Joy in Christendom

The Idolatry of Diversity

What should the Christian think of "diversity"?  The word is all the  buzz these days and caries a lot of baggage.  I write this article to help define it, along biblical lines, provide direction for my own family on the topic and hopefully will provide some guidance to other families as they attempt to think God's thoughts after Him.

We begin, therefore with the understanding that God has ordained genetic diversity and prescribed its continuance. Race, ethnicity, and people groups are a reality, and they matter.  They matter to God, they are a delight to Him and so therefore it follows that they should matter to His people (Genesis 6:9, Genesis 24:2 -4; Gen. 26:34-35, Num 36:8-12; Ed 10:10-11, Acts 17:26-27, Romans 1:16, Romans 2:9-10).  Any systematic attack on these God-given differences ought to be fully resisted. I believe most Christian would agree with this, and that's good.  But, what the modern Church seems to do is to up hold this truth in word on the one hand, and then destroy these things in deed, on the other hand, while wrapping the whole mess in an egalitarian marxist idealism.  When we look to these other worldviews for understandings on this topic, we partake in idolitry  in the worst of forms.  Diversity of the modern socialist is actually a system for the desctruction of Godly diversity as they seek to make everyone equal in every way, without distinction.

With that said, logical deductions from this biblical reality should provide us a framework. First, we must celebrate diversity as it is pleasing to the Lord.  Secondly, by honoring our parents we are to also honor our ancestors by celebrating the culture and race we've been given (Ex 13:19, 1 Samuel 15:2-11, 2 Cor 10:17, 1 Thessalonians 5:18).  Thirdly, the Lord generously gave to every nation a place to live on earth and therefore, each race has the right to preserve it exclusively to his posterity, (Proverbs 22:28, Num 36:7, 1 Kings 21:2 -3), and finally the feelings of brotherhood, kindness, sympathy and respect, and charity should exceed ethnic boundaries, especially in the Church, however, the Bible also permits and encourages self-segregation along racial and ethnic lines beginning with our homes (Luke 10:25-37, Romans 9:1-3, Romans 15:26-27, 1 Corinthians 16:1-3, 1 Peter 2:17, 2 Peter 1:7, 1 Timothy 5:8).

The Scriptures lift homogeneity (without it, how could we have diversity) as a blessing, and proclaims it as the basis of love, friendship, social peace and national harmony.  As Christians, we should seek to do the same.

 

Sacraments

The word "Sacrament" is derived from the Latin word sacramentum and was used in ancient times to swear a solemn oath.  The early Church adopted the word to mean any sacred rite or mysterious doctrine.  Later, the word came to mean, among professing Christians, the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper as Christ himself instituted these ordinances:

Matthew 28:18-20 - And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
   
Luke 22:17 - And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves.

Furthermore, sacraments are to be concluded in the corporate worship service, along with the preaching of the Word.  Where as the preaching of the Word is open and applicable to all, the Sacraments are open to God's family alone (Rom 6:3-7, Acts 2:38).

Romans 6:3-7 - Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.    For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin.

Acts 2:38 - And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The Sacraments are a sign and a seal.  As a sign, they are physical and a pointer to a broader reality.  God, in his infinite wisdom knew that we were creatures of weakness and  required physical reminders by these visible symbols.  In the Lord's Supper for example, we see and taste the bread and wine.  This is God's Grace to us, helping our ignorance and slowness.  They are very effective in stimulating our souls and confirming our faith.

Genesis 9:12-13 - And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations:  I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.

Genesis 17:11- You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you.

Also as a sign, it points to greater realities like the atonement and death of Christ.  With the Supper, we also see our union with Christ and that all nourishment comes from Him.  With Baptism, it signifies the regeneration and washing away of sins.

As a seal, the sacraments are a certification and confirmation of God's promises in the covenant of grace to Christ's Church (see Luke 22:19 and 1 Cor. 11:24).  The Seal is a certification of His love for us.  The Supper certifies our participation in the Covenant and our union with Christ.  For Baptism, it is a seal of the righteousness which is imparted to us, as God's free gift:

Romans 4:11 - He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well,

Finally, it is important to mention that the Sacraments are in no way mysteriousness or superstitious.  The Sacraments are didactic in nature, that is, they require the Holy Spirit's work to save or sanctify - there is nothing magical or powerful in and of themselves.  The sacraments present truths in a visible, tangible, sensible form but only when they are accompanied by the work of the Holy Spirit, are they effective in any way.

Matthew 3:11 - I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Galatians 6:15 - For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.

1 Peter 3:21 - Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

The existence of the Sacraments are yet another testimony to our Father's deep love for His children, in all the Grace, Help and Care He provides.  We serve a great God indeed.

A Biblical Model for the Local Church

Whether we realize it or not, we all have an idealized understanding of what church should be and how it should look; this includes how we judge a church to be "good" or "bad".  Everybody has an ideal (even if it's "there shouldn't be an ideal") of what they believe church should be.  My church, University Reformed Church, is going through a lot of change recently (and not so recently), and my constant prayer is that we would not loose site of the the biblical understanding of what it means to be the Body of Christ.  There are 10 areas that I believe the Lord calling the Church to reform, and these are:

1. Total love and devotion to our liege Lord Jesus Christ.  This is the most encompassing and most difficult item in this list.  To keep Christ first before us means that we, in life, remain devoted and preoccupied to His name-sake (Mark 12:30, I Pet 2:17).  Even when this devotion would mean that we're not "nice", we cause trouble and sacrifice greatly.  It should be our aim that we would begin to loose sight of what Jesus means to me or to us and gain a deep understanding of who Jesus is and what he has already done for His Children, for the delight and sake of His own Glory.  We would then be a people that expects victory of Christ and His Word in every institution, every business, every book, in all walks of life.  We would proclaim that Christ is King and that the world Kiss the Son, lest he be angry.  In doing this, we would agree that in this life we are to be colonists rather than exiles, practicing dominion in everything we do.
2. The congregation would understand that the Gospel is not the most important thing.  Getting the message out or any other good and nobel thing is not the most important activity that the Church undertakes and is not our highest duty as a body.  The Worship and Glory of God is to be our first and foremost concern (Dan 9:4).  Our Corporate Worship would be mindful, most of all, of the magnificent, dread God we serve.  We would seek out opportunities then to make sure all of our liturgy falls within this understanding of Majesty, even in how we align the chairs, adorn the walls, or otherwise outfit the sanctuary.  This would also mean that we would be in the habit of singing the Lord's words back to Him; fostering an attitude of humble obedience, rather than self-fulfillment.  Finally, we would have a very high regard for the means of Grace in the Table and the Baptizing of families, looking forward to and celebrating each.
3. Patience and grace with the work of the Lord (Gen 49:18,Ps 25:2, 27:14).  We, as God's people have been given much.  Especially those within the tradition that hold to the Solas and the doctrines of Grace.  Rather than getting irritated with people who just "don't get it", we would be a congregation that is known for the Love of Christ (Jm 1:26, 3:5), love for His Truth and a patient attitude waiting on His providential Hand for Reformation within the Church (I Cor 13:4) and every other area of life.  We expect our Lord to fulfill His promises and we wait patiently for them while at the same time cry out for His mercies every day.  To that end, the church would be a humble congregation in all that it does - that would would be a people that is characterized with the understanding that we are not alone in "doing church" and that we should not be alone.  That we would rely heavily on the Word of God and those that have gone before us to provide us much needed advice on all that is to be "church".
4. Christianity is a public belief system.  We would hear more and more from the leadership about Public-Sphere sins of our local, State and Federal governments, calling those that rule over us to repentance with the same vigor as we call the congregation to personal holiness
   (Mt 28:18).  Until God does see fit to grant us Reformation, we would see that Christians do not currently have a political party, carte blanche, that represents the Biblical mandate for government and the public square (2 Tim 3:16-17, Mat 4:4).  We would understand that our loyalty to our King would prevent us from voting for dark and un-biblical policies and politicians.  Through the preaching of the Gospel, we would then seek to reform every political institution at every level of authority (Ps 119:160). 
5. We would shepherd within and to the family and fervent reliance upon Prayer and Worship within the family.  The Leadership and church would support this effort with training, small groups, and other avenues that encourage and enable this most basic activity of family life.  Under a biblical conviction of shepherding, we may need to look at greatly increasing the number of Elders to provide discipline (mostly positive and some negative), with the understanding that true and normal discipline is the on-going preaching and teaching and consistent application of the Word within the family over a long period of time.  
6. The importance of the "trustee family" as the most atomic, ordained unit of society, including that of the church.  We, as the body of Christ need to preach, teach and uphold, the Biblical doctrine of the family where the husband is the covenant head, a steward of responsibilities before the Lord and the wife is her husband’s help-meet, unto the Lord.  Members of the family see themselves as trustees of the family blood, rights, property, name, and position for their lifetime. They have an inheritance from the past to be preserved and developed for the future.  The future-focused family is under God, the trustee of children, property, inheritance, welfare, and education. It manages the basic areas of social power in terms of God’s law and grace. Leadership then works within this framework to administer Word and Sacrament.
7. The care for the poor and needy within our midst that rivals and shames the State Institutions.  By God's grace, we would realize that the comforts in our life and culture are a blessing but not a necessity.  On the whole, the congregation would make the Christian lifestyle, especially in the area of personal finances, a reality.  This means that each of us, in service to others would be more independent from the "grid" and other financial obligations so that we can make needed adjustments as needs arise in the body.  Furthermore, we would follow the Deuteronomy model (12:6, 12:11, 12:17, 14:22, 14:23, 14:28) and establish a fund for interest-free loans to the needy within the congregation, along with a "tithe barn" or other "banks" of goods (Mal 3:10) to help those in need.  We must understand that God has established the local Church (not the para-church) for the daily ministry of the saints of God.  As we are called to be a "praying and preaching" church, we are likewise called to be a Tithing Church (Lev 27:30, Prov 3:9, Mat 23:23).  But first, the congregation will have to change many of our habits that we just accept as "normal American" before we can be the tangible witness to the community (I Cor 16:1,2 ).  We ought to be a people characterized by financial freedom instead of financial slavery.
8. Our Gospel mission would be all-encompassing.  We would understand that Evangelism is not limited by the awkward sales pitch but instead it is an all-inclusive activity in all walks of life wherever there is truth to proclaim.  Our missional outlook would be vibrant with an understanding of Church Planting and effective families as the primary means by which the Lord grows his Kingdom.  We would also understand that there is missionary work to be done everywhere and that we would not single out a class, a window, or a geographical area of the world as being special or unique to this effort.  We are to work wherever Christ is not Worshipped as King.  To this end, I would hope that our yearly budget would reflect this understanding and would include often overlooked but viable outreach efforts including adoption, child foster care, crisis pregnancy care, church planting, and Pastoral training and sending to areas of need.
9. In Praise of Unity and Diversity.  We have to come to grip with the One and the Many - unity and diversity.  We respect our racial and cultural differences without pretending that they don't exist.  We uphold unity in Christ and the Word.  We would see the harmony within Diversity and encourage diversity without forcing the notion that differences don't or shouldn't exist; or worse, that people are just interchangeable "parts" in a grand "marxist" machine.  We need to understand that this may mean a certain amount of natural "coagulation" of people with similar backgrounds and convictions and rather than discourage such activity, we would see that this is the biblical understanding of harmony and Unity.  God loves diversity and so must we (Mk 11:17, 13:10, Rom 1:5, 4:18).  We would then be a body that understands the importance of community - that there is great reward for maintaining a geographical proximity to one another and to our children and grand-children.  To be "scattered" is a curse and to be together is a blessing.
10. Focused on the future.  As Christians, we realize that there is much work our Lord has yet to complete.  Because God is sovereign and Loving, we have an optimistic outlook of the future.  To that end, it is my hope that the leadership would be forward thinking in everything we do.  This would mean that they would care for a 500-year plan for the congregation, the community, and the larger area of influence.  We would encourage, through the teaching of the Word, locale permanency and investment in and around our community.  Rather than understanding life as "temporary and throw-away" would would buckle down and outreach to all of life.  Multi-generational congregations speak volumes about the God we serve (Lk 1:48, Ps 33:11, Ps 100:5) and the understanding of God's character; it says something grand about the God we worship and serve. 

"Blessed Magnificent God, we are not deserving of your favor in anyway.  For the Love of thy dear Son we humbly ask that you visit your Church with renewal and Reformation.  We pray, Father, that you would grant an awakening that touches all things - an awakening that produces a faith to do the hard things, say the hard things, and believe the hard things, to your Glory. In Christ alone, we would fear nothing but you and your judgements.   Amen."