BiblicalInsights.net

     Was Thomas Jefferson a Christian?  Recently, Daniel L. Dreisbach wrote an article for Christian History (issue 99, summer 2008, p. 15) entitled, “The Wall of Separation” in which he related that Jefferson described himself as “a real Christian” although he was aware that his beliefs were unconventional.  Jefferson said, “I am a sect by myself.”  He believed that human reason was the arbiter of religious truth and rejected key tenets of Christianity, including the Bible’s divine origins, the deity of Christ, and the miraculous accounts in Scripture.  This brings up the question, “what is a Christian?”  Can a person be a Christian and deny that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? 
     The word “Christian” is always used as a noun in the New Testament.  It describes those who are disciples of Jesus Christ.  In Acts 11:26, the first occurrence of this word is found in the New Testament.  “And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch.  And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people.  and the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.”  The second time the word “Christian” is found in the New Testament is Acts 26:28, “Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”  The third time the word “Christian” is found in the New Testament is I Pet. 4:16, “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.”  A Christian is a disciple of Jesus Christ.  A Christian must believe that Jesus is God’s Son and that God raised Him from the dead.  John declares, “And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.  Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God” (I John 4:14-15).  What about those who deny that Jesus Christ is the Son of God?  Jesus answered, “But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 10:33).  The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is a fundamental tenet of Christianity.  Paul wrote concerning Jesus Christ,  “And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (Rom. 1:4).  To deny both of these facts–that Jesus is God’s Son and that Jesus was resurrected from the dead –is unchristian.  Thomas Jefferson’s unbelief disqualifies him from the claim to be a Christian.  A Christian is one who has heard the Gospel call and answered it by faith and obedience to the commands of Jesus Christ (Matt. 28:18-20).

     Karen Uhlenhuth wrote an article for the Kansas City Star (Sept. 7, 2008) entitled, “More than half of young mothers give birth out of wedlock.”  Consider some of the statistics reported in the article.
     –For the first time in a half-century of record-keeping, a majority of babies born to women younger than 30 were out of wedlock.
     –In 2006, 50.4 percent of children born to those under 30 were born to single women. Compare that to 1960 when only 6 percent of babies born to women under 30 were born to unmarried women.
     –Andrew Sum, an economist at Northeastern University in Boston (director of Northeastern’s Center for Labor Market Studies) estimates that taxpayers contribute about $7,000 a year to support the typical family of an unwed mother without a high school diploma. 
     –The Institute for American Values published a study in April (2008) that pegged the cost to taxpayers of children living with a single parent–whether because of divorce or an out-of-wedlock birth–at more than $112 billion annually.
     –Sum made an interesting observation, “Private family miseries translate into major public burdens.”
     A social disaster is looming on the horizon.  More and more women and children are going to be in poverty.  What is the real problem?  Is it carelessness?  Is it lack of education?  Or, is it lack of moral values and moral restraint?  As our society drifts farther away from God and His truth, it becomes morally weaker.  The apostle Paul writes, “Flee fornication.  Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body” (I Cor. 6:18).  “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; not in the lust of concupisence, even as the Gentiles which know not God” (I Thess. 4:3-5). 
     God has ordained that one man and one woman come together in holy wedlock to form a new union which is able to support and care for children born to that union (Matt. 19:4-6; Eph. 6:1-4).  When we violate God’s Will, there is a price to pay.  The queston is, “Can we afford it?”  Can we afford it economically?  Can we afford it spiritually?

     Kathleen Parker wrote an interesting article in the Columbus Dispatch September 2, 2008 entitled, “There should be no debate about when life begins.”  She was writing about recent comments made by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who stated that “…I don’t think anybody can tell you when life begins…”  Pelosi was defending a woman’s right to choose and thus abort her unborn child. 
     Later, in the same article, Parker quotes from American medicine’s most prominent human embryology text, The Developing Human, concerning the beginning of human life.  I thought this quote was very informative and I am passing it along to you. Here it is, “Human development begins at fertilization when a male gamete or sperm (spermatozoon) unites with a female gamete or oocyte (ovum) to produce a single cell–a zygote.  This highly specialized, totipotent cell marked the beginning of each of us as a unique individual.” (reference: www.dispatch.com).  “In other words, life begins at conception” (Parker).
     Biblical proof of this fact is recorded in Luke 1:41,44.  In Luke 1:36, Mary is told by Gabriel, an angel of the Lord, that Elisabeth had conceived a son in her old age.  Later, Mary visited with Elisabeth.  When Mary entered the house of Elisabeth, she greeted her.  Verse 41 states, “And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost.”  Verse 44 contains part of the statement made by Elisabeth on that occasion.  She said, “For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.”  This “babe” was John the baptist.  The baby was already named (Luke 1:13), described (Luke 1:15) and commissioned (Luke 1:16-17).  Also, John was “filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb” (Luke 1:15).  This is remarkable biblical testimony as to when life begins!  Surely, there is no question either theologically or scientifically about this most important event.  Human life begins at conception.  The ramifications of this fact are tremendous.  Are we willing to accept this truth and act in accordance with it?