Dear John Piper,
It was with great sorrow that I read your article and feel that you are judging the person God clearly placed in office in 2016. You may say for bad; but I believe for good. After all, were it not for his executive order protecting your right to being bold from the pulpit, you might not feel as free to speak? Guaranteed that will go away if we do not remain vigilant.
For the first time, we have a man who stands up for Godly principles. Oh, yes much like Peter in the beginning he is a little rough around the edges; but often that is the case with newer Christians (and sometimes older ones as well). Yes, watching very closely I do believe him to be a Christian who seeks Godly guidance. Were you aware there is a prayer team in the white house? Or have you bothered to go and offer counsel to him yourself, sir?
Many of the things you cited as objections were from the distant past. Have you forgotten the woman at the well? Or the woman caught in adultery? Do you sir believe that the blood of Christ cannot cover all our sins? I know better, sir, for I have listened to your sermons for years and unlike many I read the last few paragraphs. None of us are worthy of salvation, we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God. So, where does the difference lie?
Where Does Truth Lie?
The truth lies within. What does one do with Jesus Christ. Have you truly come to Him, knowing He is God. And there, repentant of your sin ask his forgiveness, believing that He is the only way, the truth, and the life. Knowing that God is Sovereign and bowing before His throne. Do I know the position in Christ of either candidate? No, but God does. That leaves me to prayerfully consider their effects on the Christian community and who will allow us to teach. Then it is necessary for the pulpits to prepare the Christians as you said, to be ready for whatever comes. Much as Isaiah and Jeremiah prepared the remnant for what was to come.
So, let me address the objections you presented one by one. Then let me remind everyone of the story of 2 pagan Kings in the hands of one Sovereign God.
Specifics Objections
You wrote speaking of our current state as though referencing one candidate and ignoring the “wolf in sheep clothing” he faces (despite the wolf characteristics only barely being covered).
“Actually, this is a long-overdue article attempting to explain why I remain baffled that so many Christians consider the sins of unrepentant sexual immorality (porneia), unrepentant boastfulness (alazoneia), unrepentant vulgarity (aischrologia), unrepentant factiousness (dichostasiai), and the like, to be only toxic for our nation, while policies that endorse baby-killing, sex-switching, freedom-limiting, and socialistic overreach are viewed as deadly.
“This is true not only because flagrant boastfulness, vulgarity, immorality, and factiousness are self-incriminating, but also because they are nation-corrupting. They move out from centers of influence to infect whole cultures. The last five years bear vivid witness to this infection at almost every level of society.”[1]
My Response
Unrepentant sexual immorality:
Whatever his past contained, that is past and if saved, has been repented off. He has not as others brought shame to the office of president by touching, suggestive speech, or any manner while in office. If he had we would have certainly been told. Instead, he has shown dignity and respect to his family.
Unrepentant Boastfulness:
John Piper, sir, if you believe this, you did not hear him say the economy was a miracle, nor that his illness was a blessing from God to open his eyes. I will place quote here for you:
“What we have achieved together and what we’re doing together is nothing short of an economic miracle and now we’re doing it again,” the president told supporters in Mankato, Minnesota. “We built the greatest economy in the history of the world and now I have to do it again.”
He said: “You know what that is? That’s right. That’s God testing me. He said, You know, you did it once. And I said, ‘Did I do a great job, God? I’m the only one who could do it.’ He said that you shouldn’t say. Now we’re going to have you do it again. I said, ‘OK. I agree. You got me.’ [2]
Unrepentant Vulgarity:
The other candidate uses God’s name often. I cringe each time he says, “Oh, God” and not in the way it should be used. Their platform removed, “under God” from the pledge of allegiance. In contrast our president spoke at the prayer breakfast 2/6/2020, “”Everyone here today is united by a shared conviction. We know that our nation is stronger, our future is brighter, and our joy is greater when we turn to God and ask him to shed his grace on our lives,” ….All of us here today reaffirm these timeless truths: Faith keeps us free. Prayer makes us strong. And God alone is the author of life and the giver of grace,”[3]
unrepentant factiousness (dichostasiai):
If President Trump were good at lying, there would be less news about everything he says. He is sometimes unfiltered, much like Peter before God completed the refining through many trials.
Therefore, I fear you have listened to the snippets of words out of context and not taken the time to know him yourself or to reach out to him. For the first 365 days of his presidency, being led by God, I sent him a postcard every day with a Bible verse and prayer. He sent me a gracious thank you. I believed at least, while in route, God would use the words on a post card to affect whomever he chose to touch.
Sam Storm’s Response
Bad character, destructive character, does not always manifest itself in bombastic speech and overt arrogance. Moral deficiencies in a person are, sadly, often hidden, but not for that reason any less destructive both personally and nationally. A person can be soft-spoken, courteous, and guarded in their speech while at the same time be as wicked and dangerous as the loud-mouthed jerk….For a person to support, endorse, and encourage sexual perversion is a clear and unmistakable indication of a wretched moral character. …It is not loving to endorse and encourage behavior in a person that puts his/her soul in danger of eternal damnation.
For a person to support and encourage 10-year-old children to make up their own minds about what gender they wish to be is horribly destructive of any semblance of responsible parenting and puts the souls of these precious young people in serious jeopardy.
It doesn’t matter if he said it in a soft and gentle voice, void of vulgarity or profanity, perhaps even with a tear in his eye. To advocate for such an approach to life is inherently dangerous…(and) are reflections of a serious flaw in character, indeed, a warped character[4]
2 Pagan Kings, 1 Sovereign God and a final thought.
I cannot know for certain the position of President’s Soul with God; nor do I believe you can know this either. Yet, on this we both agree: God is Sovereign. I would ask you reflect on your own sermon of 2012. “The Sovereignty of God ‘I will accomplish all that I purpose”[5]. Isaiah foretold of two pagan Kings God would use to fulfill His purpose. One God spoke of as His chosen. The other named by the Empire he ruled. Both were used by God to accomplish his purpose. One was Nebuchadnezzar who took Judah into captivity and destroyed the temple, enslaving the remnant of believers while many were killed. Then there was Cyrus, the equally ruthless King of the Mede-Persian empire who overthrew the Babylonians. God used Cyrus to set His people free and to help them rebuild the walls around Jerusalem.
Both were used by God. While both pagan kings who worshipped idols, including building statues of themselves for the people to worship. One God used to bring justice upon His people for their sins and the other He used to set them free. In both cases, God was on His throne.
Concluding Thought:
Dear John Piper, Know this I am praying for our nation, for you, for our President, and for this election. But it is my duty to vote and I did without qualms based on policies, words, and the true character of the man as best I can see. I went once to a rally in 2018. There I was able to see the man, not the television person. His aura, his expression and his eyes spoke of his genuine love and care for America and we, the people. Let God make the final decision whether for our enslavement or our freedom as Christians. Whichever he does, He does by Grace.
Either way I will stand firm, even if it costs me my life. God is Eternal. Jesus Christ is my Savior, My Lord and my greatest treasure. Therefore, I will praise Him whatever the outcome of the election.
Let me close by quoting you, John Piper, from 2012.
“What then does this mean for us? Why is this precious to us? I will speak them to us as exhortations:
- Let us stand in awe of the sovereign authority and freedom and wisdom and power of God.
- Let us never trifle with life as though it were a small or light affair.
- Let us marvel at our own salvation — that God bought it, and wrought it, with sovereign power, and we are not our own.
- Let us groan over the God-belittling, man-centeredness of our culture and much of the church.
- Let us be bold at the throne of grace knowing that our prayers for the most difficult things can be answered. Nothing is too hard for God.
- Let us rejoice that our evangelism will not be in vain because there is no sinner so hard that the sovereign grace of God cannot break through.
- Let us be thrilled and calm in these days of great upheaval because victory belongs to God, and no purposes that he wills to accomplish can be stopped.[6]
[1] Piper, John https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/policies-persons-and-paths-to-ruin,
[2] President Donald J. Trump, https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-election/trump-god-religion-economy-minnesota-mankato-speech-today-jobs-a9675111.html
[3] President Donald J. Trump, https://www.rev.com/blog/transcripts/donald-trump-speech-transcript-2020-national-prayer-breakfast-trump-goes-after-romney-and-democrats-in-speech
[4] Sam Storm: https://www.samstorms.org/enjoying-god-blog/post/a-brief-reflection-on-john-piper-s-recent-article-concerning-the-presidential-election
[5] John Piper https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/the-sovereignty-of-god-my-counsel-shall-stand-and-i-will-accomplish-all-my-purpose
[6] [6] John Piper https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/the-sovereignty-of-god-my-counsel-shall-stand-and-i-will-accomplish-all-my-purpose
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©Effie Darlene Barba, 2020
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