Reformation Day, October 31st

 

Why would a Baptist Church participate in an event that is replacement for Halloween – a day with many unbiblical themes?  Well, first, October 31^st is Reformation Day, a very important day to the modern believer in Christ.  Can you imagine if you came to worship God at the closest house of worship and found an iron fence between you and the front of the building?  What if you were not allowed to sing or speak, the service was conducted in a foreign language, and your only role was that of a spectator?  What if it was against the law to have an English Bible in your house and the only person who could take the Lord’s Supper was the preacher?  What if some of your relatives were put to death because they were caught with a Bible in their everyday language in their possession?  Would you consider it a problem if the only Bible in town was chained to a pulpit behind the iron fence?  How would you like it if street preachers sold little paper tickets to heaven for money so that one could buy salvation for himself or herself or someone else?  Such was the case in Europe when God saved a monk named Martin Luther from sin and hell. 

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 questions for the Roman Catholic Church on the door of the church’s building in Wittenberg, Germany.  The door served as the public bulletin board.  Even though there were many little ones prior to it, this one event sparked the reformation fire that swept across Europe and later to America.  We owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to that courageous monk and his pen, hammer, and nail.  To not celebrate Reformation Day is to forget our past, our heritage, and our roots.  Martin Luther was the first one that we know of in 2000 years of church history to write about the priesthood of believers.  He would not submit to outside ecclesiastical authority when they contradicted the Bible and was very unflattering to the one-man ruler of the church of his day. 

Besides clear teaching on the priesthood of believers, the other war cries of the Reformation were:

Faith Alone: Works cannot save, add to salvation, or maintain salvation.  Justification is by faith alone, not faith plus works.  Yet, saving faith will never be alone.

Christ Alone: Jesus is the only Mediator between God and men; no one else will do.

Glory Alone: The glory for all things must go to God alone, not man.  The highest goal of a person’s life should be to glorify God in everything.

Scripture Alone: The Bible is the chief authority for the believer, not a pope, council, or a document from a council, especially one’s that contradict the Bible.

Grace Alone: Man is sinful, radically depraved and spiritually dead. But God gives believers an undeserved gift of love, not based on any human merit, not by human works, but by a free and loving gift from God Himself to those who deserve His wrath.

So while some Christians surrender this day to the enemy and his forces, I am encouraging you to take time each year to celebrate Reformation Day.  Yes, it is true, some families sit in the dark in the back of their houses on this night, muting their TV each time there is a knock on their door.  Others are more pro-active and limit their children’s costumes to themes that are associated with good things, while a parent drops a tract and candy bar in each bag of the children that come to the house.  However, there is another option.  Many churches do just like we do.  They celebrate Reformation Day, under many different names with a time of fun and offering safe candy to the children, while seizing the day to spread the gospel.  A Reformation day celebration is just for that purpose. 

Yes, it is wrong for Christians to take part in occult activities and it may not be wise to make a joke out of serious and dangerous things.  But remember, God’s “don’t” always has a “do.”  When God says, “Do not commit murder,” He wants us to understand the positive command, “You shall preserve life.”  In Colossians 3:5-17, Paul gives a list of things we are to stop doing.  In each case he gives us a replacement.  This principal is so important that he also includes a put-off list and then a put-on-in-its-place list in the book of Ephesians.  Paul writes, “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; {23} to be made new in the attitude of your minds; {24} and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. {25} Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. {26} "In your anger do not sin" : Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, {27} and do not give the devil a foothold. {28} He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. {29} Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. {30} And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. {31} Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. {32} Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you (Eph 4:22-32 NIV).

If we take our Bible’s seriously, then it is always a mistake to give a list of restrictions and “do not’s” without replacing them with something that is godly and far better in every respect.  Thus, should it not be our goal on the next school day after October 31^st for the conversations between the children of Christian families and the unchurched children to reveal that our children had more fun and received more and totally safe treats?  Likewise, should we not desire for the seeds planted by the gospel to produce fruit in all who attend? We should also encourage our people to use this time to impact their neighborhood for Christ by staying home and giving tracts along with the candy to the many lost folks that come to their doors. Church care groups can help by offering warm drinks, Bibles, and gospel conversations to the adults accompanying the children by placing a table and chairs by the road manned with loving witnesses for Christ. Don't hide from this day and let the darkness cover it. Stand up and shine the light bright on this night.

 

A PERSONAL EVALUATION OF MORAL DILEMMAS

Ted Manby

Does a Christian face moral dilemmas in the world in which he lives? Based upon my understanding of Scripture, reason, and experience, I must conclude that moral dilemmas definitely do exist.  What then is the operating procedure for a conservative, evangelical Christian when he finds himself in a moral dilemma?  There are actually several options that conservative Christians use and solid evangelical authors defend.  Nevertheless, when a Christian finds himself in a situation in which there is a conflict between several Scriptural commands that are absolutes, the best position to take is that of Ideal Absolutism.

        The world in which we live is clearly a fallen world with pervasively depraved humans inhabiting it (Gen. 2-3; Rom. 1:18-32; 3:9-23; Eph. 2:1-3).

One feature of the witness of Scripture that bears directly upon the biblical ethic is its teaching on the depravity of human nature.  ‘There is none righteous, no, not one . . .  There is none that doeth good, no, not even one’ (Romans 3:10, 12).  According to the Bible human depravity is such that the fulfillment of the demands of the biblical ethic is an impossibility.  The mind of the flesh, the mind of the natural man, ‘is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be’ (Romans 8:7).[1]

 When sinners sin, their choices produce consequences that affect their own futures and that of others.  When dealing with people influenced by the evil one, the world system, and their own sin natures, the Christian must be “as wise as a serpent, yet as gentle as a dove” (Matt. 10:16). 

Likewise, when one is converted after making many sinful choices, he often finds himself in situations where a number of God’s absolutes and commands come into apparent conflict.  This conflict is very real on the human level, but not on the divine.  Likewise, in the world to come, where sin’s presence is removed, these situations will not arise.  Nevertheless, in the fallen and cursed world in which we live, these dilemmas are very real and equally difficult for us to determine the proper response.

        Even though men I highly respect embrace Non-Conflicting Absolutism (NCA), I cannot adopt it because of my understanding of Scripture and my experiences as a pastor.  I see true moral conflicts in the Bible itself (i.e., Gen. 22:11-19; 1 Sam. 21:11-15; Acts 4:13-21) and in life experiences.  Therefore, this position is not an option for me to adopt.

        What should a Christian do when facing a moral dilemma?  Being committed to a modified form of Ideal Absolutism, I would first evaluate the Scriptural commands that seem to apply to the situation.  At this point, my thinking is similar to the Hierarchicalist because of my understanding of Scripture.  Norman Geisler makes this point by writing: 

      Not all moral laws are of equal weight.  Jesus spoke of the “weightier” matters of the law (Matt. 23:33) and of the “least” (Matt. 5:19) and the “greatest” commandment (Matt. 22:36).  He told Pilate that Judas had committed the “greater sin” (John 19:11).  Despite a rather widespread evangelical distaste for a hierarchy of sins (and virtues), the Bible does speak of the “greatest” virtue (1 Cor. 13:13) and even of “greater” acts of a given virtue (John 15:13).[2] 

In order to find the path that would most glorify God and to choose the highest possible good, I would seek to understand which commands had the greatest weight.

      Following the course of action that is well pleasing to God may not always be easy in a sinful and fallen world, but such obedient and even heroic options can, by the grace of God, be found and followed even in the most extreme conditions.  Such unswerving commitment to discerning and obeying the will of God—including a willingness to pay the “cost of discipleship”—is much needed in the twentieth-century American church, where believers are all too often tempted by the comforts and compromises of the surrounding culture.[3] 

I would also first seek a path that would allow me to obey all the commands or to not violate any of them.  “Normally there is a third alternative when we face a moral dilemma.  Scripture promises that God will provide a way of escape (1 Cor. 10:13).  Often, this is the way of faith.”[4]

        However, sometimes a third option cannot be found.  If I could not find another way out after Bible study, prayer, and sanctified reasoning, I would choose to obey the greatest command in order to glorify God the most in this situation.  Dr. McQuilkin writes about cases like this. 

       If one feels he must make a choice and do what the Bible describes as breaking a law, he should (1) make the choice in line with biblical precedent and (2) confess the sin as a sin.[5] 

Thus, contrary to the Graded Absolutist or Hierarchicalist, I would repent of the violations of the commands I had clearly broken.  The blood of Christ must be applied to that sin even if it appears to be the lesser of two evils.  I have found no Biblical precedent that redefines God’s absolutes when they conflict with others.[6]  Likewise, I may have discerned wrongly and chosen the path that least glorifies God.  To maintain fellowship with God, such sins should be confessed (1 John 1:9) if they are discerned to be clear violations of God’s moral law.

        In spite of my respect for those who hold to the NCA position, I cannot embrace it.  While serving as a pastor, I have found situations where three or more commands appeared to be in conflict due to the sinful past choices of a new believer who after conversion wanted to obey God.  There were no easy answers.

        For a number of years now, I have seen that there are degrees to which a command can be broken and there are weightier and lighter laws given in Scripture.  In this, I agree with the Graded Absolutist.  However, I use their exegesis of these texts in an Ideal Absolutist framework.  Absolute commands of God that are broken for any reason are still sin (1 John 3:4).  Therefore, grief, confession, and deep repentance is called for anytime we violate a command of God, even if it is to obey a weightier command of God.  This is why I am an Ideal Absolutist when it comes to handling moral dilemmas.

WORKS CITED

Davis, John Jefferson.  Evangelical Ethics: Issues Facing the Church Today.  Phillipsburg, N.J.: Presbyterian and Reformed, 1985.

Geisler, Norman L.  “Graded Absolutism.”  In Readings in Christian Ethics.  Vol. 1, Theory and Method, ed. David K. Clark and Robert V. Rakestraw.  Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1994. 

McQuilkin, Robertson.  Principles of the Christian Life: An Introduction to Biblical, Personal, and Social Ethics.  Columbia, S.C.: by the author, 1983.

Murray, John.  Principles of Conduct.  Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1957.

---

        [1] John Murray, Principles of Conduct (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1957), 202.

        [2] Norman L. Geisler, “Graded Absolutism,” in Readings in Christian Ethics, vol. 1, Theory and Method,

ed. David K. Clark and Robert V. Rakestraw (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1994), 131.

        [3] John Jefferson Davis, Evangelical Ethics: Issues Facing the Church Today (Phillipsburg, N.J.: Presbyterian and Reformed, 1985), 14.

        [4] Robertson McQuilkin, Principles of the Christian Life:  An Introduction to Biblical, Personal, and Social Ethics (Columbia, S.C.: by the author, 1983), 145.

        [5] Ibid., 146.

        [6] This includes my understanding of the teaching of Exodus 1:15-20 and Joshua 2:1-21.

Several Older Baptist Confessions on the Doctrine of Election

 Abstract of Principles, 1858 Southern Seminary

V.  Election

Election is God’s eternal choice of some persons unto everlasting life — not because of foreseen merit in them, but of His mere mercy in Christ — in consequence of which choice they are called, justified and glorified.

The 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith, adopted in 1744 as the Philadelphia Confession of Faith, latter adopted as the Charleston Association Confession of Faith in SC.

1. God hath decreed in Himself, from all eternity, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely and unchangeably, all things, whatsoever come to pass; ¹ yet so as thereby is God neither the author of sin nor hath fellowship with any therein;² nor is violence offered to the will of the creature, nor yet is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established; ³ in which appears His wisdom in disposing all things, and power and faithfulness in accomplishing His decree.⁴

1. Isa. 46:10; Eph. 1:11; Heb. 6:17; Rom. 9:15, 18.

2. Jas. 1:13; 1 John 1:5.

3. Acts 4:27-28; John 19:11.

4. Num. 23:19; Eph. 1:3-5.

2. Although God knows whatsoever may or can come to pass, upon all supposed conditions,⁵ yet hath He not decreed anything, because He foresaw it as future, or as that which would come to pass upon such conditions.⁶

5. Acts 15:18.

6. Rom. 9:11, 13, 16, 18.

3. By the decree of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels are predestined, or foreordained to eternal life through Jesus Christ,⁷ to the praise of His glorious grace;⁸ others being left to act in their sin to their just condemnation, to the praise of His glorious justice.⁹

7. 1 Tim. 5:21; Mt 25:34.

8. Eph. 1:5-6.

9. Rom. 9:22-23; Jude 4.

4. These angels and men thus predestined and foreordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed, and their number so certain and definite, that it cannot be either increased or diminished.¹⁰

10. 2 Tim. 2:19; John 13:18.

5. Those of mankind that are predestined to life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to His eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of His will, hath chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory, out of His mere free grace and love,¹¹ without any other thing in the creature as a condition or cause moving Him thereunto. ¹²

11. Eph 1:4, 9, 11; Rom. 8:30; 2 Tim 1:9; 1 Thes. 5:9.

12. Rom. 9:13, 16; Eph 2:5, 12.

6. As God hath appointed the elect unto glory, so He hath, by the eternal and most free purpose of His will, foreordained all the means thereunto; ¹³ wherefore they who are elect, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ,¹⁴ are effectually called unto faith in Christ, by His Spirit working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified,¹⁵ and kept by His power through faith unto salvation;¹⁶ neither are any other redeemed by Christ, or effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only.¹⁷

13. 1 Pet. 1:2; 2 Thes. 2:13.

14. 1 Thes. 5:9-10.

15. Rom. 8:30; 2 Thes. 2:13.

16. 1 Pet. 1:5.

17. John 10:26; 17:9; 6:64.

7. The doctrine of this high mystery of predestination is to be handled with special prudence and care, that men attending the will of God revealed in His Word, and yielding obedience thereunto, may, from the certainty of their effectual vocation, be assured of their eternal election;¹⁸ so shall this doctrine afford matter of praise,¹⁹ reverence, and admiration of God, and of humility,²⁰ diligence, and abundant consolation to all that sincerely obey the gospel.²¹

18. 1 Thes. 1:4-5; 2 Pet. 1:10.

19. Eph. 1:6; Rom. 11:33.

20. Rom. 11:5-6, 20.

21. Lk 10:20.