Liberating Planet Earth
by Gary DeMar by Gary DeMar
180 Liberating Planet Earth tion to the contractor. Nobody wants to be on the twelfth floor of a building that collapses. Today, we are unquestionably on the twelfth floor, and maybe even the fiftieth. Most of today’s %uildings” (institutions) were designed by humanists, for use by humanists, but paid for mostly by Christians (investments, donations, and taxes). These “buildings” aren’t safe. Christians (and a lot of non-Christians) now are hearing the creaking and groaning of these tottering buildings. Millions of people have now concluded that it’s time to: (1) call in a totally new team of foundation and structural specialists to begin a complete renovation, or (2) hire the original contractors to make at least temporary structural modifications until we can all move to safer quarters, or (3) call for an emergency helicopter team because time has just about run out, and the elevators aren’t safe either. The writers of this series believe that the first option is the wise one: Christians need to rebuild the foundations, using the Bible as their guide. This view is ignored by those who still hope and pray for the third approach: God’s helicopter escape. Finally, those who have faith in minor structural repairs don’t tell us what or where these hoped-for safe quarters are, or how humanist contractors are going to build them any safer next time. Why is it that some Christians say that God hasn’t drawn up any blueprints? If God doesn’t give us blueprints, then who does? If God doesn’t set the permanent standards, then who does? If God hasn’t any standards to judge men by, then who judges man? The humanists’ &swer is inescapable: man does – autonomous, design-it-yourself, do-it-yourself man. Christians call this manglorifying religion the religion of humanism. It is amazing how many Christians until quite recently have believed humanism’s first doctrinal point, namely, that God has not established permanent blueprints for man and man’s institutions. Christians who hold such a view of God’s law serve as humanism? chaplains. Men are God’s appointed “contractors.” We were never supposed to draw up the blueprints, but we are supposed to execute them, in history and then after the resurrection. Men have been
What Are Biblical Blueprints? 181 given dominion on the earth to subdue it for God’s glory. “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth’” (Genesis 1:27-28). Christians about a century ago decided that God never gave them the responsibility to do any building (except for churches). That was just what the humanists had been waiting for. They immediately stepped in, took over the job of contractor (“Someone has to do it!”), and then announced that they would also be in charge of drawing up the blueprints. We can see the results of a similar assertion in Genesis, chapter 11: the tower of Babel. Do you remember God’s response to that particular humanistic public works project? Never Be Embarrassed By the Bible This sounds simple enough. Why should Christians be embarrassed by the Bible? But they are embarrassed . . . millions of them. The humanists have probably done more to slow down the spread of the gospel by convincing Christians to be embarrassed by the Bible than by any other strategy they have adopted. Test your own thinking. Answer this question: “Is God mostly a God of love or mostly a God of wrath?” Think about it before you answer. It’s a trick question. The Biblical answer is: “God is equally a God of love and a God of wrath.” But Christians these days will generally answer almost automatically, “God is mostly a God of love, not wrath.” Now in their hearts, they know this answer can’t be true. God sent His Son to the cross to die. His own Son! That’s how much God hates sin. That’s wrath with a capital ‘W.” But why did He do it? Because He loves His Son, and those who follow His Son. So, you just can’t talk about the wrath of God without talking about the love of God, and vice versa. The cross is
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- Page 138 and 139: The Inevitability of Liberation 131
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- Page 142 and 143: The Inevitability of .Lib~ation 135
- Page 144 and 145: The lneuitabili~ of Liberation 137
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- Page 154 and 155: Z3.e Inevitability ~Liberation 147
- Page 156 and 157: CONCLUSION All things have been del
- Page 158 and 159: Conclusion 151 or our civil governm
- Page 160 and 161: Conclusion 153 And why would this p
- Page 162 and 163: Comdusion 1!55 ety’s institutions
- Page 164 and 165: Conclusion 157 A Liberating Gospel
- Page 166 and 167: Conclusion 159 10. We must preach t
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- Page 170 and 171: 164 L@eratmg Planet Earth Deuterono
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- Page 198: I I I I I I I I i / I I I I I Jesus
What Are Biblical Blueprints? 181<br />
given dominion on the earth to subdue it for God’s glory. “So God<br />
created man in His own image; in the image of God He created<br />
him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them,<br />
and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and<br />
subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of<br />
the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth’”<br />
(Genesis 1:27-28).<br />
Christians about a century ago decided that God never gave<br />
them the responsibility to do any building (except for churches).<br />
That was just what the humanists had been waiting for. They immediately<br />
stepped in, took over the job of contractor (“Someone<br />
has to do it!”), and then announced that they would also be in<br />
charge of drawing up the blueprints. We can see the results of a<br />
similar assertion in Genesis, chapter 11: the tower of Babel. Do<br />
you remember God’s response to that particular humanistic public<br />
works project?<br />
Never Be Embarrassed By the Bible<br />
This sounds simple enough. Why should Christians be embarrassed<br />
by the Bible? But they are embarrassed . . . millions of<br />
them. The humanists have probably done more to slow down the<br />
spread of the gospel by convincing Christians to be embarrassed<br />
by the Bible than by any other strategy they have adopted.<br />
Test your own thinking. Answer this question: “Is God mostly<br />
a God of love or mostly a God of wrath?” Think about it before<br />
you answer.<br />
It’s a trick question. The Biblical answer is: “God is equally a<br />
God of love and a God of wrath.” But Christians these days will<br />
generally answer almost automatically, “God is mostly a God of<br />
love, not wrath.”<br />
Now in their hearts, they know this answer can’t be true. God<br />
sent His Son to the cross to die. His own Son! That’s how much<br />
God hates sin. That’s wrath with a capital ‘W.”<br />
But why did He do it? Because He loves His Son, and those<br />
who follow His Son. So, you just can’t talk about the wrath of God<br />
without talking about the love of God, and vice versa. The cross is
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