"Think It Not Strange"

The team at Desiring God has released a collection of essays on "navigating trials in the New America."  John Piper's introductory video is brief but very helpful as we seek to understand the changing cultural landscape and the place of the church in the West.  The title echoes 1 Peter 4:12, "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you."
 

Why Some Professing Christians Favor Trump

Ross Douthat notes that the most committed Christians are not the ones turning to Trump, but that the GOP front-runner is succeeding "where active religiosity has weakened, but a Christian-ish residue remains."  Trump's "occasional nods to religious faith — like, say, his promise to make store clerks say “Merry Christmas” instead of “Happy Holidays” — are well tailored for voters for whom Christian identity is still a talisman even when an active faith is all but gone."

About the "Nominal Christian"

Helpful thoughts from Mike McKinley:


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Inauguration and Religious Talk

I was impressed by the pomp and circumstance of last week’s presi­dential inauguration. And it really is quite remarkable how this transfer of power has come off peacefully for these 200+ years. There’s a lot to thank God for when it comes to our nation’s story.

There was a great deal of religious talk involved. Pastor Rick Warren, for example, delivered his much-anticipated invocation, and it was a God-focused, God-honoring prayer. He wasn’t shy about making his plea in Jesus’ name—in fact, by naming Jesus in four lang­uages he helped the world see that Christ isn’t some contrived Western deity but the life-transforming Savior and Commander-in-Chief over all that is.

By contrast, there was spiritual fog and confusion at Washington DC’s National Cathedral the next day—“The National Prayer Service,” involving Muslim, Hindu, Jewish and professing Christian leaders of Catholic, Ortho­dox, and Protestant backgrounds. This interfaith event featured “newly written prayers meant to emphasize liberty and diversity” in light of Obama’s embrace of religious liberalism (washingtonpost.com). Rev. Sharon Watkins gave the sermon, quoting “a wide range of religious leaders and traditions, from Ghandi to Islam to Cherokee Indians, urging the new president to remain focused on ethical and religious values such as common good, justice and compassion.”

But there’s an elephant in the room—do you see it?

It’s this: the Bible consistently testifies that Christian ethics and good deeds must be grounded in faith; right conduct is rooted in and results from conscious personal faith in Jesus Christ. The New Testament has stinging warnings for wandering churches that separate a regimen of deeds from dependence on the grace of God (e.g., Gal 1-2). Yes, true Christian faith leads to good works (Gal 5:6; Jas 2:14-26), but ethics and morals not springing from trust in the One who changed our hearts and set us free from guilt eternally amount to self-promotion if not self-justification. Further, good deeds that lack accompanying words of witness highlighting the supremacy of Christ, the only Savior (John 14:6; Acts 4:12), are woefully inadequate.

The frightful messages coming out of this event were that you can be a Christian without Christ, that ethical decency is the essence of Christian experience, and that all religions are basically variant paths to the same broad “common good” and the same beige god. All in all, a remarkable failure to represent Christ and Christianity faithfully.

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Lukewarm

Revelation 3:14-22 presents a chilling account of a church languishing in smug self-satisfaction, a congregation that finds its security in material resources rather than in the Maker of all things, and a church oblivious to its own spiritual poverty. As the text was read, I was struck with sadness at this decline into comfortable, status quo spirituality—how pathetic. And yet I had to admit that this safe-nice-easy-comfy, man-centered “faith” has its insidious appeal to my sinful heart: I saw myself in the mirror of God’s Word. How about you?

Jesus rebukes the Laodicea congregation for its lack of conviction, commitment, and spiritual passion. They’re lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—and this makes the Lord want to spit them out of his mouth (3:16). Such a jarring declaration needs to get our attention: if we allow earthly comforts and material security to have our hearts, the Lord will be repulsed by us. How dreadful!

And yet, grace prevails: Christ still knocks at the door of compla­cent, compromised churches. He could say, “Fine, you want to cozy up with your portfolio, you want to demand that I show my goodness by making your life comfy and cushy, you want to sing the praises of prosperity—fine. Go ahead. Away with you!!” But he doesn’t banish us from his presence—that’s the wonder of grace! He still knocks. Will we open the door of our confused souls and let Christ in? Will we humble ourselves, recognize our spiritual nakedness (3:17), and receive the Lord’s rebuke? Remember, Jesus says, “Those whom I love I reprove” (3:19).