A Dark And Quiet Room

(I was talking with Bryan today, and the matter of blog attacks came up. He was wanting to write something to the list, and I volunteered to do it. So, you can blame him as the instigator, but I’ll take the blame for what I actually say.)

A couple of years ago, I was honored to meet Pastor Tim Bayly of Church of the Good Shepherd in Bloomington, Indiana. Just recently, on his blog, Pastor Bayly wrote as follows:

“Without question, there are husbands who refuse to take out the trash, clean up the kitchen, change the baby’s diapers, provide for their family, treat their wives with dignity, and die to their own desires for the sake of their wives and children. Without question these sins must be corrected and rebuked by faithful pastors and elders.

But also without question, this is not the most common problem in the evangelical and reformed church today. Speaking from many years of observation of our culture, as well as personal pastoral care, I say without hesitation that the breach in the wall needing our attention today with regard to marriage and family issues is not just chastity
in singleness and fidelity in marriage, but equally the connection between sexuality, authority, and submission; the authority of husbands over their wives and the submission of wives to their husbands…These are the biblical doctrines under attack today, and anyone with the slightest discernment can see that seminary professors, Titus 2 women, elders, and pastors who understand their calling will focus their efforts here. Church officers are soldiers, and the soldier is tested at the breach in the wall…Shepherds who
show zeal for opposing male chauvinism within the church, but lack any zeal for opposing egalitarian feminism and female rebellion, are culturally brain-dead, at best. At worst, they have decided to avoid standing in the gap precisely because the gap is the place faithful soldiers die.”

(http://timbayly.worldmagblog.com/timbayly/archives/028768.html)

For those of you who do not know, of late there have been a number of anonymous blog attacks launched against men like Doug Phillips of Vision Forum and R.C. Sproul, Jr. of the Highland Study Center. The circle is beginning to widen, including even one of our elders, James McDonald. These men are being defamed on the Internet, largely for holding and defending unpopular views on things like the Biblical structure of the family, God’s designs for the sexes, and things of this nature.

Now, I freely acknowledge that I do not agree with all of the positions and methods that these brothers of mine have employed in their teaching ministries. That’s fine; I’m sure that they would say the same of me, if they knew me. I also freely acknowledge that these men are sinners. That’s fine; I know that they acknowledge this, too. Nonetheless, I do believe that these men are “standing in the gap” on these vitally important issues of our day, and they are suffering as a result.

I’m not going to go into details of the various defamations that are going on. To be honest, it breaks my heart to see God’s people fighting amongst themselves like this. So, I will move on to my prayer requests.

First, I believe that we need to begin by repenting of our own harsh, foolish words. I’ve been a Reformed Christian all my life, and we are taught pride at a young age. How often have I been flippantly critical of another brother, simply because he wasn’t “Reformed” enough? God have mercy on me for my proud heart and unclean lips. Could it be that He has sent this scourge of bloggers as judgment for our own haughty words?

Second, I believe that we should pray for these men. It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness, and I believe that this is what these men are doing. Their efforts are imperfect, but they are striving forward, seeking to do great things for Jesus. They need to be lifted up in prayer by us. Pray that they will receive encouragement and comfort in these hard times. Pray that they would repent of sin where appropriate but without yielding on what God has instructed. Pray that God would sanctify this trial to them, so that they would be even more effective in His service.

Third, I believe that we should pray against those who defame these men. It is one thing to seek to rebuke a brother in love. It is another thing entirely to abuse him in public, let alone defame with falsehoods. Our God defends us against those that verbally ambush us, firing their words from hiding. (Psalm 64). He knows what lies behind the pseudonyms and pious justifications that they give. Let us pray that our God will defend His servants and fight against their enemies, turning their own words against them, that they might be ashamed (Psalm 64:8).

Here’s another one of Murphy’s Laws of Combat applied to Christian life.

The only thing more accurate than incoming enemy fire is incoming friendly fire.

All I need to do is think of the ongoing furor in the blogosphere about pastors like R.C. Sproul, Jr., Mark Driscoll, Doug Wilson, or Doug Phillips to see how this one applies. The majority of opposition to these men and their ministries is from other Christians. It’s as if we have forgotten that the enemy is over there and that we’re supposed to be fighting them, not each other.

And, honestly, I don’t want to hear about “keeping these men accountable” or “rebuking in love”. That’s…well, that’s nonsense. Rebukes come from friends, and these bloggers are acting like these men are the enemy. Point the weapons at the real bad guys!

Or, as another one of Murphy’s Laws states:

Friendly fire–isn’t.