Opus 2025-551: Advent Calendar: Day 3. Abraham

We can follow the idea of the seed down through the ages, but Paul summarizes it when we get to the book of Galatians.

Galatians 3:16 (KJV) Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

Jesus was the promise that was given to Eve.  Each generation would assign one person to carry the promise.  If you look at the genealogies of Matthew and Luke, you see a list of how this was passed down until it came to Jesus.

Christmas was the fulfillment of a millennium old promise given by God in the garden of Eden.  It wasn’t a later addition.  It wasn’t an adaptation.  It wasn’t an afterthought.  When sin entered the world God provided the promise for a cure.  Christmas is that promise.  Jesus is that cure.

Rejoice and merry Christmas

homo unius libri

Opus 2025-484: Leftovers

As I was contemplating the relationship between God and Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, I found myself wanting the right word to express the status of the first humans.  At first, I wanted to say God fellowshiped with His creatures, but then I realized God also made the horses, cows, earthworms and oak trees.  He does not fellowship with them.  In trying to find the right term I stumbled across one that I probably first saw in a book by Michael Heiser, “image bearers”.

We are created in the image of God.  None of the other creatures does God fellowship with.  He didn’t walk with them in the garden.  He didn’t create for them a tree of life and a tree of knowledge of good and evil.  They were there for Adam and Eve to subdue and care for.  They were creatures.  They still are.  We were created in His image which makes “image bearers” a logical title for us.

From there, my mind did a sharp left turn, and I began to wonder if even many of the people that we consider human beings like ourselves were actually creatures instead of image bearers.  Somehow, I feel like I’m wondering into some kind of heresy.  We have people all the time talking about how we are all God’s children and how God loves His children and yet that does not play well in Peoria.  All through history, God has chosen individuals and groups of people to be special in His eyes.

He chose Noah and his sons to preserve out of all humanity.  He chose Abraham to be the father of a line of people leading toward the Messiah.  He chose the Jews to carry the banner of the law.  Even today he chooses those who believe in Jesus to have eternal life.  All through history, there have been the in-crowd and the outsiders.

The word that I’m coming up with from the Bible is “remnant”.

Remnant can have different meanings.  In our culture, remnants generally are referred to as leftovers.  When you go to a store that sells cloth and sewing supplies, the remnants are those little pieces of a bolt that were not sold.  They aren’t big enough to make a lot of clothes from, but they might be enough if carefully marshaled to produce one article.  It would seem in Bible times that the remnant would have that appearance to the masses.  They would be the ones who are out of step.  They would be the ones who are old-fashioned.  They would be the ones clinging to the past.

In God’s eyes this remnant are the chosen ones.  I often wonder how Paul and Romans 11:26 can claim that all Israel will be saved.

Romans 11:26 (KJV) And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

You either take the concept of salvation and separated it from any sense of responsibility or personal response and actually go back through history and reclaim every single Jew who lived, or you seek to understand the possibility that in this case “Israel” means something more, or less, than every DNA Jew through history.

It is more likely that it refers to the remnant, the faithful, the leftovers.  When you consider that what Paul said,

(Gal 3:28 KJV)  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

Then there is a welcome mat out for faithful, believing Jews in the Body of Christ.

homo unius libri

Opus 2021-276: Gift of God?

I was listening to a discussion of the liberty we enjoy as Americans, or at least used to enjoy.  One of the speakers made a point I have heard repeatedly.  He pointed out that our rights are not given by the government but by God.  The implication was that these are something that God has granted since time immemorial.  I accept that God has blessed us with them but question the implication.  Somehow I think the apostle Paul would have also been surprised at that.

Americans have lived in a bubble.  Never in the history of the world have so many people had so much prosperity and so many options.  American Christians tend to fall into the trap of thinking that we are God’s chosen people.  We are not.  We are blessed but we are not the chosen.

The concept that all men are created equal, from the Declaration of Independence, can be validated from scripture as long as you understand “created” does not mean locked in for an entire life span.

(Gal 3:28 KJV)  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

The key term is “in Christ”.  It does not mean class or talent.

The ideas embodied in the Bill of Rights are another story.  I like to think they come from God.  They do come more from God than the government.  There is little Biblical basis for freedom of religion or jury trial.

Be glad we have them.  We are losing them.  The oneness in Christ will survive.  Eternity will still be waiting.

homo unius libri

Opus 2021-140: Time for a Hug

When I first heard the term I was amazed by the total lack of self awareness involved.  It was the acme of arrogance.  It was the height of hypocrisy.  I felt like an adult listening to a child claim he didn’t take the cookie when the crumbs are still around his mouth and down his shirt.  I refer to the silly speak of “multiracial whiteness.”

And then I realized that I had come home.  The clock that was broken had made it to the twice daily chime point.  I came to understand that multiracial whiteness was exactly what I was raised with.  It was taught in my home.  It was taught in my church.  It might have even been taught in my schools.  

Of course we did not call it such a loaded bit of attempted slander.  It was summed up in the phrase, “The ground is level at the foot of the cross.”  It started by knocking us down as a race, and by that I mean the human race.

(Rom 3:23 KJV)  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

All.  Not just a social class.  Not just an ethnic grouping.  All.

Then we are told how we can be lifted up.

(Joh 3:16 KJV)  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Notice again it is the world and “whosoever”.  And then there is the statement of where we are after God works in us,

(Gal 3:28 KJV)  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

You ask, “Where is the multiracial whiteness?”  Glad you asked.  Keep in mind that the people who originally came up with this are actively working to destroy Western civilization.  They have a special hatred for Christians.  When they say “white” what they mean are the people who live their lives in a way that is based on the Bible and the Constitution.  That is their definition of white.  Obviously it has nothing to do with skin color except that whites are easy to attack.  We were raised with this silly idea of “turn the other cheek” and “a soft answer turns away wrath.”  By their definition Thomas Sowell, Clarence Thomas, Candice Owens and a host of others are white because they believe in truth that does not change based on the latest Gallup poll.

Keep in mind that the haters of the world make a habit of trying to insult and often the insult is embraced.  Christians first received that name as an insult.  Straight was supposed to be kinky.  

So it is time to embrace your whiteness, whatever the color of your skin.  It is time to realize that there is only one race that counts, the human race.  Sorry NASCAR fans, different kind of race.

homo unius libri

Opus 2021-114: Childish Brainwashing

With all the talk about how nasty, racist and arrogant white people are I offer an example of the white racism I was raised on.  This is a song we were taught as children.

Jesus loves the little children,
All the children of the world.
Red and yellow, black and white,
They are precious in His sight.
Jesus loves the little children of the world.

When the gurus of modern culture came out with the idea of “multiracial whiteness” it became clear.

Of course you also have verses we heard preach on from the Bible.

(Col 3:11 KJV) Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

(Gal 3:28 KJV) There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

That sounds pretty inclusive to me but I was raised before the philosophy of deconstructionalism took over education.

homo unius libri

Opus 2018-147: Foundations of Privilege

If there is such a thing as “white privilege” then it stands to reason that there would also be such a thing as “black privilege”.

What would black privilege be based on? 

It is interesting the racist attitudes that come through in the Tourette responses of the left as they blurt out pet phrases.  (Apologies for the comparison to those with Tourette.)  Notice when they talk about white privilege they seem to think it involves being corporate executives and when they are worried about black privilege it means being allowed to use the bathroom at Starbucks.  The way they try to say that minorities are equal is to give them cheat points.  It is almost like they are trying to cover up their own prejudices rather than give genuine opportunity to people they look down on.  If you can make the masses happy with bread and circuses then they will never demand a voice.

Black privilege should be based on the same thing that white privilege is supposed to be based on:  Hard work, ability and as close to an even chance as can be found in human society.  You don’t achieve that kind of deserved privilege by lowering the requirements for one group.  Are different ethnic groups different?  Probably, no, make that a yes.  When it comes to the individual do those differences have any significance?  No, not at all.  Just because men are taller on average than women does not mean that the random man will be taller than the random female.  And it certainly doesn’t reflect on intelligence or skill.

America is based on individual liberty not group identity.  As the left continues to work to Balkanize us we must work to look at people by what Martin Luther King, Jr. called the content of their character.  For Christians that is summarized in a couple of concepts.  First,

(Romans 3:23 KJV)  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

and

(John 3:16 KJV)  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

with a reminder,

(Galatians 3:28 KJV)  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

These are the ideas that are at the root of the American Experiment.

homo unius libri

Opus 2014-46: Cornerstone Considerations: D of I, Truths: A Fair Chance

One of the lessons that comes through to me every year I teach is the danger of judging on outward appearance and first impressions.

Outward appearance is a source of information.  It does tell us something about a person but it is only part of the story.  First impressions are often correct but you can’t take it to the bank.

I think of the girls in my class.  Some are stubby and will never even be considered attractive.  Some are attractive and seem to have a lot going for them.  There is no correlation between their looks and how they do in class.  I think of two that sit next to each other.  Both are very plain and overweight.  One is loud, obnoxious and failing.  The other quiet, focused and getting an “A.”  The same applies to the boys but with different adjectives. 

When you look at things like ethnic background, nation of origin, religion, address or clothing style it is easy to fall into stereotypes based on our past experience.  We cannot do that.  We must respond to people based on who they are as a person, not as a category. 

It is the Christian way.

(Gal 3:28 KJV)  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

It is the American Way.

“We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness...”

No other country has that as a guiding principle.  It is up to us to make it a reality.  Daily.

homo unius libri

Opus 2012-319, Diverse Is Subverse

There are certain phrases that are guaranteed to set my bell ringing.  One of them is “cultural diversity.”  When I heard Alistair Begg use it recently, I could feel my blood pressure rising and my veins bulging.

He used it in all innocence.  He was talking about the hosts of heaven gathered before the throne.  He spoke of many races and cultures.  His point was that the gospel has been extended to all.

(Galatians 3:28 KJV)  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

The Gospel is universal.  The church is all inclusive.

That is the point.

When it comes down to it, there is only one “culture”  that followers of Jesus belong to.  It is Christian culture.  We may have many nuances of that culture that are influenced by the neighborhoods and families we come from but they are all submerged in the culture of Christ.  We are not diverse.

Politically we have expressed it as “E pluribus unum.”  That phrase is on every coin and bit of paper money that you have.  It expresses who we are as a nation and it is a reflection of the Christian church.  “Out of many, one.”

So don’t fall for this diversity foolishness.  Don’t buy into multi-culturalism.  Don’t embrace the philosophy of division.  If you are a Christian, you are my brother or sister.  We have a common culture that trumps our heredity and environment.  We need to celebrate that.  We need to emphasize the things we have in common not cause division by glorifying the differences.

If you are an American accept the parallel truth.  It is one reason we feel that American has been a Christian nation.  We were created equal.  Let us celebrate the unity we have in the dream of liberty.  Only our foolishness can let them take that away from us.

homo unius libri