The Trumpcated Gospel

I do not support Donald Trump for President of the United States of America.  I will not vote for him.  His authoritarian ideals would be a disaster for our country.  He recently said that when he is president we will hear "Merry Christmas!" in the department stores.  He also will attempt to force Apple to build their computers in this country.  Apparently he doesn't understand that accomplishing such feats is impossible without shredding the United States Constitution.  Beyond those concerns, the despicable things he has said about Megyn Kelly and other women make me sick.  His support for Planned Parenthood should not be tolerated by those who claim the name of Christ.  I could go on and on.  A Donald Trump presidency would be a disaster for our country.

With all of that being said, these are not the things that concern me most about the Donald Trump phenomenon.  He claims to be one of "the evangelicals" and has been baptized in the praises of Dr. Robert Jeffress, Pastor of First Baptist Dallas, and Dr. Jerry Falwell Jr., Chancellor of Liberty University.  The thing that concerns me most is my perception that many evangelical leaders have exchanged the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ for a Trumpcated gospel.

What do I mean by a Trumpcated gospel?

To truncate the gospel would be to alter the gospel by cutting it short.  We might truncate the gospel by talking about grace and forgiveness without talking about sin and holiness.  We might truncate the gospel by calling people to receive Jesus as their Savior without calling them to bow their knee to Him as Lord.  But that isn't exactly what is happening with Donald Trump.  Rather than truncating the gospel, many evangelicals are Trumpcating the gospel.  They are not cutting the gospel short.  They are preaching a gospel that is altogether different from the one that has been once for all delivered to the saints.

Let's consider the most egregious example.  Trump doesn't believe he needs to ask God for forgiveness.  Republican pollster Frank Luntz asked Trump if he'd ever asked God for forgiveness.  Trump responded, "I am not sure I have."  He continued, "I just go on and try to do a better job from there.  I don't think so.  I think if I do something wrong, I think, I just try and make it right.  I don't bring God into that picture.  I don't."  Now perhaps you think Trump made a mistake.  He is a politician, not a theologian.  Surely he is entitled to a mistake here and there.  Well, when asked if he regretted saying those things Trump said, "No."  He went on to refer to his great relationship with God and "the evangelicals."  He said, "I like to be good.  I don't like to have to ask for forgiveness.  And I am good.  I don't do a lot of things that are bad.  I try to do nothing that is bad."  How could he regret something he said?  In his eyes, he has no need for forgiveness.

Trump's comments are antithetical to the true gospel as revealed in Scripture.  The gospel says that we are all sinners.  The gospel says that we are all enemies of God because of our sin.  Our only hope of being made right with God is by experiencing the grace and forgiveness that is only available in Jesus Christ.  We all need forgiveness.  That is the Christian message.  There is none righteous, no not one.

In his introduction of Trump at Liberty University Convocation, Jerry Falwell Jr. spoke of Trump's "fruit."  He listed a string of generous gifts given to people by Donald Trump.  He then quoted from Matthew 7 about knowing a tree by its fruit, and implied that Donald Trump is a Christian.  Falwell claims some special knowledge of Donald Trump as a man that the rest of us are not privy to.  If we just knew Trump as he does, we would know that he is a good Christian man.  I could not disagree more.  The bad fruit that we see on the outside serves as evidence of who Trump is on the inside.  If Trump has never repented of his sin and placed his faith in Jesus for salvation, he is not a Christian.

Let me be clear.  I really do not expect Trump to sound like a Christian when he talks.  I certainly do not expect sound theology from the owner of strip clubs and casinos.  I expect Trump to talk and live like a lost man.  He has given no reason for anyone to expect anything different.  The fact that Trump would preach a Trumpcated gospel doesn't surprise me or even concern me necessarily.  I expect as much.  And while Trump's vision for America does not match mine, I respect the decision of those who feel Trump is the candidate that best aligns with their views.  My concerns in this piece have very little to do with the presidency of the United States.

I am infinitely more concerned that leaders like Robert Jeffress and Jerry Falwell Jr. are preaching this Trumpcated gospel.  They can vote for whoever they want.  They can even endorse whichever candidate they prefer.  Though I disagree with their "beat Hillary at all costs" perspective, I can understand it.  But please do not pretend as if Donald Trump is a brother in Christ.  Please do not suggest that the good things Donald Trump has done somehow outweigh the bad.  Don't recite Matthew 7:1 as if Jesus said those words to prohibit us from making clear moral judgments on the authority of His Word.

Brothers and sisters, may we reject this Trumpcated gospel.  We do not somehow earn favor with God by "drinking our little wine and eating our little cracker."  Favor with God is only gained by repentance of sin and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  May we cling tightly to the true gospel as revealed in the Scriptures.  May we reject all attempts to pervert the gospel for political ends.  May we cling to biblical fidelity and reject political expediency.  Doing so may not be popular.  It may prove to be difficult.  It may even result in a Democrat being elected president.  But more than we fear another Democrat in the White House, we should fear gaining the whole world, while losing our soul.

Note: I have been biting my tongue for months regarding Donald Trump's candidacy.  It is not my place as a pastor to endorse candidates for public office.  To prevent from erring on the other side of that coin, I typically refrain from openly criticizing political candidates as well.  However, I feel compelled to speak now because I believe that it is not just the presidency that is at stake, but also the clear proclamation of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Because leading evangelicals like Robert Jeffress and Jerry Falwell Jr. have spoken in a way that clouds the gospel, I feel the need to combat their false teaching with truth.

Some #BGAV15 Clarifications

I have written a couple of blog posts about this week's meeting of the Baptist General Association of Virginia.  I have also read some other blog and social media posts and comments that have been written.  As I prepare to head to Richmond tomorrow, I thought I would write one more post with a few clarifications.

Unity is not the same as unanimity

The calls for unity have been clear.  I hear those calls, and I agree with them.  That is, as long as we mean the same thing by unity.  Unity is not unanimity.  A commitment to unity means that we commit ourselves to treating one another as brothers and sisters in Christ.  It means that we don't threaten to leave the family when we don't get our way.  It means we recognize that the BGAV is not about us, but the work God is doing in and through us.

We can be united together even if we disagree on some items of business.  If disagreement is not allowed, we'll have to stop boasting about the diversity of Virginia Baptists.  We should not be afraid of having things challenged from the floor.  We should not be afraid of discussion related to very important matters concerning our partnership together.  We certainly should not be afraid of having more than one candidate for the BGAV's top elected officer position.

I'm not Brad Hoffmann's campaign manager

Brad Hoffmann, the pastor of Cool Springs Baptist Church in Mechanicsville, VA, is running for BGAV President.  I have written about his candidacy here.  I am glad he is running.  I will be voting for Brad.  I am bringing members of the church I pastor with me to vote for Brad.  But no one should assume that my concerns are the reason Brad is running for BGAV President.  I had never heard of Brad Hoffmann until his candidacy was announced.  Though I expect this to change tomorrow, I have never met him in person.

Brad has been very clear about the reasons he is running.  He believes that he is the best person on the ticket to lead the BGAV forward.  I agree with him.  He has a vision to see Virginia Baptists move from being mission minded to truly living missionally.  I appreciate what he has written in this regard.  Brad pastors a church that has been very generous in its mission giving both in total dollars and percentage.  He is well-positioned to challenge and encourage churches to do more to financially support our cooperative work together.

I hope some will read what I have written about the reasons why I am glad Brad is running and decide to vote for Brad.  I also hope that my stated reasons for supporting Brad will not cause anyone to assign motives to him that he has not verified himself.  Don't allow your disagreements with me to keep you from voting for a very qualified candidate in Brad Hoffmann for BGAV President.

My SBC/CBF concerns are not political

My concerns are theological.  The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship held a panel at their annual meeting this year addressing the subject of homosexuality.  One pastor who participated in the panel pastors a church that welcomes committed homosexuals into the membership of the church.  The other pastors a church that is more closed toward homosexuality.  These two pastors argued in the panel that homosexuality should not be an issue that divides us.  I could not disagree more.

You do not have to agree with my theology, but it isn't necessary to accuse those who disagree of having political motivations for their concerns.

I don't think homosexuality is the only issue

I believe that homosexuality is a big issue facing the BGAV.  There are churches within the BGAV who believe we should remain committed to one another regardless of what individual congregations decide to do regarding homosexuality.  I disagree very strongly.  Each local church is autonomous.  But so is the BGAV.  The BGAV has the right and responsibility to define the parameters of cooperation.  We are Baptists.  Therefore, Baptist distinctives are non-negotiables in our association of churches.  It is my contention that nothing that is more important than our Baptist distinctives should be negotiable either.  I believe in local church autonomy as much as anyone, but it is not more important than whether something is sinful that the Bible clearly calls sin.

While it is a big issue, homosexuality is not the only issue facing the BGAV.  The $1 million budget reduction is a big one.  I am concerned about it too.  But neither are the two mutually exclusive.  If the BGAV doesn't figure out where it stands now (not 20 years ago) on the issue of homosexuality, the bleeding will continue.

Finally...

I am looking forward to gathering together in Richmond this week.  I am looking forward to the worship times, seeing the new governance structure in action, and even having important discussions about issues that can sometimes be controversial.  I am looking forward to spending time with friends and meeting some new friends as well.  I am looking forward to spending Wednesday with some people from my church.  I am expecting a good meeting.  I am expecting to learn things, and walk away giving thanks to God for the things He is doing among Virginia Baptists.  See you in Richmond!

A Word Concerning Friday's SCOTUS Decision

On Friday the Supreme Court handed down an edict declaring that all 50 states must now recognize so-called same-sex marriage as marriage.  

The reality is that in many ways nothing has changed:

1.  Marriage is still the one flesh union of one man and one woman as established by God in Genesis 2:24.  Nothing else has ever been marriage.  Nothing else is marriage now.  And nothing else will be marriage in the days to come.

2.  Sexual perversion still exists today just as it did on Thursday before the ruling, and as it always has.  You do not have to read very far in the book of Genesis to discover that there is nothing new under the sun.

3.  The sovereign God of the universe is still on His throne.  He has always been on His throne, and He will always be on His throne.  He did not take a break on Friday and come back to discover what had happened while He was out.  He is not out of control.  Though the culture all around us may feel like sinking sand, we can stand firm on Christ the solid rock.

4.  The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is still for all kinds of sinners who would repent of their sin and place their faith in Jesus.  This is the message we must carry forth.  We must be clear about what sin is.  And we must be clear about what grace is.  None of that has changed.  May we continue forth as ministers of reconciliation, calling people to be reconciled to God in a world that is broken in many ways, including but not limited to sexual brokenness.

While there are many ways in which nothing has changed, there is much that has changed:

Make no mistake.  Friday's expected decision was a big deal.

1.  It means that the laws of our land now contribute to the confusion experienced by so many who feel attracted to people of the same sex.  Those five justices who represented the majority in this decision have blood on their hands.  The President celebrated (complete with rainbow lights on the White House) a decision that will lead people further down the path that leads only to destruction.

2.  It means that religious liberty is and will be in jeopardy in the days to come.  We have seen it already with a few individuals who have chosen to stand on their convictions rather than bowing to the new sexual orthodoxy.  I don't mean to sound like an alarmist.  I am not concerned that someone is going to bust open our doors today and prevent me from speaking the truth of God's Word.  I am concerned that there will come a day when churches and religious institutions begin to lose their tax exempt status for standing firm on God's Word.  I am concerned that many of you will be forced to make difficult decisions in the workplace about whether you will stand firm in what you believe and refuse to do certain things that violate your conscience.

3.  It means that the wrath of God is upon this nation.  I do not mean that God's wrath is going to fall because of this decision, though certainly it may.  I mean that it has already fallen with this decision.  Romans 1 is very clear that one of the ways God pours out His judgment and wrath is by turning people over to their own desires.  America has been turned over to her own desires.  A radical shift has taken place in public opinion over the last 10 years.  America got exactly what she wanted on Friday.  Those five justices did not find a right to so-called same-sex marriage in the constitution.  They found a desire for it among the people of this country.  And they ruled with the people.

As your pastor I commit to helping us think through these things in the days ahead as we navigate the rough waters in front of us.  But now I want to pray and ask God's help for all of us.

President Obama, Iraq, and the Christian Response

My heart is heavy this morning as I consider the current situation in Iraq.  It is a mess no matter which way you slice it.  It really doesn't matter whether you supported President George W. Bush's initial action to invade Iraq.  It really doesn't matter if you supported President Obama's decision to withdraw troops from Iraq.  This is a mess, and the United States is right to act.

I often find myself torn in situations like this.  I do not like that America has often taken the role of world police in various situations around the globe.  I do not like that we continue to borrow from China in order to send money to countries that hate us.  It seems that whenever there is conflict in the world, you can bet the Unites States will pick a side and fund it.

I voted for Ron Paul in the 2012 Republican primary.  I would like to be casting my ballot for Rand Paul in the 2016 Presidential Election.  That is, if he doesn't stick his foot in his mouth regarding this current crisis in Iraq.  If he does, I will be forced to question his ability to govern this country, and likely will not support his candidacy.

I typically despise America's interventionist tactics.  In this case, however, someone has to do something.  When two countries or two groups within a country are fighting, we should keep our nose out of it.  When people are being systematically run out of their homes and murdered with no means of defending themselves (i.e. the Holocaust), justice demands we act.

History has not looked kindly upon those who did nothing as Hitler systematically evicted people from their homes and placed them in concentration camps.  Many Jews and others were tortured and killed, and as any honest person would have to admit, not enough was done to stop the terror.

It is easy to look back on the Holocaust and wonder, "Why wasn't something done to stop these atrocities?"  It's easy to become slightly self-righteous in thinking we would have done something had we had the ability to do so.

Well, here is our chance.  Christians are being run out of their homes.  Men, women, and children are being beaten, tortured, and killed in Iraq by the terrorist group ISIS, which stands for Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.  While we as individuals cannot hop on a plane and put a stop to this genocide, our government has the ability to defend the helpless.

I am reminded of a well-known quote often attributed to Edmund Burke:

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

I applaud the actions of President Obama thus far.  President Obama has authorized air strikes to stop these Islamic militants.  The U.S. has also been dropping humanitarian aid to those trapped on a mountaintop in Iraq.  You can read more about these efforts here.

President Obama said in a speech Thursday night, "Today, America is coming to help."  Thank you, Mr. President.  We are all tired of the constant conflict in the Middle East.  I know that you were hesitant to get involved in more conflict in Iraq.  I have those same feelings.  However, we cannot run from a situation where we have a moral imperative to act just because we are tired of conflict.

I am praying for the President and his advisers.  I am praying for those trapped on this mountaintop in Iraq and others who may still be fleeing.  I am even praying for these Islamic militants as they are not yet beyond the reach of God's saving hand.  I ask you to join me.  May we not be guilty of forgetting about this tragedy just because we find ourselves physically on the other side of the world.