Recovering the American Social Order

by | Dec 13, 2024 | Culture, God, History, Politics, Spiritual Life, Wisdom, Worldview

We must reorient ourselves around the truth of total reality and the distinctly Christian principles and presuppositions that gave rise to the American social order.

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America’s worldview and cultural values have steadily shifted leftward since academics and institutions embraced progressive ideologies in the mid-twentieth century. Only recently have conservatives recognized the extent of this shift.

Currently, American culture reflects Herbert Marcuse’s concept of “Repressive Tolerance” through cancel culture and censorship of anything from the political right, including Christian values. We’re caught in the cycle of social change prescribed by Hegel’s dialectic within an oppressor versus oppressed paradigm (Marx).

Now that many Americans have woken up, we realize that we must break free from these destructive cycles. We realize nothing good comes from them.

Moving Forward

We cannot fight back or reverse current trends using the same tactics prescribed by Marcuse and Hegel. Instead, we must reorient ourselves around the truth of total reality and the distinctly Christian principles and presuppositions that gave rise to the American social order. We must return to the foundational Christian ideals that shaped early American culture and institutions.

The traditional political paradigm of left versus right is no longer tenable. Instead, we must focus on distinguishing good from evil and truth from falsehood – using biblical categories over secular ones.

Spiritual Solutions

America’s core challenge isn’t primarily political – it’s spiritual and theological. As such, political solutions are incapable of addressing our fundamental problems. In fact, they may exacerbate them. Fundamentally, we have spiritual problems in our nation. We must understand that spiritual problems demand spiritual solutions and respond accordingly.

Rebuilding the American social order depends on recovering our historical biblical heritage that gave rise to it in the first place.

Joran J. Ballor wrote, “In times of great upheaval and uncertainty, it is necessary to look to the past for resources to help us recognize and address our own contemporary challenges. While Scripture is foremost among these foundations, the thoughts and reflections of Christians throughout history also provide us with important guidance.”

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Render Unto Caesar but Jesus is Lord!

by | Nov 1, 2024 | Christianity, Culture, Politics, Theology, Worldview

The first confession of the early church was, “Jesus is Lord!” This first confession implied that since Jesus is Lord, Caesar is not. This was a political statement that cost many Christians their lives.

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What do we “render unto Caesar?”

The first confession of the early church was, “Jesus is Lord!” This first confession implied that since Jesus is Lord, Caesar is not. This was a political statement that cost many Christians their lives. The Romans wouldn’t have burned Christians at the stake or fed them to lions or beheaded them for saying, “Jesus loves you!”

The proper starting place for biblical understanding of governing authority is not Romans 13, as many pastors would have you believe. If one runs to Romans 13 as a standalone text, you’re left with an incomplete understanding of authority that leads to bad theology and unbiblical outcomes that cause harm.

“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” (Romans 13:1-2)

Actually, one must begin with Matthew 22:17-20:

“Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

This presupposes that some things DO NOT belong to Caesar (the state / government).

So, what things belong to Caesar as opposed to other authorities appointed by God?
Do your children belong to Caesar?
Does the Church belong to Caesar?
Does your body belong to Caesar?
Does your home belong to Caesar?
Does your food belong to Caesar?

During the COVID nonsense, many pastors and Christian leaders trotted out Romans 13 as their hard-and-fast “submit to the governing authorities” proof-text to coerce their fellow Christians to do what the government says (closing churches, social distancing, wearing masks, getting experimental shots, quarantining, etc.). Many manipulated others by saying that refusing to submit was “not loving thy neighbor.” Repent now, if you haven’t already.

This confusion about biblical authority extends beyond pandemic responses to the very heart of our civic duty. Having established what belongs to Caesar and what doesn’t, we face an even more pressing concern.

There is an important question Christians in America fail to grasp.
Will you cast your lot with life or death? Righteousness or sin?

Unfortunately, our choice on the ballot is not between Jesus or Satan. It’s more like Herod the Great or Cyrus the Great. The former murdered the firstborn throughout Bethlehem. The latter was a pagan king whom God used to shepherd God’s people back to Israel: “the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia…”(Ezra 1:1b)

A choice is set before every American Christian voter: a platform of life and order, or a platform of death and chaos.

“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse…” (Deuteronomy 30:19a)

Not voting is equivalent to silence. If death is a choice on the ballot, then silence is evil when life is on the ballot as well. In fact, in America your vote belongs to Caesar… Render it!

Remember, God’s righteousness can be expressed through a single vote and can be accomplished through many votes.

A biblical case can be made that refusing to vote for the protection and promotion of human life violates the Sixth Commandment: “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13). Implicit in the prohibition of unlawfully taking a human life is the protection and promotion of human life.

Brian Tallman wrote, “Because God is the God of life, and because we are His children and those who walk in the same way in which He walks (1 John 2:6), we are necessarily those who work for the preservation, protection, and promotion of life. This command, then, is profoundly rooted in the nature of God. As John Calvin writes:

“We are accordingly commanded, if we find anything of use to us in saving our neighbors’ lives, faithfully to employ it; if there is anything that makes for their peace, to see to it; if anything harmful, to ward it off; if they are in any danger, to lend a helping hand.””(1)

It’s also our responsibility to steward this blessing God has ordained for American Christians who are eligible to vote.

Just as the early church’s confession “Jesus is Lord!” was a costly political statement that sent Christians to the lions, today’s Christians face their own moment of costly conviction. This is our moment to proclaim with our votes what the early church proclaimed with their lives – Jesus is Lord!

Proclaiming “Jesus is Lord!” costs something.

Related Podcast:

Revolution of Man Podcast Ep. 10 Election Predictions, Render unto Caesar, Preaching on Politics w/ Tyler Durham (Spotify) (Apple)

Please share your insights by commenting below this post.

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Clueless Christianity and the Liberal Trap

by | Aug 23, 2024 | Christianity, Culture, Politics, The Church, Theology, Worldview

Clueless Christianity is weak and powerless. It cannot withstand the onslaught of darkness. Only through repentance and an unapologetic return to Biblical truth and faith can we withstand the coming storm. Pray that God raises up saints and sound doctrine against evil and falsehood in our time.
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The biggest problems for evangelicals are not that Satan and the world are against the church. Evangelicals’ biggest problems aren’t external – they’re internal. We’re clueless.

A clueless Christian is open to manipulation, false teaching, and heretical beliefs.

We must admit that most evangelical Christians struggle with Biblical literacy, self-centeredness, uncritical adoption of fads, ignorance of our cultural moment, questionable theology, and avoidance of confronting social issues scripturally. Add to this the recent American theology of “Christian escapism,” and you have a recipe for societal disaster. We wonder why our nation and the church are complete dumpster fires.

The Liberal Trap

Case in point, David French and other “liberal” Christians serve as water-boys for liberal elites (liberal Christianity is heresy, as I will point out later). French and his cohort (Russell Moore, Curtis Chang, Francis Collins, Tim Alberta, Andy Stanley, etc.) lean left and punch right. That is to say, they espouse leftist political and moral positions, wrap them in Christian language, then bash conservative Christians and admonish them to avoid politics altogether. Read their books. They are theological chaff under the pretense of sophistication.

They all superimpose a political framework on their theology, at the same time claiming they are trying to keep politics out of Christianity and the church by bashing conservative Christians through a straw man fallacy of the “right’s political idolatry.” They are so obsessed that when confronted for their folly, they shift tactics to ad hominem attacks, calling those who disagree or expose their falsehoods “Christian Nationalists.” I’d rather be called a “Christian Nationalist” (whatever that means) than actually be a “Christian Socialist.”

Remember, Curtis Chang told Christians the “shot” was a gospel issue and anyone who didn’t get it was breaking God’s command to love our neighbors (1). Chang and others who said that sinned against God’s church. I highly recommend they repent.

Herbert Marcuse must be rejoicing in Hell as these men and their followers impose a form of “Repressive Tolerance” wrapped in a Christian veneer on the church at large.

Note: Every Christian should read Herbert Marcuse’s “Repressive Tolerance” to understand our cultural moment and mood. We are living in the logic of Marcuse. Link below this post.

These men are not shepherds of God’s flock nor are they shepherds for sale. They are mere hirelings of modern Marcusian Liberal Christianity masquerading as pious pastors and thought leaders.

They wave banners revealing their true nature that read, “To Save Conservatism From Itself, I Am Voting for Harris” (David French actually wrote a New York Times piece by that title) leading undiscerning believers toward the outer darkness.

Meanwhile, a mobile abortion and vasectomy van is parked at the DNC national convention offering free abortion drugs to women and vasectomies to men (2). Yet, they can’t tell you what a woman is. Their signs use code-speak like “Reproductive Healthcare” which everyone knows means, kill the baby in the mother’s womb. “Healthcare” for the unborn means death.

What French and his ilk are promoting is not historical biblical Christianity, but another religion altogether.

J. Gresham Machen nailed it in 1923, in his book, “Christianity and Liberalism“:
“What the liberal theologian has retained after abandoning Christian doctrine is not Christianity at all, but an entirely different religion… Christianity is founded upon the Bible. Liberalism is founded upon the shifting emotions of sinful men.“

Clueless Christianity manifests in several ways:

Biblical Illiteracy Crisis

Problem: Our biblical ignorance lets wolves use out-of-context verses to peddle false doctrines.
Solution: Repent of your spiritual sloth, believe the Gospel, and study your Bible.

Self-Centered Worship

Problem: We demand entertainment instead of worship, therapy instead of repentance. We psychologize sin and apply therapy rather than repentance and believing the gospel.
Solution: Repent of your selfishness and trivializing sin. Find a church that preaches God’s Word unadulterated, not some watered-down rubbish.

Following Fads

Problem: Pastors chase pop-culture trends, and use big data and “best practices” to attract the lost.
Solution: Repent of your unbiblical techniques of “doing church.” (What the heck does “doing church” mean anyway? It’s theological nonsense). Get your ecclesiological (doctrine of the church) house in order. Study God’s design, purpose, and destiny for His Church. Remember, what you win people with is what you win people to.

Cultural Ignorance

Problem: Ignorance of our cultural moment leaves the church vulnerable to destructive undercurrents.
Solution: Repent of your apathy. Preach God’s Word as it intersects with the actual lives of your congregation, not as if in a vacuum.

Theological Confusion

Problem: Problematic positions on scripture’s authority, inerrancy, the Gospel’s sufficiency, sexual and ethnic identity, and politics have left many in the church confused.
Solution: Repent of your apostasy and heretical theology. Recover biblical categories, anthropology, and sociology.

Social Issue Avoidance

Problem: By avoiding critical moral issues, we allow bad ideas and policies to harm our neighbors.
Solution: Repent of your cowardice. Speak truth to error and against destructive ideologies, theories, and policies.

Christian Escapism

Finally, many believe that Jesus would never allow His Church to suffer trials and tribulations, despite 2,000 years of evidence to the contrary. Are modern Christians somehow exempt from God’s judgment on broader society or persecution?

Problem: This mindset is unbiblical and leaves us unprepared for the challenges of today. Furthermore, the escapist mentality can lead to apathy, inaction, pride, and a lack of care for future generations. “Get people saved and wait” is not Biblical.
Solution: Repent and focus on being faithful to Christ in every moment today so that when He returns, he will find you faithful. Remember, God called us to be faithful in every moment of our assigned station in this life as if Christ’s return could happen at any time.

In conclusion, Evangelicals are invariably 15 to 20 years behind the culture. In a foolish attempt at relevance, evangelicals jump on the cultural bandwagon just as everyone else is getting off. Meanwhile, many hirelings enrich themselves by peddling their books and programs, leading many sheep astray while shaming actual shepherds.

Clueless Christianity is weak and powerless. It cannot withstand the onslaught of darkness. Only through repentance and an unapologetic return to Biblical truth and faith can we withstand the coming storm. Pray that God raises up saints and sound doctrine against evil and falsehood in our time.

It’s time to repent and fight for truth or lose the nation God gave us and men died for.

I leave you with another quote from Machen to contemplate:
“The type of religion which rejoices in the pious sound of traditional phrases, regardless of their meanings, or shrinks from ‘controversial’ matters, will never stand amid the shocks of life. In the sphere of religion, as in other spheres, the things about which men are agreed are apt to be the things that are least worth holding; the really important things are the things about which men will fight.“

 

“So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.”
(Isaiah 59:19 KJV)

Citations, sources and links:

(1) https://edition.cnn.com/videos/politics/2021/09/08/curtis-chang-former-pastor-vaccine-exemption-sot-ebof-vpx.cnn

(2) https://www.npr.org/2024/08/20/nx-s1-5081386/planned-parenthood-mobile-clinic-abortion-vasectomies-dnc

Herbert Marcuse “Repressive Tolerance” (1969) https://www.marcuse.org/herbert/publications/1960s/1965-repressive-tolerance-fulltext.html

David French: “To Save Conservatism From Itself, I Am Voting for Harris” (NYT 2024) https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/11/opinion/harris-trump-conservatives-abortion.html

J. Gresham Machen “Christianity and Liberalism” (1923) https://www.amazon.com/Christianity-Liberalism-J-Gresham-Machen/dp/1642894915

Essay: “THE CHRISTIAN DUTY IN POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT” by Lance Cashion (2023)

Please share your insights by commenting below this post.

FORGE ROOM FOUNDATION
Now more than ever, worldview training is essential. It is not a Christian elective. I launched the Forge Room Foundation in order to equip Christians to understand our cultural moment and respond with a biblical worldview perspective.

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From Debate Stage to Spiritual Awakening: Human Dignity and Politics – A Christian Response

by | Jun 28, 2024 | Articles, Christianity, Culture, God, Politics, The Church, Worldview | 3 comments

Last night’s debate revealed deeply troubling issues.
What’s really happening?
How are we supposed to think about it as Christians?
What are we supposed to do?

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Last night’s debate revealed deeply troubling issues.

Links between Biden’s cognitive issues, his performance, and our understanding of raw political power are rising to the surface. These events demand a biblically-informed response from Christians.

What’s really happening?
How are we supposed to think about it as Christians?
What are we supposed to do?

Elder Abuse and Human Dignity

First, last night we saw what we all knew to be true put on display for the world to see. We observed what can only be described as elder abuse. I am serious. I disagree with pretty much all of President Biden’s political positions.

Regardless of Biden’s political and ethical failings, he remains an image-bearer of God. As such, his life has value, worth, and dignity. That is true regardless of how I feel about him as a politician. As a Christian, I must remind people that he is made in God’s image; his life and dignity must be defended (period).

While Biden provided many cringy moments, we should be deeply disturbed and righteously angry that someone is propping him up and manipulating him for political purposes. That is abusive and evil.

It is abundantly clear that President Biden is experiencing cognitive and physical decline.

I have spent enough time with people experiencing various stages of cognitive decline to know. One need not be a physician to understand this. How we respond is important.

Biden’s own team and family deliberately humiliated him. I believe that what the leaders in the Democratic Party and his own family are doing to him is cruel. The man is obviously struggling, but his handlers keep putting him out there. While this begs the question of who’s running the country, let’s set that aside and not lose sight of the main issue from a biblical perspective. Joseph Biden is a human being created in the image of God with dignity. His life has value regardless of his status, ethics, or abilities.

I believe he is the victim of elder abuse.

That needs to be investigated and properly dealt with by law enforcement authorities. I’d go as far as to suggest that if Donald Trump is elected President, one of his first executive actions should be to open an elder abuse investigation into the mistreatment of Joseph Biden. On a side note, I think Trump should be commended for his self-control during the debate.

It is clearly evident that the people closest to Joe Biden (including family members) do not love him or care for his dignity. How do I know this? Because you don’t allow people to treat human beings with disabilities in such a cruel manner. This biblical command doesn’t change due to personal or political partiality. This is where worldview perspectives on human dignity and politics intersect.

Worldview Perspective on The Politics of the Moment

Second, from a political perspective, last night was President Biden’s removal ceremony. While this may be considered speculation by some, let’s see what happens.

Cannibalism is the Marxist’s version of a “transfer of power.” By this I mean they sacrifice and eat their own on the altar of power. We just don’t recognize it because it’s occurring in America. The old ways of replacing the head of the socialist party through firing squad, poisoning, etc., have evolved for the American context.

Keep in mind that within the Marxian materialistic worldview, human beings are simply cogs in the machine of the state. When a cog is no longer useful, it is removed and tossed aside. Sometimes the cog is eulogized as a “man of the revolution.”

In the coming days, we’ll observe the party attack Biden and ostracize him.

A new cog or darling of the party will emerge. Notice all of this is occurring after the primary when Biden could have been replaced but it was prevented, AND this first debate was strangely early by request of the Democratic Party… enough time to replace Biden before the election?

It sucks all the air out of the room from Trump as corporate media places 100% of their attention on the drama of replacing Biden. Who will be the next party head? Whoever it is better have eyes on the back of their head because they are just another cog in the political machinery.

We indeed live in strange and interesting days.

How are we to think and respond from a Christian worldview?

Repent and Fear God (as churches and nation): We are reaping the fruits of the seeds of godlessness, evil, and disobedience that we’ve sown over the past several decades as a nation. God gives people over to a debased mind and unbridled destructive passions when they turn their backs on Him and His revealed truth (Romans 1:18-35). We must humble ourselves and turn back to Him.

Pray (proceeds from repentance): We need to pray for God’s mercy as a nation. Otherwise, the consequences of the deeds of our past will continue to destroy what is left of America.

Wake Up: The church in America has been asleep and/or apostate for too long. She needs to repent and return to the Lord immediately. Then, we need to equip ourselves to love one another and fight the many real dragons that are terrorizing our families and communities. Those dragons are cowardice, apostasy, and abuse in the church, and corruption and dark ideologies influencing the church and culture.

In conclusion, revival rides on the rising tides of repentance, faith, and prayer. The power of the Christian worldview must be unleashed as we recover GRIT in the Church in America. We need humble hearts and prayerful hands now. We need Guts, Resilience, Integrity, and Tenacity moving forward.

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The Rise and Triumph of Therapeutic Theology

by | May 17, 2024 | Christianity, Culture, God, Theology, Wisdom, Worldview | 3 comments

“Rather than conform thoughts, feelings, and actions to objective reality, man’s inner life itself becomes the sources of truth.”
– Ryan T. Anderson (President, Ethics and Public Policy Center)

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sModern man psychologizes everything. We’ve witnessed the rise and triumph of Therapeutic Theology.

Many preachers and theologians psychologize scripture today. As a result, the Word of God is no longer authoritative and the standard of truth. We now see our individual experiences and emotions as authoritative and the source of truth. In other words, what we feel must indicate what is true. Therefore, anything that threatens or disrupts our individual psychological wellbeing must be false and bad.

Carl Trueman puts it this way, “Any attempt to express disapproval is therefore a blow not simply against particular ways of behaving but against the right of that person to be whoever they wish to be.”

The Therapeutic Gospel is the new prosperity Gospel. People today don’t care as much about money as they do about feeling good, or at least feeling better. Anxiety and depression levels in America are at all-time highs. As such, people want to hear sermons that make them feel better. Many pastors are willing to shift away from a God-centered exposition of Scripture to a man-centered eisegesis.

Imposing my ideas on the Bible… making it mean what I want it to mean.

Eisegesis is interpretation whereby the reader imposes his own ideas and biases onto the biblical text rather than interpreting the intended meaning of the text. A growing number of pastors use a psychological lens to interpret scripture resulting in therapeutic remedies. Eisegesis allows one to make the Bible mean whatever he wants it to mean. It’s man-centered theology dressed up in biblical-sounding language.

I’ve seen brothers and sisters lulled into a spiritual daze through therapeutic preaching. The preacher weeps on cue and whispers soothing words about inner well-being. The sharp, two edged sword that is the Word of God is quietly set aside. A hypnotic anesthetic is administered from the pulpit, tickling the ears and silencing God’s Word.

Many Sunday morning sermons are therapy sessions centered around feelings and experiences. Rather than a clear call to repentance and faith, and submission to the Word of God, we are fed pablum. We hear how Jesus cares more about our feelings than our faith. The Word of God is preached in such a way as to assuage our sinful fears and make us feel better. After all, God wants us to feel good, right?

Wrong. When we feel the conviction, shame, and consequences of sin, it doesn’t feel good. Otherwise, no one would repent and believe the Gospel. That said, the Bible speaks to human emotions, psychology, and experiences. But, those are not primary… they are not even secondary matters. Truth is of first order.

The Father is the fountainhead of truth, not Freud. (see Hebrews 6:18)

Jesus Christ came into this world to bear witness to the truth. (see John 18:37)

The Church of the living God is the pillar and foundation of the truth. (see 1 Timothy 3:15)

Therapeutic Theology is not just another form of Christian theology, it’s a Christian heresy. Sitting under it is giving approval to it. Listen long enough, it will warp your theology and lead you away from truth… whether you or your pastor realizes it or not.

The solution to therapeutic theology is a return to biblical faith, good theology, sound doctrine, and expositional preaching. While pastors counsel and speak to emotions, they are first truth-tellers and shepherds (proclaiming, administering, and guarding the truth).

Keep the main things the main things.

“If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing.” (1 Timothy 6:3-4)

“preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 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, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:2-5)

…

 Resources:

“Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self” by Carl Trueman

“Strange New World” by Carl Trueman

“The Triumph of the Therapeutic: Uses of Faith after Freud” by Philip Rieff

“A Secular Age” by Charles Taylor

“Marks of a Healthy Church” by Mark Dever

Related Blog Post:

“Is Your Church Going Liberal?” by Lance Cashion

“Most Pastors Don’t Have A Biblical Worldview and It’s a Problem” – by Lance Cashion 

Please share your insights by commenting below this post.

FORGE ROOM FOUNDATION
Now more than ever, worldview training is essential. It is not a Christian elective. I launched the Forge Room Foundation in order to equip Christians to understand our cultural moment and respond with a biblical worldview perspective.

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The Anti-Pastor

by | May 3, 2024 | Christianity, Culture, Leadership, Philosophy, The Church, Theology, Wisdom, Worldview

It appears the modern business-growth mindset and pragmatic philosophy tend to attract and cultivate what I can only describe as the “anti-pastor” personality. We must retrieve a biblical foundation for pastoral and elder leadership.

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From my perspective, the corporatization of the church as an institution and professionalization of the minister / pastor class as a career path feed worldly and fleshly desires for prestige and power.

This is not to say that ALL ministers end up in a bad place.

It appears the modern business-growth mindset and pragmatic philosophy tend to attract and cultivate what I can only describe as the “anti-pastor” personality. Basically, this mindset rewards men who do exactly the opposite of what the Bible describes as a pastor, elder, or deacon. Meanwhile, men who exhibit the true marks of a pastor, elder, etc. are not rewarded, or worse punished for their faithfulness. Maybe their congregations are small or they are seen as too rigid? You get the point.

This anti-pastor mindset results in the inability of some pastors to even comprehend the unbiblical nature of their behavior (driven by a set of beliefs) or their lack of theological convictions. This does not excuse sin or responsibility. But, it creates the conditions for bad thinking and self deception to occur. Furthermore, it becomes an environment of theological darkness where error can grow undetected.

In many ways, pastors are products of our culture. Unseen forces shape our thought life, passions, doctrine, theology, and practices. This is why scriptural critique is vital to the life of the pastor and the church. We all need it.

Os Guinness wrote, “The purpose of critique is restoration, not dismissal. The prophets’ messages were special calls to bring God’s people back to the original calling from which they had fallen away.“

Faithfulness begets faithfulness, just like dysfunction begets dysfunction. Faithfulness will never emerge from dysfunction. This is why true repentance is absolutely necessary in the life of the Christian.

I’m convinced as we teach biblical worldview to others, the foundation of repentance and faith must be established and taught as first principles. We must retrieve a biblical foundation for pastors and elders.

Below, I share the qualifications and the marks of a Pastor / Elder (Overseer), and a post about repentance.

…

Qualifications (Pastor, Elder, Overseers)

“An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.” – Titus 1:6–9

“The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.” – 1 Tim 3:1-7

“So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”” – 1 Peter 5:1-5

Blog Post: “Repentance” 

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