I will never forget my first published piece. It was a letter to the editor of the Ligonier Echo, the weekly newspaper of the small town wherein I grew up. I was all of 10 years old at the time, but that didn’t keep me from reaching great peaks of moral indignation. I thundered from my mountain top. I vituperated. I fumed and steamed. My crusade was not unlike Greta’s, the face of youth activism, the darling of leftist media, the Swedish scold, nor was the source of my rage so different. In my case it was Miss Maile. She was my 5th grade teacher at the toney private school I attended on a scholarship. She was not the warmest teacher in the world, but she was interesting. And committed. To turning us all into hard leftists just like her. We learned socialism in her classroom through Man: A Course of Study, a curriculum infamous for its political bias. We learned environmentalism as she read to us Watership Down.
We learned journalistic activism as she encouraged the whole class to write letters to the editor opposing a proposed nuclear power plant in our back yard, the Donegal Energy Park. It was, in fact, a class wide project. She, in short, used us, our innocence and our ignorance to score points in a political battle. All this more than forty years ago.
Miss Maile, like Greta’s teachers, understood that education is discipleship. There is no set of morally neutral facts that we can safely ask the state to instruct our children in. Because every education will ever and always induct its students into a worldview. That’s the very goal of education- instilling our deepest convictions in those under our charge. Heck, I’m doing it right now. I’m trying to help you, to instruct you, to inform you that Greta isn’t an anomaly, a glitch in the system. She’s not even a feature of the system. She is the platonic ideal of their goal. She is their omega. She is their success, not because she thinks for herself, not because she is articulate. Not even because she is passionate. She is their success precisely because she doesn’t think for herself, precisely because she spews forth their message, precisely because she has no passion of her own, just their fevered passions.
Greta, in short, is a puppet, Pinocchio telling lies for our entertainment. She is dancing on the stage set up for her at Vanity Fair. Our job isn’t, because we do not share her views, to be aghast and appalled at her views. Our job is not to look down our noses at her. Our job instead is to feel sorry for her, and her parents, and more important still, to look to our own children, to see how much they are being shaped by the cookie cutters on the factory floor. This is not a time to score political points by laughing at the show. It’s time to check our children for strings, and, if we find them, to cut them off mercilessly.
Tonight we continue our look at the monumental, towering book of Romans. All are welcome to our home at 7 est, or you may join us for dinner at 6:15. We will also stream the study at Facebook, RC-Lisa Sproul. We hope you’ll join us.
Yes, of course it is. That we don’t treat it that way is a sign of our worldliness, not a lack of clarity in the Bible. It seems that sometimes we like to think that all sins are equally bad. That way when we sin big we can equate our failure with failing to tithe on our herb garden. Other times we’re happy to affirm some sins are worse that others, so that we can claim our own sins are the little ones and those of others the big.
The Bible teaches that sex outside of marriage is wrong. Homosex adds to that sin an assault on nature. It adds perversity. Adultery avoids the perversity charge, but carries with it the betrayal of the spouse. From that perspective, having neither perversity nor betrayal, why should fornication be considered so bad? One could argue in certain circumstances it’s little more than getting things a bit out of order, a cart before the horse failure. And if marriage actually follows, doesn’t that erase the problem?
No, it doesn’t. Fornication is common among unbelievers. It is not supposed to be among believers. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, citizens of a city drenched in sexual immorality,
I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person (I Cor. 5:9-11).
How serious does the Bible take this sin? Believers are not to so much as share a meal with someone professing to be a Christian who is practicing this sin. How seriously do we, even those not practicing fornication, take this sin? Not very. What would happen to those fornicating believers if the rest of us believers refused to keep company with them? Our sin in failing to obey God in how we respond to professing believers who openly practice fornication includes us in our own guilt.
It, however, gets worse. In the very next chapter Paul writes,
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God (I Cor. 6:9-11).
It’s bad enough not being invited to dinner. But Paul tells us those who practice such things will miss out on the marriage feast of the Lamb, that they will be on the outside of paradise looking in. The list, of course, includes more than mere fornicators. But it does not exclude them. The list, happily, is not about those who have ever committed any of these sins. Such is true of every one of us. It is the “practice” of these sins that serves as evidence of a lack of saving faith. To “practice” these sins is to embrace them without repentance. It isn’t to fall in a battle of temptation, but to plan and plot, to establish a pattern, to grow comfortable with the sin.
Whole swaths of the formerly evangelical church are now openly embracing the culture’s embrace of sexual perversity. Many that have stood firm, however, have already given up addressing the sin of fornication for fear of losing audience. Paul not only knew such fear, but commands of all of us that we press on, that we, for the sake of practicing fornicators who profess to believe, tell them the hard but loving truth that it can’t be both. Relationships will be broken, to be sure. But God and His Word will be honored. He is right, always, while we, in not agreeing with Him, are wrong.
Obedience is a rather narrow road. Disobedience, on the other hand, has a great, sweeping plain of options. Because we are like the Pharisees, we find it easy to convert the law of God into sundry sins of omission. We’re much better at not doing what we’re not supposed to do than we are at doing what we’re supposed to do. Thus, we reduce the Sabbath to all the things we’re not allowed to do. We work at fine-tuning the definition of “work” so we can make sure we don’t do it on the Sabbath. In so doing, as is our wont, we miss the point. Were we to divide the Ten Commandments not according to duties toward God and duties toward man, as many do, but instead on the basis of prohibitions and commands, the Sabbath commandment would end up with the commands. It is less about what we are forbidden to do and more about what we are commanded to do.
First, believe it or not, the Sabbath commandment commands us to work. “Six days shalt thou labor” isn’t an interesting prelude designed merely to set the context for the command to come. It is a command in itself. We’re supposed to be busy with the work set before us. We are to be passionately pursuing the kingdom of God. We are to recognize that we live in the not-yet of the kingdom. Not all enemies have yet been made a footstool. We have not yet fully exercised dominion over the creation. The reign of Jesus is not yet universally recognized. The Westminster Shorter Catechism asks, “How does Christ execute the office of a king?” Its answer: “Christ executes the office of a king in subduing us to Himself, in ruling and defending us and in restraining and conquering all His and our enemies.” As we rule with and under Him, this is the work we are called to — seeking His kingdom, making manifest His reign.
Second, as the Sabbath commandment moves to the day of observance, it does not command that we refrain from work — it’s far more profound: we are to rest. We think we are keeping the commandment if we refuse gallantly to do any of the work that is piling up and causing us to lose sleep at night. Instead, we are sinning. Rest isn’t just ceasing from working; it is also ceasing from worrying. It’s not easy. Indeed, in a manner of speaking, rest, especially ceasing from worry, is hard work. It takes discipline and fortitude to let go of all that has us worried.
We have not succeeded if our worries are more pious, either. That is, we aren’t failing to keep the Sabbath when we worry about the big meeting at work on Monday, but successfully keeping it when we are worried about our persistent failure to mortify that particular sin that so troubles us. Worry is worry, and it has no place in our Sabbath celebration. The Lord’s Day is a feast day and should be treated as such.
We rejoice and we get over our worries when we come to understand that the Lord’s Day is that time when we leave the “not yet” of the kingdom, and enter into the “already.” Is it not the case that the defining quality of eternity is the blessing of drawing near to the living God? When we feast at His Table, is He not declaring His blessing upon us? Is He not blessing and keeping, lifting up His countenance, making His face shine, being gracious unto us? Is He not lifting up His countenance on us? Is He not giving us peace?
When we worry about the more mundane things, we are failing to heed the call of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount to set aside those worries, to not be like the Gentiles. We are called instead to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. When we worry about more spiritual matters, especially our own sins, we are missing the very heart of all Lord’s Day preaching — we, the repentant, are forgiven in Christ. We have, by His sovereign grace, succeeded in our quest — we have received His righteousness.
Sabbath, then, is shalom, and shalom is Sabbath. We have rest because we have peace. We have peace because we have rest. We have both because Jesus is not just Lord of the Sabbath and the Prince of Peace but is also our Sabbath, our Peace.
There is a right way to keep the Sabbath in our context. There is a right answer to this question that divides us. In the end, however, whatever position we take with respect to the Sabbath, whether we believe this law to have been abrogated in the new covenant, or whether we believe it to have been altered in the new covenant, or whether we maintain the passionate commitment of our Puritan fathers, the key question is ultimately the gospel question: Are we resting in the finished work of Christ? The most faithful Sabbath keeper will in the end be the most joyful Sabbath keeper. Sabbath, in the end, isn’t something to be observed but something to be celebrated. And we celebrate not merely a day off from work. We celebrate the victory of our King. We are of good cheer, for He has overcome the world. And we reign with Him.
* I recognize that there is also disagreement about which day we should be observing the Sabbath on. It is an important issue, but not what this particular piece is about. If you want to debate which day, give it a rest. 😉
The Bible is God’s Word. God’s Word tells us that God is one, “Hear O Israel, the Lord thy God, the Lord is one” (Deut. 6:4). Since God is one, of a piece, not divided against Himself, then we know that God’s Word is one, of a piece, not divided against itself. Despite this we often find ourselves in disputes with other believers about what the Bible truly teaches. There is actually something quite beautiful when two people share a conviction that whatever the Bible teaches must be true, even when they disagree about what it teaches. That said, there is something wildly off when two believers play “dueling verses.” This is what happens when each person in the debate seeks to clobber their opponent with Bible verses, while bravely, like Rocky taking a beating, being clobbered by Bible verses from their opponent. It is great when both sides recognize the Bible is the one effective weapon for the battle. It’s not so great when they both think the best way to answer one verse is quoting a different verse.
Paul’s teaching on justification, faith and works doesn’t trump James’ teaching on justification, faith and works. Nor the other way around. To discern what God’s Word says we must at least come to the place where our understanding of both texts are compatible. There may be more work yet to do. One thing we know, however, is that if our understanding of one text contradicts our understanding of another text, then we don’t rightly understand at least one of the texts. It is as certain as the Bible is true.
There are, beyond James and Paul, old and ancient battles we can study to see the futility of dueling verses. Those who believe God is sovereign over our salvation have their favorite proof texts. Those who believe men determine their own end, on the other hand, have their favorite proof texts. If my understanding of my text contradicts your understanding of your text, that doesn’t mean we cry “MYSTERY!” and move on. Instead we check our differing understanding of the differing texts and seek to both understand them in their own context and in the broader context of the other text. That God calls all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30), for instance, needs to be understood in a way that is consistent with the truth that no one comes to Jesus unless the Father draws him (John 6:44). The notion that Acts 17:30 teaches that men, in themselves have the capacity to come to repentance is a. not in the text b. unwarranted and c. not true, says the believer in God’s sovereignty. The Arminian, on the other hand, argues that God draws everyone.
Which solution is superior? The first one. First, it is grounded in simple grammar. It doesn’t alter the text but merely stops an unspoken assumption from sneaking past us. Second, if the Father draws all men, why bother mentioning it? “No one comes to Me unless the Father draws him. That said, He draws everyone” makes no sense in context.
My goal, however, is not to, in this brief piece, settle this old intramural debate. Rather it is to remind us of the rules of engagement. You don’t defeat one text with another. We instead integrate all texts together.
The world, Paul tells us, knows what’s coming. He not only highlights the universal guilt of all men, but ironically defines that guilt as the denial of what we know. We know that there is a God, and that we fail to meet His standard. We know, in short, that we are in trouble. But, we seek to suppress that truth in unrighteousness. The lexical background of the Greek word “suppress” suggests something like a heavy, metal spring that we try to hold down as long as we can. I believe, however, that we get closer to the spirit of our sin if we see ourselves, as God is speaking to us, running about with our fingers in our ears shouting “LA LA LA LA LA I can’t hear you.”
Consider how unbelievers in the west tend to live their lives. They may not have their fingers in their ears, but they likely have their earbuds in their ears. We surround ourselves constantly with noise. At work we have talk radio on. In the car we play music. When we get home we turn on the television where we are distracted with our eyes as well as our ears. We hyper-schedule our days, moving from one thing that demands our attention to another, our smart phones buzzing and beeping our daily orders. We don’t, in the west, take the time to think, because we don’t want to face not just the hard lesson of life under the sun- life is short and then you die, but the much harder lesson of life lived under the Son- life is short, then you die, and hell lasts forever.
We who have, by His grace been redeemed, however, our lives are much different, aren’t they? We don’t need the constant noise of pop culture to drown out our own thoughts. We are busy speaking to one another in Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. We are meditating day and night on the glory, the richness, the beauty of the Word of God. We, who have already received the Pearl of Great Price, who have been promised eternal blessing and the drying of every tear want nothing more than opportunity for silence so that we can enter into the fullness of the gospel of our Lord. We want quiet that we might contemplate the peace. We seek out our prayer closets that we might give thanks.
Wait. Is that what we do? Is that how we live? Or are we instead mirror images of our neighbors? We might, if we are pious, order our pop culture from the PG side of the menu. We might carve out twenty minutes of quiet for prayer and contemplation. But we still are consumed with consuming pop culture, with surrounding ourselves with noise, and for much the same reason.
Now to be sure we know we will not suffer for all eternity. That is our neighbor’s fear, not our own. The fears that plague us are much more tame. We worry about our retirement accounts. We worry about our job security. We worry about the economy and the Middle East. We worry about our reputations, what people say and think about us. We worry so much that we worry about what we’ll worry about when we get to heaven.
The heathen know from creation itself that their Creator will bring judgment down on them. We on the other hand, have been given a book. This book tells us about His grace. It tells us about all that is ours in Christ, that everything that He brings into our lives is for our good and His glory. It tells us on every page that He loves us, by name, with an everlasting love, and that nothing can thwart His will. Which means we should be at peace. We should set aside our worries. We should remove our fingers from our ears that we might hear the music of the rolling spheres magnifying His name. We should no longer cry out LA LA LA LA I can’t hear you, but “Speak Lord, for Your servant hears.”
What we need, as we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, is to be still, and know that He is God. We don’t need to turn up the volume of His revelation, but turn off the noise. We don’t need Him to make bigger promises. We need to have eyes to see what He has already promised. We don’t need better, cleaner noise than the heathen. We need silence.
When we stop, when we take a deep breath, when we rest, when we put to death our vain desires, vain imaginings, vain distractions, when in fact we not only quit the rat race, but finish the race He has set before us, when we draw our last breath, we will hear with perfect clarity what He has been saying to us from the moment we were reborn- This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased. And then, heavenly choirs of angels promising, “And He shall reign forever and ever.” Seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Tonight we continue our look at the monumental, towering book of Romans. All are welcome to our home at 7 est, or you may join us for dinner at 6:15. We will also stream the study at Facebook, RC-Lisa Sproul. We hope you’ll join us.
