Apple's shareholders skirmish over ideological differences

[ascryans (Ryan)]

Right ok. Going to need to say something to this…

@jander

Christ has no fellowship with Belial, so as to take cues from him. There is nothing for the church to learn from Islam.

I agree with the first sentence but the second doesn’t follow. Jesus tells us the imitate serpents (Matt 10:16).

@jander

As Christians, we believe man is utterly fallen, and incapable of producing righteousness in and of himself. We know that sin is a not ultimately an issue of our external actions, but an issue of corrupt desires. As Christians, we know that the wicked fruit that manifests in our external actions is merely symptomatic of the underlying corruption of our hearts. Thus the Christian remedy for sin is not law , but rather new birth. We must be born again.

I agree entirely with this. I hold to a classical protestant sharp distinction between the law and the gospel. Nevertheless the gospel doesn’t abolish any of the three uses of the law and that includes its first use.

@jander

The only obedience to God’s law that we are interested in is the obedience that comes from faith

Here you seem to totally reject the first use of the law, thats quite radical and not orthodox. Taking your point to its logical conclusion means we should have no interest in the affairs of the state…or for that matter parenting children if we aren’t sure they’re converted.

@jander

Those things may even be good for the common grace well-being of society. But it is not Christianity.

Nonsense. What is good for the well-being of society is what gives us space to preach the gospel clearly. In a fatherless society it becomes harder to preach of Gods fatherly kind care. In a society where the state calls good evil and evil good it is becomes harder to convict men of their sin and need of a saviour. Its harder to get folks to church on Sunday if they are all working!

I’ll finish with a random quote from Luther which I happened to be reading yesterday, although quotes from any of the reformers could be multiplied no end.

“The first use of the Law, then, is to bridle wicked people. For the devil reigns throughout the whole world and forces people to do all kinds of horrible wickedness. Therefore God has ordained magistrates, parents, teachers, laws, shackles, and all civic ordinances, so that, if they cannot do anything else, they at least may bind the devils hands so that he does not rage in his slaves as he wants to do. This civil restraint is very necessary and appointed by God, both for public peace and for preservation of everything, but especially so that the course of the Gospel should not be hindered by wicked people.” Luthers Galatians commentary.

My point is simply that it would help the culture if we thought christianly about our investments and in doing so we could hinder that which hinders the course of the gospel. Perhaps people are triggered by my reference to Islam. Believe me I know all about the satanic nature of Islam.