Just the other day I got involved in a discussion on Facebook when answering a post about a well-known public figure. The person who made the post purported this person was a Christian. But when I questioned whether their lifestyle was consistent with that claim, by pointing out various very public displays of behaviour which I considered unchristian, the tone changed and I was accused of being judgmental.

This is not the first time this has happened. A few years ago, I challenged a Church that was going to hold a service celebrating gay relationships. As I quoted scripture, two views were put forward. The first one was that I was weaponizing scripture (something Jesus, with his use of the Old Testament, could easily have been accused of).  The second was I was being judgmental, and that was something a Christian should never be because Jesus had said: “Judge not, that you will not be judged” (Matthew 7:1).   Jesus, I was told, had never judged anyone!

So, is this a right understanding of Christ’s teaching? Should we be reluctant to judge anything within the Church?

Let’s start with Matthew 7:1. The first thing we need to note is this teaching is aimed at the disciples. Therefore, it is teaching for the Church. Also, the verse must be understood in the context of what comes after it, so verses 2-5 should also be considered. One of the methods the Rabbis used when teaching was to use extremes to make a point.  In verses 3-4 Jesus uses that approach. He highlights the danger of having a critical spirit that spots a small misdemeanour in someone while not examining far bigger faults within oneself! But this is not a remit to not judge as in verse 5 Jesus says: “you hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”  So, these verses encourage us to partake in serious self-examination before correcting others. But they do not for a second suggest that the fault doesn’t need to be rectified as the passage talks about the removal of the: “speck” from the brother’s eye!  After all in Luke 17:3 Jesus sayes: “Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him”.  David Dickerson writes: ‘The man who is about the removing of his own sins shall have spiritual light and wisdom to deal with others in a matter of their repentance and reformation’[1]  This is picked up in Paul’s teaching to the Galatian Church: ‘Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourselves least you too be tempted’ (Galatians 6:1).  As J. C. Ryle notes: ‘What our Lord means to condemn is a censorious and fault-finding spirit.’ [2]

A casual reading of the scriptures shows Jesus often passed judgement.  His first words in Mark’s Gospel are: “The time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel” (Mark 1:15).  This is a judgement that people were not ready for the: ‘Kingdom’ unless they repented!  How about: “Get behind me Satan!” (Mark 8:33) in reaction to Peter giving voice to what the disciples were probably all thinking (note the texts emphasis on the phrase: ‘seeing his disciples’).  This is a judgement on the thoughts and actions manifested by Peter’s outburst concerning Jesus’ prediction of his death and resurrection! Jesus’s words to the woman who was caught in adultery: “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more” (John 8:11) show that he judged her former life to be sinful! Add to this Jesus consistently passes judgement on the hypocrisy of the religious leaders (the context of the parallel passage to Matthew’s in Luke 6:37-42) and we see the claim that Jesus never judged anyone has no grounds in scripture.  Jesus shows the perfect criteria for judgement when criticized by the Jewish religious authorities. “Do not judge by appearance, but judge with right judgement” (John 7:24).John writing when the deity of Christ was being questioned urges Churches to: ‘test the spirits to see whether they are from God’ (1 John 4:1).  The threat of false teaching was a major issue in the early Church, so it is not surprising that we find it referred to in various letters to the Churches.  Jude’s letter deals almost exclusively with the issue as does the second chapter of Peter’s second letter.  In 2 Corinthians 11:1-15 Paul urges those in the Corinthian Church to be discerning and to judge what is being taught against the Gospel which he and others had preached to them.  Why was he so concerned?  Simply because it was a real threat as: ‘even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light’ (v 14).  He also noted that: ‘his servants also, disguised themselves as servants of righteousness’ (v15).

In the end, the Lord wants his people, the Church, to be holy (1 Peter 1:15-16).  We are not to embrace the ways of the world as we seek to reach out to people (John 17:16-18).  Therefore, everything should be judged by scripture. When there are cases of Christians falling into sin, then corrective judgment should be made that shows that person their error. The aim should be to lovingly restore, rather than punish.  When there is a lack of repentance stronger measures may be needed as in 1 Corinthians 5:13 Paul urges the Church to: ‘Purge the evil person from among you.‘ 

It’s not been my intention to cover every aspect of Church discipline, but rather to challenge the notion that judgement has no place in the Church.  ‘God’s Word’ is given for the good of the Church.  Let’s not be afraid to apply it in every aspect of Church life!  ‘For it is time for judgement to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?’ (1 Peter 4:17).

Like to hear a sermon on Matthew 7:1-14? The Realistic Christian Life.

[1] David Dickinson, Matthew, The Geneva Series of Commentaries (Edinburgh, The Banner of Truth Trust, 1981) 86-87.
[2] J, C. Ryle, Matthew , Expository Thoughts on the Gospels (Edinburgh, The Banner of Truth Trust, 2012) 51.

‘The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble’             (Psalm 9:9).

The death of George Floyd is a tragedy!  For him to die at the hands of those who are supposed to ‘protect and serve’ is tragic, not just for his family but for society as a whole!  Not surprisingly there have been protests and calls for justice as this is hardly a one-off incident but one in a series of black men and those of different races dying at the hands of the Police in America.

As the responses have been many and varied, the issue of social justice, in cases of inconsistent treatment due to the colour of one’s skin, has got me thinking, not just about what the Bible teaches about race, but especially about  the rights of all people!

Firstly, men and women are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27).  This gives people immense dignity.  Secondly, the Apostle Paul, when he preaching to the philosophically minded Athenians, highlights the implications:

And He (God) made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place’  (Acts 17:26).

So not only are we created in God’s image, but we are all of common descent.  This means an equality which does not allow for any form of racism.  The Jewish mindset was to see themselves as God’s chosen people.  Yet the Apostle Peter realized, because of a vision from God, that all are equal as: “What God has made clean, do not call common” (Acts 10:15).

The Early Church had to fulfil Jesus’ command to take the Gospel: “and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19) and the  Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 3:1–6, and many other passages, that the fulfilment of the Lord’s plan for the nations is that there are no racial, social or spiritual distinctions in the Church:

‘When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.  This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel’ (Ephesians. 3:4–6).

Paul puts the final nail in the coffin of Jewish religious elitism by arguing for an unheard-of equality to be followed by the Church:

‘There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus’ (Galatians 3:28).

Historically slavery has affected all races.  The Bible contains many references to slavery – which was a common practice in antiquity. It is important to be aware that slavery in Old Testament times differed vastly from that of the African Slave trade.  Despite some arguing that the Bible does not condemn slavery, we see in Deuteronomy Chapter 15, ethical guidelines for the care and treatment of slaves and for their emancipation after seven years – with generous provision for their new life.  The practice of kidnapping or ‘man stealing’ was forbidden by scripture (Deuteronomy 24:7) and serves as a damning indictment of the horrendous cruelty of the African Slave Trade!

In the New Testament the Apostle Paul is often singled out for his acceptance of slavery.  Yet in the Roman world slavery was vastly different.  Slaves had much more freedom and even certain rights.  Paul’s instruction to those who owned slaves goes further as he urges them to treat their slaves well (Ephesians 6:9).  In Paul’s wonderful letter to Philemon he urges him to treat Onesimus, a slave who had done Philemon considerable wrong, but had now been converted: ‘no longer as a slave but more than a slave, as a beloved brother – especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord’ (Philemon v 16).

The Bible’s teaching was regulating imperfect situations by setting forth a nobility and dignity for all people unheard of in the ‘Ancient Near East’ and it was the Bible’s teaching in this area that inspired Christians like William Wilberforce and others to campaign against and eventually achieve the abolition of slavery.

This nobility and dignity are wonderfully expressed in Psalm 8 where David is overwhelmed by the place God has given man in the world!

‘When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honour.You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet’ (Psalm 8:3-5).

Since people represent the pinnacle of God’s creation and have been given a unique position in its government and care we are told to: ‘Be fruitful and multiply’ (Genesis 1:28).

This brings us to an issue that is often overlooked – the rights of the unborn.  Men and women are called to  create, and it is notable that we only see creative acts in the Bible text before the fall of man.  God creates and then assigns Adam to care for His creation with Eve as his helper (Genesis 2:2:15-24).  It is only after sin has entered the world that we start to see destructive acts which start with Cain murdering Abel (Genesis 4:8) and increase with alarming regularity from that point on.  The point is ‘life’ typifies God’s ideal, whereas ‘death’ typifies the world after the fall of man! Therefore, all life is precious to God from conception through to old age.  Nowhere is this more clearly expressed than in Psalm 139 where David writes:

‘For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.  My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.  Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for, when as yet there was none of them’ (Psalm 139:13-16).

God cares about human life from its conception in the womb till the day of death.  He cares about the victimised and He cares because, ultimately, it is He who gives life.  Our bodies do not ultimately belong to us but to God whether we acknowledge Him or not.  Therefore, as Christians, we are called to care for all.

Slavery may not be an issue for us in this day and age, but we are not to demean or belittle others in any way.  Whether we realise it or not we are all accountable, from the police officer who abuses his position to those who pay no heed to the rights of the unborn, to the God who will judge all things justly (Psalm 9:7-8)!

One question that’s being asked at moment is: ‘if God is good and loving as the Bible teaches, why has he allowed the Coronavirus epidemic to happen?’  Sometimes this question is just a red herring, but sometimes it’s shows genuine concern by people who like the idea of a benevolent divine being.  At times like these they look at the world and see very little, in their eyes, to suggest that God is concerned.

Many years ago an article in the Times newspaper asked the question ‘what’s wrong with the world?’  In the correspondence that followed it was the shortest reply that stood out: ‘I am.  Yours faithfully, GK Chesterton.’   So, before we launch an attack on God’s character, we, like the noted author, must acknowledge this.  Suffering can be caused by human error.  For example, when the Titanic sank the loss of life was due almost entirely to the lack of lifeboats.  Secondly, unsavoury human characteristics like greed, ambition and hate lead to wars, massacres, ethnic cleansing and terrorism!  Lastly, suffering can sometimes be self inflicted when warnings concerning things like excessive smoking, drinking and promiscuous sexual behaviour are ignored.  God did not create us to be robots, but rather to be individuals with the ability to make choices.  But our choices can be bad.  Hence, a great deal of suffering is man-made!

But what about natural disasters and disease?  If these things exist, what does that tell us about God and his intentions towards us?

The trouble is we fail to fully understand sin’s serious nature.  Sin is the cause of all suffering, both man-made and natural!  When Adam sinned the nature of the natural world changed!  Adam was to rule God’s creation with Eve his wife but disobeyed him despite his warning.  So there were consequences which are highlighted in the following passage.  “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it’, cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field.  By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:17-19).  Whereas Adam’s work had been a joy, now, due to his disobedience, it was now going to be hard and painful as creation has also been: ‘cursed’ due to his sin.  Death entered the world through sin, hence we grow old and die and are subject to living in a damaged world!  Our sinful nature and its consequences are our choice.  Rather than live under God’s benevolent rule we want our freedom and to use it however we wish!

If that is the case, logically it shows we don’t want a God who intervenes!   But does this mean that we’ve made our bed now we’ve got to lie in it.  The answer is no!  God’s setting things right and he’s started the process with Jesus coming living, dying and being raised from the dead so that we might be forgiven!

In Jesus we see someone who suffers the worst that the world can throw at him, rejection, hardship and then a terribly painful death.  The writer of the book of Hebrews notes: ‘Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered’ (Hebrews 5:8).  Soon after the events of the 11th September 2001 John Blanchard was asked the question where was God when that act of terrorism killed 2800 people?  His reply was: ‘exactly where he was when religious fanatics killed his son, Jesus Christ – in complete control of everything that happened.’[1]  So there are two things to take comfort from.  Firstly, the Bible never sugar coats the painful realities of existence and Jesus is proof of that.  Secondly, and more importantly, this is only the first part of God’s intervention!  The Bible ends with the promise of a perfect new creation.  There God: ‘will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away’ (Revelation 21:4).

But is there any purpose to the sufferings of the present time?  In the following passage Jesus’ teaches there is. ‘There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.  And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way?  No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.  Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem?  No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:1-5).

The context of these verses is an atrocity carried out by the Roman governor Pilate. But Jesus detects a hidden agenda in the question.  Those who approached Jesus saw these Galileans as ‘sinners’.  So Jesus points out that this didn’t happen to them because they were worse than anyone else, what those asking the question should be thinking about is their standing before God!  He then brings the subject uncomfortably close to home by referring to a building accident which had killed some of the ‘good’ people of Jerusalem!  Were these people worse than anyone else?  The answer is no!  But once again Jesus urges those asking the question to consider where they stand in relation to God!

 Jesus is not praying on human misery and suffering to make some twisted theological point.  The Gospels shows him to be the most loving and compassionate man that ever lived.  Rather he says this because they and we really need to hear it!  The Bible tells us:  ‘all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23).   Yet that passage goes on to assure us  that forgiveness for our  wrongdoings can be found  in the  death of Jesus Christ  (Romans 3:24) In that way, and only in that way, we can have a future in God’s wonderful perfect new creation .

In his book ‘The problem of Pain’ C.S Lewis wrote: ‘God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains; it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.’[2]  In the end suffering is the result of a sin damaged world and should be seen as a wakeup call to make us consider where we stand before God!

This subject is covered in much greater detail in the booklet ‘Where is God when Things go Wrong’ by John Blanchard which we are offering free.  So feel free to contact me by telephone 01908 990306 or email  pastor@efcss.org.uk

[1] John Blanchard, Where is God when things go Wrong (Darlington, Evangelical Press, 2005) 36.
[2] C.S Lewis, The Problem of Pain (HarperCollins, 1996) 91.

The subject is also touch on in the sermon Did Someone just say “Gentle Jesus Meek and Mild”?

Just recently I was conversing with a Facebook friend when the subject of the Coronavirus  epidemic and divine judgment came up.  He noted that some people were saying it was God’s judgement and, being an earnest seeker after truth, he was questioning it.  I’d actually been thinking of writing something along these lines so his comments spurred me to action.

How do we understand God’s judgement?

The Bible does talk about God’s judgement being tangible and active.  ‘For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth’ (Romans 1:18). This shows that God’s wrath is being revealed now, as it is in the present tense.  But the question we have to ask is how does it manifest itself?  The following verses give us the context.  We see that God has done plenty to make himself known through his creation.  But mankind, in its lack of wisdom, has rejected him and have sought to worship the created rather than the creator (Romans 1:19-23).

Paul, then writes something that we might find surprising: ‘Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,  because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.’ (Romans 1:24-25).  Whereas we make the assumption that increasing sin leads to judgement, Paul paints a picture of God’s judgement being manifested in increased depravity!  This may be an uncomfortable for some, particularly those who comment: “God made like this” when confronted with certain sins.  But essentially that attitude is a product of God’s active and tangible judgement!  The verses that follow explain this:  ^‘For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error’ (Romans 1:26-27).   So yes, God’s judgement is active in the present time, it’s just not always in ways we might expect!

  What about all that freaky stuff we read about in the book of Revelation?

A casual look at on Facebook quickly establishes that various Christian’s are associating the Coronavirus epidemic with various parts of the book of Revelation.  However, that assumes the book is linear in its narrative.  I think there’s a very good argument for that not being the case for the following reasons.

The first is that if we take that view, then an awful lot of the book wouldn’t have had any meaning to the people who first received it.  That seems extremely unlikely given that the book uses imagery and an emphasis on certain numbers which would have been extremely relevant and understandable to those people.  Prophecy can have a second layer, for example many Old Testament prophecies, although relevant to people of their time, also point to Christ.  So the main purpose of the central section of the book, where the seven seals are opened followed by the seven trumpets, is most likely to be an overview of world history.  It draws the reader’s attention to situations which were relevant to the first century Church, yet continue to resonate with God’s people in each generation!

The danger with a ‘Historicist’ interpretation of the book is that there is a tendency to try and fit historical events to certain seals or trumpets.  An interesting observation is made in Richards Bewes’ book ‘The Lamb Wins’.  He mentions a friend  who was reading through Revelation without the aid of any commentaries.  His friend noted: ‘This doesn’t read like a continuous sequence.  The writer keeps going back on his tracks.  He seems to stop, and then begin to cover virtually the same ground all over again.  And yet…  Each time he resumes, it’s almost as though he sees the same familiar picture through different coloured spectacles’.[1]  This is what is called a ‘Resumptive’ interpretation of the book.  We see many of the same events from different angles as it were.  This is probably the best way to understand Revelation as it draws our attention to the fact this is a ‘fractured’ world’.  There are wars, ecological breakdown disease and persecution of the Lord’s people.  But this is  not uncommon to people and Christians in any day and age.  So no, I don’t believe the Coronavirus epidemic is specifically prophesied in Revelation.

So does God judge at all in this day and age?

We have already noted from Romans 1:18-32 that he does.  Indeed, certain sins can lead to personal consequences.  But before we start seeing such events like 9/11, the 2004 tsunami and Coronavirus as God’s wrath and judgement on the sins of those who lost their lives, let’s see what Jesus said about these kind of events.    When questioned about an atrocity that the Roman governor Pilate had carried out, Jesus referred to a local building accident that claimed the lives 18 residents of Jerusalem.  His answer was that neither of these events was direct judgement, but rather a wakeup call for people to consider their spiritual state before God (Luke 13:1-5)!

We live in a fractured and damaged world which is damaged by the curse of mankind’s sin (Genesis 3:16-19).  Jesus said  that: ‘There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven’ (Luke 21:11).  And Christians are just as likely to be caught in the crossfire of suffering as anyone else!  In the book of Job, when God withdraws his protection and Job suffers, his friends think it’s because of some terrible sin.  But we see behind the scenes and know that there’s a purpose to this.  In the end Job acknowledges God’s justice and sovereignty.  There may often be purposes behind suffering that we, like Job, will never fully understand.

In his book ‘The Problem of Pain’ CS Lewis wrote: ‘God whispers to us in our pleasures,  speaks in our conscience, but shouts in  our pains; it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.’[2]   One day Jesus will come again to judge the world.  So rather than seeing the Coronavirus epidemic as being the direct judgement of God, lets see it as a major spiritual wake up call!

 If you are interested we can send you a free booklet called ‘Where is God when Things go Wrong’ (See our Any Questions? page).  There is also a series on the Book of Job called  ‘The Storm Breaks’ that can be accessed on the Sermons section.

[1] Richard Bewes, The Lamb Wins!  A Guided Tour through the Book of Revelation (Fearn, Christian Focus Publications, 2000) 17.

[2] C.S Lewis, The Problem of Pain (HarperCollins, 1996) 91.

A short while ago Paul Bayes, the Archbishop of Liverpool, commented on the Sunday programme that God never changes but what we define as holiness changes from generation to generation.  Just as the Church of England had changed its views on slavery, divorce and remarriage, it could change its attitude towards sexuality, making it far more welcoming to the LBGTI community.  For many this was a curious and surprising statement to come from someone who identifies himself as an Evangelical!

So what’s the real issue here?  At first the argument might appear intriguing, but actually the abolition of slavery was always far more in line with the teaching of scripture in the first place.  For example, if we look at Deuteronomy chapter 15, even when slavery was allowed there were ethical guidelines, slaves were to be cared for and after seven years freedom was granted.  Also the practice of kidnapping or ‘man stealing’ is forbidden in scripture (Deuteronomy 24:7), so that acts as a damning indictment of the horrendous cruelty of the slave trade to the Colonies!  The practice of divorce was recognised in the Old Testament in Deuteronomy 24:1-4, rather interestingly with an emphasis on protecting woman from the actions of irresponsible men!  Jesus commenting on this in Matthew 19: 3-9 shows that lifelong marriage with one partner is the ideal, but does not rule out divorce for acts of sexual immorality.  The word for sexual immorality here is ‘porneia’ which includes homosexual acts.  So on close inspection the Archbishops argument doesn’t stand up as the Church has generally become more in line with scripture in these areas!

But is there any argument for a redefinition of holiness at a human level?  I would argue no, on the basis of several scriptures.  The first is Leviticus 19:2: ‘And the LORD spoke to Moses saying.  “Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy”’ This phrase has been used twice before in the book  (and is cited in 1 Peter 1:16) and is amongst some of the rather strange laws that we find in Leviticus.  If these laws seem strange to us, John Richardson rather usefully explains they are: ‘the equivalent of an Israel football shirt in a world where everyone else was wearing Gentile colours.’[1]  The key thing to remember is the word: ‘holy’ means to be ‘set apart’.  In other words even if many of these laws have run their course in the fulfilment of Christ’s work (as is explained in Matthew 5:17-18)  the Lord’s people are closely identified with him and his nature and are called to be separate from the worldliness around them.  Secondly, Romans 1:18-25 shows that the order of the world as it was first created has been subverted by man’s sin so much that in some cases men and women have given up natural sexual relations. I’m well aware that we are all sinful beings who need the love and forgiveness of God as provided by Jesus’ substitution for our sins on the cross, but even then nowhere in the Bible do we find homosexuality complimented and held up as an ideal in the way marriage between a man and woman is!

I think it’s appalling that Archbishop Paul Bayes has suffered abuse on social media over his views on sexuality.  That is hardly the definition of Christian love and we should seek to make our Churches welcoming, even when we are seeking to correct unscriptural thinking.  So can I argue for a firm and gracious response when we seek to defend scripture!  Let’s pray  for eyes to be opened to the truth of scripture when we see error.  Also let’s pray for those who seek to uphold the Evangelical faith in our Churches and witness to its saving power.  Lastly, I once heard Hebrews 13:8 summed up as the Bible in a verse: ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever.’  That should be our motto and defence of the Gospel as we contend for its truth in an ever changing world!

[1] John Richardson, What God has made clean, if we can eat prawns, why is gay sex wrong? (New Malden, The Good Book Company, 2003) 12.

My wife Tracy received the DVD of the film ‘Wonder Woman’ as a present from her sister at Christmas.  I had no complaints whatsoever about that as we had seen the film at the cinema and it had been an enjoyable experience.  But watching the film again it occurred to me, not only  how good it was, but just how idealistic the character of Diana (Wonder Woman) is, which is conveyed by her thoughts and actions.  After all,  without  giving too much  of the plot away, she finds herself  plucked from  her idealistic world  and plunged into the horrors of World War 1.  Not only that,  but  none of the generals want to listen to  a woman!  Yet, when given a mission, but  told she must not be swayed by the suffering  and death of civilian men, women and children  trapped behind enemy lines  because there is a greater overall  plan, her idealism automatically kicks in.  So she immediately stages a one-woman  rescue attempt.  This draws her  comrades into action and  vulnerable lives are saved and suffering is cut short!

Recently, in the evening, I’ve  just started  preaching  through the book of Revelation.   In 1:9-20 John has a vision  of the glorified  Christ  walking  among seven lampstands  which  represent seven Churches in Asia Minor.  Some of these Churches are doing well  in certain areas and badly in others.   One is visibly successful,  but  spiritually  dead.   Two look weak,  but are going to receive special  blessing.  As the number seven was seen as a symbol of completeness in Jewish  thinking, it doesn’t stretch our minds too far  to realise that this is  a picture of the ‘complete’ Church throughout the ages.  Both  the good and the bad within the Church is represented here.  But the key thing to note is this, Christ is walking among them!   Even if they are  sinning by tolerating  false teaching or immorality he has a message for them and is warning them and calling them to repentance and to be faithful to  the Gospel by not comprising it in any way !

My last post questioned  what  Orthodox Christians ought to do in the face of a situation where  Scripture is playing second fiddle to ‘good disagreement’  and ‘listening to experience’ in the debates within the Church.  Certain Church leaders have hijacked  what the Church should stand for as they are afraid of the offence that Scripture  can bring  and the flak  that will come the Church’s way if the full council of Scripture is preached.  But this passage gives us hope.   Christ does not want  to forsake his Church, but is calling on those who truly love him to stand up and be counted.   This can only be done by being  gracious  and firm about what we believe and praying for revival in our Churches.  Otherwise confusion reigns  when, at the best, neo-evangelicalism and neo-Orthodoxy hold sway, and  at the worst liberalism  is the order of the day.

So let’s learn a lesson from Wonder Woman’s   idealism  and stand up  for what we believe!    Let’s be prayerful and vocal by challenging anything contrary to Scripture  and praying for revival  in the Church.  The last Church  to receive a message from the risen and glorified Christ  is the Church  at  Laodicea.   They had grown cold  and apathetic,  yet Christ challenges them  to respond to him.  ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me’ (Revelation 3:20).   This is a gracious  invitation  to a banquet, a veritable feast, not a five-minute snack, but a time of intimate  fellowship!   Even when the Church  wanders from  God’s Word  he longs to reconnect intimately with it.   So let’s be idealistic about  our belief in God’s Word and let’s pray for the revival  of the Church in  in this day and age!

The appointment of Sarah Mullally as Bishop of London caught many people by surprise.  After all it’s the third most important appointment after Canterbury and York.  So it poses the question, why exactly is Sarah Mullally seen as appropriate for the post?  A quick look at her credentials shows she’s had an impressive record in nursing and has been highly honored for it.  However when it comes to the Church she has served six years in local ministry as a team rector (after being a self-supporting deacon) before becoming a residentiary Canon in Salisbury.  Rather interestingly, she’s served just two years as the Suffragan bishop of Crediton in the Exeter Diocese.  This seems to suggest she’s been fast tracked for her current appointment!  So what exactly is going on here?

Now before I go further, I’d like to make clear that despite being a Minister in a Church belonging to the Evangelical Fellowship of Congregational Churches this is not a let’s have a go at the ‘Church of England’ post.  The theological basis of the Church of England is scripturally based (just check out the 39 articles).  I am indebted to having grown up in an Anglican Church where Scripture was faithfully taught, believed and applied.  Rather, I am concerned about the agenda in leadership of the Church when there appears to be a fast tracked appointment of another Bishop who seems to favour LGBT equality, whatever her position on marriage is for the moment!  I say for the moment as Archbishop Welby seems to have moved along way from the evangelicalism that he happy purported when he was first appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.

What this calls to mind is a very entertaining but thought-provoking episode of ‘Yes Prime Minister’.  Jim Hacker has only been Prime Minister short time and is grappling with his responsibility, particularly with the idea of the nuclear option.  He meets with an expert who questions when, and if, he would ever press the button.  His challenge to Hacker is that in the Cold War it would never be a case of a full frontal assault, but rather what he calls salami tactics, the enemy taking a slice by slice gradually.  The only response Hacker gives to the question as to when he would press the button as another metaphorical slice is taken is: “well I might”.

And this is what I feel is happening in the Church of England as gradually the ground is being shifted.  Some while back I read Sam Allberry’s post concerning the General Synod’s discussion on sexuality and transgender issues.  He lamented that no one really wanted to talk about Scripture and theology other than Evangelicals.  No, all the talk was about sharing experience and good disagreement!  I’ve read with interest and dismay of Laura Ashworth’s resignation from the Archbishop’s Council.  Knowing Laura as a very wise and capable Christian and having watched with interest her progress through the General Synod to this position, I found myself reluctantly understanding her decision as what’s the point of sitting on a Council or Synod if you’re just tolerated, but the moment you raise Scripture as an argument you are, no doubt, politely side-lined!  And how can there be good disagreement on Scriptural issues when people won’t engage with Scripture in the first place?

The Church of England is suffering an identity crisis, except it refuses to call it that.  It finds itself marginalised due the leadership’s departure from seeking a scriptural basis for what it does and says.  But rather than look to Scripture, as Bishop Rob Thomas was courageously saying in a recent interview, it is looking at ways it can align its self with the world while pretending that the C of E is one big happy family!  This brings to mind Paul’s warning to the Timothy: ‘For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions’ (1 Timothy 4:3).  The sad thing is that the leadership of the Church of England seem happy to comply!  But the folly of this brings to mind the words of Charles Haddon Spurgeon who when preaching on Acts 17:6 where Paul and Silas are accused of turning: ‘the world upside down’ commented that it was the wrong way up to start with!

In the end, Conservative Evangelicals are being thrown scraps.  I was delighted when Wallace Benn was appointed as Bishop of Lewis and also with Rob Thomas’ more recent appointment.  But one gets the feeling this is just a pat on the head to show Evangelicals are acknowledged but can then be ignored!

I often give thanks in my prayers for those in the Anglican Communion who are making a stand for orthodoxy.  The question is how can the battle be won when the opposing parties are not even on the same playing field?  Standing for Scripture is a faithful and noble thing to do, but what if it has no effect on the leadership of a denomination because they no longer happy to converse about certain theological issues in Scriptural terms?  I personally pray for a future of the Church in this land (we should never make the mistake in thinking this is just a C of E problem) knowing the Lord can bring about revival in His Church.  After all: ‘if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?’ David (the psalm’s writer) has already got that one worked out: ‘In the Lord I take refuge’ (Psalm 11:3 and 1).  However, Bible believing Anglicans must beware with Evangelicals of other denominations as it can hardly be term a ‘fifth column’ when leadership is increasingly strengthening, not just a liberal approach to Scripture, but a dismissal of all scriptural theology in some of its discussions!

It’s not surprising that with the success of the book (with sales of over 10 million) ‘The Shack’  has now been turned into an incredibly successful film with takings of over $96 million on a $20 million budget!

The story, in brief, revolves around Mack,  who four years previously  suffered the brutal murder of his  young daughter.   Mack suffers from what he calls his  ‘Great Sadness’.  Yet, during the course of the story, a meeting with God   (at the shack of the title)  brings him to a point  of resolution concerning his pain and anger.  The story seeks to deal seriously with suffering. It shows God as compassionate and that ultimately sufferings and heartache can only really be healed through meeting and knowing him.  But opinion has been divided concerning ‘The Shack’.  Some Christians have embraced it  as a positive tool for outreach.  Others have  called it   a work of heresy!   But what are the real issues ?

Firstly, its representation of God.  Any time we  portray God as we imagine him we run the risk of being  in violation of the Second Commandment.  The story also downplays the use of the Bible  with personal experience being more important.  Christ’s work on the cross is side-lined, hence the holiness of God  and the issue of sin being an affront to him  is sacrificed.  Christianity, depending as it does on this, is pushed to one side to present a more ‘Universalist’ view.  Even when ‘The Shack’ is at its best, as some Biblical concepts are well illustrated, very often a strong sense of ambiguity  prevails.   In the end we are  left with a ‘touchy-feely’ God who is  a completely user-friendly re-invention!

Those embracing  it as a tool for outreach prove the Church is in retreat  in this country.  It has become  concerned  with its image, seeking to have what it sees as a more user-friendly  and politically correct one,  Hence ‘The Shack’ ticks all the right boxes!

Yet when writing to the Galatian Church the apostle Paul refused to accept any other purported  Gospel  regardless of who preached it  (Galatians 1:8-9).    The issue of sin  and the cross  is central  as: ‘Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”’  (Galatians 3:13).  This demonstrates the seriousness of sin.  It’s such an affront  to a holy God  that we are  literally cursed  and, true to his nature, he would have to  judge us as such!  But this, and the willingness  of Christ, by his  voluntary  obedience to his father, to become a curse  for us makes the Gospel all the more remarkable (Philippians 2:6-8).   I’ve recently been reading ‘Preaching – an Awesome Task’  by  Eryl Davis.   Its subtitle ‘Wrath, Final Judgement, Hell  and the Glorious Gospel’,  struck me as really appropriate as the Gospel’s is the remedy to the first three.  And that’s what makes it glorious!  Its message  of Christ’s sacrifice for our wrong doing  is the  only way that  we can ever possibly be  reconciled to God who, because of his  holy nature, could never   coexist  with our sin!  No wonder  Paul would accept  no other Gospel!

In the end we all  need the authentic Gospel and ‘The Shack’ with it’s strong sense of ambiguity falls short!   At best to use it as such  could be interpreted as  sincere   but misguided.  Let’s be bold enough  to believe in the power of the true Gospel with the centrality of the cross as the remedy for sin.  And let’s repent of the times we’ve been tempted of depart from it in our witness!

The subject of  Gospel integrity  is dealt with in the sermon  Accept no Imitations! (Galatians 1).

Perhaps its with a sense of inevitability that we greet the news that the live action remake of Disney’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’ is to feature the first openly gay character in a Disney  film.  Bill Condon the director of the film has stated that this is a ‘watershed’ moment for Disney in that it will convey to children everywhere that being gay is perfectly normal.[1]  Hot on the heels of this was the announcement that the new ‘Power Rangers’ movie is also to feature an openly gay character.  Director Dean Israelite told the Hollywood Reporter: “she’s questioning a lot about who she is. She hasn’t fully figured it out yet.”[2]  Added to that, now ‘Doctor Who’ is now going to have an openly gay companion.   Now there is much that we can say about this starting with the obvious that the Bible teaches that the right and best place for sexual intimacy is within marriage between a man and woman (Genesis 2: 20-24 and 1 Corinthians 7:1-5).   And no doubt these issues may have been exaggerated  to generate publicity!   But I wonder whether that’s the main issue here?  After all, for many years there have been films and television programs that have set out to promote the gay lifestyle.

What I feel is the real issue here is that these are aimed at children!  As such, they are just another example of the increasing sexualisation of childhood.  Coupled with concerns about possible new legislation concerning sex education in schools, it seems more and more children are being force to engage with adult themes!

Now before someone tries to raise the old cliché that the Bible takes a negative attitude towards sex, it’s worth noting that the Bible  contains one of the most beautiful, and sensual, celebrations of love and sexual intimacy ever written in ‘The Song of Solomon’.  However, what is interesting to note among the heady mix of romance and frankly erotic imagery in the poetry is the recurring phrase: ‘I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or the does of the field, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases’ (Song of Solomon 2:7, 3:5, and 8:4).  One might wonder what bearing that has on the subject of the sexualisation children.  But Tremper Longman rather helpfully notes that: ‘the daughters of Jerusalem are surrogates for the reader.  We too are to learn the same lesson: Wait for love to blossom; don’t try and stimulate it artificially.’[3]  Surely what these filmmakers are doing is the complete opposite by trying to force such issues into the medium of children’s entertainment and make children engage with sexual themes whether they want to or not!

The Bible makes it very clear that the gift of children is a blessing from God (Genesis 1:28).  It is notable that Eve acknowledges this with the birth of Cain with the words: ‘I have produced a man with the help of the Lord’ (Genesis 4:1).  That being the case we shouldn’t be surprised that the Bible also has a lot to say about the raising and instruction of children.  One particularly relevant passage is Deuteronomy 6:4-9 with its emphasis on the instruction of God’s law within the family and the home.  When doing Dedication Services I have used verse 7 with its instruction: ‘You shall teach them (God’s laws) diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.’  The point being that there is nothing unusual or freakish about having God’s Word at the centre of family affairs, it’s completely natural.  After all it has a bearing on the moulding of a child’s character.

The apostle Paul when writing to the church at Ephesus gives this instruction: ‘Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord’ (Ephesians 6:4).  Here’s a warning not just that fathers should not treat their children unfairly or harshly, but also that they should allow them to develop naturally within the framework of biblical teaching.  A rather good example of this balanced approach was found in the attitude of JC Ryle (the first Bishop of Liverpool) when bringing up his sons.  A friend of his sons noted that Ryle, with his gigantic figure and stentorian voice, appeared rather formidable, but that he was  actually  kind and hearty.  He noted that: ‘the atmosphere of the house was devotional; daily Bible readings, somewhat lengthy family prayers, and a good deal of religious talk.  But all was quite wholesome and unpretentious.’  Ryle coached the boys at cricket, football and fostered their love of books and wrote wise and interesting letters when they were away at school.[4]

This is surely the balanced approach that Christian parents would do well to emulate as it allows children to flourish, enjoy growing up and develop to their own personality, with consideration to Christian values and lifestyle.  It is not about them being a carbon copy of their parents or what others are trying to force on them.  And it runs contrary to the agenda of these film makers and a society that is trying to force children to grow up too soon.  It’s about time we let children enjoy their childhood as they used to be able to do.  We should let them be  free from adult obligations and pressures as that is the Christian way as it is God’s way and therefore,  the best way!

[1] http://attitude.co.uk/world-exclusive-beauty-and-the-beast-set-to-make-disney-history-with-gay-character/
[2]http://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainment/movies/power-rangers-movie-features-first-gay-screen-superhero/ar-BByuzKK?OCID=ansmsnnews11
[3] Tremper Longman, Song of Songs, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, Eerdmans Publishing Company,2001) 115.
[4] Marcus L. Loane, John Charles Ryle, 1816-1900 (London, Hodder and Stoughton, 1983), 52.

Sadly, once again, London has been the target of a terrorist attack. The shocking thing is that, in some ways, this should no longer surprise us.  It’s a fact that there are elements out there that want to attack our democratic system of government  and way of life, and whether we can understand it or not they believe they have a perfect right to do so!  No doubt there will be much said over the next few days and weeks, in connection with this attack and others that  are occurring around the world.  The Prime Minister Teresa May, responding to the attack of 22/3/17 called it a: ‘sick and depraved terrorist attack on the streets of our Capital’ and no doubt that is how the vast majority of people will see it and react to these attacks.

Let’s be clear, all these attacks are terrible events and our hearts and prayers are with those who have suffered loss or are concerned about loved ones who have been injured. But what is the real issue that leads someone to attack someone else’s ideology or to try and force their own ideology on them?  The Bible hits a nerve in the way as it sums up the reason for this kind of evil behavior.

‘What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?  You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.  You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions’ (James 4:1-3).

These verses really sum up the human condition, whether it’s manifested in  the extreme nature of acts of terrorism, murder, stealing or in the petty grudges that people sometimes harbour (sometimes for years) against neighbours, former friends or even family! In the end the issue  is the one behind all sin, self! Our sin always leads to us putting ourselves first regardless of other people’s feelings or rights!  As we have already noted, much is going to be said about the nature and causes of terrorism, but in the end the issue is the destructive and rebellious nature of the human heart.  As the prophet Jeremiah notes: ‘The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?’ (Jeremiah 17:9). However the good news is God has given us a cure for the human heart. This is a cure that works for the terrorist, several former IRA terrorists  have been converted when they sought forgiveness for their  sins during their time in prison and have renounced their violent pasts, right down to those who’s petty squabbles and grudges can so sour their and others lives for year after year!  So the wonderful thing is that this cure can work for anyone!

‘For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.’ (Titus 3:4-7).

It’s God’s grace and his action that is the solution to the problem of the human heart. In the end that is a cure for every kind of sin that can separate us from God and so sour our lives and bring heartache and division in this damage world! Much will be said to do with this  atrocity and other incidents of terrorism in the days, months and years to come.  But the real and  lasting  solution to the human heart’s  rebellion against God is found in the saving work of Christ  on the cross!

 The subject of suffering is dealt with in more detail  in the book ‘Where is God when Things go Wrong.’ You can  find this   on the Any Questions? page if you would like to order a free copy.   The sermon The Storm Subsides.  also touches on the subject as does A Response to the Terrorist Attack of 22/3/17: What did Jesus say when Questioned about Evil and Suffering?