Written by Nicholas T. Batzig |
Monday, June 26, 2023
The doctrine of positional sanctification teaches that we are already perfect in the perfectly holy One. While our progressive sanctification is very imperfect in this life, we are assured that God will bring to completion what He began in us because the Son of God became the perfectly sanctified One for us. In Hebrews 7:28 we are told that the Son was “made perfect forever;” then in Heb. 10:14 we learn that “by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” 

The late Professor John Murray taught the significance of understanding the doctrine of definitive sanctification. As he studied the exegetical statements of the New Testament that spoke of believers having been sanctified through the death of Christ (e.g. 1 Corinthians 1:2; 6:11; Heb. 10:10, etc.), Murray suggested that “it is a fact too frequently overlooked that in the New Testament the most characteristic terms used with reference to sanctification are used not of a process but of a once-for-all definitive act,” and that  “it would be, therefore, a deflection from biblical patterns of language and conception to think of sanctification exclusively in terms of a progressive work.” Still many tend to think of sanctification as something entirely progressive, and, therefore, miss out on understanding one of the richest and most spiritually impacting gospel truths. In order for us to understand why both definitive and positional sanctification are two aspects of the doctrine of sanctification most frequently overlooked, it will help us to consider what they are, why they have frequently been overlooked, and how it ought to impact our Christian lives.  
What is Definitive Sanctification?
As he unfolded the meaning of definitive sanctification, Murray explained that certain portions of Scriptures, such as Romans 6:1-23, teach that “there is a once-for-all definitive and irreversible breach with the realm in which sin reigns in and unto death,” and “that our death to sin and newness of life are effected in our identification with Christ in his death and resurrection.” In further explaining how union with Christ makes definitive sanctification a reality, Murray wrote:
“It is by virtue of our having died with Christ and our being raised with Him in His resurrection from the dead that the decisive breach with sin in its power, control, and defilement had been wrought…Christ in his death and resurrection broke the power of sin, triumphed over the god of this world, the prince of darkness, executed judgment upon the world and its ruler, and by that victory delivered all those who were united to him from the power of darkness and translated them into his own kingdom. So intimate is the union between Christ and his people that they were partakers with him in all these triumphal achievements and therefore died to sin, rose with Christ in the power of his resurrection…”
When the Apostle Paul said of Christ that “the death that He died, He died to sin once for all” (Rom. 6:10) he was referring to something that happened to Jesus in His death, and which subsequently has had an impact on us by virtue of our faith-union with Him. While Jesus knew no personal sin, as our representative He subjected Himself to the guilt and power of sin. When He died, He died to the power of sin’s dominion. This is how we are set free from the power of sin’s dominion in our lives when we are united to Him by faith. Distinct from the blessing of justification–which deals with the guilt of sin–definitive sanctification deals with the power of sin.
Why Has Definitive Sanctification Been Overlooked?
One of the most basic reasons why definitive sanctification isn’t more widely taught and delighted in is that it was formulated and popularized by a professor at a highly academic Reformed seminary (one of the finest in all of church history) in the 20th Century. Additionally, you won’t find this doctrine explicitly taught in our historic creeds or our beloved Reformed confessions. That being so, Professor Murray was not contradicting the Reformed Confessions with his formulation; he was, in a very real sense, building upon what our Reformed forefathers had already said about sanctification–by means of exegetically driven doctrinal refinement. The Reformed church has commonly tended to shy away from doctrinal pioneering (except in the realm of eschatology), for the obvious reason that such pioneering has usually ended in a jeopardizing of the biblical doctrines that we have come to so love and embrace. But this is not the case with definitive sanctification. You will sometimes find hints of the truth of this particular doctrine in the writings of the Puritans and other Reformed theologians of bygone ages–generally placed within the realm of regeneration or progressive sanctification. It may rightly be said to stand at the head of progressive sanctification, as it has a logical priority to our being made more and more into the image of Christ; but, it must be distinguished from progressive sanctification because–like the doctrine of justification–it is a once-for-all decisive act of God.
How Should the Doctrine of Definitive Sanctification Affect Our Lives?
In Romans 6, the Apostle Paul makes two astonishing statements. The first came in the form of a question: “How can we who have died to sin live any longer in it?” The apostle’s rhetorical question could be reworded to give it its proper sense: “How are we who have died to sin able to live any longer in it?” We should understand that it is an impossibility that those who have died with Christ, by virtue of their union with Him, should continue living on in sin. The reality of truth of this doctrine for the Christian is that he or she is no longer a slave of sin. In union with Christ, we too have died, been buried and have risen with Him (Colossians 2:20-3:4). When He died, we died. When He was buried, we were buried. When He rose, we rose with Him. We have died to the dominion of sin, because He died to sin’s dominion. This is something different than that which we get in justification. In justification, we get the guilt of our sin removed, our sins forgiven and Christ’s righteousness imputed to us. In definitive sanctification we undergo a radical breach with sin’s dominion and power. This means that we should not and do not have to go on sinning.
The second astonishing statement is found in verse 11. When we are tempted to sin, we must say to ourselves, “I have died with my Savior and have been raised with Him. I am no longer a slave to sin.
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The next item of business for the evening was to elect a new moderator for this year’s Assembly. Elder David Nakhla (Glenside, PA) was the only nominee and declared elected. Elder David Winslow (Westminster, CA), who had nominated Mr. Nakhla, led in prayer for the newly elected moderator.

The 88th General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church met from June 8–14, 2022, at Eastern University, St. Davids, Pennsylvania.
Wednesday June 8, 2022
Eastern University is located in St. Davids, Pennsylvania, northwest of Philadelphia. This is where the 88th General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church met to conduct the business of our Church.
As is the usual custom, the Assembly began with a worship service, which was held at McInnis Auditorium. The Session of Emmanuel OPC, Wilmington, Delaware, had oversight of this service. The moderator of last year’s Assembly, Rev. Zachery Keele (Escondido OPC, Escondido, CA), convened this year’s Assembly and preached from Mark 6:30–44, the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand. Rev. Keele reminded the commissioners of the kind affection of Christ, as well the great feast we receive from the endless supply of grace provided by Christ, our great shepherd. Rev. Greg O’Brien (Christ OPC, Downingtown, PA) administered the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. The offering collected was designated for the Committee on Christian Education’s Intern Program.
Following a brief recess, the Assembly reconvened at the gymnasium, which will be the primary meeting place as we conduct the business of the Church. Mr. Keele opened in prayer. The roll call was taken by the stated clerk, Rev. Hank Belfield (Providence OPC, Chilhowie, VA). Members of the Assembly’s committees who are not commissioners were seated as corresponding members. Corresponding members are granted the privilege of the floor which means they can speak on matters but they are not allowed to make motions or vote.
On behalf of the Committee on Ecumenicity and Interchurch Relations, Rev. Tony Curto introduced the fraternal delegates from the Bible Presbyterian Church (BPC), Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America (RPCNA), Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), Reformed Church in the United States (RCUS), Presbyterian Church in Korea, Evangelical Reformed Church Westminster Confession, and Gereformeerde Kerken Nederland. These delegates were also seated as corresponding members.
Elder David Mahaffy (Oak Harbor, WA) gave a preliminary report for the Committee on Arrangements, noting key information regarding the campus of Eastern University. At this point the Assembly tested the voting devices with two statistical questions. The first one was “Is this your first General Assembly?” There are 26 first timers and 100 seasoned veterans. The second one asked for the decade of ordination: 13 in the 2020s; 34 in the 2010s; 32 in the 2000s; 20 in the 1990s; 13 in the 1980s; 8 in the 1970s; and 4 in the 1960s, who were asked to stand.
The stated clerk presented the minutes of the 87th General Assembly. He noted that the hard copies of the minutes were delayed due to unusual circumstances. Firstly, last year’s Assembly met a month later than usual. Secondly, there was an inordinate number of appeals and complaints in part due to the meeting being postponed from 2020 due to the COVID pandemic. Thirdly, there was a shortage of paper due to the pandemic as well.
The next item of business for the evening was to elect a new moderator for this year’s Assembly. Elder David Nakhla (Glenside, PA) was the only nominee and declared elected. Elder David Winslow (Westminster, CA), who had nominated Mr. Nakhla, led in prayer for the newly elected moderator.
The docket was adopted, and subsequently the clerk proposed the assignment of the matters of business to the various advisory and temporary committees, which were adopted by the Assembly. The newly elected moderator closed the evening with prayer.
Thursday June 9, 2022
After a pre-dawn rain, the first full day of the Assembly’s work began following breakfast. However, rather than begin the day as a whole, the commissioners meet in in their respective advisory committees at various locations on campus.
What exactly is an advisory committee? All members of the assembly, except the moderator, clerks, and commissioners who give presentations in advisory committees, are assigned to an advisory committee. Advisory committees and temporary committees help the assembly with its work. They are tasked with meeting with representatives of the various committees of the General Assembly (e.g., Committee on Christian Education or the Committee on Home Missions and Church Extensions) to review those committees’ reports and recommendations. When an advisory committee reports that it is “silent” with regard to the work of a committee under its review, this silence is understood to convey approval of the committee’s work and concurrence with its report and/or recommendations. However, an advisory committee may bring recommendations to the assembly that might differ from a committee’s report or recommendations under its review. But they may not do so without conferring with at least one member of that committee present at the assembly.
Each day the commissioners and corresponding members receive breakfast, lunch and supper at the dining commons in Walton Hall. There are two 20-minute breaks with coffee and refreshments each day, at 10:00 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. The Assembly pauses its work each morning at 11:40 for daily devotional with the exception of the Lord’s Day when commissioners will have the opportunity to worship at nearby OPC congregations.
At 11:40, the commissioners reconvened at the gymnasium and Rev. Wayne Forkner (Covenant OPC, Berkeley, CA) led a devotional on Exodus 34:5-8. He noted that the basis of God’s intercession is His own name and glory. Moses could not intercede personally, but he pleaded with God as the only one who could go in the midst of His stiff-necked people and be gracious to them. This is the God we need. The Assembly recessed for lunch and afterward the commissioners returned to their advisory committees to finish their remaining work.
Mr. Curto introduced more corresponding members from the Canadian and American Reformed Churches, Reformed Presbyterian Church of Central and Eastern Europe, and The Free Church of Scotland Continuing with each delegate being seated as a corresponding member.The Assembly recessed for lunch and subsequently, the commissioners returned to their work in Advisory Committees.
Thursday Afternoon, June 9
The Assembly reconvened at 3:45 and sang from the Trinity Psalter Hymnal #425, “How Sweet and Awesome Is the Place,” followed by prayer led by Rev. Lendall Smith.
The moderator addressed the Assembly and then the Assembly recessed until after supper.
Thursday Evening, June 9
The Assembly reconvened at 6:48 p.m. with the singing of hymn #159, “Abide with Me.” Rev. Nathan Trice (Resurrection OPC, Matthews, NC) led in prayer.
The moderator addressed the Assembly.
Mr. Belfield presented the report of the Stated Clerk. Mr. Belfield serves in this capacity on a part time basis while also serving in full time ministry. Mr. Belfield noted that all of the presbyteries had approved the amendment to Form of Government XXV.7 which was proposed at the 87th General Assembly. He expressed gratefulness for the help from the clerk’s staff, Mrs. Charlene Tipton, Mrs. Linda Porter Foh, and Mrs. Judith Dinsmore. Rev. John Keegan (Grace OPC, Fair Lawn, NJ) prayed for the clerk and his work.
Mr. Curto introduced fraternal delegates from the United Reformed Church of North America and the Free Reformed Church of North America who were then seated as corresponding members.
Rev. Richard Ellis, President of the OPC Board of Trustees, presented the report of the trustees. The trustees nominated Mr. Belfield to be re-elected to serve a second term as stated clerk of the General Assembly. Two men were reelected to service for another term on the Board of Trustees: Mr. Ellis and Mr. John Hearn (Orlando, FL). Rev. David Graves (Covenant OPC, Coeur d’Alene, ID) prayed for the Trustees.
Rev. Robert C. Van Kooten (Sovereign Grace OPC, Oak Harbor, WA) presented on behalf of the statistician, Mr. Luke Brown. During 2021 the number of local churches grew by six to 296. The number of mission works remained at 38, as seven new mission works were started or received, while five were organized as new and separate churches, one withdrew, and one was closed.
Total membership increased by 596 persons to 32,255 persons. Morning worship in-person attendance of 22,849 in November 2021 recovered to 91 percent of the 2019 pre-COVID level. Sunday School attendance of 9,580 in November recovered to 77 percent of the 2019 level.
Total giving grew by 11.2 percent over the previous year to $75.1 million. In addition, there was a robust 9.2-percent increase in average giving per communicant member, which reached $3,175.
There were 576 ministers in the OPC at the end of 2021, representing a net increase of six in the number of ministers on the rolls of the presbyteries. Eighteen were ordained as ministers, eight were received into the OPC from other churches, but twenty ministers were removed from the rolls of presbyteries: six by dismissal to other churches, eight by reason of death, two who demitted the ministry, two who were deposed and two who were erased.
Mr. Brown was re-elected as statistician. Mr. Van Kooten prayed for the statistician.
Rev. Craig Troxel, president of the Christian Education Committee, introduced the work of the committee by noting the petition “Thy Kingdom Come” from the Lord’s Prayer. He introduced the General Secretary, Rev. Danny Olinger who expressed his thanks for serving with this committee. Mr. Olinger reminded the commissioners that the Christian Education Committee is the communication arm of the OPC. He noted that the publication Ordained Servant has been in publication for 30 years and then introduced the editor, the Rev. Dr. Gregory Reynolds, who spoke of his work as editor. Ordained Servant’s primary audience is ministers, elders, and deacons of the OPC.
Mr. Olinger introduced the president of the Great Commission Publication Trustees for the OPC, Dr. Alan Strange. Mr. Strange spoke about the Trinity Psalter Hymnal that had five printings by early 2022 totaling 73,000 copies. There is a sixth printing planned for another 10,000 copies. The OPC accounts for about 29 percent of the sales of the Trinity Psalter Hymnal.
Mr. Strange introduced Rev, Mark Lowrey, a ministerial member of the PCA who serves as the interim executive director of Great Commission Publications, which produces Sunday School curriculum. GCP had taken a serious hit in sales due to the COVID pandemic, but by God’s grace things have improved greatly. Mr. Lowrey noted the challenges for GCP today such as inflation, the ramifications of the war in Ukraine, and printing costs, particularly the availability and cost of paper. Sales are starting to move upward again. GCP has stabilized financially by controlling expenses and paying off outstanding accounts payable. Mr. Lowrey introduced new curriculum called “Digging Deeper,” which is a two-year catechism study that should be available in July 2022.
The Assembly elected Dr. James Gidley and Mr. John Muether to the CCE’s Subcommittee on Ministerial Training, class of 2025, and Rev. John Currie was elected to fill a vacancy in the class of 2023. Rev. Stephen Tracey, Mr. Strange, and Dr. David Van Drunen were elected to the class of 2025. Rev. Chad Mullinix (Westminster OPC, Hollidaysburg, PA) prayed for Committee.
Mr. Curto introduced Nicholas Hathaway, fraternal delegate from the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). Mr. Hathaway expressed his thanks for the OPC and noted how many young people in the PCA have been inspired by the OPC’s commitment to biblical truth. He then asked for prayer for their own upcoming General Assembly, noting the controversies surrounding those who identify as same-sex attracted, particularly ministers. Mr. Currie prayed for the PCA.
Mr. Mark Bube, general secretary of the Committee on Foreign Missions, read a resolution of thanks:
The Committee on Foreign Missions of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church hereby makes known to the Rev. Dr. Richard B. Gaffin, Jr., our deep thankfulness to the Lord for you and for your faithful and diligent labors on behalf of Christ and the foreign missions work of the OPC for more than half a century. Born to missionary parents laboring in China less than a month after (what would become) the OPC was formed in 1936—you were one of the first, if not the very first, covenant children born into the OPC—a zeal for missions seems to have been in your blood all your life. Your life’s calling was to help prepare men for the gospel ministry at Westminster Theological Seminary, where you taught for forty-four years, eventually retiring as Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology in 2008. Over the intervening decades, your writings as a theologian of the highest order helped to deepen and enhance our understanding of the Scriptures and will continue to serve the church worldwide for generations to come. But it is your preeminent churchmanship upon which we now focus our attention. You and your dear wife, Jean, made service in and to Christ’s church a central part of your lives, and in so doing, set a godly example to us all. By our count, you served on fourteen General Assembly special committees and as a commissioner to the General Assembly thirty-four times; and you served as the moderator of the 51st (1984) General Assembly. The particular service for which we are most grateful is your fifty-two years of continuous labors on behalf of the Committee on Foreign Missions. You were first elected to the Committee by the 36th (1969) General Assembly and served continuously until 2021. During that time, you served as the Committee’s president for forty-two years (1972–1976 and 1981–2019). You would also serve on the Committee on Ecumenicity and Interchurch Relations for fifteen years (1989–2004), helping to build and strengthen ecclesiastical relationships vital to our missionary endeavors. In 2019 you determined that, while you desired to continue serving on the Committee you loved, it was time, after thirty-eight continuous years, to pass the baton of the Committee presidency on to the next generation. In that same year, our Lord called your dear wife of sixty years home to Himself, and with you, we found our hearts clinging to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ of an inheritance in heaven that is imperishable. And in 2021, having moved several hours away to be closer to your son, you reluctantly requested, at age eighty-five, that your name not be offered in nomination for re-election to the Committee. Our dear brother and father in the faith, during all the years of our laboring together to advance the cause of Christ and His kingdom to the nations, your warm love for Christ, your diligence and wisdom, and your gentle, humble, and patient leadership displayed to us all the Holy Spirit’s grace at work in you. Christ does indeed give good gifts to His church, and we thank Him for giving you to us and to His church. Know that we miss you, for you are much loved among us, and we consider it a high honor to have labored with you in the fields of our Savior that are indeed ripe unto harvest. To God be the glory!
Mr. Olinger presented a slide show giving the commissioners a brief historical overview of Dr. Gaffin’s ministry in the OPC with a particular emphasis on his work for Foreign Missions.
The Assembly recessed for the evening at 9:07 p.m., following prayer by the Rev. Shane Bennett.
Friday Morning, June 10
The commissioners awoke to a beautiful morning of blue skies and cooler temperatures. After a hearty breakfast, the commissioners trickled into the gymnasium for a full day of meeting together.
The Assembly reconvened at 8:30 a.m. and sang #48B, “The LORD Is Great and Greatly Praised.” Rev. Jonathan Falk led in prayer. The moderator addressed the Assembly, read Psalm 51 and the commissioners entered into a season of prayer.
Mr. Ashraf Guirgues (New Bern, NC) prayed for Mr. Belfield, who needed to leave due to a loss in the family. The assistant clerk, Rev. John Mahaffy (Trinity OPC, Newberg, OR), was appointed clerk pro-tem and Elder Michael Shields was appointed assistant clerk pro-tem.
Mr. Curto introduced Rev. Edward Lawman, the fraternal delegate from the Free Reformed Churches of North America. Mr. Lawman expressed appreciation for the relationship with the OPC. He noted his denomination has 22 churches and a couple of church plants with membership between five and six thousand. Despite the dark times in which we live and opposition to the gospel, he noted that the church ought to be encouraged to have an eternal perspective. Rev. Peter VanDoodewaard (Covenant Community OPC, Taylors, SC) prayed for the Free Reformed Churches of North America.
Rev. John Van Meerbeke, president of the Committee on Foreign Missions, introduced the report of the committee by noting Christ’s compassion for the people who were like sheep without a shepherd. As he introduced Mr. Mark Bube, the general secretary for the committee, he briefly noted his service for 31 years.
Mr. Bube began his portion of the report by expressing how blessed he has been to work with Rev. Douglas Clawson, associate general secretary. Mr. Bube turned his attention to the Great Commission in Matthew 28 noting that in missions we establish the worship of God and cast the net to bring in his people. He earnestly asked pastors to lead congregations in public prayers for missions. He then provided updates on OPC missionary work being done in parts of Asia, East Africa, Ethiopia, Haiti, Quebec, Uganda, Ukraine, and Uruguay.
Rev Benjamin Hopp, missionary to Haiti, spoke to the commissioners on his work there. Currently they are waiting for circumstances to improve so that they can return. He asked for prayer for the saints in Haiti with all the turmoil and unrest there. Mr. Hopp encouraged the body to pray that more workers be sent, particularly for each commissioner to examine whether God might be calling him to serve.
Mr. Bube challenged them: “Might the Lord be calling you to take up this work?”
Mr. Curto spoke of his work for the committee’s Mobile Theological Mentoring Corps (MTMC), noting his labors in both Africa and Europe. He thanked the Assembly and the OPC for their prayers and encouragement over the last couple of months following his wife Kathleen’s entrance into glory.
Mr. Bube continued by presenting the MTMC’s work in Columbia. He thanked the commissioners and asked them to consider if the Lord might be calling them to serve Christ’s kingdom on the mission field.
After a recess at 10:15, the Assembly reconvened at 10:30 sang hymn #224, “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise.”
Mr. Curto introduced fraternal delegates from Presbyterian Church in Korea, Kosin and the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church who were then seated as corresponding members.
Rev. HakKoo Kang, the fraternal delegate from the Presbyterian Church in Korea, Kosin, addressed the Assembly. He reflected on the history of the OPC’s relationship to his denomination, noting it went as far back as 1938. He spoke of the courage of former OPC missionary Rev. Bruce Hunt and others who refused to participate in emperor worship. He noted they hope to update the Westminster Standards, Korean edition soon. He expressed the hope that the two denominations can work closely together for Christ’s kingdom. Mr. Bube prayed for the Presbyterian Church in Korea, Kosin.
The Assembly then took up a more somber matter. What follows is an announcement provided by the Office of the General Assembly.
On Thursday afternoon, June 9, representatives of the Conferencing Office of Eastern University informed the Committee on General Assembly Arrangements of reports of four incidents of egregiously offensive behavior by more than one person. After describing accounts of racist speech that had been reported, Mr. Nakhla declared that such conduct violates the campus’s zero tolerance policy on racism and brings shame to the church of Jesus Christ. He then stated the assembly would stay in recess the rest of the afternoon and requested that the commissioners commit themselves to a season of prayer.
In the morning session of Friday, June 10, the Assembly passed the following statement of regret and sorrow without dissent.
The 88th (2022) General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church hereby expresses to the faculty, staff, and students of Eastern University its grief, sorrow, and disgust regarding four recent incidents of racial disparagement reported being made by some present at our Assembly. There is no place in the church for such conduct.
The church seeks to magnify and honor Christ as the Creator of every human being, each one reflecting dignity and value as the image of God. Therefore, in accordance with God’s Word and the two great laws of love, we repudiate and condemn all sins of racism, hatred, and prejudice, as transgressions against our Holy God, who calls us to love and honor all people. In keeping with the law of God and the right order of the church for Christ’s honor, we resolve to deal directly and biblically with any such sins of hatred committed by members of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. In keeping with the gospel, we resolve to offer our assistance to Eastern University to confront offender(s) and seek reconciliation.
The assembly returned to the Committee on Foreign Missions. For the election to the Committee’s class of 2025, the Assembly needed to elect three ministers and two ruling elders. Revs. James Lim (Faith OPC, Long Beach, CA), Philip Proctor (Sterling OPC, Sterling, VA), and John Van Meerbeke (Living Hope OPC, Gettysburg, PA), and Elders John Emmett and Hayo Jager were elected.
Elder Bruce Stahl (Wentzville, MO) prayed for the Committee on Foreign Missions.
Rev. Charles Williams (Westminster OPC, Corvallis, OR) led the morning devotional and his text was Matt 5:1-12. He opened the word to the body giving an encouraging reminder that these beatitudes are Christ’s blessings to the citizens of His kingdom. He noted that our sufferings and trials take the shape of the cross. He quoted Thomas Watson who said, “you might be under a cross, but you are not under a curse.”
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Written by Bruce A. Little |
Monday, April 18, 2022
When individual Christians do involve themselves in cultural matters, they end up merely following the world and add nothing distinctively Christian to the issue except maybe on an obvious moral issue. So, in every way the Christian voice, if not lost, is very diluted, limp and the witness of Christ is muted. When or if Christians speak to the cultural corruption around them, there ought to be something that clashes with what the world is doing. The clash is in the difference between what informs the Christian’s mind and what informs the voice of the world.

Recently I was reading a brief essay by Sir Roger Scruton titled “The Pestilence of Pulpit Politics”. He speaks to the matter of the politics of religious leaders. The context of Sir Roger’s remarks focuses on a meeting of Roman Catholic bishops in the UK during the early 1980s. At that time, bishops were encouraged to get more involved in cultural affairs. Although Scruton’s remarks are directed to this group of RC bishops, his comments apply equally to the evangelical leaders in the Protestant tradition. He writes:
“We must remember that a certain kind of politics is, for a priest, an easy way out. It is far more agreeable to exalt oneself through compassion for what is anonymous and abstract–the working class, the victims of capitalist oppression, the Third World—than to work humbly in the ways of charity, which obliges us to help those concrete, knowable and often unlovable individuals whom Providence has placed in our paths. Not only is it more agreeable, it is also more gratifying to the ego. The attention of the world is more readily captured by the man with a cause than by the man who merely attends to his duty. There lies the origin of the modern heresy, which sees true religion in large-scale worldly enterprises and which exhorts us to fight oppression in Chile, racism in South Africa or nuclear weapons at home—in short, to perfect the unfinished work of Providence—rather than to save our own souls.”
Any evangelical watching with a modicum of insight witnesses this very same mischief-making in leaders in the evangelical world where having a cause overtakes the pursuit of godliness. In fact, in many cases, leaders think that having a cause is doing one’s duty. There is a convoluted notion that the church must be engaged in cultural causes as the way to demonstrate their Christian duty. This can be seen in how many church leaders allow causes such as the Social Justice Warrior Movement to shape their ministry and message.
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