We have followed this theme of remnants and apostates throughout the Bible. We have seen how throughout the Old Testament, the people of God were a small minority that was persecuted and rejected by both those who rejected YHWH and many who professed to belong to YHWH but lived in wickedness. In the days of Noah, a single family was spared. In the days of Abraham, a single family was called out. In the days of Elijah, only 7000 Jews remained faithful to YHWH. This theme also holds true in the New Covenant.
Tag: Pilgrim Theology
The New Covenant and Antithesis: Part 1 – Pilgrim Identity
The Lord instructs His disciples on their antithesis from the world in saying - “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you” (John 15:19). It is because the Christian does not belong to this world, that its citizens hate him. According to our Lord, this hatred is to be an expected aspect of the Christian life and not one that we will see abated in this present age. In fact Christ emphasises this pilgrim separation in His prayer for His people (John 17:14-16). The Christian is not of the world even as their king is not of the world (John 17:16). Looking at this through a kingdom lens helps us understand why Christ emphasises that both He and His people are not of this world. It aligns with the theme that the Scriptures have drawn out so far, that the world belongs to Satan and is under a curse, awaiting destruction.
Redemptive Kingdom Structure in the Old Covenant: Part 2
The Abrahamic Covenant placed Abraham and his descendants in constant antithesis with the people of the world. However, broadly speaking God didn’t regulate the day to day activities of Abraham’s life. There was no specific law given to him. Apart from circumcision there were no external cultural requirements. The covenant itself required separation and distinction from the world, but the details of that were less regulated and we see that Abraham and his descendants often fell into sin and temptation as they interacted with the world. What this implies is that the Abrahamic Covenant, foreshadowing the ultimate end of the present created order in the final judgement, doesn't regulate the things that are passing away as they are not being redeemed.
The Abrahamic Covenant and Antithesis
The covenant with Abraham can be contrasted with the Noahic Covenant because it is rather specific. It does not concern all men, rather it specifically concerns Abraham and his descendants. Unlike the Noahic Covenant it is religious in nature and calls for Abraham’s descendants to be distinct from the people around them. This establishes a principle that we have seen already drawn upon prior to Abraham, that God’s people are in antithesis or opposition to the people of the world. They are to be a distinct people and to serve their God. This distinction was to be in both worship and ordinary practice.
The End of the First World and New Beginnings
The Great Flood was a cleansing of sorts. Peter compares what is experienced in Baptism to the preservation of Noah and his household in the flood (1 Pet 3:20). The future judgement will not be a cleansing with water but a purging with fire. It won’t be a reboot of this present material order, either in its fallen state or in its Edenic form. Rather the form of the new order that God will create from the ashes of the old will be grander and even better than anything Adam could even hope to comprehend in the Edenic state.
A Primer on Two Kingdoms Theology
The purpose of this article is to provide the Christian with an alternate framework with regards to our interactions with the world than those popular today (various forms of Dominionism). A framework that recognizes the Church’s antithesis with the world as a consistent reality for this present age that is passing away. A framework that was widely held by Christians prior to the Constantinian Shift as evidenced by the writings of the Apostolic Fathers and was continued by Medieval Separatists and Non-Conformists like the Waldensians. The basis for this framework is that the Scriptures teach that the present world is composed of two distinct kingdoms that are antithesis to each other. These two kingdoms have very different purposes and cannot be reconciled one to another.
Eschatology Matters: A Primer on Apocalypticism
In the past week, I've run across a surprising number of posts and articles by figures popular in the Dominionist stream of Christianity on the significance of eschatology. The central thesis of these writings is that Premillennialism and Amillennialism, having no optimistic theology of victory for this present age, do not produce in their adherents the right kind of attitude to win the "Culture War". Since Postmillennials look forward to the promised victory of the Christ in this age through the work of the Church, they are rightly equipped and motivated to engage the culture and take dominion for Christ. It is certainly true that our theological positions have serious practical implications. One need to look no further than the Hyper-Grace Christianity prevalent in Evangelicalism today. It has made having a "messy" Christian life normal and even ideal. Christians more often desire to associate with David's moral failings (ignoring the majority of his life) than with those who are called in Scripture perfect and upright, like Daniel, Joseph, Job and David (in the rest of his life apart from Bathsheba). Thus, the authors of these writings are absolutely right in pointing out that our theological positions affect our actions. Going beyond that though, it was unsurprising that these writings were full of optimistic presuppositions that have no basis in Scripture.
Daniel, Nationalism and Lessons for New Covenant Pilgrims
Christian Nationalism is an ideology that is gaining significant traction in Dominionist circles. The ideology seeks a return to the "glory" days of what is called Christendom, wherein "Christian" thought flourished in the West and where laws reflected what is perceived as Biblical influence. This ideology has come to play a seductive role in broad Evangelicalism and is the stepping stone to a return to the days of an apostate society. For indeed a society that claims to be a Christian and yet most of its citizens are unregenerate, is indeed a society of apostates and that does far more damage to the Kingdom of God than any heathen kingdom can. It is in light of this that it would be pertinent to study the life of Daniel, a member of the Old Covenant who lived in exile in Babylon, a situation that is the certain calling for every Christian in the New Covenant era. The study of the life of Daniel and his context as a Jewish exile in Babylon will provide helpful guidance for the Covenant people of today to navigate the world and understand the nature of the covenant peoples' interaction with the world and its systems and the nature of the whole conception of nationalism, a notion that becomes moot when considering the eternal order.
Lia Thomas, Women’s Sports and Christian Investment in the System
Recently a man who deludedly claims to be a woman and calls himself Lia Thomas won a major swimming title [1]. This inability to comprehend and accept what should even be evident from nature shouldn't surprise us. The West has for years tolerated a culture that has increasingly permitted fornication, adultery, divorce, remarriage, exploitation, racial pride, imperialism, mammonism, luxury, abundance and idleness. The consequence of such sinfulness is being handed over to sexual perversions (Ezek 16:49, Rom 1:24). This incident was met with widespread outcry, opposition and mockery from the Christian Right. However, their opposition to this wicked delusion did not come from the perspective of a prophetic voice warning sinners to repent and turn to the Kingdom of God, but rather the perspective of a faction deeply entrenched and invested in this world system. A faction that has completely misunderstood God's purpose for this present evil age, this fallen created order and is convinced that it is their calling to stem the tide of lawlessness in the world (as opposed to the Church).
Worldliness and Dominionism in Christian Homeschooling Movements
There's a popular quote by Voddie Baucham that circulates in Reformed homeschooling circles - "We cannot continue to send our children to Caesar for their education and be surprised when they come home as Romans." Taken in and of itself, the quote is spot on and rightly calls out the folly of sending off children to state sponsored schools where they are indoctrinated to become "good" citizens according to the requirement of each nation. However, a general observation of homeschooled children shows that they are just as worldly and likely to apostatize when they leave the nest. There must be something beyond what meets the eye that explains this phenomenon. Ideally, homeschooled children should show a marked difference from their State schooled peers, however, this seldom is the case.
Deo Vicit Mundum 