The need for confessions of faith to address sexuality

(This is a revised post in light of the clarification today [July 13] by Eugene Peterson that he does not support same-sex marriage.)

I have not read anything by Eugene Peterson, retired pastor and well-known author of The Message paraphrase and many other books. Many evangelicals I respect testify they have benefited greatly from his writings.

In an interview published Wednesday (July 12), Peterson is quoted saying he now supports same-sex marriage. A day later, he issued a retraction and clarification, saying he does not support same-sex marriage. By doing so, he removes his name from being likely the best known person identified with the evangelical movement to change his mind about this contentious issue. Instead, other individuals -- such as author/speaker Jen Hatmaker -- and churches such as GracePointe Church in Nashville, Tenn., continue to lead the way among those identified with evangelicalism in adopting a position on human sexuality contrary to the Bible and millennia of church teaching.

Undoubtedly, they will not be the last to abandon Scripture and Christ's church on this issue. It is possible theirs could eventually be remembered as the early faces of what turned out to be a wave of professing evangelicals who departed from orthodoxy on marriage and sexuality. I hope no such wave develops, but it is becoming increasingly difficult for Christians to withstand the cultural pressure to compromise.

For now, such desertions by people and congregations regarded as evangelical constitute part of the reason for churches to make clear what they believe about marriage and sexuality. That is why the members of our church, Covenant Community Church of Fredericksburg, Va., adopted last year a new article in our Confession of Faith to explain what we believe based on the Bible.

Here is our article on "Gender, Marriage, and Sexuality," with Scripture references included:

God has created each person as either male or female. Rejection of this biological state is a rejection of the role of each person in bearing the image of God. Marriage is the uniting of only one man and only one woman in a lifetime covenant, providing a picture of the union between Christ and His church, the exclusive context for sexual expression, and the means for procreation of the human race. (Gen. 1:27-28, 2:18-25; Ex. 20:14; Ps. 127:3; Prov. 5:15-20; Mal. 2:13-16; Matt. 5:31-32, 19:1-9; Mark 10:1-12; Luke 16:18; Rom. 1:18-32; I Cor. 6:9-20, 7:1-16; Eph. 5:22-33; Heb. 13:4)

Corporate worship prep 101 (Redux)

(This blog post appeared for the first time in November 2015. I am reposting it in order to reboot, in essence, a series on corporate worship that went no where after the initial post. I hope this series will encourage Covenant Community Church -- and others who may follow this blog -- toward a deeper understanding of and commitment to corporate worship.)

To worship faithfully with other Christians who are part of the same church family is a battle -- a battle we seem to fight with our culture and ourselves.

Some of us are old enough to remember when our society carved out time from business, sports and other enterprises in deference to Christians who gather to worship. That time is long gone. The church is not dependent on the culture for its help. The church must be the church. Sometimes that means doing things that are counter-cultural.

Increasingly, worshiping publicly with a church family is counter-cultural. By merely leaving our homes Sunday after Sunday to worship a crucified and risen Galilean, we are giving witness to the value of Jesus the Messiah in our lives.

Yet, we struggle with ourselves, it seems, to value that corporate gathering and to esteem our fellow Christ-followers the way the New Testament demonstrates we should.

Much of this battle within the believing community appears to be in how we regard Sunday's corporate worship in comparison, or contrast, to other activities that cry out for our commitment. Here are a few questions to ask yourselves that I hope will stimulate Covenant Community Church and others in considering how to think about the gathering of God's people on the Lord's Day:

-- Do I and the other members of my household consider Sunday's worship as a church the most important gathering we will participate in during the week?

-- Do I recognize God awaits and desires my presence to worship Him as part of His redeemed community?

-- Do I realize Jesus has rescued me so that I might be one of the "true worshipers" (John 4:21-24), including in the weekly gathering of the church He has founded and is building?

-- Do I regard my brothers and sisters in the church as more important than myself, recognizing my presence is a first and indispensable step in the New Testament charge to encourage and "stimulate one another to love and good deeds" (Heb. 10:24)?

-- Do I cordon off the time my church meets for worship to prevent other activities from intruding?

-- Do I schedule my Saturdays so that I will be rested for full participation in worshiping God with His people?

I realize there are exceptions to every general rule. This is not an attempt to establish rules for our church. Grace still rules in our fellowship.

Christianity is much more than corporate worship. But it is not less than faithful corporate worship.

* -- Photo attribution

News and Good News

This latest edition of "News and good news" arrives during the week we celebrated our country's birthday.

It is a blessing to live in a constitutional republic with its guarantees of such freedoms as religious exercise and speech. This country has benefited not only its citizens but those beyond its borders, extending a helping hand to many beleaguered people around the world. Yet, we also have failed to live up to our founding promises, and we continue to do so.

As usual, the Fourth of July found evangelical churches responding to our country's birthday in a variety of ways. Some may have ignored it; others celebrated it with patriotic services. The choir and orchestra of one Southern Baptist mega-church even performed a "Celebrate Freedom" concert July 1 at the Kennedy Center at which they premiered the new song "Make America Great Again" with President Trump in attendance.

In our worship as a church last Sunday, we had no patriotic service or sermon. Our acknowledgment of the Fourth of July came in prayer. I expressed thanksgiving for our country and prayed for our leaders, especially our president, during a prayer of intercession. During our corporate time of sharing and prayer, we prayed again for God's guidance for our governing leaders. As we do each Sunday, we sought to indicate in all we did Jesus is the Head of the most important government and reigns as Lord, while we live under the human authorities God has placed over us.

In all the messages I came across in recent days regarding evangelicals' thoughts about our country's birthday, this tweet by Mika Edmondson, pastor of New City Fellowship in Grand Rapids, Mich., was my favorite: "Jesus didn't come to build a Christian nation, he came to build his church as a refuge & witness to the nations."

Here are some recent news articles of interest to us as evangelicals:

1. Child caught in battle between parents and hospital -- This heart-rending case of a British infant has gained worldwide attention. So far, the parents of Charlie Gard have lost their battle with a hospital and the courts to gain experimental treatment for him or take him home to die. Today (July 7) brought some hope the hospital might change its position. Evangelical ethicists discuss the issues involved here.

2. New survey shows generational divide among evangelicals over same-sex marriage -- A new public opinion poll shows nearly half of white Gen X and millennial evangelical Christians (those born after 1964) support gay marriage, far more than evangelicals of older generations. Is that support by younger generations "paper thin," as a Focus on the Family spokesman contends?

3. Will the separation of sex from procreation be complete in two or three decades? -- In a prediction that seems to be out of the movie "Gattaca" or the book Brave New World, a Stanford professor says babies will be made out of skin and other stem cells within 20 to 30 years. This will not only further transform the meaning of sex but raise ethical questions about genetic screening and other issues. Even the professor acknowledges: It implicitly suggests that some traits, and thus some people, are preferable to others. This article opens and closes crudely, but it raises questions the church must confront.

4. Supreme Court delivers important win for religious liberty -- The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 7-2 a state violated the free exercise of religion when it prohibited a church from participating in a government-run, playground-resurfacing program. Despite the specific issue, the opinion could ultimately be far-reaching in its effect. This article assesses what its impact could be on school choice programs.

As usual, some of the news is encouraging, some discouraging. Regardless, the good news remains gloriously the same: Jesus Christ came to save sinners.

Preach this to yourself: Death is defeated

(One of the most important exercises we as Christians can participate in is to preach the gospel to ourselves. Even as those who have been rescued by God, we can fail to understand fully -- or we can even neglect -- the message, the meaning and the manifold benefits of Jesus' life, death and resurrection. This series is intended to provide some reminders of what Christ has accomplished for His people by His saving work so we would think and live as intended in light of the gospel.)

"Death is stalking me."

This thought crossed my mind hours after my medical check-up nearly two weeks ago. That doesn’t mean I received devastating news about my health. I didn’t.

And this reality is nothing new. Death has been stalking me ever since I entered the world. My latest doctor's appointment – which doubled as sort of a welcome-to-Medicare session – served to help me recognize this life-long truth a little better. My doctor and I discussed things about my health and my future we hadn’t discussed before. As a result, I became aware of my vulnerability in a way I had not.

What I came to understand better was something we all live with as human beings: Death stalks us. And it will get us if our Redeemer doesn’t came back for us beforehand. For those who have been rescued from sin but aren't rescued from death, there is great news. Death is a defeated foe.

Death is our reality, because sin is our nature. Death came through sin (Rom. 5:12). We all are sinners, so we all will die.

The gospel of Jesus doesn't prevent death. It defeats death, which the Bible describes as "the last enemy that will be abolished" (I Cor. 15:26).

That same chapter opens with the gospel. By the end, the apostle Paul declares the verdict on death in light of the gospel -- which has the life, death and resurrection of Jesus at its center: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (I Cor. 15:54b-55).

Those in God's family are not immune to devastating grief in the face of death, whether we are the ones staying or departing. Yet, we can be assured death is not the final victor. The gospel tells us death is defeated and an even more glorious life awaits us who are in Christ, the resurrected Lord.

Todd Billings, a professor at Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Mich., is living with incurable cancer. He told The Gospel Coalition in an interview published today: "I’m incredibly grateful for life and breath now, but I’m also getting more and more expectant for the age to come — to see Christ face to face, and to be made like him, with the whole church, in ways I can only faintly imagine now."

That is our future as well because of the gospel. Let's address our fear at least in part by preaching this gospel-centric message to ourselves before death comes for us or our loved ones: Death is defeated.

Photo credit: Slavik Gurmeza

News and Good News

In a time of fake news and biased news, we should not lose sight of this reality -- the church is a product of the news.

The word "gospel" in the language of the New Testament means “good news.” Once the “good news” that God reconciles sinners to Himself through His Son's work has invaded our lives and brought us into Christ's church, we are able to see the news in light of this gospel.

We may not rejoice at all the news we read or hear. Some news should grieve us. Some news should anger us. Yet, the "good news" opens our eyes to understand God is doing all things in this world for His glory and for the good of His people. We may not understand God's ways as events unfold, but that does not diminish the fact He is working providentially to fulfill His purposes.

It is especially important to be aware of news that affects Christ's church or reflects the good or evil actions of human beings in the world. Beginning with this post, I will seek to provide some periodic posts that consist of brief introductions and links to such news. And in some cases, they may include an article I have written for Baptist Press.

Here is the news this time:

1. Terrorists continue to attack and kill Christians

Most of the attention in this country of late has been focused on terrorist attacks in Great Britain, but Islamic extremists have unleashed their violence on Christians recently in countries such as Egypt and the Philippines. See articles here and here.

2. Worst famine globally since World War II occurs in Africa

An estimated 20 million people in four countries -- Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen -- are at risk of dying of starvation. The cause of the famine is man-made, according to this report.

3. Sanders applies unconstitutional religious test to Christian

Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont recently labeled a nominee to be deputy director of the White House Office of Management and Budget as an Islamaphobe for defending the biblical doctrine that salvation is only through Jesus. In opposing Russell Vought, the 2016 candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination used a religious test for office the U.S. Constitution forbids. Here is the article.

4. Planned Parenthood again shows abortion is its priority

Planned Parenthood, the country's leading abortion provider, demonstrated once again abortion is its main business. The organization's latest annual report showed it upped its abortion count by more than 4,000 while some other services for women fell and the money kept rolling in. Pro-lifers continue to call for federal defunding. See article here.

You and the sin 'crouching at the door'

A recent visit with a Christian couple found us discussing our concern over a mutual friend as part of our conversation. Our friend is involved in unrepentant sin that is contradictory to his professed faith and destructive to others.

One of them asked how I, as a pastor, think about it. My response went something like this: Sin is more powerful than we give it credit for being. Then I thought about a passage our son had read to his wife and daughters during family worship a few nights before. (They are staying with us for awhile between moves.) He read from Genesis 4 and talked about God's message to Cain. I told my friends what the Lord told Cain even before he murdered his brother Abel: Sin is crouching at the door.

The answer I provided in that conversation is not a complete one, but it is an important part. Sin wants us, and we are susceptible to its power.

The complete divine message to Cain was: "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it" (Gen. 4:6b-7).

This passage indicates Cain could have pre-emptively prevented sin from gaining a hold on him. Cain didn't, however. And he didn't master sin. Even before sin brought destruction in his brother's life, it did so in his own.

What happens to the Christian who doesn't recognize sin is stalking him? What happens to the Christian who opens the door to the sin crouching outside? What happens to the Christian who thinks he can toy with sin for the briefest of seasons?

The late Adrian Rogers, whom our family was blessed to call pastor for eight years, said this: “Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.”

Once a Christian opens the door to sin and excuses it in the slightest way, there is no guarantee he or she will be able to put the brakes on it. If we, as followers of Jesus, do not master sin, we should assume it will master us. Everyone who reads this blog may know a professing brother or sister in Christ who has stepped slightly onto sin's slope and found it a slippery one. How many of us know another Christian, including one in pastoral ministry, who has fallen so badly he has brought reproach on the name of Christ and His church, destroyed a marriage, and done dreadful harm to others?

Given the danger and power of sin, how should we respond as followers of Christ? Though this is not a complete guide, here are some recommendations:

1. Remind ourselves often of the holiness of God. Sin is no small matter to Him. It has no part in Him. He despises it. He will judge every sin for eternity. Our desire should be to emulate Him in hatred of sin.

2. Confess -- and repent of -- our sins quickly and fully. We cannot minimize sin if we would guard ourselves against sin's threat to consume us. We cannot think some sins are too insignificant to require us to agree with God about the offense they are to His holiness. If we are lethargic about confessing and repenting of a sin, we risk becoming lackadaisical about a growing number of sins.

3. Commit ourselves to other saints who humbly recognize their need for, and practice, confession of sin. The confession of sin by a church in corporate worship is an important and regular reminder of our need and God's cleansing. As the church of Jesus, we are going in the same direction with no one left behind -- likeness to Jesus.

4. Rehearse the gospel frequently. Preaching the gospel to ourselves helps us remember the condemnation we were under because of our sin and the comprehensiveness of Jesus' work to atone for our sin. May we remind ourselves of the great price the Son of God paid to conquer every sin, and may we rejoice in the forgiveness for every sin fully given on the basis of Christ's life, death and resurrection.

White people, 'our heritage' and the church of Jesus

Confederate statues and memorials have been in the news recently, and at least some of what has been said on the topic in Virginia has not been helpful.

On May 13, protesters gathered in Charlottesville to rally twice against that city council's vote to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. Protesters carried torches during a night-time event at the site of the statue in a scene all too reminiscent of the Ku Klux Klan rallies of the past, minus the white robes and hoods.

At one of the rallies, Richard Spencer -- who reportedly coined the term "alt-right" for a movement that supports white nationalism -- said, "What brings us together is that we are white, we are a people, we will not be replaced."

Meanwhile, the Republican primary race for governor includes a candidate, Corey Stewart, who has made the defense of Confederate statues and memorials a part of his campaign. On several occasions, I have received Facebook advertisements in which he says, "I will defend our heritage, culture, and laws."

In response to Stewart, I do not intend to debate what should be done with such public remembrances of Confederate leaders but to respond to the declaration he "will defend our heritage."

If the character and actions of Confederate leaders are "our heritage," does Stewart think that is a heritage black Virginians should celebrate? After all, the men honored by these statues fought and led many others to fight and die for the right of some people to own other people as if they were just pieces of property. Many Virginians are the descendants of slaves who suffered under that legal, yet oppressive, regime and its brutality.

If Stewart is thinking only of the heritage of white Virginians, should the state not also honor the heritage of the descendants of black slaves? Should there not be memorials to those trapped in slavery -- of whom there were more than 490,000 in Virginia in 1860?

How do those who follow Jesus by the grace of God respond to what appears to be the white-supremacist comments of Spencer and the white-centric comments of Stewart?

1. We affirm what is more significant about us as human beings is not our skin color -- though it is not to be minimized -- but the reality we are all created in the image of God and all equal in His sight.

2. We oppose efforts to elevate people of one ethnicity over those of others.

3. We become friends with people of other skin colors who can provide correctives to a tunnel vision based on our skin color.

4. We pray for and work for churches made up of saints of different ethnicities to reflect God's redemptive work in all people groups and to learn from one another.

5. We constantly remind ourselves what brings us together as a church is the blood of Christ, never our skin color.

“Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth” (Rev. 5:9b-10).

May God be glorified, the saints transformed and the world affected as churches increasingly display in their makeup and fellowship the power and unity of the gospel.

Photo credit: Paul Taylor