Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Are You Really Personally Opposed if You Won’t Call it Wrong?

October 20, 2012 by Kevin DeYoung

Abraham Lincoln didn’t think so:

"You say that you think slavery is wrong, but you denounce all attempts to restrain it. Is there anything else you think wrong, that you are not willing to deal with as a wrong?

Why are you so careful, so tender of this wrong and no other? You will not let us do a single thing as if it was wrong, there is no place where you will allow it to even be called wrong!

We must not call it wrong in the Free States, because it is not there, and we not call it wrong in the Slave States because it is there; we must not call it wrong in politics because that is bringing morality into politics, and we must not call it wrong in the pulpit because that is bringing politics into religion. . . .and there is no single place, according to you, where a wrong thing can be called a wrong thing!"

(Quoted in D.A. Carson, The Intolerance of Tolerance, 105).


1 comment:

Dave said...

The kingdom of God comes to mind when I read your repost of Lincoln’s belief on slavery. This is a really provoking application of what Jesus taught regarding slavery too. The wickedness of the heart really does show itself clearly as we each are judged by our words. The only acceptable slavery (or bond) we can recognize is our submission to Christ as master!! Yet what happens when we don’t?!?
I came across a few passages that were really encouraging to me... and also humbling. In Matt. 12 Jesus shows he will bind (and has) the strong man. Each day we proclaim HIS good news of submission to His will... we plunder Satan’s earthly physical kingdom as he is forced to sit by and watch ... bound by the work Christ has done himself! The good news of Christ has spread beyond his own people – and is going out to every nation! But Rev. 20 is the most encouraging part. I know the prince of this world... Satan is bound just like the slave he desperately is hoping I might stay unto himself (within Satan’s own temporal kingdom) ... yet this dragon indeed is powerless to separate my new servitude to Christ.
Satan tries to deceive, and my temporal weak human flesh is prone to stumble but I have a greater hope. Sadly, sometimes I forget this great truth... and begin to think I can be a god too. That I should have others worship and adore me. That others should serve me. But that is not the full measure of Christ’s love. Have I forgotten so soon? Yes, I need the Gospel to remind me that I am forever Christ’s servant – and no longer bound by the power of sin that reigns in men’s hearts... and causes their hearts to overflow with injustice in God’s eyes. Sin is sooo wrong – thanks for reminding me to not be afraid to say it... I will not dare to see it any other way. Slavery but unto God alone is where I find my freedom ... all other forms are exceedingly wicked and and a perversion of God’s truth about the Great Master himself.

What have you done with this quarantine time?

I’ll be blunt. This question has kind of driven me nuts the past few weeks. To be honest, we have done what we have always done. Worked ...