Puritans Came to America to Make a
City on a Hill via Strong Central Government
I do not wish to disparage those beliefs that have the Gospel but errors in their doctrines because that would include everyone. Nor do I wish to give the impression that America’s various revivals were all evil for certainly people were saved. My point in this and other posts is to show how religion and government do not go together (Jo 18:33-37). The world governments quash the True Gospel while using false doctrine to advance their power and keep their citizens enslaved (Jo 16:33). However, Evangelicalism worships the American Awakenings by ignoring their effects on government and society until today it is overrun by the latest such awakening called the Awokeness Revival {Awakening}.
Augustine Wrote of Two Competing Cities
City of Man: Sinners; City of God: Christian
Augustine wrote of two opposing cities. City of Man composed of those who remained in sin. City of God composed of those who lived according to God’s design and laws. He took this metaphor from Paul who wrote of two Jerusalems: Earthly Jerusalem and Heavenly Jerusalem to come; emphasis on the phrase, to come (Ga 4:21-31). This formed the basis for the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) to try and establish both ecclesiastical and governmental powers in one head: the Pope. This defined the Dark Medieval Age. The RCC did not see the City of God as future but as attainable now through power but power apart from the true Gospel. Finally, the Reformation revolted from several of the tenants of RCC; however, while it pursued a better Gospel the Reformation also retained many errors of the RCC. Quickly the various branches of faiths were co-opted by the newly emerging nation-states becoming mirrors of the RCC in miniature. This lead to rebellions against Protestant state churches which also responded in violent suppression and persecution. One group, the Pilgrims, decided to come to the New World and later the Puritans followed them as did other faiths both true and cultish. However, the Pilgrims brought Augustine’s error with them which is unbiblical (Mt 24:3-8). The two above graphics show the similarities of their goals. The Pilgrim/Puritan colony of New England did not come to establish religious tolerance; they came to usher in God’s Kingdom on Earth via power of the state. Christ NEVER advocated this since His Kingdom was NOT of this World! However, though many puritans were no doubt saved and devout that did not mean they did not have significant error which Lucifer spread throughout the coming American nation: birthed in rebellion.
First Awakening was Religion vs Rationalism
In actuality it was the True Gospel vs Pietism
Rationalism rests on the four Laws of Logic versus the incoherence of the lost mind {Laws: Identity; Non-Contradiction; Excluded Middle and Logical Inference} (1Co 1:21; 3:19). One cannot practice normative hermeneutics without application of these Four Laws of Logic. The Enlightenment was the use of these laws to find Absolute Truth in Nature. It quickly became apparent this was not possible and Natural Philosophy split into science/technology and philosophy in the 19th century (He 11:3). But, this Awakening strengthened Puritan pietism, which was failing in New England {Hawthorne’s Scarlet Letter} and spread to other colonies with the migration of these believers to other colonies like New York {Burnt Over Area}. Through the use of the popular vote colonial governments became instruments of enforcement of morality rather than the Holy Spirit working in each “born from above” believer. While God could let the unbeliever go, pietism could not and would not (Ro 1:18-25).
Infused Pietism in the New States along with
Intolerance for sinners and other Christians
The Second Awakening arose with the new nation and its new Constitution. Its most ardent spokesman was Charles Finney who formed his theology from the merging of Puritan pietism and popular Gnosticism/mysticism beliefs. Though his theology was shown as questionable, at best, he became the poster boy for the later Evangelical movement {something about building a house on sand come to mind}. Yes, some were genuinely saved but a great many only became pietistic moralists; i.e., false converts. These pietistic people advocated ardently for social reform in God’s name forcing their beliefs on everyone with the force of law. The most clear example of this was Lincoln’s War {Civil War}. As these believers filled the pews, as did their descendants, their churches became easy prey to German Enlightenment and Higher Criticism which tried to strip the Bible as any source of truth other than allegorisms. With its victory over the South, the Republicans spread their pietism through the growing federalism at the same time. Eventually these two strains merged into the Progressive Era {Socialism}.
Progressivism was simply a code word for Socialism which was well understood by the early 20th century (Progressivism to Gradualism to Socialism to Globalism). The Social Gospel movement was the religious arm that supported the socialist government arm thereby supposedly adding God’s blessing to Lucifer’s governmental system (Roots of Social Justice: Social Gospel Progressivism). This early form of the social justice movement completely emasculated the True Gospel in most mainline denominations leaving only Evangelical and fringe Pentecostal/Charismatic movements as harbingers of any elements of the true Gospel. However, much of Pentecostalism and Charismaticism quickly sank into the Health and Prosperity movement leaving behind its first love. Evangelicalism became the last bastion of the True Gospel but as alluded to previously it was also built on sinking sand which is becoming more apparent today in the Social Justice movement (Social Justice is International Socialism). However, to be different the Evangelical movement used a new phrase to prove it had joined the Social Justice movement.
Awokeness: heightened state of Social, Political and Cultural Awareness
The above definition comes from, The Six Degrees of Wokeness. Read the article with caution as the author uses profanity rather than descriptive adjectives. Awokeness is an extension of the Social Justice movement designed to pit one social, racial group against another while it claims to promote unity and discourage racism, which it does not as this article clearly demonstrates. The fact that many Christian churches have embraced this empty, godless philosophy shows the truth of Christ’s words: the world will grow worse and worse. When those who claim to be Christians, but are not, abandon the True Gospel for Lucifer’s Social Gospel they legitimize Satan by delegitimizing Christ. This is not surprising as many who claim to be Christian churches have abandoned sound doctrine for entertainments such as modern music, plays etc. (1Ti 1:8-11; 6:3-5; 2Ti 3:1-5; 4:3-4). Notice, the goals of Awokeness are like shifting smoke; always changing but never coming to the truth (2Ti 3:6-8). Their ever changing definitions mirrors their ever changing goals. Does this sound familiar? It is nothing more than a slick repackaging of Reflexivity with its attendant Fertile Fallacies and the Intolerance of Tolerance (Reflexivity: Legitimizing the Illegitimate; Intolerance of Tolerance of Christians). Lucifer’s methods have never changed; lies built on lies built on lies back to his original sin in Heaven and those who are his do the same (Ez 28:14-16; Jo 8: 44).
Do we abandon the world to its fate? Do we withdraw and let millions upon millions suffer under Lucifer’s oppression? No! But God’s method is freedom from the World through the Gospel and that is our commission (Mt 28:19-20). The Gospel truth will set people free (Jo 8:31-32). Lucifer’s lies enslave people to die in their sin. What of justice for the millions of believers killed in both the Old and New Testaments and today (He 11:32-40; Mk 8:35-38)? In His time God will judge the World but what are the meager things of this world compared to the riches of eternity future (Re 6:9-11; 11:15-19; Ep 3:7-13)? For I ask you, “What justice can be achieved when men have rejected the source of all justice, the Christ and His Gospel?” Instead, what Satan is offering is not equality nor justice but a return to the grinding, hopeless poverty of serfdom and slavery which built the ancient world for a select elite. That is the hope he promises today and the words of him and his slaves are not to be trusted less we also forsake our “first love” and become a slave to sin once again proving we were never saved {Perseverance of the Saints via the Spirit of God alone}. Amen!