Theology Matters

Archive for April, 2009

I just sent a reply to my extended family to an e-mail I received about Obama and his both speaking at Notre Dame and receiving an honorary degree from them. Many things have come to a head at this time, Iowa and Vermont allowing gay marriage, Obama speaking at Notre Dame though he is a staunch supporter of abortion rights and gay marriage, and so forth. I sent this reply with those things in mind. I hope it blesses you.

==============================

Howdy y’all!

I think the only thing Notre Dame has going for it in terms of a defense for this is something that Victoria and Cheryl have already pointed out - Notre Dame’s inviting a newly elected president to speak at its commencement is a pretty long standing tradition: Eisenhower, Carter, Reagan, G.H.W. Bush, G.W. Bush, and now Obama. In fact, nine US presidents have been given honorary degrees as well. I doubt any of them agreed with Catholic teaching either - correct me if I’m wrong, but our only professing Catholic president was Kennedy.

That said, someone, sometime will need to step up and enforce the beliefs of a university that calls itself “Catholic” (or “Evangelical” for that matter.) This particular instance is not so much the fault of Notre Dame, it is the fault of a Magesterium that does not discipline its wayward children. If I were Catholic, I would not call the president of Notre Dame, I would attempt to call on the Pope to actually enforce what he should and bring the weight of the Magesterium down on not just the leadership of Notre Dame, but upon any person or group that claims to be Catholic while rejecting what their church teaches.

But it seems that Roman Catholicism is suffering from the same problem that Protestantism is - rejecting their authority with no discipline anywhere to be seen. The result is that when a church rejects its authority, you get a buffet style religion with no discipline. And this rejection does not discriminate - it happens across the board to every religious group.

Catholic universities rejecting Catholic teaching is nothing new. The same thing happens in Evangelical Seminaries (and universities that were originally “Christian” like Baylor.) The most blatant of these errors are found in the Northeast at the “Ivy League” schools. Harvard and Yale were originally Puritan, Princeton was Presbyterian, and in fact, the first rule in Harvard’s original student handbook was:

Let every student be plainly instructed and earnestly pressed to consider well, the main end of his life and studies is, to know God and Jesus Christ, which is eternal life, John 17:3; and therefore to lay Jesus Christ as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning. And seeing the Lord only giveth wisdom, let everyone seriously set himself by prayer in secret to seek it of him (Proverbs 2:3).

And Princeton’s crest still says “Dei sub numine viget,” which is Latin for “Under God she flourishes.”

The irony would be laughable if it weren’t so serious.

All this is a symptom of the problem though, not the problem itself. The problem is not “Religious universities are abandoning their roots”, no, the problem is that sinful man will not submit to Jesus. Maryanne is right to invoke the prophets. We forget that God is not only “love” but also “wrath” and “vengeance” and He will repay:

Deuteronomy 32:28-41 ESV
(28) “For they are a nation void of counsel, and there is no understanding in them. (29) If they were wise, they would understand this; they would discern their latter end! (30) How could one have chased a thousand, and two have put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had given them up? (31) For their rock is not as our Rock; our enemies are by themselves. (32) For their vine comes from the vine of Sodom and from the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes are grapes of poison; their clusters are bitter; (33) their wine is the poison of serpents and the cruel venom of asps. (34) “‘Is not this laid up in store with me, sealed up in my treasuries? (35) Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly.’ (36) For the LORD will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants, when he sees that their power is gone and there is none remaining, bond or free. (37) Then he will say, ‘Where are their gods, the rock in which they took refuge, (38) who ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise up and help you; let them be your protection! (39) “‘See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand. (40) For I lift up my hand to heaven and swear, As I live forever, (41) if I sharpen my flashing sword and my hand takes hold on judgment, I will take vengeance on my adversaries and will repay those who hate me.

And yet, we somehow think America is immune to the wrath of God poured out against unrighteousness! I would be remiss, given this Easter season, if I did not lift up Christ and His life, death, and resurrection as our only hope. We must stand against Obama’s destructive policies where we can, but even he is not the problem. Only in calling this country to die to itself and turn to the Jesus it has rejected will any real change happen. We must pray that God would grant us repentance, because we have all gone astray…

Isaiah 53:3-6 ESV He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (4) Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. (5) But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. (6) All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned–every one–to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

The good news is that there is hope, but the answer is unpopular. That hope is found only in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Those of us who have our faith, hope, and love held firmly in God have been reborn by Him, and not with a seed that eventually dies, but with a seed that can never die…

1 Peter 1:22-25 ESV Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, (23) since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; (24) for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, (25) but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

…and through faith in Jesus and Him alone…

Acts 4:8-12 ESV Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, (9) if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, (10) let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead–by him this man is standing before you well. (11) This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. (12) And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

…we have assurance that we do not stand condemned…

Romans 8:1-6 ESV There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (2) For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. (3) For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, (4) in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (5) For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. (6) For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

…and we rely on God’s promise that though we are unfaithful, He is not…

1 John 1:8-10 ESV If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (10) If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

…and He who called us to Himself promises to never let us go…

Romans 8:31-39 ESV What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? (32) He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (33) Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. (34) Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died–more than that, who was raised–who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. (35) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? (36) As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” (37) No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (38) For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, (39) nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

How fitting that all of this is coming to a head during this Easter season - the very holiday in which we are called to look back at the cross and empty tomb - the very hope of the world! I pray that God would convict us of this simple fact - that He never has nor ever will live in the White House, or any other temple built by men - He is on His throne! His kingdom will not be inaugurated through government or the military for His is a Heavenly Kingdom. Marla alluded to the fact that all of this trial and tribulation can cause worry, fear, and doubt, yet those of us who trust in God should not be anxious…

Philippians 4:5-7 ESV Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; (6) do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (7) And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

…because Jesus will never leave His people. He will carry them through because they have been born of God. He has sealed them with the Holy Spirit, and has guaranteed them a place in heaven.

Ephesians 1:11-14 ESV In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, (12) so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. (13) In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, (14) who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

For the one who has turned from their sin and placed their lives in the hands of Jesus, this is the best news we could ever hear! For the one who hasn’t, instead of hearing “well done good and faithful servant” on the day of judgment, they will hear these chilling words…

Matthew 7:21-23 ESV
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
(22)
On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’
(23)
And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

So, as we approach the celebration of the death and resurrection of the one who takes away our sins, since only God can see the hearts of men, I can’t think of a better time to ask - are you the “blessed one” of Romans 4?

Romans 4:7-8 ESV “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; (8) blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”

Or are you a servant without a wedding garment?

Matthew 22:11-13 ESV
“But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment.
(12)
And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless.
(13)
Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Please consider these things, not only for your sake, but also for the sake of your friends who are far from God and running further away each passing moment. Thanks for listening, and God bless us with repentance!

Jude 1:24-25 ESV Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, (25) to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

==============================