In the New Testament, Jesus commands His disciples to be individual peacemakers who turn their cheeks against minor personal offences …
And civil magistrates to be government peacemakers who use the sword to protect others from true evil.
Those who see this as a contradiction or confuse those distinctions …
Lack an authentic Biblical worldview.
There are no autonomous facts …
Because no fact, standing alone, innately interprets itself.
All facts, as we perceive them from our finite perspectives, only find definition and meaning in a broader interpretive framework.
If you stop to consider this, however, it becomes clear that the only interpretive framework able to communicate reliable meaning …
Is the external revelation of an omniscient and omnipotent God who created all things from nothing.
That means He alone is able to know everything about anything, since nothing exists apart from His comprehensive knowledge and authority …
And, unlike us, there is nothing He doesn’t know which might contradict what He claims He does know.
Without Him and His resulting external written Word, where He authoritatively defines us and His creation …
We and our “facts” are confined to us and our own subjective limitations, with no basis for reliable truth claims.
Because of this, postmodern existential ideologies – which reject all transcendent interpretive frameworks and external revelation – have no basis for claiming to know the truth, or understand the meaning, of anything.
Ironically, even some Christians naively fall prey to postmodern existential absurdity by making the authoritative propositional claim …
That there can be no authoritative propositional claims.
Instead, they make the further absurd external claim that the standard for all meaning lies within them …
As they then insist on the right to define Christ and everything else through their own, limited, self-referential perceptions.
How frustrating it must be when even the meanings of their absurdities depend on the very God-given foundations of truth and knowledge which they reject.
Be wary of those who peddle the latest theological fads.
Often they prey on spiritually wounded or naive people with the temptation of “deeper” life, new “revelation,” or some other trans-Biblical agenda …
Rather than the health and assurance of simple faith as taught in Scripture.
Here are two tests that typically weed out these merchants of deception:
1. Are they part of an actual, functional local fellowship in their own home town, where they are transparent and accountable to a community of fellow believers – among whom their ideas have been demonstrably working and showing good fruit over time?
2. Do they openly affirm and submit to God’s plenary authority of Scripture as His authentic written Word in all matters of faith, life and doctrine?
If they fail either criteria, you likely are dealing with a wolf …
Rather than one who legitimately comes in the name of the Lord.
The problem with routinely owning other people’s problems …
Is that eventually, they’re more than willing to let you.
Is it any surprise that those who deny God’s plenary authority of Scripture as His written Word …
Never seem able to demonstrate the power of His authority to a waiting World?
“Christian” narcissists reject the justice of God’s wrath …
While claiming the mercy of His grace.
Which also makes them delusional …
As they’re left with an imaginary pick-and-choose Jesus of their own creation.
The authentic God of Scripture, however, condemns the idolatry of those who seek to remake Him in their own image.
Is it any wonder, then, that they are persistently plagued – often despite a public persona to the contrary – with private insecurities, angst and doubt …
While concurrently unable to form, sustain or be part of a viable, functional local church?
But that never seems to stop them from spreading their false gospel, rooted in existential idolatry, with an outer confidence …
Which belies their true inner turmoil and history of church failures.
When it comes to their fraud, be discerning …
Not deceived.
New doctrine formed in reaction to bad doctrine …
Is almost always bad doctrine.
This includes the currently faddish, but reactionary, new doctrine …
That the best way to avoid bad doctrine is to have no doctrine.
All love, we burn up.
All truth, we dry up.
Have both, we grow up.
May our walk with the Lord and each other be ever rooted in both truth and love.
Apart from an immanent Creator of all who defines transcendent truth, reality and morality …
We are left with absurdity, because otherwise there is no basis to make any claims to the contrary.
The Great Commission says “go” …
Not “ego”.
My prayer for the next generation:
That you reject the tyranny of “tolerance” without sound morals …
Affirm true liberty, which is the freedom to pursue virtue …
And embrace authentic love, which never forgets that only God’s truth can set us free.
If I want a performance, I’ll go to a concert …
Or maybe watch a show on some big screen TV.
If I want church, however, I’ll gather with those who unpretentiously minister one to another …
As co-heirs of God’s grace and as joint participants in His Kingdom.
Unless teaching comes from doing …
It seldom leads to doing.
Which explains why so many “church” leaders and teachings today …
Are so ineffective at making disciples.
Freedom in Christ is not about losing your identity in Him, but finding it through Him …
Including the wonderfully diverse gifts, motivations and callings He has for each of us.
Christian Maturity:
Learning to use God’s gifts, motivations and callings for you …
In ways that aren’t dismissive of – but affirm – His differing gifts, motivations and callings for others.
Jesus said all Scripture points to Him.
But that doesn’t mean our perception of Him supersedes, or takes us “beyond” (as some now imply), the authority of Scripture.
Rather, it means that only when we submit our perception of Him to His self revelation of Scripture …
Will we understand Him and His written Word.
I don’t want just a “relationship” with Christ.
Instead, I want all of Christ …
Including all that He’s authoritatively revealed in Scripture so we can:
Know who He truly is;
Function together as His church;
Do as He commands;
Be full citizens of His Kingdom;
Redeem a world He still loves; and
So much more.
New believers often need potty training.
Older believers, however, often need reminding that this inevitably involves messy situations …
Because in real discipleship, “accidents” happen.
Those who reduce their “faith” to what they subjectively perceive God is telling them, filtered through their own sensibilities …
Often reject external Biblical morality, precepts and commands which stand independently true in Scripture.
God can speak however He choices.
But for them, it all comes down to what they individually feel and like …
As they elevate their own perceptions as the final standard over God’s own, objective revelations in Scripture.
The naïve theological relativism and narcissism we see among too many “Christians” lately …
Is rooted in past postmodern, “existential” philosophies of either individualistic or “group-think” autonomy.
Is it any wonder, then, that we see an emphasis on new “doctrines” which try to:
Nonetheless, God is calling forth His own:
Those who truly want to know Him on His terms …
As they worship Him once again in spirit and IN TRUTH with lives of reverent obedience.
Anything less is fraudulent “faith.”
We avoid our hurts and wrongs …
When we don’t confess them.
And what we avoid, we can’t give to God …
To receive His freedom in return.
For believers:
Confession, forgiveness and repentance are NOT about keeping our justification …
But finding wholeness.
God’s grace is the means, not the end, of salvation.
When offered, our proper response is repentance through faith …
Leading to obedience and good works.
Just because God is transcendent …
Doesn’t mean our perceptions of Him transcend Scripture.
After all, God is also immanent …
As is His written Word.
The charm of a charmer …
Leads many astray.
Be careful who you quote, promote, support or “like” online …
Or anywhere else.
Sure, they may say, write or do things designed to make you feel good so they look good.
But that doesn’t mean that they or their agendas are good for you …
Or anyone else.
