The Real Aliens

If I were to ask you today, “Where do you live?”  Some might respond with their street address, some might respond with the city and state, some might even respond with the country. And while all of these answers, would be true and would be obvious, they still would not be complete.  We also live in a place the Bible calls the world. This term, world, does include the physical world, but it also includes the motives, behavior, values, and attitudes of men. This term includes all that makes up the course of this world, the way things are done, the reason things are done, the ways of thinking and living of the people who inhabit this world; for it is the way that man is that determines the course of this entire earth, for it is man that governs the earth.

But there is another dimension to this world, an unseen dimension that is just as real as the physical dimension, and it is the spiritual dimension; and it is this dimension that governs man. Even though man inhabits the physical dimension of this world, man is governed by the spiritual dimension of his life, and there is a ruler of that spiritual dimension, who is not a man. His name is Satan, and he is known as the devil, or the evil one. It is he that governs man, and therefore governs the world.

In several places the Bible speaks to the governing of man by the devil.
I Timothy 2:26…men are held captive by Satan to do his will……

In Acts 26 we are told that men are under the dominion of Satan

I John 5:19…the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

Three times in John... 12:31, 14:30, 16:11… he is called the ruler of this world.

In John 8:44 Jesus tells the Pharisees that they are of their father (meaning spiritual father) the devil. 

In Ephesians 2:2 we learn that people walk (the way they live their life) according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience

Ephesians 6:12 tells us that there are rulers and powers, world forces of darkness, that there are spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 

II Corinthians 4:4 tells us that the god of this world (Satan) has blinded the minds of the unbelieving…

So why is the world the way it is?  Because it is governed by someone who is opposed to God in every way.

However, Jesus makes a very poignant declaration to His disciples in John 15:19..."You are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world."  Jesus was telling His disciples that since He had called them out, they no longer belonged to this world.  Then in Christ's high priestly prayer to His Father in John 17 we learn the following:

*We were given to Christ out of the world.

*Although Christ is no longer in the world, yet we remain in the world.

*Even though we are in the world, yet we are not of the world, even as Christ was not of the world.

*Christ did not ask the Father to take us out of the world, but to keep us from the evil of the world.

So, if we are still living in this world, but no longer belong to this world and are not of this world, what does this make us? According to the Scripture, we are now citizens of another spiritual realm, another kingdom. This is what John the Baptist preached and also what our Lord preached as He began His earthly ministry as we see in Matthew 4:17 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Christ tells us in John 18:36 that His kingdom is not of this world. Paul talks about our citizenship in this kingdom in Philippians 3:20 "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; and in Ephesians 2:19 he tells us who all are citizens of heaven, "For you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household."

A question that might be asked is, "How did we/do we become citizens of Christ's kingdom, the kingdom of heaven?" Let's see what the Bible shows us. Colossians 1:13 tells us, "For He (God) rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son." In John 3:5 Christ tells Nicodemus this, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. I John 5:1 tells us, "Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God." So we see there must be a spiritual birth to be a citizen of God's kingdom, and that as a result of the spiritual birth God, transfers us into His kingdom.

So, if we are citizens of another kingdom, a kingdom that is not of this world, but is a heavenly kingdom, what then is our relationship to this world in which we still live but are no longer a part of? According to the Bible we are aliens, strangers, and exiles. Listen to Peter in his opening statement in his first epistle, "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who reside as aliens , scattered throughout Pontus, Galtia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia....." Here we see that although they live in a physical location, yet they reside there as aliens. This is not because they were of a different nationality physically, but a different nationality spirituality. Again, Peter talks about our alienship in II Peter 2:11 "Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul..." Why would he give the admonishment to them as aliens and strangers? Because in I John 2:16 we see that fleshly lusts are part of the things of this world, are things that those that belong to this world participate in, and we are no longer of this world; and therefore should no longer be a participant in fleshly lusts. In the hall of faith in Hebrews 11 we see the following statement in verse 13 "All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth." (See also Psalm 119:19)  

As such, being aliens in this world:

* We speak a foreign language.
I Corinthians 2:6-16

*We dress differently
Galatians 3:27, Romans 13:14

*We behave differently.
I Peter 4:2, Ephesians 4:17-19

*We have a different odor
II Corinthians 2:14-16b, Philippians 2:17, 4:18, Romans 12:1, Ephesians 5:1-2

*We are misunderstood, we are an enigma to this world.
I Peter 4:4, Jude 1:10

This alien motif (R C Sproul loved the word motif) runs all the way through the Bible, starting with Abraham, then the Jewish nation, then Christ, and then the church, Christ's body. That is why it is so out of place, so alien, if you will,  for the church to try so hard to be like the world so as to attract the world. We are to be strangers to this world, we are to be in the world but not of the world, we are to stay away from the evil of this world (I Corinthians 6:17), we are to look differently, behave differently, smell differently, dress differently, and speak differently. We are to expect to be misunderstood, maligned, or made fun of (even by our own families) because we don't fit it in with it. We should know that this world and all it contains is only temporary and is already in the process of passing away (I John 2:15-17). Therefore, we are to store up treasures in heaven, which will be our eternal abode, instead of here on earth which is our temporary abode (Matthew 6:19-21). Our desires are to be heavenly desires not earthly desires (Philippians 3:12-14). We are to have eternal priorities not temporal priorities (Colossians 3:1-4).   

So, fellow aliens, when we are enticed by all this world seemingly has to offer, let us remember that we have a better possession and a lasting one, and remind ourselves that we are strangers in this world who are just passing through on the way to our true home.  

God of my fathers, thank you that life

is a pilgrimage, that the earth is not

my resting place, that every day brings

me nearer my home in the City of God.

Thank you that you are willing to be

my companion in every step of 

my earthly pilgrimage.

F. B Meyer

To Know Jesus

"I am the way, and the truth, and the life;

no one comes to the Father but through Me.

If you had known Me, you would have known

My Father also; from now on you know Him

and have seen Him."

John 14:6-7

To know Jesus is to know the way to God, for He is the way, the very way to God.

To know Jesus is to know the truth of God, for He is the truth, the very truth of God.

To know Jesus is to know the life of God, for He is the life, the very life of God.

To know Jesus is to know God, for He is God, the very person of God.

"This is eternal life, that they may know You,

the only true God, and Jesus Christ 

whom You have sent."

John 17:3

The Great Promise

Do not let your heart be troubled; 

believe in God, believe also in Me.

In my Father's house are many dwelling

places; if it were not so, I would have told

you; for I go to prepare a place for you.

If I go to prepare a place for you, I will

come again and receive you to Myself,

that where I am, there you may be also.

John 14:1-3

These words are what make the Christian life worth living, in fact, without these words the Christian life would not be worth living at all.  For Paul tells us in I Corinthians 15:19, "If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied." 

The truth, stated plainly by Jesus here, is that heaven is a real place, it is the place where God dwells, and there are many other dwelling places there. Jesus will personally prepare a dwelling place for each one of us in the heaven of His Father; and although we cannot get there on our own He is coming back for us to take us there, and we will be with Him there for as long as He is there.  

If not for this truth, why on earth would we give up the things of this world?  For without this truth this world is all there is; but with this truth something more glorious, more abounding in riches, more peaceful, more magnificent, more splendid, and more fulfilling awaits us; and that is dwelling with both the Father and the Son for all eternity.

Rejoice, O Christian, for your heavenly Father, the Father of lights, the creator of the ends of the earth, has a place specially prepared for you to spend eternity with Him.  Rejoice, O Christian, that your name is written in the Lamb's book of life, His reservation list, never to be erased.  Rejoice, O Christian, that your heavenly Father has loved you so, so as to provide the way to Him through His Son; and to guarantee that reservation by dipping His pen in the well of the blood of His Son to write it down.  Rejoice, O Christian, for earth recedes and heaven draws ever nearer. Rejoice, O Christian, for what awaits you on the other side of this life.  Rejoice, O Christian, for the certainty of the life to come, given through the promise from Jesus, Himself.

Yes, Indeed, It Is A Great Promise, Because Heaven Is A Great Destination.

God's Testing

The refining pot is for silver

and the furnace is for gold, 

but the Lord tests hearts.

Proverbs 17:3

 

 

God tests to prove.

God tests to prepare.

God tests to purify.

God tests to purge.

God tests to prune.

God fully and thoroughly tests.

 

Because of Who He Is

Because He is the Savior,

We will look to Him and Him alone for our salvation. 

Because He is the Prophet,

We will listen to His word, and His word alone as given through the Scriptures.

Because He is the High Priest,

We will accept what He has done before God on our behalf, and draw near to God through Him.

Because He is the King,

We will obey Him and serve Him only, and to Him alone pledge our allegiance.

Because He is the Shepherd,

We will trust Him for His care and His provision.

Principles for Corporate Worship-No Matter the Music Style

Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you,

with all wisdom teaching and admonishing

one another with psalms and hymns and 

spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness

in your hearts to God.

Colossians 3:16

In this verse we see six principles regarding corporate worship at work . One, it should be word based.  Two, worship should be participatory.  Three, worship should be more than one dimensional, containing Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.  Four, it should be jointly edifying.  Five, it should be God directed. Six, it should come out of a thankful heart.

1. On being word based, the word of God is the truth, and we know from John 4:23-24 that those who worship Him must worship Him in truth; so if we want to worship God in truth, the foundation of our worship should be His word.  It should dwell richly in us so as to guide our worship, and be sung in Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.

Additionally, it should not be a hodge podge of biblical snippets, or contain vague spiritual references, or substitute euphemisms for biblical terms. It is amazing how many of the songs (contemporary and old) have very little theology, or poor theology, or contain false teaching. To borrow a phrase from Francis Schaeffer, the lyrics we sing must be true truth. There is a didactic (teaching) component of worship that speaks to the heart through the mind. When this occurs worship becomes powerful and personal.

2. On being participatory, the pronouns you and your in this verse are plural, so this is something that all that are gathered together should be doing. So it should not be observatory, but participatory.  Any style or methodology of worship that prevents or hinders the joint participation of the gathered believers should be eliminated.  Now this does not rule out solos, etc., but corporate worship is just that, corporate worship; and the style and methodology should promote and encourage corporate participation.

3. On being more than one dimensional, there is a richness and balance in the types and styles of songs, and this balance should be part of the corporate worship experience.  It will cover all aspects from the richness of deep theology to soul stirring melodies, from contemporary choruses to ancient hymns. It should take us from the depths of love to the heights of joy while covering everything in between. 

4. On being jointly edifying, as we sing His word together we are teaching and admonishing one another.  There is an edifying power, and an edifying and correcting effect on each other as we sing together or are sung to by soloists, etc.  The word put to music will not return empty or void without accomplishing all that God desires, and He desires for us to play our part in the dissemination of His word.

5. On being God directed, as this is the most important of all the principles.  All worship should be God directed.  It should be about God, focused on God, taking our attention away from ourselves and focusing it on God...His greatness, His majesty, His power, His love, His care, His grace, His provision, His salvation, His faithfulness, His mercy, and all that He is and all that He does.  I am reminded of the song, "It Is Well With My Soul", this song is so God focused and was written at a time of great tragedy in the life of the writer.  Much like the Psalms, in the middle of lament the focus is still on the Lord.  Our coming together for worship is a time for us to corporately present ourselves and our sacrifice of praise to God Himself before His throne in midst of what is happening in our life.  It should be a transcendent time in the presence of God for all who are gathered together no matter their circumstances.

6. On being thankful. A thankful heart will be a worshiping heart, a praising heart, a God glorifying heart, and a Christ exalting heart. It is impossible to really worship without being thankful. Praise, real praise, flows out of  thanksgiving, and in praising God for all that He is and all that He does, He is glorified. Thankfulness is a hallmark of true Christianity, and is a key foundational element of worship. The more thankful we are the more sincere our praise, and the more sincere our praise the richer our worship.

When these six principles are followed, corporate worship can never be dull or boring, can never be rote; but will always minister to the Lord, and, in turn, bless us.

A Prayer for the Pastor’s Study

‪Lord, give me eyes to see You, ears to hear You, a mind that knows and understands You, and a ready tongue to proclaim all You have revealed to me.

I Corinthians 2:6-13‬

Biblical Guidelines for Church Leadership: Pleasing God

O, church, whom are you pleasing?  A good question, and a question that every church leader and every church member should ask themselves. Healthy and honest introspection is good. It is good to ask yourself hard questions about yourself. It is good to have a season of self-examination. This is true also for the church, and it should be done by its leaders and its members.

There is a catch phrase that I have heard and read over the last few years, and it is in context of "doing church." It is, "It is not about me." Now this is used to mean that the church service is not for church members, but for those whom the church is trying to reach...the seekers, the unconverted, the non-christian.. It is used as a reason or excuse for the church doing what it feels is necessary to reach the unchurched. It is the undergirding of the philosophy that drives how the church conducts itself, and in particular how it conducts its Sunday services.

Even though it is true that church is "not about me," the application of this truth has been misplaced. It has become "it is all about them," which refers to the unconverted and unchurched. What has been missed here? It is simply this:  it is not about me, nor about us, nor even about them....it is about God and His Son, Jesus Christ, and His Holy Spirit.

We have taken the focus in our churches off of God, and placed it onto those who are ungodly. We have ceased focusing on pleasing God, and are now striving in every way imaginable (and there is great imagination used) to please those who are enemies of God. When God gives the command in Hebrews to not forsake the assembling of yourselves together, He did not mean for the church to come together so as to focus on those outside of its self, to focus on anyone other than Him. The minute that the church starts trying to entice the unbeliever, it must start seeking to please the unbeliever in order to draw him or her in; and must conduct its service so as to please them in order to bring them back.

The hard question the church (its leaders and members) must ask its self is this, "In the way we conduct our services have we placed pleasing the ungodly over pleasing God; in our attempts to not offend the ungodly are we offending God; in our attempts to attract the ungodly have we made ourselves unattractive to God?" Has the church placed its affection and adoration on the ungodly and taken it off of the Lord? This is a question that I am afraid is not getting asked.

Here are a smattering of Scriptures that speak to this.  Notice how unimportant man is in these references.

Isaiah 2:22 Stop regarding man, whose breath of life in in his nostrils; for why should he be esteemed. (O church, why regard man if there is no area, no arena, in which he can be esteemed in God's eyes?)

Isaiah 40:17 All the nations are as nothing before Him, they are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless. (O church, even the nations are nothing compared against the great and mighty God who has given us life, breath, and all things!)

Psalm 144:3-4 O Lord, what is man, that you take knowledge of him?  Or the son of man, that You think of him?  Man is like a mere breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow. (O church, have you elevated man above where God has him?  Have you elevated man above God?)

I Corinthians 7:3 You were bought with a price; do not become the slaves of men.(O church, whom do you cater to?)

I Corinthians 8:6a yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things and we exist through Him.
( O church, for whom are you existing?)

II Corinthians 5:9 Therefore, we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. (O church, is your highest ambition to please Him?)

I Thessalonians 2:4 But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts. (Church leaders and members, if God examines your heart to see whom you are seeking to please, what would He find?)

Galatians 1:10 For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? or am I striving to please men?  If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ. (O church, have you become the bond-servant/slave of the ungodly by trying to please them?  And in trying to do so have you left your first love and fallen to a lesser spiritual state?)

Leviticus 10:1-3 Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on  it and offered strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them.  And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said to Aaron, "It is what the Lord spoke, saying, 'By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, and before all the people I will be honored.'" (O church, by seeking to please the ungodly have you neglected to treat the Lord as holy before them?  In seeking to be attractive to men have you substituted honoring men over honoring the Lord?) 

“It is to be feared that thousands are selling Jesus for a less price than Judas received. A smile from the world has been a bribe sufficient to seduce many”

Charles Spurgeon

In the final analysis, there is only One to please. As His body the church is to be a God-pleaser not a man-pleaser (Galatians 1:10). Instead of trying to be pleasing to the ungodly the church should be teaching them what is required to please the Lord (Ephesians 5:10). O church, remember that it is the Lord Christ whom you serve, not man (Colossians 3:24). O church, examine yourself honestly and rigorously, and make sure you are living to please Him, for it is Him for whom you exist.

Biblical Guidelines for Church Leadership: Consistency

Consistency, sounds pretty boring doesn't it? And, actually, many times it is. However, when considering traits that should be present in pastors and spiritual leaders, this is usually one of the most overlooked.

There should be a consistency of character, a consistency of philosophy, a consistency of theology, a consistency of mission, a consistency in his walk, a consistency in his preparation, a consistency in his growth, a consistency in how he makes decisions, a consistency in how he deals with others, a consistency in how he communicates, and a consistency in how he expresses himself. In other words, there needs to be a thread of consistency that permeates who he is, and therefore what he does.

Why is this important? Because it gives stability to his church, and his ministry. It gives security to his people, his staff, and the leadership he works with, as it make him reliable, and even predictable. I once had an upper level manager tell me that his goal was to be so consistent that his people would know the answer before they asked him. Not a bad trait, in fact, it is a great trait to have. Unfortunately, there are many whose only consistency is their inconsistency.

Think about the comfort and security it gives to those who you work with, do ministry with, and live with when they know they can depend on what they know about you. Think about the frustration that is caused by having to deal with those whom you never know how they will react, or those who always seem to be changing their mind, ministry direction, or ministry philosophy. Think about the confusion that comes to the church when the leadership is always being blown in the direction of the latest cultural wind or chasing the next big thing.

Have you ever noticed how consistent the Lord is? We call it immutability or unchangeableness; but have you ever wondered what it would be like to serve a God that you were never sure how He was going to react, how He wanted to be worshiped, what His standards for holiness would be, or what His requirements for salvation would be? Would it be a little unnerving, kind of like an eternal insecurity instead of an eternal security?

I take great comfort that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, yes and forever (Hebrews 13:8); that He, the Lord, does not change His mind, and therefore I am not consumed (Malachi 3:6); that with Him there is no variation or change like the imperceptible shifting of a shadow (James 1:7); that even from eternity He is I am (Isaiah 43:13), that of old He founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of His hands. Even they will perish, but He will endure; and all of them will wear out like a garment; like clothing He will change them and they will be changed. But He is the same, and His years will not come to an end (Psalm 102:25-27); that His lovingkindness is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him (Psalm 103:17); that He has one eternal purpose that runs through the ages that is carried out in Christ (Ephesians 3:11), and that He has declared the end from the beginning, saying, "My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure" (Isaiah 46:10). This consistency in the character of God and the acts of God give me security in my relationship with him, it gives me confidence in my relationship with Him, and it strengthens and solidifies my trust in Him.

You see, I believe that pastors and spiritual leaders must be consistent; and it is being like the Lord that brings about that consistency. If He is consistent, then a worthy trait to be desired would be to be consistent as He is consistent. The same comfort, confidence, security, solidity, and trust that we draw from our relationship with the Lord because of His consistency is the same comfort, confidence, security, solidity, and trust that the church and its staff should have in their leadership. Consistency provides the stability that is needed in every leader, and is a key component of pastoral leadership.  As Christ models consistency, so should all those in spiritual leadership. Indeed, it is a worthy aspiration for us all.

Biblical Guidelines for Church Leadership: The Importance of Faithfulness

The Pastor and Faithfulness

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, 

who has strengthened me, 

because He considered me

faithful, putting me into service.

I Timothy 1:12

NASB

Boy, there is so much in this verse, but let's look at one particular aspect of it, and that is Paul's faithfulness. Reading through Acts and Paul’s letters, the one thing that really stands out about Paul is his faithfulness. If you think about this in relation to what the Lord told Ananias in Acts 9:16 that He would show Paul how much he must suffer for His name's sake, you come away with a deep-breathed wow; because here was a man who was shown up front how much the cost would be, and he counted it (Luke 14:27-35), lived it (II Corinthians 1:2-7; 2:4; 4:7-12; 6:3-10, 7:5-6), and remained faithful to the end (II Timothy 4:5-7).  

The question might be asked, "Faithful to who, faithful to what?" Obviously, Paul was faithful to his calling, faithful to his ministry, faithful to his friends, faithful to keep his vows, faithful with the treasure with which he had been entrusted, and faithful to the churches. But his being faithful in all of these areas was the outflow of his faithfulness to the Lord, his Lord; and he never wavered in his faithfulness to the One who had called him to suffer for His name. Even with his great learning, the great revelations he had been given, and his great gifting, his greatest attribute was his faithfulness. Without his faithfulness, his calling and all the learning, revelations, and gifting would have been for naught. Paul understood this and you can see this in I Corinthians 4:2 "In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy/faithful (pistis)."  

Faithfulness is manifested in many ways in our lives, and manifested it will be. In thinking about what are the really necessary qualities in a pastor this has to be at the top. It is nice if he is a good communicator, a gifted expositor, good with people, dynamic, personable, a good leader, educated, caring, and charismatic. But, again, without faithfulness all these qualities and gifts will be of no use. Faithfulness grounds the pastor, keeps him steady when tempted, keeps him loyal to his calling, strengthens him when tried, keeps him going when discouraged, keeps him looking to the Lord and not his circumstances, guards him from compromise, gives him a higher perspective on his life and ministry, pushes and pulls and prods him on when weary, keeps his focus on the Lord and not himself, sees him through the storms of life and ministry, empowers him to endure, and keeps him from looking for greener pastoral pastures. Faithfulness keeps him locked in on following the Lord and His will for his life. In thinking about it...wouldn't you want to see this in your pastor if you were a church member, wouldn't you want to see this in your servant if you were the Lord?

The Lord regarded Paul as faithful, and therefore placed him into service; not any service, mind you, but maybe the most important role of any of the apostles, certainly the most demanding role, and obviously a strategic role. And in that strange and mysterious dynamic of God working in and through men, the Lord strengthened Paul to remain faithful as Paul was being faithful.  

If we are honest, we would all admit that the struggle we have with faithfulness is whether we are going to be faithful to the Lord and His will, or be faithful to ourselves and our own selfish and egotistical pursuits. Which one will we be faithful to?  

Pastors, partakers of the pastoral calling, I want to encourage you to be faithful. Be faithful to the Lord in the living out of your calling, and call on Him to keep you faithful; and in your faithfulness you will find Him faithful to you.

Repentance by all Racists, the Foundation of Racial Reconciliation

Then Moses said, "I pray You, show me Your glory!"

And He said, "I Myself will make all My goodness

pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the

Lord before you; and I will be gracious to whom I

will be gracious, and will show compassion on 

whom I show compassion."....

The Lord descended in the cloud and stood there

with him as he called upon the name of the Lord.

Then the Lord passed by in front of him and 

proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate

and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in 

lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness

for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression,

and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty

unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the

children and on the grandchildren to the third and

fourth generations." Moses made haste to bow low

toward the earth and worship.

Exodus 33:18-19; 34:5-8

Italics mine

It is with trepidation that I write this post, knowing that some people will misread it, or read into it what they want.  What I would ask all to do is to read through it a couple of times before you come to any conclusion as to where I am coming from and what I am actually saying.

When we as Christians talk about slavery, we need to be sure to understand that the slavery mentioned in the Scriptures, slavery that was the norm in the middle eastern culture during the Old and New Testament times, was not the same as the race based slavery that was perpetrated in England and America during the Colonial and post Colonial times.  It is not the point of this post to explain that, but to simply say that it was not race based slavery.

With that out of the way, let me refer to the Exodus passages above. The race based slavery that was practiced by both England and the U S in the Colonial and post Colonial times was a sin, a national sin.  A sin that was protected, explained away, ignored, and tolerated for decades even by those who were Christians. Is the Lord holding the current generation responsible for that sin? NO! Ezekiel 18:20 tells us this, "The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself." But, as a nation, we are still suffering the consequences for that sin in the third generation since it ended, which is exactly what the italicized portion in the Exodus passage above tells us.

This brings us to the current situation going on in evangelical circles regarding the Siamese twin issues of racial reconciliation and social justice. It would be preposterous for anyone to claim that racism, in any of its manifestations, does not exist, inside or outside of the church. However, it is just as preposterous to claim that all white people are guilty of racism just because they are white. That is making an assumption about a person(s) just because of their skin color, which is just another facet of racism.  Also, if the passage in Ezekiel is true, and it is; and clear, which it is; then any claim of guilt by proxy, any attempt by any color of Christian to hold the current generation of white people guilty for the sin of race based slavery that has not existed since April 9, 1865 is unbiblical and unjustified and is a sin.  If all this is the case, then there cannot be white guilt as the term is currently used.

It is incendiary, counter productive, and biblically unwarranted for people such as David Platt and Matt Chandler to use the guilt whip to lay the guilt trip on those who are white. Should anyone regardless of skin color repent of racism if they are guilty of that sin?  Yes, absolutely! But to say that all white Christians are guilty of racism and need to repent, especially with an air of spiritual superiority, is intellectually naive or dishonest, and I don't think either of them is naive and know for certain they are not omniscient. Therefore, when they chastise white Christians for their racism, it has the appearance of moral posing and playing to the PC and SJW crowds; and this serves to invalidate and undermine the very social justice cause they claim to support. 

Again, are there white Christians who are guilty of racism?  Yes, regrettably so.  But here is part of the rub, the gorilla in the room of racial reconciliation discussions is the racism of black Christians.  Racism is a knife that cuts in every direction, and each color of skin has those within it that are racists. If true reconciliation is to occur, then those Christians of each skin color, who are actually guilty of racism need to confess that sin, first to God, then to their fellow Christians, and then repent and ask for forgiveness. Those who hold to the guilt by proxy fallacy need to repent. Those who are using the issues of racial reconciliation and social justice to promote themselves, to feather their own nest, to promote their own agenda, or to make themselves feel better about themselves need to confess and repent.  Those who falsely accuse other Christians of racism need to confess and repent. Those who have been wronged by the sin of racism need to forgive, and pray for those who have sinned against them. Is righteous anger against the sin of racism justifiable? Yes. But we are told to be angry, but do not sin, and let not the sun set on our anger.

Almost all of the tweets, accompanying comments, and blog posts I have seen since David Platt's message have been negative toward what Platt said and his manner in saying it.  Is this because they are racist?  No, it is because people do not like to be falsely and unjustly accused. We live in a country where people are presumed innocent until proven guilty, unless it is in the court of PC opinion.

My friend, who attended T4G with me, and I were having lunch the day after Platt's speech and were joined by three black brothers from Ohio. They were two deacons and the pastor from a black church. We had a good time of fellowship and talked much about their church, and they did not apologize for their church being so black, nor should they. 

Reconciliation is a spiritual issue, and for true reconciliation to take place and true social justice to reign in our country, they must have their foundation in the church of the true and living God, who for His own glory created the different races, and for His own glory is saving those of each and every race. If the unbelieving culture that surrounds us does not see love exhibited in us, then our witness has no validity, and our attempts to spread the gospel will suffer. Making false accusations in an attempt to drum up false guilt will never accomplish cultural change. It is only when all Christians of all colors stand united together in the love of Christ, speak the truth in love, and in love give themselves up for each other, that the impetus for true racial reconciliation will begin.