Theological vs Political Drift

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A.Joseph

Puritan Board Senior
What is a bigger threat to Reformed orthodoxy for the individual and the church? Political or Theological Drift/legalism?

Can we fall into a trap of guarding against one, say political legalism, at the expense of Reformed Christian orthodoxy?

On the flip side, can we allow our political (“culture warrior”) allegiances/engagements/ activities to muddy the waters of Reformed Christian orthodoxy and church priority?

Does the answer lie in the abandonment of any potential (idol)ogical threats?

Any real time examples of certain ministries (e.g. Tim Keller - James White) falling into these particular traps?

Should there be more overlap between a White and a Keller? Is there(?) and are we too focused on possible distinctions in emphasis?
 
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Personally, I think the biggest threat we may face spiritually (in the instance of Reformed orthodoxy) will be spiritual. I would associate 'political drift' with that which is temporal and not necessarily spiritual, although political drift may be an effect motivated by spiritual causes.

Anyway, I say this chiefly because of what a threat is.

A threat in this context would perhaps best be defined as 'a possibility of trouble, danger or ruin.' Biblically, the saints are in many respects promised temporal 'trouble, danger or ruin'. 2 Timothy 3:12 comes to mind here.

However, the saints are warned in the Holy Scriptures about spiritual threats. I think the greatest of these spiritual threats is the leaven of ecumenism, for reasons I outline in this article on ecumenism, as well as this article on holiness.

I pray they would be a blessing to you.
 
I think the difficulty in answering this is that political liberalism often abandons God's moral law as a rule for human society. So it's not really possible to have that sort of liberalism without a corresponding theological liberalism. I think Proverbs 24 does a good job of expressing the relation between these things:
"My son, fear thou the Lord and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change: For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?"
 
I think the difficulty in answering this is that political liberalism often abandons God's moral law as a rule for human society. So it's not really possible to have that sort of liberalism without a corresponding theological liberalism. I think Proverbs 24 does a good job of expressing the relation between these things:
"My son, fear thou the Lord and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change: For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?"
This is a good point, and the original post may contain a false dichotomy, whereby both political (temporal) drift and/or legalism is inseparable from theological (spiritual) drift and/or legalism. I will also say that I see far more accusations of legalism than I see legalists.
 
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