Sunday, May 20, 2012

The headless divided dysfunctional church, and discussion on how to fix it.

 

Jan 24

Written by: beyeholy
1/24/2010 2:13 PM 

As a Bible-believing Christian, I would say that Pat Robertson needs to be quiet.  He says Haiti is being punished for its societal sin, its voodoo and sexual immorality.  But how is he making that judgment?  If by direct revelation, then he should say so and it should be tested by other prophets (I Cor. 14), but it sounds like he is just making a conclusion based on problematic logic.  To wit,

God punishes sin on earth with death and destruction.  Haiti is full of sin.  Therefore, Haiti's death and destruction is a punishment for Haiti's sin.  

Let's examine these logical premises.  Does God punish sin on earth with death and destruction?  We can say biblically that he has before.  Sodom and Gomorrah, Israel by Assyria, Judah by Babylon, Babylon by the Medes & Persians, etc. And of course, the granddaddy of them all, the Flood, when God wiped out the whole earth with a natural disaster for the pervasive sin of the people.  However, I'm going to make a distinction between these different instances of punishment.  Some of them were disciplinary and redemptive in purpose, while others were final and fatal, serving as examples to everyone else watching.  

The Flood was final and fatal and, according to II Peter 3, is analogous to the final judgment of the earth at the end of the age.  It was a judgment that didn't distinguish between sinners but destroyed them all alike.  However, all the judgments and disasters on Israel were promised ahead of time as disciplinary punishments to bring them back to God.  That is, they were intended for redemption, not for total destruction.  

In fact, according to Proverbs 3:11-12 and several of the Psalms, it's the people who are loved by the Lord who are "chastened" and "scourged."  Punished by the Lord?  Yes, but in the course of love and redemption, not as a final judgment that points the finger to the "sinful nation" before the watching world.  If God were out to punish sinful nations, then He wouldn't stop with voodoo.  He hates the idolatry of covetousness (America's favorite) and the "haughty eyes" of a people that considers itself better than any other.  More than that, a punishing God would look for the nation that is at the same time most religious and most sinful.  Which nations wins that combo prize?  

So, does God punish sin on earth with death and destruction?  Not a final judgment, but a redemptive judgment, and that only on nations that He's pointing the finger to to say, "this is a nation I love and I want to redeem and bless."  

There is a lot more that can be written (and has been written, I'm sure) on this topic, but here are a few more verses to think about.  When Jesus was asked about some disasters in His time and their connection to sin, He said, "Do you think these people were more sinful than any other?  No, but I tell you the truth, unless you repent, you will likewise perish."  Likewise, with the man who was born blind, Jesus rejected the interpretations that people were giving about misfortune always being connected to sin.  He said, "This man's blindness was not because of his sin nor of his parents' sin but that people may see the glory of God."  

I don't know what's in Pat Robertson's heart, but the tone of his comment (unless it was misreported) seems to be the tone the disciples had when they wanted to call down fire, like Elijah, on the Samaritans who had rejected Jesus. While Elijah did God's will at that time, Jesus was here for a different purpose, and he rebuked his disciples, saying "You do not know what spirit you are of."  

Even if there is some punishment for sin mixed in the Haiti disaster, our role is not to exult in it or use it to thump God on the back for His justice.  If we do that, we are of the wrong spirit.  Our role is to look for God's redemptive purpose in this and find our places in that redemptive purpose.  Is Haiti in the bondage of sin?  Let's bring them some righteousness.  Are they in need?  Let's serve them as our neighbors.  Because when God does bring his thorough judgment on the world, none of our pet nations will survive.  

There are a few disorganized thoughts from the multitude I have.  And you?

 

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