Month: October 2021

The Reforming River

Following the recent torrential rains that hit Northern California, I was amazed to see the news videos of what had once been dry creek beds, now turned into raging torrents that even threatened nearby homes. The dangers of those flooding waters were sufficient to warrant the cancellation of a major Ironman competition, in which contestants would have had to swim in the flooding river waters.

Seeing those images of local flooding reminded me of Karen and my visits to Niagara Falls – but not so much the falls themselves, as impressive as they were. What really blew me away was the Niagara River above the falls. Having canoed some minor rapids in my day, I could only stare open-mouthed at the power of that river, rushing and sweeping everything in its path toward the inevitable plunge that lay ahead. Anything caught in that current would be impossibly trapped and carried to its doom; the water was too strong to swim or sail against. In the middle of the river was a stark reminder of that river’s power and danger: the rusted hulk of a barge caught on some large boulders. The barge had broken loose from its upriver moorings, and been swept by the river toward the falls. On board was a crew member who had been sleeping, but awoke to sudden terror. Only his quick action of scuttling the barge – sinking it on purpose – caused it to hang up on the boulders and allow him to be rescued.

These thoughts came to mind as I pondered the arrival of yet another Reformation Day. October 31 is the 504th anniversary of the day Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, commonly recognized as the start of the Protestant Reformation.  Luther questioned many of the Church’s teachings and practices, especially regarding the sale of indulgences. His study of the Scriptures led him to proclaim the true Gospel of salvation by faith alone apart from works, based on Romans 3:28 and Ephesians 2:8-10. As Luther said, “Good works do not make a man good, but a good man does good works.”* The Church needed reforming from its emphasis on papal authority, works righteousness, and false doctrines such as a belief in Purgatory. What is known as the chief article of faith is simply this:

“This article concerning justification by faith … is the chief article in the entire Christian doctrine, without which no poor conscience can have any firm consolation, or can truly know the riches of the grace of Christ.”**

But why would thoughts of flood waters and the Reformation go together. and why would events of over 500 years ago bear any relevance today, except in the legacy of the name Luther in so many churches?

There are actually several important connections between the two, and definite relevance for our present times.

The Church today is caught up in the flood waters of social change.

  • The Church today is caught up in the flood waters of social change. The term, “current events” is appropriate for both flood waters and culture. No longer is the Church – representing biblical truth and morality – the arbiter of cultural values. No longer does the nation define its character or values in terms of Christianity; rather, it ignores, ridicules, or outright reviles Christ and his teachings. Christians find themselves carried along in the currents of social change, unable to swim against the tide. At the most, they can find an occasional pool, backwater, or eddy*** in which to briefly rest and catch their breath. Churches are forced to follow government rules regarding their non-profit status, facility design, occupancy and even in-person worship, thanks to Covid restrictions. Churches that uphold biblical teachings face attacks by social and national media. Seminaries turn out “woke” pastors who lead their flocks into what they call the social gospel, championing left-wing causes over biblical commandments and the true Gospel. The same applies to individual Christians as well: the younger ones are caught up in demands of confusing and hostile school environments, workplace discrimination and intolerance,  and the breakdown of social structures. And as for older people (so I hear), they feel bypassed by radical social changes that render their values and existence irrelevant. And all are treated as political pawns or data-points or potential customers, rather than as people created in God’s image and of great value to the Creator.

Everyone is just being carried along by the floodwaters of a society that espouses good-sounding platitudes, yet hates the very faith that created those desirable outcomes of love, forgiveness, and compassionate caring for our neighbors.

The Church in America has in many ways lost its way.

  •   Unfortunately, the Church in America has in many ways lost its way, either carried along and conforming to the cultural current, or spun off into some irrelevant backwater to watch the world go by. Neither will save the Church’s witness today, nor is either the true biblical response to society.
    1. Many of the larger churches and prominent preachers espouse a health and wealth gospel, citing the lack of either as a sign of little faith (or too small of a donation to their coffers). If you’re sick or poor, it’s your fault!
    2. Some churches emphasize the public manifestation of dramatic behavior as evidence of the Holy Spirit. They question the salvation of those who don’t speak in tongues, shake, or fall dead-like to the floor. They teach how to create such “gifts” in you, though Scripture says the Holy Spirit gives gifts as he chooses, to whom he chooses (1 Corinthians 12:11). Their witness is of behaviors which exist in other religions, too, such as in Islam and Hinduism.
    3. Many congregations look for political answers to our problems, rooting for one candidate or party, rather than to God who lifts up and brings down all authority (Romans 13:1 – “For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.”). They ignore the First Commandment, which says we are to have only one God – and to look to him to provide all our needs.
    4. Other congregations soften their message to be palatable to non-believers, removing the words “sin” and “hell” from their vocabulary. They smile and call on people to accept each other regardless of blatant sinful behavior. The greatest sin to them is offending or judging anyone.
    5. Unfortunately, there are supposedly Christian churches that openly combine Christian symbols with anti-Christian and pagan practices. A few have even put Korans in their pews.
    6. The Christian Church is supposed to be one “holy catholic and apostolic church,” yet the American church is fragmented into hundreds of denominations (40 Lutheran ones alone). Many hold such different views that having one common voice in society is impossible. Q: What do Christians believe on any given topic? A: Depends on whom you ask.

The American Church is in serious trouble. When not losing members it is still losing influence and impact on the society and culture around us. We have become either dropouts, watching from the shore, or else co-conspirators, swimming in the water with everyone else in a headlong rush toward the falls. So what are we to do? It’s time for another Reformation. It’s time to do what Luther did 500 years ago, and call the Church back to what it is supposed to be and to do.

It’s time for another Reformation.

  1. The Church never was, nor should it be, just a reflection of society’s accepted values. Scripture warns the Church not to be conformed to the world, but to be transformed by renewal though Christ (Romans 12:2). If there is no difference between the Church and society, then the Church has nothing to tell the world. The Church needs to return to the authority of God’s Word (Sola Scriptura) rather than Twitter, Facebook****, celebrity pastors, or executive orders.
  2. The Church’s message must be about Jesus Christ (Solus Christus) and not about self-improvement, finding success, prosperity, popularity, or finding your “best life now.” The Church can remove other barriers that keep people from Christ, but must confront them with who he is and what he has done. To proclaim Christ and make disciples in why the Church exists.
  3. The Church is not a political organization, but politics has intruded where it does not belong, and has corrupted matters of life, death, and morality which are matters addressed by Scripture. Abortion of the unborn and euthanasia of the disabled and the elderly are Christian issues and always have been. God’s command to honor our parents was first given to adults who were raised in a culture that put old people out to die, and the early church rescued infants that the Romans had tossed out on the city dump. Just as most of today’s social services were begun by Christians who cared for people in need, so we cannot keep quiet, but instead be involved.

The good news is that this new Reformation is not just up to us and our power. For there is another River that flows from God to give us life and strength. Psalm 46:4 says, “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God.” And John 7:38 proclaims the words of our Lord: “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” That river of living water is the Holy Spirit, true God who works his will in the world through us and for us. It is he who has called us to faith, and he who will accomplish God’s purposes. So let us be fervent in our prayers for a new Reformation of Christ’s Church and for our nation,   knowing that ultimately, we will gather at “the great river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb” (Revelation 22:1).

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Psalm 46; 1 Corinthians 12; Romans 12.

  1. *The Freedom of a Christian, Martin Luther, 1520.
  2. **The Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration. III, 6.
  3. ***One of my favorite canoeing terms!
  4. ****Now called “Meta”.

 

 

You Are a Chimera!

A faithful reader of this blog responded recently to my article, “Male and Female,” which I published on September 25. Having worked in the medical field, she had witnessed individuals who were born with both male and female organs, and wondered how that fit in with God’s creation of us as male or female (or pertinent to her question, male and female).
 The condition she spoke of is called a  chimera (kī-ˈmeer-ə), named after a mythical beast that was part lion, part goat, and part serpent. It happens (the human condition, not the mythical beast) when fraternal twins begin forming in the womb, but one dies and the other absorbs its DNA. The result is a person with two sets of DNA, which can mean both a female and a male in one body. (I first heard of this on an episode of the TV  show, House, when a female cheerleader came down with testicular cancer.) This can certainly cause social and emotional issues for an individual who has two sets of sexual organs. But spiritually, I think the concerns are the same as for any person. As with all people, a chimera is a sinner in need of forgiveness, and Christ died for him/her as well as for you and me.
Several things came to mind when I read her question. There are the sayings of Isaiah 29:16 and 64:8 and Romans 9:21, which speak of God as the potter and us as the clay, and that he has the right to make us as he wishes. We are all different and yet are all his workmanship (Ephesians 2:10), and all in his image (Genesis 1:26-27). Also, we know that God loves each of us, no matter how we are born, and therefore we must in turn love each other. No accident of birth, or defect, can change God’s love or our duty to love and respect. Certainly, we must be especially compassionate to people born as chimeras, for they will face social and physical challenges. Another reality is that we live in a fallen world where we all suffer, all  have handicaps (some visible, some hidden), all face illnesses and injuries, and all die. We also know from Jesus’ own words that someone born with a defect is not being punished by God for his or her (their) sins. neither the twin that died nor the one who was born is being punished (John 9:3).
At this point you might by thinking, “Okay, this is interesting, but what has it to do with me? I’m not a chimera.” To which I answer, “Oh, yes you are!”
Maybe not a chimera in the medical sense (or mythical sense), but there are two ways that anyone can be considered a chimera in the spiritual sense.
1. First, all people incorporate in their one being, two opposite natures and sets of characteristics. On the one hand, we were created in the image of God and retain much of the glory which he instilled in us: the ability to love, to create, to give, to help, and to fellowship with God and with each other, among other lofty traits. Unfortunately, because sin entered into the world and into us, we suffer under its curse, and therefore embody all that is bad in human thought, attitudes, and actions: we hate, steal, harm, kill, cheat, and deny the God who created and loves us. Because of this, everything we do is tainted; even the most altruistic acts can carry the blemish of pride and self interest. (I’m especially proud of my humility!)
I’ve seen this many times in our modern world, though this is not a new phenomenon. There is no invention or development so wonderful or beneficial that it can’t be turned by sin into something harmful. Had any spam calls, email scams, or identity theft lately?  This goes beyond the unintended negative consequences that good intentions can have, such as wind turbines chopping up birds that get too close, or oil drilling that leaks oil and damages wildlife along beaches. It involves people willfully using technology to harm others. For example, think of the amazing development of airplanes for long-distance travel, only to see them used for bombing, drug-smuggling, and crashing into buildings.
This dual nature of mankind is clearly seen in today’s “cancel culture,” when people who otherwise do admirable things get caught saying or doing something that is either unacceptable or outright terrible. A sports announcer says something insensitive in the heat of an exciting play; a great teacher loses his or her temper at a student, a pastor butchers Martin Luther’s reputation by dressing up like him and speaking in a fake German accent*. Every person we respect or admire is capable of, and has already done, something that is cringe-worthy. Think of Kate Smith, who inspired millions of Americans over the decades with her rendition of the song, “God Bless America”; but also recorded several blatantly racist songs. Or of Martin Luther himself, who both restored the true Gospel to the Christian Church, and advocated burning synagogues. Two natures, indeed.
The problem is that everyone does things that are good and things that are bad. If we cancel everyone who has ever said or done something stupid or nasty,  there won’t be anyone left. Even Robespierre, a leader of the French Revolution, went to the guillotine when the mob turned against him.
So then, all people struggle with this dual identity as both exalted and fallen beings. But what about us Christians? Does this struggle also apply to us? Or are we better than that?
2. This brings us to the second way in which even Christians are chimeras. As believers in Christ we are reborn children of God and inheritors of eternal life (Romans 8:6-7), but while we are still in this body, we retain our fallen natures as well. We are both saint and sinner. We have been redeemed by Christ and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, yet we cling to the old sinful nature, even when we abhor it. The Apostle Paul lamented this duality in Romans 7 when he said,
” 15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.”
Paul does not use this as an excuse to go on sinning. He doesn’t give the lame excuse, “Well, I’m only human, after all!” No, instead he admonishes us not to keep on sinning, even though God forgives us by his grace. He wrote in Romans 6:1-2, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?”
The Apostle John put it this way, “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God” (1 John 3:9). See similar teachings in Hebrews 10:26 and 1 Corinthians 15:34.
The point is that even as Christians who are born again of water and the Spirit (John 3:3), we struggle to be faithful to the new spiritual life which God has given us in Christ. The old nature clings to us, tempting us and going against what we know God desires for our lives. We backslide into the old ways, due to social pressures or our own sinful desires, and fall short of God’s will and the new man or woman God has created in us. Then we get discouraged, with Satan whispering in our ear that we are failures, and that all this “God stuff” just isn’t for us.
So, what do we do about this chimeric split personality within us? First, we recognize it exists, so we don’t get blind-sided when we or someone else disappoints us. Second, we thank God for his grace, by which the sinner in us is forgiven, and the saint in us is proclaimed by his righteous decree. Third, we study the Scriptures to know what behavior and thought is consistent with God’s nature and the image he desires in us. Fourth, we seek out others who also strive to be faithful disciples of Christ -in church, Bible studies, charitable ministries, and other common places. Fifth, we pray for God’s strength, knowing that he has given us his own Holy Spirit to convict and guide us, to strengthen and comfort us for our life’s journey. He has promised to provide us a way out from the temptations to sin (1 Corinthians 10:13), even if it means giving us to the strength to run away from it! (1 Corinthians 6:18).
So, my fellow chimeras . . . let us thank God for blessing us with his own image, and for forgiving that other side of us. For in Christ, we are all being made whole again.
Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.
Read: Romans 7 – 8:11; 1 Corinthians 10:12-14
*Hypothetically, of course.

Odds & Ends #6

From time to time, I have posted a blog under the title, “Odds & Ends,” deviating from the usual mini-sermon/essay format to share news, do some “house-keeping,” or explain some things that don’t rise to the level of full blog material. This is the sixth such posting. Some of the comments may be familiar to you, but given that there are a number of new readers, I thought it wise to iterate the new and reiterate the old.

  1. The blog address originally began with http:// but now starts with https://. The added letter “s” signifies “secure,” which is a security improvement to the website, provided by the host company. This is to the benefit of both the writer (me) and the reader (you).
  2. Many, if not most, websites include paid advertising that pops up alongside or beneath the writers’ articles. This is very common, and is one way for the “bloggist” (Is there such a word? If not, there should be – “blogger” sounds so mundane. . . ) to pay for his or her site, or even to make money, based on the number of views they get. I have decided not to use paid ads, for three reasons. First, because I’m not doing this site to make money, and I can afford the low cost the web hosting company charges. Second, I can write what I believe without looking over my shoulder at sponsors, being afraid to run afoul of their editorial policies. I already have one very special Editor looking over my shoulder regarding my writing – and He is the only one I am accountable to. Third, in most cases the bloggist, er, blogger, does not get to choose which ads appear on the site. I have seen Christian blogs with some very questionable ads, and my immediate reaction has been to ask why the bloggers chose those ads – and then I remember they didn’t have a choice. So, to avoid those mixed messages, I chose not to take ads.
  3. Likewise, I do not “harvest” data, either names or email, from my readers to sell to anyone. If you know someone who might like to read my blog, I will be glad to add them to my notification list, but only with their permission.  People can also subscribe on my site to receive notices directly from the blog as soon as I post each new article. This might help if you find my notices getting sent to your spam folder.
  4. I find that I’m blogging about twice a month on average (160 blogs so far!), so if you don’t hear from me in over a month, check your spam/junk folders for my notices, or go directly to the blog to catch up.
  5. A couple reminders on format: I usually use the English Standard Version (ESV) for my biblical quotations, but occasionally use other versions when useful – such as when a key word is in a version I memorized. In those cases I signify which translation I’m quoting, such as KJV or NIV. Also, I usually don’t capitalize pronouns used for God, using “he, him, and his” instead of “He, Him, and His.” This is not to lessen reverence for God, but to follow the lead of the original biblical languages, which did not capitalize such pronouns, either. At least I don’t use “s/he, ze, or them”! I do capitalize titles used of God, such as Creator, Savior, etc.
  6. A few of my articles have been picked up and published in our church’s national bimonthly magazine, The Evangel, such as in the March-April of 2021 issue (#198). That and other back issues of the magazine are available on the website at https://www.taalc.org/the-evangel-magazine.
  7. The Bibles pictured in the heading on my blog pages are from my own library. While I was looking online for stock images of books to place in the header and portray my interest in reading, my wife asked me why I didn’t just take a picture of my own books since I had so many to choose from. It was one of those “duh!” moments. She was right of course, so I got out the camera and took the picture you see. We like how it turned out, and besides . . . no royalties! (Unless you want to use it, then let’s talk . . .)

As always, I close with what is called the Aaronic Blessing, a benediction which, in Numbers 6:24-26, the Lord told Moses’ brother, Aaron, to say to the people : The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Ecclesiastes 12:12; Numbers 6:22-27