Point them to the Law [I Tim 1]

Via Vox Day, an article that relates to entryism within the church. In one example a woman employed by Focus on the family spoke against Trump, in another an advocate for disability used liberal talking points, and in a third a Syrian christian musician spoke about refugees.

In each case the organization said: this is not our mission. They kept talking. Their positions were terminated, and thus they are profiled by the liberal narrative. It is worth noting they are all women.

Dingle’s story, along with Smith’s, represents a tension all nonprofits face: How should they handle political issues that arguably aren’t directly related their mission? Social-media policies, including the official policy at Focus and the implicit standard at Key, are not uncommon. Organizations may have a reasonable desire to control their image and message on sensitive issues, including the statements made by their employees. HR matters are also complicated: Many factors go into discussions about employee departures, which can sometimes be invisible from the outside.
What’s significant about these women’s stories is that they appear to fit a broader pattern. Some conservative Christian communities seem to have become allergic to political disagreement of any kind, especially when their members speak out about Trump or Republican policies.

Sensitive issues? Nah. We have had them. If you speak plainly on sensitive issues you are arrested, or forced to change your mind.

1 Timothy 1:1-17

1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,

2To Timothy, my loyal child in the faith:

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

3I urge you, as I did when I was on my way to Macedonia, to remain in Ephesus so that you may instruct certain people not to teach any different doctrine, 4and not to occupy themselves with myths and endless genealogies that promote speculations rather than the divine training that is known by faith. 5But the aim of such instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith. 6Some people have deviated from these and turned to meaningless talk, 7desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make assertions.

8Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it legitimately. 9This means understanding that the law is laid down not for the innocent but for the lawless and disobedient, for the godless and sinful, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their father or mother, for murderers, 10fornicators, sodomites, slave traders, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to the sound teaching 11that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.

12I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he judged me faithful and appointed me to his service, 13even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners — of whom I am the foremost. 16But for that very reason I received mercy, so that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display the utmost patience, making me an example to those who would come to believe in him for eternal life. 17To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever.

The idea that the entryists can add myths to the gospel is confronted in this passage. The current myth is the narrative: the accepted lies of the public secular religion. Therefore:

  1. The law is for those without Christ, for it convicts us for sin. The law has utility for those of Christ, because it gives us guidance in righteous living. Therefore the law is good. To go against the law, is to deny your need for salvation.
  2. We do not damn the degenerate, but we preach that those acts will lead to destruction. It is the Muslim lands that hang the perverse. We know that we sin, for we look at perfection and see our flaws, as in a good mirror.
  3. Our salvation is by the mercy of God and it is not our doing.
  4. We need to do one thing. That is preach Christ crucified. We need to ignore the narrative. This is not our mission.

If you are in public ministry, control social media. Facebook and twitter are like the nightly news and the mainstream press. They will push the narrative. They are your enemy.

If you talk to them, talk Christ.

Ignore their fake tears and their fake narrative. They want sensitive? Point them to the Law.

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