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Discussion of George Gillespie's Wholesome Severity Reconciled with Christian Liberty
Re: WF: Deut.13:6-9 
Subject: Re: WF: Deut.13:6-9
From: Ed Miles 
Date: Wed, 07 May 1997 16:41:50 -0500

Raymond P. Joseph wrote:
 
> Doubtless we are responsible for much of the failure which
> indeed rests upon us.   However, when it comes to Bill and Hillary,
> God does not ignore the law of the land;  their character flaws are so
> obvious that even non-Christians can see the nature of what is needed:
> a trial and conviction for breaking the laws.   

Pastor Joseph:

Again my propensity for fuzziness shines through my writing.  It is a
re-
current problem.  Apparently you have inferred from my pointing out that 
the church must accept some responsibility for the fact that the ambient
culture, and the magistrates they elect deny our relativity, an
implication
of support, or, at least defense of the current administration.  Never!
Testimony against an accomplice to a crime in no way releases the
primary
miscreant of guilt or liability.

[snip]
> (The apostle Paul had the city authorities "come and fetch us out"
> and stood his ground on the fact that he was a Roman citizen -- even
> though it was hardly a God's Law based society.)

Hmmm.  A Christian leader used the existing laws of the existing pagan
culture to further the advancement of the Kingdom of God, and did it so
well that the pagan culture collapsed under the weight of that Kingdom.
What a concept. ;-)
 
> Thus Bill and Hillary may well face the courts, and take their punishment.

Possibly, but I doubt it.  The problem being that they may face a jury
of
their _peers_, in the same sense that O.J. did.  It's like bringing a
drunk
driver up before a judge who has just returned from a three martini
lunch,
and expecting a conviction.  We've watched appointee after appointee
fall
in disgrace, and their friends and business associates go to prison. 
These
people don't even _know_ anyone with ethics.  They aren't morally
currupt, 
they are morally bereft (except they don't consider it a loss).  But
still,
the American public re-elected them.  And, no, it was not a close race.

> Neither is this to say that we should not pray for their repentance and
> submission in obedience to the laws of God.   Sauls can, after all,
> become Pauls.

Yes, and we tend to forget that Saul was the instrument God used to
force
Christians and their message up out of their (figurative) pews, and into
the world and their culture.  O, for a Saul!
 
> God has the list of the elect - we do not.  We are to pray for all men,
> and
> witness the Gospel to all men.    But we should not shirk from calling
> for
> justice to be done in the case of our president and his wife.

Amen, and amen.

Respectfully,
ed