Liberal Conservatives [Touchpoints]

As Anabaptists, we typically think of the conservative/liberal paradigm in terms of outward appearance; we need a paradigm adjustment. Liberals look just like the rest of us.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:10

Welcome to the Theological Touchpoints podcast. I'm Julian. The focus for this episode is touchpoints at the intersection of biblical theology and everyday life. Liberals look just like the rest of us. As Anabaptists, we typically think of the conservative liberal paradigm in terms of outward appearance. The old order are the most conservative, we are moderately conservative and MCUSA is liberal. But we need a paradigm adjustment. Liberalism has less to do with how we look and more to do with how we think. This doesn't mean appearances are disconnected from conservatism and liberalism, but just that appearances aren't a good litmus test.

Speaker 1: 0:51

I argue that conservatism and liberalism are best defined in terms of what we believe about truth or, more specifically, what we believe about God. Conservatism, in the best sense, is about preserving the historic tenets of Christianity. We conserve the good and true against the perpetual onslaughts of false teaching. We conserve the gospel, the one and only truth that can lead us to Jesus Christ, our Savior. Conservatism, as it should be, is concerned with preserving true faith, not a set of standards, not a way of thinking or a way of life, but a set of truths, namely the gospel of Christ. We ought to recognize liberalism not by change in appearance, but by change in mindset and belief. The shift in appearance typically follows the corrosion of biblical truth. When appropriate applications are rejected, the war is already lost. The war must be waged along the lines of truth. Externals are not enough.

Speaker 1: 1:50

Two tests are helpful in recognizing liberalism. First, who is at the center? And second, what is the standard of truth? These two questions reveal the heart of the issue. In the first question, we want to know who the main figure in a worldview is. Is this primarily about God or about man? Is this about what man is doing for God or about what God has done for man? Biblical conservatism is God-centered. The gospel is about what God has done to reconcile lost rebels to himself. He has redeemed us through the blood of Christ, his gift to all and on all who believe. A gospel that is more about what we are doing for God than about what he has done for us is indeed a gospel of liberalism. I hope you can see in this that I am not arguing that our behavior is of no consequence. Rather, salvation and all of the Christian life is about us receiving grace from God, living by His power, and not our own. The first test recognizing liberalism is asking the question who is at the center? Who is the central figure? Secondly, we should try to understand what the standard of truth is. What defines reality? What defines the gospel?

Speaker 1: 3:04

Is scripture the ultimate, unrivaled authority, or are other authorities placed on par? We may think we have this straight, but we don't always recognize when our authority is compromised. Why is it that we find biblical exposition dry and taxing, but we are inspired by testimonials? Might it be that we place higher stock in the experiences of individuals than in the unfading truth of God's word? Please don't hear me say that testimonials are a bad thing. The truth as demonstrated to be true is proven to be true when it's lived out in an individual's life. Testimonials are good, but are they the ultimate? Do they move us more than the truths of scripture do?

Speaker 1: 3:48

When anecdotes surpass exegesis, i'm afraid we've elevated experience over timeless truth. Similarly, when we reject biblical truth because we don't understand it or don't like it, we've elevated human reason over God's truth. Do we first and foremost believe what is clear in scripture or do we refuse to believe something until we understand it? Do we refuse to believe something until it makes sense to us? If we do, human reason is a greater authority than God's truth. Again, i'm not disparaging, asking honest questions of the text and seeking to understand it. But in the end, the what of scripture, that is, those things which God has made clear, must win out over the why and the how. But so often, until we understand the why and the how questions, why would God do it this way? How can he do that? How is that consistent with his character? How is it that God can be absolutely sovereign and still hold humans accountable? When we require answers to the how and why questions before we will submit to and believe the what questions? I believe that reveals we put more stock in our own reason, in what makes sense to us, than in the Word of God.

Speaker 1: 5:05

True faith is demonstrated in a willingness to believe the clear teachings of scripture even before we fully understand the why and the how. And then, upon embracing upon accepting the truth of scripture, we move on in faith, in submission to the truth of God, in trying to understand the why and the how and working out the application of the truth, working out the particulars of the truth. But those particulars should not affect whether or not we believe the clear truth of scripture. Does scripture define reality or does something else define reality In a certain worldview. Is it pragmatism? Is it tradition? Is it the novel view? Is it the new and exciting thing? Is it the rational thing, or is it the truth of scripture itself that wins the day? Back to the point.

Speaker 1: 5:53

Liberalism may be identified by looking for what is the standard of truth. Is it experience, tradition, orthodoxy, or is it the unadulterated Word of God? These other things like tradition, orthodoxy, even reason, find their rightful place when subjected to the authority of divine truth. So again, liberals look like the rest of us. We don't identify the liberals among us by looking on the outside. Rather, they are identified by who they talk about and how they define the truth, regardless of externals. One who's gospel is about his work for God and not God's work for him is a died-in-the-wool liberal. Or one who defines reality by experience, tradition or preference rather than by scripture is a liberal.

Speaker 1: 6:49

Recently, an administrator at an Anabaptist Christian School in Pennsylvania publicly argued that a belief in salvation by grace through faith is incompatible with a concern for social, cultural or moral change. That is, if we believe that salvation is based on Christ's merits and not our own, then we will be unconcerned about what we do and how we live. She specifically argued that those who believe in justification based on Christ's atoning work are consequently unconcerned about racial reconciliation. Substitutionary atonement is juxtaposed to any concern for gospel applications. He argues that, quote if one views salvation as primarily involving personal absolution and the finished work of Jesus by grace alone, through faith end quote then the logical result is that one will be unconcerned about living the gospel out in tangible, practical ways, the end of that sentence being a summary of the rest of his argument. If one views salvation as primarily involving personal absolution and the finished work of Jesus by grace alone, through faith, then the logical result is that one will be unconcerned about living the gospel out in tangible, practical ways.

Speaker 1: 8:00

This argument comes from one of our own, but in this our works become the main thing. The gospel is changed from being about redemption in Christ and is reduced from salvation by grace, through faith, which is God-centered, to salvation by obedience through sincerity, man-centered Salvation by obedience through sincerity. If we do the right thing and we're sincere enough, we will be saved. That's not the biblical gospel. Justification, the finished work of Christ is rejected.

Speaker 1: 8:37

This view fails the first litmus test. It is not a gospel that glorifies God for his provision in Christ. It is not God-centered. It seeks to please God by human effort and is thus man-centered. Works become a component of our salvation, not a response to our salvation. See the difference.

Speaker 1: 8:59

This gospel is one where we cooperate with God to save ourselves. We do our best and God does the rest. But that's not the biblical gospel. According to Scripture, god does it all. Salvation is by his grace alone.

Speaker 1: 9:17

While it is true that some have argued for loose living on the basis of free grace, that is an unbiblical argument. No true believer gives himself to a life of sin. Your scriptures can be given to prove this. But that's not the point of this podcast. Justification by grace through faith is not a motive for sin. It is a motive for righteousness. It is precisely because we have been saved by grace through faith, not by works, that we are compelled to live lives of holy worship, serving God with our entire beings, because he has redeemed us. God does not leave us to work our way to him, or does he reward our futile efforts at righteousness with salvation. Salvation is given to undeserving sinners by his grace. Our response is loving service. True faith always produces fruits of righteousness, but salvation is not by discipleship.

Speaker 1: 10:17

This is where, in my opinion, much of this generation of Anabaptists gets the gospel wrong. I absolutely believe believers are called to be disciples. Jesus wants disciples. He wants us to follow him. But discipleship is not the means of salvation. Those who are redeemed, those who are justified, are those who then follow Christ as his disciples. But this so often gets turned around, where discipleship becomes the means of salvation when we think we're saved because we're living in relationship with Christ, rather than being saved based on what Christ offers us in the Gospel. If we think we are saved because we are obedient, we are dead wrong. Salvation is not for the self-righteous. Jesus does not call the righteous but the sinners to repentance. So long as we think of ourselves as good enough on our own, we are sterile to the Gospel. God does not save us based on our goodness, but on Christ's. We receive this grace through faith, but that's all we do Receive in unconditional surrender.

Speaker 1: 11:31

I believe the argument in question fails the second test as well. Second test we ask the question what is the standard of truth? I was surprised at how blunt his argument against Scripture was. He specifically criticizes the belief that salvation is a quote-free gift. That entails quote-no-works less. Anyone should boast, but how can this be denied? He rejects Scripture itself for this that he critiques comes straight from Ephesians 2, 8, and 9,. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, less anyone should boast.

Speaker 1: 12:16

This blatant rejection of Scripture reveals a preference for human reason over biblical truth. Scripture is used as a helpful aid, not as the absolute authority. And if this were an isolated text, we could argue the semantics. We could say well, maybe, and this is my interpretation and his interpretation is different. But this is not an isolated text, nor is it an isolated concept. In the New Testament, these verses in Ephesians summarize one of the core truths of the Gospel as revealed throughout Scripture. This is not simply a misinterpretation, this is a rejection of Scripture. It is also said in his argument that a Gospel of grace marginalizes the teachings, life and witness of Jesus.

Speaker 1: 13:02

But even in the Gospel witness, even in the four Gospels, jesus presents himself as the Savior, that is, he is the one who will provide salvation. He is the one who came to die in our place as our substitute to save us from sin. His work is finished. He says on the cross. It is finished Speaking of his work, of substitutionary atonement. His sacrifice, wherein he lay down his life, suffered the consequence we deserve because of our sin, and through him we are saved. Jesus came to save us, to justify us. He calls people to himself, not simply to embrace his ethic as his disciples, but to find their salvation in him. Jesus saw his substitutionary atonement as his central purpose on earth. Throughout the Gospels he speaks of his hour, anticipating his crucifixion whereby he would atone for the sins of believers. He is called the Lamb of God, which can only be rightly understood as a reference to the Passover Lamb. Jesus is the final Lamb, the one who takes away the sins of the world. He understood that he had come to give his life a ransom for many. Jesus came to save sinners so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. It is because of his work on the cross that we can be saved by grace through faith. It is because we have been saved by grace through faith that we follow him as disciples.

Speaker 1: 14:41

Arguing that the teaching of salvation by grace through faith, trusting in the finished work of Christ, saying that is somehow contrary to a Gospel where we care about people and serve them and look to live out the Gospel and bring God's kingdom. Here is a misunderstanding and a misuse of the Gospel of Scripture. It is the finished work of Christ that saves. We put our faith in him. We find our salvation in him, and it is that salvation that motivates, that drives us to care for those around us. Justification is not opposed to Christian ministry, not opposed to social work. It's not opposed to concern about our culture, concern for people. Salvation, when experienced by an individual, will always produce good works, will produce concern for the people around us. So it is the biblical gospel that motivates us to love others, to care for them and to serve them. Contrary to what is argued in the statement already quoted, salvation is not of our works, it is of Christ's.

Speaker 1: 15:54

To argue against salvation as a free gift is to argue against God himself. So, then, i argued that the aforementioned statement is truly liberal. Though cloaked in conservative garb and emphasizing many good things morality, discipleship, doing good in the world it strips Christianity of the gospel and thus strips Christianity of the only motive for Christian charity. The irony of this argument is that, in emphasizing action over surrender, it undercuts the only thing that motivates a Christian to action The Christian loves because he has been loved. We serve because Christ served us. He laid down his rights, his freedoms, his life. We follow his pattern.

Speaker 1: 16:45

First, john 3.16 says he laid down his life for us and we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. We love others because Christ has loved us. We care about others because Christ cares for us. And how do we know his care? How do we know his love? He has justified us. He has done everything necessary for us to be saved. It is faith in that gospel, faith in Christ. He who has completed the work, has done everything necessary for us to be saved. It's his finished work that saves. We put our faith in him. We find our salvation in him And we seek to glorify him and serve him in everything we do, by bringing the gospel, by bringing his love, by bringing his truth to a world that needs him.

Speaker 1: 17:45

Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Theological Touchpoints Podcast. This podcast is a production of Sword and Trumpet Ministries. For more information, visit wwwswordandtrumpetorgpogcast or theologicaltouchpointscom. If you have thoughts or questions, you can contact us at wwwpodcastattheologicaltouchpointscom. May the God of Peace himself sanctify you completely. May your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, who calls you as faithful, who also will do it.