…when we love God, we obey him. The moralist doesn’t operate that way. While true obedience is a result of love, moralistic legalism assumes it works the other way around, that love results from obedience. From the standpoint of moralistic legalism, root issues aren’t of utmost importance; appearing obedient is. The moralist is far more interested in external actions, which still gives sin quarters in his heart. Moralistic, therapeutic deism is fine with sin hiding in a foxhole. The gospel wants to nuke the hole. As long as bad behavior is not visible or tangible, the moralist will tolerate some of what Jerry Bridges calls “respectable sins.” A moralist is not on the hunt; he’s not aggressively seeking to destroy that which is evil in him but is content to simply wash his hands.
—The Explicit Gospel, by Matt Chandler
Moralism
American Holocaust
Ray Comfort’s 30-minute movie, 180. Powerful.
You can also watch this at http://www.180movie.com.
Christ is Risen
Many years ago, a friend and I took a day trip to Colonial Williamsburg. While there, we found this gravestone at Burton Parish Cemetery for one Ann Burges, wife of Rev. Henry John Burges, who died on Christmas day while giving birth to their daughter, who is buried with Ann. Despite the pain of being faced with such tragedy, Henry was able to compose this beautiful epitaph displaying his sure confidence in the promise of resurrection according to the Gospel, the good news about Jesus the Christ.
Here sleeps in Jesus united to Him by Faith and the Graces of a Christian life, all the was Mortal of Mrs. Ann Burges, once the tender and affectionate Wife of the Reverend Henry John Burges, of the Isle of Wight. She died 25th December 1771 in giving Birth to an Infant Daughter, who rests in her Arms. She here waits the transforming Moment when the Trump of God shall call her Forth to Glory, Honor & Immortality. Oh Death where is thy Sting? Oh Grave where is thy Victory?
I love seeing such assurance as it emboldens us to continue our mission to share the message of Christ’s victory over sin, Satan and death, his peace-giving appeasement of God’s just wrath and judgement against us who have rebelled against him, and the forgiveness and new life these we can now enjoy by following Jesus.
Don’t Judge Me, Bro!
There are many judgmental people in this world. Most of them spend their time pointing out how judgmental other people are.
The popular thing to do on Facebook recently is to repost a picture of Jesus giving the Sermon on the Mount. Captions have been added so that Jesus says, “Okay, here’s an idea. You love them, like I loved you. Feed them, clothe them, and shelter them, and let me deal with judging them.” The people respond, “But what if they’re gay or worship other gods?” To which Jesus replies (in the voice of none other than Samuel Jackson), “DID I STUTTER?”
On the surface, I believe it’s a great message. Many Christians have been less than winsome in their communication of the gospel in word and deed, spreading self-righteous condemnation rather than the good news of God’s grace. I agree that we should love our neighbor as ourselves, regardless of religion, sexuality, or any other factor. After all, Jesus was a friend of sinners and tax collectors (Matthew 9:10-11). He also was opposed to the religiously indignant, often calling them hypocrites, a brood of vipers, and sons of Satan (Matthew 23:16-26). The picture spreading on Facebook was meant to be aimed at the same type of people.
But while we Christians should be kind and loving towards those who believe and behave differently than us, it is completely unloving not to warn them of God’s judgement. The picture rightly assumes that Jesus is the righteous Judge (Acts 10:42; John 5:22; Revelation 6:10). But has our view of Jesus the Judge been so skewed by pop culture, clichés, and sentimentalism that we forget just how bad that news is to our neighbors, friends and acquaintances who don’t know Jesus as savior? The fact is, God the Judge has declared all forms of sexual deviancy, including homosexuality, to be sin and that those who practice it will not be part of God’s eternal kingdom (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). The fact is, the wrath and condemnation of God the Judge is upon all who reject Jesus as God and savior (John 3:18; Acts 4:12; Revelation 20:11-15). The most hateful thing we can do to those whom we know do not have Christ is to remain silent about Jesus the Judge and all that it entails.
We are called to love our neighbor—that is, everybody. We are also called to share the gospel—all of it. This includes the part about the wrath of God being upon those who reject Jesus as Lord. The question is, how to balance the two? We don’t want to be jerks about it, but neither do we want our friends to think God is ok with their sin and for them to go to hell because of our silence.
Let us no longer hide behind this charade of nonjudgmentalism and instead love our neighbors by graciously warning them of the coming of Jesus the Judge and his wrath towards sinners, and then telling them about the good news of Jesus the Messiah who takes away wrath and gives Life and peace with God.
’Tis Not That I Did Choose Thee
One of many hymns written by Josiah Conder in the 17th century.
’Tis not that I did choose Thee,
For Lord, that could not be;
This heart would still refuse Thee,
Hadst Thou not chosen me.
Thou from the sin that stained me
Hast cleansed and set me free;
Of old Thou hast ordained me,
That I should live to Thee.’Twas sov’reign mercy called me
And taught my opening mind;
The world had else enthralled me,
To heav’nly glories blind.
My heart owns none before Thee,
For Thy rich grace I thirst;
This knowing, if I love Thee,
Thou must have loved me first.
A more modern rendition, put to music by Na Band in their album Looked Upon (Sovereign Grace Music):
My Lord, I did not choose You,
For that could never be;
My heart would still refuse You,
Had You not chosen me.
You took the sin that stained me,
You cleansed me, made me new;
Of old You have ordained me,
That I should live in You.Unless Your grace had called me
And taught my op’ning mind,
The world would have enthralled me,
To heav’nly glories blind.
My heart knows none above You;
For Your rich grace I thirst;
I know that if I love You,
You must have loved me first.
