Pastor Arvid's Blog

Is Right and Wrong Still Alive?

Pastor Arvid Svendsen

Harvest Bible Chapel

I was sickened over the charge brought against 17 year old John Granat for the violent murder of his father and mother in Palos Township. How does anyone have the capacity for such a gruesome crime? Why do we hear of savage acts taking place with regularity in our nation?

A recent article by David Brooks cited a study conducted by sociologist Christian Smith that focused on the moral convictions of young people from 18 to 23 years of age. In short, it became apparent that the respondents had learned little about possessing a moral framework.  Rather than holding to a strong commitment to a clear value system, the young men and women seemed more committed to moral relativism and moral individualism. In other words, they had little ability to say that one behavior was absolutely right, while another was absolutely wrong. 

One young adult, revealing his moral relativism stated, "I guess what makes something right is how I feel about it. But different people feel different ways, so I couldn't speak on behalf of anyone else as to what's right and wrong." Albert Einstein is helpful here, who stated, "Relativity applies to physics, not ethics."

Only a sophomoric understanding of history would lead one to argue that this country was founded on anything other than the moral code of the 66 books of the Bible, summarized by the Ten Commandments. That moral code, often referred to as the Judeo-Christian ethic, has lost clout in our culture. One of our nation's founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson, signer of the Declaration of Independence, Governor of Virginia, and Third President of the United States of America wrote, "The practice of morality being necessary for the well being of society, He [God] has taken care to impress its precepts so indelibly on our hearts that they shall not be effaced by the subtleties of our brain. We all agree in the obligation of the moral principles of Jesus and nowhere will they be found delivered in greater purity than in His discourses."

President Jefferson, we need your instruction today more than ever. This nation is adrift in moral confusion. Violent, senseless crimes are committed daily. Perversion and abuse proliferate. Departure from a Judeo-Christian ethic leaves young men and women without a moral compass. The people of the USA largely turn a blind eye to the horrific slaughter of the unborn child, currently totaling 53 million babies killed. Moral relativism, right and wrong determined by the individual, brings about this type of genocide. Let's not forget the young mother convinced that aborting "the fetus" is no big deal. Ever talk to a woman who daily regrets her decision to abort her baby? I have, and thankfully I can tell you, the Lord Jesus Christ welcomes that wounded woman into His arms when she comes to Him by grace through faith. But understand this reality... when Judeo Christian values are whisked aside, we lose our dignity, we become small, and all of society suffers.

So am I saying that churches need to get on the stick and start shouting at people to be moral and behave themselves? No. One of the great tragedies in our day is that the Christian church is seen as primarily being the morality police of the community.  That perception is wrong. The primary work of the church is to announce the good news of the central message of the Bible, often called "the gospel". Plain and simple, the central message of the Bible, and therefore Christianity, is that all have sinned and stand condemned before God. Jesus Christ died on the cross for sinners, and offers pardon from the penalty of sin. God works to convince men and women of their need for forgiveness from sin. By God's grace, a person is born again. That person turns away from sin and self-centered living, and believes in Jesus Christ as the Son of God who rose from the dead. The one who believes in Jesus Christ is then indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and given the ability to become more and more like Jesus Christ.

The announcing of the gospel, not the empty insistence on moral behavior, is the work of the church. If morality training is seen as the primary work of the church (remember, it's not), then the gospel is given at best a secondary place in the church's mission. But if the gospel is rightly understood as the primary work of the church, then God produces true Christians who grow to become more and more like Jesus Christ. The church that has replaced the teaching of the gospel with empty, heartless morality training is nothing more than a social club.

Having insisted on the primacy of the teaching of the gospel for the local church, it must be noted that true Christianity does produce genuine concern for morality in others. Immorality is understood as detrimental to the strength of a nation. As a byproduct of faith, the Christian man or woman takes a stand against injustice and evil. Morality lived out includes teaching our children the difference between right and wrong. With genuine morality comes moral courage to authoritatively declare God's standard to those who ignore it. It was American novelist Mark Twain who lamented, "It is curious - curious that physical courage should be so common in the world, and moral courage so rare."

Therefore, the church must first declare the gospel of Jesus Christ. Then, the church must exhibit moral courage to speak out against immorality, and to strive to live lives of integrity so that others might see Christ in us.

Fox Sports banned a commercial during the recent Super Bowl XLV. Speaking as a Bears fan, only the Green Bay Packers should have been banned from TV. Instead, the Packers played (very well, unfortunately) and a commercial was banned, now referred to as the "John 3:16" commercial. The Fox Sports decision was based on the conclusion that the John 3:16 commercial contains "religious doctrine" and offensive content. Unexpectedly, the commercial did air locally in Washington, DC and Birmingham, Alabama just before the start of the fourth quarter. But to my knowledge, the rest of the country was excluded.

Fun and creative commercials have become as much a part of the Super Bowl landscape as the game itself. My favorite ad was the VW Passat commercial with the kid in the Darth Vader outfit. The aliens-in-neon-suits halftime show provided an excellent opportunity to leave the room to satisfy an odd craving for Doritos and to brush up on my Star Spangled banner lyrics. Pardon my pastoral bias, but the banning of the John 3:16 commercial was not only irksome, it just seemed un-American to me.

The John 3:16 commercial had been produced by Fixed Point Foundation, a group founded by Larry Taunton whose stated mission is to "promote a confident Christianity in the public square by fortifying the minds of Christians and challenging the faith of skeptics". Their commercial features a home football party where the guests are watching a "big game". A defensive player sacks the quarterback, and then helps him up. The camera does a face shot of the defensive lineman, which reveals the white letters "John 3:16" inside his eye black, a la Denver Bronco's rookie quarterback Tim Tebow. In the banned commercial, one guest questions what John 3:16 is, his buddy says he doesn't know, but he's going to look it up. That's it. No preaching, no cajoling, just a simple message at the end of the spot to visit lookup316.com. Fox TV determined that they would not run the commercial because they did not want to "cause that kind of controversy."

So let's see, John 3:16, how offensive is that Bible verse? "For God so loved the world..." conveys the idea of God loving the world that He created. God's love is controversy? I don't think so. Doesn't the idea of God as loving, gracious, and merciful convey hope to men and women everywhere? Is there something wrong with hope?

Fox Sports must have foreseen the easily offended viewer reading the next phrase of John 3:16, "...that He gave His one and only Son". God giving His only Son, Jesus Christ to be punished for the sins of those who believe is offensive? For those who believe themselves to be capable of handling their own arrangements for eternal life, I suppose an offense could be taken. For me, once a ruined sinner in need of a Savior, I call that "good news".

Some will say, "His one and only Son" is clearly controversial. There are a number of other religious groups with other religious leaders who would either deny that Jesus of Nazareth is God in a human body, or they would claim equal status for the religious leader of choice. However, those other religious leaders are dead and buried. Jesus Christ is alive, the tomb is empty. He conquered death, rose again physically on the third day, and appeared to over 500 witnesses. Even the Jewish historian Josephus recorded the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Continuing with John 3:16, the reader is told, "...that whosoever believes in Him", implies that anyone who believes in Jesus Christ may come to Him, regardless of one's past, race, gender, or ethnic background. That invitation sounds more like generosity than controversy. If a local hot dog stand advertised free hot dogs to whoever asks for one, said stand would be perceived as generous, not controversial.

Fox Sports did approve homeaway.com's "Test Baby" ad. In this vulgar mess of chaotic lunacy, the viewer is being shown a family in a hotel room where a mother has just laid her infant on a table. Accidentally, the baby is catapulted up against the large plate glass wall. The camera focuses in on what momentarily appears to be an infant whose face is being crushed and distorted by the impact. Viewers are quickly relieved when the bombastic announcer screeches out, "Test baby." When did violence against an infant, or even a horrible accident like the one depicted become comedic fodder? Maybe we should expect exploding grandmothers for next year's big game? I believe I'll pass on any recommendations from homeaway.com for my next family vacation, thank you very much.

Curiously, Fox Sports is more concerned with the ambushed viewer of the John 3:16 commercial who would look up John 3:16 and read the concluding words, "...shall not perish, but have everlasting life." Believing in Jesus Christ means we need not perish under the penalty of sins, but rather be rescued and have eternal life in heaven. Doesn't it go without saying that a church should be addressing eternal issues? If heaven and hell are real places, and they are, then is it not the duty of genuine Christians to be explaining what the only Son of God had to say about it? One statement sums it up, and it is found in the Bible in John 3:16... look it up when you get a chance.

Pastor Arvid Svendsen

Harvest Bible Chapel New Lenox

Meeting at LincolnWay Central High School

Sunday 10:15 AM