Another “Idol Of The Heart” To Be Mortified: Placing Culture Over Christ

by R. Scott Clark on July 29, 2022

Twenty five years ago a famous preacher in NYC made the expression “idols of the heart” ubiquitous. There is another idol of the heart that needs to be added to the list.

If one values winning the culture war over the purity of the gospel, one is an idolater. If one cares more about “saving America” than the “pure preaching of the gospel” (Belgic Confession art. 29) then one is an idolater. The gospel is not “in by baptism, stay in by cooperation with grace.” That is the very corruption of the gospel rejected in the Protestant Reformation. The Westminster Confession brilliantly articulated the Reformation consensus:

Those whom God effectually calleth, he also freely justifieth: not by infusing righteousness into them, but by pardoning their sins, and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous; not for anything wrought in them, or done by them, but for Christ’s sake alone; nor by imputing faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience to them, as their righteousness; but by imputing the obedience and satisfaction of Christ unto them, they receiving and resting on him and his righteousness, by faith; which faith they have not of themselves, it is the gift of God.

2. Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and his righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification: yet is it not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but worketh by love.

3. Christ, by his obedience and death, did fully discharge the debt of all those that are thus justified, and did make a proper, real, and full satisfaction to his Father’s justice in their behalf. Yet, inasmuch as he was given by the Father for them; and his obedience and satisfaction accepted in their stead; and both, freely, not for anything in them; their justification is only of free grace; that both the exact justice and rich grace of God might be glorified in the justification of sinners.

4. God did, from all eternity, decree to justify all the elect, and Christ did, in the fullness of time, die for their sins, and rise again for their justification: nevertheless, they are not justified, until the Holy Spirit doth, in due time, actually apply Christ unto them.

5. God doth continue to forgive the sins of those that are justified; and, although they can never fall from the state of justification, yet they may, by their sins, fall under God’s fatherly displeasure, and not have the light of his countenance restored unto them, until they humble themselves, confess their sins, beg pardon, and renew their faith and repentance.

6. The justification of believers under the old testament was, in all these respects, one and the same with the justification of believers under the new testament.

According to the confessional Reformed Churches, the Federal Vision is incompatible with God’s Word on the article of the standing or falling of the church.

The gospel is: “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me” (1 Cor 15:3–8; ESV). If one is turning a blind eye to false teachers, who plagiarize, who abuse the sheep, who corrupt the gospel because “they fight” the culture war, one’s priorities are quite disordered.

The preacher was right. We all have little shrines in our heart that we must mortify. When preachers have them, however, they come out in the preaching and in the movements with which they affiliate and to which they expose their flock. When they do that they put not only themselves in jeopardy but the sheep given to their care. This is one reason why Peter wrote,

So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:1–1–5; ESV)

©R. Scott Clark. All Rights Reserved.

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