Posted on 12/22/2013 1:58:05 PM PST by ReformationFan
Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession.... – Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The recent dustups over remarks made by Pope Francis and by Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson reveal a common theme: The left's longing to redefine Christianity.
It's the common leftist response to everything. They can't change reality and they can't face reality, so they redefine it. But it's funny in a pitiful sort of way when they try their redefinition strategy on Christianity. I, as a non-Muslim, don't try to tell Muslims what they believe or how to interpret their scriptures. That would be laughable, and maybe dangerous. But non-Christians are constantly telling Christians what Jesus "really" meant or what Christianity "really" is supposed to be like. And there's no way they could get it right if they wanted to.
The Pope's remarks about economics were seized-upon by the left as a sign of "progress," a word that in their mouths always means "degeneracy." They're eager to see him as a "reformer" who will usher in a new era of "modernity." They want the Roman Catholic Church to OK "gay marriage," to ordain women priests and probably even to bless abortion. I suppose they would like every church to give a big Bible-burning party where all the pajama-clad metrosexuals dance around sipping cocoa and singing songs about the goddess.
In Phil Robertson's case, the attempts at redefinition are cartoonishly shallow. I saw one spokesman for the "gay" lobby tell a TV audience that the gospel is all about "doing unto others what you would have them do unto you," not about "hate" and "intolerance." Excuse me for pointing out the obvious, but the person telling you the hard truth is the person who loves you; the one feeding your self-destructive delusion doesn't care; and the hater is probably you.
The predictably doltish Piers Morgan called Robertson's remarks "vile." But at least some of Robertson's comments were a reference to Scripture. You know, the Holy Bible? The book upon which Western Civilization was built? Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11, NAS95) That's a list of things that are "vile."
Even outsiders who are friendly to our faith sometimes chime in to redefine Christianity. Conservative commentator Michael Medved defended Mr. Robertson by saying his comments didn't imply that homosexuals are "going to hell." Mr. Medved is Jewish, so he may not be familiar with New Testament phraseology, but I assure him and you that the words will not inherit the kingdom of God are the functional equivalent of "will go to hell."
Christianity does not need to be redefined. It cannot be redefined. It is what Jesus, the Founder, says it is.
And here I must add that Jesus cannot be redefined, either. He is a real Person, who once walked on earth. He will do so again. What He said is certain, and He has not changed His mind about sin. The Ten Commandments are still valid; sex is still confined to married couples; and marriage is still between one man and one woman for life. You may not like it that Jesus insists on those things, but you can't redefine Him to suit your sins.
Heretics have been trying for thousands of years to confuse people about who God is, and what He requires of us. Oh, they've had pockets of success here and there, for a while. Right now I'm sure the forces of darkness sense weakness in American Christianity, so they're personifying Einstein's definition of insanity by trying to make one more knockoff version.
But that weakness is only in the outward, cultural form. It's the skin created by the living organism, which is now dead and in the process of being sloughed off. Leftists, heathens, Communists, cultists, listen to me, for your own good: You can never touch the invisible organism that made that skin. You can rail against it, but you cannot prevail against it. In the end your efforts to corrupt and crucify it will only make it more pure and more powerful.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)
Good article, except for this:
“He is a real Person, who once walked on earth. He will do so again.”
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. - I Thess 4:16-17
The Lord’s kingdom is already established here on earth in the Church. At that last day, he will receive us as we rise to meet him in the air. The earth and the works in it will be destroyed.(2 Peter 3:10)
Things that perplexed me in 2013:
Christian Churches that were specifically for homosexual people. Not that they had become Christians, but homosexuals who were hurt by the Christian Church because God said Homosexuality was sin. They didn’t want to hear it was sin so they started their own Church.
Pastors living in open sin. They are Divorced and living with a woman, they are single and living with a woman, they are gay and living with their gay partner, they are using dugs, practicing tarot card readings and eastern mysticism. Scripture calls all this fornication. The unbelieving world sees this and says “Huh, and why would i want to join that church?”
Pastors living in huge mansions and flaunting it. Jesus said, Sell everything you own give it to the poor and follow Him. Paul Crouch owned 5 million dollar homes. There is no Christian witness in that. Robert Schuller selling the Crystal Cathedral to the Catholic Church. That place was a giant theater.
We need to purge our Church before we try to become a witness of Jesus Christ
Credo in Deum Patrem omnipotentem;
Creatorem caeli et terrae.
Et in Jesum Christum,
Filium eius unicum, Dominum nostrum;
qui conceptus est
de Spiritu Sancto,
natus ex Maria virgine;
passus sub Pontio Pilato,
crucifixus, mortuus, et sepultus;
descendit ad inferos;
tertia die resurrexit a mortuis;
ascendit ad caelos;
sedet ad dexteram Dei Patris omnipotentis;
inde venturus est
iudicare vivos et mortuos.
Credo in Spiritum Sanctum;
sanctam ecclesiam catholicam;
sanctorum communionem;
remissionem peccatorum;
carnis resurrectionem;
vitam aeternam. Amen.
In English:
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ,
his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived
by the power of the Holy Spirit,
and born of the Virgin Mary,
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
He descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
he will come again
to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen
Amen.
We recited that at my PCA church today. In English that is.
Following in the precept that deviancy could be “defined down”, it follows, that in the great leveling influence of the egalitarian’s mind, Christianity ought to also be “defined down”.
Equality and equivalency are both much overrated.
“Christianity was tried and found wanting.”
Not so. Christianity was found to be too difficult and left untried. What these people are doing is NOT practicing Christianity, not even in form. It is “playing church”, much like “playing school” or “playing house”, a children’s game and with no serious lifelong objective.
I have nothing to write that would improve upon this post. Good stuff.
The truth the left refuses to learn; Truth is defined as hate by those who hate truth.
We did the same, except in an ARP church.
Great. PCA and ARP are sister churches in NAPARC so greetings fellow Presbyterian! :)
This is one of the best commentaries on the Robertson issue I’ve read. Thanks.
Then there are the theologically liberal Christians, descendants of Joseph Fletcher's Situation Ethics (cf. http://www83.homepage.villanova.edu/richard.jacobs/MPA%208300/theories/situationism.html), who assert that the Bible's rules were replaced by the "law of love" ("love" meaning agape, or I Corinthians 13 love), and so any action that demonstrates agape is ethical, even if the Bible's rules state otherwise. This is the basis for the progressive theology found in the United Church of Christ, Presbyterian Church USA, American Baptist Convention, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and the more liberal of the Episcopal and United Methodist churches.
The bad thing about the "liberal church" situation is that it confuses the average person, who wants to be both religious and tolerant (religion makes the person feel better, tolerance makes the person more acceptable to contemporary society); the good thing about it is that it is dying out, as the denominations that embrace Situation Ethics are hemorrhaging members, while those denominations and churches that preach the truth of the Bible and the gospel are either holding their own or growing.
I move a lot and whenever the PCA isn’t an option I look towards churches on from that group. Last place we lived we were members of a congregation of the United Reformed Church in North America.
Thank you.
OPC here. :-)
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!” Luke 2:13,14 ESV
Good post!
“The Pope’s remarks about economics were seized-upon by the left as a sign of “progress,” a word that in their mouths always means “degeneracy.” They’re eager to see him as a “reformer” who will usher in a new era of “modernity.” They want the Roman Catholic Church to OK “gay marriage,” to ordain women priests and probably even to bless abortion”
Well they’re going to be awfully disappointed.
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