An Open Letter to Karl Barth (Part 3)

8.13 - 2. "Christ Jesus, whom God has made our wisdom, our righteousness and sanctification and redemption." (1 Cor. 1:30.)

8.14 As Jesus Christ is God's assurance of the forgiveness of all our sins, so, in the same way and with the same seriousness he is also God's mighty claim upon our whole life. Through him befalls us a joyful deliverance from the godless fetters of this world for a free, grateful service to his creatures.

8.15 We reiect the false doctrine, as though there were areas of our life in which we would not belong to Jesus Christ, but to other lords--areas in which we would not need justification and sanctification through him.

Sir,

You wrote these words mean years ago. Oh, how the church has struggled against them. The "Lord of the saved" is the proper title for the Christ. A King with a faithless Israel is His true state. The cross instead of a "mighty claim" has become an existential psychiatrist. How sick the tune that Christ "gives life meaning."

Christ is life for the believer. Life more abundant and eternal life. But not without a cross. Not without sharing the burden of Christ. Not without losing life does Christ become life.

Sir, Germany did not understand what you meant when you wrote these words. And yet they propagated their statism to our land. The cross now is a distant memory. The justified justify their behavior because His kingdom is "not of this world". How easily we deny the incarnation.

I wonder, sir, if you would write this again? Would the lack of political persecution today cause the backbone of the church to stand against you? I fear we've misunderstood the Devil's trick. He cannot defeat Job with persecution but he defeats Solomon with wealth and knowledge. May The Lord save us from the damning blessings to which we cling.

Passionately Pleading.