COVID-19 and Freedom in America | True Worldview Ep. 51

Coronavirus & Freedom in America

Perhaps the biggest question that needs to be asked during this time of crisis is can the government restrict our movements as they have? Judge Andrew Napolitano, a former judge of the Superior Court of New Jersey who’s written nine books on the U.S. Constitution says “freedom is the default position.” The rights that we have come not from the State but are rooted in our humanity. We know they come from God, but that’s just the point.

Imbedded in the US Constitution is what philosophers call the non-aggression principle. “All aggression against persons and property even by government is immoral.” Individuals have the freedom to do as they please as long as they don’t violate the God-given rights of others. So, the question remains, can the government “confine persons against their will in order to protect public health?”

Let’s think biblically as we wade into an answer. Can we lock someone up for committing a criminal act like theft, murder, or enslaving others? Answer? Yes. Can we lock someone up who has not committed a criminal act? Answer? No. Can we lock someone up who looks like they might commit a criminal act at some point in the future? No, we can’t do that. Can we lock someone up for being a racist? As reprehensible as racism is, we can’t do that. What if someone is hurling empty threats and insults at me as I go on my merry way? Can we imprison him? It’s no violation of my rights if someone hates me, insults me, or even hurls empty threats at me. We can’t put him in jail. But what if someone is pointing a loaded gun in my face, says he’s going to kill me, pulls the trigger, or makes an aggressive move? Can I or someone else stop him? Do I or someone else have the right to use deadly force in that instance as self-defense or in defense of others? The answer to each of those question is yes. Moreover, if the individual were stopped before he got a shot off, or if his shot missed, he would be imprisoned for attempted murder. The difference between him and the guy hurling empty threats is just that: empty threats are not criminal. But when one violates the liberty of another or is imminently about to do so, he is guilty of criminal activity and subject to imprisonment after due process and conviction at a criminal trial.

With those biblical principles in mind, hear Napolitano on whether the government then may quarantine someone for reasons of public safety. “The short answer is yes, but the Constitution requires procedural due process. That means a trial for every person confined. Thus, a government-ordered quarantine of all persons in a city block or a postal ZIP code or a telephone area code would be an egregious violation of due process, both substantive and procedural. Substantively, no government in America has the lawful power to curtail natural rights by decree.”

Why due process? To determine if one is an actual threat. Napolitano puts it this way: “Procedurally, notwithstanding the fear of disease contagion, the states and feds may only quarantine those who are actively contagious and will infect others imminently. And it must present evidence of both at a trial at which it bears the burden of proof. While the non-aggression principle permits offensive aggression in self-defense when an attack is imminent and certain, that is a high standard for the government to meet, as it should be. Freedom — even the freedom of a madman or a dangerously sick and contagious person — is the default position. Infringing upon it without procedural due process is always constitutionally impermissible.”

In another piece, Napolitano points out that the Supreme Court unanimously rebuked President Lincoln during the Civil War when he imprisoned persons who challenged a number of decisions he made. He claimed he was acting for the good of the citizenry – for public safety. The point they made was that whether in war or in the midst of a global pandemic, the Constitution protects our God-given rights “and its provisions are to be upheld when they pinch as well as whey they comfort.”

Many governors during this crisis are acting in a totalitarian way and in so doing are violating the rights of tens of millions of persons. They have no right to do so constitutionally nor do they have the right to do so biblically. Would Paul tell the Roman church they had to submit to Nero if he wanted to enslave them or kill them? Jesus said when they persecute you in one city flee to another (Matt. 10:23). Paul said if you’re converted while a slave, don’t worry about it. But, if you can be free, use it (1 Cor. 7:21). The point is that Christians do submit to government for God’s glory and their witness. They are not troublemakers but good citizens. However, our submission is not absolute. The Hebrew midwives defied the decree of Pharaoh (Exodus 1). Daniel openly disobeyed the decree of King Darius (Daniel 6). The apostles defied civil authorities and never ceased to preach the gospel (Acts 4). 

Part of our problem is a surface interpretation of Romans 13. Many Christians believe God gave government for the public, civic good, and it implements God’s righteous decrees. Yet, Paul rebukes the Corinthian church for taking their lawsuits before the unrighteous civil authorities. How dare you do such a thing he says (1 Cor. 6:1f). He also says that Jesus must reign until He has put all enemies under His feet. Those enemies include all earthly rulers (1 Cor. 15:24f). Psalm 2 says the rulers of the earth are against Christ. Daniel says that the kingdom of God will smash all other earthly kingdoms to pieces in the end (Daniel 2). The point is that earthly governments are not God’s representatives. They are his servants just like Satan is. And, they have a measure of authority, but they do not have the right to violate the rights of others. Authority and rights are two different things.

Again, Christians may submit to imprisonment or martyrdom for the sake of the gospel. But they may also flee. Jesus told Christians to flee when they saw Roman imperial troops surrounding their city (Matthew 24). Paul tells slaves to submit to their masters. Do they have authority? Answer, yes. Do they have a right to enslave others? Answer? No. Husbands have authority, but they don’t have the right to violate the rights of their wives. These principles are basic. Government has authority, but it doesn’t have the right to violate our rights. From Napolitano again: “The Contracts Clause of the Constitution prohibits the states from interfering with lawful contracts, such as leases and employment agreements. And the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment prohibits the states from interfering with life, liberty or property without a trial at which the state must prove fault. The Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment requires just compensation when the state meaningfully interferes with an owner’s chosen lawful use of his property. . . Add to all this, the protection in the First Amendment of the right to associate and the judicially recognized right to travel — both of which are natural rights — and it is clear that these nanny state rules are unconstitutional, unlawful and unworthy of respect or compliance.”

Why is this happening? Because people are always willing to trade freedom for safety. Benjamin Franklin said people who do such are worthy or neither. A lot of Christians are clamoring for the government to do what they’re doing in the name of public safety. With all due respect, you have the right to sacrifice your freedom, but you don’t have the right to sacrifice mine. 

Anthony Fauci is talking about round two of this next year. Are we going to tolerate shutting the country down on a regular basis? We need Christian leadership here. There’s a difference between being a good citizen and allowing the government to take away the freedoms of everyone. That’s not being a good citizen or loving your neighbor. Christians leaders above all should be leading here. I’m not calling for revolt. But I am calling for the church to speak with clarity and boldness; to speak up for the least of these; to bring a biblical worldview to the public square on this issue; to take a seat at the table; and to preach the gospel and it’s implications for civil government and society in this hour of need. Too much is a stake to remain silent, and way too much is at stake if we roll over and shill for the US government, something the Scripture calls a rival kingdom to the kingdom of God.

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What is God Doing in the Midst of the Coronavirus Outbreak? | True Worldview Ep. 50

Coronavirus and What God is Doing

We have questions. How dangerous is COVID-19? How far will it go? How effective is social distancing and the other drastic measures that have been imposed? Is the cost of shutting down public gatherings, restaurants, bars, and the like, resulting in businesses closing, massive lay-offs, the disappearance of personal savings, bankruptcies, supply chain derailments, and a lot more, or is the cost of simply taking ordinary precautions and letting the virus run its course greater? Knowing how viruses work and what COVID-19 is, some medical experts say the steps we’ve taken will actually make matters worse. Is that right or wrong, and how do we know?

And yet, there is still a more important question: a question of ultimate significance. What is God up to? None of this has taken Him by surprise. He’s doing something and we’d do well to ponder that.

God Is Sovereign

God is absolutely sovereign over all things including COVID-19, the economic disaster to come, and those actors who’ve added to the misery in one way or another. "If a trumpet is blown in a city, will not the people be afraid? If there is calamity in a city, will not the LORD have done it (Amos 3:6)?" This simple truth may shock the sensibilities of some, but who would want to worship a God who is not sovereign? God’s sovereignty does not negate His goodness and grace. His sovereignty is simply a fact. He governs all things, including our current situation. Isaiah agrees with Amos and could not be more clear when he quotes God Himself: "I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the LORD, do all these things (Isa. 45:7)." At the same time, Amos refers to a trumpet of warning. There is no doubt the Lord of all creation has many purposes in mind with a calamity of this nature and magnitude. 

Sanctifying His People

First, God is no doubt sanctifying His people. We can say this with certainty as the Scripture says, "We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, for Him to be the First-born among many brothers (Rom. 8:28-29)." Paul affirms that all things work for the good of believers. He then defines that good as being conformed to the image of God's Son that He might be glorified. Many believers are suffering and will suffer. While the situation itself is not good, the Lord will indeed work it for their good. That is His promise. 

Demonstrating His Power

Second, it is possible that COVID-19 was sent as a demonstration of God’s power before wicked men, whether the virus itself is a greater threat than other seasonal viruses or whether the virus was used to manufacture a crisis. God superintends over it all. In Ex. 9:14 we read, "For at this time I will send all My plagues to your very heart, and on your servants and on your people, that you may know that there is none like Me in all the earth." When men shake their fists in the face of God, He sometimes moves in a mighty way to remind them of who is King. His word is clear on this point. He wants men to know that there is none like Him in all the earth.

Exalting His Name 

Third, the Lord may have desired the exaltation of His Name in all the earth. God exists for His own glory and does what He does for His own glory. He alone deserves glory and honor and worship and praise and must have such in order to be true to His character. If He did not demand such, He would not be God, or He would be an idolater. As God, He cannot give up His glory, or He would not be God. Nor can He glorify another, for that would be to give glory to something that did not deserve glory which would be idolatry. God cannot fail to glorify Himself, as His character exudes glory. Thus, His glory, His reputation, and/or His Name, must be exalted in all the earth. That is why God says to Pharaoh, "But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth” (Ex. 9:16). The God of Heaven above and the earth beneath sent the plagues on Egypt in Pharaoh’s day, and He sent the plagues of viral and economic disaster in our day that His Name might be exalted in all the earth.

Bringing Temporal Judgment 

Fourth, is it possible that God has brought temporal judgment on a wicked country in particular, or the whole world, or perhaps even the church as part of her chastening? While we must be careful not to make statements of possibility into fact, and while we must not think that any particular people deserve punishment any more than any other human being lost or saved, we may say that it is possible that God brought temporal judgment for certain reasons. Peter warns us: "[God turned] the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, He condemned them with an overthrow, setting an example to men intending to live ungodly (2 Pet. 2:6)." Conditions of this magnitude are an example to those who intend to live ungodly lives. 

What about believers in hard-hit areas or circumstances? Some were like Lot. "And He delivered righteous Lot, oppressed with the lustful behavior of the lawless. For that righteous one living among them, in seeing and hearing, his righteous soul was tormented from day to day with their unlawful deeds (2 Pet. 2:7-8)." And others were like some of the saints listed in Hebrews 11 who “had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings; yes, more, of bonds and imprisonments. They were stoned, they were sawed in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented (36-37)." This text is a call to faith regardless of the state of affairs. Our problem is that we so often fail to take God seriously, even in the church. 

Highlighting His Grace

Fifth, by these events, God certainly affords us an opportunity to put the grace and power of Christ on display through ministry. Our Lord gives us that opportunity both for our sake and the sake of those to whom we minister. Jesus said, "For I was hungry, and you gave me food; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you took Me in; I was naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me (Matt. 25:35-36)." At the same time, as noted, His glory is on display. There are and will be countless opportunities to share the love of Christ both now and in the coming days. At least part of what God intends is that people would fear Him that they might get a sense of their own lost and helpless condition, fly to Christ, and be saved. 

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COVID-19: Danger, Hype, Opportunists, and God | True Worldview Ep. 49

COVID-19: Danger, Hype, Opportunists, and God

Danger

There is a real threat upon us with this Coronavirus. We all know that people have died, and it’s spreading. We also know that the virus is most dangerous/deadly to people who are older, who have underlying health problems, or who are immunocompromised. For most however, the virus appears to pose no greater threat than seasonal flu. More people have been infected and died with seasonal flu than COVID-19 this winter, and there are other more serious threats to some. Over one million die each year from tuberculosis for example. 

Hype

And yet, we’re all experiencing the media’s frenzied hype. There is much misinformation due in part to the drive for ratings and perhaps in part due to some who can’t resist embellishment for whatever personal reasons. One government official when on television said COVID-19 is ten times more deadly than seasonal flu. The same official stated to Congress that it’s no more deadly than seasonal flu. Of course, the media has played up the first statement. Leaders on both sides of the political aisle have run the gamut from dismissal of a threat, to making jokes about who they wished would contract it, to excoriation, to near-panic. And the media has puffed it all.

Opportunists

And then there are the opportunists. We may wonder at the differing motivations for different actors across the globe in this thing. Regardless of your political leanings, there’s one thing we can all agree on: it’s an election year, and those who have a visceral hatred of the President are using this crisis against him every way they can. As Rahm Emanuel quipped, “You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that, it's an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before.”

Some have offered credible and troubling thoughts based on different kinds of evidence. Certain insiders have speculated this whole thing is a hoax to take away more of our liberties. Others have averred it’s a test to determine how easily populations can be controlled. Some say the virus came from a Chinese lab by accident, and still others assert it’s a US bio-weapon inadvertently released. Financial experts have warned of economic collapse for some time and see global actors using the virus as cover for their failing. The fall-out for economic policy-makers would be horrendous if they were to blame and not something like a pandemic.

God  

And yet, in the end, we can trust God. We know He’s in control and that He loves His people. We know He does all things for our good – to conform us to the image of His Son. Regardless of the virus or those who would use it for hidden purposes, none of it has taken the Lord by surprise. And remember, God will keep you in perfect peace, when your mind is stayed on Him, because you trust in Him (Isa. 26:3).

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Are Plants Alive? Death, Adam, and Billions of Years | True Worldview Ep. 48

Are Plants Alive? Death, Adam, and Billions of Years

Too many Christians believe the universe is billions of years old despite also believing that God created it in six literal twenty-four-hour days. The billions of years part is the problem. They believe such because of “science” and what it says about the rock layers that must have taken millions or billions of years to form. The problem there is that there are fossils in those rock layers. If those layers took millions of years to form, there was death before Adam and the fall. Humans, according to evolutionists, didn’t arrive on the scene until close to two-hundred-thousand years ago. 

Some theologians have tried to reconcile this irreconcilable conundrum by saying that there was in fact death before the fall: the death of plants and animals. When the bible says that death entered the world through Adam, it only refers to human death they say. But such is not the case.

Plants Are Not Alive

The bible is clear: there was no death before Adam and the fall whether human or animal, but plants did die before the fall. What about that? Answer: we often use language loosely when we ought to be more technical. We refer to plants as being alive and dying, but the bible doesn’t refer to them that way. Dr. Jonathan Sarfati points out that vertebrate animals are described by the Hebrew phrase nephesh chayyah which is translated living creature or in the case of humans as living soul. Plants are never referred to this way. In fact, they don’t die, they wither (Ps. 37:2). Further, the bible teaches that plants, herbs, fruit, etc. are given prior to the fall for humans and animals to eat. “And God said, ‘See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food;’ and it was so. Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good’” (Gen. 1:29-31). Note also that the beasts, birds, and creeping things are referred to as having life in them, not plants. Humans didn’t eat animals before the fall nor did animals eat humans or each other. They both ate plants as designed by God.

No Death Pre-Fall or Post-Consummation

Further, consider Isa. 11:6-9 and then 65:25: “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. . . The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, says the Lord.” Now, Isaiah is talking about the final state. It’s a restoration of the conditions in Eden. It’s paradise restored. It’s what was before the fall and what will be after the consummation. Notice that predators and prey are reconciled and eat the same food – plants. The enmity between the serpent and his seed and the woman and her seed (Gen. 3:15) is removed. God’s holy mountain is Mt. Zion – the church, the kingdom, the restoration of all things – and there is no killing there. The point is that there is no death in the final state, and there was no death before the fall of Adam.

Prior to the fall, God declared that His creation was very good. He couldn’t have said such if there was violence, bloodshed, death, and misery. Those things are the result of sin entering the world through Adam.

The Issue of Authority

As Dr. Sarfati points out, the real issue is not one of interpretation, but one of authority. Is our authority ever-changing-science interpreted through the lens of atheistic assumptions; or is it God’s word? Science is something we should embrace and pursue. But when science and Scripture conflict, Scripture must trump science, not the other way around. We wouldn’t entertain the thought of an earth billions of years old if we weren’t bowing to science. The bible is straight forward on the issue of creation. 

There’s also a difference between observational science and historical science. Observational science can be tested over and over again in the here and now. We think of technology for example. But historical science seeks to determine the past by looking at thigs in the present. We draw conclusions based on our presuppositions. For example, when the atheist looks at the Grand Canyon, he assumes there is no God and concludes that it must have formed by erosion over millions of years. The Christian assumes that God is real, and therefore the canyon was formed by the global flood of Genesis 6. Neither has proved their case at that point. But they have come to different conclusions based on different assumptions. Both are engaging in historical science, and both are making faith claims, because neither was here when the Grand Canyon was formed. The evidence within the canyon itself points to the biblical explanation. But even prior to analyzing the evidence, we take it on faith that it was formed by the flood of Genesis 6. It couldn’t have been formed by erosion; the earth isn’t old enough for that to happen. The bible is our authority. Our job is to submit to it.

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The Left Has Rejected God | True Worldview Ep. 47

The Left has Rejected God

A Joe Biden gaffe is singularly interesting. Quoting the Declaration of Independence, he said, “We hold these truths to be self-evidence, all men and women are created by you know, you know the thing. . . you know the thing we say. . .” Of course, the part he stumbled over is well-known: “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…" It was no doubt a gaffe, and we all make them, but some have speculated that he caught himself and intentionally left out God.

No God-Talk in the Public Square

Regardless, it’s a fact that the Democrats have rejected God. They even eliminated him from previous presidential platforms. God-talk in the public square is generally held to be anathema in progressive circles. I remember watching coverage of the Kentucky Derby back in 2011, and one of the announcers responding to a comment about rain holding off said, “From your lips to, uh, everybody’s ears.” She definitely caught herself and avoided using the original language referencing God.Progressives hate God. As long as they acknowledge Him, he sits in judgment on the evil policies they seek to pass.

From Where do Rights Come?

Further they don’t believe that rights come from God. Hence, on their worldview, there is no such thing as an unalienable right. The only reason a right would be unalienable is if it comes from God. But they believe that rights come from the State. Themselves. Therefore, they determine what rights to extend and what rights to withdraw. There’s no other word for it but despotism. 

If there is no God, rights are arbitrary. It’s a matter of the ones in charge determining the right. It’s the proverbial might makes right. It’s relativism. As such, they are given and taken away on someone’s whim.

And what does one do with the Declaration of Independence in light of such a reality? He stumbles over it.

Justification for Government: God

Think further. There’s really no philosophical justification for government if there is no God. If might makes right, it’s survival of the fittest. It’s a free-for-all. But the government would never eliminate itself. They have the power. It’s simply that it’s not philosophically justifiable on their worldview. They would beg to differ, and say that rights come from their collective wisdom. But again, it’s the collective wisdom of those in charge.

Civil Society Predicated on God

These things highlight, among others, the reality that you really can’t have a civil society without God. In the end, if there is no God, it would evolve into warring factions and cave-in on itself. If one looks carefully, he can see that such a dynamic is already upon us. It’s only a matter of the inexorable passing of time. 

In the end, there is no liberty for any of us without God. Government becomes nothing but a giant club in the hands of bullies if it usurps its intended role of protecting the God-given rights of the citizens. So, let’s make sure that we encourage God talk in the public square. It’s essential for our survival.

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Transgenderism Up 1500% | True Worldview 46

Transgenderism Up 1500%

Here’s a shocker that’s not so shocking to those who think: transgenderism has grown by 1500% among Swedish girls between thirteen and eighteen over the last ten years. What is truly stunning is the comment from Peter Salmi, an investigator at the national Board of Health and Welfare, who said, “Yes, that the increase is clear, there is no doubt, however, we do not know what the increase is due to.” Wait, what?

Cultural Conditioning

So here we have something that is not merely a minor deviation from the norm over thousands of years of recorded history. It’s not something in the water. It’s not drug-induced. Let’s just throw this in: it’s not a product of natural selection. Alex Newman got it right when he observed, “The brainwashing and Swedish government peddling of gender confusion starting even before Kindergarten is obviously working.” That’s the reason; children are being taught. Gender dysphoria is the result of cultural conditioning. The larger culture has followed suit. For example, one news program “portrayed a confused young girl as some sort of hero for impersonating a boy, complete with adults showering the confused child with praise for her ‘bravery.’” 

Cultural Consequences

What are the implications? For one, “in virtually any other context, encouraging people to irreversibly mutilate themselves in a futile effort to make reality conform to their delusions would be regarded as cruel, if not criminal.” To subvert biology, history, and indeed reality is to impose a certain kind of death on the individual as well as the larger culture. 

Second, future consequences for the individual and society are ignored in favor of the latest political fad. Politics not rooted in principle are tantamount to slavery – or possibly murder – depending on the outcome. 

Cultural Chaos

Moreover, per Newman, “literally every cell in their body testifies to the fact that they are either male or female. By contrast, the last thing in the world they need is dishonest and insane adults cheering them on as . . . ‘doctors’ pump them full of hormones and surgically mutilate their genitals . . . It is time for the madness to end . . . As the American College of Pediatricians explained, brainwashing children to believe it is normal and healthy to impersonate the opposite sex with hormones and surgery is child abuse.”

These are strong words, but appropriate words – attention-getting words – the type of words warranted in desperate times. Ultimately, nothing short of a return to a full-orbed biblical worldview will end the madness. When there is no God, as Greg Koukl pointed out, your feet are planted firmly in mid-air. When your feet are planted there, mutilating children is brave. It’s braver still when one considers that children can’t think for themselves. Huxley’s brave new world was frightening, but not this frightening.

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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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Conversational Evangelism | True Worldview Ep. 38

Conversational Evangelism

Christians want to see the relevance of the gospel to their everyday lives, and they want to demonstrate that relevance to their friends and co-workers. Primarily, they want to share their faith and do so smoothly and effectively. Here’s a little help.

Current Event

First, choose an issue that’s current and interesting. It could be a news item, a trend in our culture, the recent half-time show, or whatever. Just find something of interest to the person with whom you’re talking.

Authority Source

Second, raise the issue of one's source of authority. When the guy you’re talking to gives you an opinion not rooted in Scripture, you want to ask him a simple question: why do you believe that? You should be wise and sensitive, but ask the “why” question. Most persons are their own authority, and their feelings and opinions come from a hodge-podge of contradictory ideas they’ve picked up over the years. 

Persons can be challenged on at least two fronts here. Initially, you might point out that it makes no sense to hold opinions that contradict one another. Then, you might point out that unless one has a source of authority and recognizes what that authority is, one is by definition going to be inconsistent on many points. Inconsistency is intellectual foolishness.

Ultimate Questions

Third, now that the issue of authority is on the table, raise the issue of ultimate questions. All people, if they’re going to make sense out of life, must ask and answer at least four questions concerning ultimate reality. 1) Where do I come from? 2) Why am I here? 3) How do I live while I'm here? 4) What happens when I die?

Share Christian Worldview

Fourth, engage in worldview dialogue. On an evolutionary worldview, the view to which most persons in our culture subscribe, in answer to the four questions, we come from a random chance accident; if so, we have no reason for existence, and life has no meaning; since we’re an accident, and life has no meaning, it really makes no difference how we live; and when we die, that’s it, we simply cease to exist.

Those who hold to an evolutionary worldview who then try to inject meaning into their existence are being philosophically inconsistent. When one says, "I exist to better society," you respond by saying, "That's inconsistent on your worldview. Bettering society makes no difference and means nothing. It's survival of the fittest on your worldview." If persons try to inject meaning into life in anyway, all their answers will be whatever gives them meaning or an opinion as to what might give others meaning. And that’s relativism. On either worldview, evolution or relativism, nothing matters, but people don’t really believe that or live that way. 

In order to make sense out of what they do and why they do it, unbelievers actually appeal to a Christian worldview without realizing it. The Christian worldview is the only worldview that makes sense out of reality. Show a person who holds to an evolutionary worldview that he’s being inconsistent on his worldview and actually appealing to a Christian worldview to inject meaning into his life, and he’ll either get angry or begin to ask questions. That reaction, of course, is up to God. But you’ve at least initiated the conversation.

On the Christian worldview, life has meaning. We’re here because a wise and loving God created us. Our purpose is to glorify Him in all things. Therefore, we live in accordance with His will and ways that we might fulfill our purpose. His will and ways are revealed to us in the Scriptures. Best of all, when we die, we live with Him forever in perfect peace and joy. There is purpose to life and meaning to our existence. The things we do here carry forward into eternity. We’re more than mere matter in motion. 

Examine Current Event from Authority

Fifth, examine the issue under discussion from a Christian worldview by appealing to your authority: the Scriptures. No mere opinion will do. Ask ten people their opinion and you’ll get ten opinions. We need an authority that comes from outside of ourselves: God’s word.

Segue into the Gospel

Sixth, make a smooth transition to the gospel.

C-A-U-S-E-S

We can summarize our steps with the acronym C-A-U-S-E-S. This is important for two reasons. First, we have two great causes in mind: the glory of God and the good of others. Second, this acronym will guide us in our conversation so that we readily and easily accomplish our goal. The acronym stands for: Current Event; Authority Source; Ultimate Questions; Share Christian Worldview; Examine Current Event from Authority; Segue into the Gospel. May you intentionally guide people in conversation that you might guide them to Christ.

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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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It's Hard to Have Hard Conversations | True Worldview Ep. 36

It’s Hard to Have Hard Conversations

What do you do when a close friend tells you she’s decided to divorce her husband? Gal. 6:1 immediately comes to mind: “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.” If we see a fellow-believer in spiritual danger, ruining their witness for Christ, or otherwise overtaken in sin, it’s our responsibility to help them turn around. The idea is to rescue them from danger and restore them to usefulness in the kingdom.

Some Obstacles

But what if your friend is not a believer? On the one hand, it’s not our role to call out unbelievers on every sin (or even believers for that matter, Prov. 19:11). Christians are accused of being harsh and judgmental. We’re called haters. Much of the time those accusations are unfair and untrue. But if we point out sin in someone without the gospel, not only might we come across as unloving, we don’t really do much good. Unless God changes one’s heart through the gospel, we’re doing nothing more than substituting a false morality for genuine repentance.

Moreover, we know it’s hard for a Christian to accept proper rebuke, and we approach them when we need to with fear and trepidation. How much more difficult is it to confront an unbeliever? We have no idea they’ll accept what we have to say; we’re often fearful of losing a friend; and we actually are mindful of coming across as the sin police. The point is it’s hard to have hard conversations.

Some Considerations

On the other hand, there are times when something must be said, for God’s glory and their good. Love demands it. Let’s say you find out your unbelieving friend is sleeping with her boyfriend. You may not say something immediately, and you certainly don’t rebuke her on that and move on. But at some point, you have to say something. Why? It’s not that you merely want this unbeliever to quit sinning. As noted, that does no spiritual good (though there are other benefits to her ceasing from such activity). It’s not just that you consider this particular sin a bigger sin than certain others. It’s that you have a goal. Your goal is to talk to your friend that you might give her the gospel. You want her to have the greatest reality in all the universe: forgiveness of sin, life from the dead, and a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. If your friend has decided to divorce her husband, you have to say something. The immediate benefit is worth any perceived risk. She’s about to do something that will prove to be disastrous for her life. She hasn’t thought about the consequences related to income, her children, family holidays, visitation, future relationship complications, and so much more. All she wants is relief from her present circumstances. You need to warn her. And, you need to do so in the context of the gospel that she might be saved.

Some Advice

Often times we think confronting others with their sin is unloving. We convince ourselves some are focused on the truth while we’re focused on love. We don’t want to offend because we’re loving. The reality is that there is no love apart from the truth. If you’re a doctor and your patient has cancer, its not loving to withhold that information, even though you know it’s going to hurt them deeply to hear it. You’re on a loving rescue mission. It’s a false distinction to separate truth from love. There are people who speak the truth without love. They’re harsh. But you can communicate truth in love, truth and love, at the same time. If we don’t say something because we don’t want to offend, we’re not focused on love, we’re focused on self. We’re focused on avoiding conflict. We’re focused on avoiding something unpleasant. That’s selfish, not loving.

So hard conversations are hard. But sometimes they’re necessary. Be committed to the truth, to love, to God’s glory, and to their good. Make sure you pray, exercise biblical wisdom, examine your heart, and be gentle as Paul says in Gal. 6:1. It’s interesting too that the word “restore” in Gal. 6:1 was used to set a broken bone. If you know Christ, you’re a spiritual doctor, and what you need to do is lovingly patch up your wounded friend. She’ll be grateful in the end.

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How to Share Christ with Your Friends | True Worldview Ep. 35

How to Share Christ with Your Friends

Telling your friends about Christ isn’t always easy. Maybe you know they don’t want to hear about your faith, or they consider themselves to be saved, though they don’t act like they are. It could be you’ve made a new friend, and they don’t yet know you’re a Christian, and they’re lifestyle suggests they’re not interested. For your part, maybe you don’t want to come across as judgmental or narrow-minded, or maybe you don’t want to offend anyone or risk losing a friend. For whatever the reason, you find it hard to share Christ.

Pray and Keep on Praying

The first thing you need to do is pray. That gets God in on what you’re trying to do. Prayer is too often the last resort. It should be our first resort. We can’t do anything apart from God. He’s the one who must open blind eyes and soften hardened hearts. You shouldn’t expect much success without prayer. But when you pray, make sure you pray in faith, and watch the openings God gives you. When it comes to sharing Christ with your friends, pray, and keep on praying.

Take Advantage of Easy Opportunities

It’s a little easier if someone is asking questions about the bible, religion, or ultimate issues. You have an open invitation to give them real answers connected to the gospel. Don’t hesitate. Don’t compromise. Don’t beat around the bush. Go ahead and give them what they need.

Look for Doors to Gently Push On

But what if they seem content? What if they have no questions? Sometimes things seem to be going well for certain individuals, and they’ve got it all together. The fact is that we live in a fallen world and no one’s life is perfect. Sometimes you have to look for doors to push on.

What kind of doors? Let’s say your friend says she’s having a hard time with her boyfriend or husband. There’s a door. Don’t kick it in, but push on it gently. Find a way to give her some biblical wisdom, and cut a path to her greatest need: Christ and the gospel. Maybe your roommate tells you he’s done something he regrets. There’s a door. Perhaps someone has lost a loved one, or even a distant relative. That’s a natural moment to talk about eternal things. Any number of situations can be turned to opportunities. Someone’s had a bad date; another is frustrated at his failure in some regard; one is stressed about work; one is worried about the rent. You get the idea. 

Be a Sage

Whether in your place of work, your community, your coffee-shop group, or wherever, become known as the one who has solid advice and counsel. I’m not talking about being a know-it-all, talking too much, or being arrogant. I’m saying be the one to give a word fitly spoken (Prov. 25:11): saying the right thing at the right time. Know your bible, and know how practical it is. Know that it speaks to every life situation, not just the truncated gospel that we sometimes see in tracts. Take a course on biblical counseling. Take a course in theology. And then be ready. Be the one person that others know they can come to when they have a problem. If they know you love them, and if they know you have wisdom, they’ll come to you. And that makes it easier.

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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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