Why Didn't Jesus Bring Peace?

"Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division." [Luke 12:51]

"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." [Matthew 10:34]

Quotes like these from the Lord Jesus tell us that peace was not his main goal.  Why didn't Jesus bring peace?  Why did he bring division and a sword?  

For one, he was not a coward. Jesus saw the need for a fight.  He saw that Satan was alive and well, that the forces of evil in the world were not to be bargained with, but opposed and resisted, even if it meant disunity, division, suffering, and strife, even when righteousness and truth are not in vogue, even when Evil is on the throne.

We, as man, are to be the judge.  It is not enough to have a court system.  Each human being must judge what is right and wrong, then stand up for Truth. Those who judge rightly will be on the side of truth, justice, honesty, fairness and peace.  It does not mean we will never draw the sword. If Truth and Justice are to be defended, there will have to be some wars.  If we don't stand up for Right, Evil will prevail.  So it is incumbent upon each person to judge.  Thus, Jesus said,

"Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?" [Luke 12:57]

Judge we must.  So America is divided, probably more than at any other time in history.  This is only right.  Let those who care about truth and justice stand against the tyranny of the elite, whether it be in the "deep state", in the halls of power, or in our own minds.  

Some would call Christianity tyrannical.  They offer evidence such as the Crusades, or the abuses of the Church in the Middle Ages, or clerical paedophiles, or scandals involving money, or cults masquerading as churches, all of which are evidence that the Gospel and truth itself must be vigorously defended by we who claim the name of Jesus Christ.  His war is on, and we must not shrink from it but stand against the wrong wherever it is found in the Church or society.

Indeed, it was just such Christians who founded this great United States of America.  We were not founded by Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Pagans or Atheists, but those who claimed the name of Jesus Christ, Christians.  And their fight led many of them to untimely but heroic deaths, to strife that is heartbreaking, such as the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and Two World Wars.  

The strife of the current impeachment is also, in reality, a battle of good against evil.  No American can escape this, because the President represents the people of the entire nation, not the majority only, not the cities only, not a particular district or state, but the whole nation.  He was duly elected according to our Constitution, and has not shrunk from the daunting responsibility, but is standing up for US, the people, for all of us, even immigrants (except those who came illegally), and for the many diverse cultures represented in this great melting pot.

I say we ought to stand with him and support him however we can against the little tyrants in some corners who hate him simply for being a common man rather than a career political insider.  For whether you like him or hate him, he was elected, and as always, we Christians believe that such things are ultimately under God's Sovereign control. Until such time as proof can be shown of a real abuse of power, or other high crime on the part of the President, to impeach and remove him would be the height of injustice, particularly when so many real and factual crimes were committed against him by the FBI and other bad actors.

Would Jesus approve such discord and strife?  Of course not.  But neither would he shrink from it. He would stand up for justice and truth, not political spin, chicanery and basement, midnight intrigue.  He was condemned by the political elite in a kangaroo court.  He was also crucified for our sins.  It serves no purpose whatever for Trump to be crucified or removed from office for such crimes as being a rich, egotistical boor, as some judge.  For such judgment they will have to give answer to God. for, as Jesus famously warned, they are going to have to live up to their own standard, as Jesus famously warned:

¹ “Judge not, that you be not judged. ² For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. ³ And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? [Matthew 7:1-3]

Notice that earlier I quoted Jesus saying, "Why don't you judge for yourselves what is right?"; now I quote Him saying, "Judge not, that you be not judged."  These are not contradictory.  They teach us that judging is extremely important: it is part of being human, essential to being a leader, teacher, parent, engineer, pastor, or just being a righteous person. But we must judge rightly, with the sober realization that we are also being judged, and will be ultimately judged by God. This isn't comforting to those who suppress their consciences and live selfishly or condemn others who are good.  Yet is is a call to judge, and a warning not to judge wrongly. It makes for a lot of inward strife, doesn't it, when we have to judge for ourselves if someone did wrong, or if I did wrong, or if someone should be punished, or not.  Yet it is the business of leadership, of being a parent, of being a citizen of heaven or any worldly nation, and of being a Christian.

Jesus didn't bring peace because fallen mankind isn't worthy of peace. We have to work for it, and often even fight for it.  So one Pope last century said, "If you want peace, work for justice." We are wicked from birth. To have peace, one must wage righteousness.  That isn't something everyone wants, and few are willing to stand up and fight for. 

May God help us who belong to Him to fight for His truth, to love justice and to cherish mercy.

"Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven."  AMEN

Calvinism: Introduction

Knowing God

In knowing God, each of us also knows himself.

So begins the French version of Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion (1560).  We are meant to know God, and in so doing, we can know ourselves.  Paschal went a little further: 

Apart from Jesus Christ, we do not know what is our life, nor our death, nor God, nor ourselves.

The reverse is certainly not true.  We do not come to know God merely by introspection.  His point is not that man exactly knows God when he knows himself, as if man is divine.  His point is that once a person knows himself, he can begin to desire and seek the knowledge of Someone higher, that is, God.  Calvin phrases the Latin version of 1559 this way (obviously in translation):

Without knowledge of self there is no knowledge of God.

His point is that knowledge of self and knowledge of God are "interrelated".  "Thus, from the feeling of our own ignorance, vanity, poverty, infirmity, and--what is more--depravity and corruption, we recognize that the true light of the wisdom, sound virtue, full abundance of every good work, and purity of righteousness rest in the Lord alone. To this extent we are prompted by our own ills to contemplate the good things of God: and we cannot seriously aspire to him before we begin to become displeased with ourselves." [pp.36-37]

If Greek educational philosophy began with the Delphian oracle's prophecy "Know thyself", it must be concluded in the Biblical prophecy, "Ye shall all know the Lord!" [Hosea 2:20]  For I believe self-knowledge is usually the quickest route to depression and misery.  However, to know God is life and peace.  "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." [Rom 8:6  KJV]

God's Sovereignty

Many have argued that there is quite a lot more to Calvinism than the "Five Points".  Probably the most often mentioned doctrine Calvin stressed that is omitted from the 5 "T-U-L-I-P" points is the sovereignty of God, for which some have changed the acronym from TULIP to TULIPS.  STULIP is proposed by James White (I believe), because he argues that God's sovereignty is the leading, underlying, over-arching, and governing doctrine.

The  Five Points of Calvinism

The so-called "five points of Calvinism" were the response to the teachings of Jacob Arminius, who had studied in Geneva under Calvin's successor, Theodore Beza. In 1610 Arminius and 45 other ministers published a so-called Remonstranc, which essentially stated the opposite of the 5 points of Calvinism.  As a reminder, they are:

Total Depravity (also known as Total Inability and Original Sin)
Unconditional Election
Limited Atonement (also known as Particular Atonement)
Irresistible Grace
Perseverance of the Saints (once saved always saved)

What the Remonstance states is, in sum [1]:

Article 1:  Conditional election:  This article rejects the concept that election into Christ is unconditional. Rather, this article asserts that election is conditional upon faith in Christ, and that God elects to salvation those He knows beforehand will have faith in Him.

Article 2:  Unlimited atonement:  This article rejects the concept of limited atonement, which asserts that Christ only died for those God chooses to be saved. This article assert that Christ died for all, but that salvation is limited to those who believe in Christ.

Article 3:  Total depravity:  This article affirms the total depravity of man, that man is unable to do the will of God, and cannot save himself, apart from the grace of God. [2]

Article 4:  Prevenient grace:  This article rejects the concept of irresistible grace, contending that mankind has the free will to resist to the prevenient grace of God.

Article 5:  Conditional preservation of the saints:  This article rather than outright rejecting the notion of perseverance of the saints, argues that it may be conditional upon the believer remaining in Christ. The writers explicitly stated that they were not sure on this point, and that further study was needed. However, sometime between 1610, and the official proceeding of the Synod of Dort (1618), the Remonstrants became fully persuaded in their minds that the Scriptures taught that a true believer was capable of falling away from faith and perishing eternally as an unbeliever.

The Remonstrants submitted their views to the Dutch National Synod, and it was rejected at the Synod of Dort in 1618.

The next sections will summarize the Sovereignty of God, and the Five Points, in that order. 

Further Study

The best way to study Calvinism is to read Calvin.  Most people don't have the time for such an undertaking. My copy of his Institutes comprises over 1500 pages.  I have not read it all, but only a few chapters.

The second-best way to study Calvinism is to listen to preachers who adhere to Reformed Doctrine, such as Martyn Lloyd-Jones, or to read writers who understand Calvin, such as James White and R.C. Sproul.

[1] From Wikipedia article Five Articles of Remonstrance.
[2] The view of Total Depravity held by Calvinists and Arminians differs due to the disparities between irresistible grace and prevenient grace.

Thanksgiving Amid Hardship

2 Corinthians 4

Why does God leave us with our weaknesses? Spiritual, mental, physical, social, financial, weaknesses of every kind plague us. Why do we get old, grow tired, fall into temptation, suffer arthritis, depression, discouragement, persecution, crushing difficulties?---still, though sanctified and made holy with Christ? Why, even though we are God's children, must we suffer in this world? Why so many "thorns in the flesh"? Some falsely teach that we are supposed to be delivered from all the sufferings of life by Jesus, who "bore all our sorrows", taking them away from us and making us prosperous and healthy forever. This just doesn't come from scripture, nor does it look anything like the reality we live in, nor was it the reality of the first century Christians. 

 V.7 answers, "But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us." Sufferings, like those of Paul in his ministry, and his awful "thorn in the flesh" [2Cor 12] are for a good purpose. They are from God, or at least come by His good will, just as they did for Job, for our blessing. Paul writes in v.15, "All things are for our sakes, that grace, having spread to the many, may cause Thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God."  

There is no curse involved, but God's goodwill and blessing upon us. 
 
So, Paul continues, "Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." [16‭-‬17]

Glory is the goal. That "eternal weight of glory" that will be with us in heaven, and the temporal thanksgiving that "abounds to the glory of God" is at issue. Praise God who is not powerless to help us, but even in our hardships is WITH us, and will lead us on to glory, not around but through the hardships and woes of this life.

"Living" Documents are Killing Us

"Living" Documents

This concept has often been used as an argument for changing the U.S. Constitution.

A similar idea has been used to justify re-interpreting the Bible.  Indeed, language does change over time, and some words no longer mean exactly what they meant in the past.  Perhaps the French have a better idea:  Don't allow the language to change so readily.  But it's just too hard to keep it under the control of academics.  So it's a losing proposition.

Today (Jan 17, 2019) Judge Andrew Napolitano spoke thus on a Fox program:

"My late wonderful friend Justice Scalia argued that if the Constitution is the supreme law of the land, then it means the same thing today as it meant when it was ratified, and we should look to the original understanding of the constitution. Because if the Constitution changes with the times, then it is not the supreme law of the land, the political winds become the supreme law of the land."

What Christians believe is that the Bible is the Supreme Law of ALL lands.  By treating God's word as a "living" document, which grows and "evolves" (don't get me started!), we have made the very practice of law itself impossible. Why?  If the most supreme law isn't unchangeable, then that of any country is even less unchangeable.  Thus no constitution is absolute and universal, no law is universal, and no standard can ever be equally applied to all men.

We Christians are the ones who believe this about the Bible.  We are the ones who founded this country.  We must go back to an unchangeable view of God and of His word, one that doesn't look for a newer translation every decade, and one which has older, deeper roots.  I cannot say enough for the New King James version, which relies on the same texts as the great translations that came out of the Reformation.  Therefore I cannot deride the NIV enough, which has from its beginning sought to be a "living" document which is under constant revision.

More importantly, what shall we do?  If we have undermined the very philosophical foundation of our nation---the unchangeable principles, God-given rights, limited government---if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?  Shall we go into hiding?  I think not. Shall we migrate elsewhere?  Maybe.  Should we preach the gospel?  Absolutely, positively, publicly, aggressively at every opportunity!  May God embolden us to stand up for His unchanging word and preach it in the power of the Holy Ghost!