Q&A Fridays, Issue #41

Welcome to Issue #41 of Q&A Friday for Friday the 2nd of May, 2008. I want to thank you all for your great emails and questions. I want to remind everyone of the rules by which I will be playing: Not all questions will be answered, and not all those that are submitted can be fitted into one issue. Those that did not make this issue (for length reasons) might be included in a future one. Questions might not be answered or included in the Q&A for the following reasons:

The scope may be too broad, or it may involve a topic on which I have taught at length... ex: “Can you explain the whole Creation?”. The question might need to be asked more specifically, or with fewer presuppositions that I would have to handle before actually getting to the question (I do reserve the right to rewrite questions to make them more clear and understandable or to make them more amenable to the format here). Answering the question might drag me off of “message” or into an area on which I am currently teaching, but at a point where I haven’t gotten to yet. If the question is answered in an upcoming teaching, or would involve getting into a topic I have planned for the future, then I will likely choose not to answer it yet.

The question might be considered rhetorical, or might involve me bearing witness against myself... such as “How do I unsubscribe?”

As always, send your questions to Q&A Fridays:

editor(at)lazarusunbound.com

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Dear Michael,

I love to read your blog and you have a lot of helpful information. I get the feeling, though, that you are saying that anyone who is not where you are (in the journey, not geographically) are not Christians. I disagree with that, but I just wanted to address that and see if, maybe, I was reading you wrong.

Thank you.

Thank you for your question. I want to address the topic in general, and it happens that it is very appropriate to do it now since I do receive this question (or statement) quite often; it also happens that the next question also deals with some of the same basic foundation, so I ask the reader to read both questions and both answers knowing that I will be including pertinent information to the foundation of the questions in both answers. Also, please know that I take no offense at all at the question, nor is my answer directed at any individual questioner. This is a natural question, and it comes up a lot, so I have just chosen to answer it here (and in concert with the next question) because it will be a good venue in which to answer it, and in the future I can just direct people to this answer. I also may include this section in our FAQ section on BiblicalAgrarianism.com. Ok, so back to the question…

This is going to be a long answer, but please be patient with me. It is certainly not true that I believe that people who are not where I am in the journey are not Christians - which is to say, I do believe there are Christians all along the Pilgrim’s Progress journey, including some who are still in the City of Destruction. I do hope that there is nothing in particular that I have said that leads anyone to believe that I believe that someone has to be where I am in order to be considered a Christian. That said, I do intentionally (as any teacher/evangelist/preacher/exhorter) should, apply immense pressure on those who claim to be Christians, so that they will begin to live their lives as Christians to the glory of God. Which is to say that there are likely Christians who are living their lives in grave error, just as there are false Christians and abject worldlings (false professors) who claim to be Christians, but who do not live their lives as Christians at all. I will never be found soothing or comforting those who are living their lives contrary to what the Bible teaches. I think the number one exhortation in all of scripture (to professing Christians) is that we constantly examine ourselves that we be in the faith. Now, there are some points I need to make clear… and please pay attention to these, because they are very important:

1. I do not believe that all (or even most) of those who profess to be Christians are actually Christians. The Bible teaches plainly that the “broad” way, which most professing Christians travel, is the way to destruction, and not the way (Jesus Christ) to salvation. Therefore it would be highly dangerous of me to re-define Christianity downward (away from the way the Bible defines it) so that more people feel comfortable about their station. Christianity is not a rubber nose that can be molded to the feelings of those (any) who would like to wear it. Christianity is a very concrete and objective belief system, and there are those who claim it, who (according to scripture) cannot be Christians.

2. I believe that Agrarianism is not a “lifestyle choice” or a “good ideal” for Christians. I believe the Bible commands it (see Gen. 2:15, 3:23) and that the entire book (Old and New Testaments) is written in Agrarian terms to an Agrarian people. Many (most people) do not understand the Bible, because they are living worldly lives contrary to it. This doesn’t mean that I expect everyone to live like I do, or to immediately put on a camel-hair coat and go sit in the desert, or to start plowing fields and raising carrots; this is why I have carefully defined what Agrarianism is, and why Christian Separatism is so critical a principle for Agrarianism. Just as the Amish and many Mennonites believe that Christian Separatism and Agrarianism are fundamental to the very core of their Christianity, our fellowship believes the very same thing. Most Amish and Mennonites are kind of idealized for their way of life and for their separatism, precisely because they aren’t on the internet blogging about it. Be sure that if they were, many people would feel condemned by what they actually believe - which is why many people feel somewhat condemned by what I write. I write what I believe and everyone is free to read and heed it, or to reject and ridicule it. Some do the former, and most do the latter. Let me paint a quick picture for you. If you were riding through Amish country and you saw an Amish man plowing his field, you might say to yourself, “There is something I can appreciate. There is a man living separately according to the dictates of his conscience. There is a lifestyle that is admirable, and there is a man who puts God, faith, and family above the love of the world”. Then let us say you stopped your vehicle and made conversation with this man. You might be shocked to learn that he considers you “English” (meaning a worldling and a persecutor), and that he believes that the English are lost and reprobated and that most of them will be damned. Well, there goes the pretty postcard picture of the Agrarian Separatist, don’t you think? The difference between me and the Amish man is that you know what I think.

3. And this is very important… just as we do not believe that all professing Christians are actually Christians, neither do we accept all people as “sisters and brothers”. On a good friend’s Agrarian blog, a commenter recently said to a Mormon woman “we are all brothers and sisters”… well, neither the Mormon belief system nor traditional orthodox Christianity allows for this sentiment. One is true, and the other is false. Believing a lie (from either side) is a sign of reprobation and not of salvation. We do not, then, accept unorthodox religions or cults as “Christianity”, just as we do not expect or demand they accept us. In fact I would have no respect at all for any professing believer of any stripe who believes contrarily to me, but yet accepts me as a believer. That would just be foolishness. That would be to say that there is no objective truth, and no way to know that truth. The Bible gives us two ways to identify true Christians, and we are not permitted to add to them or take away from them. Doctrine (a mark in the forehead) is the primary way of knowing who belongs to God according to the scripture, and we are commanded not to receive or even bid Godspeed to those who carry or bring any other doctrine than that which we have received from God via the Holy Bible. The other mark (in the right hand) is fruit and works. While none of these things save us, the Bible teaches that these are inevitable marks of them who believe. We believe that God gives us His true and pure doctrines (the Doctrines of Grace), and an intense desire to keep and honor His commandments and statutes as a free gift of electing Grace.

4. None of this, however, prevents us from doing good to all men. What any person finds as noteworthy or valuable in my teaching, preaching, or writing - it is theirs to take freely. What they reject, they may reject freely. And we may disagree agreeably. We do desire the best for all men, and we do desire that they freely (by God’s grace alone) receive true Christianity and the real Jesus Christ of scripture. We are evangelists in that we believe that our lives lived according to what we see in the Bible is the best witness for the supernatural and spiritual power of God. We do not go out and knock on doors, but we do preach the Gospel (as well in word as in our lives and lifestyles) to those who knock on ours.

5. My blog (and our websites, such as BiblicalAgrarianism.com and LazarusUnbound.com) are public sites, but they are not spam or unsolicited materials. In fact, they are quite hard to find, and we make certain that we do not troll other sites or advertise for readers. I like to think of the sites as small rooms attached to the back of my cabin. In order to find them you have to have sought them out, and you have to have winded your way down my long drive, exited your means of transportation, etc. and have seated yourself in my little corner of the world. Everyone is free to come and leave, and no one is forced to consume any food that they don’t choose to eat. We are not, however, seeker sensitive. We do not “recruit”. I can tell you it is much harder to get onto my private email list (and to stay on it) than it is to get a private invitation to a restaurant grand opening. So I look at it like this… One day I am plowing my field and a car comes down my drive. The curious driver gets out and we start up a conversation. He asks me what I think about certain things, including Christianity, Agrarianism, Separation, etc. - and I tell him what I think. It wouldn’t be very polite for him to demand that I stop believing what I believe, or that I stop saying it, would it? I mean, I do appreciate honest criticism, honest questions (like those that I include in these Q&A’s, including this one), etc., but I tell you that much of what I get is really just dictatorial, offensive, and even tyrannical almost. Funny. It is like trying to stop and tell that Amish man to stop believing what he believes.

6. Last point, and this is one I mention a lot, and I will always really emphasize it. Most people are very highly deceived having been colonized by the industrial/satanic world system for all of their lives. I know this, because I am exhibit A. I know what lies I believed, and I know how hard I defended them, and I know how and why I rationalized disobedience for so long, and I know exactly what arguments I used to defend what is really indefensible. So, (I believe) God has chosen me (somewhat like He did Paul) to argue against the arguments that I had so perfected. I do not accept the notion that separation (which is a plain and inarguable command of God) is “situational” or “generational”. When people say, “I am doing my best, but this is going to take generations to accomplish”, or, “I am living in the world so my children and grandchildren can live as Agrarians”, I know that they are lying to themselves and they are just rationalizing a love of the world and a reliance on earthly things - as opposed to a reliance on God, to give us the strength, will, and means to obey Him. As I said, I believe Agrarianism is more than a philosophy or just a good way of life. I believe Biblical Agrarianism is the philosophy and way of life that God has commanded for His people. I believe it is the only (and best) seedbed for true Christianity, and I believe it is the good ground where Christians ought to be planted. That said, since I do not believe in “situational” obedience, I must reject arguments (like those I myself perfected) which allow us to minimize obedience because of our situation or condition.

Ok, so I hope that answers the question! I am pleased to embrace and assist many, many types of Christians, in many different places on the Pilgrim’s Progress. Some are just starting out, some are in the Slough of Despond, some are stuck for a time in Vanity Fair, and some are just now being shed of the burden of their sins at the Cross. However, I know of no true Christians who are comfortable and happy in the City of Destruction, or who have rejected the truth completely and feel happy and safe in the world. Which means that most of modern Christianity fails the fruit test, and that probably shows forth in my writing.

Thanks again for the question.

Michael,

I am 17 years old, and several people in my family read your writings and your teachings quite a bit. My father said you are a better role model than most I could find out there, and the more I thought of it, the more I agree. So, how does a young man grow up to be like you?

Thank you for the question. Well, first of all, I would hope that the part of me you would like to emulate is the part that is the most like Christ. The Bible says we are to follow the faith of them who faithfully speak the Word of God (Heb. 13:7); we should follow that which is good (3John 1:11); we should follow after (or emulate) those who do good, and work with their hands rather than those who live as parasites (2 Thess. 3:7-12). God has given us teachers and elders, not to draw men away after themselves, but that they might lead the sheep to good food and water, and that they might teach the sheep to rightly hear the voice of the Good Shepherd. The good role model, then, is one who is constantly pointing to God and His Word, and who emphasizes the commandments and requirements of God, and who does his best to reflect that light which he receives from on high.

Now, to the question, how does one get to be like me. Well, I used to say, just go out and make a lot of mistakes and one day you’ll get there, but that is a foolish joke and a really bad answer. There is one thing, however, that I think separates me from some others - and I hope that you find this point truly valuable to you. When I was really searching around and trying to find the truth, I heard many, many, people say things like “I just want the truth, Lord! Just give me the truth!”. I heard people pray that over and over again. I heard them say, “I just want to follow the Lord”, and, “I follow no man, just the Lord Jesus Christ”. So I watched these people, and lo and behold when they did bump up against the truth, or when some truth was blatantly before them, or when the Lord made evident what His will and commandment was, they didn’t obey Him. They didn’t do what He said. They always had an excuse or a rationalization or a situation that prevented them from obeying God. So in a word picture it would go something like this:

Man: “Oh Lord, thou art Holy and Mighty. I desire to obey you, and to follow after you, and to serve and worship you. Show me your will and I will do as you say!”

God: “Ok, sell all your junk, get out of debt, separate from ungodliness and from the corrupt world system, obey my commandments (all of them, not just a few of them), and follow me”.

Man: “Well, there is going to be a problem with all that… You see… blah, blah, blah”.

So you see, I was very observant. I came to the understanding that most people didn’t want to obey God, they wanted to obey what THEY THINK God would want for them according to their own carnal hearts. They say, “If I were God, I would want me to stay in my job and put away money for the future”, or “If I were God I would understand that my circumstances don’t allow for immediate obedience”. You see, people want what they want, and they try to put Christian words on it or Christian garb on it, but when it gets down to it they want to live exactly like the world around them. They think God is just fine with that.

So, for some reason (and I can only attribute it to the Grace of God) I determined that I would do what I believe the Bible says we should do. This doesn’t mean that I was never wrong… I was wrong a bunch, but if I was wrong it was because I was obeying what I believed God to be saying. Now, even my greatest enemies of the past have had this to say about me. They say, “No matter what you think of Michael Bunker, no matter how wrong, prideful, arrogant, or mean you think he is, you cannot challenge the fact that he lives exactly how he says he believes.” Now, even from some who hate me I take this as high praise. None of us have perfect knowledge of God’s will, but it is obvious that the lives of most professing Christians are contradictory and they challenge the things that those people say they believe. Most have eradicated the tension by creating a “mystical” Christianity where obedience is just a feeling or is “in the heart” and it has no temporal reality. So, since Jesus said that if you look after a woman to lust after her, you have committed adultery in your heart, in effect the modern Christian says, “Well, so long as my heart is pure, it doesn’t matter what my body is doing. I can commit actual adultery, so long as my heart isn’t lusting”. Well this is just a huge self-lie, and it is fundamentally anti-christian. Ok, so once you have determined what God says, then you have to harmonize all of the scripture and all of your life to that truth. Take things to their inevitable conclusion. If God says we aren’t allowed to murder, and in the same breath says “Keep the Sabbath” - then why are we allowed to say that “do no murder” is still a commandment, while “keep the Sabbath” is done away in Christ? I mean, I agree that Christ is the true Sabbath, but Christ is also the true “don’t murder”. I mean, if I am angry with a man without cause I have murdered him, according to Christ, so don’t I want His blood to cover both “mind” sins? And then, logically aren’t I compelled to obey both commandments? That is all an aside to say that in my mind true obedience is like a long line of dominoes. Once they start falling you just get out of the way. Once I determined in my heart and mind, according to scripture, that the Doctrines of Grace were true, I became determined to preach them and live them. Likewise, once I found separation so obviously taught throughout all of the Bible, I determined to live it to the best of my ability. When I saw Christ and the Apostles condemning the world, and encouraging the children of God to “come out of her” and to abandon false religion and false social and cultural systems, I felt compelled to obey them. It has been easier for me to do hard things that I feel God requires, than to live a life of contradiction with a seared conscience.

So here is my advice to you. Find out what you believe and live it completely without fear of consequences. Don’t ever let your comfort, your lifestyle, your perceived duties to your wife, children, or family, the culture and society, or your circumstances stop you from immediately obeying God without regard to consequence. That is how I hope and pray to live, and if all men would live this way, most of the gray areas and confusions of life would disappear. My religion teaches me that God is absolutely and completely sovereign, and that He has ordained all things concerning me for my good from the foundation of the world, and that He absolutely controls everything from the flying of dust, to the rotation of the earth, to the rains, to the wing beats of a fly. He who made all things is powerful and mighty and no man (or men) can resist Him. Therefore I need not fear temporal realities (so called), circumstances, hindrances, or challenges. I need not be concerned with the welfare of my family or my children, because God has promised that of all of those who are His, He will not lose one of them. He loves them more than I do, and He knows what is best for them, and as for me - I find that my obedience is best for my family, no matter how uncomfortable it makes them today. Do not fear death, or life, or any thing in this world - but fear God and obey His commandments. Recognize yourself as a liar, as a rationalizer, and as a world lover - and pray to God to give you a love for the Truth, that you might obey Him. Repent quickly when you come upon your own error, and seek and run just as hard in the other direction as you did when you ran after your error.

Know this. If you heed my words and live your life this way, your very life will serve as a reproof and rebuke to every single man, woman, and child who lives their lives contrarily to the truth. If you separate from ungodliness and from the world, this means that you are separating from a whole bunch of folks who think they are just fine and dandy. If you condemn sin or injustice or unrighteousness, know that all who live in those things will despise you and despitefully use you. That is a promise you can take to the bank. Every one of them will recall your past sins, or find your imperfections, or will harp on your perceived hypocrisies… you cannot let this stop you. Their problem is not with you, it is with God. You keep on being obedient and being perfected and they will find in your life an ample condemnation of theirs.

That is all I can tell you. I am far from perfect, and I make a lot of mistakes. I told a friend the other day that my entire life has been an escape from error - so I would be foolish not to assume that I am in some error now. But I hope that my escape is a Pilgrim’s Progress towards the Celestial City, and that God is bringing me out for His own glory and for His own purposes. That is all I can say.

I hope it helps.

I am your servant in Christ Jesus,

Michael Bunker