• About

Credo ut Intelligam

~ I believe so that I may understand

Credo ut Intelligam

Monthly Archives: February 2019

The Unseen Lord

25 Monday Feb 2019

Posted by Joshua Steely in Meditations

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

1 Peter, Faith, Jesus Christ, Joy, Love, Suffering

Faith is a strange thing.  Peter describes the Christian’s relationship with their Lord, the relationship of faith, in these words:

“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Pet. 1:8-9).

Faith is about belief, trust, love for someone you have not seen.  Faith means that Jesus Christ, who you have never seen with your eyes, is dearest to you of all.  Faith is not unreasoning or unreasonable, but it requires something beyond what your senses can verify.  For whatever reason, this is what God particularly desires from us: not that we are talented or beautiful or brilliant or wealthy or powerful, but that we believe Him.  Come to Him; trust Him; obey Him; love Him.

That relationship of love, faith in the unseen Lord, has an astonishingly powerful influence over the rest of life.  The unseen Lord trumps all of the trials and terrors that can be seen, and joy results.  This is the story of the early church, of apostles who sang in prison chains and martyrs who boldly faced the Roman lions.

Faith can sustain you.  If you know the unseen Lord, believe Him, and love Him, you can know joy in the midst of suffering.

The Choice

22 Friday Feb 2019

Posted by Joshua Steely in Contra Mundum, Pro Ecclesia, Rhetorical Analysis

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Bible, Christianity, Homosexuality, LGBTQ+, Scripture, Truth, United Methodists

Pray for the United Methodists this weekend.  At a special session, held in St. Louis, they will be making a decision that is likely to be critical for the future of their denomination, and for their witness in a lost world.

The issue, of course, is whether to embrace or reject the sexual revolution.  Unless they put the issue off again, they will be choosing either to hold their present biblical position regarding human sexuality, or to revise it some way or another, affirming (in varying degrees) LGBTQ+ identity.  Either result will probably mean the fracturing of their denomination, whether immediately or more slowly.

Religion News, a propaganda machine for liberal “Christianity”, has published a showcase of opinions regarding what some Methodists hope will result from the session.  It is a very slanted piece of reporting (granted, it is labeled an Opinion piece), a collection of voices that are mostly liberal to very liberal, with a couple of very gentle conservative voices included to soften the one-sidedness.  But, as a piece of liberal advocacy, the article does highlight what is at stake for the Methodists in this session.

It begins with a reminder that the denomination has already effectively caved to the sexual revolution, and only by repentance and submission to God will they be able to turn back from the precipice of paganism that looms before them.  They already have an openly lesbian bishop.  Having biblical standards regarding human sexuality on paper isn’t worth much if you ignore them in practice.

The voices that follow show the inroads of secularism and paganism in their denomination’s leadership.

Rev. Adam Hamilton says:

It requires patience, humility and grace to look at people with whom you disagree on an issue or theological point and say, “You are still my brother or sister.” It requires a willingness to say, “I don’t agree with you here, but I value what you bring to the table, and I need you.”

As though gross sexual immorality were a matter of adiaphora or theological minutia!  Hamilton regards willingness to tolerate this sort of thing as a sign of patience, humility, and grace.  The Scriptures regard that sort of tolerance as a spiritual failing, not a virtue (see 1 Cor. 5).

Rev. Alex da Silva Souto speaks in worldly terms of discrimination, framing this (as the culture has so effectively done) in terms stolen from the civil rights movement.  He says:

Which is why I and thousands of other United Methodists support the Simple Plan, which would strike from our Book of Discipline all discriminatory language against LGBTQIA+ people. After decades of systemic harm, the only solution is returning to the first rule of United Methodism: “Do no harm.” The Simple Plan proposes exactly that. We must first stop the spiritual/physical harm against LGBTQIA+ people, and only then can we have a real conversation about “human sexuality.”

Very good.  First, let the pagan culture set the agenda, then engage in theological reflection.  Step 1, surrender, step 2, sit down at the diplomatic table.  What could go wrong?

Rev. Beth Ann Cook begins insightfully.  She recognizes that there is an underlying issue:

Our theological division is not limited to the issue of human sexuality. Sexual ethics are the presenting problem for a deeper theological division in our church.

But her following comment makes clear that she does not grasp what the underlying issue is:

The Commission on a Way Forward spent countless hours looking at every possibility. There is no perfect plan. Passing any of the plans will violate someone’s deeply held convictions in such a way that they will feel unable to remain part of our denomination.

Deeply held convictions are not worth defending simply because they are deeply held convictions.  Atheists have deeply held convictions, but you shouldn’t let them guide your denominational policy.

The underlying issue is whether or not God should be believed and obeyed.  A perfect plan, in this case, is one that says God should be believed and obeyed, and that those whose deeply held convictions disagree with this are welcome the to leave.  The Traditional Plan probably approximates this closely enough.

The Scriptures are not unclear about the issues being debated here.  This is not a matter of difficult biblical interpretation.  Besides the clear condemnations of homosexuality in various biblical passages (e.g., Rom. 1:26-27; 1 Tim. 1:10), the opening chapters of Genesis lay the groundwork for a sound theological anthropology, and attendant doctrine of human sexuality.  God created mankind in His image, male and female (Gen. 1:27).  He made us man and woman, equal in dignity and glory as His image-bearers, immutably different from each other, and sexually complementary (Gen. 2:18-24).

That is, God created humanity in two genders, male and female; both men and women are fully human and equal; men and women are different, not changeable and not interchangeable; sexual intimacy is designed to be enjoyed by a man and woman within the covenant of marriage.

We could go on through the article, but it isn’t necessary.  This is the issue, often buried beneath worldly rhetoric or the laudable goal of unity.  Is God to be believed, trusted, and obeyed?

God’s Word is clear.  The issue for the United Methodists is a question of whether to believe God’s Word and accept its authority; that is a question of whether to believe God and accept His authority.  The alternative is the anthropology and sexual mores of an increasingly pagan culture.  Ultimately, then, the United Methodists are deciding between God and idols, between Christianity and paganism.

I pray they make the right choice.

And She Even Has the Hat

20 Wednesday Feb 2019

Posted by Joshua Steely in Contra Mundum

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Abortion, Faith, Forgiveness, Occult, Sacrifice, Sorcery, Truth, Witchcraft

It would be far too easy to laugh off the First Annual Christian Witches Convention.  Their syncretism of Christianity with paganism is absurd, their justifications for their understanding of Scripture are farcical, they’ve chosen to maximize irony by meeting in Salem, MA, and the ‘Reverend’ Valerie Love even has the hat.  It’s as though they’re trying not to be taken seriously.

But I think they are serious.  The evil they represent is serious.  The seriousness with which God regards it is shown in His words to the Israelites: “Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.  Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD” (Deut. 18:10-12, NIV).

We live in a culture where the pagan practice of sacrificing sons and daughters is widespread; it should be no surprise that other elements of pagan spirituality show increasing acceptance and popularity.  The farce of this vaudevillian episode is the basic absurdity of idolatry, the grotesque folly of worshipping a statue made of wood (Isa. 44:14-16).  Such foolish beliefs seem plausible to the mind darkened by rejecting God (see Rom. 1:21-23).

But let no Christian be deceived.  The new heavens and new earth belong to the faithful in Christ; “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars–they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur.  This is the second death” (Rev. 21:8).

Now is the day of repentance.  The cross of mercy still stands.  For those who have followed the way of paganism, who have sacrificed their sons or daughters, who have practiced sorcery, there is yet one hope: repent, believe the gospel, and be saved.  The Savior’s arm are still outstretched to you.  There is no hope in sorcery; there is forgiveness and life in Jesus Christ.  But you must choose one.

Purposeful Suffering

17 Sunday Feb 2019

Posted by Joshua Steely in Meditations

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

1 Peter, Divine Sovereignty, Faith, Glory, God, Persecution, Suffering, Trials

When we are suffering, we sometimes ask why.  Why does God allow me to go through this?  There are philosophical explanations, but that’s not usually what we’re looking for; we’re looking for assurance of God’s love, comfort in the midst of pain.

God alone knows why He allowed this or that bad thing to happen to His children.  But the apostle Peter does give us a general idea that Christian suffering is purposeful: it refines our faith.  He acknowledges that the believers to whom he is writing “may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith–of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire–may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:6-7, NIV).

Faith is precious in God’s sight, and so He refines our faith like people refine gold, to remove impurities.  Notice, in fact, that faith is not compared with gold so much as contrasted with it; people regard gold as precious, but it’s just a perishable thing–faith is truly precious.  If we think it worthwhile to subject ‘mere’ perishable gold to a fiery refining process, how much more should we recognize the worthwhileness of God’s refining work upon our spiritual life!

Understanding this does not take away the pain of suffering.  But it should give us courage.  Suffering, for Christians, is purposeful.  God will use what we suffer, even the hatred we receive from those who hate God, to strengthen and refine us.  The end result will be a glorious commendation from God, when Jesus is vindicated at the last day.

Indispensable

12 Tuesday Feb 2019

Posted by Joshua Steely in Contra Mundum, Meditations, Pro Ecclesia, Theology

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Jesus Christ, Liberalism, Salvation, Soteriology, Union with Christ

“Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 Jn. 5:12, NIV).  Union with Christ is the great gift of the gospel.  Knowing Christ is the key to meaning, hope, and eternal life.

Reformation 21 has been gracious enough to publish another piece of mine, this one on the centrality of union with Christ.  Head on over and take a look!

I Believe We Have Located the Problem…

02 Saturday Feb 2019

Posted by Joshua Steely in Contra Mundum, Pro Ecclesia

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Atheism, Canada, Christianity, God, Inclusivity, Liberalism, Scripture, Theism, Truth

While all of us who minister do so only by the grace of God, and I am keenly aware of my unworthiness for this high and holy calling, I think some of the minimal qualifications of pastoral ministry are rather intuitive–such as believing in God.

The United Church of Canada has decided, apparently, that theism is not strictly necessary for pastors.  No doubt it is still desirable in the eyes of that denomination’s discerning leadership that their pastors believe in God; but it is not a deal-breaker.  That is the inescapable message of the news that the denomination has decided Rev. Gretta Vosper, an avowed atheist, will continue to pastor West Hill United Church, in Toronto.

The article linked above, from the liberal Religion News Service, is enlightening.  It begins, “Gretta Vosper is surprised to still be a minister.”  I’d imagine quite a lot of people share her surprise.  It’s a rather puzzling thing, until you follow the (il)logic.

How does the United Church of Canada justify this decision?  Why would a Christian denomination allow an atheist to shepherd a church?  The key is inclusivity.  The denominational leaders found themselves wrestling with the tension between two of their “core values”: “our faith in God” and “our commitment to being an open and inclusive church.”

So, by “inclusive” they mean not simply that they welcome different groups of people, but that they welcome people with a variety of doctrines (or lack thereof) into the clergy.  Aha.  That would create a conflict with your cherished belief in the existence of God.  The leaders of the United Church of Canada have found themselves in the embarrassing situation of wanting to affirm x and not-x at the same time.  I suppose the implication of their solution is that they will accept either x or not-x (please choose one); which is to say that the United Church of Canada believes nothing at all, or at least not with any real conviction.

How does a denomination get to such a pitiful place?  Quite obviously they have let themselves be swept along by the winds of western cultural trends and ideologies; the zeitgeist, rather than the Holy Ghost, has been filling their sails.  But it’s more specific than that.

The atheist pastor herself offers what may be the key.  In this she does a valuable service to orthodox Christianity, if we will heed it.  From the article:

Vosper was willing to go through with the hearing even if the ruling went against her.  She said she is fit for ministry in the church.

She said she believes what she was taught in seminary.

“Everything I teach is consistent with the theological training I received,” the 60-year-old said.  “I was taught the Bible was a human construction, and there is much wisdom in many texts, both ancient and contemporary.”

During her studies, Vosper said she learned that the Bible isn’t the only source of spiritual or moral authority.

“If the Bible is not the authoritative word of God for all time,” she says, “why does it take such a central position in the United Church?”

Well, I think she has put her finger right on the problem.  The rot took hold of their seminaries, particularly a rotten doctrine of Scripture, a loss of the orthodox doctrine that the Bible is uniquely inspired, completely true, and utterly authoritative.  Her seminary professors passed down to her a faith uprooted and blighted, and at whatever point in her journey it followed the logical course and became no faith at all.

But Vosper can perhaps take some comfort that the Bible does not enjoy nearly so central a place in the United Church as she feared.  If that were the case, they might have put more weight on the fact that the Bible starts with the words, “In the beginning, God…” (Gen. 1:1).

We have here a wake-up call for faithful Christians in the United Church of Canada–it might be time for an exit plan; a cautionary tale for the orthodox–guard your institutions, because what’s taught in seminary doesn’t stay in seminary; a warning for theological moderates who want to see more doctrinal inclusivity in your denominations–you might find yourselves inclusive’d all the way to atheism.

The good news is that this disease is easily preventable.  There’s a ready antidote to this poison.  There’s an extremely popular book that could be studied in seminaries to promote deep and widespread theism among the ministerial students.  “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17, NASB).

Recent Posts

  • All the Ends of the Earth
  • Tuesday Tea-ology, 03/02/21
  • Satisfied
  • The Shadow of His Wings
  • Wonders of the Web: “Lodron”

Archives

  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016

Categories

  • About
  • Biblical Studies
  • Books
  • Contra Mundum
  • Culture
  • Meditations
  • Musings
  • Poetical
  • Prayers
  • Pro Ecclesia
  • Quotes
  • Rhetorical Analysis
  • Theology
  • This and That
  • Uncategorized

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Recent Posts

  • All the Ends of the Earth
  • Tuesday Tea-ology, 03/02/21
  • Satisfied
  • The Shadow of His Wings
  • Wonders of the Web: “Lodron”

Recent Comments

Max Lucado’s P… on What Did You Think a Sword…
A-woman Again | Cred… on The Idol in the Sanctuary
desirayl on When I Am Afraid
“In the Name o… on Retrospective: The Larycia Haw…
“In the Name o… on A-bsurdity

Archives

  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016

Categories

  • About
  • Biblical Studies
  • Books
  • Contra Mundum
  • Culture
  • Meditations
  • Musings
  • Poetical
  • Prayers
  • Pro Ecclesia
  • Quotes
  • Rhetorical Analysis
  • Theology
  • This and That
  • Uncategorized

Blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy