Another email to my Lutheran friend, Alec

"Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His name." Malachi 3:16.

Hi Alec. I also see the two extremes of authoritarianism and the emotion/passion orientation. Could it be described as we see it in the Bible—legalism and lawlessness? Like acid and base on the pH scale, both destroy. And that is why Satan constantly pushed and pushes humanity to join either of the two camps, and to hate the opposite group. Today the totalitarian religion-political world plays the part of the ancient Baal worship. And of course, the diametrically opposed ideal, freedom from religion and government/law-enforcement, plays the part of ancient Ashtoreth worship. The one is abusive, and the other is enabling. The one is Law without grace; condemnation and nothing else. And the other is grace without Law; grace and nothing but super-sweet grace. No “doctrine, …reproof, …correction, …instruction in righteousness”.

 

Satan loves to separate the Law and the gospel because he knows that together they are the power of God unto salvation. Fear of God for His powerful word that is pointed and sharper than a two-edged sword, is a beautiful thing. The child knows true love when his beloved parent chastens him in love. It means involvement. We don’t need to be afraid of the fear of God. It’s the gift that keeps on giving. The Law and gospel go together like the truth and grace were together in Jesus. “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him.”

 

Together Law + grace = love and peace, which equals Christianity. Split up they equal the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity, which equal anti-Christianity.

 

David

 

 

https://www.alecsatin.com/schmauk-on-the-two-kinds-of-anti-christian-tyranny/

Sent from Mail for Windows