The Balance Of Pure Religion

James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

James is opposed to a lazy Christianity. Throughout his writings he promotes the notion that Christian faith is an active faith. God's work in our lives flows from our work in His life. In this passage he teaches that Christian growth comes from active Christian experience. Simply put, good works produce spiritual change in our lives.

The word religion as used here is the practical behavior that springs from devotion to and worship of God. I will use it in that sense throughout this post. The word “visit” means: to go see a person with helpful intent. Affliction means: suffering brought on by outward circumstances. "Keep" is a word for personal discipline.

In previous verses James had highlighted the self-deception in religion that is so common among us, so in this verse he plainly states what pure God-accepted religion looks like so there can be no personal deception or mistake.

The two phrases that end this great verse are not connected by “and” in the text. Literally it says, “ To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, to keep himself unspotted from the world.” I point this out to illustrate the fact that these are not two independent actions. They are deeply associated with each other and the order is by design. One springs from the other.

Personal religious discipline that does not come from compassionate action is self-delusion. Probably one of the most common self-delusions. The self-test is easy: Does my personal religious discipline rise from my visits to help struggling orphans and widows? If I have never visited and/or helped orphans and widows then the answer is obvious, and my personal discipline may be cold and harsh because it does not flow from overwhelmed compassion. Read Jesus' comments in Matthew 23:23-28.

There is another side to this coin. Compassionate action without personal religious discipline is another form of self-delusion. This self-test is also easy and much like the other: Have my visits to help suffering orphans and widows led to greater religious discipline in my personal life? If the answer is no then my commitment to meeting the needs of orphans and widows is probably more about myself than them. Read Jesus' comments in Matthew 6:1-4.

When my personal discipline has a compassionate purpose there is balance in my soul. I will find that the needs of suffering people in this world are of such great magnitude that it overwhelms me, and the depth of religious discipline needed to fulfill the responsibility that compassion has laid upon me seems far beyond my ability. So my soul becomes overwhelmed with the burdens of love and I cry out to a God who is called Love, and who sent His son to visit me in my affliction and to keep Himself unspotted from the world. And... by sharing His burden I move closer to Him, and understand Him more than I ever have before... which leads me deeper into the struggle.

Evidence Of Corruption

Matthew 5:37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

I was visiting another country and noticed heavily armed police standing on almost every block. To me it was a bit alarming, but the friend I was visiting saw it completely different. When I asked him how he felt about armed police being almost everywhere he said it made him feel safe.

Both our views show an underlying reality about law and the enforcement of law: it is evidence of corruption. My friend was comforted because he felt protected from the threat of harm. I was alarmed because I was among people who must have officers with shotguns standing on every street to keep them from committing crimes.

This is Jesus’ point when He said, “for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.” He was speaking of the need to make people seal an agreement with a solemn oath to keep them honest. This need is evidence that “evil” is prevalent in a culture not the opposite. The culture Jesus was living in was proud of their extensive laws and brutal law enforcement, but Jesus was proving to them that righteousness is not at the end of that path.

Some folks think the more laws and enforcement we have the better our society will be. But that is upside down thinking. This thinking is evidence that serious corruption already exists, not the opposite. It is also evidence of a fatalistic view that the people we live among cannot be restrained by any other means, and therefore our culture is heavily slanted toward corruption. I am not arguing that it should or can be different, just pointing to the truth Jesus was communicating. The idea that law will bring a culture to righteousness is evidence of a deeper corruption: a misunderstanding of who God is and how this world works.

President Obama & Governor Romney: Two Sides Of The Same Coin

There is a God. This is where all human thought should begin. But there is a sort of religious humanism that is revealing itself in our land, perhaps now more than ever. It is a kind of practical atheism or man based theology with political victory as its primary motive. It is upside down theology, with man at the top and God at the bottom. This confusion is deadly to a culture.

It is not surprising that many conservative Christian writers attack President Obama for his stance on the economy, homosexuality, abortion, gun control, Supreme Court nominations, etc. Many of these writers support Governor Romney because he is somewhat on the other side of these issues. Then, strangely, he is given a pass by many Christian writers on his Mormon theology.

David Barton with Wallbuilders, a Christian political action organization, recently said, “So why do we have a question here? Because he's (Romney) a Mormon? Hey, we've got to get past labels. Just like Obama's Christian label means nothing, Romney's Mormon label means nothing.” I wonder if Mr. Barton would shop in a grocery store that refused to put labels on any of their products. Labels are used to explain in brief what it is we are buying. Labels mean something, especially when someone chooses a label for themselves. Mr. Romney chose to label himself a Republican... that means something. He also freely chose to label himself Mormon... that also means something.

Anyone who knows much about Mormon theology knows it is a confusing sort of humanistic pantheism (a man-like god and deified men and women). It is not like Mr. Romney doesn't know this since he is a Mormon priest and former missionary. He has affirmed his unquestioning commitment to Mormon theology repeatedly.

Attempting to remove the corruption in our culture without addressing the corrupt theology behind it is like a firefighter attempting to put out a fire while ignoring the arsonist who is spraying gasoline on the fire. I realize our country is founded on religious freedom and I support that freedom along with Mr. Romney's right to run and folks to support and vote for him. But religious freedom is not a perfect answer to the problems that plague mankind. We are still accountable to the Creator for our beliefs as well as our actions.

While our constitution supports our freedom to define God as we wish it cannot free us from the consequences of doing so. There is a God and, based on the Bible, He doesn't give us unfettered freedom to redefine His existence. While Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, had the constitutional freedom to define his god as he wished, the Creator of this world did not give him or his followers freedom from judgment for their corruption of His revelation. Mormonism is not the only theological corruption out there, but this election has clearly put the issue of theological differences in the headlines with Mormonism at the center of the debate.

So which is more important? Theological corruption or social corruption. Well actually they are both linked in a cause and effect relationship in Romans 1:18-32. It is easy to find the cause and effect terms in this section of scripture. When a certain condition exists: Romans 1:19-23; 1:25; 1:28  then a certain action is taken: Romans 1:24; 1:26-32. Based on this passage, when we see a corrupt culture we know that the cause is God's judgment on corrupt theology. Our country is not facing judgment, the corruption in our culture indicates we are already under judgment, and changing laws will not free us from that judgment. The evidence is all around us, and some among us continue to spray gasoline on the fire. Some, like President Obama, support laws to let the fire burn, while others, like Governor Romney, redefine God's revelation of Himself and spray fuel on the fire. Two sides of the same coin...

Romans 1 teaches that what we believe about God is the primary factor in our earthly relationship with Him, and the health of our culture is dependent on correct belief about God. The equation in Romans 1 is simple: corrupt theology leads to a corrupt culture. And our whole culture is in this together. There is no part of our nation that is free from the stain of judgment. There is also no part of our culture that is free from rejection of the notion that theological corruption is behind our current condition. In fact, I fear that the most common reaction in our country to the notion of the primacy of Theology in a culture is rejection.

If what I have stated is true, then we are at an impasse that politics and voting cannot change. This is unacceptable to many people. They want to believe that we can, in our own strength, change our condition. Romans 1 teaches us that the only way to reach those heights of change is to realize how far we have fallen into His judgment and, as fallen creatures, rest in God's strength to free us from this judgment through His Gospel. Romans 1:16-19

Is It A Sin Not To Vote?

Matthew 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

I guess the 11th commandment is now “thou shalt vote!” At least that’s what it seems in article after article written by various pastors and pundits with the express purpose of motivating Christians to vote for a favored candidate. Every time I read, “not voting is a sin” I shudder. The use of a persons faith to try to force them to do something based on fear is... well... cheap... a cheap religious trick. Our faith should be more valuable to us than that.

The outline usually goes like this: we are told that if we don't vote it is sin and then come arguments intended to persuade us to chose their candidate as the “lesser of two evils”. Some even try to make us think they are being objective. These writers basically try to convince us that one candidate is far too evil for our vote. Some firmly state they would never vote for such a candidate under any circumstances. I'm glad I'm already a Christian because if I wasn't then profane antics like this would cause me to avoid Christianity.

Instead of two evils they really give us a choice of three: Evil number 1: Not to vote for either candidate. Evil number 2: Vote for candidate one. Evil number 3: Vote for candidate two (the really evil one).

Some even seem to imply that evil number 1, not voting, is the greatest evil… but that doesn't seem to be supported by their logic. What if the only candidates were the one they would never vote for and one even worse. In that case they would be forced to choose sin number one and not vote at all. (I expect sin #1 would all the sudden lose its place as the 11th commandment)

But what if some folks have already come to the conclusion that both candidates have certain evils in their lives, beliefs, or policies which render them unworthy of their vote? Most people have a line of morality or principle over which they will not step to vote. Could it be that the question of voting or not voting is, for some thoughtful sincere people, a profound matter of conscience?

Might there be a time when the system has, or candidates have, become so corrupt that people of good conscience believe their only recourse is to not vote, but to pray that God’s grace will see us through the dark time? Some may intend to send a message to their political party by not voting.

Voting is a matter of conscience… and some of us still believe in liberty of conscience. I know I do, and I will not support a contrived religious doctrine intended to impede that liberty.

The Descent Into Christ-less Religion

John 3:25 Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying.

In a recent post I discussed the defection of some of the disciples of John the Baptist. The dispute in verse 25 happened some time after John had pointed his disciples to Jesus. When some of his disciples failed to move from following him to Jesus they began a descent into Christ-less religion.

Christ-less religion must have something to fill the empty space and time. What better filler than an argument about purification and the law. When Christ is not leading in the labor of the day religionists will always provide a list of fillers for the empty hours ahead. Fillers that only give the illusion that something worthwhile is really happening. If one tires of arguments about purification then culture and politics are always available for a good argument, lecture, or article. What are those Herodians up to anyway?

In vital Christianity Jesus is always leading in the work of the day. And there is always more to do than can be accomplished. Jesus is working in this world... right now. While productive Christians do have their arguments, those exercises take place while they work together in the fields of the Savior. It is the hard work that will keep them together, focus their efforts, temper their arguments, and sometimes silence them in shame as they look at the work that remains undone.

The Well Of Religion Is Too Deep

John 4:11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?

13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:

In this historical account Jesus met a woman by an ancient water-well. To illustrate a truth in the ensuing discussion Jesus contrasted the water-well to living water, which is water flowing on the surface of the ground coming from an artesian well. The well is a metaphor for human religion, and living water was used to represent the everlasting salvation which comes freely though a faith relationship with Jesus by His Gospel.

In the metaphor of the water-well we find the marks of salvation-less religion.  If your religion has these characteristics, then you can be sure it is not the salvation offered by Jesus and illustrated by the metaphor of living water.

First of all, “the well is deep.” The water of salvation in religion is always out of reach to the thirsty person who walks up to the well needing a drink. A person who is thirsty for righteousness and looks for salvation in man-made religion will never find it flowing freely on the surface within reach.

Second, “Sir, thou has nothing to draw with.” Gaining salvation by religion will always take something more than a person has available. Thirsty travelers will have to go to someone in that religion to gain the tools needed to reach the water. But even with the tools the water always seems to remain out of reach. The depth of the well creates an economic niche for religion, but leaves the thirsty traveler unsatisfied. Christ Jesus offers tool-less access to the water of life. He died and rose from the dead to bring the water close... because without Him the water is too deep for any of us to access.

Third, “Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:” Even when you know how deep you have to go for water, and have the tools to get there, human religion cannot give you a lasting, sure salvation. You find yourself chained to the deep well of religion by a reoccurring thirst for righteousness which religion can never quench. The process never ends... even when you purchase a golden bucket with a silk rope. In the Gospel we have all the righteousness we will ever need.

In the salvation Jesus offers, you go straight to Him for it, and He gives it freely. You don’t need anything but gospel faith, and you only have to go to Him once. He gives living water, an everlasting artesian well within you. It goes where you go. His salvation is free and eternal.

Mercy... It's In God's Hands

Psalm 94:18 When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up.

In God’s justice there is no choice or liberty for the accused. There is no help for the condemned. God's Justice is solid, unquestionable, irreversible, unchangeable… absolute. A person is tried by a perfect law, and judgment flows from an absolute purity in God called Holiness.

But since God's Grace and Mercy entered the scenario of life nothing has been solid in this existence except God, His Word, and His Sovereignty over the affairs of life. Life's experiences under Mercy's rule are fluid, questionable, reversible, changeable… mysterious to us. We can be forgiven...

The first man Adam, who justice condemned to die the very day he broke God's law, was, by God's mercy, allowed to live… but... for how long, and to what extent would he now be punished while he lived? Who decided when the penalty would finally be executed, and what the quality of his life would be while he lived under this Mercy? God. He alone decides when mercy ends and justice begins. We are indeed “at His mercy”.

There are those who would like to concretely say of every matter in life, “If you do that God will do this!” But... we live lives overwhelmed by Mercy not Justice. If it were Justice that ruled... well... we wouldn't be here would we? While we are under the pleasant rule of Mercy we do not always or often receive the punishment we deserve. But don't let the joys of God's mercy lull you to an apathetic sleep, for without the promises found in Jesus and His Gospel, withheld Justice will pile up like storm-water behind a dam of Mercy, a dam which God will one day remove, and unrestrained justice will flow.

For Mercy to exist there must be a Being who has all authority over justice, and, therefore, authority over all the affairs of mankind. This authority extends to the powers of death, hell, and the grave, and liberty from the same.

A Witness In Paradise, And My Confession

Carol and I had the blessing to spend a couple of weeks recently in the rainforest community of Nahiku on the narrow Road to Hana. Most people traveling this famed road would not even know they were in this community unless they took the dead-end Nahiku road that would take them by the historic Nahiku Church just before reaching the coast and turning back to drive the 10 miles to Hana.

The only stores or cafes in Nahiku are 3 or 4 small roadside pullovers on the Road to Hana like Coconut Glen's snack shop or a small Thai Cafe with two picnic tables situated under a huge banyan tree around mile marker 28. They are exclusively designed for tourists. Then there is the Nahiku Market Place, a tourist stop with restrooms, 4 small outdoor cafes, and an actual souvenir shop all huddled under huge trees and vines just before mile marker 29. The Marketplace has the only cafe around Nahiku that opens for the locals at times other than tourist hours. The tourists come between 10 and 3 everyday.

Every morning, rain or shine, between 6am and 9am I would hike for a few miles on some trail in the area, or briskly, and cautiously, walk the Road to Hana, stopping only to take pictures of some flower, plant, or insect, or to just admire God's amazing creation.

Being a former Coffee-holic I still struggle from time to time with the temptation to fall off the wagon and sip a steaming cup in the morning. Walking by the Marketplace one morning I saw the Cafe was open and gave into the temptation to grab a cup.

Standing around outside were a few locals, and a couple of the always present unshaven, unshowered college-age backpackers who looked like time-travelers from the 60's. When I walked up they all stopped talking and just looked at me. It was clear I was a tourist (the longhorn shirt probably gave me away), and was out of place this early in the morning. I also was the only one there whose hair wasn't in a ponytail and who didn't have a string of shells around his neck. They weren't unfriendly just... well... waiting for me to leave, so I walked inside for my coffee.

I was met inside by a young man behind the counter with bright intelligent eyes, a ponytail, and a friendly smile. With his sort of “surfer dude” persona he fit the stereotype of a twenty-something in this area. He held his hand out across the counter and said, “Welcome, I'm Benjamin!” I shook his hand and responded, “Hi, I'm Larry.” He pointed me to the coffee, I served myself and came back over to pay. I noticed, as I paid, that his t-shirt said, “Know Jesus, Know Peace, No Jesus, No Peace.” 

I consider myself to be open to the reality of God working in ways that don't fit my preconceptions, and I believe I am not inclined to prejudice or judgmentalism... but... my thought was, as I paid Benjamin, that he probably just grabbed the t-shirt in a dark room without knowing what it said. I even thought about politely asking him if he believed what his shirt said. But I just walked out and went on my way...

I happened to be walking by the Marketplace on the morning of my last day. I had only been in the Cafe that one time the week before. As I walked by I noticed the door was open, and I heard Benjamin call my name, “Larry, hey Larry, where you been?” So I walked across the road and stepped inside the small cafe.

Benjamin held his hand out again and then introduced me to one of his friends standing by the counter. He asked me where I'd been, so I told him that I had been walking some other trails and that I hated to leave, but this was my last morning to enjoy the beauty that surrounded us. As I said it a look of concern came over his face. He said, “Larry, I can't let you leave without sharing the greatest truth with you. A truth I found seven years ago when I moved to this area to get my head right. It changed my life. It is the truth of God's love for you and the sacrifice that Jesus gave on the cross because of that love...”

I deliberately listened without saying a word. He went on seeking my reconciliation with God out of sincere concern for my soul. He was finally interrupted by a friend who walked through the door. This friend wore only shorts and a string of shells around his neck. He and the girl that was with him had driven up in a beat-up old mini-van to say goodbye to Benjamin since they were leaving the area. They grabbed hands and called each other “brother”. He introduced us, and I openly explained to Benjamin that I was a believer. Then the fellowship began... a 53 year old Christian from Texas, and two young “surfer-dude” Christians from the west coast.

My soul was and still is churning with guilt, thanksgiving, and awe. Guilt for my prejudice, judgmentalism, my lack of overwhelming concern and love for the souls of others, and grief that after all these years it seems I have learned so little. Thanksgiving that someone was concerned for my soul. Thanks Benjamin. And in awe at God. He is amazing. He loves and works with people in places that are outside our own little worlds. And I am oh so glad He does. Looking at myself, and my sin in the context of this experience, it is more amazing to me that God would save a stuffed-shirt like me than a “surfer-dude” like Benjamin. “Oh wretched man that I am...”

Picture: I went back and took this shot, and wanted to take a picture of Benjamin, but he was already off and it was my last day. If you read this Benjamin, please e-mail me a picture of yourself so I can post it.

A Lesson From The Sideline

The number one political question I get these days is, “How do you put up with all the written abuse you get.” To answer that question I have to share a lesson I learned years ago.

I began playing little league tackle football in the 5^th grade. This lesson came a few years later while playing on my first school sponsored team. In those days coaches were a mix of World War II and Korean War vets, and most were country boys. They had a great influence on my life.

This was our final practice before our first preseason game. The coach told us the starting positions depended on our performance in a scrimmage that afternoon. In this scrimmage our offense would start on the 20 yard line. They got 6 points for a touchdown, if our defense held them we got 6. The scrimmage would last for an hour.

I was a defensive linebacker and made a misread on the first or second play. When a linebacker makes a misread, and moves to correct, he is often immediately met by one or two offensive linemen. That happened and not only did they score on that play, but I was smashed to the ground by an offensive guard. I was shook up, embarrassed, and blew the next two plays because my head wasn't in the game. 

Our defensive coach came over and asked me what was up. I talked about the score and began to make excuses. He said, “You see those guys over on the sideline? Some are there because they don't know yet if they want to play football, others are there because they just don't have the physical stamina or skills, but there are a few there because of their attitude. I want you to go to the sideline, stand by Mitch and his buddies, and keep your mouth shut 'til I call you.” I can't remember ever being as embarrassed as I was while trotting off that field. In four years of football I had never been sidelined.

As soon as I got to the sideline Mitch began running down the coach. The guys around him were agreeing and adding their criticisms. He dissed the coach for a while, then he began talking about our teammates on the field, how sorry they were and that the only reason they were playing is because they were all cheaters. Then in a bitter tone he said, “When I tell my dad tonight that coach will be sorry. Dad 'ill make him wish he had never sidelined me. He'll have his job...” This went on for a whole series, and then the coach called me back onto the field. As I ran toward the coach, Mitch and his crowd called me names.

As I reached the coach he grabbed my pads and pulled my face mask about an inch away from his face. In a drill sergeant tone He said, “Son, you're going to make mistakes and you're going to get knocked down. But what you do after that is what will keep you in the game and make a man out of you. When you get knocked down get back up, take responsibility for your mistakes, and never make excuses. You're the only guy on the field who is responsible for you. Don't ever let me hear you blame someone or something else. Learn from your mistakes, then put it behind you because the next play is always coming. Guys with a bad attitude spend their lives making excuses and criticizing others and will always be standing on the sidelines of life, and there is nothing worse than living in that kind of bitterness. Is that where you want to be? It's your decision whether you want to be on the sidelines or in the game, you've got the skills, but now we need to know if you have the heart. Mitch and his buddies will never play for this coach, no matter how good they are... their attitude stinks.”

The next day during warm up I watched as Mitch and his dad walked toward the game field. Our defensive coach met them. I watched as Mitch's dad yelled and pointed his finger at coach's chest. It didn't appear as if coach said a word. Finally he waved his hand in coach's face and walked away with Mitch by his side. Coach just turned, gave a little shoulder shrug, and got back to coaching as if nothing had happened.

Since those days I've learned that Mitch's modern counterparts and friends appear in almost every human venture. They stand on the sidelines of life and do what they do: call names, run people down, criticize, and threaten. But that has nothing to do with my life. Mitch or his buddies' criticisms may even sometimes be accurate... the game is always easier to see from the sidelines. No matter how accurate his invective, I don't have time to listen, read, or pay attention to what Mitch and his buddies have to say. I heard his complaints years ago and the only things that change today are the people in the game. 

Every once in a long while though, I have no choice but to listen to Mitch's nastiness. This rare experience brings a strange sort of comfort to me because it enlivens my senses to pause, remember, and be thankful for the coaches I've had in life, and thank God once again for giving me the opportunity to make my life count. Mitch yelling at me from the sideline only proves I'm still in the game, and it is a miniscule price to pay for all the enjoyment I've had in this game of life. I've had my time on the sidelines too, just like everyone else... but I've never wanted to be there, and when I am there I try to do what coach told me to do: keep my mouth shut, get back up, watch my attitude, and learn from my mistakes... then put it behind me because the next play is always coming.

Jesus Can Change The Prognosis

Mark 2:17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Jesus was invited to a feast at Matthew’s house, so Jesus, with a large group of His followers, joined them for the meal. This became a big issue because Matthew (Levi) was a non-practicing Jew, and also a Roman tax collector, and, therefore, an outlaw in the eyes of practicing Jews. And Jesus ate with Matthew and his rejected friends. The practicing Jews saw this as an opportunity to pull followers from Jesus, so they tried to cause division among His followers.

Jesus’ response to their trouble-making is recorded in this text for all time. He was doing what he came to this earth to do: remove the ravages, guilt, and condemnation of sin. He couldn't fulfill His mission without working among the guilty and condemned. His work was and is personal… it was and is up close. He must get close to those who need Him most, and those who need Him most are those who have been convinced by the “righteous” or the law that they are beyond help, that their sickness is incurable. This Physician ignores such a prognosis… and brings hope to the sin-sick.

Liberty Of Conscience: Do We Have The Right To Be Wrong?

Romans 14:5b Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

The answer to the question in the title is a limited yes... and an absolute no. Let me explain.

In this chapter the Apostle Paul discussed differences in belief and ritual observance among individual Christians, and how to handle those differences in a church setting. The underlying principles of liberty of conscience are applied in these verses, but these principles should also be broadly applied to all forms of government.

It could be argued, and I would argue it, that a church has no authority to make or enforce prohibitions in the differences discussed in this passage. That we, as Christians within our churches, are called upon to permit differences in belief and practice to the extent mentioned in this and other passages.

What a church, or any other government, cannot lawfully prohibit and prosecute it must allow. Not only must it allow this liberty, it also must protect this liberty by whatever means are lawfully available. By doing so it may also be acknowledging and protecting the right of God's justice which is essential to real liberty of conscience. The result is that every government with this principle of liberty will have citizens or members of varying disciplines when it comes to matters of conscience and action. Liberty of conscience is a product of God's Grace.

Clearly God may prohibit certain thoughts and behaviors, but then not give His church, individuals, or any government the right of prohibition and prosecution. This means that these "thoughts and behaviors" are allowed on this earth, so, in this limited context, people do have the right or freedom to be wrong. But this God given liberty comes at an awful price: the sacrifice of Jesus Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection.

There are clearly certain rights of judgment and prosecution that God retains for Himself. So those sins that we may be free to think or do while living on this earth are still under the jurisdiction of God. So ultimately no one has the right to think or do things that are defined by God as wrong, and there is no behavior or thought that will remain unmeasured by His perfect Justice. So, before God, there is absolutely no privilege or right to be wrong. This truth is vital to the Gospel, and the recognition of God's exclusive authority or jurisdiction is essential to real liberty of conscience and limited human government.

Without God, law and human force become the only controlling authority. This means that atheism is pure human legalism with brutal controls. Atheism is naturally inclined against liberty of conscience. In atheism man must use the force of law and government to eradicate any thought or behavior considered to not be in the common good. And humanity defines the common good because there is no higher authority. There can be nothing left to God because, in the view of atheism, there is no God.

But on the other side of that humanistic coin are those religionists who seek to enforce laws which they have no right to enforce. This power mongering is, in some senses, a form of religious humanism and is anti-faith. The result is the same as atheism: God's exclusive Justice is replaced by repressive human force. Many Christians seem to be, at least in their approach to law and liberty, practical atheists. Which means they believe there is a God, but legislate and live as if He doesn't exist.

So the best human government is one which, under God, vigorously promotes and protects liberty of conscience. But... it leaves to God the judgment of the details of human thought and behavior which He has placed under His sole jurisdiction, and it also trusts Him to right the wrongs of faulty human law and justice.

One more point: essential to liberty of conscience is the right of dissent and non-participation in behaviors or beliefs that are against the conscience of the dissenters. But this right of dissent does not then give the right of judgment or prosecution to the dissenters. Romans 14:10 says, “But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.” Just because we disagree, and may even be right in our view, doesn't mean we also have the authority to judge those with whom we disagree.

Jesus Was Angry... We Should Know Why

Mark 3:5 And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts,

The word anger appears 234 times in the Bible, but only once concerning Jesus. He was angry with a specific group of people, on the Sabbath, in a synagogue. There was extreme tension in that room, and it was deliberately caused by Jesus.

It seems he stood in full view of the audience with anger clearly visible on His face. Then he looked directly into the face of person after person to make sure they were sure of His displeasure with them. Luke said their response to this was “they were filled with madness;” Luke 6:11

The people He was angry with were the most disciplined, knowledgeable, and conservative in the audience. They were the watchers… we saw them in the last chapter, and will see them more often in the Gospels as the days grow darker. They watched Jesus and His disciples for any variance from the accepted Jewish standards of behavior.

In this particular instance they were critically watching to see if He would heal a suffering person on the Sabbath day. This is what made Jesus angry. Human religion had so hardened their hearts that they couldn’t feel the tenderness of God’s heart. And here they were, opposing Him in a building built to worship and talk about Him. How many times over the years had these people, in this place, heard about the Messiah... and here He was...

His anger should still the souls of all who claim to be His followers. It should cause us to check and re-check what we are about. It should cause us to critically assess the path of our journey to make sure we didn't leave His path somewhere. It is easy to get off that path... religion looks so right sometimes, but it can turn out so wrong. So wrong it could put us on the angry side of Jesus. Not a place I want to be.

I must ever be sure it is the living Christ I am following. I must know Him as the center and sum of my faith. I must tell you that I am more afraid of religion than I am the world. The paths of religion are closer to the path I follow, and, therefore, more dangerous.

Jesus' path, in this case, should be easily recognized by those who know Him. It is the path of mercy, that's the path He always seems to take. Mercy exalts justice and love at the same time. It is mercy that first put me on this path, and it is mercy that has kept me here... so I shouldn't be surprised that this is the path He chose.

The Lord Of The Law

Mark 2:27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:

28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

This is one of Jesus' most amazing statements. In this passage Jesus openly defended His followers who were charged with breaking the Sabbath laws. Breaking the Sabbath, one of the ten commandments, was a death penalty offense.

What's so astonishing is they did break the Sabbath laws as interpreted and applied by the Jews, and they did it with Jesus' permission. This was not just another Rabbinical conflict over an interpretation of the law, it was about the authority of the Lawgiver to interpret and apply His law.

These Jews missed a truth about Jesus: He is the lawgiver. The Author of the law knows the purpose and intent of every statute and text, so the application and interpretation are as much His as the words of the statute. The practical power of law doesn't rest in the statute, it rests in the interpretation and application of the statute.

The Jewish elders had become the interpreters of His law and the judges of His intent. So the application of the law had become the exclusive domain of these religious power-brokers. It would be similar to James Madison, called the father of the U.S. Constitution by some historians, coming back from the dead, and finding himself accused by some influential group of modern lawyers of breaking constitutional law.

Here Jesus set them straight: this is His law, and He will interpret and apply it. The application of God's law and Word is as much a part of His domain as the written statute or text. For some reason, some modern Christians have a habit of separating the authority of the Bible text from the authority of the application. They see the text as His, and the application as theirs. This was the same problem the Pharisees had. We should be as cautious with the application of Scripture as we are the text itself, since both belong to the Author.

Messengers Who Miss The Message

Matthew 9:13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

In the previous verses Jesus and his disciples were verbally confronted by the very people who daily displayed the Old Testament ceremonial symbols exactly as commanded in the Bible. Doesn't that seem strange. The people who were tasked with preserving and presenting the symbols were blind to the meaning of the symbols. They were messengers who missed the message.

Through the process of time these religious power-brokers had become the exclusive definers of the symbols. They were the self appointed gatekeepers of God's intent. To them, the symbol was theirs to disclose, and it had to be fulfilled as they explained and expected.

In that corruption we find the fatal flaw that moves sincere followers of God into the hardened religions of men. We are not to control the message, we are to hear and convey the message. It was God's message, not theirs. We who are tasked with displaying God's message must ever remember it is His message not ours. We must seek out the Author's intent and convey it as clearly and openly as possible. In a sense, it must always seem distant from us... above us... outside us... not from us. The message of God should be seen by us as a wild, uncontrollable thing that will not survive in a cage, but is comfortable living near us.

When the message bears the fingerprints of our greed it is soiled... stained. Oh to be as John the Baptist was when he saw the substance of the symbol. He immediately pointed at the fulfillment and said, “Behold the lamb of God...” John's philosophy was simple but vitally profound: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” It was not about John, and it is not about us... when it is about us, we miss the message.

When Freedom Goes Too Far

I recently ended a series on Liberty of Conscience (to be published in the future) with these questions: To what extent does government have culpability for the behaviors and beliefs it allows? Liberty of Conscience demands a certain amount of liberty of action. But when does freedom go too far? Will God judge a whole nation because of the freedom given a few?

When some of us think of national judgment we tend to think in terms of disease, war, economic failure, or oppression. This type of judgment has certainly happened in history, but it is not the normal way God judges nations.

In Romans chapter 1, we are taught that God’s judgment begins by the removal of the spiritual force He uses to restrain wayward humanity. This restraining force has been in place since mankind first fell and God’s grace became the only preserving force. This restraint is necessary for fallen humanity to live in a productive, relatively peaceful society. Without this common restraining grace there can be no civilization.

The primary reason revealed in Romans 1 for this judgment is corrupt religion. That is: religion which dishonors God, the Creator. This is why many of our forefathers, and some founding fathers, declared that the United States would continue in liberty only so long as the Christian God is properly honored by the people of the United States. It was not a legalistic system they were promoting, but the recognition and honor due from and given by creatures to their Creator. They were students of history and Romans 1 enough to know the awful resulting judgment upon a population which dishonors the Creator.

Primary judgment comes in the form of dishonor. God, in judgment, withdraws His gracious restraint which results in a substantial number of citizens vigorously engaging in dishonorable behavior. The scriptures say God “gave them up”. That is: He released them into the captivity of dishonor in response to their dishonoring Him. This state of judgment is evidence of rotten religion.

This puts a nation into an insane spiral out of freedom into the cold captivity of reprobation. Corrupt religion points to the dishonorable behavior of fellow citizens and threatens God’s judgment if it isn’t outlawed. But… law will only lead to further judgment, because it is not fundamentally a problem that can be solved by force of law; it is a problem of corrupt religion. And one of the characteristics of corrupt religion is it points to law (human effort) instead of grace (God’s remedy) as the route to divine favor. But this religious humanism looks like the sin fighting, culture changing answer, so it is then given more power, politically and otherwise. And the spiral into judgment continues.

The judgment detailed in Romans 1 comes in the form of more freedom for dishonorable behavior demanded by the citizens, and more license granted by government to engage in these behaviors until the people become uncivilized and thoroughly corrupt. Religious humanists (addressed in Romans 2, 3) call for more laws… and a culture once blessed by grace moves into justice. May God have mercy upon us… sinner and saint alike. God’s mercy in Christ Jesus is our only hope, and it has always been our only hope.