Thread by @ronhenzel

𝟏/𝟐𝟐 This is highly misleading. If Greg Johnson was trying to say he didn’t think 𝑎𝑛𝑦 of his critics are “southern pietistic moralists” (whatever that’s supposed to mean), he failed to communicate it & in fact implied the opposite, even in his attempts to clarify himself.

https://twitter.com/PcaMemorial/status/1413156376428306432

𝟐/𝟐𝟐 First of all, to claim that it’s even possible to posit that an “an attack from pietistic southern moral𝑖𝑠𝑚” doesn’t intend to imply the existence of actual & particular “pietistic southern moral𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑠” who are involved in that attack is an exercise in obfuscation.

𝟑/𝟐𝟐 Second, to say, “I’m not intending to paint any of my 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑-𝑓𝑎𝑖𝑡ℎ critics as pietistic moralists” is so worded as to seem most likely to be naturally & reasonably understood as implying the existence 𝑛𝑜𝑛-good-faith critics whom he does intend to paint as such.

𝟒/𝟐𝟐 Third, to assert that a “pervasive influence” of moral𝑖𝑠𝑚 has “shaped” one’s opponents clearly implies that that those opponents have, to one extent or another, become moral𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑠. It alleges that their thoughts & behaviors are explained by moralism.

𝟓/𝟐𝟐 Fourth, to try to turn the most natural & reasonable understanding of one’s own words into a ground for accusing someone else—viz., Carl Trueman—of “twisting” those words is indefensible & unworthy of a Pastor/Teaching Elder in Christ’s church. Greg owes him an apology.

𝟔/𝟐𝟐 Donnie Griffin (@nimrod4Jesus) is right: Greg’s “...multiple attempts at clarifying [his] original statement illustrate [his] own carelessness and probably a distinction with no difference....Moralism doesn’t just hover around in some abstraction....”

𝟕/𝟐𝟐 “...It necessarily emanates from moralists. To say that it’s mere moralism that caused the issue is meaningless.” Others have made virtually the same observation. It seems to me to be common sense.

But I’m now I’m going to go further & I’m not going to pull my punches.

𝟖/𝟐𝟐 Nor will I try to squirm out of my words with references to “pervasive influences” that somehow “shape” people.

The dogma that’s invaded the PCA & other churches that says we shouldn’t expect SSA to be cured or healed in this life derives from a modern form of moralism.

𝟗/𝟐𝟐 It’s proponents are moralists. They subscribe to the same kind moralism that presupposes alcoholics will always be alcoholics, drug addicts will always be drug addicts, gambling addicts will always be gambling addicts, etc.

𝟏𝟎/𝟐𝟐 This moralism’s source teaches that those struggling with addictive, compulsive, or seemingly uncontrollable behaviors must begin by admitting their powerlessness over them, submit to their own preferred “higher power,” & remain faithful to the rest of the program.

𝟏𝟏/𝟐𝟐 At the root of this moralism lies this one unshakeable tenet:

“‘Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic’ is a simple fact we have to live with.”

—𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝐴.𝐴. 𝐴𝑛 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐴.𝐴. 𝑅𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑚 (NY: AA, 2017), 9.

𝟏𝟐/𝟐𝟐 This is 𝑛𝑜𝑡 the Christian Gospel. In fact, it negates it by “having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power,” (2 Tim 3:5 ESV). When Paul wrote, "And such 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 some of you,” (1 Cor 6:11), he referred not merely to our forensic standing in Christ,...

𝟏𝟑/𝟐𝟐 ...but to transformation by the power of Holy Spirit, the same power he refers to in 2 Tim 3:5. (Cf 1 Cor 6:17: “But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.”) Any “higher power” that can’t 𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑦 transform a sinner from an alcoholic or...

𝟏𝟒/𝟐𝟐 ...homosexual into someone who 𝑖𝑠 𝑏𝑦 𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑦 no longer either of those things but rather a new creation in Christ is not the same Holy Spirit of God who applies the benefits of Christ to His people (2 Cor 5:17). And anyone who...

𝟏𝟓/𝟐𝟐 ...imports the notion that we shouldn’t expect a particular sinful pattern of life, no matter what it might be, to be radically, even if 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑢𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦, washed away by the power of the Spirit of God is misrepresenting the Gospel message. And anyone who doesn’t...

𝟏𝟔/𝟐𝟐 ...teach that the Bible insists on a full “putting off” of the lusts & sins of who we were in Adam & “putting on” the opposite of those lusts & sins in Christ isn’t teaching the biblical view of sanctification (Eph 4:22ff). Celibacy is not the opposite of homosexuality.

𝟏𝟕/𝟐𝟐 Further, while celibacy is a gift for a limited few, it’s a grotesque distortion of Scripture to say it was designed for gay people as “sexual minorities.” Nothing in Scripture suggests this. It’s an error designed to support other errors. But the moralism that lies...

𝟏𝟖/𝟐𝟐 ...at the heart of it all is the one which misuses celibacy to deny the power of the Spirit to transform what was corrupted in Adam to what is restored in Christ. Those who teach this are modern moralists because they’re misusing a gift of grace for service as a...

𝟏𝟗/𝟐𝟐 ...means of grace for sanctification. This portends disastrous consequences for believers who struggle against the sin of SSA. It leads to a truncated doctrine of repentance that will inevitably produce incomplete actual repentance. Be wise & be warned (Ps 2:10).

𝟐𝟎/𝟐𝟐 For further reading, I recommend Carl Trueman’s exceedingly gracious response to Greg Johnson here:

“𝐀 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞,” 𝐛𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐥 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧
reformation21.org/blog/a-friendl…

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