Wednesday, June 5, 2013

The Essence of My Burden

One might wonder, what is the source of my burden for issues of liberty, and how is it related to my faith?

 I believe that those who claim the name of Christ should be strong supporters of liberty. I hearken back to the words of Jesus:

 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.” (John 8:31-38, ESV)

 Now I know that Jesus is specifically speaking of being set free from the bondage of sin in this passage, but the application of that freedom in real life situations is the desire and the ability (by His power) to love good and to do right. We are set free from our native slavery to sin, being born in original sin inherited from our first parents. In essence, that freedom comes from God Himself, in His gracious mercy towards us to release us from that bondage to sin. Following on this idea, I might ask, what is the natural result of being born in sin? The result manifests itself in every area of our lives by our glaring preoccupation with ourselves and our own abilities. The definition of that preoccupation is "pride" and is deeply rooted in the heart of even the most humble of those who have not been set free in Christ. We are constantly bombarded in the media by those who unassumingly play the cult of personality for their benefit. Even those who apparently do things selflessly for others have in their hearts that in-born root of pride. As Christians, we are called to bring glory to the One who is the source of life and all good things, even for those personality traits and material gifts which each of us possess to a lesser or a greater degree. Until we are humbled to realize that, we don't fully understand the good news of the gospel.

 On a larger scale, society as a whole (not just the US, but through all of history) celebrates the accomplishments of humans, and overlooks the source of that accomplishment, which is the life, intelligence, and ingenuity endowed on us by our Creator. Man becomes the measure of all things, not the God who created him. Now it is true that man holds the highest place in God's creation; the evangelical church has not been faithful in proclaiming the superior position and the preciousness of man in God's creation. We were created last, and we were created the highest: of more importance and value than even all of the heavenly bodies, and all of the other created beings. However, we were still created and did not mysteriously come into being by our own strength and intelligence. Wouldn't one logically think that if there is a Creator, then those created beings would be beholden to such an entity?? Obviously, the answer to that last question is a resounding "no." Man over all of history has consistently made himself the measure of all things and has blocked out the thought of God (Romans 1).

Th application of the personal rebellion has affected society's institutions (the largest of which is government) which has operated according to the paradigm that man is an end in himself. The first glaring example of society's rebellion against a "higher authority" is recorded in Genesis 11:

 "Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2 And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” 5 And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. 6 And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech.” 8 So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth." (ESV)

 So, what was the error of their ways that caused God to make such a momentous move? Man knew that he had intelligence, ingenuity, and power, but instead of bringing glory to God, and living under His rule, they chose to exalt themselves against that God and build a tower representing that "independence." We are suffering the result of that rebellion to this present day, but the rebellion hasn't ended: it's still alive and well. How is that rebellion still alive and well today, thousands of years after the Tower of Babel? It's my argument that man has constructed society in the way that he sees fit, and not according to the law of God written on each of our hearts. This expresses itself not just in personal individual rebellion against God, but that rebellion seeks to use the greatest and most humanly powerful means to exalt man, and that is the power of the government of man.

I realize that government was instituted to accomplish good (see Romans 13), and even when government is not good (e.g. the ancient evil kings of Israel), it accomplishes the purposes for which it is ordained by God, which may even be to execute judgement. However, that institution has the greatest ability, also, to pervert the law of God by ignoring His law, and perhaps even directly opposing it (think of the many evil empires throughout the history of man).

 It is my contention that one of the most insidious, but powerfully destructive "rebellions" against the rule of God in our society today is the attempted government control and manipulation of the rewards of our labors: our money. I equate it in every way with the attempted Tower of Babel in Genesis 11. Man wants to be the controller of his own destiny, and therefore attempts to control the value of our currency through inflation (e.g. - the Federal Reserve) (and in an ancillary fashion through the theft of the IRS - an unholy redistribution of the fruits of our labors). That practice is enabled by the establishment of a "fiat" currency (value is determined by the market competition with other "fiat" currencies) and is not based on real assets (like gold, for example). Can you begin to see how this system can be manipulated by "printing" more money (thus devaluing the existent currency) in an attempt to control and stabilize the fruits of our labor, rather than basing its value on a hard asset and keeping a reference point for its value? We have become SO used to this, that we accept it fully; however, isn't it possible that this sin, started small and is now overwhelming and so we are hostage to it. In essence, inflating the currency is equal to theft, and dishonest weights were condemned by the Old Testament prophets, and by the Ten Commandments. The world (not just the US) is part of this giant game, which I believe is another attempt to build a tower reaching to the skies, like the builders of the Tower of Babel. Governments grow larger and infringe on more of our basic liberties (the God given right to control ones own life, under the law of God) largely by controlling the fruits of our labor. This is nothing less than a total rebellion against the law that God has established, that we deserve the fruit of our labor, and that we share with others out of our plenty. Instead of being dependent upon God, we have sought to construct a way to bring His temporal blessings without having anything to do with Him. I have a particular burden for this manifestation of sin in our society because, as I mentioned earlier, it is so insidious and so all encompassing in the world.

   Isn't it possible that God will bring judgement to us for this rebellion against His law? I wonder what mode that judgement will take, but in any fashion, it will not be good. There could be widespread suffering and shortages on unimaginable scales.

More discussions to come...

7 comments:

  1. Good stuff. Along similar lines you would probably like the book, _Free Is Beautiful: Why Catholics Should be Libertarian_, http://www.amazon.com/Free-Beautiful-Catholics-libertarian-ebook/dp/B007W97WKS

    We have much in common.

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  3. Nice looking blog Rich! I suppose it is only fitting that I repond with a brief counterpoint my friend. :) What say ye to these thoughts: http://christianworldview.net/2012/what-is-wrong-with-libertarianism/

    Is the well of Libertarianism poisoned at the source?

    And by the way, I am in essential agreement with your thoughts in this post. It is the Libertarian worldview itself I am questioning. As one individual has expressed it, it seems to me that one cannot be a CONSISTENT Christian (one who believes in the Fall and that each person is born a sinner) and be a CONSISTENT Libertarian. And it seems to me that one cannot CONSISTENTLY believe in the principle of the authority of government as the Bible sets it forth and as God has ordained it, along with the authority of His moral law over us, and be a CONSISTENT Libertarian.

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  4. Rich,if I might indulge you with one more comment on the compatibility of Libertarianism with a consistent Biblical and Christian commitment, I offer the following for your reflection:

    "Is such a philosophy Christian? In several major aspects of biblical ethics, I would suggest that Libertarianism falls short.

    1. The Libertarian enshrinement of individual choice is not the pre-eminent Christian virtue. Emphasizing individual rights at the expense of others violates the common good, a central Christian teaching and tradition. The Christian answer to the question "Are we our brother's keeper?" is decidedly "Yes." Jesus tells us that the greatest commandment is to love God and love our neighbor. Loving your neighbor is a better Christian response than telling your neighbor to leave you alone. Both compassion and social justice are fundamental Christian commitments, and while the Christian community is responsible for living out both, government is also held accountable to the requirements of justice and mercy. Both Christians on the Right and the Left have raised questions about Libertarian abandonment of the most vulnerable -- whether that means unborn lives or the poor.

    Just look at the biblical prophets in their condemnation of injustice to the poor, and how they frequently follow those statements by requiring the king (the government) to act justly (a requirement that applied both to the kings of Israel and to foreign potentates). Jeremiah, speaking of King Josiah, said, "He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well" (Jeremiah 22:16). Amos instructs the courts (the government) to "Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts" (Amos 5:15). The prophets hold kings, rulers, judges, and employers accountable to the demands of justice and mercy."

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  5. "2. An anti-government ideology just isn't biblical. In Romans 13, the apostle Paul (not the Kentucky Senate candidate) describes the role and vocation of government; in addition to the church, government also plays a role in God's plan and purposes. Preserving the social order, punishing evil and rewarding good, and protecting the common good are all prescribed; we are even instructed to pay taxes for those purposes! .... Of course, debating the size and role of government is always a fair and good discussion, and most of us would prefer smart and effective to "big" or "small" government.

    Revelation 13 depicts the state as a totalitarian beast -- a metaphor for Rome, which was persecuting the Christians. This passage serves as a clear warning about the abuse of governmental power. But a power-hungry government is clearly an aberration and violation of the proper role of government in protecting its citizens and upholding the demands of fairness and justice. TO DISPARAGE GOVERNMENT PER SE -- TO SEE GOVERNEMT AS THE CENTRAL PROBLEM IN SOCIETY -- IS SIMPLY NOT A BIBLCAL POSITION."

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  6. "3. The Libertarians' supreme confidence in the market is not consistent with a biblical view of human nature and sin. The exclusive focus on government as the central problem ignores the problems of other social sectors, and in particular, the market. When government regulation is the enemy, the market is set free to pursue its own self-interest without regard for public safety, the common good, and the protection of the environment -- which Christians regard as God's creation. Libertarians seem to believe in the myth of the sinless market and that the self-interest of business owners or corporations will serve the interests of society; and if they don't, it's not government's role to correct it.

    But such theorizing ignores the practical issues that the public sector has to solve. Should big oil companies like BP simply be allowed to spew oil into the ocean? And is regulating them really un-American? Do we really want nobody to inspect our meat, make sure our kids' toys are safe, or police the polluters to keep our air clean? Do we really want owners of restaurants and hotels to be able to decide whom they will or won't serve, or should liquor store owners also be able to sell alcohol to our kids? Given the reality of sin in all human institutions, doesn't a political process that provides both accountability and checks and balances make both theological and practical sense? C.S. Lewis once said that we need democracy not because people are essentially good, but because they often are not. Democratic accountability is essential to preventing the market from becoming a beast of corporate totalitarianism."

    Thanks for listening, and your love for Christ and His word brother!

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    1. Great observations Bruce. I am totally opposed to a few of the capital 'L' Libertarian planks (abortion rights, for one),and so I should change that to a small 'l' libertarian. I will address some of these issues going forward, in the blog, since they are worthy of discussion. One comment that I think I must make is that when the government regulates, it is also composed of sinners and therefore we get results like "crony capitalism." Only the Holy Spirit changing peoples lives makes them moral, and that's really the only hope we have. Common grace certainly applies, and He is gracious to not have allowed us to have destroyed ourselves already, but finding our solution in government (although it is ordained, I agree) is not the solution.

      BTW, I just found this new website which I shared with John Roberts, and which I highly recommend to you. It is a young man who found his way to the liberty movement after coming to more fully realize the implications of the Reformed faith. He describes himself as a Bahsenite, and is a follower of Gordon Clark: http://reformedlibertarian.com/introduction/

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