The Climate Death Cult
Wynn Alan Bruce, climate martyr and climate saint, killed himself in a climate memento mori. We can pass him off as a clearly disturbed man and pray that his soul has found eternal rest, but what to say about the fact that a movement exists that valorizes him? In the long term, like the Shakers before them, climate activists will write themselves out of the future both with purposeful childlessness and by refusing to engage in life on normal terms.
On April 22—Earth Day—the climate activist Wynn Alan Bruce, of Boulder, Colorado, set himself on fire outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington D.C. The day after his death, the climate scientist Kritee Kanko tweeted, “This guy was my friend…This act is not suicide. This is a deeply fearless act of compassion to bring attention to climate crisis. We are piecing together info but he had been planning it for at least one year. #wynnbruce I am so moved.”
Kanko’s sanguine, even proud, reaction to a friend’s self-immolation is an example of what has become increasingly obvious to anyone who has kept up with today’s professional tree huggers: climate activism is now a death cult.
I have family members who work in the field of environmental protection, so I grew up around plastic reduction measures and solar panel installations and manuals about composting and recycling bins. I’ve worked on environmental projects my whole life, and I believe that we have a moral responsibility as the stewards of creation to protect it, especially when we see, for instance, how microplastics are causing infertility or how soil degradation is costing farmers money while lowering our food quality. But the “climate justice” movement, far from fighting to protect us, aims to destroy not only our quality of life today, but the existence of the human race in the future.
Consider the following headlines: “Climate change is making people think twice about having children,” from CNBC, “Your Diet Is Cooking the Planet,” from the Atlantic, “Social Distancing? You Might Be Fighting Climate Change, Too,” from the New York Times, and “Climate change anxiety is real. Here’s how you can manage those feelings,” from NPR. When the mainstream media marches in lockstep on this question, it is clear that there is a concerted push to make you feel bad for being a person. After all, we emit carbon with every exhalation.
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The Reality & Hope of Sanctification
Written by Matthew D. Adams |
Monday, March 27, 2023
The sanctifying power of the Spirit is much like uprooting and killing all the weeds that threaten to overtake us. Without the sanctifying power of the Spirit, sin would overrun our lives and choke us to death, but since we have a Helper – One who comes alongside of us in our weakness – we can be sure that we will be sanctified. We will be conformed to the image of Christ; we will be enabled to put to death sin our lives.As many of you know, presbyteries (and local sessions!) of the Presbyterian Church in America are again proposing amendments to our Book of Church Order that will be considered at this summer’s General Assembly. In the mass of those amendments there are three that are gaining the attention. Why you might ask? Well, it’s a pretty simple answer…they are pertaining to our continued sexuality debates that have dominated our Assemblies for the past number of years. That’s right! There is a continued push to add language to our Book of Church Order that would outrightly disqualify a man from serving as an officer if he identifies with a sinful desire (like the term, “Gay Christian”). By being on social media, I have seen the frustration (even to the point for calling for a fundamental “purge”) from the progressive side of the denomination.
They do not understand why we need to do this “song and dance” for another year.
However, I believe that these three overtures are of utmost importance concerning the orthodoxy of our Church. Overtures 9, 16, and 17 seek to make a clear statement, and at the same time, sets up needed guardrails for Teaching Elders and Ruling Elders.
Admittedly, out of the three overtures that will be considered in Memphis by the Assembly, I am a proponent of Overture 17 which comes from the Session of Meadowview Reformed Presbyterian Church. Let’s take a look at the wording for that overture,
“7-4. Men who refer to a particular sin struggle as descriptive of their personhood, being, or identity are disqualified from holding office in the PCA”
This is a clear and concise statement, and personally, I believe that this is an overture that we should all be able to get behind. I have written about the Christian’s identity with before. You can find that article here. However, the identity conversation flows naturally into the conversation that needs to be had regarding sanctification. From what I have witnessed throughout the debates in the PCA regarding sexuality and identity, here is the crux of the argument – there is a real denial of the reality and hope of progressive sanctification.
It needs to be noted that sanctification is a vital part of our understanding of the ordo salutis – the order of salvation. In fact, the Westminster Divines include a definition of sanctification in our Shorter Catechism, Question 35,
“Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.”
Sanctification is a work of God’s free grace. We know this, and yet, it has been consistently denied in many conversations circulating around our denomination. In fact, we even heard comments stated openly about how a former Teaching Elder’s sinful desires have not been sanctified…at all. That they are just as attracted to their sin now as they were when they were first converted. That flies in the face of what our catechisms, better yet, what the scriptures, teach.
Paul exhorts the believers in Ephesus to continuously “put on the new man” which is created in “righteousness and holiness.” (Eph. 4:23-24) These words are reminiscent of the words that he writes in Colossians, and its a declaration that their identity has been changed through their justification and adoption; therefore, they are to take off the old rags of their sin and find the joy of putting on the clothes of Christ’s righteousness. And this happens, as our catechism states, “…more and more…” as the Spirit works within us. This is good news! Believer, by the power of God’s indwelling Spirit, we are going to be enabled more and more to die unto sin and pursue Christlikeness. The Spirit is sent by God as a part of his grand plan of salvation, to conform us to the image and likeness of His Son. Our salvation is much more than just a rescue mission; its a complete and total renovation! It is a transformation.
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A Crisis of Leadership and the Elder Solution (Part 1): Theology Is Upstream
We don’t muddle through life trying to make the best of things without a robust dependence on the Word of God as it proclaims the lordship of Christ, only at the end to say, “Oh yes, and one more thing, this is how you can be saved.” The grand redemptive narrative of our Trinitarian God, as it is revealed in the Bible, is the primary way we are to make sense of all the world, whether it is currently occupied by pagan leaders or those who claim Christ. As that narrative clearly says, sin and the dominion of Satan are the problem, and Christ is the conquering solution. This means that leadership problems are ultimately spiritual problems that require theological solutions.
There is a crisis of leadership. I’m not trying to be hyperbolic or alarmist. I’m not selling a grift course on how to solve all our leadership challenges. And I didn’t create a leadership assessment tool to unlock your potential. I don’t have a leadership degree from an Ivy League school plagued with leadership malfeasance (and I don’t want one). I am trying to be a realist. And we do actually have a significant global problem that bandies the word leadership around like being a leader is an essential human right. To highlight the problem, let’s say you’re going to have a conversation with a friend a few minutes after you read this essay. Your friend will start the conversation by saying, “I just read a news article about a well-known leader.” What do you think will follow that statement? The leader’s sordid financial dealings? A sexual scandal? A report on his gross incompetence? Accusations of plagiarism? A pattern of crude and abrasive language directed toward employees and colleagues? How far down the list do you need to go before you guess that your friend really wanted to tell you about the leader’s virtue, altruism, or skill at his profession? I’d guess it would be pretty far down the list. Even when we look at the leadership of clergy, men who used to be considered paragons of virtue in a culture, we find a similar problem.1 And to that, you might respond that it is only due to the media’s propensity to publish the salacious. To that, I’d say, “yes,” and “maybe.” But beyond media coverage, what is your personal experience of folks who go by the moniker “leader”? When we’re honest, we notice a strange tension. On the one hand, leaders have never had more access to leadership training, certificate accrual, books, or podcasts. Forbes reports that leadership development is a $366 billion industry. Someone is paying an NFL franchise-sized amount of money to grow as a leader. At the same time, leaders are struggling and not improving as leaders. In other words, in the face of enormous (faux) resources, leaders are actually getting worse and quitting in record numbers. Yes, there is a problem—in our culture and in the church.
Not the Problem You Thought
No, you did not make a mistake and visit the Drucker-Lencioni Weekly. This is a theological journal. And I’m not going to make the same argument that many make. The typical take on leadership issues (which also surface in the church) is that they are best sorted out at the corporation level and then applied piecemeal to the church. In this view, the church is downstream from where the real leadership work is being done—in very large secular institutions. In fact, the modern idea is that the church is so far downstream from secular leadership that it is a minor tributary tucked away in the reeds and marsh. The church is a kind of niché leadership environment, an oddity of low consequence to modern leadership concerns. So once the adults have figured out what plagues leaders, they’ll let the kids in on what might work for them in the church. I’d like to argue that this is entirely backward and has been for a very long time.2 This is why when most pastors want to study leadership, they read business books that are five years old or older.
I contend that the leadership crisis is a theological problem, that theological problems are always upstream from practical problems, that theological solutions are always primary, and that they tell us how to form and apply practical principles. The church (should be) is upstream from every form of instantiated secular leadership. That doesn’t mean that Microsoft would make a bazillion more dollars if the Bibles were on the desks of every VP, though I would be thrilled to find out that a Bible was on the desk of every VP at Microsoft. The Bible doesn’t work that way. But the Bible does reveal Jesus and the theology that describes his person and work. And that theology governs the world in which all of us live. It describes the world not as we’d like it to be but as it is. It describes the plight of every leader, no matter what his faith commitments are. It describes the general human condition, whether that human is a leader, CEO, VP, manager, colleague, or client. So, I believe one of the major reasons that leaders are struggling today isn’t just because of a post-COVID workplace filled with DEI-silliness, ESG regulations, and corporate greed. The problem is that we aren’t solving modern problems with correct solutions.
And I should add that upstream theology trumps any non-theologically based solution—conservative, liberal, left, or right. Many on the right want to return to the founding fathers, Classical literature, or the Great Books. These solutions aren’t necessarily bad3 but are incomplete and ultimately unable to solve what ails our leaders. They are giving out bandaids to treat cancer. Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics are rather profound for a pagan and can make your immediate life and workplace a significantly better working environment compared to the morass that passes as wisdom today. Plato’s Republic is rather insightful as age-old wisdom for ordering loosely associated people. But even the (secular Greco-Roman) classics of Western Civilization are downstream from Christian theology. Christian theology takes precedence.
Returning Christian theology in general, and as it speaks to leaders and organizations specifically, to its rightful place as divinely revealed wisdom, centered on Christ, and able to equip the Christian for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16) has significant import for addressing what we’re currently facing in the crisis of leadership. This reorientation frees pastors from a schizophrenic mindset that attempts to reconcile Bavinck and Maxwell. It provides the watching world with wisdom and truth that are solely accessible through the church. It restores the church elder to the prominence in society that Jesus intended, if not in status, then definitely in influence. It guards against baptizing general leadership principles with biblical footnotes and calling it Christian. Ultimately, it recognizes that there is one great leader, one great king, and his name is Jesus. But before we get to solutions, we need to parse out this idea of revelation a bit more.
General and Special Revelation
To be more precise with my upstream-downstream analogy, the church has inverted general and special revelation when it comes to considering leadership. The world will always do this, as we’ll see, because all they have access to is general revelation and because special revelation looks foolish or weak to them (1 Cor. 1:20–25). That is expected. What is not expected is for the church to go along with this switcharoo, which we have. If you have turtled your boat and want to correct the problem, an essential thing to know is the deck from the hull. And yet, when considering issues around leadership—in society and in pastoral ministry—the church has been sailing along on a capsized ship, wondering why things aren’t going so well.
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Do You Believe in God?
Prayer is the way that we demonstrate that we are not simply materialists who think that all our blessings come to us through material means, but know that every good and perfect gift comes to us from our Father. Prayer demonstrates that we believe God is the source of our lives and the sustainer of our lives—that we do not, “live by bread alone.”
Do you believe in God? This post isn’t about evidence for the existence of God—not an apologetic seeking to convince unbelievers of God’s existence—they know. This blog is for you: average Sunday-going, Bible-believing Christian. Do you believe in God? This post isn’t about evidence for but demonstration of belief.
“Of course I believe in God! I’m in church every time the doors are open, and serve wherever I’m asked”, might be your reply, Thank you for that. I hope the Lord blesses you in that service, but that’s not what I’m asking.
“I’ve read through the Bible multiple times,” and maybe you’re able to quote obscure tidbits from it, and you know it well. That will absolutely serve you and is good to know.
“I know our standards and have read through them and multiple systematic theologies.” Or, “I’m a moderator on a very popular Facebook group where our entire purpose is to discuss God and the things of God.”
Great! But none of those answer my question.
I’m not asking if you know lots of things about God. There are lots of blogs on the internet that talk about God. There are lots of apologetic ministries that will give you tools to argue the minutia of the transcendental argument, the teleological argument, or any number of arguments. There are lots of Facebook groups and pages that discuss any number of points of Biblical interpretation or theological points or argue politely or not so politely. Beyond that you can study theology and even memorize large chunks of the Bible. But again, none of those things answer my question.
Now, out of all those things, which one shows you truly believe?How much do you need to know in order to show that you believe? Do you need to be able to cite and recite topics concerning God? Again, being able to do all of those things is great and can lead us into deeper knowledge of the Lord—and we definitely want that! But at the end of the day, what one thing puts rubber to the road and demonstrates that you believe in God?
What is it that shows you recognize who he is and who you are and you are in desperate need of him, and that you believe that he alone is able to supply you with life and with spiritual growth and with mercy you need to get through each moment? What is it that demonstrates your belief in the Lord?
Prayer.
There is nothing else that demonstrates that we understand our dependence upon God for every part of life like prayer. Prayer is an admission of utter dependence and reliance upon God. If it any point we attempt to undertake our lives without recognition of our dependence upon God we are functional agnostics or even functionally atheists.
We are not first and foremost materialists who think that the answer for every problem is to search after it in a way that is visible. We don’t think that God wound up the world and now it’s up to me to discover and find ll that I need. No. He is actively and intimately involved in his creation. He has every holy resource available to me for the asking. It is not my striving that will meet all my needs, it is his blessing that will.
How do I know him more? Attend to my Bible reading or theology study with prayer asking his blessing. How will I overcome in my battle against sin? Prayer. How will I see my needs supplied and met in a way that I am content and not greedy for more or dissatisfied with my lot? Prayer. How will my lot improve? Prayer.
Prayer is the way that we demonstrate that we are not simply materialists who think that all our blessings come to us through material means, but know that every good and perfect gift comes to us from our Father. Prayer demonstrates that we believe God is the source of our lives and the sustainer of our lives—that we do not, “live by bread alone.”
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