While the Christians who went to their deaths under the empire of Rome died for their faith, I fear they did not die for our faith. First, we must understand what Rome had against these saints. Part of the genius of the Roman empire was their “broad-mindedness.” They did not roll into town after their phalanxes had left not one brick upon another and rebuild from scratch. Instead it was their habit to assimilate. As they did with the Pharisees, they cut a deal. We will rule over you, but you can, by and large, keep doing what you were doing. Keep your temple. Worship there. Keep your traditions, your way of life. All we ask of you is that you pay your taxes, acknowledge our authority, and then this one other little thing- we need you to acknowledge that Caesar is Lord. Burn a pinch of incense, bow the knee, and then go back to what you were doing. You don’t even have to mean it.
The Christians’ problem was more political than narrowly theological. You see the very first creed of the church was just three words long, but managed to confront Rome at its heart. Christians were those who confessed Christ is Lord. They died by the thousands because they would not confess that Caesar is Lord.
Which brings us to our faith. We’re like the Pharisees. We have our worship services, our private convictions, and that’s where our faith ends. We submit to the world’s demands. As CS Lewis described it, “When the modern world says to us aloud, ‘You may be religious when you are alone,’ it adds under its breath, ‘and I will see to it that you never are alone.'” The rest of our lives are committed to the authority of the state, and to the diversions and distractions the broader culture provides. We are in no danger because we are no danger.
When the world calls our convictions “hate” we simply change them, insisting that our response to the wholesale turning over of God’s created order is more love, more appeasement, more assurance that we are not a danger. Some of us reinterpret our Bibles to get with the times. Some simply look away awkwardly when the Bible embarrasses us. We conflate the Biblical notion that all sin is rebellion against the living God and deserving of His judgment into something much safer. We embrace the notion that all sins are equal, making all of them innocuous, not worthy to be mentioned. When the Supreme Court made its most wicked ruling, upending the natural, God created order of things, we ignored it. When we finally woke up, we found safe, reasonable, Rome approved ways of “fighting” it. 48 years later and still over 2,000 little babies are literally murdered every day, right in our own neighborhoods, with our full knowledge and with the full protection of the state. And we are more interested in our favorite football team.
We worship a Jesus who will save us from our sins, but whose reign we’re willing to negotiate. We worship a state that simply requires of us that we be nice and keep our convictions to ourselves. We worship distraction, so that we won’t have to face our idolatry. We worship the acceptance of the broader culture, and sacrifice all else to get it. We’re not like our fathers who died for Jesus, but like our fathers that killed Him and the prophets God sent to call us to repentance, because they, like we, worship the god of this age.
Until we stop repenting to the god of this age for the plain teaching of the living God, and start repenting to the living God for bowing before the god of this age, we will be trodden underfoot. Until we weep for our sin, until we tear down the high places, until we cease to hand our children over to Moloch we will burn with Rome. Lord be merciful to us, sinners.
Thesis 79- We must be under the authority of a local church.
There’s a reason a Reformation is called a reformation and not a revolution. The key difference is the former builds from that which is good, while the latter burns the old to the ground and starts from scratch. Too often we find ourselves dissatisfied with the church, or at the very least, the churches near us, and decide to abandon ship and go it alone. There are usually more than enough reasons to be dissatisfied with both the church and the churches in our area. There’s a simple reason for that- churches are made up of people.
It is, however, precisely because people can be so terrible that it is vitally important that we be under the authority of a local church. Because we are people. Anyone saying, “I’m better off under my own authority than under anyone else’s” should hear their boast echoing all the way back to the Garden of Eden. This boast suggests that while people are terrible, we’ve somehow managed to escape the terribleness. Which shows just how terrible we all are.
To fail to be under the authority of a local church is to defy the authority of God’s Word. One cannot be in submission to I Peter 5 or Hebrews 13 if one refuses to be under the authority of the elders of a local church. I welcome all challenges to this simple claim. By all means, send me an explanation of how one can not be under the authority of a local church and be in submission to those texts.
Of course the elders at any local church are sinners. I know one elder at one local church that’s really awful- me. Which is why I know I also need to be under authority. I’ve been wildly mistreated by elders in authority over me in my past. I doubt anyone can top my horror stories. Never, however, have I ever thought, “I’m better off not being under authority.” Never did I live for a moment without authority over me.
Decades ago it was somewhat fashionable for teachers to sport bumper stickers with words to this effect- “Think education is expensive? Try ignorance.” While I don’t buy the contrast in the least, I would adapt the line of argument. “Think government is oppressive? Try anarchy.” It matters little which kind of government you apply the principle to- family, state or church. Anarchy is always the worst possible option.
Luther himself, years into the Reformation, saw himself as laboring to restore what the church had once been. He had no intention of starting something new. And we are no Luthers. Our complaints against our local churches and their elders are not worthy to be compared with Luther’s concerns with Rome and her prelates. Sheep, you need to both know and acknowledge which shepherds will one day answer for your care. And shepherds, only hirelings fail to know which sheep are their own. Get those sheep into a fold, for their sake.
Tonight, 7 eastern, we continue our ABCs of Theology Study, looking at R is for Reprobation. All are welcome in our home or on FB live, RC-Lisa Sproul. We pray you’ll join us.
Jesus, of course, listed peacemakers among the blessed in His Sermon on the Mount. He is the ultimate peacemaker, first reconciling us, His enemies, with our Father. Second, this in turn reconciles us with each other. We, however, are called to follow in His steps. In a time of increasing rancor both within and without the kingdom, how can we better spread the blessings of peace?
First, we stay out of entangling alliances. How foolish that we think the way to end a fight is to join it. Viet Nam era peaceniks used to ask, “What if they held a war and nobody came?” They were on to something. More fighters will never make for less fighting. The Bible calls us to not grab a passing dog by the ears (Proverbs 26:17). The party of the aggrieved is all about recruitment. Don’t sign up.
Second, we focus on our own failings. Sin is a disturber of the peace. When we sin we disturb the peace. So let’s work on mortifying our flesh, putting to death the old man, fighting not against others but against ourselves. One of the advantages of this approach is it makes others less likely to attack us. When we are quick to acknowledge our sins, it kind of takes the wind out of the sails of the accusers of the brethren. What need have we to defend ourselves?
Third, we focus on the peace He has given us. Paul makes much the same point in that Spirit inspired ode to His sovereignty that is Romans 8-
Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (Romans 8:33-35).
Peace with God comes from resting in the work of Christ for us. Peace with each other comes from resting in the work of Christ for us. Peace with ourselves comes from resting in the work of Christ in us.
Fourth, we look at our brothers and sisters the way our Father does. When I look at myself in the mirror I see nothing but sin. When my Father looks at me He sees nothing but Jesus. When I look at others I’m called to see them in the same way. He loves them infinitely and immutably. Going to war against them is like going to war against Jesus.
Fifth, we look at those outside the kingdom as we once were. Every soldier in the Lord’s army was once a soldier in the devil’s army. By His power, in His compassion, He drafted us into His army (Genesis 3:15). Who knows if He might not do it for our enemies? I know of a man who virulently, actively persecuted believers, some even to the point of death. But God stopped him dead in His tracks, blinding Him, gave Him eyes to see the kingdom and sent him to my people with the gospel.
We are called to fight for peace, and to peace in the midst of the fight. May He grant us grace to be faithful warriors who rest in His peace.
Being sick has its advantages. I am constantly encouraged when sick by the willingness of others to pray. I am grateful for the prayers, and goaded to be a more faithful prayer warrior myself. It is also a timely reminder of the catholicity of the church. That is, people from all manner of denominational backgrounds have been faithful to pray for me when I’ve been sick. What may be even more interesting, however, is the response I receive from those outside the body of Christ. I have friends outside the kingdom, and they too have, at times, been concerned for my health. They just have a rather peculiar way of expressing their concern. I can’t count the number of times I have been told, “We’re sending thoughts your way.” Apparently either their transmitter or my receiver is on the blink. What are these dear folks thinking? Do they actually believe that their brain waves have some sort of healing power? Do they think that they can visualize away the illness in my body?
We would do well to watch out for temporal pride. That is, we face the temptation that because our broader culture is less primitive than others, because precious few people bow down to statues, or fear the storm god, that we have put idolatry behind us. We think that the problem with those wrapped up in modernist unbelief is that they are too sophisticated, when the truth is they are superstitious rubes. They “send their thoughts” out; they hang crystals from their rear view mirrors. Not too long ago they were all aflutter over angels. There was a time when you couldn’t swing a dead cat in the local Barnes and Noble without hitting some book about angels. There were books explaining the work of angels, books telling you how to get in touch with your angel, books on the history of angels.
Why all the fuss? “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known about God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image like corruptible men—birds, and four footed animals and creeping things” (Romans 1:18-23).
The unregenerate man finds himself in a horrible pickle. He knows all too well what Solomon wrote about in Ecclesiastes. If reality ends at the edge of the universe, if our lives are indeed lived under the sun, then all is vanity. You come from nothing, live in futility, and then you return to the nothing. If, on the other hand, there is a transcendent realm, if there is a God in heaven, then you have the problem of having to answer to Him. This dilemma is what Paul is getting at in his letter to the church at Rome. Either life is meaningless, or we will have to answer to the Giver of meaning.
Man’s solution is to muddy the water, to strive for a touch of transcendence, while steering clear of accountability. We do this by constructing gods in our own image, by bowing down to the creature. We are willing to worship, as long as that which we worship will require nothing of us. Which may well by why angels became a thing. Angels give the unredeemed a touch of something beyond this world. They come from a world above the sun. But they come, because these false angels are made in our image, with no judgment. Check through all the angel books, blogs and podcasts and you won’t find a single one giving instruction on how to appease the wrath of your angel. They are all soft, light, and only want to help.
We are fools when we rejoice that those outside the church are at least interested in the world beyond. We are fools if we think that those who are “religious” or worse still “spiritual” are on the right track, but simply need better directions. It is all rebellion, and it is all foolishness. A culture fascinated by angels is a culture that is unwilling to look upon that which the angels delight to look upon, the glory of the living God. A culture awash in angel dust is a culture still buried under the dust of death. A culture that longs to be touched by an angel is not on the highway to heaven, but is on the highway to hell.
Angels, rightly understood, are heralds, messengers. They are the sent ones, sent from the transcendent realm, the realms of glory, to wing their way o’er all the earth. They sang creation’s glory, and now sing not just the Messiah’s birth, but His death, burial, resurrection and ascension. If we want the world around us to hear them, we must point the world around us to the Word of God. We must encourage the lost to look into the very things that the angels themselves long to look into. In short, our calling to those caught up in angel lore is to be angels ourselves, messengers speaking the good news. May God give us the grace to speak with the tongues of angels, that every tongue would confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
I’ve been a bit down of late, wondering what I was doing wrong. It seemed like all the cool kids were getting in trouble. Shadow-banned, put in twitter time-out, all my friends managed to provoke our social media overlords while I couldn’t get arrested in cybertown. Until today. So I’ve got that going for me.
In addition to the Jesus Changes Everything podcast that I post, in addition to all the usual places, on rcsprouljr.com, I also produce, five days a week, a shorter podcast with the clever name, “Ask RC.” My goal for that podcast is pretty broad. On the one hand I love to help the evangelical church with some basic theological or biblical questions. I might record an answer to “What is propitiation?” or “Which Bible translation do you prefer?” I also, however, regularly record segments designed to catch the eye of google for those outside the kingdom, so that I might proclaim the gospel.
For these segments I might post something like, “Why do black lives matter and Black Lives Matter doesn’t?” Or, I might dangle some inside scoop about us, believers. And so it was that I recorded and posted to youtube five minutes seeking to answer this question, “Why are so many Christians anti-mask and anti-vax?” A basic understanding of grammar reveals I’m not addressing the question of the value of wearing masks or the wisdom of receiving the COVID vaccine. Instead I’m addressing what it is about Christians that might make them a disproportionate demographic among the antis.
Such, however, was enough to throw my five minutes into youtube’s memory hole. Beyond having that episode kicked overboard, my only other punishment was a warning. Run afoul of their misinformation czars (keeping in mind I gave no information, mis or otherwise about COVID, masks or vaccines) again and I’ll be frog marched to the cooler.
I’m of the mind that believes private companies have the moral right to have the legal right to decide with whom they wish to do business, to establish their own standards. Youtube doesn’t owe me “airtime” for anything. You won’t find me suing them or lobbying for government controls. You will find me saying they should be embarrassed for their heavy-handedness, their moral confusion, their hypocrisy. You will find me putting out my podcast on other outlets, like, say here for instance. You will find me not apologizing. You will find me laughing at them, even while I laugh at the fools who can’t admit that the emperor has no clothes.
It’s a small thing, I know. Hardly the stuff of the Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. The good news is that it happened not because I poked the bear. That is, I didn’t set out to offend, to provoke. I was just going about my business. I consider it practice for bigger things to come. I’d encourage you to get in shape as well. The marginalization of Christians has just begun, and it will get worse before it gets better. That’s ok, because we are safe in the margins, safe center-stage, safe in the Coliseum. Safe in the valley of the shadow of death. Because we are always safe in His hands.
