What should new Christian converts who are polygamists do? Three views:
Christians make provisional yet actionable and weighty judgments on whether someone is a Christian based on fruit.
They are provisional because we are open to being wrong. God alone knows with finality the secrets of the heart (Psalm 44:21, Proverbs 21:2). God also knows the final moments of a person’s life.
They are actionable because they affect how we greet, grieve over, celebrate, affirm, pray for, warn, receive, evangelize, enjoy, and encourage (Matthew 5:44, Philippians 1:6, 1 John 3:4-10, Galatians 6:10, John 13:34-35). Knowing whether someone is a believer affects how you relate to them. Knowing whether someone was a believer affects how you remember them.
They are weighty because Christ is present when believers confirm right judgments (John 20:23, Matthew 18:20), including excommunication (1 Corinthians 5:9-13).
They are based on fruit because we are commanded to consider the consistent pattern of a person’s words and works (1 John 3:4-10, Matthew 7:16).
They are to be merciful and patient because we also seek mercy and patience (Matthew 7:2)
They are to be cautious, judicious, and non-hypocritical lest we step on the rake that Jesus warns of in Matthew 7:1-5.
Humans are royalty.
Kings and queens.
Image-bearers of Majesty.
Stately breathing effigies of the High Monarch.
We do not think too highly of ourselves in saying, “I represent the King of creation. I am a ruling representative of Nobility over the world.”
What has God given man? God has “crowned him with glory and honor.” (Psalm 8:5)
God has given him “dominion over the works of [his] hands”, and put “all things under his feet.” (Psalm 8:6)
What reflective echoes and analogues we have in military pageantry, castles, thrones, courtrooms, and inaugurations!
God intends to array us with a glory that surpasses the most beautiful flowers and “Solomon in all his glory.” (Matthew 6:28–29)
What eminent creatures we are! That killing one of us calls for capital punishment (Genesis 9:6). That our rulers may carry out such a sentence as ministers of God (Romans 13:1-4).
Oh how we mighty nobles have fallen! Our fall was long. We have fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
But God has forgiven us as he has forgiven King David (Psalm 51).
Our sanctification conforms us to the image of the Son (Romans 8:29).
Our glorification seats us with Christ on his throne (Revelation 3:21).
Our resurrection will be dramatic: We will shine like the sun (Matthew 13:43).
What shall we say to all this?
“O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:9)
May we join the elders in casting our crowns before the throne of God (Revelation 4:10).
“There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations – these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit – immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.” (C.S. Lewis)
“Man’s greatness and wretchedness are so evident that the true religion must necessarily teach us that there is in man some great principle of greatness and some great principle of wretchedness.” (Blaise Pascal)
“There is something wrong with every aspect of our being, but we remain noble in our origin. There are… ‘rumors of glory’ found in humanity.” (https://www.bethinking.org/christian-beliefs/a-royal-ruin)
P. Andrew Sandlin writes,
“A too little appreciated benefit of justification by faith alone is that it liberates man to fulfill his calling in the earth without introspective obsession over his eternal destiny.
If you’re forever anxious whether your good works will be sufficient to merit eternal life, whether you can forfeit your salvation, and whether you’ve done enough to win God‘s favor, you’ll have time for little else in life.
But if you stand boldly in the confidence of the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ, you are set free to fulfill your calling in conquering your area of the world for Jesus Christ.
There are few biblical doctrines as liberating as justification by faith alone, and not just liberating from the penalty of sin.”
Be liberated from introspective paralysis, imposter syndrome, regret, insecurity, and anxiety.
Be completely accepted by God as a free gift, freely received, locked in, bear-hug-secured by even the weakest of faith.
Then charge forward, blast ahead, sprint onward, Hulk-smash your sin and put the petal to the metal for the kingdom of God.
I am not bothered by traveling between digital geographies.
I want the freedom to do so. May there be many to choose from.
Granted, when you step inside the theme park of a Big Tech oligarch, it is not a public domain sidewalk. Nor should you force him to make it one.
No digital territory is neutral. When you set up shop on a platform you are necessarily under their company’s jurisdiction. Their rules. Using their infrastructure. Adding to their bottom-line.
It’s good for digital pilgrims start their own colonies. It is fitting that communities with fundamentally worldviews stake out their own digital property or town squares: social media, video-sharing, microblogging, podcasting platforms, marketplaces, job boards, news outlets, moderation systems, etc.
Much like a union of states, citizens can freely travel between the territories. But they should know the rules of the land they are operating in.
Perhaps in your community I can’t always use natural pronouns. Perhaps in mine you can’t promote puberty-blockers.
A friend asked me: “Why isn’t anyone trying to create a liberal Parler/Gab?”
There already is one. It’s called Twitter.
The typical Christian best does theology when he has little time for nonsense. He works hard all day. His discretionary time is precious.
He thus narrows his focus. Busybody, idle life makes for warped theology.
I am slow to process this kind of language.
It can be anything from “I have a strong God-given holy desire to accomplish something to the glory of God” to “I am spiritualizing, baptizing my extraordinary aspirations without regard to prudence or counsel.”
It also seems very … modern to think chiefly in terms of adventurous desire, without speaking much of duty or stewardship or domestic plodding or ordinary, quiet, hard, painful paths of sanctification and investment in the kingdom of God.
Faithfulness sounds boring to the modern ear:
“Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.” (1 Timothy 2:15)
You cannot receive the glory of never having received glory.
You cannot become the kind of God that never became a God.
You cannot inherit the status of never having inherited your status.
You cannot be given the right to say, “I was never given any rights.”
Anything you inherit, anything you receive, anything you are given, and anything you become will never be worthy of the kind of worship due to a God that never inherited, never received, never was given, and never became who is.
God is special.
Of man we say, “What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?” (1 Corinthians 4:7)
But of God we say, “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” (Romans 11:34-35)
He gives, and we receive.
He bestows, and we inherit.
“It is more blessed to give than it is to receive.”
And that makes him the most blessed of all.
He has only ever given what he never received.
And we only have what we have received.
Jesus had a lot to say about grace without using the term.
Simple sayings:
My favorites:
Others:
These are good to meditate on!
