The believer is certainly not called to see and accept the sinful world into which he has been placed by God as a fixed state without the possibility of amelioration, and neither this nor the idea of caste, which it logically implies, have any foundation in the Bible.
Read More“Stop Lying About Our Boys!” the article said. It is a now-common refrain we hear as we conservatives react against the perceived attacks on masculinity. But from what I have seen, I have come often to question the honesty of crying “man-hater” every time a Gillette ad or other source says there is a problem with male behavior we should attend to. Didn’t the Bible already tell us this would be the case?
Read MoreIf there was a system of permanent slavery in Old Testament Israel -- and clearly there was (Lev. 25:44-46) -- then on what basis can the Christian today maintain that the abolitionists were morally correct in their vision, though not always with their tactics? Are we wiser than God was in the Old Testament? If the Reconstructionists' hermeneutic (principle of interpretation) is correct -- that Old Testament laws are still in force unless abrogated in the New Testament -- then how can we escape the accusation of being defenders of slavery? And if we cannot find such an "escape hatch", then how can anyone take seriously the hermeneutic of the Reconstructionists?
The answer is found in the proper understanding of the jubilee land tenure laws (Lev. 25), in the middle of which the Old Testament's permanent slave laws are found.
Read MoreWe serve a King that wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44) and who also turned over tables (Matthew 21:12). We serve a King that gently comforts and sternly judges. In a world of hypersexualization and gender confusion, Christians should be very careful not to reductionistically assign some characteristics of our Lord Jesus as “masculine” and others as “feminine.” Not only is this overly simplistic and almost cartoonish versions of masculinity and feminity not biblical, but they can also be very dangerous and lead to only more gender confusion. I can’t answer all of these difficult and complex questions, but I can offer a warning.
Read MoreOne thing the Church is good at is lobbing water balloons over the trenches during battle (thinking that somehow we are doing something helpful), all the while the enemy’s .50 cal is mowing us down. Worse yet, many stand back thinking that they shouldn’t even throw a water balloon, let alone engage in any form of battle. Unfortunately, at this point, I’ve already offended someone with the analogy.
Read MoreThe image of God is what gives us worth as humans. Throughout history, those who deny the full image of God in the weaker vessels—whether in black people, in Jewish people, in unborn children, or in women—have ended up perpetrating some of the most horrifying atrocities in history. If you make the image of God contingent on power, then you make human worth contingent on power.
Read MoreI apologize for coming along a tad late on this post. Sometimes these days I feel like those people at the back of the parade who scoop up behind the horses. Problem is, when it comes to Douglas Wilson on the Southern slavery issue, we’re all much later than we think, and we need far more than a scoop.
Read MoreIf you were to ask me what’s happening underneath all the moral turpitude, I’d tell you that the seismic shift you are feeling is nothing more than another dialectal maneuvering on the part of men (and women) who aren’t content with worshiping King Jesus. Remember: there’s no neutrality. Which also means that there’s no one standing on the fence. There are only two types of people in the world: those in Adam, and those in Christ. Unfortunately, those in Adam aren’t content with the biblical worldview, but would rather instead suppress the truth and load up their vans with pride stickers and coexist slogans. Not that I’m trying to poke anyone in the eye, but, come on—you don’t believe in the “coexist” thing anyway.
Read MoreHistorical southern slavery indeed has some artificial and shallow similarities with Biblical slavery. No dispute there; after all, they are both often just called “slavery” with no qualification. But, brothers and sisters, do not be confused; they are not in the same category, even broadly speaking. Southern slavery, as it actually was, has as much to do with Biblical slavery as a righteous Leviticus 24:17 death penalty has to do with a thug murdering a woman in a random back alley. They are both a form of “killing,” but one is justice and leads to redemption, while the other is lawless, evil, and pure destruction.
Read MoreDonald Trump has become widely proclaimed as “the most prolife president ever.” I agree.
Read MoreWhat does this teach us? It teaches us that if someone does what they can for good (according to God's Law) with the position or political power available to him, God will judge him according to his actions. God will not judge him or her based on how Godly that government is insofar as that lack of godliness is not dependent on the Christian. God will not judge him or her based on what other people do in that same government. A faithful second in command of all of Egypt is not guilty of the blatant tyranny and idolatry of the government of Egypt. Likewise, a faithful modern State Representative is not guilty of the blatant oppression and idolatry of the US Government. Further, Christians voting for a sold bill of abolition, or voting for a good man, is not "violence" or an endorsement of any kind of injustice.
Read MoreRecently, I have been amazed to see multiple men on Facebook stand up to defend and recommend John Knox’s infamous pamphlet The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women. I am amazed, because some of these men clearly aspire to leadership in the church. I am amazed, because I have actually read the Monstrous Regiment, and know that it is completely indefensible.
Read MoreDespite continued denials and whitewashings by some today, one of the most upsetting aspects of American slavery was the tremendous support it found in churches and pulpits. Most churches, ministers, and conservative Christians in the South either actively or passively supported the system and rarely did anything to curtail its widespread abuses, even when those abuses sometimes surfaced among members of their own congregations. It is important that we acknowledge these truths as a baseline going forward.
Read MoreWhether we recognize this truth or not, institutions are always at risk of being disestablished by God. Whenever God brings covenant sanctions in history, it is the institutions that must suffer. That is not to say that individuals do not suffer want; rather, it is to say that institutions that are not obedient to King Jesus will find themselves divorced from God and brought to nothing.
Read MoreThis article intends to offer a spiritual critique of the Pro-Life Movement (PLM) that has fought (not without examples of valor and courage) to bring about an overturning of the Roe v. Wade ruling ever since its inception. Though some of what follows may initially sound harsh, it is not my intention to bring a railing accusation but to help with the process of sharpening iron. I am mindful of the fact that my own rejection of pro-life-ism as a political strategy was not all that long ago.
Read MoreThe chief and greatest error of the Christian Church throughout the two thousand years of her history has been to have had the wrong priority and to have made this erroneous priority the touchstone of orthodoxy. This error has existed in all branches and denominations; it continues to this day and the Church world-wide shows little if any sign that she understands the problem let alone that she is prepared to repent of the idolatry that is at the heart of it. Yet the results of this error have been catastrophic for the mission of the Church.
Read MoreThis last Monday, Lamb’s Reign editors Jason Garwood, Jordan Wilson, and I attended the 2020 Second Amendment lobby day in Richmond, Virginia. Estimates from capitol officials are around 22,000 attendees, while other independent estimates are ranging from 50,000 to 80,000.
Read MoreTracking the theme of culture and dominion throughout the biblical narrative strongly indicates that the Great Commission is the Cultural Mandate Reinstated in Christ. The implication then is that Christians are still tasked with building culture, only now it is to be done in a distinctly Christian way for the sake of Christ’s kingdom.
Read MoreWhile debating immigration with fellow Christians, I have grown very used to seeing the same bad arguments over and over again. In addition to these five “biblical” reasons to oppose immigration, there is also more abstract reasoning such as common fear and xenophobia. However, out of the attempts to use scripture to justify strict border control, these arguments have been, by far, the most common.
Read MorePelagianism makes a mockery of God’s sovereignty. Though this mockery of Christ’s crown rights should be sufficient to steer believers away, sometimes it is good to show some practical examples of how this false doctrine can wreak havoc upon the Bride.
Read More
