblical.
Abortion is Unconstitutional
First, abortion should be outlawed because it’s unconstitutional. America’s founding documents guarantee the right to life for all citizens. The Declaration of Independence is foundational for understanding the concept of rights in America. Genuine rights are not granted by government, but by God. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” In the minds of the founders, there was no debate as to the special place human beings held in the world. Such truth is self-evident. Every human being possesses certain rights due to their God-given humanity. That concept from the Declaration is woven into the Constitution.
Some have argued that babies in the womb are not persons, and are therefore not in view in the Declaration nor are they protected by the United States Constitution. Some would even argue for the immorality of abortion yet argue for its legality. As such, they would argue against an unborn baby’s right to life. Roe v. Wade is rooted in such an argument. Judge Andrew Napolitano noted, “Roe established that the fetus in the womb, notwithstanding human parentage and the possession of all the genomic material needed to develop into a full postnatal human, is legally not a person.”
But, he went on to note that such an establishment echoes back to an earlier Supreme Court decision that most would now reject, “Dred Scott v. Sandford, which was in the abolitionist era and effectively denied the personhood of African-Americans.” The issue today is this: “If the fetus is a person, then it is protected from abortion by the Fifth and 14th amendments to the Constitution, which command the government to protect equally the lives of all people.” So, “What about personhood? Isn't a living baby a person entitled to the equal protection of the laws? Under the natural law, yes. Under the Constitution, yes. Under Roe v. Wade . . . no.” The fact is that Roe v. Wade is unconstitutional as is abortion. Regardless of the philosophical gymnastics behind Roe, the Constitution is the supreme law of the land and protects the lives of all people.
Abortion is Uncivil
Second, abortion should be outlawed because it’s uncivil. In other words, it militates against the nature of civil society. The concept of unalienable rights rooted in America’s founding documents places a duty upon the government to protect those rights. The fifth and 14th amendments to the Constitution are examples of that. Civil government cannot be justified if its primary role is not protecting the rights of the people. If it doesn’t do that, we don’t need it.
The idea of civil society is just that; it is a group of people existing together in a civil manner. Some regard society as bigger than the individual. However, society is not some independent entity; society it is comprised of real individuals. When the welfare of the group becomes overarching, the rights of the individuals are lost. They are forced to submit to those with power regardless of their rights. When society is conceived of as a group entity, then government gives power to a few to coerce the rest of the people. But when society is viewed as persons who have unalienable rights, then government exists to protect the private pursuits of men and women acting freely, as long as they don’t violate the rights of others.
It follows then that abortion militates against the nature of civil society as composed of free individuals. When one segment of society has its rights taken away, the society can no longer be termed a civil society. It is a society that allows at least one kind of indiscriminate murder, and the government that allows it has become an accessory. If one group is no longer protected and safe, then no group is.
Abortion is Unbiblical
Third, abortion should be outlawed because it is unbiblical. The bible says murder is evil. The primary reason is that it is an act of murder perpetrated against God because man is created in God’s image. “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man” (Gen. 9:6).
Some would argue that a pluralistic society like America can’t be governed by a set of morals derived from a particular religion. Yet, all religions forbid murder, at least to a certain extent. All societies forbid it. This reality is owing to the fact that people are created in the image of God. The evil of murder is written on our hearts (Romans 2).
Further, there are some issues that are moral only, and there are others that are moral and civil. Murder is both. While God prohibits murder in any context, He certainly prohibits murder in civil society to preserve such. He prohibits it to preserve the right to life He’s granted to all individuals.
Now think here: the fact is, there is no civil society apart from God. Once God is rejected, then relativism is the default position. On that worldview, the ones who have the power make the rules, and the concept of rights is rejected. Such is the case in America today. That’s why unconstitutional arguments have won the day in favor of legalized abortion. Only when the connection is made between a civil society, the rights of the individuals who make up that society, and the role of government to protect those rights, will persons see once again the concept of unalienable rights granted by God.
Abortion must be outlawed for the glory of God, the good of the unborn, and even the ultimate freedom of those who fight for its legalization. They fight for their own civil destruction without realizing it. Again, abortion is unconstitutional, uncivil, and unbiblical. Regarding pro-choice? We have no choice but to remove the scourge of abortion from our land, for the sake of everyone.
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Be Optimistic
Part of how we navigate the world God’s given us is through right thinking and right attitude. We suffer, life is hard sometimes, but Christians should basically be optimistic because God has redeemed us, has given us things to do, and is with us in those endeavors. Optimism drives how we plan and make decisions. At the same time, we must recognize we’re living under the sovereign and providential hand of God. We live in light of James 4: “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’ But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil” (13-16). So, we make our plans submitted to the sovereign decree of God. We’re optimistic in those plans: seeking to multiply the “talents” God has given us (Matt. 25:14-30) while resting in God’s providence for us. We must have a can-do attitude.
Be Proactive
Is our outlook one of fear, or confidence? Do we proceed on the basis of knowledge, or what is heaped upon us by the government or mainstream media? We know both of those entities routinely manipulate information to create their own narrative for a variety of reasons. Do we sit back and wait for the government to save us, or do we trust the Lord and seek to solve problems on our own? Think about Prov. 22:13: “The lazy man says, ‘There’s a lion outside! I shall be slain in the streets!” The point is clear: the lazy man sees a danger and shelters in place. He hunkers down in fear. But God has not given His people a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a sound mind (2 Tim. 1:7). He’s given us the ability to think and reason soundly: to come up with solutions. The implication of the Proverb is that a righteous man sees the lion, the problem, and devises a plan to overcome it. We need to trust in God and figure out how to defeat the virus, keep the economy buzzing, and work in social community the way God has designed us to, all at the same time. Specifically here, we’re rethinking social distancing.
Nine More Reasons to Cease from Social Distancing (For the first seven, see Part 1).
Here’s an eighth reason to cease from social distancing: we’re fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps. 139:14), and our immune system is resilient. The current focus on the virus itself, the futile effort to halt it’s spread, and the dictatorial sentiments behind the production of a vaccine, all discount the “terrain” of our bodies. In addition to combatting the spread of the virus in other ways, we must focus on ensuring the health of our immune systems. The way Dr. Fauci and the mainstream media have discounted certain things like making sure we are not Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and Zinc deficient is criminal. Actual studies in the field, real numbers, tell us that Hydroxychloroquine, Zinc, and Azithromycin is an effective treatment for a majority of COVID-19 patients. Yet this treatment along with one or two others are demonized by Dr. Fauci, because they don’t fit their carefully constructed narrative. There is recent evidence that many routine procedures such as putting patients on ventilators when they shouldn’t, among other things, are leading to an increased number of deaths.
Ninth, extreme social distancing, like a lockdown, hinders the development of herd immunity. “Herd immunity is where enough people – most of whom will have very minor, or no, symptoms – contract COVID-19, develop antibodies against it, and recover. Since those who have the antibodies can neither get, nor pass on, coronavirus, it runs into more and more ‘dead ends’ as it tries to spread. ‘It finds it harder to get to a host where it can survive and it dies out,” Dr. David Katz says.
Tenth, in light of the way viruses spread through aerosolized particles, does anyone believe standing six feet apart is a real solution? As Dr. David Brownstein noted, even facemasks don’t work.
Eleventh, I mentioned a can-do attitude. Such an attitude is rooted in several biblical principles. Here are two. First, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Phil. 1:13). That doesn’t mean we can’t get sick. But it does mean that we have the spiritual ability to handle whatever comes our way. That’s the attitude part. Second, we’ve been given a mandate to subdue the earth (Gen. 1:28; 9:1f). That’s the tackling the problem part. We’ve not only been given the mandate to find workable solutions that take into account fending off a virus while not tearing down the superstructure of civilization we’ve built up over the last six-thousand years, we’ve been given the brain-power and resources for innovation and efficiency. But old and political models have us cowered in a corner. It’s time to be image-bearers and get to work.
Twelfth, God has given all human beings certain unalienable rights. They include the rights to life and liberty. They’re enshrined in America’s founding documents. No one has the right to lock down entire groups of people, cities, or a nation. No one has the right to keep us from assembling with one another. Moreover, we have the right to make medical/health decisions for ourselves. While the spirit of technocracy is alive and well in our world, we must not succumb to its tyranny. Our basic freedoms including our religious freedoms have been trampled. Forced social distancing is nothing short of criminal.
Thirteenth, Christians don’t run from people or trouble, they run toward it. While people ran from lepers, Jesus reached out and touched them. Christians in eras gone by ministered to the sick and dying and those who’d been abandoned in the streets when various plagues descended upon them. The pagans hid indoors, while the Christians demonstrated the love and power of Christ. Yes, many of them died as a result. But they actually knew and felt that living was Christ, and dying was gain (Phil. 1:21).
Fourteenth, Christianity is not about isolation but community. The gathered community of faith is mandated and puts God’s glory on display (Heb. 10:25; Hag. 1:8). The church breaks down barriers that divide people (Eph. 3:10). It doesn’t create or foster division. Christianity is about fellowship with God and with one another. You can’t experience that and social distance at the same time. We all know that livestreaming and zooming is not church.
Fifteenth, while we Christians can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, even bear with a lockdown, there are millions who cannot, because they don’t have Christ. Many have already died because of the lockdown by being hindered from getting needed medical treatment or by committing suicide. There will be many more. Some will die of starvation. The tragic results of the lockdown, and many predict it’s certainty, could be far worse than the virus itself. People don’t do well in isolation.
Sixteenth, the fact is that 99% of those who contract the virus recover. A majority of us may have already been exposed. Most who get the virus experience minor symptoms and many don’t even know they’ve had it. The lockdown and social distancing really makes no sense.
We weep with those who weep (Rom. 12:15). There are those who have died from COVID-19, and it’s truly tragic. And, if someone is in a high-risk category, or is sick and would endanger others, then by all means, they should take the proper precautions. But despite what we’re being told, that all of us are carriers of a virus that’s a death warrant for those who contract it, nothing cold be further from the truth. The facemasks, the fearful looks, the suspicious whispers, and the snitching neighbors all tell the tale. We’re not carriers of the plague. We’re not lepers, and we can’t treat each other as such. It’s time to rethink social distancing.
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A Lament
There’s a verse that describes our situation in this political crisis connected to Coronavirus: “How lonely sits the city That was full of people! How like a widow is she, Who was great among the nations! The princess among the provinces Has become a slave” (Lam. 1:1)! While our context is different from ancient Israel’s, our cities feel lonely and empty as everyone is under stay-at-home orders. The city is like a widow. The heartbreak is palpable, not only for those who have died and lost loved ones, or for those who’ve lost jobs, but also for those who’ve suffered and died as a result of the shutdown, as well as for what’s coming. While no one really knows what the ultimate economic fall-out will be, we’re already told to brace for food shortages. That’s a dynamic most of us have never had to face. The cracks in our nation are showing. And the sad fact is that it didn’t have to be this way, but you’ll never get the perpetrators to admit it or be held accountable. We’ve become slaves.
A Precaution
But I want to speak briefly to the issue of social distancing, and in particular, I want to urge all of us, but especially Christians, to reject it out of hand. Let me say quickly that if you are in a high-risk category, then by all means, please take every precaution, and protect yourself. If you visit anyone in a high-risk category, you should take care not to endanger them. And that’s not true for a coronavirus only, that’s true for the flu or anything else. Those in high risk categories are in danger from everything, and there are many viruses more dangerous than COVID-19. But, generally speaking, there are reasons for the rest of us to cease the social distancing.
A Plea: Seven Reasons to Stop Social Distancing
First, God Himself is trinitarian by nature. He is one God who’s revealed Himself in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. His very nature is community. We’re told in John 1 that the Father and the Son have face-to-face fellowship from eternity. The Christian community is a reflection of God. We’re created to be in community with God and one another.
Second, God said in Genesis that it’s not good for man to be alone. In context, He makes Adam and Eve husband and wife: life-partners. But the principle is true for all of humanity: it’s not good for us to be alone. When people live in isolation, certain spiritual, social, and even physical problems develop over time. Prov. 18:1 says, “A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; He rages against all wise judgment.” A person who isolates himself has rejected community for whatever the reason. The picture couldn’t be more graphic. “He rages against all wise judgment.” It’s not wise to force people into isolation. We know the tragic results, and it’s sheer hypocrisy for our government and the mainstream media to do so in the name of a virus that’s relatively harmless to most, and even less threatening to persons in high risk groups than the flu.
Third, that’s not to say that COVID-19 is not a danger to high-risk persons. It is, and those in that category should self-isolate, as we’ve said. But everyone else should proceed as normal so that herd immunity can develop, the virus can run its course, and then even high-risk persons can come out again.
In fact, a group of doctors put out a piece entitled Coronavirus Truths. Among other things, they say we’ve been lied to. We’ve been told we don’t know much about the virus, but we do. We hear daily that the virus is more infectious than the flu. It’s not. In fact, the flu is much more virulent. The flu is actually far more dangerous despite the fact we’ve been told the opposite. We’ve also been told COVID-19 is more dangerous because you can have it without knowing it. That’s true of all viruses when they’re being shed, and COVID-19 is far less contagious than the flu. And yes, the virus is more dangerous to the elderly and immunocompromised, but so is everything else, as we’ve noted. We see daily numbers of infections and deaths, and yet the books have been cooked. The media, say these doctors, has grossly misrepresented this disease, and they will continue to manipulate us by predicting a spike in deaths if we open the country too soon. They’re already doing just that. Though we’ve been told the opposite, not every country has shut down their economy, and none of those countries have suffered higher rates of death. The medical community has failed us they say. This virus has been treated as a world-ender, but nothing could be further from the truth.
Fourth, social distancing is the world’s answer, not God’s. It tears community apart. It’s tearing our nation apart. Have you noticed how people look at you in the grocery store with fear and suspicion? And how about those who report their neighbors for taking a jog? That’s not American, and it’s certainly not Christian. It’s Satan who tears apart. God, the gospel, and the church bring people together (Ephesians 3).
Fifth, the government is picking winners and losers. Walmart will survive, even thrive, but a large number of mom-and-pop operations will not. Home Depot will thrive, but many restaurants will never re-open. The State has no right to say who’s essential and who’s not. We’re all essential; we all make up the economy. The State has no right to prevent people from earning a living. The surveillance and subsequent police raid on a woman cutting hair in her Texas home should cause all of us to collectively shout, “Enough!”
Sixth, there’s the inconsistency. We’re told that only x number of people can be in the store at one time, yet we stand in the parking lot shoulder to shoulder until we’re released into the vastness of Lowe’s. We’d be better off if all were allowed inside to start with. We’re allowed to congregate in the Lowe’s parking lot, but we can’t go to church or worship from our cars in the church parking lot. Our overlords at the national and state levels can stand shoulder to shoulder in the daily news briefings, but if you’re the lone person shooting baskets in the park, you’ll be arrested. For the life of me, I can’t understand how any of this is being tolerated.
Seventh, the government would have us believe that every American is the carrier of a deadly virus. Criticizing out-of-work protesters who were pleading for the lockdown to end and rightly saying that some things are worse than the virus, namely a decimated economy and the devasting results, Andrew Cuomo, Governor of New York, replied, “What could be worse than the virus? The virus is death.” Yes, some have died. And that’s truly tragic. But the virus is not death. Ninety-nine percent of people who contract it recover. Most will not contract it, and those who do will suffer mild symptoms, and many won’t even know they had it. But this is the official narrative, and the people have been sold a lie. Psychological warfare is being waged against this country.
These are only a few of the reasons why social distancing must end. We’ll highlight a few more in Part 2. But suffice it to say, it’s not God’s way, and it’s far worse than the virus. It’s a nation-killer.
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Harvard Magazine is out with a stunning piece calling for the outlawing of homeschooling. “Elizabeth Bartholet, Wasserstein public interest professor of law and faculty director of the Law School’s Child Advocacy Program, sees risks for children—and society—in homeschooling, and recommends a presumptive ban on the practice. Homeschooling, she says, not only violates children’s right to a ‘meaningful education’ and their right to be protected from potential child abuse, but may keep them from contributing positively to a democratic society.”
Twisting Terms
Part of Bartholet’s concern is that homeschoolers don’t receive meaningful education, despite the fact that most homeschoolers score higher than public schoolers in all testing metrics. But what she means is that homeschoolers don’t get the kind of education she deems meaningful. They’re not able to be indoctrinated in the academy’s worldview.
She likens this lack of meaningful education to child abuse. She’s redefining child abuse and equating it with the teaching of a Christian worldview. But more than that, she implies that physical child abuse goes unchecked in homeschooling families, and we need teachers to play watchdog. Since when does the State play watchdog with no evidence of wrongdoing? Since when are we allowed to throw out baseless accusations in order to demonize an entire group with whom we disagree religiously or politically?
Of course, that’s why she says homeschoolers won’t be able to contribute positively to a democratic society. What she means is they won’t vote the way she deems appropriate because they won’t embrace progressivism.
A Multi-Front Attack
And here’s the reveal from the piece: “But surveys of homeschoolers show that a majority of such families (by some estimates, up to 90 percent) are driven by conservative Christian beliefs, and seek to remove their children from mainstream culture. Bartholet notes that some of these parents are ‘extreme religious ideologues who question science and promote female subservience and white supremacy.”
Bartholet is a true ideologue herself in that she wants to remove the natural, constitutional rights that all persons have to educate their children as they see fit. She declares herself and others like her to know better than the parents to whom God has entrusted children. This declaration is the heart of technocracy – the notion that certain persons in society know better than the masses and therefore have the right and responsibility to dictate public policy for all.
The means she uses to make her case are just as nefarious as her ideas. Not only does she redefine terms in an effort to alarm her readers and shape public opinion, she says that “if you look at the legal regime governing homeschooling, there are very few requirements that parents do anything.” Such is certainly not the case. While regulations differ from state to state, many are quite strenuous, and all homeschoolers must pass standardized tests to gain entry into college. The fact is that the vast majority of homeschoolers score high on those tests and excel at the college and graduate levels. They are well socialized and make tremendous contributions to society. But Bartholet takes a shot at homeschooling parents: “That means, effectively, that people can homeschool who’ve never gone to school themselves, who don’t read or write themselves.” She goes on to say that parents in some states can simply keep their kids at home without providing education at all. Yet, the reality is that most homeschooling parents teach their kids at home because they are very interested in their education. These parents are typically above average parents who care very deeply about the educational, and yes spiritual well-being of their children. We’re not talking about absentee dads and welfare moms when we talk about homeschool parents.
In addition to the baseless fearmongering in which she engages, the Harvard Professor cloaks her arguments in the garb of children’s rights. She asserts that children have the right to be exposed to “community values, social values, democratic values, ideas about nondiscrimination and tolerance of other people’s viewpoints.” Of course, they are. It goes without saying that Christians champion these things, while a new paradigm of intolerance rooted in woke culture seeks to redefine these values, such that they come to be used in completely different ways than what they actually mean.
A Totalitarian Move
Bartholet goes further. She tips her hat to the rights of parents to raise their children with the religious beliefs they hold, but than adds this: “But requiring children to attend schools outside the home for six or seven hours a day, she argues, does not unduly limit parents’ influence on a child’s views and ideas. ‘The issue is, do we think that parents should have 24/7, essentially authoritarian control over their children from ages zero to 18? I think that’s dangerous,’ Bartholet says. ‘I think it’s always dangerous to put powerful people in charge of the powerless, and to give the powerful ones total authority.’” Those comments are chilling. Further, their ironic nature is only surpassed by their hypocritical nature. She’s calling for authoritarian control over the nation’s children: your children. As she says, that’s dangerous, to say the least. We all know if you win the hearts of the children, you win the culture. That’s her goal with her “six or seven hours a day.” There’s little chance for parents to combat that level of indoctrination, and she knows that.
We’re at War
Bartholet is not alone. And make no mistake, she, if not Harvard as well, has launched a Pearl Harbor attack on homeschooling, Christianity, parental rights. She’s broadsided the Constitution as well. Her article is not an isolated opinion piece. She’s launched a very real war. Sound the alarm – it’s time to enlist.
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The Numbers are Wrong
We’ve been lied to. It goes without saying that any loss of life is tragic. Telling a Christian life is valuable is like telling a man stranded in the Sahara that water is valuable. But people die, and they die from many causes. And you can’t stop a virus; all you can do is slow the pace. To do that actually makes matters worse as herd immunity is suppressed. But worse still, we’ve shut the world down over a virus that so far has infected less than a tenth of a percent of the population of the state in which I live, South Carolina. The death toll is less than one-hundredth of a percent. In fact, right now it’s just over two one-thousandths of a percent. And I’m using inflated numbers, as we’re now categorizing as COVID-19 deaths all deaths in which we merely suspect someone may have been infected. No confirmation required. More ridiculously, we’re categorizing as COVID-19 deaths in which the individual had COVID-19 but actually died of something else. It’s time for the shutdown to end.
It’s the Economy, Stupid
Perhaps the biggest understatement in all of this is the cure is worse than the disease. The economic fall-out of the shutdown will not only bring tragedy of all manner upon the world, but it will literally kill more than the virus itself. It’s not just the people who are out of work that will be hard-pressed to buy food, shelter, and clothing, not to mention health care, but all of us will be in danger if migrant workers aren’t allowed in-country to harvest the fields across our land. When crops rot in the fields, watch out. In order to avoid that kind of calamity, the shutdown must end in a matter of days, not weeks. Those calling for social-distancing and stay-at-home measures to remain in place for the next eighteen months display a colossal ignorance that’s only surpassed by a frighteningly totalitarian impulse. Liberty be banished to Hell!
It’s a Liberty Issue
And that’s the real issue isn’t it. From a biblical perspective, no one has the right to simply wave away the rights of another. Not Anthony Fauci who brazenly declared he’s not given a thought to the economic consequences of the shutdown. Not Bill Gates who wants to cull the population through vaccines among other means. Not the MSM which one week called for the President to shut down the country regardless of what the Governors of the States said, and the next week called for the Governors to override the President when he claimed authority to open the states. The politics alone of this thing should cause even the most casual observer to say, “Wait a minute, what’s going on here?” But they don’t. It’s the proverbial blind following the blind who are following the one’s gouging out their eyes. Again, no one has the right to override the God-given rights of others, not even the majority. That’s why we operate on principle, not the whims of a blinded majority.
Civil Disobedience
If those in power won’t end the shutdown, it’s time for Christians to end it. The Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches has now said they’ll engage in civil disobedience if the shutdown is not ended in a matter of days or weeks. They’re right. Christians everywhere have sought to be good citizens. They’ve given the powers that be the benefit of the doubt. But it’s clear we can no longer do such. Our liberties will be gone if we don’t do something now. As I write this post, protests are breaking out across the country. That’s a welcome sign and a good start.
We’re in a Romans 13 moment. We submit to earthly government because they’ll bring out their sword if we don’t. But there comes a time when submission is sin. One individual could not succeed. The State would simply take him away, and he’d never be heard from again. But if thousands unite, there’s a possibility of victory. Let’s join together, not in armed revolution, but arm-in-arm, literally – away with social-distancing – to put political pressure on our leaders, that they might abandon their totalitarian impulses and actually govern with the consent of the governed.
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Unprecedented. That’s one of the few words I can think of to describe the times we’re in, not because we’re in a health crisis rivaling the plague – we’re not – despite the job the main stream media and other bad actors have done to convince us that such is the case. I’m talking about the evisceration of our liberties – our God-given rights – and the power grab to which the State has availed itself. And among the population, Statism is alive and well just as it was in the first century under Caesar. The masses are looking to the State to be their savior from a manufactured crisis manipulated to evoke that very response. It’s not that COVID-19 is not a deadly virus, it is, though it’s not that different than seasonal flu, if at all. The real issue is this: it’s the end of America as we know it if the people don’t make their voices heard.
Loving Neighbor
For Christians, our priority is to glorify God in all we do. That involves of first priority spreading the gospel. We’re to love God and neighbor. And yet, we have to define those terms biblically. It’s common among Christians in these uncommon times to say those in favor of ending the shutdown, or going to church, or going to the park for a jog, are not loving their neighbors. “Which of your family members do you want to die,” they ask. I could just as easily respond by saying those in favor of maintaining the shutdown don’t love their neighbors. The longer we go the more will lose their homes, their ability to feed their families, and so on. Many will die from suicide or a lack of health insurance, and any number of other devastating results are already apparent. But such accusations are not only unbiblical, for we love our neighbors in many ways, but they are rooted in a false dichotomy. All Christians love their neighbors, and all Christians make decisions on the information available to them. I would never accuse a genuine brother of not loving his neighbor simply because he disagrees with me on the oppressive response of the State in this situation. And I urge my brothers not to accuse me of not loving my neighbor simply because they believe the shutdown is the way to go.
Principles, not Platitudes
Further, regardless of where one stands on the issue of how serious a health crisis COVID-19 is, we need to react to it based on principles, not platitudes. Neither we nor government can base decisions on pragmatic considerations. Principles are inviolable; no one has the right to take away the liberties that God has given. No one has the right to shut down businesses, force people to stay in their homes, or limit church attendance. The Constitution forbids it, but more importantly, the Scriptures forbid it. Before the State could forcibly quarantine someone, it would have to prove in a court of law that an individual is an imminent threat to others. The State has no right to simply impose stay-at-home orders on persons in a given area.
Religious Freedom
The issue is freedom in general, and yes, it’s also an issue of religious freedom. Some churches in certain areas are being targeted. This development should cause all of us to raise an opposing voice. And while most other churches are not being targeted per se, those Christian leaders who tell us this is not an issue of religious freedom are doing us a great disservice. At the very least, any lockdown order or limitation on church attendance is a direct violation of the First Amendment which guarantees that the free exercise of religion shall not be prohibited.
Romans 13
Moreover, Romans 13 does not teach that government exists for the general welfare. That phrase from the Constitution is being imposed on the biblical text. Paul is saying that God has ordained government, even the persecution of Christians by Nero Caesar, for our spiritual good in a Rom. 8:28-30 sense, that is our sanctification. We submit to government because they do not hold the sword in vain. In other words, they will imprison or execute you if you resist them. We also submit for conscience sake, or as Peter puts it (1 Peter 2), for conscience toward God. By that he means there are times when we generally submit to government so as not to be accused by unbelievers as being evildoers. When they do accuse us as such, it should be because we’re obeying God as opposed to being engaged in criminal activity. While we didn’t at the beginning of this crisis, we now have Christian leaders and Christian denominations calling for civil disobedience. One can’t call for such and have the common view of Romans 13 at the same time. My point is not to say civil disobedience shouldn’t be on the table. On the contrary, it most certainly should be. But only a biblical view of Romans 13 will allow for it before God, not the common misinterpretation most Christians hold.
Finally, we’re having a serious discussion about grave issues in momentous times. It’s time to end the shutdown. May we continue the dialog and come to a unified conclusion in the very near future.
Part 2 to Follow
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Serious-Minded Christianity
Too often Christians eschew what they perceive to be doctrine or deep thinking when it comes to one’s relationship with God or Christianity in general. Some wear it as a badge of honor: “Don’t give me all that doctrine, just give me Jesus,” as if such self-proclaimed piety is actually biblical or really helpful. A variety of factors has led to such a notion, not the least of which is the influence of the fundamentalist backlash against the liberalism of the early twentieth century. Certainly, that liberalism was and is a deadly counterfeit, and all true believers affirm the fundamentals of the faith. But the backlash was an anti-intellectual brand of Christianity that was less than biblical and destructive in its own right. “Just give me Jesus” begs the question of which Jesus, as there are abundant false versions even within the pale of evangelicalism.
Renewing the Mind
The authority of Scripture is foundational, and the supreme question is, “What saith the Scriptures?” Even with a cursory look at the landscape of evangelical preaching, it’s not hard to understand why so many have a superficial faith. Too much of so-called bible-believing teaching and Christian worship is given to seeking the next emotional high. The mantra of the average church-goer is to know and follow hard after yet another mountain-top experience. Of course, such feelings are easy to come by whether in church or at a football game, and are no indicator of whether one has had a genuine encounter with God. At the very least, one cannot experience God as he should without progressive sanctification which comes through renewing the mind. Yes, the Spirit must work, but He doesn’t work apart from the word. Without a commitment to the whole counsel of God, believers are robbing themselves of a deeper and richer walk with God.
The Whole Counsel of God
We also need the whole counsel of God to navigate the onslaught of ideas in our ever-changing cultural, ideological milieu. Evidence for God’s existence and the biblical account of creation bolsters confidence. An understanding of how ideas and conclusions are driven by presuppositions gives one a leg-up in general conversation. There is but one true worldview; all others are false. If one thinks at a worldview level, at the very least he’ll not be blown away by false claims – the elementary principles of the world.
For the Children
Without a commitment to teaching our children sound doctrine and training them how to defend their faith, we relegate them to the statistical nightmare that is reality: 70% to 90% of young people raised in church walk away from the faith when they hit college. That’s owing, among other things, to an entertainment model of Christian discipleship and a shallow understanding of the gospel. When young people raised in that environment get to college, they have neither the heart nor the mind to stand in the maelstrom of professors, peers, and propaganda that bears down on them each and every day.
All the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge
Further, we need serious-minded Christians to engage our culture. We need to be trained to give good answers to the questions unbelievers ask and the objections they raise. We need to be taken seriously, not so that we enjoy the personal benefits of a good reputation, but so that scoffers may be willing to give us a hearing. Too many Christian leaders have compromised the truth to be well-liked by the world. Such a practice is wholly ineffective as well as consequentially destructive. We’re not talking the prideful seeking of the world’s respect. We’re talking about engaging with the world intellectually in a winsome way. We’re talking about pointing out the inconsistency and incoherency of faulty worldviews: their philosophical untenableness and their folly. We’re talking about giving the only worldview that makes sense out of our experience: the true worldview, the biblical worldview. We’re talking about the unvarnished reality that “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ” (Col. 2:3).
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According to Gallup
Interesting: “Children may be benefiting from the stay-at-home orders many states have in place during the coronavirus outbreak in the United States. According to a Gallup poll, a large majority of children report ‘enjoyment” and “happiness’ while spending their days with their families.” On the one hand, it’s surprising we’d hear positive news concerning the benefits of homeschooling. On the other hand, its fits into the “go home and stay home, we’re all in this together” Orwellian narrative.
Massive Benefits
Of course, there are very real benefits to homeschooling. You fulfill your responsibility to train your own children; you wrest their minds from control of the State; you foster and maintain a better relationship with your children; you can spur creativity; you can teach them to think independently; you can take time to develop latent educational interests and aspirations that might not have been brought to the fore; and so much more. More importantly, you can teach them a biblical worldview in every aspect of their education and thereby demonstrate its comprehensive nature. You make them far more useful for the kingdom. And of utmost significance, while God is sovereign in the salvation of your children, your efforts are the most likely thing God will use to bring them to Himself. Statistically, 70% to 90% of children raised in church and public/private school walk away from Christ when they hit college. It’s also true that the same percentage of Christian homeschoolers do not. In fact, close to 90% of millennial graduates say they are very strong in terms of their faith commitment to Christ.
A Change is Gonna Come
An educational sea-change is coming in the aftermath of COVID-19. Many students at the university level will opt for online education which will drive tuition rates down and force numerous schools to scale back and as many others to close completely. At the primary level, an increasing number of non-Christian families have already opted for homeschooling. Some are driven by academic considerations while others are fearful in the aftermath of school shootings. The fear-factor of COVID-19 will drive many more to pull out of government as well as private schools.
Whenever governments manipulate crises there are always unintended consequences. The vast majority of those are negative and harmful to the people. In this case, it may be that more and more people learn to think independent of the State’s curriculum. When that happens, the population is harder to control. The willingness of the vast majority of Americans to accept the State’s Coronavirus narrative and the trampling of the hard-won and God-given freedoms we have is owing to government education. We can only pray that escape from that subtle tyranny is part of what God is doing in His grace. Not only will it be a boon for human flourishing, it may be a prelude to revival. That’s something for which we can pray as well.
Biblical Wisdom
There’s a reason God gives this instruction: “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deut. 6:6-9). It’s the underlying assumption of the proverbial truism: “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6). Neither of these texts is talking about Sunday School.
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People are troubled. Some are fearful of the virus; others are fearful of their financial future; some are grieving over loved ones who have died; and others are grieving over the loss of liberty and some things that will never be the same. In times like this, Christians must keep their perspective: Christ is ultimate. They must think about what God could be doing. They must see the opportunity for gospel advance as they serve others in the name of Christ. And, among other things, they must think about and pray for revival.
What is Revival?
Revival begins in the churches. It’s the movement of God in the sanctification of believers and the conversion of false professors within her pale. It’s the strengthening of churches. Further, as the church is revived, they have an increasing influence in the larger culture. They get serious about evangelism, and unbelievers are saved. As believers spread the gospel, do their work as unto the Lord, engage in ethics, art, entertainment, and so many other cultural dynamics, a Christian worldview begins to take hold again. That’s the kind of revival we read about in the Great Awakenings. In the Welsh Revival of 1902 for example, judges wore white gloves to signify they had no more cases for the day.
How Does Revival Come?
Revival is a sovereign work of God. Jonathan Edwards wrote about the Surprising Work of God during the days of the “First Great Awakening.” The Lord Jesus’ told Nicodemus you can’t tell where the wind comes from or where it’s going; so it is with the Spirit of God (John 3). God is the one who withholds or brings revival. It doesn’t come through “the right use of means,” a phrase Charles Finney coined during the “Second Great Awakening.” He manipulated people into false decisions and changed the trajectory of evangelicalism from that time until this day. How many false professions have there been through the method of revivalism that in general made those professors twice as much the sons of Hell as before (Matt. 23:15), weakened God’s churches, and generally brought much division and misery to those same churches? No, revival is of the Lord (Jonah 2:9).
Prep for Revival
That doesn’t mean we have no need to do the work of preparation. There is little hope for harvest when there is no toiling in the garden. The soil of our culture is hard right now. Not only is hatred for Christ at an all time high, but the majority of people don’t even have a biblical understanding of God. There was a time in our nation when even unbelieves knew what you were talking about when you talked about God. Not so today. Americans have adopted their own eclectic brand of spirituality. Much work must be done to even have an intelligent conversation with many, particularly about God or ultimate things. God is sovereign, and indeed the fields are white unto harvest if He so ordains (Jn. 4:35). But we have to spread the gospel and couch everything in terms of a biblical worldview. We must engage our culture winsomely, create beneficial cultural goods in the Name of Christ, and defend the faith in different ways whether presenting evidence or dismantling the inconsistencies within a worldview opposed to Christ.
Coronavirus - Catalyst for Revival?
One wonders if God would use the Coronavirus imbroglio to bring about revival. When people are confronted with their own mortality; when things seem hopeless; when they feel helpless; when it actually dawns on them that things will never be the same; when they sense there should be something more; when they’re confronted with their sin; they’re prepared to hear the gospel. Even then, only God can open their hearts. Only God can bring revival, and He can do so without a prepared soil if He so chooses. And He may not choose to do so when the soil is prepared. But He may. And that’s what we long for.
So, is there anything we can do while we’re longing for revival? The answer is an unequivocal yes. We must pray. There is no revival apart from precipitous prayer. We can talk about it. And we can labor for it. Let’s make revival the topic on our hearts in these troubling days and beyond.
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Shelter in Place: Is This How We Want to Live?
When I saw the jets fly into the twin towers and those towers subsequently collapse, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It was one of those things I didn’t think possible. I was wrong. I also thought that moment couldn’t be surpassed in terms of shock. But I was wrong on that too. I’m living in one of those moments now. I never would have thought it possible to get the world to voluntarily shut down over night. It’s unimaginable that we would voluntarily tank our economy. But here we are.
The New Normal
Bretigne Shaffer describes our situation at the moment: “As I write this, I am no longer ‘allowed’ to frequent businesses the state has deemed to be ‘nonessential.’ Doing so has been prohibited by a man who has the power to shut down an entire economy with the stroke of a pen. Meanwhile, the mayor of a neighboring city has said that water and power will be turned off for any of these ‘nonessential’ businesses that do not comply with the order. . . We now have to stand in line to get into the grocery store, are only able to purchase limited quantities of food and other supplies, and the California National Guard has been activated. . . to help ‘distribute… food and medical supplies…’ among other tasks.”
This state of affairs raises what rises to the level of an ultimate question: is this how we want to live? According to Judge Andrew Napolitano, the State has no right to do what they’re doing. It’s unconstitutional. And yet, while I’m not confined to my home like my daughter and son-in-law are in another state, I went to four grocery stores yesterday before I gave up my search on the item I needed. There are some businesses that will be completely gone when this is over. That’s tragic for those business-owners, but it also affects the rest of us who’ll have to do without the goods and services we’ve come to count on from them. What possible reason is there to let others make decisions for us? What possible reason is there to give the State power to shut down your business?
The Scapegoat
I know, some will say, because Coronavirus. Quarantining like we are has never stopped viruses from spreading. It might slow them down, but only good hygiene has been effective historically. Take a look at what Hong Kong is doing, and they seem to be proving the point. Regardless, as Shaffer points out, there is much debate over that issue and what the socio-economic cost will be and just how deadly COVID-19 actually is.
So again, we have to ask is this the kind of world we want to live in? Personal liberty is tossed aside as if it’s just a selfish luxury says Shaffer. But what’s selfish is the impulse to control others, whether personally or through the State. In fact, its pure evil. On cue, the red herring that saving lives is more important is run out there. Why don’t we ask the State to ban cars then? Or swimming pools? Or alcohol? Of course, when we banned alcohol, we learned that unintended consequences are often worse than the original problem. And that’s the case here. President Trump was right when he said the cure is worse than the disease. It’s too bad he’s done an about face on that.
The State, Our Enemy
“Do we want to live lives in which we get to make our own choices and decisions, or do we want to live the kind of lives where our choices are made for us, by some centralized authority?” We can’t live this way and honor God or one another. The rights to life and liberty are rights given by God. Violence against others like shutting down one’s ability to earn a living is evil and therefore dishonors God. In fact, it’s an attack on God Himself (Gen. 9:6). It’s unloving to our neighbor. What’s happening now is not only unconstitutional, it violates the two great commandments to love God and neighbor.
And now we learn the US Government is already making plans with Google, Facebook, and others to track our movements and our health status via cell phones and a nation-wide snitch network via phone apps in which people are asked to tag anyone they see exhibiting signs of illness or failing to social distance. Bill Gates is saying we’ll have digital certificates indicating our health and vaccine status. That certificate will be required to gain access to certain places and services. Is this how we want to live?
History proves that the State arrogates more power to itself during times of crisis. Essential liberties are suspended for the sake of resolving the crisis. Yet, the State never gives up the power its gained or the liberties it’s stolen. But that’s the world we’re being handed right now. As noted, we’ve never seen this big a power grab before. The question is, what are we going to do about it?
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Identity politics is more destructive than we realize. While the purveyors of woke culture tell us they’re seeking a level playing field, the reality is they’re making a power play. Intersectionality is rooted in the philosophy of might makes right, and the trickle-down is pervasive.
Paul Craig Roberts talks about a college professor who came to the US from the former Soviet Union and warns us of the Sovietization of America. She’s not talking about economic socialism but the censure of reasoned discourse. She sounds the alarm that identity politics allows “people to hound and persecute with impunity. People love it because it allows a little person to completely destroy somebody who has done something great.” Where she teaches, they “have this bias response team that prowls the campus looking for signs of non-compliance. We had the same thing in the Soviet Union. Right now they’re on campus, but eventually, they’re going to be in every workplace. In the workplace as well as in the educational system, the culture created by diversity and sensitivity training turns co-workers into enemies.”
She’s right. One need only look at the “Me Too” movement and the underlying assumption that every woman must be believed regardless of the evidence or facts. The professor’s further point is that populations are easy to manipulate and control when people are set against each other. “That’s what it is like under totalitarianism.”
In the Soviet Union, the government was built on an atheistic worldview. Controlling people was part of their function. So too now in our culture. Don’t miss that. It’s not merely governments moving to control people; our culture wants to do the same. That’s the power play. Identity politics is not about equality but power.
The professor also highlights the elimination of reasoned discourse in academia. In the “Soviet Union when you were a student and assigned to write a paper, you knew that the thing to do was to go straight to the correct books in the library and copy the relevant articles, word for word, with no deviations. ...When I entered the university in Canada, the teacher really did want me to think for myself…It was so weird, but so liberating. Now, I’m seeing young people who are just like we were in the Soviet Union. They are afraid to think for themselves. They only want to know what the “right” answer is, and repeat it.” She laments that graduate students are not able to produce scholarship but only a “collection of woke slogans.” Students are not only incapable of critical thinking, but they’re afraid. If they come to an out-of-step conclusion, they’ll only be cancelled. Woke culture is cancel culture. If you don’t repeat their mantra, you’re anathematized. That’s our future.
What we need instead of the Sovietization of America is the Kingdomization of America. In one sense, it’s the rekindling of the old concepts of freedom of speech, religion, and association. It’s the notion of a truly pluralistic society rooted in old-style tolerance and liberty and justice for all. These are Kingdom principles for civil society – the outworking of the gospel. For those things we must labor.
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