Archive for February, 2007
Conservative vs Liberal
I got to cogitating a bit on the differance between “conservatives” and “liberals” in US politics. There are a lot of differances, but one of the most pointed is:
Conservatives are generous with their money.
Liberals are generous with YOUR money.
A friend’s grandpa phrased it this way:Â “A man is in a deep pond 60 feet from the dock. There is a life ring on the dock with a 50 ft rope. The Democrat will throw the ring right to the man but not tie off the rope. The Republican will hold onto the rope and encourage the man to swim the 10 feet to the life ring.”
It comes down to attitude and world view. Conservatives know that each person is responsible for their decisions and actions. And yet their compassion causes them to reach out to help folks – with their own resources. Liberals on the other hand believe that “society” is responsible for each individual and thus “society” must “help” them. They are not moved to assist folks in need with their own resources because, after all, the almight state exists for that purpose.  They forget that the state owns nothing it has not taken from someone, it is no “magic wishing well” with unlimitted resources. In order for the state to “help” someone they must first take from someone else.
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The Great Calvinist Heresy
The Merriam Webster dictionary defines a heresy in part as: “an opinion, doctrine, or practice contrary to the truth” Recently I was reading about “The Reformation”. The author was writing in favor of John Calvin’s teaching and claiming that those who do NOT believe as Calvin does are heretics. The interesting thing to me is that the author is not consistent with his own assertions since he also bemoans the fact that European nations are “turning from Christ” even while Africans are “turning to Christ”. And he is calling for “Reformation in Europe”. Are people actually able to think for themselves and turn to Christ, or are they unable to think for themselves? In other words, if Europe is “turning away from Christ” is it not because they are “completely depraved” and God has not called them to Himself? According to Calvin’s doctrine, God’s grace is irresistible. If so, then He has obviously NOT extended His grace to Europe and for this reason they are falling away. If Calvinism is correct, there’s nothing we can do to bring Europe back to Christ because they have been condemned from the beginning.
But I myself do not believe this to be the case. That which is happening in Europe is due to man turning away from God. God has given each of us the ability to think, to reason, to choose. Man can not come to salvation through his own thinking or reason, but he CAN hear, understand and come to belief in the truth when it is presented to him. In 2 Thessalonians 2:10 the Bible states that people will perish “because they did not receive the love of the truth in order to be saved.” The apostle Paul said “But now God is calling all men everywhere to repent”. And the apostle Peter wrote “The Lord is not slow to do what he has promised, as some think. Instead, he is patient with you, because he does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants all to turn away from their sins. ” That sure doesn’t sound like a thoughtless God who from the beginning decided that some would be hopeless and never have a chance of redemption. And Jesus said “Because God loved the world He gave His only Begotten Son so that everyone who believes in Him shall have life everlasting.” And He sent His apostles out to “make disciples”. And Peter told folks that they must repent and be baptized and they’d be forgiven of their sins and receive the Holy Spirit as a gift. He went on to say “For God’s promise was made to you and your children, and to all who are far away—all whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” Hmmmm… We just read that God is calling “all men everywhere”. That means that the promise is “for all men everywhere” and NOT just for a select few.
So, why the heresy? Because it is easier to blame God for people who harden their hearts than to accept that each person is responsible for their actions and decisions. On That Final Day when all will stand before the great white throne to be judged each will be judged according to what they have done, NOT according to whether or not God had condemned them from the beginning. Each of us is given the ability to accept God – or reject Him. Sometimes we do so unconciously, but reject Him we do. Just like it says in Romans 1, “God’s anger is revealed from heaven against all the sin and evil of the people whose evil ways prevent the truth from being known. God punishes them, because what can be known about God is plain to them, for God himself made it plain. Ever since God created the world, his invisible qualities, both his eternal power and his divine nature, have been clearly seen; they are perceived in the things that God has made. So those people have no excuse at all! They know God, but they do not give him the honor that belongs to him, nor do they thank him. Instead, their thoughts have become complete nonsense, and their empty minds are filled with darkness. They say they are wise, but they are fools; instead of worshiping the immortal God, they worship images made to look like mortals or birds or animals or reptiles.” God isn’t punishing people because He decided from the beginning that they HAD to go to Hell – He’s punishing them because they have rejected Him! It is due to a conci0us or unconcious decision on the part of the individual, not due to some whim on the part of the Creator!!!!
So, what about predestination? Does the Bible teach it? Yes, it does. But not like the Calvin heresy claims it does. Who are the ones who are “predestined”? Is it certain individuals only (like Calvin claims) or is it a certain class of individuals? First, if God is calling all men every where to repent, then there’s the possibility that they CAN repent. Second, if people are ABLE to repent and are condemned for rejecting God then it’s because THEY made the choice, NOT God! God fore ordained that all who come to Christ, repent of their sins and are immersed according to Jesus’ authority will be saved. ALL who come to Christ. What keeps us from God? Is it not our sin? Of course it is! But when according to His Will we repent and are baptized that sin is removed, allowing us free access to His throne through Jesus Christ our mediator.
And what about “eternal security”? The idea that there is NOTHING you can do that will cause you to lose your salvation? Hmmm. Interesting that the apostle Paul wrote: “That is why I run straight for the finish line; that is why I am like a boxer who does not waste his punches. I harden my body with blows and bring it under complete control, to keep myself from being disqualified after having called others to the contest.” He understood the need to be “faithful until the end”. Is God looking for reasons to disqualify us? NO! If we “are in Christ Jesus” then there is no condemnation for us. But if we voluntarily step out, if we turn our backs on Him, then yes, it is possible for us to lose the salvation which He has promised us.
Read through the book of Revelation again. To whom is given the crown of life? He promises “be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. ” Not faithful for a time, but “faithful unto death”. The crown is for those who finish the race! Later on the Revelator wrote: “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works … And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. “ Each and every one of us will be judged “according to our works”. And if our name is found in the Lamb’s Book of Life then we have nothing to fear. But do you suppose that it is possible for one’s name to be removed from That Book? Yes. For it is written “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” Time after time one finds special blessings for “he that overcometh” in the book of Revelation. And this one shows that it IS possible for one to have one’s name blotted out of the Book of Life.
Must we live in fear? No. Not the kind of fear brought on by uncertainity. We know that if we are faithful that He will be more so. He has called us to be His sons, out of love. And since we are His sons He is willing to punish and correct us so that we will not be condemned with the world.
Read again the Scriptures with a fresh mind. Seek the Truth and you will find it. Don’t allow Calvin or Luther or any other old reformer to shape your understanding of God’s word. Seek the truth that is written there and allow the Author to guide you to the truth. Don’t allow modern day prophets to confuse you either. God has written in His Word the truth. Seek it that you may find Life eternal.
Silenced by self interest
Recently I’ve been reading “How Shall We Then Live” by Francis A. Schaeffer. It is a very thought provoking book, to say the least. What Schaeffer says makes a lot of sense. Right now I’m reading in chapter 11 “Our Society”. He makes a strong case for how we arrived at the current “Status Quo”. Indeed today many people are not about to “make waves” because they do not want to jeopardize their own “personal peace” and “personal prosperity”. Thus, when the government tells them to line up like nice sheep and surrender their constitutional rights, they do so. It matters not that such idiocy makes them not one whit safer and that it indeed removes from them their God given freedom – they line up and say “Alright” because it APPEARS to promise “security” or “safety”. “Those who give up Essential Freedom to purchase Temporary Safety deserve neither Freedom nor Safety” is a quote often attributed to Benjamin Franklin. This truth is ever more applicable today.
Indeed, those who wish to be “safe” and yet take not personal responsibility for that safety are the very ones who remove the ability of the individual to protect himself. They are eager t0 call out “Save me! Protect me!” and yet do not wish to allow individuals the ability to protect themselves or save others from harm. Somehow they believe that the “omnipotent state” should be able to protect each and every indivitual and deny the right of the individual to provide for his or her own protection.
Our people have forgotten that in the United States the Government is not the one responsible for the well being of the nation. It is indeed the collective individuals who are to retain power and oversee the Government. Somehow in the past two hundred plus years things have gotten switched around. The US Constitution was written to give the power to the people and to keep government under control. Yet like Esau the people have sold their birthright for “a bowl of pottage”. Just as Esau gave up his rights as the first born son of Israel, so to have many of the American people given up their rights as free born citizens.
Government must be watched with a jealous eye. When they encroach on the freedom of the hard working honest citizens then they must be reined in, called to heel. According the the Bible (arguably the foundation of our nation’s very existence) the government is to “reward those who do good and punish those who do evil”. The power of a Godly government is limitted. It should exist to provide freedom to the people so that they may do good and to punish those who do evil. It is not the job of government to be “merciful” nor to do charity. That is the job of the Church. Government should be Just, punishing wrong doers and rewarding those who do right. When government becomes corrupt then it is up to the people to bring about change, to bring government back to its fundamental roles.
The problem is, today people do not WANT to be responsible for their government. They want the government to be responsible for THEM. To modern man the government exists to take the place of God. Compare the hurricanes from the early 20th century and Katrina from the early 21st century. In the early 2oth century, after the hurricane people got out their shovels and axes and got to work, asking God to give them strength to rescue the endangered, bury the dead and to get on with their lives. After Katrina people sat around on their behinds bemoaning the “fact” that Government had abandoned them and expecting Government to come and dig their sorry tails out. In fact, even though they had ample time to escape, many people sat around waiting for Government to rescue them or to somehow miraculously divert the storm. And when human government was unable to live up to their expectations they cursed it, they complained and they whined – but few got up and got to work to provide for themselves.
So why have people allowed the nation to slide to this point? Because they have been silenced by self interest. If you tell a large portion of the population that they are ignorant and apathetic they’ll respond “We don’t know what that means, and we don’t care.” They are to busy seeking out their own “personal peace” and “personal prosperity” to worry about the larger issues. They want to be “left alone” and allowed to seek self gratification without the ugly burden of responsibility for the condition of their neighborhood, city, state or nation. They want Government to step in and fulfill the role that God should have – that of benevolent provider. “Providence” today is not a term for God the Creator, it is a term many would use for Government for they want Government to provide everything for them.
So, who will step forward? Who will demand change for the better? Who will challenge the Government and demand that they return to the limitted power given to them in the US Constitution? Are there any such today in our land, or are we all silenced by self interest?
