Why am I writing all these crazy things? It's a cri du coeur…….
I know the Theonomists scoff at this question, but they are wrong to do so because they read the Bible wrongly…seeing Christ through the lens of Moses. It's like looking through binoculars the wrong way making the object tiny in the distance…..
But the question is…….Where on the pages of the New Testament do you have a single command or notion from Paul, Christ, or anyone that to be citizens of the heavenly Kingdom we are to go out and either try and conquer the world through political and cultural means?
There are more than a few verses against this. There are large paradigm arguments against this, but there are no verses to support it.
Make disciples of all nations? Right, make Christians in all nations…not just Israel. Is there another verse?
Render unto Caesar?
Somehow D James Kennedy seemed to think that means we have to vote. I'm sure that's just when Jesus had in mind.
Actually that verse is a flagship, a billboard verse for Two Kingdom theology. He's showing we live in both and never shall the twain meet. Don't ever confuse them.
Why am I writing all these things?
I don't care about being labeled Reformed and I acknowledge most Reformed people today would not even call me a brother for the things I have said in this article and the others.
But I do care…a little. It was the venue under which I operated for so long…something I really cared about. And it truly grieved me to see others perverting precious doctrines. Not that it doesn't now, but I came to understand it was the factional spirit, love of tradition, of a label, of belonging that made some of those things precious to me. When I began my pilgrimage to a better fuller understanding of the Kingdom of God…..I was happy to leave those things behind.
But I still care somewhat for the Reformed world. For there is such potential there…brilliant minds that can be used of God. Sadly some of the best minds….like Lee Irons, Shepherd, and the Federal Vision men….are being run out. They're gunning for each other and the hyper-Calvinistic Baptist Monocovenantal Middle that doesn't understand it's own tradition is trying to run them all out.
Instead I often think of the page on the Monergism website…something about the Hall of Contemporary Reformers. Don't get me wrong there are some good men there but if the future of Reformed Christianity depends on men who…
Think the Word of God is an eclectic text to be determined by scholars….
Think the instruction of the church is a place to try your Christian Vegas act….
And that our authority is subject to charismatic urgings….
Think somehow God is not glorified when we suffer in doing our duty out of obligation to others and to Him rather than a self focused, self-fulfillment mindset which leads us to talk a lot about ourselves and our feelings….
Thinks that Hyper-Calvinism and Baptistic Theology is Biblical....
Think that getting rich off of the people of God is a right application of not muzzling the ox….
Think the church is a mega-corporation and treat it like one……
Allow foul mouthed fascist women to attend their church which offers Jazz services…..
Think that leading the Congress in prayer is something to boast of….
Thinks the church is the venue to have partisan political rallies, and to associate with corrupt propaganda lobbying ministries……or to put it another way…that we need more Sacralization….
Then Reformed Christianity is effectively done. If this is the future, if these men think they are by any stretch of the imagination something like Historic Reformed Christianity, then it's all over anyway. I'm not saying those men aren't Christians… I have no idea. That's not for me to say. Some of them I think have many good things to say….but if that's the future, then the state of things in the Church will only get worse.
Yes I am trying to stir the pot…I am trying to upset people. I probably won't even get anyone to read what I have written, but I have to try.
If even a few people start to think it through we might have something more than a remnant in a generation. I know we're having a resurgence of Calvinism right now…
But it's Baptistic Sacralism……..The usual American variety and flavour. Theologically things are getting worse, and the things that need to be abandoned are being retained and enhanced.
I have a vision of a Church……..not a romantic vision, it's not pretty as we might reckon it. But it was people in a hostile context, very conscious of who they were and what Kingdom they served, trying to live by the Word, not a system, and were willing to live with the consequences. That's living by Faith alone.