Four Corners Feast

It is a truth universally acknowledged by any people in possession of sound reason, that the human heart naturally inclines toward the tangible and material. If we are, as Natural Law teaches, to order our lives according to logic, tradition, and the common good, then visible, inherited forms of worship that are rooted in our sacred heritage, are not only permissible but essential. Consider the ancient Israelites, so often misrepresented by modern moralists for their adoption of the worship practices of their neighbors. Seen through the lens of Natural Law, they were not rebels but guardians of patrimony, protectors of the faith of their fathers, and heirs of the Great Tradition. Many of their so-called “foreign” neighbors (Edomites, Moabites, Ammonites) were not outsiders at all but kin, bound by blood and soil, and by the natural affections that arise from shared ancestry. What could be more in keeping with reason and nature than honoring the household gods of one’s extended family?...

Theonomy or Autonomy. I’ve heard it many times. The implication is simple. Either you acknowledge and strive to follow and understand God's Law (as revealed in the Bible), or you reject God's Laws in favor of man's opinions, methods of justice, morality, and lawgiving. For many, the line is clearly drawn in the sand. Theonomists are quickly and easily identified because of the name that is applied to their position (theos=God, nomos=Law). There is room for differences and debate within this position, but ultimately all theonomists seek one thing: to properly and accurately apply God's revealed Law to all spheres of life, including Civil.  Autonomy on the other hand, can take many forms and names: Socialism, Democracy, Feudalism, Dictatorship, Sharia, with many more options available. (I will state here that all law is a form of moral system, even if it isn’t religious. So while all these Autonomous options are seen as political, they also have moral systems inherent to ...

  The 10 Theses of Biblical Law: 1. Since the Fall, it has always been unlawful to use the law of God in hopes of establishing one’s own personal merit and justification, in contrast or complement to salvation by way of promise and faith; commitment to obedience is but the lifestyle of faith, a token of gratitude for God’s redeeming grace.  2. The word of the Lord is the sole, supreme, and unchallengeable standard for the actions and attitudes of all men in all areas of life; this word naturally includes God’s moral directives (law).  3. Our obligation to keep the law of God cannot be judged by any extra scriptural standard, such as whether its specific requirements (when properly interpreted) are congenial to past traditions or modern feelings and practices.  4. We should presume that Old Testament standing laws continue to be morally binding in the New Testament, unless they are rescinded or modified by further revelation.  5. In regard to the Old Testament l...

  Forms of legalism. It is critical to understand that legalism and obedience to the Law are not equal. Biblically speaking, legalism isn't using the law, but the wrong use of the law. Just like antinomianism (anti-law), legalism can take many forms.   Justification based on works of merit or obedience to the Law This is the error of the Pharisees and Pelagianism (Humans can obtain perfection without divine grace). The semi-pelagian view that grace mixed with works can justify (Roman Catholics, Mormonism) would also fall into this category. Response: All men are sinners and have broken God's law (Rom 3:10, 23). Because of this, the Law cannot save them, it can only condemn them as lawbreakers who deserve the full penalty under the Law. (Rom 3:19-20, Gal 3:10) The only hope for transgressors of God's Law is salvation by grace in the work of Jesus Christ.   Stressing the letter of the Law, while neglecting the spirit in which it was given This attitude usually s...