Yesterday we sought to give some practical suggestions which will help Christians make the Word and prayer central to their households. This is an essential step as we build the Christian Resistance and seek to see New Zealand turn back to Christ. As each family cell in the Resistance is led by men who prioritise the Word and prayer, we should expect to see God working great things. His Word will not return to him empty but will achieve the purpose for which he sent it out (Isaiah 55:11). And we know that purpose: it is that the knowledge of the Lord will fill the earth as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14).
4. Hold to the Sufficiency of Scripture Practically
It is also vital that as we read the Scriptures we hold to the sufficiency of Scripture. And I don’t mean just nod intellectually to this concept. I mean actually believe and act upon it. The Apostle Paul wrote these words that most Christians know by heart. “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) Paul argues that Scripture can be applied so that the man of God can be complete and equipped for every good work.
Do we know what to think about helping the poor? The Scriptures are sufficient for developing a robust and Christ-honouring approach. Do we want to know how Christians should respond to the COVID-19 lockdowns and potential vaccine mandates? We should search the Scriptures. Do we want to know whether redistributive tax policy is a Christian approach to government? We have the Scriptures which enable us to be equipped for every good work, whether it is in politics, family life, work-life, economics or science.
In holding to the sufficiency of Scripture, we must reject the truncation of the gospel that occurs when we fail to speak out on issues that are not ‘gospel issues’, as I mentioned in my previous article. Just because a part of the Scriptures is not about personal salvation does not mean it is not useful for equipping the man of God for every good work. Confronting tyrannical governments and naïve Christians who misuse Scripture to support government overreach or the breaking of commandments eight and ten is not divisive. It is applying Scripture to life as we are called to do. Jesus left his disciples the instruction to teach the nations to obey all that he commanded. Yes Scripture contains the way of salvation, but the gospel must not be gutted of the kingship of Christ motif and his requirement that all live under his rule. Thus when our children ask what we think about the issues of the day, we should begin with “What do the Scriptures say?”
5. Interpret the Culture You Live In
Related to the previous suggestion is that as we read the Scriptures and pray with our families and Christian brothers and sisters we need to not just focus on proper interpretation of the Scriptures we read. We must also learn to interpret the culture we live in. We must pray that God would open our eyes to see our culture with his eyes so that we may root out sin and rebellion. Today as my family read the Scriptures together at breakfast we read Micah 2.
Micah is bringing a message of judgment, mixed with hope for God’s people. In chapter 2, he begins by bringing a woe to evildoers who apparently plan evil on their beds. What is this evil? It is the coveting of fields and houses and the consequent seizing of them resulting in victims of these crimes losing their inheritance. God’s anger at this sin would lead to the disinheriting of his people. They as a people would lose their land because of this grievous sin. Now how did these plotters covet and steal land? Well we learn that they had the power to do it in verse 2. An example from a slightly earlier time would have been King Ahab who used his power to get false witnesses to condemn Naboth so that he could steal his vineyard.
As we interpret this passage in our day, we would have to be stupid to read this as a bunch of brigands with clubs coming and taking a piece of land off someone. Yes of course that is wrong. But the sin that Micah condemned was more nuanced than this. The people committing this crime used the levers of power to commit it, and no doubt, they justified it too. It wasn’t seen by the powers-that-be as a crime.
A proper cultural exegesis will see that this too is a sin in our nation. One that we justify. One that many Christians justify. Coveting is endemic. Our democratic system works in such a way that those who covet the goods of their neighbour vote to give certain groups power so that in return they will be rewarded with what is not theirs. This might be more nuanced and sophisticated than three unshaven men wearing masks and wielding clubs using stand-over tactics to their personal pecuniary gain, but it is no less sin.
This is what I mean by interpreting culture. We ought not to so define sin that it is something virtually nobody we know today commits. Sin is endemic to the fallen heart, and a culture that has rejected God is made up of individuals without the Spirit who will live to please the fleshly nature.
6. Refuse to Allow Scripture to be Fenced Off
As many regular readers will know, we here at The Sojournal are at times dismayed by the dualism exhibited in the modern evangelical church. One of the ways I have seen this is in the way Christians speak out on politics. The ‘suave and sophisticated’ Christians tend to look down on the crude Christians who argue from Scripture. When we are encouraged by Christian groups to make submissions against various godless bills our parliament is introducing, rank and file Christians are often encouraged to leave out the Scriptures or a specifically Christian approach but rather argue appealing to the negative impacts of the bill and appeal to the reason of politicians.
This is utter nonsense. The reason our parliament introduces evil bills such as the euthanasia bill and the decriminalisation of abortion is precisely because they are in rebellion against Christ. What they need to hear is the words of Christ the king and his response to their rebellious attempts at autonomy. There is no neutral ground upon which to argue. By giving up the words of Scripture, we are ceding the world to autonomous man – hardly a Christian position.
Imagine some of the religious leaders of the prophet Elijah’s day. “Elijah, we’re with you on this sacrifice to Molech business. Nasty stuff. But when you talk to the king, leave out the God stuff, try and convince him the babies are humans and that it’s not good to kill baby humans. You’ll have more chance of convincing him that way.” The job of the prophet was to bring God’s Word to bear on the sins of the religious and civic leaders. Surely one of the jobs of Christians is to be a prophetic witness to God’s righteous requirements. So let’s not let the Word of God be fenced out of public discourse. Include it in your daily conversations with your children, and with others, be they Christian or not. This is Christ’s world and He has spoken.
7. Help Others See How this Can be Done
Finally, I urge you in whatever setting you are to encourage others to devote themselves to the Word and prayer. Men, we must take responsibility for this happening. If you’re in a church or community where this is lacking, start up a discipleship group that meets regularly to read God’s Word and pray together. Invite others along. Don’t just sort your own family out, but seek to take this necessary step out into the wider body.