The Problem with Pietism

It commends a half-religion, which is another name for idolatry and paganism
The big problem with pietism is simply that it is only a half-faith. It tries to receive God's promises as from the Almighty, and yet it does not receive God's commands as from the Almighty.

So pietism is a half-faith in a half-God that leads to a half-Christian life. The problem with that is that the Bible tells us that half-faith is false religion, and that a half-God is actually and idolatrous caricature and not the true and living God, and half-obedience is disobedience.

It contradicts the most basic Scriptural teaching about the Christian life
When we learn that 1Cor 10:31 intentionally uses the most mundane things--eating and drinking--to instruct us in what the divinely blessed life is, then we are prepared to brush teeth, sweep floors, and yes proclaim the gospel and sing praise... all to the glory of God.

It contradicts the most basic elements of what we confess Scripture to teach
Our catechism's first question and answer encapsulate this well: the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. This is not just our "primary purpose" as some contemporary wordings have tried to say it. It is the "controlling purpose"--the chief that commands the purpose--in absolutely everything that we do.

So, God has not given us a single thing to do, except that it must be done unto His glory. And, God has not given us a single thing to do, except that we must do it in enjoyment of Him.

It confuses poor theology students into downplaying the importance of exercises of piety
Now, please be cautious. Do not throw out biblical piety--and a strong devotion to the exercises of piety--as you reject an unbiblical pietism. There is hardly anything that God commands more than the exercises of piety. The first four commandments--and especially the first and the fourth--strongly stress this piety.

Communion with God continually and daily and weekly, in the assembly and family and privately, are everywhere commanded in the Bible. If these are not the life-breath of our existence, and the hinges upon which our days and weeks and lives turn, then we shall not be pious in any activity whatsoever.

"The Market Day of the Soul" by Clifton Rankin

The Sunday before Christmas, as I headed home from worship, I looked over at Parkdale Mall and noticed that there was nary a parking place to be had. The Sunday after Christmas (which was the day after), as I headed home from worship, the same parking lot was filled to the brim with automobiles, as people fought to get after-Christmas deals, use their gift cards, and return all those clothes that were too small.

However, on Christmas Day, I drove past the same mall and not a car was to be seen; except for a few news vans parked outside of KJAC channel 4. Granted, I realize that I live in a fallen world, and that I can’t expect non-Christians to reverence the Lord’s Day, but I could not help but wish that the same respect given to Christmas Day, would be given to the day each week that the Lord commands us to “keep.” Because we are “prone to wander,” it is imperative that at least once every seven days, we be reminded of our need to worship the Triune God, and to think about His grace that has been poured out upon sinners.

As 2011 draws near, may we as God’s people take seriously His day; for His eternal glory, and for our eternal good.

8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (Exodus 20:8-11)

Report Teaches Us A Lot About Where We Are

The following report was submitted and adopted into the minutes of Central Mississippi Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in the United States (April 13-15, 1926).

Your Committee on Sabbath would respectfully submit the following report:

Your committee on Sabbath Observance can at the very outset but express regret that they are forced to come again before you with the same mournful statement as in the past, that they have nothing either bright or encouraging to present, but rather the reverse.

It pains our hearts to say it, yet truth demands the statement, that while the Christian world seems to be pressing with unwonted strides toward the goal in other directions, aiming to get nearer to the Scripture ideal, in bringing the world more and more under the influence of gospel truth, yet in the matter of Sabbath observance, in stead of lifting up, it seems actually more and more to be losing its hold upon the masses; and just here we are confronted with the startling inquiry, whether the world, with all its boasted progress, can really and truly be getting upon a higher plane, while the Sabbath of the Lord remains in the dust, and this sign of divine sovereignty lies trampled under the foot of man.

We would not be guilty of gross pessimism, or painting the cloud too dark, but while some of our people are fairly well observing the Sabbath, yet it is rapidly assuming the characteristics of the continental Sabbath, so far as the masses are concerned, being by them regarded as a day of recreation and pleasure, and even of business, if necessary, and especially is this true in the cities and towns and sections of country adjacent to them. If we would be called upon to say why this is the case, we would unhesitatingly say that it is due to the apathy and indifference of a large part of God’s professed people.

If all the professed Christian in America were united in their opposition, the evil would soon be abated. It is when “men sleep” that the enemy does the work of “sowing tares.”

Is the Sabbath a divine institution of permanent and universal obligation? Is it of God and did He intend it for all mankind? These are the questions that lie at the root of the present-day Sabbath day controversy. We unhesitatingly answer, YES, it’s a divine institution; YES, God intended it for all mankind, but many are losing a sense of the sacred quality of the day. Many are turning it from a holy to a holiday, and the crying need of our time is to have a sense of sacredness of the day revived in the hearts of the people. It is useless to talk about the manner in which the Sabbath should be observed, unless the people are convinced of its sacred character.

As to the best course to be pursued in meeting this growing and great evil, your committee is wholly unable to say. They would, however, venture one or two suggestions.

The first is, that as the matter is more directly and intimately under the eye and purview of the pastors and officers of the church, your committee would urge upon them the duty and responsibility of constantly keeping this subject before the people, with a view of awakening a deeper interest. We feel that much can be done in this way. Second, that the pastors and officers by their utterances and example put all the people on their guard against the great danger of becoming — by their patronage — “partakers of other men’s sins” unwittingly though it may be.

Respectfully submitted,

C.P. Colmery, Chairman

Is Keeping The Fourth Commandment That Serious?

We are commanded to keep the Sabbath Day holy.  But how serious is it if we don't keep the commandment?  Numbers 15: 32-36 says, 

"Now while the sons of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering wood on the sabbath day. Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation; and they put him in custody because it had not been declared what should be done to him. Then the LORD said to Moses, 'The man shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.' So all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death with stones, just as the LORD had commanded Moses."