Who Built the Hospitals Caring for China's Coronavirus Patients? | True Worldview Ep. 45

Coronavirus and China’s Hospitals

Everyone’s talking about Coronavirus, and rightly so. The number of those infected along with those who have died is only increasing. But let’s think about a particular issue at a worldview level. Gary Brumbelow asks, “Who built the hospitals treating China’s coronavirus patients?” The answer is that “hundreds of China’s hospitals were built by Christian missionaries.”

Hospitals Didn’t Come from Atheism

Brumbelow rightly points out that China’s hospitals didn’t come from the worldview of China’s atheistic, communist leaders who’ve been in power since the rise of Mao Zedong prior to the midway point of the last century. We needn’t be reminded of the millions he slaughtered in the “Great Leap Forward” or China’s long-term one to two-child policy imposition. As a worldview, atheism has a low view of human life. It’s only valued in terms of what it can do for the collective. Life is cheap and expendable. And on that worldview, there’s no reason to build hospitals as long as you have enough replacement parts. 

Hospitals Come from a Christian Worldview

It's the Christian worldview that values life. The world has co-opted Christian initiative including health-care, the university, stewardship of the environment, the arts, and so much more. How grievous then when Christians accept the status quo of our culture and fall in line like sheep. Our calling is to image God in the world in a multitude of ways. Hospitals, universities, environmentalism, and the arts are no longer driven by a biblical worldview and they have suffered in devastating ways. We must re-engage to preserve that which is good and create what is needed.

The Communists evicted the missionaries from China long ago. “Except for the government-sanctioned Three-Self Church, Christian congregations have been underground ever since.” Major hospitals founded by those missionaries are now run by the government and “party bosses are scrambling to deal with the Coronavirus. It’s a task made more difficult by years of atheistic influence.

We must be reminded that salvation is ultimate, but God cares about the here and now too. Part of our calling is to bring kingdom values and principles to bear on this world. Much of this world will burn up one day, but that which is done for the glory of Christ will remain. God cares about this world or He wouldn’t have given us the Dominion Mandate (Gen. 1:28). He wouldn’t have told us to do our work as unto Him. He wouldn’t have admonished us to be Good Samaritans.

Pray for the Church in China

And one last thing. You can start with the gospel and change one’s worldview. Or, you can talk about worldview and get to the gospel. I think Brumbelow has that in mind: “In the midst of the suffering and chaos brought on by the virus and exacerbated by atheistic lies, may China learn its long-lost Christian history, from the Tower of Babel dispersion to the present reality of Christian service and influence. May China’s people come to realize that Yahweh is more than merely a “western God.” May China’s church rise up in courage to serve their neighbors in the name of Jesus Christ in this hour of need.”

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Subtle Assertion | True Worldview Ep. 44

Subtle Assertion

The gospel is subversive. Not overtly so, and not in a political sense, but subversive nonetheless. Gathering for church every week is perhaps the most subversive thing we do. In so gathering apart from the world, we are declaring to the world that we are citizens of a different kingdom, and our allegiance is to a different King: Jesus. There’s a sense in which it’s subtly seditious. 

Jeffrey Barr points out that subtle sedition refers to certain encounters in the gospels that would not have directly opposed Rome and its authority but would have nevertheless communicated a political message to the Jews. That is not to say that Jesus is a political king. He plainly declared His kingdom is not of this world (Jn. 18:36). But Jesus does have authority over all things and asserts that reality both in bold and subtle ways. I actually prefer the term subtle assertion to subtle sedition. Jesus was not seditious or in rebellion against Rome. He was asserting His authority as Barr points out. With that subtle but significant shift I mind, let’s look at four examples.

Not Bread and Circuses

First, the Roman satirist Juvenal lamented the fact that Roman emperors maintained order, among other ways, by providing wheat and circus spectacles, i.e., “bread and circuses.” Revelation tells us that the dragon (Satan) is the power behind human government (Nero and the Roman Empire). When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness for forty days, in addition to the primary meaning of the text, Barr points out at one level, with stones to bread and the spectacle of diving off the pinnacle of the temple, Satan tempted Jesus to be a Messiah of bread and circuses. Satan then tempted Jesus to bow down to him in order to rule the world. The Jews would have recognized the reference to the Roman Empire in these temptations. Jesus rejects Satan and that earthly power. He’s not like them. Moreover, He alone is Lord, not Satan or Rome. Here is an example of subtle assertion. 

Treading on Caesar’s Sea

Second, in Matthew 14, Jesus feeds the 5000, then walks on the Sea of Galilee, and calms a storm. The Romans referred to the Sea of Galilee as the Sea of Tiberias after the infamous emperor. Barr notes that Jesus treads upon the emperor’s seas and demonstrates that even the emperor’s waters have no dominion over Him. Jesus is Lord, not Caesar.

Authority Over Rome

Third, when Jesus encounters the Gerasene demoniac in Mark 5, the demon says, “Legion is my name. There are many of us.” Jesus casts them into a herd of swine who are then driven into the sea and drowned. A Roman legion was about 6,000 soldiers. The demon Legion was a veiled reference to Rome, swine were unclean under Jewish law, and the symbol of the Roman legion was a boar. The Jews would have certainly made the connection between the event and Jesus asserting His authority over the occupiers of Judea.

Render Unto God

Fourth, in Luke 20, Jesus is in the temple when Jewish religious leaders seek to trap Him and turn Him over to Rome that He might be executed. They ask Him whether He pays taxes. He turns the tables on them by asking them to present a denarius. They did. The coin bears the image of Caesar and refers to him as the son of the gods. They should not have had the coin; it was idolatry and a violation of the second commandment. They should not have profaned the temple by bringing it in. Jesus asks them who’s inscription is on the coin. They reply, “Caesar’s.” That’s when Jesus tells them to “render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and the things that are God’s unto God.” He’s not telling them that some things belong to Caesar, and some things belong to God. Such a meaning would not have shut their mouths and shot them through like His meaning actually did. He was saying that all things belong to God, and they were already sold out to Caesar. Again, He's asserting His authority over all things including Caesar.

Freedom and Citizenship

One of the points the New Testament makes is that the sons of God are ultimately free from earthly rulers (Matt. 17:26; 1 Pet. 2:16). Further, we’re to be concerned with reflecting God’s character and the good of others. We’re to be concerned for our witness. We’re to be good citizens so that when we’re accused by the world of doing evil, we’re actually being accused of being Christians and not breaking Caesar’s laws (1 Peter 2). It glorifies God and preserves our witness if we suffer for doing what’s right. There are times we may flee persecution (Matt. 10:23; Acts 9:23-25). If we’re born into slavery, we’re not to worry about it, but if we can be free, then we’re to use it for God’s glory (1 Cor. 7:2-23). The point is that we’re free, but we’re not to use our liberty for vice (1 Pet. 2:16). And, we’re good citizens unless that good citizenship conflicts with glorifying God.

Our Subtle Assertion

What might subtle assertion look like for us? Or what might the balance between being good citizens of heaven and being good citizens here look like? If going to church is subtle sedition, so is proclaiming and advancing God’s kingdom as the ultimate authority. Further, I stand for the national anthem out of respect for those around me, but I won’t put my hand over my heart even when asked to do so, nor will I pledge allegiance to the flag. If I’m asked to pray in public, even at a government function, I pray to Christ and not the benign, unknown god. I’m employed by the state as a high school swim coach. I do my job well. At the same time, I seek to point my swimmers to Jesus. What I’m doing in each of these cases is asserting Christ’s lordship.

Daniel was a good citizen: one of the best. But when Darias issued the decree that no one could pray to any god but him, Daniel prayed three times per day at his open window. Why did he pray out in the open? Why not simply pray in private? He was making a statement that Darias is not God. He was asserting God’s lordship. And God found him innocent of sin (Daniel 6).

Here’s something personal. I jaywalk on purpose. And whenever I do, I’m making a statement whether anyone gets it or not. On the one hand, the state will not come down on me for such a minor infraction, nor do people think I’m a troublemaker. My status as a good citizen remains intact (1 Peter 2). At the same time, in my heart, I’m treading on Caesar’s streets with impunity, because they really don’t belong to Caesar. They belong to God. It may not be walking on water, but it’s close enough.

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Education Crisis in American Schools: Training Teachers to Fail | True Worldview Ep. 43

Education Crisis in American Schools: Training Teachers to Fail

There’s a literacy crisis in American schools as reading scores plummet. Part of the problem lies in newly minted teaching methods. The prevailing mindset includes this piece of wisdom: “The worst thing a teacher can do when students ask questions is answer them…Students only want to write about what they’re interested in.” Teaching the basics of phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension is a thing of the past. When students struggle in reading, teachers are instructed to “. . . utilize shortcuts to ‘increase engagement’ like leveled reading, technology, audiobooks, and graphic novels.” 

The Intrusion of PC Culture into Education

The PC culture has intruded into education at all levels. To force students into so-called rigid models of learning or impose so-called dominant ideas upon them is anathema. It doesn’t matter that students are not learning, and are therefore relegated to a future filled with struggle and failure. A common sense approach in education basics is a must, but we won’t get it. 

The Stifling of Independent Thinking

No doubt that rigidity is not always good. Students need to be taught to think, to analyze, to extrapolate, and to forecast. Critical thinking is a must. So too is independent thinking. But that’s all the more reason we need effective teaching methods when it comes to reading and writing. And the only way to engage and develop thinking “muscles” is to broaden a student’s horizons and provide answers to their questions.

The Need for Right Assumptions

Of course, critical and independent thinking can’t be rooted in relativism if one is to be truly educated. It’s God’s world, and one must think through His lens in order to see things rightly whether the issue is related to ethics, science, math, history, literature, art, or whatever. We all analyze everything with our own assumptions – our own worldview. There is but one true worldview – God’s. All others are false.

Finally, it’s not inappropriate to point out the inefficiency and even oppression of government education. When education is removed from parents, so too is freedom. When education becomes a matter of prevailing, political opinion, education itself is removed. We’re just a country of useful idiots.

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Understanding the Times | True Worldview Ep. 42

Understanding the Times

Along side the high work of exegeting the Scriptures is the great task of exegeting the culture. A chief example is “the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do” (1 Chron. 12:32). Further, Paul was able to connect with the gatekeepers of Athens on Mars Hill and effectively share Christ by being aware of certain of their poets and philosophers (Acts 17). He was familiar with the prophets of the Cretans and was able to judge certain things about their character as a result (Titus 1:12-13). We should be committed to understanding the times.

Os Guinness observed, “American views today are weak, confused, and divided. On one side, many progressive liberals still think that we humans are essentially good and getting better and better. On the other side, many postmoderns actually think it is worse to judge evil than to do evil. And in the middle, many ordinary folk plaster life with rainbows and smile buttons and wander through life on the basis of sentiment and cliches.” His analysis is not comprehensive, but it’s certainly helpful.

The Progressives

Indeed, progressives think that humans are essentially good and getting better. The Anglican Priest who fought against the atrocities of Apartheid once declared, “The most important thing for me now is reminding people that they are good. We are all essentially good...Being good also explains why we are appalled by evil, by what is wrong...It might not appear to be the case, but the truth is that eventually goodness will prevail.”

Of course, we should ask why we’re appalled by evil. Being created in the image of God comes to mind. At the same time, in a fallen world, the image of God in man is marred, and we don’t all agree on what’s good and what’s evil. In a progressive culture, the definitions are always changing. Progressives think humans are becoming increasingly enlightened. Our culture now not only affirms the normalcy of homosexuality, for example, but it openly celebrates it. We recognize with revelry the first openly homosexual mayor of a city, draftee in the NFL, or candidate for President. It’s progressives who champion pre-pubescent genital mutilation in an effort to mainstream transgendersim. Polyamory is next in the dock. Indeed, our culture is now woke to the racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, and a host of other ills inherent in being white. We are more enlightened than old white men who represent a darker time. How dare Michael Bloomberg and his ilk earn the obscene amount of money they do when others deserve it more despite their penchant for waiting on the next welfare check.

The Postmoderns

A second cultural cluster is the postmoderns who think it’s worse to judge evil than to do evil. In their rejection of objective authority; their placement of perception over what’s real; their assertion that nothing is really knowable; they’re willing to affirm anything as proper for the one who deems it proper. While there might not be any truth at all, there are things to affirm as truth for you and different things to affirm as truth for me. Thus, concepts of good and evil lose their meaning on such a worldview. There is no real basis for law, contracts, or personal property. Moreover, on such a worldview there is no basis for human rights, ethical farming, the fair treatment of animals, or a host of other goods being championed today. 

The Sentimentalists

And then we have the ordinary people in the middle who “plaster life with rainbows and smile buttons and wander through life on the basis of sentiment and cliches.” You don’t have to look long to find people willing to say things like all good people go to heaven; I know Mom’s looking down on me; if you can dream it, you can do it; trust the vibes you get, energy doesn’t lie; or any number of other empty platitudes designed to numb us to reality.

The Answer

Those three positions represent a good swath of our culture: a culture in trouble. But it’s a culture looking for truth, though their spiritual blindness keeps them from finding it. People need a reality check. If we’re good and getting better, how do the progressives explain the fact that humans propagate as much evil today as they did in the past? I wonder what the postmodern would say if someone put a gun to his head. Is morality really relative? And let’s ask the sentimentalist a few simple questions: how do you know Mom is looking down on you? What if she’s not? And what good does it do anyway?

We need to understand the times. When we do, we can take the roof off as Francis Schaeffer used to say. We can deconstruct the faulty worldviews that people cling to like lifelines in an effort to lovingly demonstrate those lifelines are tethered to nothing. We can set forth the true worldview, the biblical worldview, that actually makes sense out of our experience. And then we can proclaim the gospel that they might be delivered from their soul-destroying notions and come to know Christ, whom to know is life eternal.

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Hollywood and Our Children | True Worldview Ep. 41

Hollywood and Our Children

Here's more poisoned fruit produced by a culture that’s rejected the true worldview. “Over the course of the last few years, there has been a ‘dramatic change’ in Hollywood. According to the Parents Television Council, it’s been a very ‘dangerous turn.’ ‘Instead of children just being collateral damage in the way of whatever explicit content they want to deliver to adults, Hollywood now seems to be directly marketing some of the most explicit stuff to children’. . . Such shows . . . include HBO’s ‘Euphoria,’ which focuses on a drug-addicted teenager; Hulu’s ‘PEN15’; and Netflix’s shows ‘Sex Education’ and ‘Big Mouth.’ These are shows that are overtly teen-targeted and are very troubling, very pornographic, very toxic in nature,” PTC said. Interestingly, PTC also noted the “FCC publicly confirmed what the PTC has been saying for years about the TV content rating system and its inaccuracies, inconsistencies and lack of oversight in really serving the needs of parents as opposed to protecting the financial interests of Hollywood.” 

Money Talks

Sadly, this state of affairs is not surprising. Not only are kids less discerning, they’re a massive target market, and once they’re won over, they’re customers for life in most cases. Hollywood doesn’t care about the destruction that ensues in the form of bad decisions, broken relationships, std’s, depression, and the like. Money talks. 

Be Involved

Our response is to be hands-on proactive in our children’s lives. We have no excuse how they’re influenced if we’re not. Someone will train your children. Will it be you or Hollywood? You have to engage.

Create Culture

Beyond that, we need to talk to the next generation, not about withdrawing from the world into our fortresses, but about exerting influence in the world. God gave us a dominion mandate in Gen. 1:28 and repeated it after the flood. By way of application to this context, we subdue the earth through creation and cultivation – the creation and cultivation of good culture. We certainly seek to supplant bad culture like Hollywood’s destructive product. We do that by promoting Christ, His gospel, and the application of the gospel in our culture. We also do that by creating better culture. It’s part of how we’re to be salt and light. We need Christians to make movies with Hollywood quality and with better messages – not movies that are second rate at best. God deserves better, and so do our children.

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What Does Render to Caesar That Which is Caesar's Mean? | True Worldview Ep. 40

Rendering Unto Caesar or God?

Yet another oft misunderstood text is, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s” (Lk. 20:25). Most assume that Jesus means there are some things that belong to Caesar, or the government, and other things that belong to God. But that’s not what Jesus means at all.

Jesus Absolute Authority Over All Things

Luke has been making a case for Jesus’ absolute authority over all things. He first does so with The Triumphal entry, as Jesus fulfills prophecy by riding in on a colt for Passover (Lk. 19:28-40). It’s an assertion of His Messiahship. 

Jesus then weeps over Jerusalem because they’ve rejected Him and will be judged (Lk. 19:41-44). He’s the Judge. 

Luke next gives us an account of Jesus cleansing the temple. Jesus declares His authority as He does so by saying “It is written, ‘My house is a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves’” (Lk. 19:46). The temple belongs to Him. 

At that point the Jewish religious leaders determine to kill Jesus. In Luke 20:2 they confront Him with the key question: “Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things? Or who is he who gave You this authority?” Jesus deftly turns their question back on them and tells the parable of the wicked vinedressers (Lk. 20:9-19). The owner of a vineyard sends three groups of servants to procure some fruit from the vineyard, and they’re turned away each time. He then sends His Son, and the vinedressers kill him. Jesus is speaking of the Jewish religious leaders. They turned away the prophets, and they’re going to crucify God’s Son. Jesus is openly declaring Himself to be the Son of God. 

Caesar vs. God

They understood Jesus was talking about them and plotted further how they could seize Him and turn Him over to Rome to be executed (Lk. 20:19). It’s at that point they seek to catch Jesus in a trap (Lk. 20:20). He’s in the temple, and they ask Him if it’s lawful to pay taxes to Caesar (Lk. 20:22). Jesus then turns the tables on them, as He did so often. Luke tells us, “But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, ‘Why do you test Me? ‘Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?’ They answered and said, ‘Caesar’s. And He said to them, ‘Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’ But they could not catch Him in His words in the presence of the people. And they marveled at His answer and kept silent.” If Jesus is simply saying some things belong to Caesar, and some things belong to God, why did they marvel at His words?

The Background

Jeffrey Barr points out in AD 6 Rome imposed a census tax on the Jews. Judas the Galilean led a revolt, and the Romans brutally combatted it for decades. Pontius Pilate was a cruel and brutal dictator who was Rome’s chief soldier, magistrate, and tax collector in the region. A few years prior to Luke’s account, Pilate had put up effigies of the Emperor on the fortress Antonia which adjoined the Jewish Temple. There was a near insurrection as Jewish law forbade graven images and their presence in the holy city of Jerusalem. Pilate removed the images and thus avoided a war, but Jerusalem continued to be a hotbed of political and religious fervor.

The Coin

The denarius bore the image of Tiberias Caesar as well as the imperial seal. Barr points out that “it differed from the copper coins issued by the Roman Senate, and it was also the coin with which subjected peoples, in theory, were required to pay the tribute. Tiberius even made it a capital crime to carry any coin stamped with his image into a bathroom or a brothel. In short, the denarius was a tangible representation of the emperor’s power, wealth, deification, and subjugation.” Only soldiers, Roman officials, and Jewish leaders in league with Rome would have used this particular coin. Jesus did not possess this coin.

The Encounter

The ones who confronted Jesus had this coin and produced it immediately. They’re guilty of religious hypocrisy, as they bring a profane item, a pagan coin, into the temple. Further, to do such was to violate the ten commandments as well as the shema of Deut. 6:4-5. The Jews were to make no graven images, and they were to love God alone. Don’t overlook vv. 23-24: ““Why do you test Me? Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?” Jesus turns the tables here by asking them to produce a denarius, which they do. He then asks whose image and inscription it has. Image is a reference to the second commandment, and inscription is a reference to the shema as they were to inscribe it on their doorposts among other places. Of course, the image is Caesar, and the inscription is his. The inscription refers to Caesar as the worshipful Son of God. It pictures him on a throne wearing a priestly robe. Caesar demanded worship and asserted his sovereign authority over all who transacted with the coin.

In the context of Luke, the real question is clear: who is supreme, God or Caesar?  Jesus has just claimed to be the Son of God by telling the parable of the wicked vinedressers. Think of the significance of Jesus asking them to produce the coin. He didn’t have to do that to answer their question, but He did. They’re trying to trap Jesus in order to kill Him. The obvious point is the Jewish religious leaders’ assertion of Caesar’s authority over against Jesus’ assertion of His own authority. The question is what is truly Caesar’s and what is truly God’s? The point is that everything belongs to God as the Scriptures assert throughout. He has absolute authority. Luke is saying that the claims of God and Caesar are mutually exclusive.

The Conclusion

Jesus is not saying that some things belong to Caesar, and some things belong to God, so pay taxes. That’s not the point at all. This text is a power encounter. It’s a declaration that Jesus is Lord and Jesus’ confronters understood Jesus to be saying just that. This text is not unlike Joshua’s challenge: “And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Josh. 24:15). Jesus’ point is no different. You can choose to serve Caesar if you like. But nothing belongs to Caesar. It all belongs to God. Render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.

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The Profanation of Our Culture: Clapbacks, Foul Language, and Immorality | True Worldview Ep. 39

The Profanation of Our Culture

Some Love to Hate Haters

Have you noticed that almost anything a celebrity says about anything passes for news these days? Lebron James commented on Kobe Bryant’s death. Shaquille O’Neal commented on Kobe’s death. King James commented again on Kobe and his death. Magic Johnson weighed in on Kobe’s tragic helicopter crash. Lebron said something else about Kobe and the crash. But it’s worse. Not only do we get those breaking stories, but anytime someone claps back, it’s a news story. No matter who said what, no matter how irrelevant, it’s a news flash. But it gets worse still. The clap back is usually hate-filled and foul. Never mind the irony of the PC culture cancelling haters. It’s lost on them; they love to hate haters.

Recently, Josh Brolin posted a revealing picture of his wife online. Someone commented: “Why show your wife’s body off on the internet? It’s not good, God wants her to cover her body and not expose her body.” Brolin’s comeback? “I just spoke to God and God asked me to please ask you to shut the ____ up and go take a shower.” Here we have a snapshot of what our culture has become. He could have replied thoughtfully, judiciously, or simply ignored the comment. Yet, his response was juvenile, blasphemous, vulgar, and abusive all at the same time.

When There’s No God, Anything Goes

When the Christian worldview goes, civility goes with it. Civility is rooted in the existence of God, a standard of right and wrong, and a resulting sense of decorum. Heretofore, it was an unspoken assumption that we’re civilized people dealing with the same. We’re people created in the image of God dealing with the same. But no more. Without God, we have no reason to be civil. We can act on impulse; feelings; hatred; and the like. And what’s more, we don’t have to limit our clap backs to mere words. When there is no God, there are no rules. Some have already figured that out.

Our culture has become profane. It wasn’t long ago that one would never find foul language in news items. Today, I can hardly read a news item without some of the worst profanity. It goes without saying the profane is everywhere. 

The Church is Not Immune

Sadly, it’s crept into the church. Major Christian leaders tout scatological language as having no consequence despite the fact that cultures do assign meanings to words. The notion that the Paul’s use of the word dung in Philippians is akin to the s____ word in our culture is as offensive as it is wrong. It might have been graphic, but not foul. Those are two different things. God may be more graphic than some of us in communicating certain realities. But, He’s not profane. Such is the exact opposite of His very nature.

Our culture is verbally abusive. I object to overusing concepts like abuse as it undermines the weightiness of genuine physical abuse. But if there is such a thing as verbal abuse, our culture has found it. Brolin is a mere copycat.

The Categorical Imperative

The rejection of God affects everything from salvation to civility; from ethics to manners; from words to invectives. That’s why it’s imperative we keep speaking: that we keep speaking the truth in love; the truth about everything. Because that’s what God is about. Let’s trade the profane for the praiseworthy, and maybe others will do the same.

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Should We Use Transgender Names & Pronouns? | True Worldview Ep. 37

Should We Use Transgender Names & Pronouns?

Talk about hard conversations, at least for some. Say a friend or acquaintance tells you he’s now transgender. He was born male but will now identify as female. Do you refer to him as him or her? Do you use the new pronouns transgenders are demanding? Do you call this person by the name you’ve used since you met him, or do you use the female name now requested?

The question is a hard one. We don’t want to offend; we should accommodate where we can for the sake of the gospel; we don’t want to lose a friend; we don’t want to dishonor God. These issues and more make for tough slogging. We need some biblical wisdom.

We need to answer the question of whether to use transgender names or pronouns at two levels: the institutional and the personal. It’s not that we’re going to come to different conclusions. Truth is truth at any level, and so is falsehood. But we might take different routes to get to our destination at each of those respective levels.

The Institutional Level

We’ve already said that truth is truth. It’s also true that God is God. And the things God has done are the things God has done. And the definitions and rules that God has made are the definitions and rules that God has made. I’m saying it like that to make a point: we don’t have the right to change truth, deny God, altar reality, or change the definitions or rules God has made. It’s God’s universe, not ours. God created us male and female. There are no more genders according to the one who created us. And though many would make a distinction between biological sex and gender, God does not.

We’re also commanded by God to speak the truth in love. We must never be ugly or harsh. We must never make fun of someone’s confusion and sin. We must never think we’re better than anyone. We all are born confused, rebel sinners and deserve God’s wrath. Our knowledge and freedom regarding these issues, like our salvation, is by grace. So, we must speak in the love of Christ, but we must speak the truth. There is no love apart from truth. It’s not either or; it’s both and.

The inescapable conclusion then is that we can’t use female gender pronouns for biological males or male gender pronouns for biological females. We can’t use the new pronouns the LBGT community is demanding. I can’t comply when Sally, a biological female who now says she’s a male, asks me to call her Sam. If Sam is short for Samantha, that’s okay. She’s female and identifying as such. But if Sally wants to be called Sam so she can now identify as a male, that’s not okay. Her name is a denial of God and the way He’s made her. She’s in open rebellion against her Creator, and its my job to lovingly warn her.

So, if I’m speaking at a theology conference, talking on a podcast, or writing this article here, I’m direct. I’m saying what I’m saying without hesitation. I’m not being ugly; I’m simply writing for a general audience saying here’s the truth – walk in it. In those instances, I’m speaking at an institutional level.

The Individual Level

But if I’m speaking to someone face to face, I might approach the issue a little differently depending upon the circumstance. Here’s an example: I do a little swim coaching, and the mom of a former swimmer called me. She told me her daughter wanted to get back in the water and wondered if she could join the swim clinic I was running. And by the way, she’s transgender and wants to be called by her male name. I had spent some time with this family a few years earlier and tried to point them to Christ. I told her I would be happy for her daughter to swim with us. I was nothing but kind and enthusiastic. I didn’t act shocked when she told me of this development; I didn’t say I won’t call her a boy; I didn’t say I wouldn’t use her new male name. I didn’t say anything other than I would love to see them all again. But I had a plan and started praying. My intention was to re-establish the relationship and look for the right time to have a conversation about what was going on with her and point her to Christ. I would say something like you know how much I enjoy coaching you and hope you’ll be swimming with us for a long time. We’re going to be friends no matter what. My intention would be to make it absolutely clear that I was coming from a place of love when I broached the subject. I would tell her I couldn’t call her by her male name, and I would tell her why. That’s the individual level.

The Right Thing to Do

Now some would say unless you tell someone upfront, it’s compromise. That may be, but I do know that Jesus didn’t tell His disciples everything up front. He even said, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now” (Jn. 16:12). Either approach seems to line up with Scripture. The real problem lies with those who simply acquiesce or those who intend to take my approach but never get to the gospel. Some will say they are accommodating when they are really trying to avoid conflict. Some intend to share Christ, but end up not doing so as time goes by. If you delay for the sake of the gospel, make sure you get to the gospel at some point. You then leave the results to God.

The Offense of the Cross

One more thing. Never forget that the Scripture says the gospel is offensive. The truth is offensive and often hurtful to rebel sinners. We must not offend by being unthoughtful in what we say, but the message itself will offend. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t give it. We must—for God’s glory and their good. Paul said if he were to compromise and preach circumcision to the Jews, because that’s what they believed, the offense of the cross would have been emptied of its power (Gal. 5:11). Speaking the truth in love may hurt someone, but it’s power! And, it’s the only thing that can save them. 

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Religious Freedom in Schools | True Worldview Ep. 34

Religious Freedom in Schools and a Little Lagniappe

The New Testament Vision of Civil Society

The New Testament conceives of civil society as composite: comprised of different peoples of different faiths. Religion is not tied to the State, to the ability to do commerce, to special privileges, or to anything else. While there is only one way of salvation, faith in Christ, that faith is a gift from God and cannot be forced on those who don’t have it. The gospel is persuasive, not coercive. Some men try to coerce others, not merely in religion, but in other ways. To get what they want, they steal, extort, assault, rape, and murder, along with any number of other horrible things. People have a right to defend themselves, enlist help to do so, and that help may be in the form of government. But government, from a biblical perspective in the New Covenant era, is limited to just that: aiding people in their self-defense. It is limited to protecting people’s God-given rights. So, Christians glory in a pluralistic society – not the philosophy of pluralism and not that people are unsaved – but in the freedom that allows people of different religions and values to live civilly with one another.

The First Amendment Guarantee for Civil Society

Thus, we cherish the First Amendment. The first part says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” The establishment clause prohibits the government from forcing religion upon the people, and the free exercise clause guarantees the people’s right to exercise their religion anyway, anywhere, and anytime they see fit, as long as they don’t infringe upon the God-given rights of others. 

The President’s Freedom Affirmation in Civil Society

Further, because we cherish the First Amendment, we applaud President Trump and the US Education Department for “sending out memos to school leaders telling them that they cannot block students or teachers from praying in public.” At the same time, to mark Religious Freedom Day, the President “welcomed to the Oval Office a group of Christian, Jewish, and Muslim students who have experienced discrimination in schools.” President Trump is “taking action to further safeguard students' constitutionally protected right to pray in school.” New guidelines have been enacted declaring “that students are free to read from religious texts or pray outside of lessons. Furthermore, public schools risk funding if they are found to have violated the religious freedom of students.” They can “organize prayer groups, and express their religious beliefs in their assignments."

These are welcome developments. Students have always had these rights under God and the Constitution, but public opinion has moved against and even denied these freedoms due to the onslaught of progressivism and its liberty destroying worldview. A reaffirmation of religious liberty from the government is a breath of fresh air and a reversal of numerous setbacks in this area during the Obama era. The fact that federal funding may be taken away from those who violate the religious freedom of students puts teeth to the reassertion.

 A Little Lagniappe Here Concerning Civil Society

Here’s a little lagniappe – a Cajun word for something extra. If I have a God-given right to worship Him, does anyone, including government have the right to take it away? Think further: if I have a God-given right to own property, whether real estate or mere money, does anyone, including government, have the right to take it away? Government may have the authority (Romans 13) to take it away, but it doesn’t have the right. Those are two different things. To take my real-estate or my money is called stealing. To take my religious freedom is called oppression. The New Testament conception of civil society involves religious freedom for all, but more than that, freedom in general for all. Let all who violate the rights of others be held accountable, including the government.

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Christian Views of Government | True Worldview Ep. 33

Christian Views of Government

The sad fact is that most Christians don’t have a biblical or principled view of government worked out in their minds. There are a variety of reasons for that lack. One reason is pragmatism. Most simply want a government and vote for candidates who they perceive will be the best for them, usually in an economic sense. Another reason is the disagreement among theologians as to what the bible teaches about government. And yet another reason is that the bible doesn’t give a theology of government per se, let alone in one all-encompassing text. Further, people tend to think at a surface level. It seems like a good thing to give money to the poor, so government aid or welfare is a good thing, most will say, at least to one degree or another. But is it right to tax people in order to do such? That question and many more are answered in the Scriptures but not in a readily apparent way. Confusion abounds.

A Key Question

Prior to the New Testament, all societies were sacral. The State and religion were tied together in some way. No one was exempt from the State and the State’s religion. The New Testament conceives of society in a very different way. The Church, the people of God, is a people within a people. The Church and the State are not the same thing, and the Church is not co-extensive with society. The gospel is not coercive but persuasive, and thus Christianity can’t be imposed through government. Every human being has a liberty of conscience, and that conscience must not be violated. Christians call all men everywhere to repent and come to Christ, but they don’t force Christ upon anyone. This reality raises a key question then: should the Church and State be connected? The answer is no, and biblical Christianity is the only worldview that teaches, demands, and sustains the separation of Church and State. Hang on to that indispensable truth.

Four major views of government and the Christian’s relation to it have fought for supremacy over the centuries. Though different names have been attached to each of them, we’ll call them Theonomy, Divine Right of Kings, Pacifism, and Liberty of Conscience.

Theonomy

Theonomy rejects the separation of Church and State and asserts that the civil and moral law, given in the Old Covenant, is binding on all people today. Therefore, government today should implement Old Covenant civil law, or Christian law. This position is a merger of Church and State. Such a view is not compatible with the New Testament vision for civil society.

Divine Right of Kings

The Divine Right of Kings view holds that the government is a special sphere of authority along with the family and the church, though it is imperfect, being comprised of sinful men. Therefore, Christians must submit to the government ordinarily unless it demands something immoral. God has ordained the State to look after society for Him, and therefore, God implements His laws through government for the good of the citizens, though not the civil code of the Old Covenant. However, not only does the bible nowhere teach the government as a special sphere of authority, but this view is a hybrid view that seeks to impose certain Christian moral values on non-Christians, and is therefore at odds with the New Testament. 

Pacifism

Pacifism asserts that Christians should not have anything to do with the government because it is evil by nature. Pacifists are also anti-war. While they regard the government as evil, they affirm that it is ordained by God to restrain evil, a position that is inconsistent. They hold a strict separationist view and don’t want government involved in their lives. They would also reject a doctrine of self-defense, something the New Testament allows as well as defense of others. One may enlist the help of others in self-defense including that of government. While Pacifism takes seriously the separation of Church and State, it does not fully comport with the New Testament.

Liberty of Conscience

The Liberty of Conscience view embraces the separation of Church and State, affirms that

government is essentially evil, but asserts that people can work in government for the cause of liberty. Those who hold this view would limit government in order to preserve liberty. The idea is to preserve the God-given rights of all people. This view also holds that some laws are morally binding while others are not, depending upon the nature of the laws. Christians should generally submit to government to avoid its wrath. 

Conclusion

Taking into account the New Testament conception of a composite society, the separation of Church and State, as well as the inconsistencies inherent in three of the four views cited, the Liberty of Conscience View seems to do be the most biblically consistent. It does justice to the non-coercive nature of the gospel, preserves the God-given rights of all people, allows for Christians to be salt and light even in government for the preservation of liberty, and encourages Christians to do so because it is indeed the evil nature of human government that needs a restraining influence. It’s not that government restrains evil, but that Christians seek to restrain evil government if and when possible. Such an understanding is what prompted Thomas Jefferson to declare, “I hope . . . a bill of rights will be formed to guard the people against the federal government.” As numerous Christian thinkers have said therefore, the role of government, from a Christian perspective, is to protect individuals in their God-given rights.

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Romans 13 and Human Government | True Worldview Ep. 32

Romans 13 and Human Government

One of the most misunderstood texts in Scripture is Romans 13 and what it says about human government. The popular view is that God has ordained the government/State for the good of society. It’s purpose, they say, is to restrain evil and promote good – good in the sense of God’s righteousness and the resulting good things that flow to the citizens.

Historical Context

Such an interpretation ignores the context of Romans. First, it ignores the historical context. The Roman Christians are being persecuted by Nero. He’s the one who set them on fire to light his dinner parties. He’s the one who wrapped them in bloody animal skins and let loose wild dogs on them to tear them to pieces for his entertainment. He’s the one who falsely blamed them for the nine-day fire that burned two-thirds of Rome. Nero couldn’t possibly be God’s minister/servant to bring God’s righteousness and good things to the citizens of Rome, particularly the Christians.

Immediate Context

Second, the common interpretation ignores the immediate context. In Chapter 12, Paul tells the church to bless those who persecute them (14), repay no one evil for evil (17), if possible, as much as depends on them, to live peaceably with all men (18), and to not avenge themselves (19). He closes out the chapter with these words, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (20-21). He immediately says in the next verse, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities” (13:1), that is, Nero, among others. There were no chapters and verses in Paul’s original letter. They were added later for easy reference. Paul had a singular thought in mind: he was telling the Roman Christians how to live under the evil government of Nero and the Roman Empire.

Pastoral Context

Third, the pop misconception ignores the pastoral context. Again, Paul wrote to the Roman Christians for a specific purpose. He spent eleven chapters on the grace of God in salvation, and then he gave some practical application of that grace and salvation for Christian living. He began that application, in Chapter 12, by saying, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (1-2). He goes on for that entire chapter, and there is more application for their conduct and some personal notes in Romans 13:8 to the end of the letter. Does it even make sense that Paul would step aside in the first seven verses of Chapter 13 to give us a theology of government? Does he exalt Nero? Does he say this is how government ought to be? The answer to each of those questions is an emphatic no. Paul is saying to them this is how government is – and this is how you ought to behave in light of that. Do what Nero says so he won’t kill you. That’s his message.

Larger Context

Fourth, the surface interpretation ignores a larger context. Does Paul say that government is ordained by God? Yes, and so is Satan. What about what he says about judgment if one disobeys government? He’s talking about judgment from the government. If you don’t pay your taxes, you go to prison. Again, Paul says do what Nero says, and it will go better for you. It’s similar to what he says in 1 Tim. 2:1-2. What about what he says about the State being God’s servant for your good? God calls evil king Cyrus His Messiah (Isa. 45:1). Everyone and everything are God’s servants including Satan. And as for our good? Paul has already told us what he means by that in 8:28-29: “. . . all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son . . .” God ordains all things for our good – our sanctification – including evil despots like Nero. And remember what else Paul said in Chapter 8: even the sword won’t separate us from the love of Christ (35). That’s a huge comfort in light of the fact that Nero bears the sword. Of course, when Paul says Nero doesn’t bear the sword in vain, he’s not saying that Nero has the right to kill, but he does have the power (authority) to do such. So, keep your head down or it might get chopped off. His onerous demands are for your good (sanctification), and even if he does chop your head off, he can’t separate you from Christ.

And then there’s Revelation 13. Nero is referred to as the beast (1). Whether one sees Nero specifically as the beast, or the Roman Empire as the beast, or human government in general as the beast, scholars from differing eschatological views affirm that human government in one form or another is in view in that chapter, and is in fact the beast. Moreover, the beast is given its power by the dragon, who all agree is Satan (2).

So, Romans 13 is not about the role of modern government or what pagan governments across the world should be. Romans 13 is about what the State is – a beast – to be respected, and even feared at times, just like a literal beast. Paul is not giving a prescription of what the State ought to be but a description of what the State is. Keep your head down.

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Human Government: Good or Evil? | True Worldview Ep. 31

Human Government: Good or Evil?

Most Americans and most American Christians view government as basically good, ordained by God for the good of the nation and its citizens, and as having the God-given right to lay down just about any kind of law as long as it doesn’t violate the commands of God in scripture. Some would add that said laws must have some kind of support from the people perhaps the judiciary. The problem is that the bible doesn’t teach such a view. Surprisingly, one is hard-pressed to find human government cast in a positive light in scripture. On the contrary, human government is evil, oppressive, and beastly according to the scriptures.

God’s Warning About Earthly Kings

When Old Covenant Israel was a theocracy under direct rule from God, they decided they wanted to be like the pagan nations around them and demanded an earthly king. Samuel knew such a demand was evil and took the matter to God who told Samuel the people have no rejected you but Me. He told Samuel to give them an earthly king, but He also told Samuel to warn them.

This will be the behavior of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for his own chariots and to be his horsemen, and some will run before his chariots. He will appoint captains over his thousands and captains over his fifties, will set some to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and some to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. And he will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants. He will take a tenth of your grain and your vintage, and give it to his officers and servants. And he will take your male servants, your female servants, your finest young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work. He will take a tenth of your sheep. And you will be his servants. And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the Lord will not hear you in that day (1 Sam. 8:11-18).

The consequences of human government were disastrous for Israel, and the same is true of nations today. If David, a man after God’s own heart, drafted and taxed the people, confiscated their property, took Uriah the Hittite’s wife and murdered him, what kinds of things will kings, parliaments, and congresses comprised of a mixed multitude do? Think of marauding kings through the Old Testament, of Ahasuerus abducting our-hundred women including Esther to be sex slaves, or Nero persecuting Christians mercilessly. Think of all the evil things governments throughout history have done. Think of the evil things our own government has does and continues to do. It’s hard to argue with biblical and historical evidence flashing like a neon sign.

God’s Kingdom and Rival Kingdoms

Daniel is instructive here. He prophesied of four evil kingdoms over a 490-year time period (seven sevens): Babylon, the Medo-Persian Empire, the Greek Empire, and the Roman Empire. In the midst of the Roman Empire another kingdom would be established: one made without hands, unshakable, righteous, and eternal – the Kingdom of God. With the birth of Christ this kingdom was inaugurated. Daniel tells us that this kingdom will smash the other kingdoms in pieces. He implies that these kingdoms and indeed all earthly kingdoms are rival kingdoms to the Kingdom of God. King Jesus will destroy them all with the brightness of His coming at the consummation of His kingdom.

God’s Description of Human Government

And then we have Revelation 13 and the beast. Whether you regard the beast as Nero-Caesar, the Roman Empire, or human government in general, that’s just the point, the human government in general is the beast – empowered by Satan. The bible does not present human government in a positive light.

God’s Means of Human Flourishing

Of course, many will ask about Romans 13. It’s common to assume that Paul is giving a theology of government and what it should be. But he’s not. It doesn’t even make sense for him to do such in that letter. What he’s doing is encouraging persecuted Christians to endure Nero because God has ordained him for their good: their spiritual good that is – their sanctification. It’s a practical admonition that flows from his point in Rom. 8:28 and following. Space won’t allow a full treatment of that text here; we’ll deal with that in a future post. But substitute the word Nero for the word authorities in Romans 13, and some light will be shed. Read it in the context of Romans 12 and the last part of that chapter, and the light will get brighter. 

The point is that human government is not ordained by God for the good of the nation and its citizens. To see that as the role of government is to confuse it with the role of the church and the gospel.

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Is There a Gay Gene? | True Worldview Ep. 26

I often quote Lady Gaga; “I was born this way.” I’m usually referring to total depravity: the biblical reality that all of us are born dead in sin. We’re not as sinful as we can be, but we’re sinful in every aspect of our being: totally. But that’s not what Lady Gaga is talking about, though she does invoke God: “’Cause God makes no mistakes, I’m on the right track, baby I was born this way.” She’s right about God not making mistakes, and she’s right about being born this way, but she’s wrong about being on the right track. And she’s wrong about what it means to be on the right track – essentially loving yourself for who you are. And who are you? “No matter gay, straight, or bi, Lesbian, transgender life,” says she. Lot’s of confusion.

Dr. Lisa Albright is Professor and Chief of the Division of Genetic Epidemiology in the Department of Medicine at the University of Utah School of Medicine and is a researcher in the areas, among others, of cancer and predisposition gene identification. She and her team discovered a statistical correlation between certain genetic markers and risk for breast cancer and developed the BRCA Test. A number of years ago, she told me there is no such thing as a gay gene, nor could there be. Of course, Lady Gaga and many in the gay and lesbian community believe otherwise. That’s what they mean when they say “born this way.” They can’t help being who they are. A lot of people assert that something is universal, objective truth based on how they feel or what they personally experience with no scientific or theological basis for such assertions. Such is the nature of being born totally depraved.

The reality is that slew of factors play in to why people are the way they are. On one side of my town most of the folk like country music and pick-up trucks, while those on the other side of town like BMW’s and preppy clothes. While there is no pick-up truck gene, and while some might argue they were born to love F-150s, they just can’t help themselves, it’s fairly obvious to most that one’s preference for F-150s has more to do with where you’re born than how you’re born. Katy Perry said a mouthful when she announced that she kissed a girl and liked it. As our culture drifts from God, more people are willing to try things because of that culture than persons in previous generations. Depravity produces openness to sinful ideas and behaviors, and that same depravity allows some to enjoy those behaviors once experienced. Some girls like F-150s and some girls like kissing girls. But neither were born that way in the Lady Gaga sense.

 Darrow Miller notes, “Now science has said that there is no merit in the LGBT claim that sexual orientation is rooted in biology. A 143-page report published by two John Hopkins University scholars, Lawrence Meyers and Paul McHugh, asserts that ‘The belief that sexual orientation is an innate, biologically fixed human property — that people are ‘born that way’ — is not supported by scientific evidence. … Likewise, the belief that gender identity is an innate, fixed human property independent of biological sex — so that a person might be a ‘man trapped in a woman’s body’ or a ‘woman trapped in a man’s body’ — is not supported by scientific evidence.’” Further, “The largest study to look for the ‘gay gene’ drew a similar conclusion. The research, published in the August 29,, 2019 edition of the esteemed journal Science, was performed on almost half a million people. A large ‘international consortium’ cooperated for this comprehensive project. The study’s lead author, Andrea Ganna, a geneticist at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts, concluded: “There is no ‘gay gene.’”

Aside from the science, we’re all born dead in sin, and we all have differing tendencies when it comes to sin. It’s no surprise that while some are born with tendencies toward murder or greed, others are born with tendencies toward same-sex attraction. That doesn’t mean there is a gay gene or they can’t change. And, even if there is a gay gene, God says they’re responsible to change. He provides the way of change through the gospel. 

There’s a move in evangelical circles to adopt the world’s stance on these issues, at least to some degree. But we have the word of God, the ultimate authority on the subject. “9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:9-11). It’s the gospel that overcomes our sin. It’s the grace and power of God. May we love others enough to tell them the truth and point them to Christ. And remember, the real question is not whether you were born this way or that, but whether you’ve been born again (Jn. 3:1f).

Did Chick-Fil-A Cave? | True Worldview Ep. 20

I had breakfast at Chick-Fil-A this morning. It was as good as ever. I’m disappointed though in their recent charitable policy shift. After donating to more than 300 charitable organizations this year, they will instead focus on three initiatives with one accompanying charity each: education, homelessness and hunger. They’ll be breaking ties with The Salvation Army, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and the Paul Anderson Youth Home. Matt Walsh put it this way: “one of the last remaining large companies to stand in defiance of the P.C. police and the LGBT rage mob, has suddenly and inexplicably caved. Chick-fil-A President and Chief Operating Officer Tim Tassopoulos announced that the company will no longer donate to certain Christian charities that the pc crowd deems “anti-LGBT.”

This move is disconcerting, not because we hate the LGBT community, but because the LGBT community has a militant agenda and won’t rest until everyone bows to their worldview. Christians are called to love, but that doesn’t mean allowing the world to define us, determine our values, or set our agenda. In the aftermath of Chick-Fil-A’s move, the head of GLAAD said that certain Christian groups like Focus on the Family exist to do harm to the LGBT community. That statement is as dishonest as it is hateful. And that’s part of the problem.

It’s not our business as believers to form adversarial relationships with people or groups. Nor should we force Chick-Fil-A or anyone else to bow to our values or agenda. But neither can Christians support the LGBT agenda.

Some of the issues in play here are these: 

1-Prior to this point, by not bowing to the LGBT agenda, Chick-Fil-A was standing for freedom for everyone in our society. The LGBT folks don’t believe in freedom. They are in the business of bending others to their will. 

2-The LGBT community is redefining terms like love, hate, marriage, and freedom.

3-Critical Theory, the worldview behind the LGBT political movement, is hypocritical. They claim to be an oppressed group that simply wants oppressor groups to cease their oppression so that all can live together in harmony. It’s obvious that’s a lie. They want to be the oppressor group. Their agenda is a form of violence and oppression any way you look at it.

4-You can’t compromise the truth to appease people. Once you try, you end up on a slippery slope and ultimately affirming sin. You end up changed. Not only is that spiritually dangerous, it dishonors God.

5-Matt Walsh got it right: “You cannot appease the mob. It doesn’t matter if you give them what they want. It doesn’t matter if you fall to your feet, confess your sins, and beg forgiveness. All your self-abdication will do is empower and encourage your critics. They will not forgive you (not that Chick-fil-A needed forgiveness). This is an age of scalp-claiming, not mercy. Now they will happily take yours, celebrate the victory, and move on to the next target. You aren’t their friend now, or their ally. You’re just a trophy on their shelf.”

We could go on. What we’re dealing with is spiritual blindness. It was just last week that Ellie Goulding threatened to pull out of the halftime show of the Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game because of the NFL’s association with the Salvation Army. She changed her mind, but how insane is it to protest the Salvation Army? According to Newsweek, a Salvation Army spokesman said, "We serve more than 23 million individuals a year, including those in the LGBTQ+ community. In fact, we believe we are the largest provider of poverty relief to the LGBTQ+ population.” So, you want to shut them down, because they’re Christians, despite the fact that they are the largest provider of poverty relief to the LBGTQ+ community in the world. Well, the Salvation Army is a good example of what Christians do. Ellie Goulding is a good example of what those in her group do. We need to pray for her and all those who are blind to their need for Christ.

My last concern is that this move signals something bad for the future of Chick-Fil-A. Whether you like chicken or not, there is no comparison between Chick-Fil-A and any other fast food restaurant. They are clean, friendly, efficient, proactive, techno-savvy, next-generation oriented, etc. There is no more pleasant fast-food experience than Chick-Fil-A, and it’s all owing to the Christian worldview of their founder. I’m afraid in five, ten, or twenty years, they’ll be just like McDonalds. I’ll eat there, just like I eat at McDonalds. I’ll be okay with the food, for the most part, just like I am with McDonalds. But much of the experience will leave something to be desired. 

Smartphones: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

A group of students at Adelphi University gave up their smartphones for one week in an effort to break them of their near universal addiction. It was an experiment conducted by their professor that yielded some predictable results. The students talked about getting sounder sleep and increased productivity along with improved relations with their friends. They saw the world in a different way than normal; they experienced their surroundings in a way they had not prior to their smartphone fast. 

Certainly, smartphones are one way we’re pushing back the fall. God told us before and after the fall to image Him, take dominion over the earth, and create. That’s what He does, and we do the same, although in a different way. We have speed limitations, so we create bicycles, cars, and jets. We have communication limitations so we create mail, telephones, and smartphones. The younger generation has much less appreciation for the astounding things a smartphone can do. I talk to people all over the world, access information all over that same world, conduct business, pay bills, purchase goods and services, listen to music, watch football, trade stocks, read books, power giant televisions and speakers, and so much more.

Of course, smartphones offer certain opportunities for sin in various forms. Smartphones give us great opportunity to waste time, ignore persons with whom we could otherwise be engaged, miss the beautiful diversity of God’s world as it goes by without our notice, and so much more. Bad can turn downright ugly when one uses his smartphone in a voyeuristic, invasive, or combative way. We can fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to others in a haughtiness that works both ways. We either gloat over our successes or become jealous of the good fortune of others.

Be Smart with Your Smartphone

The simple fact is that we just need to be smart about our smartphones. Such a statement is no mere piece of practical advice, but rather a principle rooted in the call of God upon our lives. We’re to do all that we do for the glory of God. How we use our smartphones and how much time we give to them matters to God. Here are some foundational precepts that will help us to do that – to be smart for the glory of God.

First, make sure you redeem the time. We need to distinguish between a legitimate use of time vs. an illegitimate. That doesn’t mean we can’t use our device for entertainment some of the time. But it does mean that we can’t use it for entertainment most of time. There are many, many things God has given us to do, and appropriate time must be allocated for each one of them. Think of those things as spokes on a wheel. Each spoke represents something we must do as we live in God’s world. At the center of the wheel if the glory of God. How do I do this thing that I’m doing for God’s glory? That’s your question.

Second, be present when you’re with others. Not only do you miss out on what’s real, or the enrichment of relating to a loved one, but you hurt those you ignore. You say to them your phone is more important. And then when you wake up down the road, whether its weeks, months, or even years, the regret can be overwhelming. God’s grace is sufficient for even that, but you don’t want to miss out on what’s best regardless of how good your web surfing may be.

Third, enjoy God’s world to the max. Don’t miss out on the beach, the mountains, or a sunny day in the park. Don’t miss out on that concert, that evening walk, or the tennis outing with your doubles partners. Don’t miss the fullness of God’s multifaceted, vibrant, and stunning world. 

Now, that’s smart.

Resources: 12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You by Tony Reinke

Is College for Everyone? | True Worldview Ep. 18

I don’t like jumping through other people’s hoops, and I don’t think you should either. I don’t like it, not because I’m a curmudgeon, but because I want to do all that I do for the glory of God, and part of that means understanding the world in which we live, something the Bible refers to as the world, as in the evil world system. We have to live in this world, but that doesn’t mean we have to like the evil part of it nor do we have to embrace it. On the contrary, we’re to transform it, but that’s another issue. 

I don’t like jumping through the world’s hoops in any area, but I especially don’t like jumping through their hoops when it comes to education. And I’m not speaking as someone who doesn’t have an education. I have four earned degrees including two masters and a doctorate. I say that not because I’m proud of it, but because I want you to understand I’m not just throwing apples from the cheap seats. I may throw an apple or two, but it’s cost me a lot to be able do so.

Forbes is out with a piece saying that college may not be for everyone. Many college grads end up earning less income than those who never go to college. In fact, half of all college grads have an average income right out of school of only $28,000 per year. Some real concerns are raised including the fact that persons are strapped for years with heavy debt, in many cases upwards of $200,000. An increasing number of college graduates work in a field different from their degree. In short, more often than not, college has become a great time and money waster.

For Christians, the concerns are even greater. College is a rite-of-passage in American culture. To put it nicely, it’s one long break from reality. The put it accurately, it’s one long drunken orgy with a little bit of study in between. And speaking of study, students take a lot of interesting classes that have nothing to do with fostering one’s ability to earn an income. Beyond that, philosophically speaking, there is no neutrality. Every class, every professor, and every word spoken in those classes by those professors comes from a worldview that is, way more often than not, diametrically opposed to God and a true worldview derived from Him. Christians, and people in general, are forced to take classes that some progressive group deemed to be important – more important than the vast store of knowledge that could be pursued if college were structured differently. Those are the referenced hoops. No hoop jumping, and no degree.

Of course, while that degree might be necessary in some fields, and important in others, it’s not as important in many fields as it once was. With the advent of innovative business models, the demand for different lifestyles than previous generations, and new modes of education, an increasing number of people don’t need to go to college. The truth is, for the reasons outlined here, and a wealth of others, most of us really shouldn’t go to college, and that goes double for the saints.

How ‘bout them apples?

Overcoming a Splintering Culture | True Worldview Ep. 17

Human beings have always been divided. It’s because of human sin of course. But people are more divided than ever in our culture, and there are a multitude of forces contributing to that situation. Things like hate groups, race-baiters, those who have embraced critical theory in one form or another, and sadly, those who are merely influenced by such groups because they have no critical thinking skills of their own. They are part of the herd and they simply follow.

One of the dynamics that contributes not only to the herd but also to its enlargement and proliferation throughout our culture is the rise of numerous social media platforms. There’s an interesting paradox in that context. One would think that social media would allow persons of all stripes to interact with one another in a productive exchange of ideas. However, just the opposite has occurred. Certainly, people who identify in particular ways connect with others who identify in those same ways, yet they do not interact with news, persons, or ideas outside of their own group. The result is an increasing division in our culture and animosity toward those who are not part of our group. Our culture is splintering in ways it’s not done so before and the result can only be described as cataclysmic.

There’s a sense in which the splintering aided by the instantaneous and widespread connectivity of social media culture demonstrates the power of social media itself. Not only can individuals connect easily but groups can organize effortlessly as well. Too often, they organize for evil.

But, there is good news. Social media technology is one of those cultural goods that Christians can redeem. It’s one of those social goods that we can utilize for the advance of the gospel if we would only see its power and organize for the cause of Christ as opposed to merely utilizing those platforms for personal connection with others, or in far too many cases, for narcissistic self-aggrandizement. We need to be reminded t’s not about us; it’s about Christ and his kingdom. It’s about others.

No one would deny that there are Christian ministries utilizing social media in an effective way for the gospel. But we need to get this right at an individual level as well as a para-church level. Somehow, someway individual Christians need to see the power of social media, organize, and take personal responsibility for unified gospel proliferation. May we begin to think more and more along these lines, and may God grant us wisdom to engage. In the end, it’s the gospel that overcomes, and we want to be part of that.

Christians Creating Culture | True Worldview Ep. 15

It’s not uncommon to hear Christians talk about cultural engagement. Our understanding of such a dynamic usually resides in the arena of what are called culture wars. There’s something harmful in the culture, and we go to work to combat it. Abortion would be a good example; we war against it, as well we should. At the same time, we should also recognize that cultural engagement is not only about what we’re against.

The question of how we believers should relate to culture, the culture in which God has placed us – for a reason – is not new. In his seminal work Christ and Culture, H. Richard Niebuhr highlighted five possibilities. The first he called “Christ against Culture,” illustrated in the abortion issue above. Generally speaking, in this view, Christians live in opposition to culture. The second view is “Christ of Culture.” Here, Christians submit their understanding of Christ to the values and attitudes of culture. Third is “Christ above Culture,” a view in which both the Lord and culture are taken seriously. However, a compartmentalization routinely takes place. Faith is often divorced from everyday life. Niebuhr called the fourth view “Christ and Culture in Paradox.” Here, the kingdom and the culture exist along side one another, and Christians seek to be faithful to their respective roles. One must submit to both without sinning against God. Fifth, “Christ is the Transformer of Culture.” Here, cultural realities, goods, and structures can be restored or redeemed by Christ. All areas of life are submitted to Christ and transformed for His glory.

Certainly, one may see truth in each of these positions. And surely, we all agree that Christ is indeed the transformer of culture, as He transforms persons who then play their part in the dominion mandate (subdue the earth), the cultural mandate (salt and light), and the Great Commission (make disciples). And yet, culture is not static. It’s not static when we transform it. Neither is it static when we add to it. Yes, we’re born into an existing culture, but it’s an ever-changing culture, not just through transformation, but through the creation of new culture.

God has called us to be culture engagers and culture transformers, but He’s also called us to be culture makers. Building on work by Ken Meyers, Andy Crouch unfolded this concept in his book — cleverly entitled – Culture Making. Cultural goods that are bad should be eliminated or transformed. Those that are good should be preserved. But Christians should also strive to create new cultural goods that glorify God and benefit others for the sake of the gospel. We image forth God in that endeavor, as we do in others. We put His creatorship on display. Cultivation yes, but also creativity is part of the dominion mandate. Creativity is also part of the cultural mandate and even the Great Commission. In one sense, new creatures in Christ are new cultural goods just as new objects, new methods, and new modes are new cultural goods as well. 

It’s good to help a man who’s been beaten and left on the side of the road as did the Good Samaritan. It’s also good to build hospitals as certain Christians have done. And it’s good to serve in the name of Christ in those hospitals. These are seminal thoughts as we seek to take every thought captive in obedience to Christ.

Kingdomizing: Discipling Whole Cultures | True Worldview Ep. 14

Here’s a word about the Great Commission and full-orbed discipleship. We’ve certainly deepened our understanding of the Lord’s command over time -- it’s not a command to merely go, but to make disciples as we go; it’s not a command about discipling geo-political states, but the myriad people-groups that make up the world -- things like that. But Darrow Miller takes another step forward. He talks about discipling whole nations. It’s not that we’re to disciple people out of every people group, though we are, but there’s more to it. Disciple-making spreads as new disciples are made; it spreads throughout entire cultures. Beyond that, disciple-making is not merely about evangelism, teaching doctrine, and teaching to obey, it’s also about inculcating a thorough-going biblical worldview in the hearts and minds of Jesus’ disciples.

We can apply these principles to numerous life-situations, not the least of which is missions and relief. Missionaries and relief workers have a heart for God and people; they work hard at spreading the gospel and helping others. However, by way of example, sometimes they adopt less than biblical worldviews to help impoverished persons. Evolution says there’s nothing more than the physical world and the limited resources it contains. When Christian relief workers blame a lack of resources for generational poverty and sometimes write whole countries off, they buy into such a worldview. They buy into the same worldview as those calling for population control or the Elon Musk’s of the world desperately seeking a way to move to Mars when our planet is used up.

Others adopt a Marxist approach to aid rooted in wealth redistribution or Critical Theory. Woke Culture has slipped into the church as calls for a re-ordering of the social structure reverberate throughout the evangelical world.

Then there are those missionaries who want to save souls and merely feed the hungry along the way. They give them fish, a good thing, but they’re not interested in training them to catch fish. Why bother with such when Jesus is coming soon? Certainly, we recognize dispensational underpinnings here. At the same time, there’s a sense in which, at a worldview level, a sort of neo-animistic understanding has taken hold. If evolution says ultimate reality is only physical, animism says that ultimate reality is only spiritual. An animistic influence is at work when we downplay the importance of this world’s connection to the kingdom and focus solely on Heaven.

God’s word presents a different vision. Contra evolution, God has given us resources of which we’re unaware at the present time. He’s also given us minds for creativity and innovation. Subduing the earth takes on new meaning in light of that reality, particularly when it’s connected to the Great Commission. Contra Marxism, that reality also militates against evil redistribution and/or revolution schemes that contradict biblical principles including the goodness and necessity of work; biblical justice as opposed to so-called social justice; as well as compassion and mercy to name a few. Contra animism, this world and its people are important to God, the kingdom is to be brought to bear in the here and now, and certain cultural goods will last into eternity. Therefore, as Miller says, our goal is nothing short of a radical reorientation of a person’s life. As this reorientation spreads, whole cultures are discipled. I would describe it as the creation of a kingdom citizen who has kingdom understanding and kingdom goals and engages in, to borrow another word from Miller, kingdomizing activities. We’re talking about people who take seriously the words of our Lord when He taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.”

Truth Transforms Culture | True Worldview Ep. 13

Most Christians agree that lies enslave and truths transform. At the same time, many believers fail to grasp the significance of such a reality. Darrow Miller points out that lies not only enslave individuals spiritually, mentally, and socially, but those same lies enslave entire cultures in the same ways. For most, it’s probably a new concept to think at such a macro level. The implication is that entire cultures could be set free from certain things if enough persons understood and were committed to the truth God has revealed.

The Lord Jesus said the truth will set us free. The primary emphasis there, of course, is the fact that Christians are set free from enslavement to sin, Satan, and death. Beyond that, their minds are set free. By virtue of the Word and Spirit, Christians uniquely have an ability to see what’s real. They understand the reality of God, His world, our problem, and His solution. But they understand more than that as well. By way of example, there are certain intellectual and/or spiritual commitments that enslave entire cultures in poverty, instability, and hopelessness among other equally devastating dynamics. When it comes to the issue of poverty, only the truth of God will enable persons and indeed entire cultures to overcome their impoverished state. Too many are enslaved by Satan’s lie that poverty is the result of a lack of resources or infrastructure. God’s reality is otherwise. He has given us minds to overcome seeming limitations with innovation, development, and so much more.

But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, it all starts with the gospel. Individuals are transformed when they come to know Christ. They then begin to learn the truths of who God is, what He’s about, who we are, and what we’re about. Others move beyond the basics of the faith and are discipled in a greater way. They learn to take the truths of Scripture and apply them to their hearts. They shed old, destructive habit patterns and adopt new, life-giving habit patterns rooted in God‘s reality. But we need to go even further and help others do the same. We must help persons grasp a full-orbed, biblical worldview to combat the multitude of lies Satan throws our way through a host of cultural avenues. We must carry the Great Commission to its full conclusion. We must not only make disciples from all the nations, but as Miller would say, we must disciple entire nations. It is that dynamic that takes the implications of the gospel and the inaugurated kingdom to its fullest extent, as it should: thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.

Join Christi and Paul as they discuss these issues and more.