Written by Grover E. Gunn |
Thursday, November 25, 2021
As we grow in spiritual strength, we increasingly find our real inner satisfaction not in the things of this world but in God. The irony is that when we do that, we begin to enjoy the things of this life in a new way. When we make idols out of the things of this life, whether it be possessions or family or pleasure, we put a burden on them which they cannot bear… It is only when we get our deep and lasting pleasure from our relationship with God that we are freed to enjoy the things of this life as they were meant to be enjoyed.

Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday where we take off from work and school, we eat turkey and dressing, we watch parades, and bowl games on television. But we need to remember that Thanksgiving is more than a day off and a special meal and seasonal TV programs. Thanksgiving is first and foremost a day which our culture sets aside to count our blessings and to give God thanks. The Christian, of all people, should be thankful, and here are a few reasons.
First, the Christian should be thankful because he knows that his present life is but the prelude to a better life. He experiences both pain and pleasure, both poverty and prosperity, both affliction and advantage. Yet the Christian knows that the misery of this life is temporary, a transient experience which will soon pass away. The Christian also knows that the good things of this life, the true pleasures of this life, are but crumbs on the floor from the heavenly feast which he will one day enjoy. The joys of this life are but a foretaste of greater and better things to come.
For the wicked, the situation is just the opposite. The pleasures of this life are like a last meal on death row. The last meal is a temporary kindness from the judge before the final punishment. Even if a last meal is a true gourmet’s delight, how difficult it would be to truly savor it, to truly enjoy it, knowing that it is indeed a last meal and a prelude to punishment. For the wicked, the miseries of this life and not the pleasures are a foretaste of what is to come. In their heart of hearts, they know this.
When you think about this contrast, you can see why the Christian is the one who should be thankful. It is natural for a person to be thankful for something when he knows that even better things are coming, and when he knows that the current difficulties and problems which accompany even the good things of this life are temporary.
This also explains why there are people with much material wealth and many creature comforts and other apparent advantages, who nevertheless are neither happy nor thankful. In their heart of hearts, they know that their grasp on these good things is temporary and that their future beyond this life holds no promise for anything better.
A second reason the Christian should be thankful is because the Christian realizes that every good thing that he receives is a gift of mercy which he does not deserve. Sin is a rebellion against creatureliness which demands prerogatives and rights and privileges which really belong only to God. When the spirit of sinful rebellion dominates in a person’s heart and he receives something good in this life, that person always has a mistaken sense that he really deserves something better. The sinful spirit can never be satisfied, much less truly thankful.
In contrast, the Christian realizes that not only is he a creature, but he is also a member of a sinful race which has rebelled against God. Because of this, all that he truly deserves is the misery of punishment. The Christian has accepted this reality. The Christian also appreciates the price which God had to pay in order to be merciful to him and to give him blessings which he does not deserve. The price: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him might not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Jesus had to suffer on the cross to atone for the Christian’s sins, and the Christian knows it. Because Jesus died for the Christian’s sins, God is able to treat the Christian with the kindness of mercy instead of with the harshness of justice.
Two men receive something good in this life. One of them is dominated by a sinful spirit, and he says in his heart of hearts, “I really deserve something better than this and more of it.” He is not really thankful. The other man has a faith relationship with Jesus, and he says in his heart of hearts, “I deserve the wrath of God, but Jesus died upon the cross that God might instead be merciful to me and give me this blessing.” He is truly grateful.
A third reason the Christian should be thankful is because the Christian knows that God is working all things to the good of those who love Him. The Christian is like a grateful young child with a kind and benevolent father. The young child may not understand why his father makes him eat his vegetables or sometimes takes him to a doctor to get a painful shot or makes him go to school. Yet the child knows that his father loves him and that his father knows best. And so the child is grateful even though his experiences are not all pleasant and even though he doesn’t fully understand their purpose. In like manner, the Christian can be grateful, even in painful situations, because he trusts God’s love, God’s wisdom and God’s power.
As our spiritual strength grows through Christ Jesus, we develop a more confident faith in God’s love, wisdom and power. And we come to realize that any discontentment with our God given circumstances means that we are doubting one of these three. We know that God loves us because He sent His only begotten Son to die for our sins. We know that God is wiser than we are. We don’t begin to understand our situation in life the way that God understands it. And we know that God is all powerful. If He chose to change our circumstances, He certainly could. If we have this confidence in God’s love, wisdom and power, then we must also believe that those elements of our circumstances which we cannot change must be for our best. And any illusion we might have that we would be better off in different circumstances must be a mistaken fantasy. God knows what He is about.
A fourth reason the Christian should be thankful is that the Christian has found in God the satisfaction that this world cannot provide. The materially rich have a greater temptation to seek satisfaction in the things of this earth. That is why Jesus said that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. There are examples of such discontent in the midst of prosperity in redemptive history. For example, Ahab was King of the northern kingdom of Israel, and yet he could not be content because he did not possess the little vineyard which belonged to Naboth. In the book of Esther, Haman was second only to the king of Persia, but he could not be content because Mordecai the Jew would not bow down before him. Apart from the grace of God, power and possessions only whet our appetite for more and no more satisfy our true inner desires than salt water can quench our thirst.
As we grow spiritually strong, we increasingly find our deepest satisfaction fulfilled in God. God made us for Himself, and nothing but fellowship with God can satisfy our deepest needs and yearnings. C.S. Lewis put it this way:
“God cannot give us peace and happiness apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.”
Psalm 63:1-5 puts it this way:

God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory.
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You.
Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.
My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.

As we grow in spiritual strength, we increasingly find our real inner satisfaction not in the things of this world but in God. The irony is that when we do that, we begin to enjoy the things of this life in a new way. When we make idols out of the things of this life, whether it be possessions or family or pleasure, we put a burden on them which they cannot bear. We become desperate to derive from them pleasure that is both deep and lasting, and we are always disappointed. It is only when we get our deep and lasting pleasure from our relationship with God that we are freed to enjoy the things of this life as they were meant to be enjoyed.
With these thoughts in mind, let us take time this thanksgiving season to be thankful and to give thanks to God.
Dr. Grover Gunn is a Minister in the Presbyterian Church in America and is pastor of MacDonald PCA in Collins, MS.

We remain firmly Presbyterian in polity, with the highest court being the General Synod. What seems to be at the center of this confusion is a short phrase in the new FOG “in order to:” That phrase indicates that the synod has the authority to do those things (organize, receive, divide, dissolve, etc.). And that it consults with presbyteries regarding the presbytery’s business/actions – not to get their approval of synod’s actions.

The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (ARPC) is one of the oldest Presbyterian denominations in the United States. It is organized in a series of ‘courts’ or congresses that bring accountability to each level of the church. The highest court of the ARPC is the General Synod, which is comprised of the various presbyteries (geographical groupings of churches). Being Presbyterian is quite different than being Episcopal (rule by one individual or small group of bishops, etc.) or being Congregational (each congregation individually decides what is right and only associates, as it pleases, with others). It is however striking the number of times those claiming to be Presbyterian really are desiring to be Episcopal or Congregational.
At the center of this current issue in the ARPC is Second Presbytery, which has been comprised of the state of Georgia and roughly half of the state of South Carolina (primarily the Greenville area). It is the opinion of many that a cult of personality centered around Chuck Wilson has been running Second presbytery through favoritism, intimidation and manipulation of church rules. This has been going on for some years. Even after he requested removal from the roll (while in the middle of an investigation into charges of child molestation), Mr. Wilson continued to have influence through a handful of ministers and elders that followed him and retained power within Second Presbytery.  They attempted to derail the action of the General Synod, at its meeting this past June, with all sorts of creative methods of interpreting parliamentary minutia. Some were blatantly absurd, such as the application of a rule requiring written reports to have signatures (commonly done for handwritten reports submitted during the meeting) towards the packet of reports sent out to the delegates of Synod. (Which does not contain ANY signatures on any reports, nor has it in the past 50 years). Each of these spurious attempts were incorrect and addressed in the June meeting.
Some have continued to portray this as a violation of the church constitution, though it clearly is not, and in general (whether they realize it or not) make an even stronger argument, by their actions, of the presbytery’s dysfunctional situation. There is no crisis of the ARP church constitution, more a crisis of conscience on the part of a few, who would prefer to continue in their ways rather than repent or be held accountable.
At its June meeting, the General Synod voted overwhelmingly (86% voted in the affirmative) to dissolve Second Presbytery, effective September 1, 2024. This merely takes away the perceived authority of the few who cling to power. No churches were to be closed, nor ministers automatically excluded. All that happened was the physical boundaries of Second presbytery were absorbed into the two adjoining presbyteries (Georgia into Tenn/Al and SC into Catawba/rest of SC). An orderly effort was begun to matriculate the churches and pastors into their new presbyteries. By action of the Synod, ARP Churches within those geographic bounds were assigned to the new presbyteries Sept 2, 2024. Should any wish to leave the denomination, there is a process outline in the Form of Government for the churches (takes approximately a year). Since ministers’ ordination credentials reside with a presbytery, they were to make appropriate transfer applications by that date (otherwise they would be without ordination credentials after Sept. 1).  At the synod level a commission was formed to handle any matters overall, such as any distribution of property, etc. At no time has there been any discussion regarding funds that Second Presbytery has accumulated from the closing and sale of former church properties. It is well presumed that it would be in some way set aside for the continued work of the churches in the former presbytery. There have been attempts by some, yet again, to frame this as some sort of violation of the church’s constitution and procedures in an effort to gain funds. Since the Synod meeting, there have been attempts to twist and torture the wording of the Form of Government to have it confess to all sorts of nonsense, in an effort to undo, cast doubt upon or reverse the action of the highest court of the denomination.  One can only hope these men handle the Word of God with more care than they do the church constitution.  Since June we have seen a continuation of the pathetic attempt to hold onto power by about a half dozen ministers and the churches they influence. Additionally, some have reached out to Second Presbytery churches with lies and disinformation (telling them that one Presbytery seeks to gain/sell/dissolve the church, etc.).
The overwhelming majority of the ministers and churches in the former Second Presbytery are excited about this transition.
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Not only is it bad exegesis and bad logic to make unrepentant homosexual practice less severe than feelings of pride or possession of wealth, akin to an act of disobeying one’s parents, but it is also bad pastoral theology. In the story of the sinful woman who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears, wiped his feet with her hair, and kissed them with her lips, Jesus explained to the Pharisaic host that the one who was forgiven more, loves more (Luke 7:36-50). One doesn’t have to lower the severity of sin in order to reach out to an offender. In fact, the greater the need, the greater should be the loving outreach.

Megan Basham, in her new book Shepherds for Sale, was right to be critical of the views on sexuality and homosexuality presented by Rev. J. D. Greear, who is Neil Shenvi’s pastor (note: Neil has attempted to take Meg to task over her statements about Greear) at The Summit Church in Durham, North Carolina and president of the Southern Baptist Convention from 2018 to 2021.
The 2019 Sermon Controversy
Greear tried to diminish the significance of the issue of sexual ethics in general and homosexual practice in particular in a 2019 sermon. Then when a furor arose, he issued a correction that left many erroneous views intact and largely blamed others for misrepresenting him.
His slippery attempts at rescuing himself from critique in the SBC in this matter (another was his initial endorsement of Preston Sprinkle’s erroneous “transgender pronoun hospitality”) have a Clintonesque quality in which every sentence must be carefully parsed.
The “Whisper” Statement
Greear declared in a widely publicized sermon in Jan. 2019 that the Bible only “whispers about sexual sin,” with homosexual practice especially in view, while it shouts about “materialism and religious pride.”
Much controversy erupted over this wrongheaded claim, leading Greear two-and-a-half years later (June 26, 2021) to issue “A Statement about My Sermon on Romans 1” which some took as an apology for his previous remark. A careful read of the statement, however, shows that Greear ended up more blaming those whom he alleged “misrepresented” him, perhaps intentionally, than apologizing and correcting his errors.
What Greear had said in the 2019 sermon (among other missteps) was this:
“In terms of frequency of [Paul’s] mention and the passion with which he mentions it, it would appear that quite a few other sins are more egregious in God’s eyes than homosexuality. Jen Wilkin, who is one of our favorite Bible teachers here and who is actually leading our Women’s Conference, said, ‘We ought to whisper about what the Bible whispers about and shout about what the Bible shouts about.’ And the Bible appears more to whisper when it comes to sexual sin compared to its shout about materialism and religious pride. In fact, Jesus not one time ever said that it was difficult for the same-sex attracted to go to heaven. He did say that it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it was for a religiously proud or materially successful person to enter into the kingdom of God.”
2021 Clarification
Greear’s “clarification” in 2021 was not entirely successful. He stated:
“I applied that quote to the difference in the emphasis Jesus places on the dangers of pride and greed versus sexual sin and said that given the sheer number of times Jesus talks about pride and greed, it is as if he saved most of his volume to warn about pride and greed. Thus, I said, we should look more fearfully at our own prideful, greedy hearts than we do haughtily at the sexual dysfunctions of others. The key word in the point was ‘compared.’ ‘Compared to what he said about pride and greed… it is as if he shouts about… and whispers about.’
“It was a rather clumsy way of making the point. However, I was in no way trying to imply that sexual ethics are muted in Scripture, that we should not speak clearly about them, or that we should [not?] be embarrassed by them. The preceding point of that message, in fact, which was not included in the clips that got passed around, makes that abundantly clear. In that point, I state plainly Scripture could not be clearer about these matters and that rebellion in sexual sin, as 1 Cor 6:9–11 states in no uncertain terms, is a matter of eternal destiny.”
Persisting Misconceptions
As we shall see, Greear was still wrong about important things: (1) Determining the severity of a given sin by counting up the number of explicit mentions in the Bible; and (2) contending that the universal struggle with pride and materialism is worse than engaging in homosexual practice.
Moreover, (3) his claim in 2021 that he presented “rebellion in sexual sin” in that 2019 sermon as “a matter of eternal destiny” is at conflict with that sermon where he denied that homosexual practice could send someone to hell and depicted homosexual practice as no worse than any other sin, including an outburst of temper, a feeling of envy or greed, a boast, or a rebellious attitude toward one’s parents.
He apologized “for any confusion that my clumsy wording may have caused” but devoted the rest of his comments to blaming others for misrepresenting him and did not rule out that the misrepresentation may have been intentional. In the end, his statement was more about those misrepresenting him than about what he stated, which was not merely “clumsy” but also incorrect on its face.
Response To Criticism
At one point, he blamed “Tom Ascol and a few of the same pastors seemingly looking to trap me in my words” for not reaching “out to me for clarification.” It was Tom’s Founders Ministries that produced the video in which I had a short appearance addressing the “whisper” statement.
Let it be said that I sent Rev. Greear an email on June 11, 2019, regarding my assessment of the entire sermon in question, stating: “I have written an open letter to you that appears on my Facebook and may soon be appearing elsewhere. For the moment you can view it at [then supplied the Facebook link].” I left not only my email address but also my cell phone. If he had had any issue with what I wrote, he could easily have contacted me. He never did.
Here were my observations in a 2021 post (modified slightly to adjust tenses for a 2024 reissuing) on Greear’s 2021 statement and on his 2019 sermon.
1. Jesus’ Silence On Same-Sex Attraction
Let’s begin by looking at Greear’s claim in his 2019 sermon that “Jesus not one time ever said that it was difficult for the same-sex attracted to go to heaven.” We wouldn’t expect Jesus to address “the same-sex attracted” specifically since homosexual practice was not an issue among the Jews of Jesus’ day. Nor would we expect him to condemn people for experiencing (but not acquiescing to) an involuntary impulse.
What Jesus did do is warn that sexual sin could get you thrown into hell. Matthew placed the Jesus saying about tearing out one’s eye or cutting off one’s hand if it threatens one’s downfall between Jesus’ prohibition of adultery of the heart and remarriage after (at least invalid) divorce, offenses that he obviously didn’t regard as severe as the violation of the male-female prerequisite that he treated as the foundation of sexual ethics (5:27-32; cp. 19:4-6). Granted, he didn’t use the precise expression “eye of a needle” here but that is a pedantic, not substantive, point.
2. Misguided Hermeneutics
In his 2021 statement, Greear still operated with the erroneous hermeneutical premise that the severity of sins is determined by the number of mentions that they get by Jesus or by the Bible generally. He reiterates:
“I applied that quote to the difference in the emphasis Jesus places on the dangers of pride and greed versus sexual sin and said that given the sheer number of times Jesus talks about pride and greed, it is as if he saved most of his volume to warn about pride and greed.”
In his sermon, he also made the same point about the apostle Paul.
Counting often gets the interpreter to the wrong conclusion. Some sexual sins are so egregious and corrupting to the young, and thus so infrequently committed in Israel by Jews, that the very mention of them in Scripture is kept to a minimum.
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