Liberating Planet Earth
by Gary DeMar by Gary DeMar
The Enemies of Liberation 47 To speak of a kingdom of God in the other world is not only to found a new religion without any relationship with the teaching of Christ (for none of the texts wielded by escapist theology mentions the kingdom); it is to assert exactly the contrary of what Christ teaches: “The khgdom has come unto you,” and ‘Your kingdom come.” The fact that tradition has taught for centuries that the kingdom is in the other world only demonstrates that that tradition betrayed Jesus and founded another religion entirely different.4 The enormous appeal of liberation theology in Latin America (and on seminary campuses in the United States) stems from its ability to transfer powerful concepts of the Bible to the revolutionary Marxist vision. Miranda is correct about the other-worldly emphasis of the escapist fundamentalist and traditional religion. He is incorrect about the supposed communism of the gospel. But it takes a degree of theological sophistication uncommon in Christian circles to pinpoint his errors and overcome them by an appeal to the Bible, without also destroying the foundation of the escapist versions of Christianity. Thus, the challenge of liberation theology goes unanswered by those who have the best alternative in their hands (the Bible) but who do not understand what it says about the kingdom of God on earth and in history. The power religion in our day is humanistic elitism (including Communism), which has as its goal autonomous man’s conquest of nature (including mankind). It often misuses the intellectual discipline of science in this effort. It is opposed by the escapist religion, as well as by the ethics-based dominion religion. Implicitly, both rivals to Christianity are opposed to the idea that legitimate long-term progress is possible prior to the coming of Christ in power. The Bible offers as an alternative a dominion concept of long-term scientific, economic, and intellectual progress which can overcome most (though not all) of the limits placed by God on His creation as a part of His curse. Ethics and Deliverance We are to take Christ’s yoke on us. We are to make a covenant with God. The God who delivered the Hebrews from the bondage 4. Ibti., p. 17.
48 L&rating Plunet Earth to Egypt and Egypt’s gods also offers men deliverance today. But this deliverance is always couenantal. It is in terms of a covenant. It is not a lawless covenant; it is a lawful covenant. Christ calls us to be bondservants to Him. Are we to seek political and freedom? Of course. Free men are responsible men. They have more opportunities to serve God. Paul tells us this: Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called. Were you called while a slave? Do not be concerned about it; but if you can be made free, rather use it. For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ’s slave. You were bought at a price; do not become the slaves of men (1 Corinthians 7:20-23). Are we to complain to God because we do not have some sort of total freedom, some promised autonomy (self-law). No, for that is the way of bondage to Satan, sin, and political servitude. That is how we become the slaves of men. That is what we are to avoid becoming. We are to seek to conform ourselves ethically to God; then freedom shall be added unto us. We are to seek~rst things jirst. Summary Those who tell men that God, Communism, humanism, or any other source of authority can liberate men from all responsibility to any and all institutions are preaching a false religion. Marx’s dream of the withering away of the state has led to the nightmare of the totalitarian Communist state. Men must serve God or some authority other than God. Man is made to serve. But he is also made to exercise dominion. He is to serve God and exercise dominion. He is to be subordinate to God but sovereign as God’s steward over the creation. Any movement that successfully tempts men to make themselves subordinate to anything else than the God of the Bible inevitably leads its followers into sin and therefore into tyranny. We must choose whom we will serve; Baal or God, Mammon
- Page 4 and 5: LIBERATING PLANET EARTH An Introduc
- Page 6 and 7: This book is dedicated to Loren Cun
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- Page 24 and 25: 1 CHRIST AND LIBERATION All things
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The Enemies of Liberation 47<br />
To speak of a kingdom of God in the other world is not only to<br />
found a new religion without any relationship with the teaching of<br />
Christ (for none of the texts wielded by escapist theology mentions<br />
the kingdom); it is to assert exactly the contrary of what Christ<br />
teaches: “The khgdom has come unto you,” and ‘Your kingdom<br />
come.” The fact that tradition has taught for centuries that the<br />
kingdom is in the other world only demonstrates that that tradition<br />
betrayed Jesus and founded another religion entirely different.4<br />
The enormous appeal of liberation theology in Latin America<br />
(and on seminary campuses in the United States) stems from its<br />
ability to transfer powerful concepts of the Bible to the revolutionary<br />
Marxist vision. Miranda is correct about the other-worldly<br />
emphasis of the escapist fundamentalist and traditional religion.<br />
He is incorrect about the supposed communism of the gospel. But<br />
it takes a degree of theological sophistication uncommon in Christian<br />
circles to pinpoint his errors and overcome them by an appeal<br />
to the Bible, without also destroying the foundation of the escapist<br />
versions of Christianity. Thus, the challenge of liberation theology<br />
goes unanswered by those who have the best alternative in their<br />
hands (the Bible) but who do not understand what it says about<br />
the kingdom of God on earth and in history.<br />
The power religion in our day is humanistic elitism (including<br />
Communism), which has as its goal autonomous man’s conquest<br />
of nature (including mankind). It often misuses the intellectual<br />
discipline of science in this effort. It is opposed by the escapist religion,<br />
as well as by the ethics-based dominion religion. Implicitly,<br />
both rivals to Christianity are opposed to the idea that legitimate<br />
long-term progress is possible prior to the coming of Christ in<br />
power. The Bible offers as an alternative a dominion concept of<br />
long-term scientific, economic, and intellectual progress which<br />
can overcome most (though not all) of the limits placed by God on<br />
His creation as a part of His curse.<br />
Ethics and Deliverance<br />
We are to take Christ’s yoke on us. We are to make a covenant<br />
with God. The God who delivered the Hebrews from the bondage<br />
4. Ibti., p. 17.
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