Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - May/95

Contributor - Jeff Kingswood

Title - Editorial

Topic - Editorial

The book of Judges rivals any mini-series on T.V. for adventure and intrigue. But Judges is an historical book. It records for us the history of the people of Israel as they take over the land which God had promised their forefathers. God promised that He would give the Israelites victory if they trusted in Him and were obedient to His commands. God told them to go into the land after having conquered it and destroy all of the pagan peoples and their altars to their false gods.

Israel failed to obey God. They had compassion on the idolaters and let them live and remain and worship false gods. A false sense of compassion was their reason for disobeying God. As a result of this disobedience, this failure to obey God by not driving out the pagan people and destroying their gods, Israel fell into sin. As soon as they accommodated false gods they took the first step in denying the true and living God.

The people that they had failed to drive out would be a constant threat to the people of Israel. A constant irritant. But much worse than that, God tells Israel that He will give them over to the idolatry which they tolerated. The gods whose altars and images they had failed to destroy would present a constant temptation to Israel, a temptation to which they would often give in throughout their history.

Israel would continue to be God's people because God graciously keeps His promises but generations to come would pay for their disobedience.

What a warning to us! We are often tempted in the same ways Israel was tempted. Tempted to compromise with sin and false teaching about God and yet we do not know when that sin will bring a lasting curse on our children to the third and fourth generation. We do not know when we will cross the line of God's patience and He will say 'Enough!" We need to guard our lives and our church to see that we do not compromise with sin so that we will not be the cause of a curse on the generations which follow.

Israel's first experiment with pluralism was a disaster that was felt for generations.

Webster's dictionary defines pluralism as the philosophy or doctrine which holds that "existence has more that one ultimate principle." That there is more than one meaning to life. You have your ideas about the ultimate purpose of existence and I have mine. Diversity of opinion about God and what role and relationship we have with Him.

Our public schools teach pluralism. You discover your own values, your own philosophies, your own ultimate principles. Every view tolerated equally unless it denies the others for then it offends the god of pluralism.

Our government promotes it. Pluralism. It has a nice ring to it. It makes everyone feel equally right and that is a doctrine that would please most politicians.

The media claim to be pluralistic. Representing all points of view without bias. It helps them gain an uncritical audience but of course it is a lie.

And most frighteningly of all the Reformed Church claims to be pluralistic. Many points of view, many doctrines, many philosophies, all supposedly right, all supposedly Christian, all worthy, of respect.

The false gods and their altars have invaded the church.

Pluralism is a lie. It is a philosophical, ontological, epistemological impossibility. Everything can't be true.

A math teacher cannot say that for one child 2+2=4 but for another it may well equal five. That is nonsense. But that is the spirit of pluralism.

The Reformed Church cannot claim to be a pluralistic church theologically for then it ceases to be the Church. The Church of Jesus Christ cannot accept God's Word that Jesus Christ is the way the truth and the life and still maintain that other religions have valid beliefs. The Church of Jesus Christ cannot claim Jesus died for sin and then say that sin is something that we can get rid of psychiatrically.

Pluralism will not be tolerated by God. God did not say to Israel, 'Oh, I see you have kept some idols. Oh well, if that is how you wish to worship go ahead." No God judged Israel for sin and so He will judge a church that claims pluralism as its cardinal virtue.

Israel disobediently allowed the pagans and their gods to remain in the land because of false compassion. Israel felt sorry for some of the peoples who had helped them out and so they let them stay in the midst of Israel with their idols.

Today there is in the broader church a similar sort of compassion. It says "Who are we to say that this idea or that unrepentant sinner won't be accepted by God? Who are we to judge? Isn't it more kind and loving and Christian to affirm them, to help them discover truth in their own way and help them find God there?"

I have heard these statements from professors at seminaries, from so-called missionaries, and from denominational executives. From all sorts of denominations. Presbyterian, Anglican, Baptist, and yes, even Reformed.

But that sort of compassion that ignores the plain teaching of scripture to allow people to believe the Prince of Darkness is to condemn those people to everlasting punishment in the flames of hell. It is false compassion.

True compassion is expressed when we, with love and kindness, declare that the only way to God is through Jesus Christ whose death and resurrection removed the barriers that sin created between man and God. True compassion calls believers to holiness, repentance, and the fruits of godly living. True compassion has the guts to say that all else is a lie of Satan. True compassion lovingly confronts sinners with their sin and points to Jesus Christ who alone is able to deliver us from that sin. Not because we are lucky enough to have discovered it on our own. Not because we are smarter or more sophisticated but because God in His love has shown us the truth about ourselves and has not left us believing a pluralistic counterfeit.

Real compassion confronts sin and calls for change in Jesus Christ. False compassion tolerates sin and encourages broad mindedness.

Israel wept when her sin was pointed out to her. Do you weep as Israel wept over the sin of the church in tolerating idolatry in its midst? Do you grieve over the sin of the Church, the bride of Christ? Or do you think to yourself, this too will pass?

Do you grieve over the judgement we bring on our children by accepting sin and idolatry in our midst or do you smugly presume on your church membership and assume they will escape the wrath of God because they, have been baptized into the membership of the Reformed Church?

May we look to our hearts and say, "Enough!" Enough idolatry. And may we be cleansed. May we submit to the Word of God as the way, the truth, and the life. And may Jesus Christ be glorified as the truth in our world, in our families, and in His Church.

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