Expert: Pastor Don Carpenter - 4/7/2007

Question
Pastor, thank you so much for this oppurtunity.

I hold a degree in biz adm. from a state university system, 30 years old, single. I've had a medical condition since childhood-love Jesus, highly confused about the Bible, and than some-specifically-the variations I see between the Old and New Testaments.

2 basic questions here-

#1)Why does a Christian absolutely have to endorse the Republican party and the Bush administration, even though this current outfit has told more whoppers than Clinton ever did?

Is that Christianity? To profess allegiance to God, yet to be so stubborn in his/her motive that the individual need not care about professing the truth in order to get to where they need to be?

Sure, Clinton lied about his sex fiascal, and it was a disgrace. But is Bush any more justified in telling lies about a cause that leads to the death of thousands for something that he believes in, just because he believes in that cause while Clinton does not?

I hate abortion every bit as much as you do, but I also believe that corporate America could be doing a lot more for the poor than you do, that is, if you adhere to sound conservative/political/religious doctrine. And at the end of the day, I don't have the guilt of selling innocent Christians astray on moralism.

#2)Ok-The God of the OT spends 2000 years hounding sound laws/doctrines into the minds of His people, the Israelites-killing them along the way for breaking His law, and in other scenarios, for standing against Him even though in several such cases women and children didn't know any such difference (Numbers 31, for example).

In the law of Moses, a certain gentleman is stoned to death for having gathered sticks from his own yard on the Sabbath; by the time we reach Isaiah, however (58), leniancy is granted for doing good works on the Sabbath (While Isaiah 58:13 continues to demand adherance to a pattern of no work on the Sabbath, Isaiah 58 1-12 allows leniancy for Jesus' own teachings of gathering food for the hungry on the Sabbath).

Alright, so at that point, if one even "Dares" read between the lines at the risk of sudden death by an immediate lightning bolt to the joggin' for having daring to confront God in the least bit form out of neccessity for having engaged in act of a good deed on the Sabbath, one might dare light the lamp in the house in order to go out to the field to pick some grain for a starving child without penalty of death by God for having so much as moved a limb on the Sabbath.

But at that point in the argument, why, tell me, is it the least bit sane to have at one point set down a particular set of 316 of the most detailed, complex set of laws and ordinances, those of which no human being could ever achieve, many of which demanded either stonings or setting certain individuals on fire on a stake-this if you were to one day send forth your own Son to effectively negate such mentality and rather therefore establish a mentality of "Love God and your neighbor as much as yourself?"

400-500 years before Jesus' arrival, God is still visciously seen discipling the Israelites for not having followed "All" of His own laws, decrees, and statutes, even so much as voicing displeasure over illegitimite children (Check out the minor prophets).

Suddenly, however, upon the arrival of Christ, we are to embrace all children alike (Which I most certainly agree with), and we are to forgive certain women for having once engaged in the same acts that once demanded stoning to death (Mary Magdalene).

As much as one identifies with Christ and His message of perfect love, just imagine if you had walked the earth upon His arrival and had been orchestrated to adhere to a mindset of absolute intolerance (And death) for sinners.

There isn't a word spoken by Jesus that I disagree with-it is the perfect example of love, a message that no other could ever reproduce. According to God's own standards, however, and the message of which that would have clearly been driven into the minds of those practicing Judaism of the day, however, I too probably would have been tempted to cast a stone on the Blessed back of Jesus back in the day-certainly not out of what my heart told me, but by the viscious nature enacted over a 2000 year period by the God of Israel.

Jesus is my savior, that goes without saying, and we as Christians are told that He stands between His followers and God. But tell me, is He standing between us and a Schizophrenic, out of control God that's nothing short of a madman lunatic (For those that have ever read the OT in any detail), or did Jesus come representing a God that was altogether different from the one represented by the OT?

Thank you so much, Kevin

Answer
Hi Kevin,

Thanks for this very deep and detailed question.  There is much that I could say in response to your passionate post here, but unfortunately, I just do not have enough time to devote to answer this question thoroughly.  I will attempt to briefly address your main concerns, but please forgive me if I do not put all of your concerns to rest with this post.  You may send a follow up or two if you need to.  Thanks for the chance to address these concerns.

I believe that the thesis of your post is based upon a common misconception.  The God of the Old Testament is the same as the God of the New Testament.  Jesus Christ is one with God, and is not only the Loving Messiah, but also the Righteous and vengeful Judge.  I will try to demonstrate this point Biblically.

1.  Jesus will come back to earth and execute violent judgement upon all those who have rejected Him.

Rev 6:15  And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
Rev 6:16  And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
Rev 6:17  For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?


2.  God never changes

Mal 3:6  For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

3.  The same Old Testament that tells of God's righteous judgment, tells of his mercy and His love.

Psa 40:1  <To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.> I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
Psa 40:2  He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
Psa 40:3  And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

Psa 40:5  Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

God is not schizophrenic!  He said from the beginning that sin would bring death and it did!  This is why Jesus had to die on the cross.  He is perfect justice, perfect holiness, and perfect love.  This is why He offers eternal life bought and paid for through Jesus Christ.

2Co 5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

There is much more that I could say, but I think that this is a start.  I hope that this helps you some.

In Christ,
Pastor Don