Life is More than Politics

"Thanks for everything, Bernie!"

Politicians have words to thank for their positions. They are often long on promises and (somewhat short on delivery). This persistent human phenomenon leads people to think that somehow the solution to our problems is political. I mean, if the politicians would “get out of the way” then “we could really get things solved.” This is what creates the cheap theater that is politics (see photo).

I firmly believe that the root of human problems is sin. By sin I mean a broken relationship with God that one inherits because one is human. This sinful nature is a spiritual problem, meaning that one only addresses it in spiritual terms, in terms of intangible indescribable interaction with the Divine. And is there not One who is Divine?

Our counselors must point us to God, our money won't save us, our entertainment escape will fade quickly. Our relationships all ultimately drive us to the one relationship that matters, our relationship with the One who created us, and who calls us by name to return to Him.

The root of humanity's problem is sin. The solution to sin has been provided by God, who sent His only Son Jesus Christ to be the resolution for our sins. Jesus perfectly revealed the Father in heaven, the Lord of all of us. How can we hope to know our God if we won't know His Son who perfectly showed us what he is like?

One thing that Jesus showed us clearly is that He died for our sins, not for His own. Jesus was the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He taught that whoever believed in Him would not perish, but would have everlasting life.  Why would we not embrace this gift that God gives to us by His grace?

It is part of our duty as citizens to be engaged in the political process. But we are foolish if we imagine this will solve ultimate problems. People are good in many ways, but we are all dead in our sins with respect to God.  We ultimately cannot even help one another until we truly repent and believe Jesus. We then enter the life of God, as our sins are taken away, and we receive a new heart, a transformed moral disposition, that inclines us ever more towards the God who made us.

It is then that life truly is more than politics, more than success,  more than scientific materialism, more than...

The Surprising Children of Spong

     This past week I heard another torturous talk from the venerable Bishop John Shelby Spong. This talk was very much unpleasant, as he is an arrogant grumpy old man full of vitriol for traditional Christian belief, who shores up his views with outdated narrow scholarship combined with tabloid science. And at the end of the talk he defiantly “claims the title” of Christian. Typical of the venerable Bishop John Shelby Spong, you say, so why be annoyed?

     I thought most everyone was tired of hearing his routine.  But then I realized his "gravitas" is giving some credibility to a view that is popular, as he was invited to speak at a recent “Progressive Christianity Conference." His talk is titled “Why Atonement Theology will Kill the Church.” It's not surprising that the venerable Bishop John Shelby Spong denies Christianity the atonement (on a quite spurious basis), but it is increasingly surprising to me that there is no difference, in any substantive way, between many of the venerable Bishop John Shelby Spong's views and the sentiments of say, Reverend Brian McLaren, Reverend Rob Bell, or even, practically, Pastor Joel Osteen.

     In other words, a more sugar-coated delivery of the same ideas makes one popular. These are all crystal clear examples of Christianity without Christ. Or, Christianity with a Jesus more palatable to modern sensitivities and political correctness. The venerable Bishop John Shelby Spong and his more popular co-conspirators in the end want people to be free from the idea that humanity has a sin problem that needs Saviour solution.

     So what does the venerable Bishop John Shelby Spong propose is the real problem? It is a doctrine of “incompleteness” or “imperfection,” of “humanity in need of its potential.” Sin is “not so,” but incompleteness is. Nevermind the semantic games, this is no different than Emergent leaders, no different than Osteen, or the Health & Wealth peddlers. This tired old message is gaining new ground with audiences who have no Biblical context, because it comes with a built-in excuse for ignoring the Bible's basic overall message about salvation through Christ. And yet, somehow, it still wants to be Christian.

     This is no different than the message delivered to Eve, that she really needed to eat of the fruit of the tree to be Godly; that God was, indeed, holding her back from her full potential. 

     I think we all need to be very careful when we listen or read from many of today's popular and progressive teachers.  There is a lot to say for being fresh and creative in applying the Bible to our everyday lives, but God may have a lot to say about being downright eager to re-write the clear overarching message of Scripture.  It is apparent to me that many of these smart people don't want new applications of scripture, but they want different scriptures altogether! 

     The Bible says, “Test the spirits, to see if they are from God.” Be sure you aren't one of those who will throw out both your common sense and the Bible.  And always remember, we need to repent and believe the Gospel, because we must be born again.