Some Personal Glimpses

I might as well set the tone for this journal by stating at the outset that I am an iconoclast in virtually all matters, including my religion. I suppose at times this makes me somewhat difficult to get along with [I tend to think of myself as something of a fun-loving curmudgeon, and in that description find no contradiction.] although the only person who ever said that was my wife. She has described me as either the most liberal conservative or the most conservative liberal she has ever met. She also calls me (with much affection, I'm sure) a "two-pile" thinker. By this she means that I tend toward absolutes in my thinking and assessment of life. That is, my thinking is characterized by a kind of strong duality: of good and evil, light and dark, salvation and damnation and so on. And she is certainly right. But is not this the way Scripture presents itself to us? Certainly what some have called this "dialectical tension" is to be found in most books of the Bible. A couple of examples should suffice: "And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24:15); "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live" (De 30:19). The Gospel itself is what I sometimes call a "dialectical imperative." Its message, and the consequences of not heeding the message, are clear, unambiguous and demanding. There can be no hesitation, no second-guessing (Luke 9:62).

The unofficial motto of my website is “Semper Reformanda” which means “Always Reforming.” Semper Reformanda describes a posture or condition where no deviation from biblical truth is considered but which is an active and committed living-out of the law and the gospel in the contemporary context. It is a perspective that seeks to make the church, her confessions, her worship and her underlying purposes relevant without in any way reconciling these to the world or sin. Semper Reformanda recognizes that the gospel is revolutionary and cannot be reconciled to the world. Nevertheless, the Kingdom of God can and must be made available to all who will receive it. This is accomplished by following the biblical pattern in ways that remain faithful to God’s word in Spirit and truth, and yet are accessible to people in our own generation. It is an attitude of faithfulness to the spirit of the law and the gospel and not to the letter alone. This is not easy. It is risky. But then so is the gospel itself. Being a Christian is a tight-rope walk over a deep chasm (dialectical tension again) but it is also a walk in which there can be no final failure for the believer, the born-from-above.


It is valid in a certain context to believe that no new truth is to be discovered in regard to God’s revelation as found in Scripture, hence we have no difficulties in agreeing with CH Spurgeon, who said, “Rest assured that there is nothing new in theology except that which is false; and that the facts of theology are today what they were eighteen hundred years ago.” That said, we also take to heart the bold words spoken by Luther at the Diet of Worms: “…unless I am convicted of error by the testimony of Scripture or (since I put no trust in the unsupported authority of Pope or councils, since it is plain that they have often erred and often contradicted themselves) by manifest reasoning, I stand convicted by the Scriptures to which I have appealed, and my conscience is taken captive by God’s word, I cannot and will not recant anything, for to act against our conscience is neither safe for us, nor open to us. On this I take my stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen.”

Like Luther (and Spurgeon after him) I too place no confidence in the unsupported authority of Pope or councils. But I would go a step further and say that I place no trust or confidence in any authority whatsoever when that authority appears to contradict God’s Word or be beside it. An oft quoted—by me at least—paragraph from the Westminster Confession of Faith is what is commonly known as the “freedom of the conscience” paragraph. Let me quote it again: “God alone is Lord of the conscience and hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in anything contrary to his Word, or beside it, in matters of faith or worship. So that to believe such doctrines, or to obey such commands out of conscience, is to betray true liberty of conscience; and the requiring of an implicit faith, and an absolute and blind obedience, is to destroy liberty of conscience, and reason also.” Chapter 20, Article 2.

What this paragraph from the Confession is defending is the Spirit led and enabled conscience, which is in conformity with God’s Word and is neither contrary to it nor is “beside” it. (To be beside it means to have a parallel authority; one different than, but equal to, God’s Word). This paragraph condemns obedience to the authority of men or their doctrines in ways which are slavish, unthinking, or unexamined. Luther said he would not be convinced [convicted] of error (such as could lead him into disobedience) except by the Word of God or by “manifest reasoning” which reasoning of course must be subservient at all times and under all conditions to the Word of God.

I like to think that my own conscience has been taken captive by God’s Word, just as was Luther’s. But perhaps I think too highly of myself and am falling victim to the sin of pride. I pray such is not the case, and plead that I not be allowed to fall into presumptuous sin; I know it is a danger I must be on guard against at all times.

In ecclesiastical matters, I am the confessed opponent of tradition for the sake of tradition when that tradition is not supported clearly by God’s Word and which may act as a stone of stumbling for believers or an obstacle to those elect who have not yet come to know and experience God’s redeeming love. Too many people have been damaged by oppressive tradition masquerading in the guise of holiness or in defence of purity of religion when in fact it was just another expression of man’s innate and abiding sinfulness. I believe the words of Christ in the Gospel of Mark are instructive here: “Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition” (Mark 7:7-9).

These words should act as a warning as well as an exhortation for us to be always watching and always ready to hold to that which is supported and warranted by Scripture and to examine and strip away if necessary every other addition or accretion which we unthinkingly (or implicitly) assume to be of God’s Word when in fact it is nothing of the kind.

Let us not strive to be more biblical than the Bible. For in doing so, we fall victim to a kind of “works righteousness” and to that degree end up, in practice, denying the complete and finished work of Christ, who alone is sufficient for all our needs.

“But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again?” (Galatians 4:9).

Soli Deo Gloria. Amen.