Good morning, there is much I could say, but perhaps not much I should say. 

Much love,

Bob

Great Is Diana of the Americans

Robert L. Withers

Written in January 2020

 

During the past few years, as I’ve become increasingly concerned about the engagement of professing-Christians in the political melee in the United States, John Newton has become an historical mentor to me in thinking, teaching, and behavior. This mentorship is particularly pronounced in the area of politics and nationalism.

 

In August 1775, four months after Colonists and British regulars fought at Lexington and Concord, Newton, Anglican priest and author of Amazing Grace, writes to a young friend concerning Britain and the Colonies:

 

“As a minister and a Christian I think it is better to lay all the blame upon sin. Instead of telling the people Lord North [the Prime Minister] blunders, I tell them the Lord of hosts is angry. If God has a controversy with us, I can expect no other than that wisdom should be hidden from the wise…I believe the sins of America and Britain have too much prevailed, and that a wrong spirit and wrong measures have taken place on both sides because the Lord has left us to ourselves.

 

“It seems to me one of the darkest signs of the times, that so many of the Lord’s professing people act as if they thought he was withdrawn from the earth…instead of unavailing clamors against men and measures they would all unite in earnest prayer, we might hope for better times, otherwise I fear bad will be worse.”

 

As the letter continues, Newton turns his attention to the idea of liberty; turning to Jeremiah the prophet Newton writes:

 

“He [Jeremiah] preached against sin and foretold judgment, but I do not find that he made a parade about liberty…He does not seem to have troubled his head, who was scribe or recorder, or who was over the host [that is, who was in charge of government and the military], for he knew that whoever had the management, the public affairs would miscarry because the Lord fought against them. When I hear the cry about liberty I think of the old cry, ‘Great is Diana of the Ephesians’ [italics mine]. Civil liberty is a valuable blessing, but if people sin it away, it is the Lord [who] deprives them of it…

 

“However a believer has a liberty with which Jesus has made him free which depends upon no outward circumstances. It grieves me to hear those who are slaves to sin and Satan, make such a stir about that phantom which they worship under the name of liberty, and especially to see not a few of the Lord’s people so much conformed to the world in this respect [italics mine].”

 

When I first read the above letter, a year or two ago, I was taken with Newton’s image (no pun intended) of Diana of the Ephesians from Acts Chapter 19. A few days ago I realized that Newton’s use of Diana preceded his 1775 letter, for in a 1773 letter he writes to a fellow minister:

 

“On the other hand, you and I, dear sir, know how much they are to be pitied who are frantic for what they call liberty, and consider not that they are in the most deplorable bondage, the slaves of sin and Satan, and subject to the curse of the law, and the wrath of God. Oh for a voice to reach their hearts, that they may know themselves, and seek deliverance from their dreadful thralldom! Satan has many contrivances to amuse them, and to turn their thoughts from their real danger; and none more ensnaring, in the present day, than to engage them in the cry, ‘Great is the Diana Liberty!’ [italics mine].

 

“…And already in some pulpits, (proh dolor!) [Latin: oh the grief!] a description of the rights of man occupies much of the time which used to be employed in proclaiming the glory and grace of the Savior, and the rights of God to the love and obedience of his creatures.”

 

It seems to me that Christian nationalism, and Christian political engagement, whether it be from the “right” or the “left”, or even the “center” – is a snare to the professing-church in that it obscures our witness to Jesus Christ and His Gospel as it exalts our “rights” and “liberties” and “personal freedoms”.

 

There is a sense in which, for the disciple of Jesus Christ, there is no “personal freedom”, for we are called to be servants of Jesus Christ; indeed, since we have been purchased and redeemed by Jesus Christ, we are no longer our own possession – to echo Paul, we are not our own, we are bought with a price.

 

The People of God are called to be distinct from the world, the flesh, and the devil. We are called to be distinct from the “right”, the “left”, the “center”; our Gospel is to be for all mankind without regard to ethnicity or national flag or economic system.

 

We are to discern the difference between the Bible and the constitutions of nations, the political systems of nations, the economic systems of nations, and the foreign policies of nations. If the Gospel of Jesus Christ is transcendent then the Church of Jesus Christ ought to express itself, in Christ, transcendently. How can this be otherwise, unless professing - churches within national boundaries prostitute themselves in the service of the world? Babylon the Harlot rides the beast until the beast destroys her (Revelation Chapter 17). Can we not be a foolish people?

 

We have been taught to make idols of liberty, prosperity, pleasure, our founding national documents, our foreign policy, our economic policies – and we seek our identity in these things rather than in Jesus Christ. As we fail to be citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven (Philippians 3:20) we fail to be good neighbors to our fellow earthly citizens and neighbors.

 

When we adopt a faulty sense of our national identity in place of a true sense of “a better country, a heavenly country” (Hebrews 11:16) and we cease to live as pilgrims and strangers we, as Esau, sell our birthright for a mess of pottage; we trade our high calling for short-term pleasure and gratification. We forego identification with the Christ of the Cross and the Cross of Christ for temporal agendas that will turn to dust. The beast will eat us and we are so drunk with the world that we won’t even know it – it devours us even as I write this.

 

Newton chose Christ above everything. When other ministers of the Gospel attempted to pull him into political and nationalistic orbits Newton resisted, when others appealed to “liberty” Newton recognized the danger of liberty outside of Jesus Christ. Newton saw the that great need of mankind was not political liberty, but rather liberty from sin and death. Newton saw that Christ held him accountable for preaching the Gospel, and that not a day was to be spared in the service of temporal movements outside of the Gospel.

 

Newton saw that the turmoil of his nation and world could only be the result of sin, and that there is no political remedy for sin.

 

Lest we forget, Newton was engaged is serving the fatherless, the widow, the hungry, and the slave; the Gospel of Jesus Christ for John Newton included serving the “whole person” – John Newton knew, as we should know, that the only hope for this world was, and is, Amazing Grace.

 

 

 

HRH Princess Kate and Knowing Jesus

 

 

HRH Princess Kate recently completed the UK’s Three Peaks Challenge, which involves hiking up Ben Nevis in Scotland, Scafell Pike in England, and Mount Snowdon in Wales - a total of 23 miles and 10,052 feet of ascent - in 24 hours. Hiking all three also requires 462 miles of driving to get between the peaks. She accomplished this feat to highlight and support holistic cancer treatment.

 

Vickie and I watched an interview with a climber she met during the Challenge. At first he didn’t recognize her for she had a hat pulled down over her forehead and was, of course, dressed as any other climber. She wanted to know how he was doing and engaged him in pleasant conversation. When he recognized who she was he was overwhelmed with her graciousness, and as he shared the experience his face and eyes radiated joy.

 

As I watched the interview I thought about the difference between knowing Jesus and knowing about Jesus; the difference between speaking with Jesus ourselves and having others tell us about Him and what He is like.

 

Now, of course even though the climber met Princess Kate, he really doesn’t know her, but for sure he has encountered her and having encountered her he has an experience that those who follow her life in media would love to have. The climber has heard her voice directed to him, he has seen her eyes, he has been in her presence – and he has absorbed a portion of her radiance…at least for a while (though I imagine whenever he shares his experience his eyes will light up, well into old age).

 

We read that God “Made His ways known to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel” (Psalm 103:7). But there is more, Moses not only knew the ways of God, Moses and God spoke face to Face as friends speak to one another (Exodus 33:11; Deut. 34:10).

 

We can know the acts of God, we can read about them, talk about them, believe them; but that does not mean that we have a relationship with God. Even knowing the Bible does not mean that we have a relationship with God in Christ. We can even know the ways of God, we can know a measure of His character, His holiness, His righteousness, His love; but even then we may not actually be in a relationship with Him. Jesus calls us to know Him and His Father and live in the Holy Spirit. He calls us to intimacy with the Holy Trinity.

 

People who know HRH the Princess of Wales talk about her. Even those who have a brief encounter with her talk about her. Those in relationship with her speak of her and faithfully (I hope) represent her as a result of time spent with her and because of their trust in her and her trust in them.

 

And here is the conundrum, where are Christians who speak of Jesus as a friend speaks of a friend? Where are Christians who are so in love with Jesus that the foolishness of the promiscuous world and society and nations and economics and national identity mean nothing to them because Jesus means everything?

 

Why are Christians offended when fools for Jesus insist that we are to be wedded to Jesus, and to Jesus alone? (2 Cor. 11:11 – 3).

 

I assume Christians would not be offended when I insist that I be married to Vickie and Vickie alone, that I have eyes for her and her alone, that I devote myself and my heart to her and to her alone.

 

Then why do so many pastors and churches and Christians take offense when others suggest that our hearts be devoted to Jesus and to Jesus alone? Why do they not speak of Jesus their Friend? Of what He has spoken to them during the past few days? Of His heart of love and care for others? Of what they are learning of Him and His ways, His heart, His character, His Cross, His self-sacrifice, His sufferings – in which He invites us to participate?

 

Those who met Princess Kate on her Three Peaks Challenge speak of her with joy, those who have an actual ongoing relationship with her know the difference between knowing her and knowing about her.

 

When is the last time you spoke to someone in your congregation about your own relationship with Jesus Christ? When is the last time you spoke to a neighbor or a stranger about your dear Lord Jesus?

 

I think it can be more dangerous to speak of Jesus within the “church” than outside it – and I mean that portion of the church that professes a high view of Scripture. We act as if the owner of the vineyard is dead…yes, I think we do.

 

Well, I know different…and I hope you do too.

 

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13 – 14).

 

It has taken me 76 years to realize, in some measure, the truth of this statement.

 

 

 

Calvary’s anthem – A Meditation (8)

 

 

“May I always known that a clean heart full of goodness is more beautiful than the lily, that only a clean heart can sing by night and by day, that such is heart is mine when I abide at Calvary.”

 

I woke up this morning singing the hymn Nothing But The Blood in my heart. “O precious is the flow, that makes me white as snow, no other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus.”

 

I often meditate on Romans 4:1 – 5:11 to bathe in the reassurance of justification. “Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD will not take into account” (Rom. 4:8; see Psalm 32).

 

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (5:1).

 

“For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life” (5:10).

 

Justification means, in part, that our Father sees us as having never sinned and as having always kept His righteous commandments – we are holy and pure in His sight because of what Jesus has done, which includes us living in Him and Him living in us. We are one with Christ, one in Christ, living in the Vine (John 15:1 – 5; Galatians 2:20).

 

“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). I don’t think a more amazing statement has ever been written – to proclaim this statement is to proclaim the Gospel, to mitigate or qualify this statement is to diminish the Gospel.

 

In Jesus Christ, we have continual cleansing.

 

“If we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have koinonia with one another, and the blood of Jesus His son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). We experience continuous cleansing as our Way of Life in Jesus Christ. Being washed in the blood of the Lamb is our daily, our continuous, experience.

 

In justification we have glorious freedom to live in unbroken fellowship with God and with one another. Our consciences are cleansed (Hebrews 10:19 – 25) and we are free to give our lives away to God and others. We no longer live in condemnation (Rom. 8:1), rather we have received the spirit of sonship, crying “Abba! Father!” (Rom. 8:14 – 17).

 

Every day we can have an adventure in Jesus, every day we can walk with Him and talk with Him, every day we can enjoy His love and joy and kindness and pass it along to others. We can spend every day in conversation with Jesus, for is He not our Best Friend? We can learn, every day, to love Jesus more than we did the day before.

 

We can do all of this because we are the objects of His love and care and affection. We can do all of this because we are the joy that was set before Him (Heb. 12:2). We can do all of this when Calvary is our Anthem.

 

As I write this my heart is singing the words, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful Face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”

 

AMEN.