A Point of No Return?

A friend recently sent me a link to a sermon by United Church of God Pastor Steve Meyers and asked for my opinion of the presentation. The sermon, Point of No Return, is a well-articulated repackaging of a familiar theme within the Armstrong Churches of God - that the sinfulness of our society has reached the point of no return. The premise is that God is fed up with our sinning and is about to lower the boom on us! In other words, it is a message about collective punishment for sins. Even so, while Meyers makes clear that he believes it's too late for the United States, he does allow that it's not too late for individuals to repent and avoid the fate of the nation as a whole. Of course, from his perspective, such an individual would not engage in, or condone, certain behaviors/sins which he claims are widely accepted by our culture (e.g. abortion, homosexual marriage, taking prayer out of schools, the abandonment of churches, the rise of atheism and secularism, etc.).

From my perspective, there are a number of problems with this ACOG narrative: 1) It is founded on the mistaken notion that the English-speaking peoples of the earth (along with some Western European nations) are the descendants of the "Lost Ten Tribes" of Israel, and that most of Old Testament prophecy applies to them in the End Time. 2) It is also premised on the notion that Christians are obligated to obey/observe many (if not most) of the tenets/commandments of God's covenant with Israel as outlined in Torah (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible). In other words, they do NOT understand what really constitutes a sin (For Christians, that would be a failure: a. to love God with our whole heart and being, and b. to love each other as we love ourselves). 3) Scripture supports the principle that each person is responsible for his/her own sins, and that God does NOT punish the innocent with the wicked. And, finally, 4) It incorrectly assumes that God's love, patience, and mercy has limits, and it suggest that "He" is itching to zap everybody who has sorely tried "His" patience. In other words, God is pissed, and he's loaded for bear!

The first notion (British Israelism) has been thoroughly and repeatedly discredited here and elsewhere. It is inconsistent with Scripture, history, DNA, linguistics, and archaeology. Moreover, Jesus said that he came to this earth to fulfill the Law AND the Prophets. Hence, those prophecies which did not find fulfillment in ancient times (like the punishments of Israel and Judah) MUST find their fulfillment in Jesus of Nazareth. If not, Christ lied, and we can't rely on anything he said anyway!

The second notion (that Christians are obligated to observe Torah) is NOT consistent with Scripture. Torah makes very clear (in numerous places) that it was intended for the children of Israel. Moreover, as we have already pointed out, Christ said that he came to this earth to fulfill Torah, and that the righteousness of his followers would have to surpass that of the Jews of his day (Matthew 5:17-20). Also, the New Testament account of the Jerusalem Council (see Acts 15) makes very plain that Gentile Christians would not be required to observe the tenets of Torah. Likewise, the epistles of Paul make very clear that Christians are NOT justified by observing the provisions of Torah. Christians are reconciled to God and made righteous in "His" sight by their faith in the efficacy of the sacrifice/offering of Jesus Christ.

The book of Ezekiel clearly establishes the principle that each and every one of us is responsible for our own sins. In the eighteenth chapter of that book, we read: "Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die." (Verse 4) "The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself." (Verse 20) This sentiment is echoed by the Apostle Paul in his epistle to the saints at Rome (Romans 14:12).

In addition to this principle, Abraham's conversation with God prior to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah establishes the axiom that God does not punish the innocent with the wicked. In that account, we read: "Then the Lord said, 'Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know." (Genesis 18:20-21) Continuing, we read that Abraham asked God: "Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” (Verses 23-25) God responded: "If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake." (Verse 26) Of course, as most of us are aware, the conversation continued until God committed to spare the entire city if he found just ten righteous people living there (verses 27-32).

Finally, the notion that God's love and mercy has its limits is NOT supported by Scripture! In the book of Lamentations, we read: "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end." (3:22) In the book of Psalms, we read: "For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you." (86:5) "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love." (103:8) "Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!" (106:1) "Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!" Likewise, in the New Testament, we read: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." (II Peter 3:9) Paul wrote to the saints at Rome: "If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, 'For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.' No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:31-39) I don't know about you, but that sounds pretty limitless to me!

As far as nations go, I seem to remember something about God commissioning a man named Jonah to warn the city of Nineveh that he was about to destroy them for their wickedness, and that they repented as a consequence of his message. Moreover, that same account (see the book of Jonah) clearly stated that God relented because of their repentance and did NOT destroy them as the prophet had predicted. Hmmmmmm, a "point of no return"? I don't think so!