When in Rome, Do What the Bereans Do

I saw a Bible tie-in today I hadn’t noticed before. When studying the Scripture, it is interesting to know what Moses or Jesus or Paul did, but it is more valuable to know how their actions tie into our present lives as believers. When I read through Acts seventeen this morning, I noticed that the unbelieving Jews in Thessalonica used the Roman law to accuse Paul. In verses seven and thirteen, they said Paul was teaching what was contrary to the decrees of Caesar.

It is ironic that the Jews would use that approach since God’s first commandment was to have no other gods before Him. That would seem to put them in a position contrary to the decrees of Caesar as well. It is true that there were times in Roman/Jewish relations that Rome allowed the Jews to practice their religion, but it is disingenuous to try to use the Roman law to indict someone with whom they disagreed. The Jews in Corinth tried the same tactic, and the authority there saw through their hypocrisy and summarily dismissed them.

Here's the tie-in. There is a cult of secular humanism in America that is trying to use the law to squelch Christian beliefs and practices. Sometimes they twist an existing law to serve their purpose. They did this years ago when they banned Bible reading and prayer in public schools. They claimed such activities violated the establishment clause of the First Amendment. Ironically, their actions violated the free expression clause of the same Amendment. At our country’s beginning, the freedom to practice one’s religion in public or in private was one of the pillars of the Founding Fathers' beliefs. They were rebelling against the state sponsored religions in the countries many of them had fled. Allowing free expression is not the same as establishing a state religion.

When the secular humanists cannot use an existing law to promote their agenda, they write new ones. Much of the cancel culture we are forced to live under today is based on regulations that were invented to protect imaginary victims – victims who are practicing things that the Scripture forbids. For example, same sex marriage, transgenderism, and all sorts of sexual perversion is now protected by law. Worse, these things are being promoted in popular media and in the public schools at ridiculously young ages.

Sadly, secular humanists are not the only people using their brand of religion to promote an unbiblical agenda. Entire denominations of formerly orthodox Christians have come under the spell of the secular humanist teachings. They have chosen to abandon Scripture and ordain homosexual ministers and bless same sex marriages. Individuals from these apostate churches openly support politicians who lobby for free access to abortion and attack conservatives who attempt to limit or eliminate it.

Unbelievers everywhere are dictating what Christians can and cannot do by twisting or enacting laws that support their views. The media is full of stories of Christians being dragged to court just like the Jews did to Paul. Sometimes we get a judge who, like the proconsul in Athens, sees through their schemes. More often, Christians are forbidden to practice biblical behavior because of some new “offended” class of citizens. This is especially egregious when those who call themselves Christians support that kind of travesty.

We will find ourselves in disobedience to the Word if when in Rome we do as the Romans do. We need to adopt the stance of the Bereans in Acts 17. They listened to Paul, and despite the accusations of the unbelieving Jews, they searched the Scriptures to see what was true. When the Islamic radicals attacked in 2001, many Christians wondered if it was an act of judgment by God. I wondered similarly when I wrote “Today’s Chaldean Chastisement” about the COVID 19 pandemic. At the very least, we must keep our own behavior in line with Scripture. Whenever possible, I believe we do our fellow citizens a favor by attempting to stay true to the principles on which our country was founded. Remember: everyone in Judah suffered when God exiled them to Babylon. We could use a few people like Moses’ friend Phinehas. If we keep acting like Romans instead of Bereans, we will not escape the potential judgment that may be coming sooner rather than later.

Related posts: Today’s Chaldean Chastisement; The Winnowing Fork of God; Paging Phinehas Eleazar

Calvinist or Arminian

I have written previously about the controversy between Calvinists and Arminians. This month is the 405^th anniversary of the Synod of Dort which settled the controversy in the Netherlands: the Arminians were evicted from their pulpits. This explains why the Dutch Reformed Church is staunchly Calvinist as well as the many other denominations that sprang from the same Reformation soil. Most Baptist-type churches are Calvinist to varying degrees. Methodists, Wesleyans, Nazarenes, and Seventh-day Adventists are Arminian.

The controversy which takes its name from the Swiss reformer, John Calvin, and the Dutch theologian, Jacob Arminius, is actually centuries older than these men. Augustine debated with Pelagius over much the same subject in the Fifth century. As I see it, the central issue of the dispute is whether humans can come to faith and therefore salvation on their own, or whether God must do something first to draw them to Himself. This leads to the question of whether people can come to faith but later fall away and lose their salvation. This question is what most people today think of as the Calvinist/Arminian debate.

In “Understanding the TULIP Doctrine,” I briefly explained Calvinism. “The five basic tenets of Calvinism have long been summarized as the TULIP doctrines, an acronym taken from the major tenets: total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverance of saints. There are those who consider themselves “five-point” Calvinists, meaning they hold firmly to each of the TULIP principles. Others pick and choose among the tenets of Calvinism to construct their own brand.” As I said, perseverance of the saints, commonly known as “once saved, always saved,” is the item over which most people debate. Unconditional election also bothers some people; I discussed this aspect of Calvinism in some depth in “Election: God’s Choice.”

It was election that bothered Arminius. It is possible to read Calvin and come away thinking God predestines some people to salvation and some to condemnation. Arminius couldn’t stomach that because he felt it made God the author of sin – an obvious contradiction to Scripture. There are those who do believe in what is called double predestination today and would have Arminius turning over in his grave. Calvin’s teachings have been shaded and shifted over the centuries since he lived making the term “Calvinism” almost irrelevant. You need to dig into what people mean by the label to know what they really believe.

If I haven’t bored you into scrolling on yet (bless your heart), I am going to explain the value of this history lesson – WHAMM. I believe with all my heart that there will be Calvinists and Arminians in Heaven. Like all of us who make it to our eternal home with God, there will be some adjustments and corrections to our theology. Perhaps some of the tears God will wipe away will be from people discovering that, sadly, they were wrong all their lives about some point of theology. The debate I have described that began in the early centuries of the church and continues today is not one that will keep anyone out of Heaven in my opinion. There are radicals in both camps who may disagree with me on that, but I think I have the truth of Scripture on my side.

The reason I plodded through all this is to make a point we all need to understand: Jesus didn’t say the world would know we are His because of our brilliant doctrine; He said our love for one another (and our neighbors) would show that we belong to Christ. I made the point in Lead a Horse to Water that Christians bickering over what seem to unbelievers to be arcane theological issues might be one of the biggest hinderances to faith. It also causes some to doubt our claim that the Word of God is true and infallible. When we air our differences publicly, it appears to outsiders that we are denying that claim.

As I have written previously, sometimes fellow believers must agree to disagree. The final disposition of that agreement must be to continue to behave in a loving manner toward those with whom we disagree. I should clarify this by saying that I am not talking about compromising on essentials. I will firmly disagree with anyone who says God is not the sovereign creator or Jesus is not the co-equal, co-eternal God/Son/Savior, or that the Word of God is not absolute truth, etc. Some things are beyond debate and are essential and necessary to a proper understanding of God.

If you have read this far, you may be asking what I believe. Since I covered that in “Understanding the TULIP Doctrine,” I will leave it to my readers to seek an answer there. I will say this much: I will strive to love all people whether I agree with them or not. As I said in Loving Biblically. “Christian, biblical love must abound in knowledge and discernment if we aim to be sincere and blameless. To know how God loves, we have to dig deeply into the Bible and ferret out the true measure of divine love; it is a mix of caring, compassion and judgment. The most difficult thing to grasp is that God’s love involves discernment – judgment.” I am not God; I do not get to condemn (judge) people. However, if I am sincere in my faith, I must use discernment. That may mean I will disagree with some people. I will still love them – biblically – Calvinists or Arminians.

Related Posts: Election: God’s Choice; Disagree Agreeably; Understanding the TULIP Doctrine; Loving Biblically

Imitation of Christ

One of Christianity’s best-known thinkers and writers is read around the world, yet he never traveled far from his adoptive home in the Netherlands. Thomas Van Kempen, better known as Thomas `a Kempis, lived and died a few years before the Reformation which had strong supporters in his birthplace. He was a life-long member of a group called the Brethren of the Common Life, an early attempt to reform the Roman church. According to one source, “They believed that Christianity should be practiced not only in formal religious settings, but also in everyday life, and they sought to promote a practical spirituality that emphasized personal piety and devotion.”

That sounds strikingly similar to the teachings of the New Testament, one of Thomas’ most frequently quoted sources. Unlike many of his contemporaries in scholarship, he looked for wisdom from Scripture rather than the teachings of the Roman church leadership. Needless to say, that did not sit well with those in authority. Thomas was never granted sainthood by the Catholic Church, but they did erect a monument dedicated to his memory in Zwolle where he spent most of his adult life. That monument was placed there on this day, November 11, 1897, over 400 years after he died. Hmm.

Thomas once said, “"If thou wilt receive profit, read with humility, simplicity, and faith, and seek not at any time the fame of being learned." He balanced that with this, "At the Day of Judgement we shall not be asked what we have read, but what we have done." (The Imitation of Christ, Book I, ch. 3) There is a clear echo here of James 1:25. “But the one who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues to do it, not being a forgetful hearer but a doer who acts, this one will be blessed.” That is “practical spirituality.” That is living the way Jesus instructed in His last words before the crucifixion: “You are my friends if you do what I command you…. These things I command you: that you love one another.”

Enough history. Why does any of this matter beyond remembering a worthy follower of Christ? It is because Solomon’s wisdom is being proven true every day. “There is nothing new under the sun.” What Solomon saw in Old Testament Israel, and Thomas `a Kempis saw over six hundred years ago is still going on today. There are millions of people in America who claim to be Christians, yet the only thing they do differently than their worldly friends is attend church services – sometimes. According to one poll, people who attend church two or three times a year still consider themselves to be “regular attenders.” I am not suggesting that church attendance is the truest measure of one’s faith, but it surely is one measure.

I have often said that if going to church makes you a Christian, then going to the garage makes you a car. We need to revive the spirit of Thomas `a Kempis and the Brethren of the Common Life. Among believers, it should be “common life” to “Live Out Loud” as Merideth Andrews sings. (Song lyrics here.) Silent Christians, secret Christians are not true Christians. “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another,” Jesus said. It is clear from the rest of the New Testament teaching that the love Jesus commanded was no secret. Hear the word of John: “Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.”

If we truly believe that Jesus is our only hope, then that belief, that faith must show itself in works. James again: “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.” James is also the one who said that it is not enough to profess faith in Christ; the demons do that. True faith shows itself in its works. It’s not that the works save us: “not from works so that no one can boast.” However, the Bible is clear: saving faith is testified to by works.

Some people asked Jesus about the works that could save them. His answer: “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.” Couple that with His statement that ^“When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.” The love we have for Jesus, the testimony to our faith in Him demands obedience. If you believe in Him, you will do what He commands. This is the imitation of Christ that Paul spoke of and which Thomas `a Kempis championed. Go thou and do likewise.

Related Posts: Necessary Obedience; The Patience of God; The Church Cannot Save the Lost

Chasing the Almighty Dollar

The Gospels tell the story of rich young ruler who came to Jesus for advice. (Matthew 19; Mark 10; Luke 18). “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” he asked. Of course, Jesus knew the heart of the man, but anyone listening carefully might have detected a wrong motive. The young man used a word from the legal jargon of the day: inherit (κληρονομέω). The word refers to the legal right of someone to inherit their share. He might as well have asked Jesus, “How can I get what’s coming to me?”

When Jesus gave the young man a simple answer, “Obey the commandments,” the response was perhaps a little arrogant: “I have done that.” To that Jesus replied with a scalpel that cut to the man’s heart problem. “Go and sell all you have and give to the poor.” We know the end of that exchange; the man left disappointed “for he was one who owned much property.” As the rich young man left, Jesus turned to His followers and said, “How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!”

The disciples were “amazed” at Jesus’ words. Their amazement revealed their faulty conception of God’s economy of blessing. The Jews of Jesus day believed that a person’s wealth represented blessing by God. Jesus corrected their misunderstanding by saying, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” He had just told them, “Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.” Adults in general would have difficulty stirring up the faith a child would have naturally. Rich adults have an even harder time because they have all their needs met, and abandoning their reliance on their wealth is hard. Hence Jesus’ analogy of the camel passing through the eye of a needle.

I notice that Jesus did not say it was impossible for a rich person to enter the Kingdom – just “hard.” Luke records the incident with Zacchaeus almost immediately after the tale of the rich young ruler. Perhaps the rich young ruler was from Jericho, and he went there after his encounter with Jesus. Maybe he shared his tale with his rich friend Zacchaeus. That might explain why Zacchaeus was so interested in seeing Jesus for himself. It might also explain why the rich tax collector immediately offered to give away his riches. This proves what Jesus said to his disciples on the heals of the rich young ruler’s disappointing behavior: “What is impossible with men is possible with God.” Zacchaeus heard God; the rich young ruler did not.

This helps to explain why the gospel is not being widely accepted in Western society. The gospel, the good news is that people can be saved from a disastrous future. Being comfortable and confident in their material prosperity, few people recognize any need to be saved. Couple this with the pervading opinion that humans are the highest order of being – there is no “higher power” – and you have a recipe for unconcerned unbelief. Compounding this attitude is the lack of belief in absolute truth; truth is whatever one wants to believe is true. The Christian claim to know the truth rings as hollow as the claim that people need to be saved.

My wife and I worked for several years in a ministry that served recovering addicts and persons returning to society after years of incarceration. Many of those individuals recognized the deep need in their lives and found satisfaction in the provision Jesus promised. One of the most compelling aspects of the gospel to these people was the unconditional love represented in the Cross of Christ. Many of them had never known what real love is, and the realization that God had sent His Son to die for their sin was extremely compelling. We saw lives changed, families reunited, new careers begun, and needs met in almost miraculous ways. Those folks came to realize that God loved them, and the love of the church community made it real to them.

 The great challenge for evangelism in a prosperous country like America is to identify needs that are not being met and show how the gospel meets those needs. The best way to do that is found in the biblical command to love God and love your neighbor. You don’t have to be an addict or a felon to need love and acceptance. Even the rich can feel empty and without purpose as evidenced by the fact that many wealthy people have admitted that money has not bought them happiness. Solomon said that every person senses that something is missing. Those of us who hear God know what that missing thing is. Our job is to help people see what they are missing. We need to convince people to stop chasing the dollar and to go after what they really need.

Related Posts: Abraham’s Promises – Solomon’s Rules; Do We Really Need God