What Do You PERSONALLY Believe?

Lately, I have noticed an increasing number of people searching for some personal heresy on my part when I present facts that challenge their political beliefs. Apparently, some of these folks believe that if they can prove that I am a heretic then the devastating things I am telling them about their political and moral compromises will somehow not be true.

Let me make this perfectly clear, the fact that I refuse the notion that Donald Trump is the divinely appointed political Messiah of America and the GOP is his only true church does not make me a heretic.

This goes beyond the simple ad hominem attack which is a logical sophistry and goes deep into self delusion about the nature of truth itself. The truth is the truth no matter who says it. Unwillingness to recognize the truth when it is presented is defacto self delusion.

To satisfy the accusers curiosity, I will state the following.

There is one God. The God of Israel. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He presents Himself in three unified but distinct persons, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost.

I believe that this God is the creator of all that exists and is sovereign over it, all nations, all peoples and all events at all times.

I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. That He was born of a virgin, both man and God in one person, lived a perfect, sinless, fully human life, was crucified, descended into hell and rose from the dead on the third day to redeem those He chooses from their sins.

I believe that Jesus ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father.

I believe that the Holy Ghost is present with us today to convict individuals and the world at large of sin, righteousness and judgement.

I believe in the verbal, plenary inspiration of scriptures and affirm that the scriptures are the only infallible rule of governance in men's lives and institutions.

I believe that the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

I believe that Jesus Christ will come again to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in a literal Heaven and a literal Hell.

I will depart from the catechism here.

I believe that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is trans temporal, trans cultural and trans national. There is one Gospel for all in every time, place and nation.

I believe that all systematic theology is an attempt by the imperfect, finite mind of man to describe the mind of a perfect, infinite God. As such, man made theology is only useful so long as it accurately describes the statements of God. Anything beyond that may or may not be useful.

I believe that men are reconciled with God (saved) when they confess with their mouth (the Greek word transliterated homologeo a legal term meaning to agree in all aspects) the Lord Jesus (the Greek world transliterated kurios a military term meaning absolute master and owner, the term a slave would use to refer to his master or a soldier would use to refer to his commander) and believe in their heart (the Greek word transliterated kardia meaning in the Konie Greek idiom both the intellect and the soul) that God hath raised Him from the dead.

I believe that our sovereign God knows the end of human affairs from their beginnings and allows man to participate in those affairs either to our benefit or to our burden. I believe that man's primary duty in these worldly affairs is to obey the precepts set down in God's word. We are not and cannot be responsible for the outcome of these affairs if God is truly sovereign. It follows then that our primary duty is to remain faithful to His precepts as we participate in the affairs of earth. That means the most practical means of achieving God's will in any earthly affair is to obey His word and then trust Him to honor our obedience.

Lessons From American Christianity

An African missionary friend was recently asked by a young black African what lessons can be learned from American Christianity.  I suspect the question may have had more than one meaning in the context but it is still a very good question.  As an American, I would answer this way.

We must always remember that Christianity is trans-national, trans-cultural and trans-temporal.  God's rules for us do not change with place, culture or time.  Just as God is the same yesterday, today and forever so are his rules.  There is not one gospel for Africa and another for America.  It is the same gospel that was preached in Galilee over two millenia ago.

The American millionaire and the barefoot Soweto prostitute must all come to God the same way.  And when they do come to God they become both brothers and sisters in the Lord and citizens of an invisible yet eternal kingdom that transcends their differences.  Their lives here on earth may be vastly different but one day soon, a snap of the finger in eternal terms, they will be equal not only in theological position before God but in every other way as well.

It naturally follows that no man made institution is Christianity.  Governments and institutions may proceed from Christianity but they are not the gospel.  Americans who confuse American nationalism with the gospel make the same mistake that third world citizens make when they embrace "Christian Marxism," liberation theology and social justice.  Just as there is only gospel for all there is also only one justice for all.  God's rules are the same for all.

American Christianity is incredibly rich by world standards.  And, it can be arrogant.  But, it is also generous, sometimes to a fault, and on the whole good hearted.  Americans love to help.  The accusations of hate, racism and bigotry that are heaped upon American Christianity are often a reflection of the evil in the hearts of their accusers.  This is not true for all American Christians any more than it is true for all African Christians.  But it is true enough to give American Christians the benefit of the doubt

If I could talk to the young man who asked that question, I would tell him that the American Church is in a bad place right now and it frankly needs the moral resolve that is coming from the Third World Church.  Because Third World Christians deal with evil on a much more direct basis every day of their lives and see its destructive effects first hand they are far less likely to accommodate it than their American or European brothers and sisters.  I would encourage that young man to hold firm in the faith and confront evil wherever he finds it because not only will he be doing the best thing for himself and his own people but he will serve as an example for American Christians who need to regain that kind of courage.