“It is not just political parties that fail to reflect this 'whole cloth' Biblical agenda. The churches of America are often more controlled by the surrounding political culture than by the spirit of Jesus and the prophets. Conservative churches tend to concentrate on one set of sins, while liberal ones concentrate on another set. Jesus, like the Old Testament prophets, does not see two categories of morality. In Amos 2:7, we read, 'They trample the heads of the poor; father and son go in to the same girl.' The prophet condemns social injustice and sexual licentiousness in virtually the same breath (cf. Isaiah 5:8ff.). Such denunciations cut across all current conventional political agendas. The Biblical perspective sees sexual immorality and material selfishness as both flowing from self-centeredness rather than God-centeredness.”— Generous Justice, page 55
<idle musing>
Amen! Good preaching! I'm loving this book...
</idle musing>
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I'm looking forward to this. I've been blown away by Prodigal God and Counterfeit Gods.
I've often been left cold by both the right and left sides of the church. Accuse me of generalizing, as so many have, but in my 21 years of experience, the right tends to condemn sinners while the left tends to accept sin. Neither side has ever had any positive effect, whatsoever in helping me walk free from my sins.
My friends and family didn't know what to do with my "great" sin. Still they stuck with me, and more importantly believed God was big enough and powerful enough to overcome my sin. The Holy Spirit led me to the answers. First in the Scriptures and then to the Christian authors He knew I needed. He lead me to the mentors and leaders I needed to follow.
There maybe two sides to sin, but the sinner only needs God's answer: The freedom only found in Christ, and His work on the cross. Jesus says of our slavery to sin: "It is finished."
In Christ the message is: "...[do] not turn aside to the left or the right..." BUT RATHER "If the Son make you free, you are free indeed."
"It is for freedom sake that Christ has set you free"
Lonnie
Lonnie,
Sadly, I fear your generalization is too true. Neither side seems to believe that Christ can truly, experientially, in this life, set you free.
James
Post a Comment