Karl Barth and Donald Trump

Mere Orthodoxy has a nice post about Karl Barth’s warning to contemporary evangelicalism. The short of it is the church looses its voice when it tries to do theology driven by contemporary culture. You can find it here.

How does Barth avoid this trap? Like this:

[The church] must never forget what it has to proclaim, that the history of Israel and the history of mankind have attained their goal and in end in Jesus Christ, and that this goal and this end are now the prius for every human life. It has to take seriously the fact that the time in which we live post Christum is the final time, the time when the pendulum is swinging for the last time, and there is no more room, for the rise and perpetuation of independent human kingdoms alongside and in competition with the kingdom of God which has come, but all such kingdoms can only prove fleeting shadows. This being so, how can it try to found such a kingdom in the name of Jesus Christ? How can it try to present and preserve itself as such? This attempt can be made only in misunderstanding and error. It can only lead to shipwreck.

Church Dogmatics, III.2.47.4

This was published in 1948. Barth certainly had plenty he could say about the rise of nationalism and the church’s temptation toward it. As Calvin devoted multiple chapters and pages to the errors of the Roman church of his day; Barth could have devoted chapters to the errors of the German church’s capitulation to Nazism. And like Calvin’s chapters on Rome, Barth’s chapters on Nazism would have been the least useful to following generations.

Instead, Barth totally undresses the folly in one paragraph. And he does so in a way that speaks directly to American Christians in 2022. Once again, many in the church are playing the whore for a charismatic leader. Once again, it can only lead to shipwreck.

Meditation on God and Gender

We believe in one God (Deut. 6:4). We believe this one God exists eternally as one Spirit, one Lord, one God (Eph. 4:4-6). We do not believe in three Gods. We believe the Father is God. We believe the Son, the Word, is God. We believe the Spirit, the Comforter, is God. The Father is God, but he is not the Son or the Spirit. The Son is God, but he is not the Father or the Spirit. The Spirit is God, but he is not the Father and he is not the Son. We believe three persons equal in glory eternally dwell in mutual majesty as one God. We believe in one God. And his name is Father. And his name is Son. And his name is Spirit.

We believe the eternal Son of God took on the likeness of sinful flesh and became the Son of Man. In signifying mystery, the Son of God was born of the Virgin Mary. The Holy Spirit was not born of the Virgin Mary- though he conceived the Son of God within the womb of Mary by the will of the Father (Matt. 1:20; Luke 1:30-33). We believe Jesus, in complete and life-long submission to the will of the Father, was crucified for our sin under Pontius Pilate. The Father was not crucified. Through the Holy Spirit the Son of God offered himself to the Father for our purification (Heb. 9:14). We believe that only the Son was resurrected for our justification as only the Son was crucified. But we believe the same Spirt through whom the Father raised the Son will give life to our mortal bodies as well (Rom. 8:11).

Because God is one, all his work is one. Because the Father is not the Son or the Spirit he works in this way. Because the Son is not the Father or the Spirit he works in that way. Because the Spirit is not the Father or the Son he works in his way. This, that, and his, are one; but this, that, and his, are theirs.

The Father does not have less glory because he was not born of a Virgin. The Holy Spirit does not have less glory because he was not crucified under Pontius Pilate. The Son does not have less glory because he was made man to suffer for man’s sin.

The Father wills, the Son accomplishes, and the Spirit applies: God’s work is one. The Father, Son, and Spirit dwell in eternal love. A love free of envy. A love free of discord. A love free of embarrassment. A love embracing, supporting, and accomplishing individual actions within the one divine work.

When God made man, he said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Gen. 1:26). We may not know exactly what being made in the image and likeness of God entirely means, but we can certainly develop sound concepts from studying Scripture and creation.

So God created man in his own image,

    in the image of God he created him;

    male and female he created them.

The triune God created “man” in his image; creating “them” in his image and likeness: male and female. Himness is not maleness. Himness is maleness and femaleness. Himness is themness. Themness is likeness to and afterness of the image of God. God is not God without the Father or the Son or the Spirit. Man is not man without male and female. The image of God is not the likeness of God without male and female.

Is the female less because in pain she brings forth children? Is the male less because in pain he brings forth bread? Cursed together. Is the female more because the Redeemer is from her without a male? Is the male more because the Redeemer is male and not female? Blessed together. In Christ both are sons of God through the Spirit of adoption.

In the image and likeness of God the male rejoices in his masculinity and rejoices in the female’s femininity. In the image and likeness of God the female rejoices in her femininity and in the male’s masculinity.

God does not just command contentment and joy in differing roles, He exemplifies it. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit perform individual actions unique to each person which have no bearing on their unity in deity. Striving to live outside of God-appointed boundaries is the way of the adversary. From the beginning he was a liar energized by the creed, “I will.” Not content in his own rebellion, he has spread it unto man: male and female. The lie that male and female will find contentment outside of the roles God has assigned has found good ground and is now bearing abundant fruit.

Who will you believe? The God who made you; working in perfect differentiated unity? Or that old hiss that God is holding out on you; that there is a better way. You own way.

Eve and Mary

…because it was by just the contrary operation that God recovered His own image and likeness, of which He had been robbed by the devil.

For it was while Eve was yet a virgin,
that the ensnaring word had crept into her ear which was to build the edifice of death.

Into a virgin’s soul, in like manner,
must be introduced that Word of God which was to raise the fabric of life;
so that what had been reduced to ruin by this sex,
might by the selfsame sex be recovered to salvation.

As Eve had believed the serpent,
so Mary believed the angel.

The delinquency which the one occasioned by believing,
the other by believing effaced.

But (it will be said) Eve did not at the devil’s word conceive in her womb.
Well, she at all events conceived;
for the devil’s word afterwards became as seed to her that she should conceive as an outcast,
and bring forth in sorrow.
Indeed she gave birth to a fratricidal devil;

whilst Mary, on the contrary,
bare one who was one day to secure salvation to Israel,
His own brother after the flesh, and the murderer of Himself.

God therefore sent down into the virgin’s womb His Word,
as the good Brother,
who should blot out the memory of the evil brother.

Hence it was necessary that Christ should come forth for the salvation of man,
in that condition of flesh into which man had entered ever since his condemnation.

Tertullian, On the Flesh of Christ , 17

Thankful for Covid

I am thankful for the dark Covid scourge of 2020. I am thankful that Covid has revealed the heart of man in all its fear and pride; hypocrisy and anger; skepticism and gullibility; loneliness and lust.

We have rejected God’s law so it is only good and right that He use other means to accomplish this work.

Mortification of Sin chapter 10: do these 3 things or sin will destroy you.

Sin “darkens the mind so that it cannot make a right judgment about things [and] shall not judge aright of its guilt.” Sin, when it has taken root, blind the mind; deceives the heart; and takes the sinner away to ruin. To battle this deadly trait, believers must develop a clear and abiding sense of the guilt, danger, and evil of sin.

I must keep on my mind and conscience the guilt of sin. I am a believer. I have received God’s grace and God’s Spirit of holiness. When I sin, I am not simply yielding to my nature. I am openly rebelling against the new nature God in Christ has given me. My sin is a repudiation of the love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness that God has given me.

My sin is dangerous. My sin hardens my heart away from the fear of God. My sin convinces me that it is no great evil. My sin persuades me that God will forgive- that is His business. Mt sin will eventually make me sermon-proof. I will not hear God’s voice. I will grow unconcerned about my sin. Sin is no big deal. My sin places me in danger of receiving God’s stern discipline. Am I ready and able for God’s anger to break out against me? Am I willing to suffer the loss of my family, friends, and possessions? Am I ready to suffer the loss of peace and strength all the days of my life? Living a life that longs for death? Am I ready to be destroyed for my sin? Eternally? “Though God does resolve to deliver some from a continuance of sin that they may not be destroyed, yet he will deliver none from destruction that continue in sin.” Only an atheist believes continuing in sin will not lead to destruction.

My sin is not only dangerous with respect to the future; it is evil with respect to the present. My sin grieves the Holy Spirit. I should be ashamed at such treatment of the Spirit who strives so righteously within me to form the image of Christ. The Lord Jesus is also wounded by sin. I crucify him afresh. I deny his love and put him to shame.  Sin robs me of my usefulness to those around me. God will not bless me witness, teaching, preaching, praying, etc. God will blast all my undertakings.

How treacherous is the sin in my heart? Will I continue to pursue it even as I meditate on its guilt, danger, and evil? Yes. Yes I will. That is how treacherous sin is. Still I make excuses. Still I plead mercy. Still I think I will be the one exception in the entire universe. That God will somehow let me slide by with no consequences.

Pray for me, a sinner.

Mortification of Sin chapter 9: 6 Marks of a deadly sin

Chapter 9 begins the specific instructions for mortifying sin. The Mortification of Sin is quite short. In my edition, its 14 chapters cover 160 pages. In chapter 9 Owen finally gets to “the main thing I aim at”! In other words, the first half of the book is merely an introduction.

The first direction for mortifying sin is: consider the dangerous symptoms of your lust and whether or not those symptoms are deadly. Owen describes 6 marks and symptoms of temptation and sin that mark it out as particularly deadly. He describes these 6 marks as “some” of the deadly signs. So this list of 6 should not be considered exhaustive.

The first mark of a deadly lust is inveterateness. I can’t recall the last time I used “inveterate” in conversation. Probably because I never have. Inveterate refers to something that is long-established and unlikely to change. It is something that is habituated. The longer sin has made its home in your heart, the harder it will be to remove.

The second mark someone is infected with a particularly deadly sin is when the heart convinces him peace should be made with sin. What believer would possibly tell himself that it is okay to sin? Not many, so the heart takes more indirect routes to arrive at the same destination. First, the heart may convince the man that everything else is okay, so this sin must not be so bad. A second way to excuse sin is to simply gain allowance for it by asking God to forgive it. I will obey God in other matters, but in this, God will just have to give me mercy.

The third sign of a particularly deadly sin is frequent success of temptation. This temptation and sin is so successful, that the soul actually comes to delight in it. So strong is the temptation and sin, that even when on occasion the sin is not carried out, the soul inwardly delights in the sin and regrets not being able to bring forth the action of sin.

The fourth sign sin has taken possession of the will is when a man will only fight sin with the un-beneficial consequences of it. When men seek to fight sin only be the fear or shame of getting caught; by the discomfort of punishment sin might bring; they are near to death. A man who fights sin with law, instead of the gospel is one who is possessed by sin and on the verge of utter defeat.

The fifth dangerous symptom is when a sin is sent as a chastening judgment by God. This is terrifying to me. What a horrible possibility to consider: that God would use entangling sin to punish his child. How could one know if God was punishing your sin with more sin? How were you dealing with sin before entanglement in this sin? Have you been leading a life of spiritual negligence? Have you been living with no self-control? Do you have other un-repented sin that you are content to live with? Have you spurned God’s previous mercies? Are you basically conformed to the world? If these things are true, God may have cast you into even greater sin. Your soul is in peril.

The sixth sign of a deadly sin is when you have already withstood God’s previous dealings with it. If God has dealt with you in your sin, and you have hardened your heart against God’s Spirit; your only hope is a sovereign act of God’s grace (Is. 57:17-18). While Owen does not cite the passage, the situation seems very similar to the one in Hebrews 6:4-6. Someone who has refused the conviction from the reading and preaching of God’s word, wrought by the Holy Spirit, is close to unspeakable evil.

Chapter 9 of The Mortification of Sin is a thunderbolt. Books could be written from it. An entire of series of sermons could be preached from it.

The Mortification of Sin, chapter 8: You gotta be all in

If a man is going to mortify sin he must be a believer. If a man is to mortify sin, he must really desire to mortify sin. This is Owen’s second general principle for anyone seeking victory over sin: do you really want it? The battle with sin cannot be entered into half-heartedly. Anyone not ready battle to the death should just stay at home (Deut. 20:5-9; Luke 14:26-33; Matt. 8:21-22).

When Owen calls for total dedication, he is calling for total dedication. It is not enough to be devoted to the idea of mortification. It is not enough to be devoted to the duty of mortifying a particular sin. To secure victory, one must be devoted to mortification of all sins. It is not enough for me to devote myself to cleaning up one area of my like while I still pleasure in mud baths is other areas of life.

Key to this endeavor is hating sin as sin. Mortification of sin does not mean, just the really big sins; just the really gross sins; just the sins that are really embarrassing to me; just the sins that could really get me in trouble… We must be watchful against everything that grieves and disquiets God, not just the things that grieve us. Paul exhorts us to cleanse ourselves of every defilement and to bring holiness to completion (2 Cor. 7:1). “So…it is not only an intense opposition to this or that peculiar lust, but a universal humble frame and temper of heart, with watchfulness over every evil, and for the performance of every duty, that is accepted.”

Owen does not make it clear in so many words in this chapter; but by this counsel he is not expecting a believer to gain complete mastery over all sins simultaneously. The emphasis is on devotion to the entire task. I cannot expect to gain victory over any one sin while I am simultaneously cherishing another sin in my heart. WE are limited and finite. We are not holy- i.e. not complete in perfections. I simply cannot fight differing manifestations of the lusts of the eyes and flesh and the pride of life with equal vigor. But it is certain I am not going to mortify this lust with my right hand while I am feeding that lust with my left hand.

In my fight against sin, I need to realize that it is a fight against all sin. I cannot kill one sin while coddling another.

John Chrysostom on Mortification

How then are we to be freed from this pest? I f we can drink a potion that is able to kill the worm within us and the serpents. “And of what nature,” it will be asked, “may this potion be, that has such power?” The precious blood of Christ, if it be received with full assurance, (for this will have power to extinguish every disease); and together with this the divine Scriptures carefully heard, and almsgiving added to our hearing; for by means of all these things we shall be enabled to mortify the affections that mar our soul.

John Chrysostom, Homily IV on St. Matthew

Confronting sin: Do I have to?

Sin can occur in multiple ways. One believer can sin against another individual. One believer could sin against a small group of people. A believer could sin against the church. Or, a believer could sin in a public manner. I am thinking mainly of the first 2 examples: I think they bring distinct challenges that broader, or more public sin, does not. What happens when someone sins against me?

In thinking through this matter, the first question that comes to mind is, “Do I really have to do something about this?” Peter says “love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8). Proverbs indicates the wise person knows “love covers all offenses” (10:12) and covering an offense is seeking love (17:9). Paul says love “endures” and “bears” all things (1 Cor. 13:7). Do I really have to confront sin? For the sake of peace and love shouldn’t I just let it go? I mean what about that 70 times 7 stuff?

On the other hand, believers are not even to eat a meal with a professing believer who is guilty of gross sin (1 Cor. 5:9-11). Such sin includes anyone refusing to work (2 Thess. 3:6); anyone disobeying apostolic instruction (2 Thess. 3:14); anyone disagreeing with apostolic teaching (2 John 10-11); and anyone stirring up division by arguing over trivial matters (Titus 3:9-11). Whatever “covering” sin might mean, just ignoring it is certainly not included.

The apostle James points us toward reconciliation: “My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins” (5:19-20). The way to cover sin is not to ignore it, or get over it; the way to cover sin is to bring someone back from it. Confronting sin is the biblical way to cover sin.

In worship, Psalm 32 teaches us how to cover sin. Sin will always be hidden. It is just a matter of who is doing the covering. The blessed man has his sin covered (Ps. 32:1). The blessed man has gone through the painful process of trying to cover his sin (Ps. 32:3-4). His body aches from trying to hide his sin from God and man. Finally, he cries out to the Lord confessing his sin and bringing it out into the open. When he uncovers his sin (32:5), he finds the Lord covers it in His own forgiveness (32:1). Instead of hiding his sin, he hides himself in the Lord (32:7) and finds himself surrounded by the Lord’s faithful love (32:10).

In wisdom, Proverbs 28:13 echoes Psalm 32: “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.” Yes, strictly speaking, this applies to the sinner and not to the one sinned against. If loving another person, however, means seeking their best, than we should desire to see someone guilty of sin confess that sin and not simply ignore it.

So one stream of biblical texts seems to encourage overlooking, covering, hiding sin; while another stream encourages not hiding sin, but confessing it. Both of these come together in well know sin-confronting passage of Matthew 18:15-20. Jesus, in whom is hid the treasures of all wisdom, lays out the path of confronting sin while covering it.

You do have to confront sin. But you have to do it as quietly as possible. Sin is not confronted on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. Sin is confronted in person: face-to-face. If that does not work, some trusted friends are taken along to try to bring about confession. As a final resort, things are laid out before the church so the body of Christ may press and pray for confession and saving from death.

Mortification of sin chapter 7

Having completed a basic description of what mortification of sin is and is not, in chapter 7 Owen begins describing how mortification is accomplished. Chapter 7 presents the first rule: only believers can mortify sin. “There is no death of sin without the death of Christ.” So only the one who is truly “in Christ” has the ability to mortify sin.

Only the believer in Christ is able to mortify sin because only the believer in Christ is given the Holy Spirit of Christ. And it is only the Holy Spirit who makes the work of mortification effectual. The Spirit unites us to Christ and all his benefits. It is the Spirit who unites us into the death and resurrection of Jesus: the death that makes killing sin possible; the resurrection that makes living to righteous possible.

There are three dangers of an unbeliever attempting mortification: first, it is not the work God calls unbelievers to. God calls unbelievers to repent of their sin and place faith in Jesus Christ. Secondly, an unbeliever might seem outwardly successful in the task! As the Bible indicates, even worldly wisdom is effective in changing outward behavior. But “human precepts and teachings…are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh” (Col. 2:22-23). Third, the unbeliever will ultimately fail. This failure is likely to convince him that mortification is impossible. Not realizing that mortification is impossible for the unregenerate; his failure will keep him from turning to the fountain of living waters.

Last week was not the best for me. I let other things crowd my thinking and I devote myself to mortifying my sin. This chapter basically gives me a week off of from active duties. I am a believer in Christ. He is my only hope of salvation and I am depending on him for all righteousness. So I have a week to go back and review some previous weeks…and try to do what I should be doing to put Owen’s counsel in practice. By the Spirit…