The word abomination as used in the Bible, refers to something that is loathsome, polluting, detestable. It is most often associated with the pagan religious practices of the nations God drove out before Israel. In the New Testament, especially in the Revelation, abomination is connected with the woman who rides “a scarlet beast”. She is denominated as “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations.” Babylon being the embodiment of the world system in opposition to God’s righteous rule – and all that comes from that opposition and rebellion.
But seldom do we see present day, practical and tangible examples of such abominations. Enter, my tenure serving as a local funeral home for several years in my younger days.
One of my responsibilities when working “calling hours” was to help people of a certain religious persuasion, process “Mass Cards.” These instruments, in varying denominations were secured with a donation to the society or group desired in the name of the deceased. Once “enrolled” – certain rites or services were then to be carried out either for a certain amount of time, or perpetually on behalf of the deceased.
Because few people from my background believed me when I made certain claims about this practice – the blatant selling of blessings for dead people – I had to provide proof. I give you just one example below.
Now at first blush, one might label this as mere Roman Catholic bashing. Not true. Many in Evangelicalism today sell blessings too. Mostly to the living, but who knows? Whoever does it, the abomination is the same.
Cover image:
Interior:
Disclaimer:
Did you catch that underlined portion? If they don’t get the money, “the use of this folder is spiritually void and of no benefit to anyone.”
And they say the selling of indulgences and the like is dead. Not so. You can actually void the spiritual benefits you want for your deceased loved one, because you didn’t pay up.
That my friends, is what an abomination looks like. And I do not care under what banner such horrors are peddled.
Oh that we would look to Christ and Christ alone. And remember that salvation is all of grace. And that we can say on the authority of God’s Word alone, irrespective of any institution or personage: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.”
Our spiritual blessings are in Christ – and are already ours in Him. No one needs to pay one red cent beyond the priceless blood of the Lamb of God.
Many are familiar with J. I. Packer’s magnificent book “Knowing God.” It is a classic which stands alone in modern Evangelical writing. Having sold well over a million copies in North America alone, many have found it a foundational source of sound, Reformational and Biblical theology.
With all I owe to that book as formative for myself when I first read it in the early 1970’s, Packer’s God’s Plans for You – should be on the bookshelf of every Christian. Better, it ought to be read by every Christian. More than once.
When make my poor attempts at writing poetry, I have a device I refer to constantly. Usually down the left column of a yellow legal pad, I write the alphabet. One letter on each line. I refer to it constantly in finding rhyming words. A primitive but useful tool for me. And it reminds me also each time – that every word written in the English language is comprised of those same 26 letters. They are the most basic building blocks of communication. Nothing is written apart from them. We need them and refer to them in every word we speak, read or write. They are indispensable.
Now there are certain truths which occupy a similar role in our thought processes. Fully aware of them or not, there are foundational concepts which form the lens through which we view and interpret everything. This is true in the world around us, and, more importantly, in regard to our understanding of God and his relationship to this world, ourselves and all of life.
What Packer’s exceptional volume – God’s Plans for You – does, in my humble opinion, is serve as a sort of theological alphabet of Biblical Christianity.
I first read this treasure several decades ago, and just finished (perhaps) my 3rd reading of it today. And I am more convinced of its usefulness now than in my previous journeys through its profound pages.
Laying down the essentials of Biblical Christianity in a most thoughtful, concise and clear fashion, I would plead that individuals would pick it up afresh and read it thoughtfully and carefully. More. I would l really encourage church leaders to begin study groups around it. I cannot think of something more useful for new Christians in building a Biblical mindset and worldview.
I’ve got a problem. I am increasingly grieved by 2 things in the realm of communications issuing from and to Christians.
In addressing these, I want to leave room for the fact that I am child of the 50’s, and the cultural milieu of that era. No, Leave it to Beaver was not reality. It was a thin veneer over the gross corruption that was (and always has been) just below the surface. But even in that, there was some sense, even in the World, that some things were a shame to talk about or drag about in public – or in “polite company” as we used to say. A sense of what was acceptable for public consumption and what was not. And I mourn the loss of that feature.
But now we are in the 21st Century. Starting with the like of Phil Donohoue, perversions of all kinds became mainstream curiosities to be gawked at and talked about everywhere. We went swiftly downhill toward Maury Povich, Jerry Springer and a host of others – making the seamiest acts and attitudes of humanity fodder for entertainment.
Aside from our cultural plummet – what troubles me more is how these things have seeped into Christianity. This, in a host of ways – but only 2 of which I want to consider here.
As I read afresh this morning in Paul’s letter to the Colossians: “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” (Col. 4:5-6)
It seems that for the Apostle writing under the inspiration of the Spirit – salty speech isn’t risque – it is wise and useful in making Christ known.
So here’s my 2 areas of concern.
1 – The way crude words have become more and more acceptable even among Believers.
The street slang for body parts, biological functions, expletives and curses (mild to extreme) seem to be almost as popular in the everyday parlance of Christians as in the World. Such speech lacks grace. It shows favor to no one. It especially shows no favor toward the Christ we serve as one who is above the gutter.
I’ve watched this trend with increasing horror since the early 80’s. Back then, singing with my wife and our wonderful pianist Cecil Van Houten, we were asked to participate with several other Gospel musical groups at an outdoor festival. Lots of good, Gospel music.
After our set, a singer from one of the other groups came up to compliment us. He was especially enamored with Cecil’s keyboard skills. And forgive my recording his words verbatim here – I do so only to illustrate this issue: he said to me: “Man! Your keyboard player is bitchin!”
It was seriously jolting to me. In a Christian gathering, where we were all there to lift up the name of Christ in song – unblinkingly, and thinking it was an appropriate approbation – this young Christian thought nothing of it.
I, was wounded. It was so unfitting. It is not the language of Zion, as my generation was wont to say.
I won’t belabor this. I know certain words and expressions come in and out of vogue and popular use – even in the Church. But I do make a plea for us to consider passages like the one above to draw us each to consider whether or not our speech patterns communicate – or fail to communicate – Christ and how he has translated us out of the kingdom of darkness into his domain.
Are we different in our speech? Should we be? I believe so.
2 – Is how we converse in person and online especially.
I get it. Folks love to point to Luther’s sometimes crude language to justify their own. As though someone else’s foibles should ever be an excuse to adopt them for ourselves. And yes, in one place Paul used σκύβαλον, once. But these are not patterns to emulate.
Sometimes shocking language is needed for the sake of confronting and stirring the soul.
What differentiates that from what Paul is guarding us against here is found in Jude 9.
And, we need to remember that Jesus as God CAN speak in ways we cannot. He is God’s appointed judge of mankind.
The idea in our text seems to be that we are not to use words in an attempt to punish others – with the aim of hurting them by virtue of what we say. Lange says this refers to “giv[ing] a sentence of condemnation against one.”
2 Peter 2:11 – (Lange) “words of insult, anger, or words of satire and mockery.”
More to the point here, is how our speech is to be guided when around unbelievers. They need to be exposed to soundness and grace, not our roughness and rancor.
Christians who are crass and abrasive and who are always criticizing government officials, other Christians and the such, leave no place to give the lost a reason to hope – nor any evidence that WE do.
May we (as a theme of Colossians emerges) seek to walk more and more “worthily” of our place and calling.
How would you choose to speak to others before the throne of God? For that is exactly where we all are even at this very moment – corem deo.
“Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” Some who cannot divide between meekness and weakness will think this milk-soppy. So be it. But may we labor to reveal Christ, and not our spleens.
At the time of the Great Evangelical Awakening in the 18th century – there is no question that among the incredible preachers God raised up then, George Whitefield takes 2nd place to none. God used him most extraordinarily – preaching at times up to 5 times in a day. And, it is estimated that he preached on the text of John 3 and “You must be born again” around 3,000 times.
When asked why it was he kept preaching on that same text over and over, he replied “Because you MUST be born again!”
It occurs to me more and more, especially as I see the state of our nation, and the state of the broader church in our nation, that a Biblical sense of what being a Christian is – is seldom as informed by the Bible itself, as it is by opinions, feelings, culture, and religious systems. That the need for men and women to be truly born again – is once again at a critical point – even in places where people have some sort of profession of faith – but have never experienced the internal transformation that without which – one cannot see the Kingdom of God.
What do we even mean by it? – being born again, being a Christian that is.
And let’s begin first by differentiating between two things:
1 – The Biblical DEFINITION of a Christian, and
2 – A Biblical DESCRIPTION of a Christian.
Many have argued (rightfully so) that a Christian is one who has been supernaturally regenerated – born again and indwelt by the Spirit of God;
Raised from a state of spiritual deadness to life, and given sight – Sight in terms of the reality of God and the Bible and Jesus Christ in His substitutionary atoning work;
A vision of their own sinfulness; the justness of God’s coming wrath upon that sinfulness; That their sin has separated them from God and that Jesus Christ alone can satisfy God for their sin, in such a way as to see the sinner and God reconciled.
In short, a Christian is: One who being regenerated by the Spirit God – and having heard the Gospel of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection for sinners; Believed that Gospel as true and trusted themselves and their salvation to Christ and His finished work on Calvary alone.
So BEING a Christian is not a matter of joining a particular church or group, or even simply subscribing to a set of truths – even though that is involved – but in a true, fundamental inward change supernaturally wrought by the Holy Spirit.
Unquestionably there are a host of other things that accompany these essentials, but it is absolutely certain this change is at the core.
J.C. Ryle the great 19th century Bishop preached: “Sinner, man or woman, mark that! no salvation without this new birth! Christ hath done everything for thee; He paid the price of our redemption, lived for us, died for us, rose again for us; but all shall avail us nothing, if there be not this work in us: we must be born again.” Ryle, J. C. The Christian Race and Other Sermons. Hodder and Stoughton, 1900, p. 16.
It’s of eternal importance for us to have clarity on this point – to know conclusively whether or not we are truly “born again.”
We have it in the words of Jesus Himself when conversing with Nicodemus in John 3:3 “Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.””
Let me quote Ryle once more: “To be born again is as it were to enter upon a new existence, to have a new mind and a new heart, new views, new principles, new tastes, new affections, new likings and new dislikings, new fears, new joys, new sorrows, new love to things once hated, new hatred to things once loved, new thoughts of God and ourselves and the world and the life to come and the means whereby that life is attained. And it is indeed a true saying that he who has gone through it is a new man, a new creature, for old things are passed away,—behold, he can say, all things are become new! It is not so much that our natural powers and faculties are taken away and destroyed; I would rather say that they receive an utterly new bias and direction. It is not that the old metal is cast aside, but it is melted down and refined and remoulded, and has a new stamp impressed upon it, and thus, so to speak, becomes a new coin.” Ryle, J. C. The Christian Race and Other Sermons. Hodder and Stoughton, 1900, pp. 22–23.
So it is I ask everyone of you within the sound of my voice today whether or not you know something of what has just been described to you?
Nothing in all the world – this one or the next – is as important as how you answer that question.
Moving beyond the mere definition, it is also good to look at a sound description of what a Christian is.
After all, this it seems is where even more confusion arises; for the culture, individuals, various religious and even secular groups – virtually all have some idea of what a Christian ought to look like.
In our current society, that is often associated with political affiliation; stands on certain social causes; behaviors that may or may not be directed by Scripture etc.
While there may be SOME truth in that, to be clear one can be pro-life without being a Christian.
One can be conservative, or liberal, and not be a Christian.
One can hold to the existence of God, special creation, gun control or not, abortion or not, big government or not, teatotalling or not, homeschooling or not, common core or not, tattoos or not, King James only or not, or a million others, and not be a Christian.
Being a Christian will certainly impact how you stand on one or all of these things – but standing on a particular side of such things does not make one a Christian.
Well then, what kind of objective evidence, Biblical evidence might be safely marshalled to help us answer this question?
Fundamentally, all other things aside, what does a Biblical Christian (that is actually a redundancy) look like in the eyes of God? In the Bible?
It is that which brings us to the text we have today in 1 Thess. 1, specifically vss. 9-10.
Some background is helpful here. Thessalonica was a large and cosmopolitan city of 100K- 200K people. Acts 17 records Paul’s visit there, the riot that ensued and how he and Silas had to scurry away just to stay alive. Later, Paul sent Timothy back to Thessalonica to check on the new believers. And is it Timothy’s report which notes the key things we want to look at today.
How were the Christians doing?
What marked them out AS true Christians in this large, cultural center with lots of competing religions, philosophies and ideas? What set Christians, Believers apart from moral and faithful Jews, and other groups? What could Timothy tell Paul which would set Paul’s mind at ease that these had truly become Christians?
Four things: Paul records that Timothy told him – They had –
1 Turned TO God, FROM idols.
2 To SERVE the Living God.
3 And to wait for His Son from Heaven who He raised from the dead.
4 Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.
4 Powerful descriptors that for the Apostle, assured him that these were now genuine Believers – true, Biblical, Christians.
Let’s look at each one individually.
1. They turned TO God, FROM idols.
Now this needs some unpacking. For in truth, as Acts 17 records, not all those who heard Paul preach on the 3 consecutive sabbaths he did there, were idolaters in the sense of serving literal pagan idols.
Paul’s preaching was done in the Synagogue at least primarily.
So as Acts 17:4 reads: “And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.” It was a rather mixed crowd.
History tells us that wealthy women of the day had a tendency to seek out and attach themselves to various religious groups, even funding them. Many did this with Judaism as with other religions.
Some were pagan, Gentile women intrigued with religious trends and concepts. It was a hobby of sorts, bred out of curiosity.
But if all this started in the synagogue, how did the issue of idols become front and center?
The answer is: because in essence, anything that takes the place of God in any way in our lives – is itself a “false” god – an idol – even God’s own Judaism itself.
And in truth, this is still the primary issue today.
If you were to ask me: What is the biggest problem facing the Church today, let me assure you it is NOT:
Gay Marriage. Terrorism. Islam. Homosexuality. Transgenderism. The LGBTQ+ agenda. Socialism. Evolution vs Creationism. Pornography. Divorce. Un-wed mothers. Abortion. Worship Styles. Or Gender inclusive Bible Translations.
The single biggest problem the Church is facing today is: IDOLATRY
Let me elaborate.
Idolatry comes in a number of different forms.
a. PURE or FORMAL Idolatry. Pagan worship with god substitutes represented by images of different kinds.
This is what most of think of first when we hear the term idolatry. Worship of pagan gods. The Bible names many of these especially in the OT – Molech, Baal, Ashtoroth, Rephan, etc. And some in the NT like those you can read about in the Revelation in like Emperor worship or like that of Diana in Ephesus and others.
This form of idolatry has a – not so obvious – but very interesting subset – Atheism.
For in Atheism, man makes himself the measure of all things. He worships his own desires, dreams, purposes, etc.
The idol is self. The ultimate false god.
b. MIXED Idolatry. This was especially attractive to some pagans because in its 2 varieties.
First, you simply add Christ to your existing god or gods.
This became very common during the conquest of the Mayans, Incas and other people groups in South America when the Roman Catholic missionaries tried to convert them.
They found if they let them keep their existing gods, they were pretty willing to add Jesus to them. And so the missionaries claimed success in converting them, when in fact they had just obscured Christianity and reinforced the false worship of the idolaters.
The second variety is when you in some way come to Christ but also add another god or gods to Him as valid as well.
Another term for it is syncretism.
Yes, I’m a Christian, but then there is ancient Chinese wisdom, and reverence for pagan philosophies, things like “The Secret” or “A Course in Miracles” etc.
c. DISGUISED Idolatry. This is the idolatry of the religious – like the Jews Paul was preaching to.
This is serving the God of the Bible, but doing so as though He is a pagan god. That shows itself in a number of ways.
One way is serving God, SLAVISHLY like He is a harsh task- master and needs human appeasing through our sacrifices and rituals. We have an example of this in Micah 6:1-8
Micah 6:1–8 “Hear what the Lord says: Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. Hear, you mountains, the indictment of the Lord, and you enduring foundations of the earth, for the Lord has an indictment against his people, and he will contend with Israel.
“O my people, what have I done to you? How have I wearied you? Answer me! For I brought you up from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. O my people, remember what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him, and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord.”
“With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
God just needs me to jump through certain hoops, and if I perform the prescribed set of rites and rituals, all is well.
Truth be told, there are many who would call themselves Christians today who serve God this way. And He rejects it.
A 2nd kind of DISGUISED idolatry is serving God SUPERSTITIOUSLY
This shows itself in things like thinking God must be addressed in Elizabethan English or your not using the right magic phrases; putting superstitious emphases on certain Postures in prayer; adding requirements God never did like requiring certain amounts of time in prayer or Bible reading where if you don’t meet the quota, you’re sinning. Adopting a special “Prayer voice”. Making deals with God. Etc.
God warns against it quite plainly in Deut. 18:9-14 “When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you. You shall be blameless before the Lord your God, for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune-tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do this.”
A 3rd kind is like that of Nadab & Abihu in Lev. 10 – where they just decided to get real innovative with God’s prescribed form of worship and in offering strange fire before God He had not commanded. They were killed by God for it. SELF-ORIGINATED worship.
The 4th we might call SELF-CENTERED WORSHIP (Matt. 15:9). Where we craft Church after the likes and dislikes of the people, without seeking to see what God says worship ought to be like from the Scriptures.
In these last 2, worship itself becomes an idol.
At the bottom of all of these, is a man-centered approach to God, and it is as much idolatry as is outright paganism.
And this was surely where most of Judaism was in Paul’s day – where it was superstition about God’s name, following rites and rituals rather than worrying about a heart which is right before God by God’s appointed means.
And it is from all of these types of idolatry that Timothy told Paul – the Believing Thessalonians had turned FROM, and turned TO God instead.
In a word, this is the idea wrapped up in the word repentance: Turning away from one thing and to another.
Away from sin to righteousness.
Away from rites and rituals to faith in the finished work of Christ.
Away from self-centeredness to Christ-centeredness.
Away from superstition to the true and living God.
Let me tease this out just a tad more for our use today.
For as I said already, an idol is anything that takes God’s rightful place in our hearts and minds. And there is a simple test we can use for hunting out possible idols in our own lives.
Let me give you a simple self-diagnostic in the form of a few questions. I give you 5 here. Which unfortunately we can’t expand upon right now.
1 – What do I FEAR most? Matt. 10:26-28 – “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops…And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
2 – What do I VALUE or DESIRE most? Matt. 6:21 “for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. i.e. what elicits my greatest devotion
What fills in the box when I say: “If only X THEN, I would be happy”?
Or better, without X_ I cannot be happy.
As long as you are looking for that thing to make you happy, then your attainment of it will be dissatisfying. It will leave you unhappy and discontented.
If my ultimate and supreme happiness isn’t in Him, then I am trading “creatures” for the Creator.
3 – What do I seek my ultimate JOY in? 1Pet. 1:8 “and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.”
Ps. 16:11 “You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.”
God in His goodness has given us countless things we may freely enjoy – but all of them are only meant to be tokens of Him – in whom we are to seek our supreme joy. Especially when we see how fleeting earthly joys are.
4 – What DICTATES my BEHAVIOUR most? Jer. 7:23-24 “But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’ But they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward.”
The juxtaposition of self-determination vs. love for God-determination.
How do I make up my mind about what is right or wrong to do in any given situation? My own opinion? Feelings?
Simply what is considered legal or illegal according to the laws of the land?
5 – What do I place my HOPE in? What is my hope for the future? What is my hope for right standing w/ God?
Is my hope informed by passages like 1 Peter 1:13 “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
What is the source of my peace of mind? What do I look to for a sense of well-being? What is my comfort in the hard times?
a. What do I FEAR most?
b. What do I VALUE or DESIRE most?
c. What do I seek my JOY in most?
d. What DICTATES my BEHAVIOR most?
e. What do I place my HOPE in?
Answer these, and you will know what your god or gods are.
And the 1st mark of the truly converted soul is that one seeks to turn away from those gods – to the true and Living God.
Nor is this done just once – but it becomes a lifestyle of turning from those false gods to the God of the Bible over and over and over.
Choosing this way of thinking and life over and over every day.
With that established we can work through the balance of these much more rapidly.
2 The genuine Christian turns from idols to God – To SERVE the Living God.
The genuine Christian now realizing all that has been done for them in Christ – seeks to serve this merciful, gracious, loving, pardoning, holy God.
You’ve saved me for yourself – now use me! How can I serve your ends, your agenda, your plans and purposes, your kingdom?
If your Christianity is all wrapped up in God just being a blessing dispenser, without any regard for what it means to be His servant, saved for His purposes, you need to ask yourself if you have truly come to faith.
Coming to Christ is not a ticket to earthly and worldly pleasures, but the gift of eternal bliss in the service of the King!
One of Christ’s harshest rebukes in the NT is couched in a parable in Luke 19.
The Nobleman in the parable (an allusion to Jesus Himself) was to go into a far country to be given final title to a land and a people. When he left, the Nobleman gave 10 servants money to invest on his behalf while gone. Startlingly, the text says: Luke 19:14 “But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying,
‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’”
What was the problem? They liked the money but they hated Him – and watch this closely – in that they did not want Him to REIGN over them.
It was fine and well to take his gifts, but they rejected his right of authority over them.
So Jesus adds after settling with those who took the money – Luke 19:27 “But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’ ”
Many is the professed Christian who wants Jesus as a gift giver, a forgiver of sins, a healer and Savior – but if they do not want Him to reign over them – He counts them His enemies, and they will not escape His wrath.
These are profoundly sobering words.
Especially to all of us who take the name Christian to ourselves today. Do we want Him to reign over us?
If not, if we have imbibed the popular but false notion that we can have Jesus as Savior but not as Lord – we are sadly and tragically mistaken.
Those who do not want Him to rule over them, are counted as His enemies. Nothing else.
The genuine Christian turns from idols to God – To SERVE the Living God… A N D
3 To WAIT for His Son from Heaven who He raised from the dead.
The genuine Christian lives a life of expectancy and hope located in the return of Jesus either to translate us or resurrect us to be with Him forever. And this hope is fueled by the conviction that Christ was raised from the dead already as the first-fruits of God’s people.
Scripture places the historic fact of Jesus’ physical resurrection from the dead as a core essential of the Gospel message to be believed. Apart from believing it, ( along with some other central revelations) one cannot be considered a Christian at all.
1 Corinthians 15:1–4 “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,”
Paul then goes on to argue that if this is not true – we have an utterly worthless religion.
At the risk of overusing my source – let me quote Ryle one last time on this, when he comments on those who have no desire for Heaven: “By nature we are altogether unfit for Christ’s kingdom in glory. The lives which we are in the habit of leading, and the practices we are fond of indulging, and the tastes we are always seeking to please, and the opinions we hold, are all such as prove we have no natural [suited-ness] for the inheritance of the saints in light. They do not follow after holiness in all their walk and conversation. Then what place can they occupy in that blessed abode where there shall enter in nothing that defile[s], nor whatsoever work[s] abomination?—how shall they stand in His presence, who charge[s] even His angels with folly, and in whose sight the very heavens are not pure! They do not take pleasure in the exercise of prayer and praise on earth; and how could they enjoy the employments of that glorious habitation, where they rest not day nor night worshipping and crying “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.” [If] They do not count it a privilege to draw nigh to God through Jesus Christ, to walk with Him, to seek close acquaintance with Him; [then] where would be the comfort to them of dwelling for ever in the presence of the Lord God and the Lamb? [If] They do not strive to walk in the steps of holy men of old, [and] they do not take example from the faith and patience of the saints; [then] with what face then would they join the society of just men made perfect?—with what salutation, after a life spent in pleasing the devil and the world, would they greet Abraham and David and the Apostles and all that blessed company who have fought the good fight? Alas! beloved, a natural man in heaven would be a miserable creature,—there would be something in the air he could not breathe, the joys, the affections, the employments would be all wearisome to him, he would find himself unfitted for the company of the saints, as a beast is unfitted on earth for the company of man; he would be carnally minded, they would be spiritually minded, there would be nothing in common. I know there are vain dreamers who fancy death will work an alteration, that they may die sinners and rise again saints; but it is all a delusion, there is no work nor device nor knowledge in the grave; if we die spiritual we shall rise spiritual, if we die carnal we shall rise carnal, and if we are to be made fit for heaven our natural hearts must be changed now on earth. Ryle, J. C. The Christian Race and Other Sermons. Hodder and Stoughton, 1900, pp. 20–21.
Christians are those living now, with their eternity in view, and have stopped living for just today or the foreseeable future. They say with Paul: 2 Timothy 4:8 “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”
Beloved, if you are not one who loves His appearing, and is longing and looking for it, you need to ask if you ever been truly born again?
The genuine Christian turns from idols to God – To SERVE the
Living God and to WAIT for His Son from Heaven who He raised from the dead …
4. Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.
Christians are living these ways, because they have a sense of the wrath of God which was due them, and the wonder of knowing they’ve been delivered from God’s coming wrath on all the world through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. All of this is wrapped up – not in religion or a system – but in Jesus Christ.
Christians know – know in their very bones, God in His holiness and justice must one day set the universe to rights.
And they have a true sense of the reality of that coming day, and have run to Christ for shelter.
They have run to the cross to have His blood plead on their behalf as having washed away their guilt and the stain of their sins.
And they keep running to Him in every failure, with every sin, with all of their brokenness, for they know that they know that they know on the authority of God’s Word, that no one can deliver them but the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
So let me bring all this down to you once again:
Have you turned and continue to turn TO God, FROM idols? Is this an ongoing part of life?
Have you turned, so as to SERVE the Living God? Seeking to be of use to Him in His plans and purposes?
Are you consciously waiting for His Son from Heaven who He raised from the dead?
Are you trusting in this Jesus alone, as the One who alone delivers you from the wrath to come?
If so, you rightly call yourself a Christian today.
If not, no matter what your religion, or profession or to use the modern parlance – your self-identification – you are still dead in your trespasses and sins, and need to be born again by the Spirit of God. The wrath of God still remains on you as Jesus said in John 3:36.
And let me be careful here – I am not asking if this is the whole of your reality – as though there is some magical amount of this that saves. We do all we do imperfectly while still in these fallen bodies and in this fallen world.
The question is – do these things have a place at all in your daily reality? And if that is not so – beloved hear me – you are in a seriously dangerous place. Your eternal soul may well be lost.
But it is not too late! You can come to Him today!
You can a call upon Him for forgiveness, and to have your guilt expunged by His blood and to be made His own and reconciled to the Father.
Won’t you come to Him today?
Plead with Him to give you the new birth. You have the warrant in Jesus’ own words: John 6:37 “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.”
Salvation is directly aimed at delivering us from being the product of or living under the influence of the wisdom, values and worldview of our (this) evil age. We are saved so as to live distinctly other than the way our contemporaries do in this regard. And, it is the will of God that we do so.
At the same time, we must beware the seduction of the cloister. Our separation from the world is not accomplished by a lack of physical proximity or personal interaction with people – it is in staying separate in our worldviews. It is internal. It will impact how we act externally, but it is a false and deceptive separation to imagine that somehow staying away from unbelievers is how this is accomplished. If physical separation were the key, The Son would never have been incarnate.
The art and skill of swimming cannot be learned by determining never to go in the water. It can only be accomplished by being IN the water. And like it or not, we are born into this world, not outside of it. Now Christians need to be sure we don’t drink in the world. That is drowning. But navigating its waters – that is part of our call. May we learn to trust in Christ’s indwelling Spirit to keep us afloat, his Word to instruct us, and his accomplished work on Calvary and his indwelling Spirit rescue both ourselves and others in the process.
2 Corinthians 4:7-11 “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”
This portrait of the Christian life is so foreign to our Americanized Western Christianity.
Here, the picture painted is of a people constantly or at least repeatedly brought to the end of themselves by circumstances of every kind, SO THAT, His supernatural sustaining power might be demonstrated through us – IN us.
It is interesting to note that people often quote: “. On no soul doth [God] Place a burden greater than it can bear.” – or something to that effect. The problem is, that quote doesn’t come from the Bible, but rather is from Surah 2:286 from the Qur’an.
The truth is Believer, while we are alive in these bodies, we are always being given over to circumstances which would seem to destroy us. Things far too great for us to bear apart from God’s grace. Why? Because by means of it – he brings others to life. It is beyond our comprehension. And for at least this reason – that others may see us sustained beyond our capacities, in making him manifest. We become burning bushes so to speak. On fire, but not consumed. Supernaturally upheld.
Dear Saint, you who have been tested and tried and who have thought that it must mean God has abandoned you or is hanging you out to dry for some unknown reason – listen to this passage. As we experience these things not only in terms of deliberate persecution, but also in the simple trials of life, the breakdown of our bodies, sinful human interaction, our battles with indwelling sin, natural disasters and the like. Each of these individually and collectively trouble us but do not crush us; perplex us but do not drive us to despair; knock us down, but do not destroy us. Because of Christ Jesus.
Ease, success, plenty and no adversity are not the presupposed norms of the Christian life. It is just the opposite. And those who would tell you different, are not reliable. This reality remains unknown to them.
You in Christ who are standing today in the midst of severe trial, and know full well that you are not doing it by means of even the smallest ability of your own – He is manifesting Himself to the rest of us in your mortal flesh.
The “treasure” is v-6, the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ – doesn’t shine through except by virtue of our cracks. Through the stress fractures that trials bring. Through cracks, that irrespective of their severity, allow us to bear the glory of the risen Christ without loss.
Crackpots by the score will tell us that the “abundant life” is one of supernatural ease, prosperity and uninterrupted bliss. But we know the supernatural wonder of being cracked pots, in whom dwell the glory of Christ – beaming out while we are inexplicably sustained.
The world doesn’t need to see self-confident heroes. It needs the Christ of self-doubting sinners, trusting the Savior alone and putting no stock in circumstances pleasant or adverse. To see us endure the unimaginable by the invisible glory that holds us together; the indwelling presence of the Living Lord.
Don’t be afraid of being weak. Be afraid when you begin to think you can stand no matter what, rather than relying upon him for every breath. Our Lord, never lets his own go – no matter what.
The subject of Natural Law (NL herein) is one that has long interested me. Partly because certain passages like Romans 1 clearly indicate that all humanity is guilty of rejecting what can be known about God through the Creation; that God will one day “render to each one according to his works” (Rom. 2:6); and more difficult concepts such as found in Romans 2:14-16 – For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them 16 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. [1]
As I am sure you already know, the debate on NL has historically raged long and is profoundly complex. It is beyond the scope of this paper to provide a background anywhere near sufficient to be of real use. That said, some historical facts may be of use.
In terms of the current debate, most theologians and historians tend to trace the debate’s origin to questions – mainly between Protestant and Roman Catholic scholars – over the propositions of Thomas Aquinas regarding NL. In this regard, Aquinas is most heavily criticized for his dependence upon Aristotelian logic and frameworks. To what degree that is true I must leave to others.
While we cannot wade too deeply into those waters here, I would extend a caution regarding it. It is oft the case in my experience, that citing anyone outside of our approved circles on any question, immediately makes us suspect from some quarters, resulting in wholesale repudiation due to a guilt-by-association dynamic. By this rule, Paul’s citing of pagan philosophers in Titus 1:12 and Acts 17 should disqualify not only his point, but all he wrote – never mind that he did so under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Since Roman Catholic Bibles contain all of the books in Protestant ones, should we repudiate our canon due to those shared resources? This is utter nonsense. And yet some reject any discussion of Natural Theology or Natural Law if there exist any points of commonality between simple facts or observations drawn with pagans or Romanists. Surprisingly, Christians can agree with Pagans and even Romanists that 2+2=4 without theological compromise (Although I am not certain Rushdoony or Bahnsen would agree, wink, wink).
That all humankind will be judged by God irrespective of their exposure to the Law of Moses is abundantly evident in the Scripture. It is beyond dispute. But the question remains; on what basis will this judgment take place? How is it for instance, that God can tell Abraham that his offspring will inherit Israel’s territories in due time – but that is still a long way off because “the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete”? (Gen. 15:16). On what basis were these Amorites to be judged? Is it only for the sin of rejecting God as God? Then why cite “sins” such as sexual relations with close relatives, adultery, bestiality and such as reasons why God is driving out the pagan nations before the Israelites as “uncleanness” – when they have no such laws? (See: Lev. 18 esp.)
And what exactly are we to make of the human conscience?
How are we to understand these, their mechanisms and their relationships?
All of these and more fall under the umbrella of investigations into two interrelated inquiries: Natural Theology, and Natural Law.
And I will unblushingly confess that in all my reading and study, I find myself quite in over my head. But since that never stopped me from pontificating on any subject in the past, I’ll go ahead and give it a rousing try here as well.
That said, I have little doubt that this paper will raise infinitely more questions than it will answer. But it will have served its purpose, and I, in giving it, if a deeper and more fruitful dialog is opened by virtue of it.
Once again, the debate regarding NL has raged long. Adding to the difficulty of our inquiry is the fact that theories of NL have been developed most by Roman Catholic thinkers and writers, and in some cases vehemently opposed by Protestant theologians like Cornelius Van Til, Stanley Grenz, Robert Morey and a host of others, and like philosopher Jeremy Bentham. Representative of the theologians, Morey writes: “Natural Theology, Natural Philosophy, and Natural Law are utter nonsense, and are the products of rebellion against God.” [2]
But then you have no one less than John Calvin seemingly arguing differently in his comments on Romans 2:14-16: “there is no nation so lost to every thing human, that it does not keep within the limits of some laws. Since then all nations, of themselves and without a monitor, are disposed to make laws for themselves, it is beyond all question evident that they have some notions of justice and rectitude, which the Greeks call preconceptions, προληψεις, and which are implanted by nature in the hearts of men. They have then a law, though they are without law: for though they have not a written law, they are yet by no means wholly destitute of the knowledge of what is right and just; as they could not otherwise distinguish between vice and virtue; the first of which they restrain by punishment, and the latter they commend, and manifest their approbation of it by honouring it with rewards. He sets nature in opposition to a written law, meaning that the Gentiles had the natural light of righteousness, which supplied the place of that law by which the Jews were instructed, so that they were a law to themselves.”[3] Notice how Calvin classifies this as part of “everything human.” Interesting language indeed.
Thus writes Grabill: “Put simply, John Calvin not only adopts a modified doctrine of natural law from medieval antecedents but also utilizes the doctrine of the twofold knowledge of God (duplex cognitio Dei) to ground natural law (lex naturalis) in the natural knowledge of God the Creator.”[4]
No matter what, the debate ain’t pretty.
I think it is fair to say that most (if not all) of those opposing both Natural Theology and NL, do so out of a concern to guard the Gospel. The fear is perhaps that man somehow can both reason and obey these revelations sufficiently so as to be salvific. Orthodox divines would reject that concept out of hand. Anything which makes the Gospel of Jesus Christ unnecessary is contrary to the whole of Scripture. Albeit, there seems to be among some, an understanding of passages like Rom. 10:5 “For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them.” – as though “live by them” implies one might have life (spiritual life, salvation) by obeying the Law. This of course is contrary to Rom. 3:20 – that no one can be justified by the works of the Law, and perhaps more pointedly: Luke 17:10 “So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’ ” No one can gain life by only doing what they are supposed to do, especially in light of previous sins.
But I digress.
At the bottom of any debate such as the one before us, we must begin with definitions. Until we are talking about the same things the same way, we cannot make any real headway in sorting it all out.
Haines and Fulford offer a helpful starting place when they write: “the very fact of divine creation seems to point towards what has been traditionally called natural law: the notion that there is, because of the divine intellect, a natural order within the created world by which each and every created being’s goodness can be objectively judged, both on the level of being (ontological goodness), and, for human-beings specifically, on the level of human action (moral goodness). Ontological goodness is the foundation of moral goodness.”[5]
David VanDrunen helpfully adds: “Though different writers suggest various definitions of natural law, the term generally refers to the moral order inscribed in the world and especially in human nature, an order that is known to all people through their natural faculties (especially reason and/or conscience) even apart from supernatural divine revelation that binds morally the whole of the human race.”[6]
VanDrunen then offers as a working definition: “By natural law, then, we mean that order or rule of human conduct which is (1) based upon human nature as created by God, (2) knowable by all men, through human intuition and reasoning alone (beginning from his observations of creation, in general, and human nature, in particular), independent of any particular divine revelation provided through a divine spokesperson; and, thus (3) normative for all human beings.[7]
It seems to me that VanDrunen’s argument that focuses on the ontological reality of man being created in the image of God is the real key to understanding the issue of NL. Contra Barth, who argued that the image of God was essentially annihilated in The Fall, (“In this sense, as a possibility that is proper to man qua creature, the image of God is not just, as it is said, destroyed apart from a few relics; it is totally annihilated.”[8]) passages like Genesis 9:6 (ESV) “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image”, and James 3:9 “With [the tongue] it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God” – both of these passages post-Fall, argue that the image of God dynamic is still very much in play.
If I may be a bit overly reductive too quickly, the issue needs to be re-framed from trying to find a mystery analog to the Mosaic Law – say in the conscience – to one of true ontology. I take this from a view of eschatology. God’s goal for the redeemed is to be as naturally holy as he is. To fully bear the image of Christ in indefectibility. God needs no code outside of himself. He intends to make us as much like himself as it is possible to be for a created, finite and dependent creature.
We reason back from where it is revealed we will be, to understand where we are and where we fell from. All of which is located in our nature. In this sense, we are not so much looking for natural law as we are the law of nature. That man live in accordance with how he was made. All of God’s instincts are holy. And we only know them as holy because they are his – not due to some external standard. As the end of sanctification is glorification – such glorification is simply and plainly to be like Christ: Romans 8:29–30 (ESV) “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”
As John Owen notes: “Sanctification is an immediate work of the Spirit of God on the souls of believers, purifying and cleansing of their natures from the pollution and uncleanness of sin, renewing in them the image of God, and thereby enabling them, from a spiritual and habitual principle of grace, to yield obedience unto God, according unto the tenor and terms of the new covenant, by virtue of the life and death of Jesus Christ. Or more briefly:—It is the universal renovation of our natures by the Holy Spirit into the image of God, through Jesus Christ.
Hence it follows that our holiness, which is the fruit and effect of this work, the work as terminated in us, as it compriseth the renewed principle or image of God wrought in us, so it consists in a holy obedience unto God by Jesus Christ, according to the terms of the covenant of grace, from the principle of a renewed nature. Our apostle expresseth the whole more briefly yet,—namely, He that is in Christ Jesus is a new creature, 2 Cor. 5:17; for herein he expresseth both the renovation of our natures, the endowment of them with a new spiritual principle of life and operation, with actings towards God suitable thereunto.”[9]
What was mankind’s great sin? That we fell short of the glory of God. (Rom. 3:23) And what is God’s glory? It is nothing less and nothing else than the revelation of himself. “Glory means God’s presence shown forth so that his nature and power are made evident.” [10] “Glory means deity in manifestation.” [11] We will revisit this concept more at the end of this paper.
We might argue then that NL is what remains of our original nature as created in Adam before the Fall, and what we will be fully restored to in the resurrection.
Leighton (Exposition of the Ten Commandments) thus states the relation of the written law to the unwritten: “At first the commandments were written in the heart of man by God’s own hand, but as the first tables of stone fell and were broken, so was it with man’s heart; by his fall his heart was broken and scattered among earthly perishing things that was before whole and entire to his maker; and so the characters of that law written in it were so shivered and scattered that they could not be perfectly and distinctly read in it; therefore it pleased God to renew that law after this manner by a most solemn delivery with audible voice and then by writing it on tables of stone. And this is not all, but this same law he does write anew in the hearts of his children.”[12]
What was “written in the heart of man” at the beginning, was nothing other than his native holiness or harmony with and manifestation of – God’s own nature. It was God’s image. Not a “code.” No code could be sufficient – for it would transcend enumeration in application.
The question then is – what are the marks of these remains? Is there an identifiably specific set of these remains to be looked for? And, are they exactly the same in all? Or do these admit to varying degrees in individuals?
Wow! Those are some great questions. Wish I knew.
But do not fear, I do have some suggestions for a way forward. And I base this on something VanDrunen mentions, but fails to develop more fully.
How can we arrive at a catalogue of what remains within fallen man having been made in the image of God – that leaves him morally responsible and liable to judgment for?
The approach I am suggesting is a sort of reverse engineering of Scripture. In other words, if we look carefully for those things for which God says he judges those without the Mosaic Law – then we gain insight into what humankind instinctively, naturally (due to the nature we were created with) knows in moral terms.
Let’s begin with an example from Genesis 12. Abram and Sarai sojourn in Egypt due to a famine. While there, Abe is afraid the locals will hit on his wife, and convinces her to say she’s his sister to avoid violence. Pharoah gets wind of her beauty and brings her home. The truth comes out and what is interesting is that Pharoah is offended that he might have committed adultery had not God “afflicted” his house. In this thoroughly pagan context, adultery is seen by the pagans as wrong. We know it from how God afflicts them as responsible.
Not to get too graphic in all of this, but in examining Lev. 18-20, what is instructive is (in 18 especially) the nature of what are proper and improper sexual connections punctuated by 18:24: “Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these things, for by all these the nations I am driving out before you have become unclean, and the land became unclean, so that I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out its inhabitants.”
We know then that issues of sexual propriety are still a remaining element in fallen man. That such things are contrary to “nature” (Rom. 1:26-27). Contrary to what “nature”? Human nature as created in the image of God.
Hence the rampant sexual promiscuity in our day can only be owing to the suppression of the remaining shards of God’s image as reported in Rom. 1:18.
Leviticus will go on to address issues of illicit supernaturalism, superstition, idol worship, dishonesty in business and even the mistreatment of sojourning strangers as part and parcel of what the pagan nations do. And if they are judged for it – they know better. They are acting contrary to the remnants of the image in which they were created – suppressing the knowledge of God.
Shedd, in tying this to the conscience writes: “This faculty has an authority for man that cannot be accounted for except by its being the voice of God. If conscience were entirely isolated from the deity and were independent of him, it could not make the solemn and sometimes terrible impression it does. No man would be afraid of himself if the self were not connected with a higher being than self. Of the judgments of conscience, it may be said literally that God reveals his own holy judgment through them. “Whence comes the restraint of conscience?” asks Selden (Table Talk); “from a higher power; nothing else can bind. I cannot bind myself, for I may untie myself again; an equal cannot bind me, for we may untie one another. It must be a superior power, even God Almighty.”[13]
And: “Sin gives a bias to the will against the truth so that even when there is an accurate perception there is an endeavor to get rid of it. Men know God to be holy, but do not like to retain this knowledge (Rom. 1:28). Sin weakens the power of intuition itself. Vice debilitates the spiritual and rational faculty by strengthening the sensuous nature. (d) It is a part of the punishment of sin that God withdraws for a time his common grace so that there is little or no intuitive perception of moral truth. The human mind is left to sin: God “gave up to uncleanness those who changed the truth of God into a lie” (1:24) and “gave them over to a reprobate mind” (1:28).[14]
So as not to over-extend my portion here and instead leave time to discussion among ourselves – let me spend just a few moments in the book of Amos. God’s pronouncements against Damascus, Gaza and others, inform us as to what law by nature remains within fallen men, and what they will be judged for.
Amos 1:3-5 / Damascus: God’s first pronouncement against Syria, is due to its excessive brutality in times of war. God sees and notes such things even for nations which are not His own.
1:6-8 / Gaza: Gaza is judged for conquering entire peoples only to make trade of them. Human trafficking is an abomination to God.
1:9-10 / Tyre: Tyre is judged for having no loyalty. No consideration for those they have a common bond with.
1:11-12: Edom: Edom is judged for implacable rage. Perpetual, unsatisfied anger.
1:13-15 / Ammonites: Ammon is judged for waging war for the purpose of making themselves larger. Military expansionism.
2:1-3 / Moab: Moab is judged because even after the death of its enemies, it needed to go on and burn the bones of their enemies to lime. They will not let go of their anger even after everything is over.
And isn’t it informative to see the catalogue of sins which issue from refusing to “acknowledge God” in Romans 1? These include: Covetousness, malice, envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness, gossip, slanderer, insolence, haughtiness, boastfulfulness, invention of evil, disobedience to parents, foolishness, faithlessness, heartlessness and ruthlessness – and all under the rubric of knowing God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
How do they know both the sinfulness and accountability of these things? Instinctively – as contrary to the nature – the image we were all originally created in.
Not because there is a massive, specified list somewhere in the ether – but because we know these are not fitting for image-bearers. Even if we cannot define what that means. In fact, this idea of guiding conduct by considering what is fitting is a dynamic appealed to in Scripture for believers as well: Ephesians 5:3–4 “But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.” Notice the language of what is “proper” or what is “out of place” as a guideline. It is not as much an issue of “do this, don’t do that” as – “what befits who I am in Christ?” Or, even for the unbeliever – what is fitting for one created in the image of God?
Natural Law comes down to the Law of our Nature as God’s image-bearers. Whatever is or is not “fitting” that created station. Such is what in regeneration, sanctification and eventual glorification is restored in the redeemed – conformed to the image of the Son. Living out holiness as naturally as God Himself.
Now from a survey of the Biblical texts, can we arrive at some broad categories at least to help inform us here? I think we can. And I would submit the following as those which stood out to me – though by no means meant to be exhaustive.
1 – An impulse in all to consider Divinity. Absent special revelation to describe and define the God of the Bible, nevertheless, there is a universal impulse to consider a divine being, even if it is only in the process of concluding there is none. The impulse remains. The fact that pagans are punished for seeking other gods, and/or rejecting any notion of God altogether is proof the impulse is present. God’s Word says this makes everyone culpable for what he or she does with that impulse. The implication of Acts 17:26-27 is, that God has, even providentially seen to it each individual is assigned their time and place in history so that they would seek after him. But, as Rom. 1:18 reminds us, we suppress such truth.
2 – Accountability. There is within each human being an intuitive realization that we are accountable for our actions – if only to oneself. This is easily proved as even the most reprobate among humankind rebel at their being sinned against, and want some form of justice or retribution (Rom. 2:1). The phrase used in Gen. 20:11 states it well. Abraham’s concern was “There is no fear of God at all in this place.” i.e. his concern was these pagans he was among would have no sense of accountability for their actions. The fool says Solomon says “in his heart” – there is no God. Or, in God’s pronouncement against Babylon in Isa. 47 – “You felt secure in your wickedness; you said, “No one sees me”; your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray, and you said in your heart, “I am, and there is no one besides me.”
But God WILL hold all accountable. Instinctively, we all know it in some measure, no matter how we repress it.
3 – There is a universal impulse toward biological life, both procreative & protective. We see Scripturally how God punishes for murder and violence. Violence is cited as the chief cause for God sending the Noahic flood. Humans want to live. Redeemed and unredeemed both seek to live, and to instinctively protect life. But God cites murder and violence toward life – including child sacrifice, as punishable.
4 – There is a universal impulse toward order – societal & personal. So we see how God uniformly punished nations for war and chaos.
5 – There is a universal impulse toward seeing justice carried out, even if the systems of justice themselves may be distorted. God pronounces judgment for the perversion of justice throughout the Bible.
6 – There is a universal impulse toward loyalty & fidelity. At the very least, in terms of how others are either loyal or not toward us, regardless of how we may be toward them. This is why adultery for instance receives universal condemnation.
7 – There is a universal impulse toward seeking comfort & pleasure. Hence we see God’s condemnation of excess – gluttony, etc. “Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. 50 They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it.”[15]
8 – There is a universal impulse toward seeking purpose and accomplishment in life. Yet seeking such apart from God’s plans and purposes, such impulse devolves to seeking these for self only, and become self-idolatry. Those who built Babel’s tower wanted to make a name for themselves above honoring God. And they experienced his judgment.
9 – There is a universal impulse toward discovery and wonder. The pursuit of beauty is found in every culture though expressed in innumerable varieties. Yet seeking these without consideration for the God who gives us beauty and awe, finds punishment at God’s hand for looking only to this life and world for them. 1 John 2:15-17.
10 – There is a universal impulse to regard personal property. We all want things which are uniquely and exclusively “ours.” Thus God condemns theft. “Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you.”[16] (See also Rev. 9:21)
11 – There is a universal impulse to reject powerlessness, and to seek power over our circumstances, and/or others. So it is we see God’s condemnation of despotism. Once again, Amos 1 and God’s condemnation of the Ammonite military expansionism comes into play. We might add passages like “And I will stir up Egyptians against Egyptians, and they will fight, each against another and each against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom; and the spirit of the Egyptians within them will be emptied out, and I will confound their counsel; and they will inquire of the idols and the sorcerers, and the mediums and the necromancers.” [17] It is by means of the mystic arts that people seek power over their circumstances.
All of the above, and more, are universally recognized as part and parcel of humanity. Each is good in its proper context, and each can be exercised and thus punished when outside of God’s more perfect nature.
But I think we may safely reduce this even further, and not descend into reductio ad absurdum.
Perhaps the sum of NL can be found here: “Love the Lord your God, with all your heart and mind and strength, and your neighbor as yourself.” This was our original nature as created in God’s image – this is what has been corrupted – This is what is being re-created and perfected within the redeemed. By this standard, all will be judged. Every sin flows from defects in these two and fully interconnected – loves. We know instinctively, this is how it should be.
And may I unpack that just a bit more?
Here is a question – how does one love God properly? Not how do we feel toward him more lovingly – though that is good – but how do we actively love him? What is the most loving thing we can do for or toward him? Is it not this?: To see to it he is represented and perceived most fully and accurately. Isn’t that what was in his mind when he made us in his image? That we might make him known most fully? To reflect him without blemish?
Likewise, how can we best love our neighbors as ourselves? Is it not to expose them to him who is the very foundation and font of all true blessing?
If these are true, then bearing his character is the very essence of the law of his nature in us is what governs us. Then all sin is ultimately rooted in obscuring his glory. Thus each and all that we have seen above finds its condemnation in that his character is obscured in each case. Wherever we violate his character, we obscure him. This is what is incumbent upon all humanity as a law of nature. This is what we fail at in serving ourselves first. And the shadows and shards of that nature are borne out instinctively to greater and lesser degrees, and with varying emphases in each individual. This I would submit is true NL, however faint, its gravitational pull is still felt. In this, all have sinned, by falling short of the glory of God.
I would suggest a series of propositions as one way to begin considering it all.
1 – Humankind was made in the image of God. That image carries certain ontological traits still remaining to varying degrees in each individual (contra Barth).
2 – Mankind, even in his perfect creation was not formed in a vacuum, but a. Mature (physically self-sustaining, communicating), b. In communion with God so as to be receiving revelation. Even created in the image of God, man still needed revelation to explain to him who he was and why.
3 – Among the ontological traits or remains of our original creation in God’s image, are a capacity to differentiate between right and wrong; rationality and certain moral instincts.
4 – Proof that such moral instincts exist is found in how God holds even fallen humanity responsible for certain sins. (See: Lev. 18-20; Amos 1:1-2:3; Rom. 1:18; Rev. 9:20-21)
5 – The capacity to differentiate between right and wrong needs to be informed. This capacity is informed by two main means: Culture and Revelation.
6 – As per 1 Cor. 14 (see Paul’s discussion on tongues) edification requires intelligibility. In terms of either Natural Theology or Natural Law, merely seeing nature does not automatically lead one to posit God, understand him or ourselves, apart from some remaining instinct, which then needs to be informed by revelation. Our rationality alone always leads us to connect dots, but not necessarily the same dots in the same order.
In summary: I would suggest, that NL is nothing other than the law of Nature – the nature of God as crafted into humankind as made in his image, and what remains of it in its various shades of obscurity in impulses and instincts – since The Fall. Such “law” is non-salvific, but remains by grace for the preservation of society until the consummation of the ages.
Bibliography:
Packer, J. I. God’s Plans for You. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2001.
Owen, John. The Works of John Owen. Edited by William H. Goold. Vol. 3. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, n.d.
Haines, David, and Andrew Fulford. Natural Law: A Brief Introduction and Biblical Defense. The Davenant Trust, 2017.
Grabill, Stephen J. Rediscovering the Natural Law in Reformed Theological Ethics. Edited by John Witte Jr. Emory University Studies in Law and Religion. Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2006.
VanDrunen, David. A Biblical Case for Natural Law. Edited by Anthony B. Bradley. Studies in Christian Social Ethics and Economics, Number 1. Grand Rapids, MI: Acton Institute, 2006.
Morey, Robert A. The Bible, Natural Theology, and Natural Law: Conflict or Compromise?. Millerstown, PA: Christian Scholars Press, 2009.
Shedd, William Greenough Thayer. Dogmatic Theology. Edited by Alan W. Gomes. 3rd ed. Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Pub., 2003.
Calvin, John, and John Owen. Commentary on the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010.
[6] David VanDrunen, A Biblical Case for Natural Law, ed. Anthony B. Bradley, Studies in Christian Social Ethics and Economics, Number 1 (Grand Rapids, MI: Acton Institute, 2006), 1.
It has long been my habit to read through Proverbs each month. With 31 chapters, it is easy just to match the day of the month with the chapter. And once again, on this the 1st of May, 2025, we hit on the portion that sets the tone for the rest of the book: Pr. 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
While we’ve looked at this portion before, let me just point out some key concepts once again.
What is it to fear the Lord? It is at least, but not limited to:
a. To fear, to tremble at the thought of His JUSTICE. To know and feel that in His holiness, sin MUST be judged, and it will be – in perfection. – Genesis 20:11. Fools make light of sin. But the idea of sin weighs heavily on the Wise. They look at the Cross and contemplate that even if our sin was but imputed to Christ (for he had none of his own), even the very Son of God would not escape the full fury of the Father. Believer, this is what he did for you.
b. To fear, to tremble at His FREEDOM. That His divine rights of Creator-ship are absolute, and constrained by nothing but His own nature and will. Genesis 22:12 Psalm 130:4 (ESV) “But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.” God is not required to forgive our sin. It is something He does out of His goodness, but it is not required by His justice. It is wholly dependent upon His personal choice. If you are his today, it was because he made a free choice of you when he could have damned you to an eternal hell and been fully just. He was never constrained to save you. You owe all to his free choice. Nothing else.
c. And it seems to me that this is first in order – To fear, to tremble at His WORD. To believe Him. Especially in His warnings and His revelations regarding reality in its largest sense. He says nothing superfluously. He says what He means, He means what He says, and He expects His Word to heard, understood and taken with the absoluteness with which it is given. To heed His warnings, and to believe His assessment of life and all truth. Vss. 20 – 24 especially enhance this point, and 29-30 summarize it: Rejecting knowledge as revealed by God, choosing to believe other sources (including self) instead, rejecting God’s counsel and reproof. Exodus 9:20. Isaiah 66:2 (ESV) — “All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.”
Let me ask, do you tremble at his Word?
d. To fear, to tremble His GREATNESS. To be dwarfed in His presence. To face endless, infinite perfections. To think of Him in terms of His massiveness, incomprehensibility and power. Job. Who can walk amongst the burning coals? Is he at all overwhelming to you? Or is your god a manageable little idol of your own making, you can turn any way you wish by pushing the right buttons?
e. To fear him is to tremble at the possibility of the LOSS of Him. To be separated from Him is death in every conceivable way. David crying “take not your Holy Spirit from me” – Psalm 51. Of he was not present, would it not make any difference to you? If you would not miss him, you do not fear the loss of him, you do not love him. You only fear to lose, what you love.
f. To fear, to tremble at His DISPLEASURE. He is not a paper tiger. Not as to fear a harsh master, but to disappoint the most loving, tender and perfect Father.
To be truly over-awed at Him for who and what He is. Father, give me this fear, and the infinite joy it begets.
It is to live at all times in the full awareness of the implications of dealing with a Self-sustaining, all-knowing, all-powerful being who is everywhere at once; Who created all things for His own purposes and pleasure (including myself), and who in His holy perfections MUST judge all evil – anything and everything that in any way contrary to His nature, His plans or His purposes.
Romans 8:29–30 (ESV) — 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
O the power of a single word sometimes. And in this case, in this amazing and majestic passage – the word, “FOREKNEW.”
Believer, set your heart upon it today. Mull it over. Let the speaking of settle on your tongue like a spoonful of honey. Savor it. Let it sink afresh into your heart and mind. Sing aloud to your own heart throughout the day.
“Whom he foreknew.”
Jesus did not die a blind death.
He did not die and abstract death.
Sinner, he knew you. He knew all your faults, and all your sins, though they still lay in the future.
He knew all your circumstances, all your corruptions, all your doubts before you doubted them, and all your fears before they terrified you.
He knew all the places you would fail even after your new birth. All your ill-spoken words, polluted thoughts and transgressions. All you left undone, and all you should never have done.
He knew every temptation you would face, and every place where you would yield to it. He knew how strong the bonds of sin would be, and how vacillating your love would be.
He knew all those vows you made to walk in holiness and then promptly broke. All your obstinate refusals to properly and fully repent own your sin.
All your lies, deceits and deliberate disobedience.
He knew your self-centeredness, selfishness, prayerlessness and spiritual cowardice.
He knew how you would charge him falsely in dark providences and fail to thank and praise him for all his graces. How you would spend your gifts on the World, and think more of earthly things than heavenly.
He knew your excuses for sin, your justifications for failing to mortify the deeds of the flesh and how you blamed and raged against him in the aftermath of your own failings and foolish decisions.
He knew YOU. Thoroughly, intimately, personally and comprehensively.
And still, that is the you he predestined to be conformed to the image of himself.
It is that you he called, and justified and will glorify – so certainly that the text can put it as a present reality.
This is the one who asks you to trust him fully. For he knew you this way, before he ever came and died for you.
Proverbs 23:1-8 / “When you sit down to eat with a ruler, observe carefully what is before you, and put a knife to your throat if you are given to appetite. Do not desire his delicacies, for they are deceptive food. Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist. When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven. Do not eat the bread of a man who is stingy; do not desire his delicacies, for he is like one who is inwardly calculating. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you. You will vomit up the morsels that you have eaten, and waste your pleasant words.”
Vss. 1-8 of Proverbs 23 function as a unit. And there is so very much to be gleaned here.
The idea in vss. 6-8, which informs the whole unit, is that people often have hidden agendas. Benjamin Franklin called them “axes to grind”. He recounted an experience from his youth when a man approached him, flattering him on how well he was sharpening some farming implements. Then the man asked if he could be so honored as to have such skill applied to getting on getting his own axe sharpened. The flattered youth took the task on due to the flattery. And the man returned several more times until Franklin caught on to what was really happening. The flattery was offered, simply because a man had “an axe to grind.” When such people offer you something, they do so not with an eye to actually bless you – though they may even rationalize it in their own minds as such – but rather to achieve some end of their own. This is the meaning of “their heart is not with you”. Not every gift, is truly a gift in the end. Many are bribes and tools of manipulation. Beware. If not, the supposed blessing will come back upon you in a most unpleasant way. You’ll receive nothing from it when all is said and done.
Now there is a pointed application here to the promises of those seeking power – i.e. politicians – in vss. 1-4. Make no mistake, few indeed are those who serve elected office in our present governmental system who have altruistic motives behind the campaign promises they make.
The Hebrew here will admit both – observe carefully “what” is before you, and “who” is before you. And indeed, there is no need to choose – for both need be considered. What are they promising? And what is the character of the one promising?
We hear promises of easy money, safer streets, social safety nets, or expanded gun rights, and even religious freedoms. When you enter the voting booth, put a knife to your throat if you are hungry for what they have promised you as a delicacy to your appetite – however good your appetite may be. Look not to their promises or even their agendas – look to their character as much as it can be discerned. Wild, extravagant campaign promises are deceptive food indeed. They cannot be evaluated on the surface. If they are not tied to a man or woman of proven character – you will come to regret it in the end, even if at first, it appears to satisfy what you hunger for.
There is application here to those who seek the affections of others who are emotionally unavailable. To “conquer” one who is cold or indifferent, to finally get them to give you their love or affection, will prove to be but a short lived victory. You will feel so special at having received what they seem to withhold from everyone else, but it is a ruse. Their heart is not really with you. Sooner or later that imagined affection will become exceedingly bitter. You will have wasted your affection on one who can never truly return it.
No where is this more painfully experienced than when you receive accolades in front of someone who is stingy for human praise. You will find the daggers of envy most sharp and barbed.
Father God – give us your wisdom. Keep us from making our decisions based only upon what we see on the outside, what pleases us, tickles our ears or appeals to our dearest appetites. Teach us to consider all through the lens of your Word, and its diagnosis of the fallen human heart. And let us have the agenda of what pleases you most, over and above what may even seem to accord with our perception of what might be a short-term gain. Like the drunkard at the end of this chapter, keep us from indulging in the immediate pleasure of the wine when it is red in the cup, without considering what it will mean when we are in the hold of its stupor, and in the aftermath when we awake – with wounds we never perceived to have been inflicted.
ResponsiveReiding 