A Theology of Nature
We have a responsibility to be good stewards of nature. And, I think we are called to have a certain conviction to enjoy nature. Some of us may enjoy it more than others and that’s ok—just as long as we enjoy what God has given us and surrounds us with.
One of the first Shorter Catechism questions to lodge in my mind (after #1, which all good Reformed Presbyterians know!) was #35, “What is sanctification? 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.” I am sure for many of us who read this blog, this one is familiar to you as well—it has been helpful in your own spiritual growth and in counseling others in their spiritual growth as well. It reminds us that sanctification is a life-long process of God that may be painful at times, but, in the end, is all worth it, because we are being renewed after our created image.
In my own Christian life, I have been surprised by some aspects of God’s sanctification. It’s not always the “how”—I have found that primarily happens through the means of grace. It’s been more in the “what”…that as I die to certain sins, God introduces me to an aspect of His being and/or creation for me to delight in. It’s the classic “put off/put on” of Scripture—that as I “put off” a sin, God shows me something to “put on” in its place.
What has been most surprising for me in this is God showing me the delight of His creation that is around me. As I “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ”, I find that I am enjoying nature more and more. That’s surprising to me because I wasn’t necessarily raised to delight in nature. I had, in some ways, the quintessential all-American childhood—out riding bikes all day long…playing baseball, football and basketball at the park and in the neighborhoods…climbing trees & exploring little patches of woods that were scatted throughout Shaw Air Force Base. I did some camping with the Royal Ambassadors from our Baptist church—going to Lake Wateree, fishing, cooking hobo meals on the fire, tents circling our campsite. When I think of my childhood, some part of those memories are of being outside, surrounded by pine trees and kicking up the sandy soil of Sumter, SC.
But, I was by no means an outdoor enthusiast. I didn’t delight in my natural surroundings. They were just part of the scenery of playing ball, riding bikes, engaging in pretend battles. And, as I got into my teens and young adulthood, more and more of my time was spent inside homes or cars, hanging out with friends. There were bonfires—but that was more for mischief than anything else. I enjoyed the changing of seasons reflected in nature, but, by no means, was I anything close to being a nature lover. It was just part of the scenery of life.
Now, I am 45 years old, and 24 years into a serious walk with Christ…and I find that I am delighting more in nature. And, that has surprised me because I didn’t see that coming. Yet, it has, and the more I read Scripture, the more I find it makes sense.
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Denying the Truth
John distinguishes truth and falsehood, what proceeds from the mouth of God and what is purported to be truth but is a lie. That’s why John will later urge us to “not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). How do we test the spirits? How do know truth? By holding fast to the revealed word of God, which is truth (John 17:14-19).
Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either (1 John 2:23, NKJV).
What comes to mind when you think of antichrist? Perhaps a mighty demonic being or a rival to the throne of Jesus, such as described by Paul to the Thessalonians: “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (2 Thess. 2:9–10).
John, however, has spoken to us of many antichrists. Yet whether singular or plural, they are all cut from the same cloth and present us with the same challenge in our walk with Christ and work for Him in this world. That challenge has to do with love of the truth and acting upon it. At stake are matters of life and death.
John addresses believers as truth-holders. “I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth” (1 John 2:21).
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A Slow Poison
Once allowances have been made for terminally ill children, the question will inevitably be asked, “What about physically suffering children who aren’t terminally ill?”…This is how the culture of death works its slow poison. This is how voices of death are elevated as kind and compassionate, while voices of life are drowned out as inhumane, fanatical.
Look to Holland. That’s what conservatives tracing the progress of international euthanasia law over the years have learned to do. For that matter, look to either Holland or Belgium. These two countries are to Europe as Oregon or California are to the United States: first and worst. As they have raced each other to the bottom, they offer a glimpse of what the future might look like, unless someone cares enough to change it.
Holland first made euthanasia legal for adults in 2002, and Belgium followed only months later. In 2014, Belgium became the first country to legalize “voluntary” euthanasia for terminally ill children of any age. This week, Holland has finally followed suit, after years of limiting the “service” to minor teens and terminally ill newborns (who could be killed with parental consent if a doctor judged that the baby’s suffering was “unbearable” and incurable). Now, the gap between ages 1 and 12 has been filled. No child left behind, as it were.
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God is Still Filling His Wedding Banquet Hall
Don’t let the media discourage you or make you think the church is irrelevant or out of date. We have a message everyone needs to hear. We want others to know the hope that we have. Pray for God to bring many more into his wedding feast. There is room for many more.
Jesus compares the kingdom of God to a wedding banquet a king is hosting for his son in Matthew 22. Through history, God had been preparing the way for his people to come to this big party. This was primarily the Jewish people through the covenants and prophets and patterns of the Old Testament. The tragedy of Matthew 22 is that a great majority of the Jewish people did not recognise Jesus as the son of the king, and they would not therefore be part of the wedding banquet that God had planned.
The great news of Matthew 22 is that the invitation is open to all who will come. Anyone, from any background, whether good or bad, is welcome to come to the wedding feast. Anyone who comes to Jesus is most welcome.
Now, if you watch the news, you could be forgiven for thinking that the church is an old, dying institution that has no relevance to modern Australia. We have seen that in the commentary around the Andrew Thorburn incident in Melbourne last week. It seems that everyone is lining up to condemn views that historically all Bible-believing Christians would hold to.
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