Baptist Faith & Message Article XVIII. The Family

Here is my final lesson on the BF&M 2000 that I have been teaching on Wednesday evenings.

XVIII. The Family

God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. It is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption.

Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. It is God’s unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race.

The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God's image. The marriage relationship models the way God relates to His people. A husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church. He has the God-given responsibility to provide for, to protect, and to lead his family. A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ. She, being in the image of God as is her husband and thus equal to him, has the God-given responsibility to respect her husband and to serve as his helper in managing the household and nurturing the next generation.

Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord. Parents are to demonstrate to their children God's pattern for marriage. Parents are to teach their children spiritual and moral values and to lead them, through consistent lifestyle example and loving discipline, to make choices based on biblical truth. Children are to honor and obey their parents.

Genesis 1:26-28; 2:15-25; 3:1-20; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Joshua 24:15; 1 Samuel 1:26-28; Psalms 51:5; 78:1-8; 127; 128; 139:13-16; Proverbs 1:8; 5:15-20; 6:20-22; 12:4; 13:24; 14:1; 17:6; 18:22; 22:6,15; 23:13-14; 24:3; 29:15,17; 31:10-31; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; 9:9; Malachi 2:14-16; Matthew 5:31-32; 18:2-5; 19:3-9; Mark 10:6-12; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 7:1-16; Ephesians 5:21-33; 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21; 1 Timothy 5:8,14; 2 Timothy 1:3-5; Titus 2:3-5; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Peter 3:1-7.

Introduction

The inclusion of an article on the family in 1998 reveals the great upheaval in society surrounding the family. The family was and still is in such a crisis in our day that Southern Baptists felt compelled to address the crisis by adopting a significant statement (notice its length) on the family.

The Church should be front and center in this crisis concerning the family by obediently and joyfully living out God’s will in our own homes. However, the Church has dropped the ball in many respects when it comes to the family.

If we hope to recover God’s ideal for the family it will come when preachers faithfully preach God’s word from the pulpit, Christians earnestly seek to be faithful to God’s instruction, and when the Church in love practices accountability and discipline.

A. Family as a Foundational Institution

Read Paragraph One

When we think of institutions we likely think about government, banks, or educational universities and colleges. However, the most important societal institution is the family (I am thinking of institutions common to both the regenerate and unregenerate, so the church is excluded here). In many ways how the family goes, society goes. And we would all agree that as we take stock of the family presently, we are in agreement. The family is struggling mightily. And not surprisingly, our American society is struggling too.

I believe one of the main reasons why the health of the family and society are so interwoven is stated in the article in the last paragraph where it reads, “Parents are to teach their children spiritual and moral values and to lead them, through consistent lifestyle example and loving discipline, to make choices based on biblical truth.”

Godly character should be taught and modeled in the home to each successive generation, but this is not happening by in large today. Many families are not staying intact long enough to instruct and model biblical character to the next generation. Many families have three and four generations of passing on ungodliness and are incapable apart from a miracle of God of making any significant change. Still others are so intermingled with the world they are apathetic towards their children’s future or too selfish and preoccupied primarily with themselves.

And when the institution of family suffers all the other societal institutions suffer as well because when character is not taught, when virtues are not valued, when godliness is not modeled, then business and banking institutions value greed over stability. Governments become wasteful instead of being good stewards. National leaders become corrupt and try to perpetuate their own legacies by latching on to power even through deadly means. Schools fail to educate mainly because of the failure at home.

B. Marriage as Foundational for Family

Read Paragraphs Two & Three

One of the most significant reasons why the family is struggling today is due to our low view of marriage. The low view of marriage no doubt arises when marriage is separated from the truth it was meant to display, namely the marriage between Jesus and his bride, the Church.

Additionally, marriage is more and more being severed from its roots which are in God where he married the first man and woman. Marriage today is simply viewed as a social contract that can be broken for any reason in most states (no fault divorce).

When marriage is severed from God’s intent then we also lose sight of what is good and appropriate only in marriage such as having sex and raising children as the article states, “Marriage is…the channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race.”

In paragraph four, the statement says, “Parents are to demonstrate to their children God's pattern for marriage.” However, as the number of children born out of wedlock continue to rise, it becomes impossible for them to inherit godly patterns for marriage because they cannot be modeled by one parent. Furthermore the pain of having one or both parents disown their children through abandonment forever sears a child’s life and soul. It becomes near impossible for a child from this environment to even fathom a loving Father.

If the family is to be recovered then marriage must be recovered. And if marriage is to be recovered we must repent of our sin and turn to God for his instruction concerning the very institution he ordained. And when we do this we will recover important truths such as:

1. God’s expectations of a husband… “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her (Ephesians 5:25).” The article expresses that the husband fulfills this command in part by providing for, protecting, and leading his family.

2. God’s expectations of a wife… “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church (Ephesians 5:22-23).” The article elaborates more on the role of the wife calling her the husband’s helper who works alongside him managing the family and nurturing their children.

3. The marriage covenant between a man and a woman should display in many ways the new covenant between Christ and the Church… “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:31-32).”

4. This truth leads us to the permanency of marriage just as Christ will never forsake his Church, so a husband should never forsake his wife and vice versa. 1 Corinthians 7:10-11 says, “To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife.”

5. When sex is reserved for a man and a woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime, then children born out of wedlock become a thing of the past and families are much more prepared to bring a child into the world and properly model for them godliness.

What was very intriguing when this article was affirmed and adopted into the Baptist Faith & Message was the outcry against the statement “A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ.” Not surprising was the mainstream media’s attempt to paint this article negatively, but what was very surprising was the many Christians who denounced this statement because this statement comes directly from Scripture in Ephesians 5:22, 24.

C. A Biblical View of Children

Read Paragraph Four

Because our society has lost its positive view of children, Southern Baptists have deemed it necessary to also reaffirm a high view of children. First, we affirm that children “from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord.” We say “from the moment of conception” because of the terrible reality of abortion and its fruits present in our society.

While our society continues to raise standards in how we treat our land and how we treat animal life, we are making little progress in how we treat young human beings. We even have at least one political candidate who confesses that he isn’t sure whether life begins at conception but inexplicably sides not with caution but freely fights for the right of every American to have an abortion for whatever reason.

Children are not to be torn apart in the womb through abortive measures. The Scripture describes the awesome nature of procreation in Psalm 139:13-18…

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them. If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.

And Psalm 127:3-5 says of children, "Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them. He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate."

Children are not hindrances to be bemoaned, but rewards to be treasured. Children are not diseases to be rid of, but are blessings to be enjoyed. Children are not biological impediments that damper our futures, but human beings are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God which help parents know God more deeply and make life more meaningful.

Conclusion

The recovery of the family, marriage, and other institutions will occur to the degree that we humble ourselves and repent of our rebellion against God and his divine wisdom and begin to diligently search his revealed Scripture and embrace his perfect teaching regarding these vital institutions.

Baptist Faith & Message Article XVII. Religious Liberty

XVII. Religious Liberty

God alone is Lord of the conscience, and He has left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are contrary to His Word or not contained in it. Church and state should be separate. The state owes to every church protection and full freedom in the pursuit of its spiritual ends. In providing for such freedom no ecclesiastical group or denomination should be favored by the state more than others. Civil government being ordained of God, it is the duty of Christians to render loyal obedience thereto in all things not contrary to the revealed will of God. The church should not resort to the civil power to carry on its work. The gospel of Christ contemplates spiritual means alone for the pursuit of its ends. The state has no right to impose penalties for religious opinions of any kind. The state has no right to impose taxes for the support of any form of religion. A free church in a free state is the Christian ideal, and this implies the right of free and unhindered access to God on the part of all men, and the right to form and propagate opinions in the sphere of religion without interference by the civil power.

Genesis 1:27; 2:7; Matthew 6:6-7, 24; 16:26; 22:21; John 8:36; Acts 4:19-20; Romans 6:1-2; 13:1-7; Galatians 5:1,13; Philippians 3:20; 1 Timothy 2:1-2; James 4:12; 1 Peter 2:12-17; 3:11-17; 4:12-19.

Religious Liberty Briefly Defined

Liberty of religion is an idea and law that modern day Americans take for granted. Every living person born in America that is living today has always been privileged to this freedom. For that reason I will define religious liberty as the term is rarely used today. Religious liberty is the freedom given to people to practice their faith and religious beliefs without any interference, especially by Kings and Princes in days past and by governments largely today.

The primary driving force behind this belief of religious liberty is that any forced or coerced prescription of religious beliefs upon a person or people against his or her will does not honor God. The assumption followed here, in a pluralistic society, is that no god desires forced submission and worship. However, there are many adherents to many religions who do not adhere to this assumption.

Baptist History and Religious Liberty

Religious Liberty as we have come to know it expressed in the Western World derives from Christian belief because it is the generally accepted position that the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ does not desire worship that is forced or coerced. Now there have been certain people who have gone under the banner of Christ who have thought the opposite, but by in large this practice has been rejected today.

The rejection of forced coercion to Christianity as a movement has many of its roots in Baptist life. Baptists were some of the first Christians who systematically fought for religious liberty. And many good Christian men and women were persecuted for their participation in this movement to liberate the conscience away from the state.

The first sentence in the BF&M states, Baptists believe, “God alone is Lord of the conscience, and He has left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are contrary to His Word or not contained in it.” Early leaders in this movement believed that every person should have the right to interpret Scripture and commune with God according to their own consciences, not having to be led by men or a creed they differed with in interpretation.

John Spilsbury, the first pastor of Particular Baptists wrote, “No conscience ought to be forced in the matters of Religion, because no man can bear out another in his account to God (Nettles, An Exposition from the Faculty of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary on the Baptist Faith & Message 2000, 41).” John Smyth, one of the earliest Baptists wrote while in exile, “The prince must leave the Christian religion free to every man’s conscience (Nettles, Exposition of the Baptist Faith & Message, 41).”

Baptist forefathers, long before men like John Clarke and Thomas Jefferson, were writing and championing Religious Liberty (Nettles, Exposition of the Baptist Faith & Message, 41).” But not only were Christians championing the rights of men to freely exercise the Christian religion without interference from civil authorities or state endorsed churches, some were championing the right of all men to practice any religion in freedom. For example, Thomas Helwys said, “Let them be heretics, Turcks, Jewes or whatever it apperteynes not to the earthly power to punish them in the least measure (Nettles, Exposition of the Baptist Faith & Message, 41).”

The State and the Church

The battle for the freedom to practice religion in the Western world sprang from a rebellion against State Churches which dictated what could and could not be believed and what could and could not be practiced in Christian religion. In many lands, the Roman Catholic Church was the only recognized church and was the authority on every spiritual matter. In Germany, after the Reformation is was the Lutheran Church. In England it became the Church of England. In Scotland, it became the Presbyterian Church. And whatever the official church position was on a subject there was little room for differences. Thus, the religious liberty movement, which includes Southern Baptists, expressly state, “Church and state should be separate.”

We believe the state or governing authority has a role in religion, but it is not to dictate what the church should believe and how it should practice its belief. Instead, religious liberty advocates have taught that the state’s obligations to the church should be to ensure its freedom to worship without any interference. The BF&M states it this way, “The state owes to every church protection and full freedom in the pursuit of its spiritual ends. In providing for such freedom no ecclesiastical group or denomination should be favored by the state more than others.”

Christian advocates of religious liberty see the state as an ordained means by which God providentially executes justice based upon Roman 13. However, the state is not to interfere in the local church domain. The two should remain distinct. Membership in the state does not entail membership in a church. The BF&M endorses this principle as it reads, “Civil government being ordained of God, it is the duty of Christians to render loyal obedience thereto in all things not contrary to the revealed will of God.”

The BF&M further addresses how these two institutions interact at the end of the article. It reads, “The state has no right to impose penalties for religious opinions of any kind. The state has no right to impose taxes for the support of any form of religion. A free church in a free state is the Christian ideal, and this implies the right of free and unhindered access to God on the part of all men, and the right to form and propagate opinions in the sphere of religion without interference by the civil power.”

The freedom to express religious views has come under attack particularly over the issue of homosexuality. In our society today, the mere utterance that homosexuality is a sin will lead to the charge that you are homophobic. In a few countries in Europe and in Canada, pastors have been arrested and fined for merely reading Bible passages condemning homosexuality and expressing God’s judgment and condemnation of the practice.

These pastors have been arrested under hate speech laws. Activists in the homosexual community are trying to silence all opposition against homosexuality and these hate speech laws have been used to silence any criticism. Hate speech is any speech which is deemed to be potentially incendiary, and which might cause violence.

Now these pastors who have been arrested for hate speech are in no way calling for any violence against homosexuals. All they are doing is faithfully preaching against the sins the Bible names. Our very own country might see this same practice of jailing anyone who opposes homosexuality and speaks of it as a sin which God detests. As the BF&M states, we believe, “a free church in a free state is the Christian ideal, and this implies…the right to form and propagate opinions in the sphere of religion without interference by the civil power.”

Kingdom Work vs. Civil Work

Baptists have traditionally argued for a separation of church and state. However, Baptists still believe there is a place for the state to obediently carry out God’s ordained will for it as an institution. A real mess arises however, when Baptists or any other Christian group seeks to do God’s will primarily through the means of civil government. The Baptist Faith & Message says, “The church should not resort to the civil power to carry on its work.”

Southern Baptists need to strike a healthy balance of how to involve themselves in the civil arena. On the one hand, the political arena should never be our primary focus for how we meaningfully persuade people to embrace Jesus and his teachings. On the other hand, we should not completely neglect this avenue as a means to be salt and light. The example and work of William Wilberforce is an example of the good a Christian can bring about through government.

The bottom line is this: Genuine and permanent change can only be realized through the reception of the Holy Spirit and the reception of the Holy Spirit can only be attained through repentance of sins and faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. And most Christians agree that it is not the responsibility of any government to be the propagator of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Instead this responsibility and privilege has been given to the Church of God which is the pillar and support of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15).”

The Divine Origin of the Kingdom

The BF&M message says concerning Religious Liberty, “The gospel of Christ contemplates spiritual means alone for the pursuit of its ends.” At the heart of this statement is the Christian belief that God’s will is accomplished through a divine power. This world was created by God. This world is saved by God. This world will be renewed and transformed by God.

No human initiative or creation will be sufficient to save our souls from God’s judgment on account of our sin. No human initiative or creation will be able to make this world as it was in the beginning, only power of God will suffice. And understanding God’s overarching aim in history will help the church to understand where its primary focus should be.

In the New Creation, governments will pass away. In the New Creation, Congresses will cease to legislate. In the New Creation, there will be only one King, one Lord, one Prince. Jesus Christ will be known and named and honored as the King of kings, the Lord of lords, and the Prince of Peace.

Therefore it is the great responsibility and privilege of the church, his bride, to preach the gospel of Jesus. It is our means to increase his kingdom and see it advance today. AMEN.

Baptist Faith & Message Article XVI. Peace and War

Here are my notes from my ongoing Wednesday evening study of the Baptist Faith & Message 2000.

XVI. Peace and War

It is the duty of Christians to seek peace with all men on principles of righteousness. In accordance with the spirit and teachings of Christ they should do all in their power to put an end to war.

The true remedy for the war spirit is the gospel of our Lord. The supreme need of the world is the acceptance of His teachings in all the affairs of men and nations, and the practical application of His law of love. Christian people throughout the world should pray for the reign of the Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 2:4; Matthew 5:9,38-48; 6:33; 26:52; Luke 22:36,38; Romans 12:18-19; 13:1-7; 14:19; Hebrews 12:14; James 4:1-2.

Christian Warfare vs. Modern Warfare

There is certainly a type of warfare in which the Christian should participate. So at the outset of this topic of war and peace we need to differentiate between godly warfare and ungodly warfare. And I am not talking about just war theory.

When one is transferred into the Kingdom of God’s Son, he is enlisted as a soldier for King Jesus. This truth is captured nicely in a hymn like Onward, Christian Soldiers.

Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, with the cross of Jesus going on before! Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe; Forward into battle, see his banner go!

At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee; On then, Christian soldiers, on to victory! Hell’s foundations quiver at the shout of praise; Brothers lift your voices, loud your anthems raise!

Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war; With the cross of Jesus going on before!

The mission given to the soldier has similarities to a soldier in the Marines. For example, the Christian soldier is given permission to engage the enemy in the hopes that a victory might be secured over the enemy. However, the means, or the way we go about securing victory over our enemies, is different from modern warfare. Additionally, our enemy is a spiritual one and not primarily a physical one like we see in modern warfare.

Our enemy in Christian warfare is not mankind as Paul writes in Ephesians 6:12, “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

As Scripture teaches us, mankind is not our primary enemy. Our enemies are fundamentally Satan, bondage to sin, and death. It is our enslavement to sin and its corruption of our beings which leads to division and violence between men and nations. So the goal for mankind is not to destroy one another but to be liberated from the powers and forces that lead us to violence.

Victory in Christ

Scripture teaches us that this needed liberation from evil powers and forces comes through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And the way we participate in the victory Jesus Christ made comes when we are united to him by faith. The old self is crucified with Christ. The Holy Spirit gives birth to a new self, in which the power of sin has been broken.

The primary means by which we wage warfare is the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ for it is through the hearing of the Word of Christ that we are saved and liberated from the powers of darkness. The Baptist Faith & Message says it this way, “The true remedy for the war spirit is the gospel of our Lord.”

There have been many remedies offered in the past to avoid war and there will continue to be many offered in the future, but if the peace is not rooted in Jesus Christ then it will not last.

Short-lived Remedies

There are many remedies offered today…

1. Economic sanctions are levied against countries in order to ensure peace.
2. Non-Aggression treaties are signed between nations
3. Appeasement was offered in the months leading to WWII.
4. The accumulation of great armies is often a deterrent to war.
5. The remedy of war unfortunately is often more war.

In older days past, in order to ensure the peace, princes and princesses from differing kingdoms and nations were married to ensure the peace.

Peace Through Marriage to Christ

It would seem that this approach has the most similarity with God’s plan for peace. Those who are united with Jesus Christ by faith are called the bride of Christ. Jesus is the husband and all those who will join Christ in marriage will enter into God’s peace, but all those who rebel against Jesus Christ, God will destroy.

The primary reason why Jesus Christ is the only true remedy to the spirit of war is that mankind’s heart is enslaved to evil toward God, and this rebellion against God’s ways leads to devastation in our relationships with one another. Only the new birth can enact the kind of permanent change needed for everlasting peace with our fellow man, and only the work of Jesus Christ can ensure our peace with God on account of the blood of Jesus which justifies us before God.

Given that our task is to bring the liberating gospel to all men regardless of ethnicity, tongue, or nationality we should not give ourselves to the type of ungodly warfare which leads to physical death and ensures that no further opportunities for real peace can be given. Thus the Baptist Faith & Message says, “It is the duty of Christian to seek peace with all men on principles of righteousness. In accordance with the spirit and teachings of Christ they should do all in their power to put an end to war.”

We are Peacemakers

Scripture is filled with teachings that instruct us on our responsibility to work for peace on earth.

Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God (Matthew 5:9).”

Romans 12:18-21 (NASU) “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath [of God], for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Romans 14:19 (NASU) “So then let us pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.”

Hebrews 12:14 (NASU) “Pursue peace with all men…”

In his own ministry, Jesus rejected violence toward others as a means by which would inaugurate his Kingdom.

a. He did not call legions of angels who were at his disposal for protection.

b. He commanded Peter to put his sword away when the authorities arrested him.

c. He did not militarize his followers at the height of his popularity.

Instead he inaugurated his kingdom through selflessness, sacrifice, and service to others faithfully leading people to God.

Godly Resistance

Jesus was not a complete passivist though. He taught his followers to resist evil but not in the standard practices of his day which resorted to more evil.

In Matthew 5:38-48, Jesus gave three examples of creative holy resistance tactics against evil.

a. turning the other cheek: turning the other cheek creates a dilemma for the abuser. Few would be willing to use their left hand to slap someone (for the left hand was unclean). His only option would be to quit hitting you (thus the violence would end) or because his left cheek is exposed, his only option would be to strike with a closed fist which only equals in society fought this way (if he did this then he would be saying you are his equal and he probably would not do this).

b. giving your tunic and cloak: If someone sued you for your tunic and you also hand him your cloak as well, you will be naked and your nakedness will bring shame on him who sees you. The desired hope is that the one who sues you will be shamed and recognize that suing for someone’s tunic is wicked.

c. going the extra mile: Going the extra mile beyond the legal Roman proscription of one mile would potentially cause the soldier to get into trouble and would turn the table on the Roman solider concerning who had power.

Being a peacemaker is not easy work. It takes wisdom and ingenuity.

Implementing Christ’s teaching in our own lives will help us work for peace in this world. If the church would truly model the kind of service, sacrifice, selflessness, and love that Jesus demonstrated we could truly turn the world upside down.

We should pray and work for the end of peace. The Baptist Faith & Message says, “The supreme need of the world is the acceptance of His teachings in all the affairs of men and nations, and the practical application of His law of love. Christian people throughout the world should pray for the reign of the Prince of Peace.”

Is There Such a Thing as Just War?

My own position is: where there is war where men kill one another there is also evil and wickedness. These kinds of wars are always the result of our failure to love God and love our neighbor.

The only occasion where war may be justified is when the greater evil would be to sit idly by when great injustices occur. But my belief is that few wars have been waged that fit this scenario. Furthermore, even when war is waged justifiably(?) it is still the lesser of two evils.

What we know to be true is that when our soldiers come home from wars and they have killed other human beings they are never the same. Most suffer for the rest of their lives with post-traumatic stress. And this makes perfect sense for we were never created for such barbaric conduct. Our soldiers and their families need our prayers on many fronts.

Conclusion

War is easy.
Wickedness is easy.
Retaliation is easy.

Peace is difficult.
Holiness is difficult.
Suffering wrongs is difficult.

But this is the work Jesus calls us to. Jesus said in Luke 9:23, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”

BF&M 2000 Article XV. The Christian and the Social Order

Here are my notes from a series on the Baptist Faith Message 2000.

Article XV. The Christian and the Social Order

All Christians are under obligation to seek to make the will of Christ supreme in our own lives and in human society. Means and methods used for the improvement of society and the establishment of righteousness among men can be truly and permanently helpful only when they are rooted in the regeneration of the individual by the saving grace of God in Jesus Christ. In the spirit of Christ, Christians should oppose racism, every form of greed, selfishness, and vice, and all forms of sexual immorality, including adultery, homosexuality, and pornography. We should work to provide for the orphaned, the needy, the abused, the aged, the helpless, and the sick. We should speak on behalf of the unborn and contend for the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death. Every Christian should seek to bring industry, government, and society as a whole under the sway of the principles of righteousness, truth, and brotherly love. In order to promote these ends Christians should be ready to work with all men of good will in any good cause, always being careful to act in the spirit of love without compromising their loyalty to Christ and His truth.

Exodus 20:3-17; Leviticus 6:2-5; Deuteronomy 10:12; 27:17; Psalm 101:5; Micah 6:8; Zechariah 8:16; Matthew 5:13-16,43-48; 22:36-40; 25:35; Mark 1:29-34; 2:3ff.; 10:21; Luke 4:18-21; 10:27-37; 20:25; John 15:12; 17:15; Romans 12-14; 1 Corinthians 5:9-10; 6:1-7; 7:20-24; 10:23-11:1; Galatians 3:26-28; Ephesians 6:5-9; Colossians 3:12-17; 1 Thessalonians 3:12; Philemon; James 1:27; 2:8.

Introduction

Should Christians retreat from the public square in order that the church not succumb to worldly temptations?

Should Christians seek to change the laws of one’s government in order to bring about a new theocracy where only Christians can participate and rule?

Should Christians negotiate an agreement with the Government where each party will refrain from activity with one another?

Should Christians fully participate and embrace every liberty given to them by their ruling government?

Should Christians try to transform culture working towards the goals of peace, harmony, and justice? Or should we abandon the culture and create our separate ghettos?

What does the relationship between the disciple of Jesus Christ and his or her society look like?

These are some of the questions article 15 of the BF&M 2000 seeks to address.

A Christological Focus

Jesus came to build a Kingdom. Jesus serves as the King of that Kingdom. Therefore it follows that the objectives of his rule and reign in the Kingdom he is building should also be the objectives we too are working to consummate. As ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor. 5:20), our marching orders come from the King. Thus the first statement in the article says, “All Christians are under obligation to seek to make the will of Christ supreme in our own lives and in human society.”

However the Scripture eliminates coercion and obedience from the tip of a sword or gun as means by which the will of Christ is made supreme among the nations. To our surprise, Jesus uses sacrifice and service as two primary means of building his kingdom. Jesus is a King who serves all people free from partiality. He loves his creation so much that he gives up his own life as a ransom and substitute. And in this sacrifice he offers a comprehensive forgiveness to sinners when they repent and believe and confess with their mouths Jesus is Lord.

The Holy Spirit is sent from Jesus who sits at the right hand of God the Father and is working to bring about a renewal both in mankind and the earth. The BF&M is correct when its states, “Means and methods used for the improvement of society and the establishment of righteousness among men can be truly and permanently helpful only when they are rooted in the regeneration of the individual by the saving grace of God in Jesus Christ,” for Christ is truly the focus of God’s work to redeem his creation. So to the degree that we turn away from Jesus, we will fail in our pursuit to fulfill God’s will, and on the other hand to the degree we magnify and spread the good news of Jesus Christ, we will be faithful.

Clear Instructions

Our King, Jesus Christ, provides clear instruction for his disciples and also provides an excellent model of how to interact with one’s culture and society.

First, Christians need to reject the idea that we can faithfully follow Jesus by separating from our surrounding culture and communities. Jesus said in Matthew 5:13-14 that we “are the salt of the earth and the light of the world.” Someone did say that you do not light a lamp to hide it under a basket. The only way to see the will of Jesus accomplished is to take his message into the darkness and reject the consistent temptations which the darkness sends lays before us.

The type of Fundamentalism which encouraged Christians to retreat into ghettos clearly was and still is a gross perversion of the way of Jesus. A simple examination into the life of Jesus’ own life contradicts this philosophy of life. Additionally, a simple examination of God’s apostle to the Gentiles also repudiates this philosophy.

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus prays to the Father, “Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matt. 6:10).” How then is the Father’s will accomplished on earth as it is in heaven? Surely we would affirm that it is accomplished through both the work of the Christ and the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, does not the Holy Spirit work through the children of God to bring about the presence of the Kingdom of God in Christ? This is in fact what the book of Acts reveals, namely the Spirit working through the disciples of Christ to bring about God’s will.

Specific Cultural and Societal Issues

Southern Baptists do name several issues which should be of concern given the clear teaching of Scripture. The article says:

In the spirit of Christ, Christians should oppose racism, every form of greed, selfishness, and vice, and all forms of sexual immorality, including adultery, homosexuality, and pornography. We should work to provide for the orphaned, the needy, the abused, the aged, the helpless, and the sick. We should speak on behalf of the unborn and contend for the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death.

A. Racism

Racism has been and still is a problem in our society. Although regrettably Southern Baptists have been on the wrong side of this issue in the past, we have as a convention apologized and have now moved to eradicate this sin.

The Bible in numerous ways repudiates racism. First, because we all have common ancestors (Adam and Eve), we are all brothers and sisters in one sense. Second, the Bible tells us that Jesus came to redeem men and women from every tribe, nation, and tongue thus demonstrating his love for all peoples. Therefore we need to express our love for all peoples. Third, Jesus taught us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

B. Greed and Selfishness

Greed and selfishness are the roots of many of our societal problems. Americans have an insatiable desire to accumulate more money and more power. And then we turn around and spend if not all, most of our money and power on ourselves. 1 Timothy 6:10 says, “For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

Jesus Christ’s life is the par excellence example of what it means to model a life of selflessness. Jesus said, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).” As his disciples we also are called to live a life of service not selfishness. Jesus reminded his disciples, “But the greatest among you shall be your servant (Matt. 23:11).”

C. Sexual Immorality: Adultery, Homosexuality, & Pornography

Sexual sins run rampant today, not only in our own society, but in societies around the world. Sexual ethics seem to be broken with the greatest frequency in our day. C.S. Lewis rightly puts his finger on the difficulty of this domain. He writes, “Either marriage, with complete faithfulness to your partner, or else total abstinence (Mere Christianity, 89).”

However we break God’s rule here by engaging in sex before marriage, by engaging in sex with someone other then our spouse, by engaging in sex with the wrong gender. And the issue of the pornography is only increasingly enslaving more and more people.

Lewis argues that above all our sexual instinct has exponentially been perverted in the fall. He compares our indulgence to overeat to man’s indulgence to sexual immorality. If we do not have self control in our eating, we may end up eating enough for two men, but if we do not exercise self control in sex, we will have numerous sexual relationships with different women.

He goes on to say that when an attractive woman gets up on a stage and begins to undress, men will gather in large numbers to see and even pay to see, but we would think it odd if people flocked to see someone eat some steak from a stage even though we love to eat.

Genesis 2:18-24, 1 Corinthians 6:12-7:16, and 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 address this subject well.

D. The Least of These: Orphans, Sick, Elderly, Abused, Alien, & Widow

These are just some of the groups of people named in the article or named in Scripture that often need special support and protection in order that none of them are taken advantaged by predators.

In Deuteronomy 10:17-19, God addresses his love and concern for the disadvantaged:

For the Lord your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe. He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing. So show your love for the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.

Presently, the church has neglected its responsibility to fight for and look after the needy. We have relied too heavily on the government to do what God calls us to do. And we need to retake this priority in the church today.

One of the most talked about issues among Christians today is immigrantion, legal and illegal. And we seem to have such disdain for those especially of Hispanic dissent. Yet God clearly in the OT shows special concern for the alien, the one who lives in a foreign land. Could it be that our concerns for America are higher than our concern to please God himself?

Southern Baptists stand to learn more about what it means to care for the least of these without being overly judgmental.

E. The Unborn

Southern Baptists have done well in this regard trying to bring protections to the unborn. The Born Alive Protection Act is one example. We also need to not grow weary in the great work of overturning laws which permit individuals to continue to murder the unborn in our land.

However, regardless of whether Roe vs. Wade is still the law in the land we need to live in such a way, to love people in such a way that our influence might help prevent women from choosing abortion when it is legal. We need to stand in the gap and adopt unwanted children, support single women who make mistakes and get pregnant and have no means to raise a child.

And we need not forget those who are born. We need to equally support those who are already born and those still in the womb.

Transforming Culture

The article states, “Every Christian should seek to bring industry, government, and society as a whole under the sway of the principles of righteousness, truth, and brotherly love.”

Our influence should reach into all domains of our society. We should exert a holy and Christlike influence on our government and the industries in the land.

While we should not try to make the OT laws the laws of the land, we should strive to see that the laws of our land do not encourage evil. The public square should not be naked. That is, we do want to influence the laws of the land. We want the basis of our laws to be influenced by the law of Christ.

We should expect businesses to bear certain responsibilities just as we as individuals must bear a degree of responsibility. One expectation we should hold companies accountable on is the stewardship of the creation. We cannot continue to pollute our environment and not expect great and awful consequences to follow.

Conclusion

The last stanza says, “In order to promote these ends Christians should be ready to work with all men of good will in any good cause, always being careful to act in the spirit of love without compromising their loyalty to Christ and His truth.”

In the effort to transform culture and society toward the goal of Christlikeness, to see the Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven, we need to be convictional. We need to stand firm on the teaching and work of Jesus Christ. We should not compromise clear truths taught in Scripture.

But we should be willing to work with others when the cause is good, when the cause helps to make rights of wrongs, to bring justice where injustice prevails. We need to work with Roman Catholics on issues of abortion and the sanctity of life of the unborn. We need to work with people of all walks of life to comfort, rebuild, and repair when a tornado, hurricane, or flood has devastated a city.

Let us pray with Jesus, “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” but let us also work in the power of the Holy Spirit to see it come.

Baptist Faith & Message Article XIV. Cooperation

Here are my notes on my ongoing series addressing Southern Baptist Beliefs by examining the Baptist Faith and Message 2000.

Article XIV. Cooperation

Christ's people should, as occasion requires, organize such associations and conventions as may best secure cooperation for the great objects of the Kingdom of God. Such organizations have no authority over one another or over the churches. They are voluntary and advisory bodies designed to elicit, combine, and direct the energies of our people in the most effective manner. Members of New Testament churches should cooperate with one another in carrying forward the missionary, educational, and benevolent ministries for the extension of Christ's Kingdom. Christian unity in the New Testament sense is spiritual harmony and voluntary cooperation for common ends by various groups of Christ's people. Cooperation is desirable between the various Christian denominations, when the end to be attained is itself justified, and when such cooperation involves no violation of conscience or compromise of loyalty to Christ and His Word as revealed in the New Testament.

Exodus 17:12; 18:17ff.; Judges 7:21; Ezra 1:3-4; 2:68-69; 5:14-15; Nehemiah 4; 8:1-5; Matthew 10:5-15; 20:1-16; 22:1-10; 28:19-20; Mark 2:3; Luke 10:1ff.; Acts 1:13-14; 2:1ff.; 4:31-37; 13:2-3; 15:1-35; 1 Corinthians 1:10-17; 3:5-15; 12; 2 Corinthians 8-9; Galatians 1:6-10; Ephesians 4:1-16; Philippians 1:15-18.

Authority

Without being overly technical the assumption of Baptists when it concerns the chain of authority looks something like this:

God-->Christ-->Spirit & Bible-->Local Church

Therefore on any occasion where Baptists cooperate, whether it is with other Southern Baptists or Christians from other denominations, it is understood that no real authority exists where one church can speak authoritatively over another local church. The cooperation is voluntary and may be dissolved at any time. Thus we find the following statement in article xiv, “Such organizations have no authority over one another or over the churches.”

Churches may have to submit to certain principles and practices in order to participate in an association or convention, but the submission comes not from an organizational dictate, but because the local church willingly entered into an agreement or contract with the organization and can dissolve the relationship at any time.

How We Cooperate

Southern Baptists have concluded that there are many reasons why we should band together in networks and associations. The heartbeat of the why the Southern Baptist Convention exists is due to our common desire to see the Great Commission fulfilled. Southern Baptists desire to see a people from every tribe, nation, and tongue worship God through the Spirit confessing Jesus is Lord.

Southern Baptists have rightly concluded that the Great Commission can be fulfilled more effectively if we come together as local churches and pool our resources for this great effort. The Cooperative Program, our chief funding mechanism in Southern Baptist life, reflects our common desire to reach the nations as the majority of money sent to the Convention is earmarked for International and National mission efforts.

Southern Baptists traditionally have cooperated on three levels: local, state, and national.

On the national level the focus of cooperation is focused on Missions and Pastor Education (six seminaries). Around 94% of Cooperative Program monies sent to the SBC goes into these two ministries. The remaining money is used by the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, the Southern Baptist Archives and Guidestone Financial Resources.

On the State level, Cooperative money is put into Nursing homes, Orphan Ministries, state colleges, Baptist Papers, and a plethora of other ministries such as conferences, scholarships, and state missions.

The local association focuses on projects and ministries in the community, and other ministries deemed important by the local churches. Often, the local association is a resource center for the local churches that have needs that go unfulfilled.

Dissatisfaction & New Networks

While it seems that Baptists have traditionally worked primarily with other Baptists, it appears that a new wave of Baptists have arisen that are more willing to work with Christians of various denominational stripes. New networks are being created where 2nd and 3rd tier issues of theology are no longer barriers to fruitful cooperation. So we have networks being created where the participating churches agree on gospel level issues, and the real driving force behind the cooperation are the common goals and methodologies used for reaching our communities.

Baptists are asking questions like the following:

Do I want my offering money to fund a Baptist Paper where the readership is dwindling or do I want it to go to support a church planter?

Do I want my money to fund an evangelism conference where my theology will be degraded and many stories will be told or would I rather use that same money to participate in conferences which I believe will help my local church better fulfill our Scriptural mandate?

Do I want to give money that will be channeled through two to three agencies in order for it to be put to use for the glory of God, where also overhead costs will depreciate the gift or do I want to be as directly involved as possible so that not only those who receive the gift are blessed, but we are also because of our direct participation?

Associational Effectiveness

The third sentence in the article on cooperation states, “They are voluntary and advisory bodies designed to elicit, combine, and direct the energies of our people in the most effective manner.” The most important aspect of this statement is the last stanza which emphasizes the importance on using networks and associations which are most effective in fulfilling Biblical mandates.

Year after year, we hear reports of our declining influence as Baptists to reach people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Many of our churches are filled with aging members and there is a glaring absence of younger generations who will be necessary if many of these local churches are going to be in existence in the next 20 years.

As each local church is directly under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and as such accountable to him, we need to use the sum of our talents and resources to maximize our effectiveness for his Kingdom. And if current networks are not effective, or if we find ourselves going in different directions, then we might need to reconsider our allegiance with them.

Missions, Education, & Benevolence

We believe as the statement says, “Members of New Testament churches should cooperate with one another in carrying forward the missionary, educational, and benevolent ministries for the extension of Christ's Kingdom.”

Southern Baptists join together to send out Christians to serve around the world through the International Mission Board and we send Christians out nationally through the North American Mission Board. In addition to our mission efforts Southern Baptists fund many educational institutions such as our six seminaries and other colleges such as Anderson University, North Greenville College and Charleston Southern here in South Carolina.

Furthermore, Southern Baptists routinely contribute to benevolent ministries. World Hunger and Disaster Relief assistance are two ways we yearly help in these areas.

Here again though, we need to make the commitment to yearly think through the different causes we fund and measure their effectiveness. We may find that instead of supporting World Hunger we may want to divert some of our benevolent funds to Blood, Water, Missions to see clean water wells provided for communities without clean water.

As a part of our mission endeavors we may want to contribute to the renewed movement of church planting because we have learned that newly planted churches are often more effective in reaching younger people than older established traditional ones are, and while we may not change certain aspects of our local church, we still want to see the younger generation reached with the gospel.

Beyond Denominations

The last statement made on cooperation involves Baptist cooperation with other denominations. It reads, “Cooperation is desirable between the various Christian denominations, when the end to be attained is itself justified, and when such cooperation involves no violation of conscience or compromise of loyalty to Christ and His Word as revealed in the New Testament.”

This statement can be said for cooperative efforts with other Southern Baptists churches as well. There is no Biblical mandate that says we must cooperate with every church that identifies itself as Southern Baptist. In fact, there are many Southern Baptists churches that I probably would not want to be associated with because of particular attitudes and perspectives on what it means to be a Christian.

There can no doubt that the more local churches can cooperate the better the image we can put forth to the world on what it means in part to follow Jesus Christ. Unnecessary division and divisiveness between Christians takes away from God’s glory in the church.

On the other hand, we should not pretend that there are no real differences between Christians. Local churches should not compromise themselves on gospel level issues just to bring about a sense of togetherness. In the end, if we do not have unanimity on the gospel then we do not have true fellowship anyway.

Outlook

I see both a decline and incline in participation in cooperating networks.

I see a decline especially in Baptist circles of churches choosing to participate in the traditional avenues. Already there are many Southern Baptist churches unsatisfied with the take of State Conventions Cooperative Program dollars, and are choosing to bypass the State Conventions and send their funds directly to the Executive Committee of which Highview BC is a prominent example.

Active participation in many local associations is abysmal. I know on many occasions, I am the only one present at meetings who does not have gray hair. This cannot be a good sign for traditional local associations.

New affinity groups are springing up where denominational affiliation is not so much as important as the goals and methodologies of the local churches.

Many are rejecting the traditional means of cooperation because of the feeling that too much money is being wasted, or not directed to the most needed areas of ministry. For example many are tired that so much money is being spent on ourselves here in America when we have so much already.

I see an incline in participation between churches across denominational lines.

I see an incline in membership to new networks due mainly to the great church planting movement that has begun here. Many younger pastors get burned out spending years trying to reform dying or stagnant churches that are unwilling to change anything and are unwilling to do anything about the stagnant condition of the church. So they move on and take the hard road of raising funds and working part time jobs to make ends meet in order to start healthy churches where discipline and order can be properly maintained.

This is already happening in Southern Baptist life where fewer and fewer Southern Baptists attend any Convention or Associational meetings but can be seen gathering at non-Baptist conferences and fellowshipping and meeting with diverse Christians in order to be more fruitful.

Baptist Faith & Message Article XIII: Stewardship

Here are my notes from a lesson on the stewardship article.

XIII. Stewardship

God is the source of all blessings, temporal and spiritual; all that we have and are we owe to Him. Christians have a spiritual debtorship to the whole world, a holy trusteeship in the gospel, and a binding stewardship in their possessions. They are therefore under obligation to serve Him with their time, talents, and material possessions; and should recognize all these as entrusted to them to use for the glory of God and for helping others. According to the Scriptures, Christians should contribute of their means cheerfully, regularly, systematically, proportionately, and liberally for the advancement of the Redeemer’s cause on earth.

Introduction

As our language changes over the past decades and centuries, new words are introduced into our society and older words fallout of common use. Stewardship is a word that I have personally rarely heard used outside of the church atmosphere. I cannot think outside a conversation about God when I have heard someone use it.

The word “stewardship” comes from the word steward. And a steward is someone who is put into a position of oversight to direct the affairs of a master or an organization. A more common word that overlaps with steward and for the most part has put the word “steward” out of use is the word manager.

Take for example a manager of a local McDonalds. It is the responsibility of this manager to produce foods and an atmosphere that represents the dream of the owner of this company. The responsibility of leading all the employees of the local McDonalds also falls upon this manger/steward as he or she leads and directs the staff to create the McDonalds experience.

To the degree this manger/steward successfully creates the experience of McDonalds, happy meals, McRibbs, Big Macs, and apple pies, and McFlurries, he or she will please the owner and customer, and will be rewarded.

Genesis

Now travel back with me to Genesis 1-3. You have the Creator/Designer who creates the heavens and the earth. He populates the heavens with stars, planets, moons, comets, and galaxies. He populates the earth with vegetation, animals, and mankind.

And we learn specifically that human beings are uniquely made in the image of God. Being made in the image of God, as I have repeatedly reminded us, does not mean so much that if we saw God with our eyes, he would have an appearance similar to man. Instead, it means that mankind has been endowed with similar capabilities as God. Like God, we can create. Like God, we can love. Like God, we have a will. We have an awareness of the reality of God and that we are his creation.

Genesis tells us that one of the privileges of being made uniquely in his image is the responsibility of stewardship over the creation as a whole. God says concerning mankind, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth (Gen 1:26). Then in vv 27-28, God makes man and woman and commands them to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over every living thing on the earth.

So in essence, God makes us stewards of the creation. He commands us to fill the earth, to subdue the earth, and have dominion over the earth.

Subdue & Have Dominion Over the Earth?

But what does it mean to subdue and have dominion over the earth? Well we cannot spend too much time here tonight, but we can submit a couple of answers to this question.

1. Having dominion over the earth does not mean we have the right to treat it with carelessness. God did leave instructions to Adam and Eve concerning the creation. For example, Adam and Eve and their descendants were not permitted to kill and eat animals until after the flood. Therefore, having dominion over the animals must include caring for and ensuring their prosperity. Proverbs 12:10 says, “A righteous man has regard for the life of his animal, But [even] the compassion of the wicked is cruel.” The recent videos that have surfaced of the barbaric treatment of cattle is sickening. This is precisely what God did not want when he said have dominion over the earth and everything in it. Although we are permitted to eat meat, we should not dishonor animals in this way.

2. Subduing the earth entails a respect for the land as a part of God’s good and beautiful creation. As evidence of this, God commanded the children of Israel to refrain from sowing crops every seventh year so that the land may receive a rest (Exo 23; Lev 25). Amazingly, God even leaves instruction to the Israelites concerning what kinds of trees could be used for seigeworks in war (Deut. 20).

As our world becomes more industrialized and becomes more technologically advanced, we must be prepared to think long and hard how we can be obedient to this creational ordinance.

A Stewardship of All Things

What Genesis reveals to us is: our entire lives should be given entirely in stewardship to God. No matter what we create, we have used the materials and substances he has created. No matter where we travel, the land, water, and air is his. So stewardship is not just a matter pertaining to money. Stewardship is much larger than money. Stewardship unto our Creator encompasses all of our faculties, senses, talents, monies, thoughts, and actions. This is what the BF&M affirms in the first sentence of the article on stewardship, “God is the source of all blessings, temporal and spiritual; all that we have and are we owe to Him.”

A proper understanding of our relationship to God includes the knowledge that all we do should be done to give glory unto God as the article states, “They are therefore under obligation to serve Him with their time, talents, and material possessions; and should recognize all these as entrusted to them to use for the glory of God and for helping others.”

Bringing glory to God in simple terms means that we fulfill the goals we were created to fulfill. When Adam named the creatures of the earth, he was glorifying God because God instructed him to have dominion over the animals, and naming them partially fulfilled this command.

In a broader sense, the way we all can fulfill the command to steward ourselves in order to bring glory to God is by expressing in our own lives the characteristics God displays such as justice, mercy, grace, and love. As Micah the prophet reminds us, “He has told you, o man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8)?”

Stewardship in View of the Cross

Since the creation and the fall, the focus of stewardship has shifted somewhat. Stewardship in the Garden consisted of maintaining harmony between God, man, animal, and the earth. Stewardship after man’s rebellion against God consists of man joining God’s work to restore the creation through an invitation by God’s Spirit.

The focal point of our stewardship now is centered on Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who alone has made it possible for the creation to be restored, who has made it possible for man to be forgiven by our Holy Creator, who has made it possible that harmony will be restored between God and every part of his creation. We are reminded of this truth in the BF&M article says, “Christians have a spiritual debtorship to the whole world, a holy trusteeship in the gospel.”

The priority of our stewardship today always has an eye towards the cross and the one who died as our substitute on it to absorb the wrath of God. As Paul stated, so we also state, “I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek (Rom 1:16).”

So at the heart of our stewardship is the message of Christ crucified. Fundamental to the Christian is his or her concern that this good news concerning Jesus of Nazareth is proclaimed. Jesus has come that we all may have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). This good news concerning the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ grants us to live in hope, joy, and peace because we know what lies beyond the first death.

Our Disposition in Stewardship

Equally important to our obedience living under the Lordship of Christ is the state of our heart when we serve. King Jesus does not delight when his servants serve begrudgingly. King Jesus does not delight when we do the right things with a sour heart and attitude. 2 Corinthians 9:7 states, “ Each one [must do] just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” The condition of the heart counts maybe even more than the action because partial obedience is disobedience.

Jesus reminds us in Matthew 6:21, “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” The conclusion we should draw from this teaching is this: If our obedience is heartless and we receive little or no joy in living for Jesus, then it reveals that Jesus is probably not the treasure of our lives. And let me tell you from my heart, there is nothing more discouraging than living in a community of people who confess that Jesus is their Lord, but have no joy in singing to him and have no passion to see his work accomplished.

Where are the disciples of Christ who are desperate to seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousness first? There is a generation of young people who have experienced God’s love and grace, and who are not going to waste much of their time on tired, apathetic, and lazy Christianity and the local churches which are filled with these kinds of people.

I hope you count yourselves among this movement regardless of your age. I hope you count yourselves among those who desire to become disciples who like the statement says, “…contribute of their means cheerfully, regularly, systematically, proportionately, and liberally for the advancement of the Redeemer’s cause on earth.”

Conclusion

May we continually be the kinds of people who pray that God would continually break our hearts for his creation and all the hurting people who live in it.

May we continually ask God to work within us to prevent each of us from becoming numb to the needs of our community and world.

May we continually ask God to do the work necessary that we pursue our joy from fulfilling his designs in our lives.

May we continually ask God’s Spirit to well up within us that we would abandon and forsake the empty and dry religion that we have been practicing for so long, and awaken our hearts and drive toward the gospel ministry and making much of Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Baptist Faith & Message Article XII: Education

Here are my notes from a lesson on the BF&M's article on Education.

XII. Education

Christianity is the faith of enlightenment and intelligence. In Jesus Christ abide all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. All sound learning is, therefore, a part of our Christian heritage. The new birth opens all human faculties and creates a thirst for knowledge. Moreover, the cause of education in the Kingdom of Christ is co-ordinate with the causes of missions and general benevolence, and should receive along with these the liberal support of the churches. An adequate system of Christian education is necessary to a complete spiritual program for Christ's people.

In Christian education there should be a proper balance between academic freedom and academic responsibility. Freedom in any orderly relationship of human life is always limited and never absolute. The freedom of a teacher in a Christian school, college, or seminary is limited by the pre-eminence of Jesus Christ, by the authoritative nature of the Scriptures, and by the distinct purpose for which the school exists.

Deuteronomy 4:1,5,9,14; 6:1-10; 31:12-13; Nehemiah 8:1-8; Job 28:28; Psalms 19:7ff.; 119:11; Proverbs 3:13ff.; 4:1-10; 8:1-7,11; 15:14; Ecclesiastes 7:19; Matthew 5:2; 7:24ff.; 28:19-20; Luke 2:40; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31; Ephesians 4:11-16; Philippians 4:8; Colossians 2:3,8-9; 1 Timothy 1:3-7; 2 Timothy 2:15; 3:14-17; Hebrews 5:12-6:3; James 1:5; 3:17.

Introduction

When it comes to the issue of education, usually education of any kind, people get somewhat divisive. There are some who despise education for one reason: they do not have much. And on the opposite end of the spectrum, there are those with much education who despise those people who have little or none. I despise both of the former positions.

Education, undeniably, is a pursuit that every Christian should affirm because Holy Scripture commands us. The danger is not education itself, but how we educate, what sources we use, the goals we identify and pursue, and the manner in which we pursue education.

There are extremes both on the side of liberalism and conservatism. For example, there is a type of liberal education which will teach of the need to abandon the Bible as a source of authority in our lives. It will conclude that the Bible is merely a religious book much like those of other peoples. It will conclude that the Bible is filled with mythical elements that should be rejected as historical and factual.

On the other hand, there is a type of conservative education which will encourage all teaching outside what the Bible proclaims to be unnecessary or worse unprofitable and worldly.

We should avoid both these extremes. Instead we should affirm all types of education which glorify God and bless others.

Holy Scripture

We should affirm Holy Scripture as God’s unshakable words. It should be our primary source for understanding in every topic it addresses. It alone do we recognize as being infallible, uniquely authoritative, and inerrant. We recognize that there is no substitute for the Bible.

As we are educated through divine revelation we will learn that we are created in God’s image. We have similar capabilities as our Creator, not in the sense that we can perform all that God can perform, but we have been made in such a way to function like him.

Creativity

God has given us both a mind and a conscience to be engaged to glorify him and bless others. And one of the ways we are like God in his image is our ability and desire to be creative like our Creative God. Now we acknowledge that we cannot create as God creates as he makes the physical universe “ex nihilo,” out of nothing. But we can use the physical properties God has made available to us.

Our ability to create, in a fallen world, can be used for good or evil. It can used to glorify God, but it can used to profane his name. For example if we learn how to cut wood, lay cement, install windows, lay brick, electrically wire a structure, then we can build a house. This type of education is used by institutions like Habitat for Humanity to house the economically challenged. It is used by those who have built all the houses we live in and are grateful.

Now the Bible does not educate one how to build a physical house. So if one was going to learn this trade which surely every one of us is thankful for, one would pursue it through means outside the Bible.

Again education of many types is a good thing so long as we use the education to glorify God and for blessing.

This truth is what the statement in part affirms when it says the following:

1. “Christianity is the faith of enlightenment and intelligence.”

2. “In Jesus Christ abide all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. All sound learning is, therefore, a part of our Christian heritage.”

Furthermore, we also affirm that when the Holy Spirit illumines and indwells an individual one is encouraged to pursue all avenues of education in order to build upon God’s Kingdom, to be used for the advance of the gospel, and better the lives of families and neighbors.

Christians should not be opposed to many of the advances we have made concerning education. I rarely hear of anyone who wants to return to the days of 19th century technologies. The question for Christians is not education itself but how the education and tools of education are used.

Christians should fully embrace the advance of education in diverse fields in part because the progress can better enable us to fulfill Christ’s commands.

Two examples of how education outside the Bible has better enabled us to fulfill God’s commands are:

“Make disciples of all nations”
1. Improvements in transportation—It used to take weeks and perhaps months of time in boats and on the backs of animals for missionaries of the gospel to get to certain people groups. Now through the educational advancements in transportation we can get to most places on the earth in one or two days.

“love your neighbor” 2. Improvements in agriculture—In order for past civilizations to endure through poor weather, famine, flood, etc…one needed dreams and dream interpreters (Joseph and Egypt) and traditions besides God’s good providence. Now in addition to God’s providence through educational advancements we can predict in advance severe weather. So if an early frost comes, we can take precautions to preserve young plants. We use irrigation when the rains are infrequent. We have insecticides that protect crops from bugs that would devour our food.

So can America help impoverished peoples and nations who are not beneficiaries of all the blessings we have received? Answer: Yes we can! And we do!

This is what our statement affirms when it says, “Moreover, the cause of education in the Kingdom of Christ is co-ordinate with the causes of missions and general benevolence, and should receive along with these the liberal support of the churches. "

Christian Education

To this point we have emphasized the importance of education in general. We have emphasized that we should embrace all forms of education that seeks to glorify God.

We also need to also stress the importance of a spiritual education. This education comes from two sources; it comes from the Holy Spirit and the Bible. If we are ever going to grow in Christlikeness and develop the inner desire to glorify God, then we must be educated by God through his word. We affirm that apart from Christian education one can never fully glorify God through his or her actions. All pursuits should be offered in faith for the purpose of glorifying God. So we say without qualification that if we only could have book to study, it would be the Bible.

An important part of the Great Commission in Matthew 28 is the command by Jesus, “teaching them to observe all that I commanded you.” The primary way we try to fulfill this command today is through systematic pulpit preaching and systematic Bible study.

The quickest way we can walk away from God is to believe that we can follow Jesus by ourselves. We decide we do not need the church. We decide we do not need spiritual leadership in our life. We decide we do not need any spiritual accountability in our life. Every believer needs to be present and active in ongoing spiritual education.

My fear when it comes to Christian education today is that many Christians in America only receive Christian education on Sunday mornings or in Sunday School. They do not get it through any other ministry in the local church because they do not attend any other ministry. Furthermore many never pick up their Bibles and read during the week.

And we wonder why we have so many problems in the church.

Meanwhile, we have so many Christians who fill their minds with hours and hours of systematic shows on TV which are not bad in and of themselves, but taken in to the great neglect of Christian education will greatly pervert their walk with God and the maturity.

Christians in times past took the lead in education

Christians in many generations took the lead in the progress of education. We saw advances in music, medicine, agriculture and many other fields down through the centuries. For example, many of the first colleges created in the US (Harvard, Princeton, and Dartmouth) were established by Christians. I believe if my memory is correct, Dartmouth was even instituted to help educate Native Americans.

Over the past two generations, we are having to reclaim this pursuit for the advance of education in part because Christians have abandoned many academic areas. Christians have retreated back into the walls of their church buildings espousing a backwards fundamentalism that says “we do not need anything but the Bible.”

Yes, we need the Bible because it is the special written revelation of God. It is the testimony of God’s work as he redeems the world. Yes, the Bible is indispensable. But we also need to embrace the advances that have been made in all fields of education that glorify God and embrace the creative spirit in which God designed us.

Academic Freedom and Academic Responsibility

The final paragraph states, “In Christian education there should be a proper balance between academic freedom and academic responsibility. Freedom in any orderly relationship of human life is always limited and never absolute. The freedom of a teacher in a Christian school, college, or seminary is limited by the pre-eminence of Jesus Christ, by the authoritative nature of the Scriptures, and by the distinct purpose for which the school exists.”

The main point of this last paragraph is this: Researchers need to be given degrees of freedom in their fields of study. However the freedom needs to be tempered and guided by the word of God.

For example, let us think about the stem cell debate going on in our country. Should we embrace stem cell research? Should there be freedom given to those who conduct studies, which have led and might continue to lead to medical treatments?

The answer is yes and no.

Should we embrace adult stem cell research and technologies which do not destroy human embryos, which have already led to medical breakthroughs? Yes we should. We should be for medical treatments which alleviate sickness and death.

However, should we embrace embryonic stem cell research which destroys human life in the process? No we should not because although we desire freedom in research, we also espouse academic responsibility and the word of God is our guide. Therefore, since it teaches us to respect human life in all its phases, we should not embrace this type of research.