Misplaced Affections: The State & Science

A deep nihilistic wound was opened when Nietzsche declared that God was dead (Nietzsche) and the poisoned dagger of moral relativism sliced into the heart of Western civilization. As the 19th Century drew to a close, broad acceptance of Christian morality was on life support. Progressives, describing themselves as cultural medicine men, presented society with a cure: the State. Thus began one of the most horrific, catastrophic, life-stealing centuries the world has ever known.

Movie Reviews: The Great Escape

Enlisting the help of talented children always helps freshen up movie reviews. As such, "M" will be guest-blogging to assist in giving a review and impressions of the classic 1963 movie, The Great Escape.

Why Man-Hating Is In Vogue

Since the APA's report and Gillette's 'short movie' hit the interwebs, discussion about masculinity has kicked into overdrive. The best opinion I've found on the report and Gillette comes from Desiring God's Greg Morse, found here. It's well worth the read.

I offer my perspective to a question I've been contemplating since this flare-up surrounding masculinity: when did masculinity become the dragon in need of slaying?

Sunday Sermon: Jesus Is Hated By The World

This Sunday’s sermon audio can be found here. Thank you to Pastor Childers for the wonderful message. Below are my notes from the sermon. I pray they help you in your study and pursuit of Christ’s glory. If you’re not attending a church regularly, you’re welcome to enjoy worship with our church family at Miller Heights Baptist Church.

Continuing our study in John, we studied John 15:18 – 16:4.

Love, Commands, & Heresy

Andy Stanley

Andy Stanley (pictured above) made waves recently in an interview with Relevantmagazine in which he claims that Christian’s are bound only to the commandment Jesus gave His disciples in John 13:34, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” Specifically, Stanley asserts that Christian’s should stop focusing on the Ten Commandments, or any other aspect of the old covenant, because they simply don’t apply. In Stanley’s words, “Participants in the new covenant (that’s Christians) are not required to obey any of the commandments found in the first part of their Bibles. Participants in the new covenant are expected to obey the single command Jesus issued as part of his new covenant: as I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

Paul Bois

Writing for The Daily Wire, Paul Bois addresses Stanley’s comments quite succinctly. “The concept that the Old Testament no longer applies to Christians is actually a heresy known as Marcionism going all the way back to the 2nd Century.”

Paul further points out that Christ came to fulfill, not abolish the law. Additionally, that the Old and New Testaments are complimentary and that, for Christians, Jesus does away with ceremonial law while moral law remains eternal.

Matt Walsh

Also with The Daily Wire, Matt Walsh added his two cents to the discussion surrounding Stanley. Walsh points out that Stanley cherry-picks Scripture to serve his purpose of ignoring the Old Testament and the law, citing a couple passages where Jesus contradicts Stanley (Matthew 5:17, 22:37-40). Walsh moves on to highlight the distinction between moral and ceremonial law within the Old Testament, saying “Stanley doesn’t seem to understand a basic Christian theological point that most children learn in Sunday school: not all Old Testament law is the same kind of law.” Concluding, Walsh also points to Marcionism, tongue-in-cheek urging Stanley’s followers to distance themselves from Stanley’s teachings.

Heresy

Bois and Walsh address Stanley’s problem of interpretation, but allow Stanley’s problem of application to escape unscathed.

Jesus explains His thesis statement of the Upper Room Discourse (John 13:34) in the subsequent chapters.

“If ye love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15, KJV

“He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”John 14:21, KJV

“Jesus answered and said unto him, ‘If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.’“ John 14:23, 24, KJV

“If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.” John 15:10, KJV

To love Jesus is to keep His commands, which aren’t Jesus’, but God’s. Here we reach the fundamental problem: we cannot keep God’s commands. Jesus highlights the issue during His Sermon on the Mount, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:48, KJV

The problem of application with Stanley’s message lies in a stealthy verbal bait-and-switch, exchanging freedom in Christ for slavery under a single law. Rather than having to uphold all of the Old Testament commandments (613 according to 3rd Century Jewish tradition), Stanley thinks the requirement to uphold just one solves the problem of mankind’s sin. Unfortunately for man, we can no more uphold a single command from God (see Genesis 2:17) than we can uphold 613, even a command infinitely simpler (i.e. ‘don’t eat that’) than ‘Be perfect’.

Stanley’s teaching is not just a dangerous misinterpretation of scripture, but a belief that mankind might find salvation apart from the person and work of Jesus Christ. In Stanley’s case, his route to salvation is through John 13:34. Believing he has stumbled upon the recipe to attain perfection in God’s eyes, Stanley looks straight past the One who perfects. The difference here is subtle, but the effect is immeasurable.

Paul addresses the effect of such belief (emphasis mine):

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.” Galatians 5:1-4, KJV

We must never place our faith in the works of mankind, even our own. Jesus alone is the author and perfecter of our faith. He is our salvation, and our only hope. Let us pray earnestly for those under Stanley’s influence, and share with them the message of salvation in keeping with Jesus, rather than the message of slavery in keeping with man.

Sunday Sermon: Jesus Demonstrates and Commands Love

Sunday’s sermon message found its anchor in John 15:12-17.

The Cost of Home Education

According to the US Census Bureau, American Christians put the value of home education at about $29,586/year. This is the difference between the 2017 average household income, and average income per capita.

The majority of American households would rather utilize public school child care, enabling both spouses to work, than trust to the clear promises God gives to those who obey Him.

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6, KJV

I understand it is possible for a spouse to work while educating their children at home, but the reality of such an arrangement is the exception far more often than it is the rule.

For years, my family was ensnared in the lie the fallen world preaches: grow your income and the quality of life for you and your family will also increase. I thought it would be more efficient for both my wife and I to work outside the home, and we blindly accepted the typical arrangement. After having our second child, and witnessing ever-increasing levels of intellectual and spiritual depravity in our first, we resolved to make a change.

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33, KJV

Removing the earning potential of my wife from the household income equation was not an easy decision. In 2016, I was finishing my undergraduate degree. At that time, with my work experience, I was lucky to reach that average per capita income number referenced above. My wife had already earned her Masters, and to an outsider, her being the primary bread-winner, or at least helping, was a no-brainer.

“But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.” 1 Timothy 5:8, KJV

Trusting to the promises of God, my wife dedicated herself to full time home education and eliminated any remaining ‘side hustles’. We dedicated our family to raising kids in the way they should go (Prov. 22:6), spurned the two-income paradigm, and I quickly realized a new level of dedication and reward as my efforts as the primary source of income started bearing fruit.

“Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?” Matthew 6:26, KJV

I don’t just mean financial fruit (though God has indeed blessed our family beyond what we deserve). With my wife being a rock star educating and keeping a wonderful home, our family has grown closer than we ever thought possible: from the relationship our boys share together to their individual relationships with Mom and Dad. Our home is no longer a temporary evening weigh station, but instead is a Gospel outpost of love, discipleship, and repentance.

Of course it isn’t perfect…we still struggle with budgets, tempers, and schedules. But the rewards we receive through the blessings of God upon our family makes $29,586 extra every year look like garbage. God is indeed faithful, and obeying His commands may seem crazy to the world, but He promises us more than we could ever ask or think of. (Eph. 3:20)

So I ask, how much does it take for the world to distract you from His promises?