God and America

What does God expect of America? That may seem like a very presumptuous question. I do not claim to have received any direct communication from God on this matter. The only authority that can be cited for answering a question about what God’s thoughts would be on a matter is an appeal to Holy Scripture. For this discussion I presuppose that the Bible is the only book God has written and it remains the sole source of revelation of His mind. But back to the question. Why is it necessary to seek God’s truth about America? The question, in my estimation, is answered in its asking. God exists. He has spoken. We must listen. God is our creator, rules sovereignly over the universe, and is infinitely wise. We owe our existence to Him. We ignore God’s counsel to our own peril.

God expects America to fulfill its role as a nation among nations. Human governments exist to promote the public good and to restrain evil (Rom. 13:1-8). This of course presumes that the citizenry knows what is good and what is evil. Without some minimal moral categories no nation can survive for very long. Public order must be maintained. Freedoms are to be protected, and citizens must fulfill their responsibilities to government; obey the laws, participate in civic affairs, pay taxes, and assist in the defense of the country. Christians have a special interest in the protection of personal freedom and a general state of peace within the nation. This is marked out by Paul in his admonition to the church to pray for those in authority that they may be converted and that conditions favorable to the spreading of the gospel would exist (1 Tim. 2:1-4).

God expects America to honor His moral law. This law is written within every human being and in the record of divine revelation, the Bible (Rom. 2:14-15). The “interaction of conscience and innate morality may result in a good life” (Charles Ryrie). If and when the general compliance with God’s moral law occurs, our nation will be a better place to live. But when people violate God’s moral law and invert the standards of justice there will be societal dissolution. The death of a culture is guaranteed when evil is called good, and good evil” (Isa. 5:20). We are living in a time when America is undergoing a mega “cultural shift.” The redefinition of marriage to include same-sex marriage is one of those morally insane changes that are evidence of the death throes of a civilization. The war against the children of our nation is accelerating at an alarming pace. Child pornography, child prostitution, and sexual molestation of children are a grief to the conscience of morally sound people. God came after nations with a big stick who did not protect the innocent and defenseless (Amos 1). We are paying the penalty for our love affair with moral relativism. Thank God for those law-makers and government agencies who seek to stem the tide of moral evil that exploits children.

God expects America to repent of its wickedness. Ancient Nineveh was sent a prophet of God (reluctant as that prophet was) to call the Assyrian people to their moral and spiritual senses. The prophet Jonah, after the chastening of the Lord, went about that great capital of the Assyrian empire preaching repentance. Nineveh was at the center of an idol worshiping, cruel, and tyrannical nation in the eighth century B.C. (Jon. 1:2; Nah. 3). Amazingly, by God’s grace, the king and the people turned to God in sackcloth. They humbled themselves before God Almighty, turned from their wicked ways, and cried out to God for forgiveness. God took notice of their repentance and spared them from judgment. This great revival in Nineveh is a witness to the accountability of all nations to a holy God. America would do well to take notice of this story of God’s grace. Do we think that God does not notice the moral wickedness that blights our land? There will be a pay-day some day. While it is true that in a very real sense we are already under the judgment of God (Rom. 1:18-32), how long will God be longsuffering toward our nation? No one knows. But God will not allow His righteous, moral standards to be flaunted in the name of tolerance, multi-culturalism, or whatever human contrivance is used to declare independence from Him.

God expects America to acknowledge His sovereign rule over all nations (Psa. 22:28). This is a reality whether it is acknowledged or not. The nation that honors God and His everlasting dominion is on the right side of human history. When King Nebuchadnezzar, the ancient king of Babylon, was at ease in his house and prospering in this palace he was on his way to a rendezvous with God. As Nebuchadnezzar strutted about his city and bragged of his greatness God cut him down to size (Dan. 4:4, 30, 32-35). The mighty monarch of Babylon publicly confessed God’s absolute sovereignty after a humiliating experience of groveling in the dirt like an animal. The nation that sets out to banish God from its collective conscience is doomed to its own demise. Having “in God we trust” on our currency is no automatic protection against divine wrath, but it counts for something, especially if justice, mercy, and humility before God are woven into the fabric of our nationhood.

Many Americans take a smug measure of self-satisfaction in this nation’s brain trust, power, and wealth. But such a self-congratulatory outlook is misguided and ultimately disastrous. God has placed His premium upon a different kind of person. The prophet Jeremiah splashed some theological cold water in the face of a nation that had viewed itself as exceptional; “Thus says the Lord, ‘Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,’ declares the Lord” (Jer. 9:23-24). Let us each determine to be the kind of Americans that delight God.

Dr. Howard E. Dial
Berachah Bible Church

Global Warning

Global warming as a media fixation has taken back seat to the presidential primaries. But that doesn’t mean it has gone away. The theory of man-made global warming has attracted adherents with a religious-like zeal. Former vice-president Al Gore has been the drum major for the climate-change crusaders whose ranks are filled with professional meteorologists, other scientists, politicians, and the main-stream media. The rush to save our planet has also been joined by various Christian leaders and organizations. Mark Bergin in World Magazine recently reported that “Many other nongovernment relief organizations, such as Christian Aid, World Vision, and Oxfam International, are taking steps toward reducing their emissions and helping impoverished people prepare for potential changes in sea level, weather patterns, and agriculture.”

A Christian response to global warming predictions by necessity has to be multifaceted. There are many questions that have to be asked. Is global warming taking place and if so, is it man-made? Most would agree that there has been some increase in the climate temperature of our planet. But this does not mean that global warming is man-made. S. Fred Singer, professor emeritus of environmental sciences at the University of Virginia and president of the Science and Environmental Policy Project, has stated, “…every scientist knows, correlation is not causation. During much of the last century the climate was cooling while CO2 levels were rising. And we should note that the climate has not warmed in the past eight years, even though greenhouse gas levels have increased rapidly.” Is there a “scientific consensus” that the burning of fossil fuels is the chief cause of warming today? Again, Singer observes that there is “no such consensus” and this is “not how science works.” He adds that “Science proceeds by the scientific method and draws conclusions based on evidence, not a show of hands.”

There is also another problem with the so-called “scientific consensus” argument. This bullying tactic has been used to shut down all objections to Darwinian evolution. How many times have evolutionists, especially those in the media, attempted to shout down the opposition with variations of “most scholars believe”? Consensus is no better than the presuppositions it brings to the discussion. But another question arises. If there is global warming, what can be done about it? It is not the purpose of this present discussion to offer proposed solutions. However, beware of those who have a vested financial interest in combating an alleged man-made global warming. Actually, there are some environmental advantages to a slightly warmer climate with more carbon dioxide. According to Fred Singer, “Economic studies have demonstrated that a modest warming and higher CO2 levels will increase GNP and raise standards of living, primarily by improving agriculture and forestry. It’s a well-known fact that CO2 is plant food and essential to the growth of crops and trees – and ultimately to the well-being of animals and humans.”

One of the special features of the debate over global warming is the slugfest that has started among various Christians. In a recent editorial in the AJC the executive director of the Baptist Center for Ethics in Nashville, Robert Parham, rebukes current Southern Baptist Convention leaders for being caught in “a religious disconnect on (global) warming.” Parham, an ordained Baptist minister, thinks that “scientific consensus” should be enough to rally good Christians to the banner “of human-induced climate change.” He argues this by condescendingly chiding those who believe “in special revelation” (i.e., an inerrant and trustworthy Bible). If the Bible doesn’t speak about man-made global warming, then we can’t be sure if it is happening. That, according to Parham, is the self-imposed dilemma of Bible believers. This kind of shallow and herd-bound thinking about global warming calls for reminders in biblical realities.

Planet earth’s original climate was perfect. It had to have been. God created it and said that it was very good. Our weather problems began at the fall of man into sin. The curse of death was pronounced upon all creation. Thorns, thistles, and sweat replaced an ideal environment. Paradise was lost. Creation was subjected to futility. Adam and Eve’s descendants were consigned to a struggle against a hostile environment. Mankind has been trying to cope with the terrestrial thermostat since he was driven out of the garden. From the tropical climate of the pre-Flood world to the uniformity of the seasons in the post-Flood world human beings live in a groaning creation. Until the kingdom of God on earth when the curse on creation will be partially lifted, God has established a certain kind of uniformity in nature. In his notes on Genesis 8:22 (“While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”) Dr. Henry Morris has commented that, “Absolute uniformity of the day/night cycle and the seasonal cycles assures at least general uniformity of functioning (allowing for statistical variations) of other processes.” In other words, the planet will function according to a principle of uniformity, even while creation groans and suffers, until that day when new heavens and a new earth become a reality (Rom. 8:22; 2 Pet. 3:13).

In the meantime human beings can do great damage to the environment. Forests can be cut down and replaced with earth scaring erosion. Animals can be hunted to extinction. Their natural habitats can be ravaged leaving them no place to live. Streams can be polluted by man-made pollutants. The air can be filled with enough particulate matter to make life unbearable. No one denies that mankind can do some incredibly bad things to the water he drinks, the air he breathes, and the ground in which he grows his crops. But can finite creatures actually destroy the planet? You would think so from listening to all the “save the planet” propaganda of recent years. What an arrogant boast. The claim is that the creature can actually do what only the Creator can do, end life on this earth as we know it. Human beings cannot save the planet anymore than they can save themselves from the wrath of a holy God against all ungodliness and unrighteousness. Sinful, fallen human beings flatter themselves with their vaunted aspirations much like our ancestors did who set out to build a religious monument on the plains of Shinar (Gen. 11:1-4). However well-intentioned the save-the-planet mentality may be, it is a fool’s errand.

But all this is not to say that we should be indifferent to the care of creation. Through common grace (the blessings God gives to all people that are not part of salvation from sin) God makes it possible for societies to maintain acceptable living conditions (“The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made….The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand, you satisfy the desire of every living thing” Psalm 145:9, 15-16). We should rejoice in and utilize all that science and technology offer us for making a better environment (clean air, pure water, and wise use of natural resources). Christians should be in the vanguard in both micro-environmentalism and macro-environmentalism. It is not a mark of good stewardship to litter, waste, and be indifferent to recycling. Industries should not be allowed to pollute air and water without accountability. Also to be factored into Christian environmentalism is the wise management of one’s personal resources. Money is not to be wasted. Conservation has always been important in a Christian world and life view. Conserving means economizing and economizing means the best possible use of money and time for the glory of God. Loving one’s neighbor calls for a commitment to doing all within our power to be good stewards of God’s gift of creation.

The problem is that environmentalism has become a religion to many. Under the cover of the “greening” of life a new totalitarianism has arisen. In the words of Charles Krauthammer, “Environmentalists, having proclaimed the ultimate commandment – carbon chastity – are preparing the supporting canonical legislation that will tell you how much you can travel, what kind of light you will read by, and at what temperature you may set your thermostat.” The “Church of Environmentalism” with all its dogmas and its sacramental service to reverse global warming fails to engage our minds with the most serious calamity of all. There is a coming global disaster. It is already in the making. The creation has been subjected by its Creator to futility, sometimes called the law of entropy. Decay and death are moving our planet and the universe inexorably toward dissolution. It is waiting for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and the new world order He will bring about. One day the curse that now rests upon nature will be removed and its great symphony of sighs will be a thing of the past (Rom. 8:20-21). Therefore, God has issued a global warning. He is going to shake the earth and the heavens (Heb. 12:26-27; Rev. 6:12-14). The ultimate global warming will take place. God will destroy the heavens and the earth by fire taking vengeance on those who do not know Him (1 Pet. 3:7; 2 Thess. 1:7-8). What are we to do? We are to turn from our unbelief and put our trust in the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of sin and eternal life. One day this earth will be transformed into the paradise for which it was intended. The best is yet to be for those who belong to Jesus Christ.

Dr. Howard E. Dial
Berachah Bible Church

The Boy Who Had Two Shirts

Once upon a time there was a boy who only had two shirts. Both were nothing more than simple t-shirts. Both were the same color. Both were made by the same company. However, when he wore them, each shirt brought very different reactions.

The front of the first shirt said in big bold letters; “God loves you.” This was his favorite of the two shirts because when he wore it people would talk to him. In fact, lots of people would tell him how much they liked his shirt and how true that message was.

The front of the second shirt, which was not his favorite, said the exact same thing. However, the letters on the second shirt were not as big because they were not the only thing on this shirt. The words “God loves you” came under the picture of a cross. This shirt was not his favorite because people didn’t seem to like it at all. In fact, when people did comment on his second shirt it was often negative and with disgust.

One day the boy encountered a man who had suffered many terrible tragedies. The man’s family had died in a house fire while he was away on a business trip. After suffering such a great lost he could not function well enough at work to keep his job. Before long he got fired. He eventually lost almost everything he had and was now living on the street. After hearing the man’s sad story he thought he would comfort the man with the simple message on his favorite t-shirt that everyone seemed to like. So the boy boldly perked up and said, “Well, God loves you.” To the boy’s amazement, the man quickly snapped back, “How has God loved me?” The boy scrambled to find an answer. He looked down at his favorite shirt only to find it reassuring him of nothing more than that God loved him.

The boy walked away sad that day, but he made a decision to find out the answer to the suffering man’s question. For a whole week straight the boy wore his favorite t-shirt, and every time someone would comment on it he would ask them how they know God loved them. Many people told the boy they did not know but they could feel it. Other people mentioned things like the fact that they had a house, money, a good job, a family, and good health. About half way through the week the boy decided he would add a new question to his list. Now when people commented on his shirt he would not only ask how they knew God loved them, but when they responded with things like I have a good job, or money, or I just feel it, he would ask, “So, how would you know God loved you if He took those things away?”

People did not like this question. By the end of the week the boy was almost scared to ask it, but he so desperately wanted to know the answer to the suffering man’s question. After days of asking and feeling like he had gotten no closer to an answer, he took off his favorite shirt and threw it away.

A few days later the boy ran into the suffering man again. The man remembered the boy and with a sarcastic sting he asked the boy once again, “How has God loved me?” The boy was frazzled once again, and began searching for what to say. He thought about all the answers he had gotten over the past week, and none of them were good enough to answer this suffering man’s question. In despair he boy hung his head. As he looked down he was reminded that he was wearing his second favorite shirt. In his frustration he was thinking about throwing it way too. For it too had the simple message, “God loves you” printed on it. As the boy tried to figure out whether or not to throw his only shirt way, his eyes fell on the picture of the cross that was right above the words. Feeling he had nothing to lose, the boy turned to the man and with a soft voice said, “The cross.” The suffering man said nothing, but his head dropped down and before long the boy could tell that the man was crying.

That was it. The boy found the answer to the suffering man’s question. It was also the answer to his question. God had forever shown his love for us on the cross and no one or thing could ever take that away. It stood as a testimony through all of time that God did indeed love him.

1 John 3:16 “By this we know love, that He laid down His life for us…”

1 John 4:9-10 “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

“Nowadays if you tell people that God loves them, they are unlikely to be surprised. Yet this superficial consensus can mask deeper problems. For ‘love’ means very different things to different people, and it can be hard to separate the biblical wheat from the sentimental chaff. A moment’s thought tells us that the half-baked Hollywood caricature needs to be kicked firmly into the long grass; the trouble is that we are not always sure what to put in its place. We are unclear in our minds about what God’s love is. What does it mean for an infinite God to love finite people? What should it feel like to know that God loves me? We are in danger of treating God’s love like the foundation of a glorious cathedral: we build an enormous edifice upon it, but rarely trouble ourselves with what is going on underground, and when cracks start to appear higher up we discover to our horror that no one has the key to the basement.”

“If we blunt the sharp edges of the cross, we dull the glittering diamond of God’s love.”

Quotes taken from Pierced for Our Transgressions: Rediscovering the Glory of Penal Substitution by Steve Jeffery, Michael Ovey, and Andrew Sach.

Eric Flintoff

The Effective Mother

We honor you today, mothers, and appreciate you. You may sometimes wonder how effective your role is as a mother. This is not an easy question to answer for several reasons. In the first place your work is not finished. In most cases your children will outlive you and you are unable to assess the impact you have had upon their lives. You must also consider the creaturely limitations of not being omniscient. We can’t know what is going on in someone else’s heart. Only God knows the effect one life has upon another. In addition to these factors, evaluation of oneself is always incomplete and must be left in the hands of God. Have you been faithful as a mother? God alone makes that determination (1 Cor. 4:1-5). It is necessary for a mother to remind herself of these matters of faith lest by severity of judgment and the incompleteness of human perspective discouragement is invited as an annoying guest.

At this point you may need to pull yourself together, if you are a mother saddened by a child who seems to be disregarding everything you taught him or her. Take some heaping tablespoons of God’s grace. He is in control of all things, even the foolish behavior of a wayward son or daughter. Your work is not over. “We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” If you really believe this you can avoid some of the depression and self-pity that knocks the wind out of your motherly sails.

Having said this there is a biblical outlook that is to have legs and feet on it. Effective mothering doesn’t just happen. There is a lot of sentimentality about motherhood that doesn’t measure up to truth. Just because you have biologically produced offspring doesn’t guarantee success in rearing children. We are, tragically, made well aware of this by mothers who do horrendous things to their children (e.g., drowning them in a bathtub, locking them in a basement room without food, abandoning them, and other such unnatural and evil things). Good mothering is not an automatic thing. You know that. But you will need to remind yourself of the truth that there is a way God wants you to define motherhood and it is not the world’s way.

That is enough of the dark side. What is it that constitutes effective biblical mothering? The effective mother is a God-server, not a self-server (“The woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.” Prov. 31:30). Strength and wisdom for rearing children God’s way is drawn from a deep and growing relationship with God. Fearing God is awareness of His moral purity and power. A God-fearing mother is genuinely afraid of failing God. Disobeying her Creator and Savior is not an acceptable option. She worships, serves, trusts, and obeys her Lord out of love for Him. This happens as a mother’s roots of daily living go deeply into the written Word of God. Mothers, as a result of this you can give the best possible advice and guidance to your children. You are able to construct a set of values which reflect the substantial in contrast to the trivial and harmful. The mother who loves God with all her heart, soul, mind, and strength gives her children monumental memories of God’s love woven into the fabric of life.

The effective mother must understand the nature of her relationship with her husband. The Christian wife knows the wisdom of being submissive to her husband. Please throw out all notions of inferiority or cowering weakness that may have attached themselves to what submit means. Mothers, you will best shape your children’s lives for eternity by living out the relationship of the church to Jesus Christ (Eph. 5:22-24). Biblical submission energetically pursues ways to please God through the support, help, and encouragement of one’s husband. When a wife and mother plans and acts for the welfare of her husband she is providing priceless pre-marital counseling. The response of a wife to her husband is a highly nuanced and individualized thing. But it is in the daily routines of the home that future husbands and wives are made. Do you speak respectfully of your husband? Are the two of you a good working team? Is it evident that you love one another? The way in which you and your husband relate to one another says volumes to your children. Their eyes and ears are absorbing what will form their outlook on marriage and how things are to be in the home.

The effective mother knows what and how to teach her children. This does not mean that the husband is off the hook. The buck stops with him. The husband and wife share the role of instruction in the home. Sons and daughters are admonished by that ancient sage, Solomon, to listen to their father’s instructions and not to forsake their mother’s teaching (Prov. 1:8; 6:20). It was Timothy, the apostle Paul’s trusted associate, who was nurtured in the faith of Christ through his grandmother and mother. Mothers must partner with their husbands to provide a truth-rich environment in the home. Older mothers are to help younger mothers in preparing their children in biblical decision making, what it means to love God and one’s neighbor, how to interpret the Scriptures, the display of courtesy and good manners, and how to do all things for the glory of God.

An effective mother displays the precious jewel of Christian truth. A healthy home will have a godly mother in the middle of it. She exudes the fragrance of a sweet disposition. Kindness has a way of setting the tone of behavior in a household (Titus 2:5). Irritability, harshness, and making demands of everyone will sour any home. Yes, some people are easier to live with than others. But let a grumpy husband and grousing children have an encounter with the sweetness of the graces of the Spirit. Mothers, how sensible are you? Much was made of this attribute for the Christian homes on the island of Crete. Cretan culture needed large amounts of sensibility. So does our culture. Sensibility in a mother means that she will have her priorities straight. She won’t be chasing the latest child-rearing fad, but instead follows the compass of divine wisdom. A sensible mother is not ruled by her feelings. Anger and bitterness are not allowed to jerk her around. She lives with the joy of the Lord defining her moods. A sensible mother is not easily offended. Love and patience are allowed to soften the blows of self-centered people around her. She knows the value of time and plans her daily routine accordingly. May God grant us increasing numbers of sensible mothers who are an anchor in the home and church amidst the howling winds of a culture gone mad with frivolity and foolishness. These mothers who have their biblical wits about them are steady, strong, and not desperate.

Mothers, these words are not written to load you down with guilt but with hope. Effective mothering is a life long pursuit and one over which God is sovereign. He will enable you to do what is wise and good. Savor the tenderness of a Savior who knows your heart, loves you, and will reward your faithfulness.

Dr. Howard E. Dial
Berachah Bible Church

The God of the Gas Pump

What kind of power would someone have if they could control oil? Let’s take you for example. And let’s say that one day you realized you had the power to make oil appear out of nowhere. Or, maybe you realized you could take oil from one place and make it appear in another. What might be coming to your mind is an old TV show called “The Beverly Hillbillies.” As the story goes, the “Hillbillies” were living the poor life until one day Father Jed when out for a hunt. Shooting at what I think was a rabbit, he missed and instead hit the ground.  The bullet struck the ground and up came a fountain of oil. Life changed forever from that point on for Jed and his family. So back to the question, what kind of power would you have if you could control oil? Well, one’s mind could go in a ton of different directions. I think it is safe to say that if any one person gained that kind of ability they would instantly become one of the most, if not the most, powerful person in the world.

Now take this idea and relate it to biblical times.  It does not matter…Old Testament or New.  The one thing that would have to change is the oil.  I would venture to say oil’s equivalent in Bible times would have been water.  One can only imagine how much more powerful kingdoms like the Egyptians, the Babylonians, and the Assyrians would have been had one of their kings had the power to control water. Now, with those thoughts, consider a passage like Psalm 104:5-12:

“5 He set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be moved. 6 You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. 7 At your rebuke they fled; at the sound of your thunder they took to flight. 8 The mountains rose, the valleys sank down to the place that you appointed for them. 9 You set a boundary that they may not pass, so that they might not again cover the earth. 10 You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills; 11 they give drink to every beast of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. 12 Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; they sing among the branches.”

What an amazing thought it must have been for David to think of God as the one who controls all the water of the world!  He saw that it is in God’s hand to be able to cause rain to fall in one place and not in another.  It might strike us more if we think about the oil illustration again.  When God made the world He put all the oil reserves right where He wanted them to be.  He opens up His hand and all the cars and machines of the world are satisfied with the oil He provides, and if God wanted to He could move all the oil in the world into one place.  He could even make all the oil in the world dry up or just disappear.  

I know at this point you are thinking, “Okay that is nice, but who cares?”  Well, in a day and time when we spend so much time watching the price at the gas pump and when we hear over and over from politicians that we need to become less dependent on foreign oil, I think it is important to remember who controls all the oil in this world.  The oil reserve of this world does not belong to Islam, Terrorism, Hugo Chavaz, or the Middle East.  While the before mentioned list has and does greatly profit from oil, and while it is a worthwhile question for our political leaders to address, we must never think that God is up in heaven asking the same questions that we do.  He is not wondering how so many Muslim countries gained control of so much of the world’s oil and how He is going to turn things around.  No, the truth is that just like water in David’s time, God has a firm control over all the oil in this world, so do not fear man.  Don’t worry with the rest of the world about what will happen with gas prices and politics because of oil.  Instead, spend that time the world wastes in worrying with fearing, worshiping, and obeying our great God who speaks, and water, oil, and all of creation obeys.

Eric Flintoff

Berachah Bible Church

The Resurrection and Liberation Theology

A theology unfamiliar to many Americans has suddenly been thrust upon them in the current presidential primary campaign. Sermon clips from Barack Obama’s pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, have touched off a fire storm of heated debate. What many do not understand is the kind of theological viewpoint that drove the tirades of Rev. Wright against America. It is known as liberation theology. It finds its roots in the 1950s in Latin America and quickly spread rapidly throughout the region. It took a special hold among certain Roman Catholic leaders but lept into Protestant circles as well. The essential belief of liberation theology views the oppressed peoples of this world as channels of God’s grace. As the poor and downtrodden rise up and throw off their oppressors salvation is realized. Liberation theology is a reinterpretation of the Christian gospel through a social and political setting. In other words it is another gospel. One version of liberation theology is black liberation theology. Dr. Wayne House describes it as follows: “Oppression relates to physical, economic, psychological and political repression. In view of this oppression, black theology (and liberation theology in general) seeks to speak to ‘this world’ problems, rather ‘other-world’ issues; to concrete circumstances, rather than abstract thought; to the sinfulness of man’s plight in a ghetto, rather than sin in man’s heart; and to a savior who delivers man from earthly slavery, rather than a Savior who saves man from spiritual bondage. This is black liberation theology in a word.” Not all African-Americans have bought into this false gospel by any means, actually only a hand full. But if you want to hear it in its raw form in the pulpit, listen to Rev. Wright’s expostulations.

Human history is littered with false gospels. They come and they go. But they always manage to seduce the spiritually blind and the biblically ignorant. One of the appeals of black liberation theology is that it speaks to people in the midst of their struggles. It offers hope. It does so by using the familiar terms of the Christian gospel; salvation, Savior, faith, hope, etc. The images of Israel’s redemption from bondage in the Old Testament are invoked as a paradigm for the oppressed in our day. It is all quite slippery. The unsuspecting and the disenfranchised can see it as a way out of social and economic oppression. A part of the deception is that the true gospel is mocked as other worldly and disconnected from the realities of the here and now. Of course, this is untrue, but Christians have helped to perpetuate this image by being uninvolved in the pain and suffering of the poor of this world. Biblical Christianity will live out the truth of loving one’s neighbor as oneself.

The major tragedy of the false gospel of liberation theology is that it is not the real gospel. It promises what it cannot provide, namely, good news. The really good news of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection for the forgiveness of sin and eternal life is replaced with a social and political agenda. The call is to overthrow the oppressors by revolution if necessary in the name of justice. The problem of the sinful human heart is ignored. Salvation is interpreted to mean equality and justice for all in this life. The promise of heaven for the redeemed of God is distained as a mere narcotic for the “have-nots.” Jesus Christ is turned into a political deliverer. By doing this Jesus is made less radical than the revolutionary He is claimed to be in liberation theology. Jesus came to be the Savior of the world by conquering sin and death. When Satan offered Him the kingdoms of this world He refused. Not because a kingdom on this planet was an alien idea. Jesus will come again one day to establish His kingdom on this earth. But it will not be independent of an atoning sacrifice and an empty tomb. The cross work of Christ was necessary because a sacrifice for the penalty of sin had to be made. In doing this He struck a death blow to the real culprit behind all human injustice and oppression. The human sinful heart is the source of social and political corruption.

What does the resurrection of Jesus Christ mean in liberation theology? According to James H. Cone, the architect of Black liberation theology, the resurrection of Christ means “that all oppressed peoples become his people. . . . The resurrection-event means that God’s liberating work is not only for the house of Israel but for all who are enslaved by principalities and powers. . . .It is hope which focuses on the future in order to make men refuse to tolerate present inequities. . .to see also the contradiction of any earthly injustice” (as quoted by Paul Enns in “The Moody Handbook of Theology”). One can see that another gospel has been created to call the oppressed to experience liberation from political and social bondage.

Political change is not the answer to society’s problems. Our only hope is a radical change of hearts and lives. The true gospel rests upon the twin pillars of the cross and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Read the Book of Acts. Did the early church engage in a political movement to bring down an oppressive Roman government? What was the subject of its preaching? Why was the church persecuted and ridiculed? What produced generosity and unselfish living in the lives of Christians? What was the hope of the downtrodden and oppressed in the community of faith? It was the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The early Christians spread the message of the gospel with an unflinching fervency. They unashamedly declared that Jesus’ resurrection was proof that He was Israel’s Messiah. Wicked authorities collaborated to kill Jesus, but God raised Him up (Acts 2:24, 31; 3:26; 4:10; 5:30; 10:40; 13:30-37; 26:23). The gospel message was Jesus Christ’s death on the cross for the remission of sins and His resurrection by the power of God. It was not a call to overthrow corrupt governments. Sinners were told to repent and put their faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38; 4:12). It was because of hearts made new in Christ that the grace of generosity flowed toward the needy (Acts 4:34-37).

The short term hope for our world is hundreds of thousands of Bible-rich, Christ-exalting, mercy-giving churches, places where lives are changed and communities are enriched. The long term hope for a world filled with inequities, injustices, and oppression is the coming again of the resurrected Savior, Jesus Christ (2 Thess. 1:6-10). The resurrected Messiah of Israel and Savior of the world is alive, in heaven, and is coming again. Reader, have you put your faith in Him? He is the Liberator from sin, the oppressor of us all.

Dr. Howard E. Dial
Berachah Bible Church

Taking God Seriously

Profanity has found its way into every nook and cranny of modern day conversation. At one time it was not tolerated in public life, but now it is written into television and movie scripts as much as punctuation itself. Taking God’s name in vain is even practiced by Christians who, of all people, should know better. I have even heard preachers bring God’s name into their own dramatic oratorical flourishes by way of exclamation, not worship. How is this being done? God’s name is profaned every time it is out of keeping with who He is and what He does. When a person says “my God” in a flippant way they are showing contempt for God’s greatness and goodness. The way we talk about God reveals what is in our heart, and how seriously we take God.

If we love God, then our adoration of Him will flow within the banks of worship and obedience. A growing, loving relationship with God demands right thoughts about God. These thoughts will be defined and shaped by what God says about Himself, not by what we might imagine Him to be. Our adoration of God will express itself in the way we think and speak about God. But, in the words of Fred Catherwood, “It is odd in this so-called secular age, when so few people believe in God, that the name of God is always on their lips. If there is no God, what is the point of cursing God?” These comments are made in reference to the third commandment which says, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain” (Ex. 20:7). The concern is the protection of the Name of God and issues a warning to those who would attempt to use God, all that He is, and all that He stands for in a belittling way. All who desecrate God’s name and reputation will have to answer to Him.

Those who love God will take Him seriously. They will not treat His name irreverently or attempt to use God to further their own agenda. “There is none like Thee, O Lord; Thou art great, and great is Thy name in might” (Jer. 10:6). Taking God seriously is the evidence that one knows God. To know God is to take His name as one’s redeemer. This is more than just a means of identification. When a woman takes her husband’s name in marriage a new relationship is forged. To take God’s name is to become His child by faith in Jesus Christ. God’s name reveals who He is. He is a person. He is self-existent. He is self-sufficient. He is eternal. He is holy. He is a Savior to all who put their trust in His Son. People who know and love God will reverence His awesome and wonderful name. The beauty of His perfections will captivate their thoughts. Their thoughts about Him will give them great joy and the utmost respect for Him.

When we take God seriously we refuse to misuse His name. This includes perjury (Lev. 19:12; Matt. 5:33-37). To swear that something is true which one knows to be false and to use God’s name to “co-sign” is to take God’s name in vain. We can commit perjury by making vows, oaths, and promises and then breaking them. “But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but let your yes be yes and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment” (Jas. 5:12). To use God’s name as a cover for a lie makes God out to be what He is not, namely, either nonexistent or indifferent to the truth. Trustworthiness is part of God’s image, which He wants to see in us. God’s name is dishonored when promises are made and broken, when vows are made to God and not kept (e.g., marriage vows are not to be taken lightly. To break a marriage vow is to treat God with contempt.), and when claims are made that God will do something that actually the Bible teaches otherwise. There are those who stoop so low as to involve the name of God to disguise a personal project with the intent to defraud.

God’s name must not misused by playing with the things of God. A flippant and frivolous attitude toward God and things sacred is to trifle with God. This can be done when we pray piously and don’t mean it or when we sing Christian songs while our minds chase things other than the truth we are singing. Some people will attempt to use God’s name to achieve power and control. This is reprehensible. Beware of those who approach you saying, “The Lord told me to tell you that you are to….”

We must come back full circle to that culturally acceptable desecration of God’s name, profanity. To treat something as profane is to regard it as unholy. To profane God’s name is to treat it with contempt and show disregard for God’s infinite worth. For example, when God is asked to damn some person or thing, one is actually uttering a prayer. It puts God in the damning business and intentionally deflects attention away from His offer of forgiveness and eternal life. The use of “O my God”, “my God,” “Jesus Christ” and other such irreverent exclamations are an attack upon the person of God. His name is not a name to damn anyone. Watch out also for “polite” swearing by using “golly,” “gosh,” “gee,” and other minced oaths which could be misunderstood. It is the only name that can save sinful human beings. His name is not to be used to exalt one’s own exalted opinions or an attempt to be a drama queen. If you are inclined to use God the Father’s and God the Son’s name to heighten the impact of your communication, why not work on improving an impoverished vocabulary? May all our words declare that we are awed by a holy, righteous, loving, and sovereign God.

Our culture is sick and dying. Sinful human beings oblivious to the fact that they need God’s salvation are busy coronating themselves the kings and queens of the universe. God is reduced to a subject for a panel discussion, on which men and women sit in judgment. If you are in any doubt about the slide in our nation in its diminishing view of the majesty and glory of God start counting the times you hear His name treated with contempt. Christian reader, let us watch ourselves. In the words of the late A. W. Tozer, “Are we losing our ‘Oh!’?” We can begin checking our thoughts about God by memorizing and repeating daily the words of Scripture, “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?’ ‘Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?’ For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen” (Rom. 11:33-36). Marinate you minds in these delectable truths and rejoice that this is “my God.”

Dr. Howard E. Dial
Berachah Bible Church