Redefining Marriage
In June this year the United States Supreme Court ruled that it is unconstitutional for individual states to ban same-sex marriage. The court ruled that the denial of marriage licenses to same-sex couples, and the denial of recognition of same-sex marriages, violates due process and the equal protection clauses of the fourteenth amendment. This was met with celebrations not only in America but around the world as a victory for freedom and equality. Although same sex marriage has been recognised in South Africa since 2006, the recent U.S decision has put the so called ‘marriage debate’ back on the agenda. However it also put many Christians on the back foot as conversations began again in earnest about why we were not joining in the celebrations. What follows is not so much a Christian defence of heterosexual marriage, but some reflections on the shift in culture surrounding the re-definition of marriage itself.
The movement for ‘marriage equality’ began the conversation by doing two very clever things. Firstly, it framed the debate in terms of equality. This immediately put the issue in the same category as civil rights, or in our context, the fight to end apartheid. Who would dare argue against such equality? The answer is, only bigots. By framing the debate in this way, they instantly demonized anyone who wasn’t on their side and ended any chance for an intelligent and thoughtful discussion.
The irony of course is that this simply breeds a new kind of prejudice. The definition of a bigot is someone who has strong and unreasonable beliefs who will not listen to or accept the opinion of anyone who disagrees with them. Without considering the arguments against so called ‘marriage equality’ the yes camp forms negative opinions about those who disagree simply because they disagree. And that in itself is prejudice.
Writing for the Sunday Independent, Brendan O Neill had this observation about those who voted to recognise same sex marriage in the recent Irish referendum. ‘The most striking thing about the yes camp has been it’s intolerance, it’s hostility to dissent, it’s demonization of its opponents, the casualness with which it wrote off swathes of Ireland as bigots and cretins, unfit for public life. This is the disturbing irony of the yes camp; it presents itself as the historic antidote to the backwardness of old Catholic Ireland, yet it rehabilitates, in updated lingo, the intolerance of old Ireland.’
As a result, Christians are under suspicion and accused of discrimination and even hate speech when they speak up in defence of marriage as defined by God in Genesis Ch 1-2 and later reaffirmed by Jesus in Matthew Ch 19. And yet it would be worth reminding those who take offense that disagreement is not the same as discrimination, and that love is not merely acceptence in order to keep the peace. Love is seeking what is best for others. And so as cultures and laws increasingly ‘suppress the truth by their wickedness’ (Rom 1:18) Christians must continue to love their neighbours, both gay and straight, by offering the better way that is found in God’s word.
The second crafty thing the movement for marriage quality did was to assume the conclusion in the premise of the question. By calling gay marriage ‘marriage’ the conclusion had already been reached before the issue was even discussed. In doing this they managed to avoid the actual issue which was, ‘Should we redefine what marriage is?’ That was the fundamental question on the table which never got a proper hearing. The debate is not whether we should acknowledge the love that same sex couples have for each other, but that whether or not that love should be affirmed as marriage.
Marriage is an institution, a mechanism of social order that is designed to achieve a specific purpose. That purpose is to give legal space for one man and one women to have an exclusive sexual union that allows for the generation and raising of children which are recognised as their own. A theological purpose can also be added to this (for those who think theology matters), that marriage is a reflection of the union between Jesus Christ and his people, the church. The institution of marriage is therefore bigger than the concerns or motives of those who enter into it.
What this all means is that redefining marriage to include two people of the same sex actually destroys the concept of marriage altogether. It is an impossibility to talk of same sex marriage, just as it is impossible to talk about a man falling pregnant. Therefore redefining marriage cannot help homosexual couples achieve the ‘equality’ that they are hoping for, because it is no longer marriage they are entering into. Abraham Lincoln was credited with having asked the question, ‘If we should call the dog’s tail a leg, how many legs would it have? To those who answered, ‘five’ he pointed out that the true answer was four; calling a tail a leg doesn’t make it one. The same is true of renaming same sex partnerships ‘marriage’.
Christians must always love their neighbours, gay or straight. Christians must recognise that everyone is made in the image of God and are therefore to be treated with dignity and respect. Christians do not get to choose who they will share the word of life with, it was because God so loved the whole world that he sent his son to die on the cross. But Christians must also speak the truth in love, even when it is unpopular.
Written by Scott Tubman
The views and opinions expressed in these articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position or standpoint of the Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa.
Homosexuality is not the new black
The issue of homosexuality and same-sex partnerships has become an even more urgent issue in South Africa now that the General Synod of the Dutch Reformed Church has voted to permit those in same-sex relationships to serve as ministers. The synod also voted to permit same-sex unions to be blessed in Dutch Reformed churches.
Thankfully the decision won’t be forced on churches. Each individual Dutch Reformed church can decide for themselves their stance towards those who practice homosexuality in same-sex partnerships. Many of those who are pleased with the synod’s decision equate discrimination towards those who practise homosexuality as essentially the same as discrimination towards black people under apartheid. For them the synod’s decision has been a great moment of liberation to be celebrated.
However, homosexuality is not the new black. According to the Bible, differences in culture and ethnicity are part of God’s good creation and are to be celebrated – even as we are united in Christ. Homosexual activity, on the other hand, (like all other sexual immorality) is not part of God’s good creation, but sinful and dishonouring to God. Ministers and denominations that say otherwise are not being loving towards those who practise homosexuality because they are endangering their souls by giving many a false assurance of a lifestyle pleasing God.
God’s Word must be our Rule
God is very much for sex as shown by his creation of humans as sexual beings that enjoy sex. God as Creator knows how best we enjoy his good gifts, including the gift of sex. From the very beginning of the Bible we see that God’s purpose is for sex to take place within the marriage of one woman with one man (Genesis 2:24). God creation purposes are evidenced in the biological differences between men and women.
Let the marriage bed be undefiled
The biblical institution of marriage is essential for the welfare of human society. The Bible warns that there will also be those who will want to redefine marriage or devalue marriage. Hebrews 14:3 says,
“Let marriage be held in honour among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.”
Sexual immorality is any and all sexual activity outside biblically defined marriage. Rather than celebrate sexual immorality – like many do – we should warn people that God’s judgement will come upon all the “sexually immoral and adulterous”.
Is homosexuality sin?
To put it simply, yes. Homosexuality is not part of God’s good plan for human beings and is an expression of our rebellion towards him. In Romans 1:18-27 the Apostle Paul views homosexuality as the ultimate expression of rebellion towards God. The practise of homosexuality turns God’s order of things upside down; much like the first sin in Genesis 3 when Adam and Eve listened to a creature not the Creator. Some “biblical” scholars have sought to re-interpret the Bible to say that God is actually pro so-called homosexual marriage or partnership. These are some of their arguments:
1. No longer applicable
Some will argue that the laws prohibiting homosexual behaviour are no longer applicable to us today as they were part of the discontinued parts of the Law of Moses (e.g. Leviticus 18:21-22, 20:13). They argue that because we do not have to keep all the Law of Moses (e.g. not eat pork, shave our beards, and not wear cotton and wool at the same time) people should also be allowed to practise homosexuality. This argument sounds convincing at first, but cannot stand. Firstly, heterosexual marriage is still God’s purpose as seen in the creation account – which comes before the Law. Secondly, the New Testament also condemns homosexual practise. Thirdly, the laws forbidding homosexuality are further implications of the seventh commandment, “You shall not commit adultery” and still very much applicable to us today. You might say that the laws against homosexuality are part of the “moral law”.
REACH South Africa‘s position paper on homosexuality says:
“We note further that this defilement (e.g. Leviticus 18:21-22, 20:13) is no mere matter of ceremonial purity but something abhorrent to God, leading to the extreme penalty. We note further that these acts are not just condemned in Israel as God‘s holy people, but brought God‘s judgement even upon Gentile people. We know of no rescinding or lessening of the seriousness of what we can only accept as part of God‘s moral law binding on all people in all cultures in all ages.”
2. No longer relevant
Others argue that the prohibitions in the Bible were culture bound and therefore no longer relevant in a modern world. For instance, in the Old Testament homosexual behaviour was linked with idolatrous cult prostitution and what the biblical author was condemning was idolatry, not homosexuality. Or they will argue that in the (intolerant, narrow-minded) New Testament author’s thinking homosexual behaviour was considered taboo; but today we are not that bigoted, so we should embrace homosexuality as a healthy, alternative lifestyle.
Both these “culture-bound” arguments can be answered by the simple observation that the biblical authors were not airing their own opinions, but based their views on sexuality to God’s purpose for human beings at creation. (Cf. Romans 1:20, 25)
3. Misunderstanding of meaning
Lastly, others argue that what the Bible forbids is homosexual abuses, like rape (e.g. a male slave owner forcing himself on a male slave) and homosexual prostitution. Hence the Bible is not against loving, consensual homosexual relationships. Again, this argument does not hold weight. The homosexual act itself is prohibited in the Bible, not simply the motive, circumstances or context in which it takes place.
Is homosexuality genetic?
Yes and no.
“Yes”, in that we are all born with a biased towards sin. We are all natural born sinners. Some may have more of a tendency towards one particular sin than other sins. One may struggle more with gluttony than with greed. One may have a greater tendency towards pride than pornography; or a tendency towards homosexuality rather than heterosexual sexual immorality (e.g. co-habitation, adultery etc).
“No”, in that there is no homosexual gene that somehow fatalistically determines your sexual orientation. One’s upbringing, circumstances, childhood and rearing (positive and negative) plays a huge role in determining one’s strengths, weaknesses, and temptation areas. But at the end of the day, we are – each one – responsible and accountable for our choices.
Is there hope for those who practise homosexuality?
Yes. In one sense homosexuality is the ultimate expression of rebellion towards God, but in another sense, the Bible treats homosexuality as it does any other sin. Consider:
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)
Sin needs to be repented of. God forgives us our sins on the grounds of the death of Christ for us. As Christians we still sin, but our lives are marked by hatred of and turning from sin. A Christian’s life cannot be characterised by ongoing, habitual sin – whatever that sin may be. 1 John 1:6 says,
“If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.”
Homosexual orientation vs. homosexual behaviour
You may struggle with homosexual feelings; but because you are a Christian and want to honour God, you do not act on those feelings. You are to be commended. Homosexual orientation is not a sin, bit the homosexual act is. To put it more generally: temptation is not a sin, acting on temptation is. Jesus was tempted and yet did not sin. I may be tempted to view pornography, but only when I act on the temptation does it become a sin.
Is God homophobic?
God is not homophobic, but he is holy. He hates sin – all sin. He hates homosexual sin as much as he hates pride. The awesome news of the gospel is that Jesus came to save sinners. Jesus did not come to save those who love their sin or try to justify their sin, but those who recognise they are sinners. If church leaders keep telling sinners they are not sinners, how terrible will it be for those leaders on the Day of Judgement? Jesus said it would be better for them to have a great millstone tied around their necks and be thrown into the sea (Mark 9:42).
An extract from REACH South Africa‘s position paper on homosexuality says:
“It is beholden on every true Christian to follow the plain teaching of the Word of God, and therefore to avoid homosexual activity as sin on a par with stealing, murder, and covetousness, which displeases God and makes us liable to the judgement of God.
It is beholden on every Christian, and especially ministers and teachers, to warn the unwary that such behaviour is offensive to God and bound to bring punishment.
As believers in the Christian gospel it is every Christian‘s privilege to assure those who turn to Christ from whatever sinful path into which they may have strayed that they have God‘s complete forgiveness and that they are wholly cleansed and brought into fellowship with him, and are true members of his Church.
Christian churches, denominations, and ministers are recognized by their profession of Christ as Lord and their adherence to the Word of God. Churches, denominations and ministers which advocate lifestyles in open conflict with Holy Scripture have strayed from the historic Christian Faith.
In particular, churches, denominations and ministers which by teaching, example and ordination policy declare to the world that homosexual activity is pleasing to God, when God‘s Word declares it evil and sufficient to exclude people from God‘s kingdom, endanger people‘s souls, and should be avoided by Christian people.”
Written by Andre Visagie, originally posted here.
The views and opinions expressed in these articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position or standpoint of the Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa.
The Old Testament and Snow White (Why we need the New Testament)
To cheer you up (he said tongue-in-cheek), I thought I would tell you the original ending of the Snow White fairy tale. As you know, the new Queen, who is the wicked stepmother, is jealous of snow white’s beauty and orders a huntsman to take Snow White into the deepest woods to be killed. As proof that Snow White is dead, the Queen demands that he return with her lungs and liver. The huntsman takes Snow White into the forest. After raising his knife, he finds himself unable to kill her and leaves her behind alive, convinced that the girl would be eaten by some wild animal. He instead brings the Queen the lungs and liver of a young boar, which is prepared by the cook and eaten by the Queen. Snow White survives, is taken care of by dwarfs and ends up engaged to a prince. The newly engaged couple invite every queen and king to come to the wedding party, including Snow White’s stepmother. At the wedding, to her horror, the stepmother is forced to put on red-hot iron-shoes and dance until she drops to the floor, dead. That’s not quite the ending that Walt Disney gave us.*
This past Sunday our church came to the end of our series in the book of Joshua and the question we asked was: how does the story end? Is it a happily-ever-after ending with God’s people living in God’s land under God’s rule or not?
Finale
After Joshua and the Elders of Israel die, the book of Judges tells us that Israel turned to follow false gods and did not serve the LORD. In later years God was true to his warning and took them out of the Promised Land because of their ongoing rebellion and sin; the story did not end well. Why not?
Dilemma
The answer has not changed since the Garden of Eden. The story has a bad ending because of sin; we are naturally biased against God; our hearts are inclined away from God and not towards God.
Resolution
What’s the solution? We need new hearts.
The Book of Common Prayer has an insightful response as part of the Morning Prayer service that speaks to this exact dilemma:
Minister: O Lord, save your people
Congregation: And bless your inheritance
Minister: Give peace in our time, O Lord.
Congregation: Because there is none other that fights for us, but only you, O God.
Minister: O God, make clean our hearts within us.
With the coming of Jesus God promises his people “new hearts” that are inclined towards God.
Titanic letdown
The entire Old Testament story is actually a great tragedy without the New Testament. The Old Testament is like the voyage of the Titanic; it ends badly. The Old Testament is really designed to bring us to despair and to ask ourselves: How can God dwell with us? How can sinful and strayinghearts be dealt with? How can we ever be faithful?
New heart
Many years after the book of Joshua, another Joshua was born. In Greek his name is pronounced Jesusand he comes in the fulfilment of many Old Testament prophecies. Jesus, as the New Testament tells us, did all the things we could not do. His heart was always inclined towards God and always obeyed God’s Word. When Jesus died, he died as the just penalty for our sin, not his; he died for our straying hearts, not his.
Jesus was the true Israelite. Jesus represented all that Israel should have been. In Jesus, through faith in God’s Promise, we receive God’s righteousness. God gives us Jesus’ righteousness so that when God looks at us he sees Jesus’ sinlessness. Not only that, God gives us new hearts and new affections that want to serve him, honour him and obey him. Now, we as God’s people, look forward to our Promised Land – the new heavens and the new earth. The Bible tells us that the real story ends well for Christians. We will indeed live happily-ever-after, because of Jesus.
* Thanks to Lee Marshall and his talks on the book of Joshua at the 2007 Mid-Year Conference for alerting me to this good illustration.
Written by Andre Visagie, orignially posted here.
The Scandal of Jesus
In contrast to the speeches of Pope Francis, that everyone applauds and welcomes, Jesus’ words often upset and offended people, particularly religious people. The account of Jesus’ healing of the Roman centurion’s servant is just such an outrageous occasion. At our church’s official opening service on Sunday Bishop Glenn Lyons reminded us of two provocative, scandalous statements Jesus made.
The scandal of faith
Jesus said, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.” (Matthew 8:10)
What makes this statement scandalous is that Jesus was speaking to the Roman centurion, in the hearing of the Jewish crowd. The Romans were the Gentile occupying force in what was supposed to be a Jewish-ruled land. Most Jewish people back then despised Gentiles, particularly the Romans who ruled over them. Were not the Jews chosen by God? Was not the Jewish king meant to rule over the nations from Jerusalem? And yet, here was Jesus commending the captain of the Gentile army for his faith – faith that Jesus had not yet seen in Israel! It would be tantamount to the Bishop of Baghdad commending the ISIS commander for his faith.
What had happened was that the centurion had recognised Jesus for who he was and had responded in the appropriate manner.
But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he marvelled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. (Matthew 8:8-10)
The centurion knew that Jesus was a man with authority who spoke words of authority. If Jesus said something, it was as good as done. No need for a fanfare, Jesus just had to speak the word. Because of this, Jesus is the one man in history we cannot ignore.
Have you recognised Jesus for who he is? Not a prophet, or good man, or healer, but God the Son? Have you responded appropriately? Not by liking the “Jesus” Facebook page, but by obeying his word to repent and believe the gospel? As a Christian, is Jesus’ word enough for you or do you hanker after more fanfare and “power” experiences?
The scandal of grace
Jesus said, “I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 8:11-12)
What makes this statement scandalous was that Jesus was speaking to religious (Jewish) people who thought that because of their privileges they would no doubt be welcomed to the feast in the coming kingdom of God. Jesus is warning against presumption. It’s not about race, it’s about grace. Rather than God judging the Gentiles, many Gentile – including Roman centurions – would be at the feast of God with the Old Testament’s great believers. What a shocking statement. Many Brazilians, South Africans and Indians will be joining Abraham, Isaac and Jacob too. And many religious people, who presumed that they would be there, won’t be there.
Will you be at the feast of God? Do you presume to be there? Do you presume to be there because of your family, your culture, your upbringing, your baptism, your church membership, your church attendance, your Anglicanism, or because your uncle was a minister? It’s not about race, or culture, or who you know, it’s about grace. It all depends on whether you, by God’s grace, recognise Jesus and respond appropriately to him.
Jesus said scandalous things. Jesus offended many. Jesus’ words caused him to be put to death. But this was all part of God’s plan. Jesus rose from the dead and now reigns and rules from heaven. Jesus will return to preside over the feast of God.
You can listen to Bishop Glenn Lyons’ sermon here.
Written by Andre Visagie, originally posted here.
Why the world is like it is
The age-old question that has for hundreds of years vexed philosophers, theorists, social-scientists, and all thinking people, is this: why is the world like it is?
Think about all the greed, the road rage, the human trafficking, the extra-marital affairs, the exploitation of women in pornography, the bullying in primary schools, the rape and murder of the 15 year old in Masiphumelele this last week, the rich directors of mining houses who exploit their workers, the greedy FIFA executives charged with corruption, and the list never ends.
Why is the world like it is, that is the question that no one can answer.
Human atrocities
In World War II, which lasted 6 years, 1939-1945, most historians estimate that 75 million people died, including military personnel and civilians.
Many of the civilians died because of deliberate genocide, massacres, mass-bombing and starvation. Human beings died directly and indirectly at the hands of other human beings. In 1945 the United Nations was established to be a gathering of nations so that there would be no more wars. There has been more war since the establishment of the UN that before.
Why is the world like it is? Why is there so much sin and evil and exploitation in the world and, if we are honest, in our own hearts?
Alternative theories
Secular humanists would say it’s because of a lack of education. Buddhists would say it’s because of a failure to find oneself. Behaviourists would say it’s because of lack of nurture by parents. Evolutionists would say that it’s the inevitable outcome of our inbuilt instinct for the survival of the fittest. Typically religious people would say it’s because we’re not trying hard enough to be nice. Many people growing up in our post-modern world, where there is no absolute truth, would not even know where to start to answer the question.
Why is world like it is today?
Suppressors and exchangers
The Bible gives us the answer, particularly in Romans 1:18-32. The answer is not what most people want to hear; it’s not very politically correct. You see, the Bible is the only book in our world that is able to tell us why the world is like it is. The Bible is fundamentally a realistic book: it calls a spade a spade; it tells it like it is
According to the Bible, and particularly Romans 1, the world is like it is because human beings have suppressed the truth about God (v18) and have exchanged the worship of the one True God for created things (v21-23). God has handed us over to our own desires (v24, 28-31) and we are now under God’s wrath (v18). This is not the politically correct answer, but this is reality.
The gospel, however, provides a way for us to be declared righteous and escape God’s wrath. If we don’t understand the bad news of the human predicament and God’s wrath, we won’t appreciate the good news of the gospel.
The full exposition of Romans 1:18-32 is here.
Written by Andre Visagie, originally posted here.
Declaring His praises!
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light…” 1 Peter 2:9
It is not uncommon today to hear people described as ‘privileged’ or as ‘underprivileged’, usually with reference to the socio-economic position that they hold in society. We hear of ‘underprivileged’ communities living around our major cities or in the remote areas of our country, people without access to basic needs such as housing, clean water, health care, education, etc. And we hear of the ‘privileged few’ who have easy access to such things and who generally have far more than they actually need. Understandably we also frequently hear that since Government cannot meet the demands of all, it is the moral if not legal duty of the ‘privileged few’ to share with those who are in need. And given that by world standards the majority of us are in fact well off, it is important for us to think about the many who do not have what we have and to work toward improving their situation, whether through job creation, training or acts of charity and generosity.
Sadly we seldom think of ‘privileged’ or ‘underprivileged’ people in spiritual terms. And if we did we would find a very different picture being drawn. When it comes to spiritual privileges those who have much in material terms are often impoverished and those who have little in the world are in fact often rich in the things of God. And here too there is at the very least a moral and spiritual obligation for those who have to share with those who do not. It is precisely this obligation, the obligation to share from a position of privilege that Peter has in mind in the passage quoted above. Speaking to believers in Asia Minor many of whom would have been socially and economically marginalised because of their faith, Peter first reminds them of what they do in fact possess - the spiritual privileges that they and we enjoy as believers in Jesus Christ.
First, every believer has been chosen by God to belong to God’s own people. This privilege of course belonged to Ancient Israel in the Old Testament, but now it has been transferred to Christians. And it is this idea of special belonging that Peter has in mind when he describes Christians as a royal priesthood and a holy nation, terms that God used to describe Israel’s great privilege as His people after He had rescued them from Egypt (see Exodus 19:1-6). Though these terms spoke of the responsibility that Israel had, they were in the first place a description of the unique and very great privilege which they enjoyed – a people belonging to God because of His grace at work in saving them.
It is precisely this saving grace that Peter then goes on to mention in the verses that follow. Christians, says Peter, have been called by God out of spiritual darkness and into His wonderful light (vs9). Christians have been brought by God’s grace into His family even though we were by nature outsiders, excluded from all of His great blessings (vs10). Christians who were lost and unforgiven outside of Christ have now been shown mercy by God, so that in Christ our sins have been forgiven and we have been set free from condemnation. As Peter puts it elsewhere in the letter: “Christ died for sins, once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18).
As believers in Jesus Christ, we are the truly ‘privileged few’ of the world, and as such we share an obligation to those who do not have what we have. In Peter’s words in our text, we possess all that God has given us by His grace “so that we may declare the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His wonderful life.” Rather than judging ourselves by the standards of this world or bemoaning how hard things are we should start to see ourselves in the light of God’s grace and enrich the world with our declaration of His praise!
How are we to do that? Well certainly with our words, not just our words of song but also our words of testimony – testimony to the greatness of God’s mercy and grace in Jesus Christ and to the wonder of belonging to His people - Gospel words spoken to a world in desperate need of good news. From our words would people know that we are Christian and that we are glad to be Christian?
And Peter goes on to say that we declare God’s praises in the way that we live – by doing good in this world, even when our good deeds are misunderstood or rejected (vs12). There are all sort of reasons for doing good in this world, but for Christians the primary one must surely be so that God may be praised and so that those who are the spiritually underprivileged (both the rich and the poor by the standards of this world) might come to share the unique privilege which is ours.
Written by Mervyn Eloff
Knowing God's Will
Christians are forever wanting to know what God’s specific will is for their lives. Should I take the new job? Should I marry this person? Which church should I attend? To which school should I send my children? The list goes on.
It’s interesting what Paul says about God’s will in Romans 1:9-10:
“I mention you always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you.”
Notice that not even the great Apostle Paul, author of the letter to the Romans, knows what God’s specific will is for his life and travel plans. As John Stott says, “Paul’s attitude is that of humility; he does not presume to impose his will on God, nor to know what God’s will is.”
Instead, the Apostle obeys God’s Word as best he can, makes the wisest decisions he can based on the priority of the gospel (cf. v8-17), and trusts that God’s good will, will come to pass.
He says, “If I come to you, it will be God’s will” and “If I don’t come to you, that will also be God’s will.”
Do you want to know what God’s specific will is for a particular situation? Obey the Bible as best you can, keep the gospel of Jesus in the forefront of your mind, make a wise decision, and leave the outcome to God.
Written by A. Visagie, orignially posted here.
Bishop Glenn Lyons Charge - Synod 2015
Synod 2015 Charge
Dear Friends
I greet you all in the precious name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
I’m unsure whether I’ll be bringing you this year’s charge in my capacity as Chairman of the Leadership Committee or as the next Presiding Bishop. In either case the responsibility is a great privilege and I accept this role with much fear and trembling. I’m well aware of my own inadequacies and I am absolutely reliant on the enabling Spirit of God for the task. I value most deeply your regular prayers as we go forward as fellow servants of the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
This synod will see new faces at the chairman’s table, it’s illustrative of the fact that many of our stalwart servants have retired or gone to be with the Lord. I write this charge still saddened by the sudden passing of Rev Jeremiah Zondi and hope you will continue to keep his family in your prayers. This is life in our world, we are all perishable pilgrims on our way to glory. We must not forget that we too will very quickly pass the baton to another. Let us keep that perspective in mind as we conduct our discussions and make our decisions this week. There is an urgency to see souls won to Christ and we dare not be distracted from this task.
This will be the first time in over 50 years that Rev Brian Cameron will not be present at a Synod. We give grateful thanks to God for his committed service and ask the Lord to keep him and Thy fruitful for His service. His retirement has left big shoes to fill and I am grateful that we have a new Administrator, James Schonegevel, who is clearly the right man for the task.
I would also like to pay tribute to Bishop Des Inglesby who helped steer CESA into the REACH-South Africa era and did much to move our denomination forward. We saw many initiatives to improve our training standards (the L.Min course for Curates) and develop new leadership structures. The fact that we now have seven Bishops and two new regions is a tribute to his vision. I trust you will all continue to pray for Des’ health and for his and Jenny’s continued usefulness to the work of the Kingdom.
This year has given me opportunity to reflect more on our common ministry within REACH-SA. I have had some time to consult with fellow leaders as well as meet and discuss our work at various formal and informal meetings. This leadership transition has afforded us an opportunity to pause and assess ourselves. Who are we and where are we going? I believe we must measure ourselves with honest eyes, as the Lord would have us. Let us celebrate the Kingdom progress to His glory but let us also take responsibility and action in places where we are failing to answer His call.
I would like us take a moment to reflect on our Identity and Practice.
WHO ARE WE?
At Synod 2011, Bishop Des Inglesby succinctly summarized our identity in the 10 Distinctives. Let us briefly recall them:
- We are a Word centred church.The Bible occupies the primary place of authority in our denomination. This is expressed in our motto: ‘God’s word above all things’.
- We are an Evangelical churchHoly Scripture carries the final word, not “the church” nor any human institution. God works by His Holy Spirit through His Word to bring us to Christ and keep us in Christ.
- We are a Protestant church.We believe in the right of every believer to read, understand and obey the Scriptures. We hold to the priesthood of all believers.
- We are a Reformed churchWe stand in the shadow of the great Reformers and hold to the heart cry of the Reformation: “By grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, according to Scripture alone and to the glory of God alone.”
- We are a Missional churchWe believe in the Great Commission. Jesus is the only way of salvation for the world. Therefore, we are Evangelistic and Missionary in our outlook.
- We are a Confessional churchThe Church of England is a church that uses confessions of faith to express our beliefs according to the teaching of the Bible.
- We are a Covenantal churchWe understand Scripture to teach God’s one single saving covenant with His people begun with Abraham. This covenantal theology finds expression in our church practice, most notably in infant baptism.
- We are an Episcopal churchWe see Bishops, Presbyters and Deacons as a part of a church government structure that is agreeable to Scripture.
- We are a Liturgical churchWe value and use set liturgy (confession, prayer, praise) in public services.
- We are an Anglican ChurchThe 39 Articles and the 1662 Book of Common Prayer are the touchstone of genuine Anglicanism. We hold unswervingly to those foundations. It follows that we consider how this works out in practice.
WHAT ARE WE ABOUT?
In 1999 Bishop Frank Retief memorably outlined the 6E’s to help us build healthy ministry in our local churches. They are still part of our professed vision and remain an excellent measure for our gospel communities. You will find a full version of the 6E’s on our REACH-SA website. Let me give you a condensed summary and reflect on their ongoing application:
1. EXALTATION
Our understanding of the gospel is that it will culminate and consummate in the worship, adoration and praise of God the father, Son and Holy Spirit. Now in part, in fullness in eternity (1 Cor.15:28; Rev.4:11). Our goal is that God is Exalted (or Glorified) through all we do as servants of the gospel.
2. EVANGELISM
We are committed to ongoing, unceasing, Biblical evangelism. An evangelistic edge should sharpen every aspect of local church ministry. We must prayerfully seek to use every Biblical means to win souls to the Saviour. This includes Church Planting, evangelistic discipleship (1-2-1), training, local and regional outreach programs as well as foreign missions.
3. EDIFICATION
Consistent expository Bible teaching is the most effective way for God’s people to be built up in their most holy faith. We gather together to encourage and edify one another with the Word of Christ. This is also seen in the outworking of the Word in our lives as we love and care for one another.
4. EQUIPPING
God’s ministers are called to “equip the saints for works of service” (Eph.4:12). Everyone in our church family needs to be discipled and trained in Christian service according to their gifts. Discipleship and lay ministry training should be an integral part of local church activity and a key responsibility of the ministers in that church.
5. EMPLOYING
Every local church should have a team of gospel workers. This involves more than the need to employ full time pastoral staff. Many of us are overlooking a vast resource in our lay members and volunteers. It’s my conviction that we need to revive our “lay-reader” office in a way that allows us to train and employ a wide variety of (paid and volunteer) workers in our churches.
6. EXPORTING
Local churches cannot ignore the missionary call of Christ. We are all to be resource centres for sending and supporting missionaries and gospel workers in our neighbourhoods and in the nations. A local church with no vision for mission is failing the Great Commission. Our mission includes taking the gospel to the poor and marginalized with all the care and compassion that context demands.
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My brothers and sisters, when I reflect on our Identity and Practice I rejoice that God has placed me in a denomination gifted with such a sound lifeboat in which to be fishers of men. But we need to ask a further question of ourselves today. If this is our confessed Identity and Practice, then what are we actually doing about it?
WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT IT?
To put it plainly, our statistics don’t paint an encouraging picture of church growth. In a survey of the last 10 years, our official membership figures have remained largely static, with a slight increase in clergy figures. We also note an alarming decline in the numbers of ministry candidates being sent to GWC.
Diagram 1: Membership
Diagram 2: Clergy
Diagram 3: GWC - REACH-SA Student Enrollments
It’s probably true that the membership numbers only represent a portion of our congregations because of inaccurate record keeping or the high numbers of adherents. It is also true that local churches are reporting gospel conversions and discipling new believers. Overall, however, the figures are concerning.
Even with this basic survey and its imperfect measurements, its clear that we are not seeing significant growth in membership, ministry candidates, clergy or new churches. It is also concerning that we are not seeing much growth in our ministry to poorer communities, townships and new population centres. Our regional leaderships have identified several key areas where we have little or no gospel ministry. Soweto (Gaut), Mdantsane (E.C), the Cape Flats (W.C), Newcastle (KZN), Bethlehem (FS) and many other similar places.
Some may say that church is not about numbers but I would venture to suggest that the Gospel teaches us otherwise. God’s declared will for the world is that He ‘wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth’ (1 Tim.2:4). Does the lack of growth reflect a fault in our ministry model or denominational structure? Or could it be that an evangelistic passion no longer drives us as it once used to? Are we not concerned for the lost millions who face an eternity in Hell? Have we grown complacent in our passion for winning souls to Christ? Are we perhaps also being worn down by the economic and social pressures of our day? Or have we became like the theologically strong Ephesian church and lost our first love (Rev.2:1-7)? I ask these questions of myself as much as I ask them of you.
In seeking a way forward, I have greatly appreciated the help of our Generate team in guiding and resourcing our efforts at church growth. Recent formal and informal clergy gatherings have helped me gain an understanding of the obstacles and opportunities we face. In assessing our strengths and weak-nesses. Here are some common answers that emerged.
Strengths
- Expository Preaching and Teaching (The Word is central to our activities)
- Denominational Unity (We are a close knit fellowship of churches)
- Theological Strength (GWC; Ministry Conferences etc.)
Weaknesses
- Lack effective strategy for reaching total population (e.g. poor, townships)
- Raising a diversity of gospel workers (more representative of population)
- Evangelism / Mission / Outreach - not finding the mark
It’s also concerning to see how some technological advances, as helpful as they are, are also hindering many believers from growing in His Word. There is a dark side to modern television, media and internet that is capturing an alarming number of believers. Our society is rapidly (and aggressively) moving away from Biblical moral values and we are being flooded with sensuality and pornography at every turn. We ministers are not immune to its temptations. The Apostle Paul urged Timothy to “watch your life and doctrine closely” (1 Tim.4:16). If we separate our lives from our teaching we place ourselves in great peril. An ungodly pastor is an anomaly the world has seen more than enough of. I also urge all ministry workers to beware of isolation, I know from experience how dangerous this is. If you have not done so, I encourage you to form prayer partnerships and be accountable to a fellow trustworthy co-worker or mature Christian friend. We should not be afraid to confess our weaknesses to one another in order that the all sufficient Grace of our Lord may be powerfully seen in us (2 Cor.12:9,10).
Recommended Reading: “Dangerous Calling” - Paul David Tripp; “You can change” - Tim Chester; “Holiness” - J.C. Ryle
Planning: I’m concerned that a number of us are drifting or struggling to make progress. I feel for fellow workers who labour alone or with very little help. Relentless ministry pressure can mean that we enter “survival” mode and fail to make progress. Many of us feel that we are chasing our tails in our ministries. I believe that planning makes a huge difference in motivating and sustaining direction. I encourage all church leaders to set gospel goals and plan their steps. Having a purpose gives us direction and also helps us shed the unnecessary work that other people often offload on us.
Begin by diarizing a vision and planning week with key leaders and partners. It’s worth taking one week of planning to make the other 51 more effective. Make purposeful plans for church outreach, mission partnership and targeted expository preaching series. It’s important for us to regularly assess where our church communities are at and make plans for gospel progress.
Recommended reading: “The Trellis and the Vine” – Colin Marshall and Tony Payne; “Everyday Church” – Tim Chester and Steve Timmis; “Going the Distance” – Peter Brain
Partnership:
Regional Partnership: Resources are a struggle for us all. On our own, many of us just cannot find enough time or money to train workers, conduct outreach projects or plant churches. It goes without saying that we can do more together than apart.
We live in a country with one of the largest financial disparities in the world. This leaves us with many inequalities between our local churches. We must develop more creative and adventurous ways to bridge this gap. It should be unthinkable for comfortable suburban churches to ignore the plight of brothers and sisters struggling with far fewer resources in much larger population areas.
Denominational Partnership: I believe a proper partnership mentality will help remove an “us and them” mindset. Its not you and the denomination, we are all REACH-South Africa, its our church family and we are all working together in partnership for the Gospel. We cannot make progress if we are building individual kingdoms instead of God’s Kingdom.
Let us make good use of our REACH-SA family resources. One of the positives with our current structure is that we are not an admin heavy denomination. This helps us move much of our funding to the frontlines of ministry. This year I expect to see a particularly healthy financial report which means that any surplus will be directed back to the regions for ministry use. I believe there may even be enough to help launch at least one new gospel work in each region.
If we are going to harness these type of resources effectively there will need to be selfless collaboration for the sake of the gospel. We will need a united strategy to harness our resources effectively. During this Synod there will be breakaway sessions where delegates from the different regions will meet and discuss the various opportunities that exist in their context. I encourage you all to attend and contribute to the discussions.
Over this coming year I will also ask all the regional leadership to conduct an audit of their support commitments. Some of our ministries need to move from maintenance mode to missional mode. Are we using our material and people resources to the best gospel use? This may mean cutting some funding for unproductive or dying projects and rerouting funding to support new gospel initiatives in population growth areas. Friends, we need to ask some hard questions. Do some radical changes need to be made? Are we ready to take risks for the gospel?
The solutions will not be without difficulty but we cannot maintain the current status quo. We all need to work together. Our God is calling us to take the Gospel to all the nations and to all the people of our nation. uNkulunkulu uthi masihambise iVangeli ezizweni zonke, nalana kwesethu isizwe.
Modimo wa rona o re biletsa ho isa Evangedi ho ditjhaba tsohle Le ho batho bohle ba setjhaba sa rona.
Planting: Church Planting seems to be daunting to some of us. It also has a risk of becoming a ‘cure all’ solution to our problems. Perhaps the perceived cost of a church plant puts many of us off. Some out of the box thinking may be needed here. A local church could begin by planting a second service. Perhaps even in a different venue? A strategically placed Bible Study group could become a future church plant. Some churches have had some gospel success by planting an evening service in a local coffee shop or shopping mall. Other church plants began as Day Care Centres, Adult education projects, Pre-primary schools etc. Planting may also mean “re-planting”. It may be that some of us have to re-jig our church to reach a changing demographic. Some of you have decided on a new name for your local church or new logo and service times. Renovations and other practical building changes have also proved to be helpful in giving our members more confidence to invite friends to hear the gospel. One church reported an increase in attendance just by switching from instant coffee to filter coffee!
There are many creative ways to help us reach our communities with the Gospel if we will take the time to be more intentional in our outreach. Our Generate team have also done much to help us through conferences, workshops and resources. I gratefully urge them to continue in their efforts. Remember, we do not change the Gospel message, but we need to consider new ways to get more people to hear it.
Resources: www.thegospelcoalition.org ; thegospelpartnerships.org.uk ; genevapush.com ; www.redeemercitytocity.com
Prayer: ‘Unless the LORD builds the house, the workers labour in vain’ (Psalm 127:1). How can we even begin to make progress if we do not fall to our knees before the Lord of the harvest? We must be fervent in prayer at a personal and corporate level. Prayerless ministry is a contradiction and a reflection of our own unbelief. Church history teaches us that prayer was the aroma surrounding all the great revivals of the 12
church. It will not be different with us. At the end of this charge I will call us all to our knees as we implore God to help us achieve this humanly impossible task. May the Lord be pleased to hear us and accomplish His work even through unworthy servants like us.
Recommended Reading: “Prayer and the Voice of God” – Phillip Jensen and Tony Payne; “A Call to Spiritual Reformation” – D.A. Carson
A final word to my fellow pastors. In the light of this charge, it must not be assumed that the preaching of the Word is just one aspect of our work that needs attention. It is the very core of our calling and cannot be compromised. Give yourselves to continued study, prayer and preparation because God is still pleased to save people through the ‘folly of what we preach’ (1 Cor.1.21 ESV). Our God brings people to faith through the hearing of His Word (Rom.10:17) and we dare not neglect this high office in favour of some other more attractive, multi-media solution. Let us not take this strength of our denomination for granted but work all the more fervently at our task. I ask all of you to pray for the proclaimed Word to find fruitful soil and for God to raise up faithful servants of Christ who will carry on our God given task.
May our God give us more men like George Whitefield in our pulpits today.
J.C. Ryle says of him: “Whitefield preached a singularly pure gospel. Few men, perhaps, ever gave their hearers so much wheat and so little chaff. He did not get up to talk about his party, his cause, his interest, or his office. He was perpetually telling you about your sins, your heart, Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost, the absolute need of repentance, faith and holiness, in the way that the Bible presents these mighty subjects. ‘Oh the righteousness of Christ!’ he would often say; ‘I must be excused if I mention it in almost all my sermons.’ Preaching of this kind is the preaching that God delights to honour.”
(Christian Leaders of the 18th Century – J.C. Ryle; Banner of Truth. p.51)
My brothers and sisters, may I be so bold as to ask you not to give this charge polite applause and then forget about it. May God be pleased to use what is true and necessary to spur us on in the task of seeking the lost and discipling the found. Let us fall on our knees together and ask God to give us Africa for Jesus. iNkosi inibusise. Amen.
Perspective - Of first Importance
“For what I received, I passed on to you as of first importance…”1 Corinthians 15:3
As Christians we don’t often think about the gospel as a ‘tradition’ – indeed that word may make us feel quite uncomfortable when it comes to talking about Christianity. We are accustomed to using the word ‘tradition’ with reference to man-made religion and to speak about the gospel in terms of ‘relationship’ rather than religion or tradition. And at one level of course this discomfort about the word tradition is quite understandable. For did not Jesus Himself rebuke the religious elite of His day because they held onto their religious traditions and so doing set aside the Word of God (see Mark 7:6-8)?
What Jesus had in mind was of course religious rules that were man-made and which had become more important than what God had said. Properly understood however there is a sense in which the gospel itself not only can but must be thought about as a tradition. And it is this that Paul has in mind when he described the gospel as something which he had received and which he had in turn passed on to them. If we think about it carefully we realise that this language (receiving and passing on) is language describing tradition, gospel tradition - a tradition which Paul considered to be of the first importance not only for the Christians in Corinth but for all Christians everywhere.
First and foremost, Paul wanted the Corinthians to understand that the gospel was thus not something which he had made up. Rather it was something which he received. Paul was a gospel preacher, but he was certainly not a gospel inventor. This is the point that Paul is driving home when he uses the phrase “according to the Scriptures” in verses 3-4 of 1 Corinthians 15. The gospel that he preached and which the Corinthians believed was a gospel that began with God and His Old Testament promises, promises which would be fulfilled in the Christ who would die for our sins and rise again on the third day. In other words, the gospel has its own content, a content which is determined by God, not by us. And this means of course that no-one, not even the apostle Paul, has the right to change the content of the gospel. And this is a matter of great importance for us to remember in an age in which the content of the gospel is so unpopular.
Second, Paul wanted the Corinthians to understand that the gospel had to be received as it is, not as they would like it to be. The gospel which they received from Paul (verse 1) was the gospel that Paul had received (verse 3). Paul had preached it to them just as it had come to him and they were to receive it in full just as he had preached it to them. And so it is for us. We may not pick and choose which bits of the gospel we will receive or which we will reject. People may not like to think about themselves as sinners or to talk about sin, but the gospel tells us that we are and that Christ died for our sins. People may be sceptical about the idea of the resurrection of Jesus but the gospel declares that He rose again on the third day. Indeed for Paul, this is a matter of first importance, for he tells the Corinthians that it is this gospel alone which has the power to save and that it is this gospel to which they must hold firm (verse 2). According to Paul, to believe a gospel which is different from the traditional gospel, the gospel that was received and passed on is to believe in vain (verse 2)!
Third, and this is something of the very greatest importance for us to understand, the way in which this gospel about the death and resurrection of Jesus is powerful to save in every generation is by it being received and preached so that it might be received and preached. The gospel we have today is the same “according to the scriptures” gospel that Paul received. It is this gospel and no other which still saves people today. It is this gospel which has saved us if we have indeed received it, believed it and taken our stand upon it. But this gospel which we have received must in turn be preached by us so that it may be received by others. When Christ died for sins and rose again, he did it not just for one generation of sinners but for all, Paul, the Corinthians, for us and for the generations that are yet to come. Every new generation is the guardian of this same gospel which we have received. And the best way to guard the gospel in our own day it is to proclaim it so that others might hear and believe and proclaim.
Written by Mervyn Eloff. Originally posted here.
A tribute to Jeremiah Zondi – by Grant Retief
Jeremiah Zondi would have celebrated his 50th birthday this coming December. He is survived his wife Eunice and his three children. He was a faithful hard working selfless servant of Jesus who worked tirelessly for the salvation of those amongst whom he served. In addition to serving his lively and growing home church - Christ Church Kwa Mashu - he also served 7 branch congregations scattered throughout the surrounding rural areas.
When I had the privilege of preaching for him, the two things that impressed me about his church was how many men there were and how many young people there were. The church has a vibrant and faithful testimony in the area. Jeremiah trained up young men and sent some of them to college against great financial odds, he also hosted health clinics at the church for the community.
One day I preached for him and an interesting thing happened: a member of the congregation had bought a new car. After the service the whole congregation gathered around it and laid hands on it, and Jerry prayed for safety and gave thanks for it. He explained to me that the reason for the ceremony was to teach his people to see all good gifts as coming from God, and not from the ancestors. Apparently pagan ceremonies are held in honor of the ancestors on such occasions.
Rev. Jeremiah was a godly, hard working man of integrity who quite literally gave his life in service of his King, in response to his King having given his life for him. He will be missed.