I have for several years heard pastors and evangelical leaders talk about “The 11th Commandment” which is:
THOU SHALT BE NICE
This commandment is viewed as a synopsis of the gospel itself. It has also been stated as “Thou shalt not criticize” or even more popular, the famous “Judge not lest you be judged.”
What has brought this to mind and has sat me down at the keyboard to type out a few thoughts is a news item from a few months ago: John MacArthur wrote an open letter to California’s governor Gavin Newsom calling him to repent for quoting our Lord Jesus Christ in support of abortion in a billboard campaign across the country.
I’m sure this action will feed those who already do not like MacArthur because he breaks the 11th commandment. Hard to argue biblically with the truth of what he’s saying, but many will disqualify it over tone or method. I’ve already seen all kinds of reactions. Example: “Why did he have to do this in a public, open letter? He is just grandstanding!” Answer: because the sin was blasphemy of using our Lord’s words on a NATIONAL billboard campaign to support the dismembering of children. “Well, the church just needs to stay out of politics!” Answer: to me this is a clear case where politics won’t stay out of the church as a political governor goes to interpreting scripture to the masses. Who is in whose space? One man puts billboards across the nation supporting the dismemberment of babies and uses Christ’s words out of context as support, another writes a letter and publishes it on his church website; and the 2nd one is the one we’re upset with.
Let me address what I know is also an issue I’ve already seen: Where’s his open letter to Trump for his sins? Well, he did one better than a letter on the church website. The year they didn’t hold the Shepherd’s Conference they held instead a one-day livestream event on “The State of the Church” where he spoke at length on Trump’s sins – trying to overturn an election, his narcissism, etc. Read about it here if you’d like. Newsom got an open letter, Trump got some sermons. The one person who has consistently had the Christian guts to take all that on over many years is: John MacArthur.
As I read his open letter and filtered it as best I could through the lens of God’s Word, what immediately came to mind is another John: John the Baptist. The more I thought about this, the deeper it got.
Remember with me. John is imprisoned. For what? For calling out the governor’s personal sin. And this will blow our mind today, but that sin was an “internal family matter”; it was the governor’s adultery with his brother’s wife (“two consenting adults” in today’s language). I can’t even imagine the outcry in today’s world, or even church, if a preacher called out a governor over something as ‘little’ as that and obviously “none of the preacher’s business”. That says something. Of course, we also see that John was the “You brood of vipers!!” guy. Practically everything we read about John’s ministry draws us to the conclusion that he cared little for the 11th commandment. In the end, he was imprisoned for it and it cost him his head.
We all remember when Jesus was talking to the rest of the disciples and warned them with the cautionary tale of John. “John was all about truth, but how he went about it got him killed. He was a coarse man. You do not want to be like John, his tone drove people away from the church. Harmed our evangelism efforts. Be nice and watch your tone and most importantly fellows, give no offense. And let me tell you this – I’m not into politics and it’s not for you to call out sin ESPECIALLY in politics and political leaders. Unfortunately, John went a bit astray here and it cost him. Learn from this.”
But of course that is NOT what Jesus said. Luke 7 tells us Jesus turned to the crowds and said, “I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John.” I just read Luke 7 again and Jesus goes on for half a chapter extolling the virtues of John – as John sits in prison for his “open letter” to the governor, despondent and doubting. I can imagine he might be thinking “maybe it was wrong to call out the governor’s sin and tell him to repent. I mean, I’m in prison for it, my ministry over. How could this be God’s will?” At the same time, Jesus is telling the crowds there is no one greater among men. His devotion to and zeal for Christ and his truth, above all earthly powers, set him apart.
I have GOT to think about this. There is much here.
I think it starts with our 11th commandment. There is a lot of scripture about being gentle, kind, patient in all of our dealings with others. No argument there and no one is saying we are to be jerks. But there’s something underneath our “Be Nice” that is not that. And here I go to examining my own heart.
You see … I love the 11th commandment.
But I am forced to think about all these men who wrote all the inspired verses about gentleness, kindness, patience, etc. I know they practiced what they preached. And what happened to them all? They were all executed, many cruelly, except for John who was exiled to an island to die so they wouldn’t have to hear him anymore. I’ve thought much about that lately – they were murdered for the truth. As was John the Baptist. You are never martyred for preaching about heaven, or wonderful plans, or God’s love for all. “Be nice” doesn’t get you the hatred of the world Jesus promised to the faithful.
Then I think of what does the Bible tell me about what the Holy Spirit does? What is his function? Aside from producing the fruit of the Spirit in believers, Jesus tells us plainly what he does for the world:
8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:
John 16:8 ESV
How does He do this? By putting thoughts into their heads out of the blue? Dreams, visions? No, the Spirit of God works through God’s word – someone is speaking out loud, or writing a letter, or publishing a blog or in some way getting God’s word into another’s mind – one human communicating to another – in a way that brings conviction of their sin. No way around that. I’m reminded of this:
14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?
Romans 10:14 ESV
It is the ‘hard parts’ of God’s word about his holiness and our unholiness that can bring conviction of sin. We’ll talk about Jesus for hours as long as we can avoid anything that might bring conviction of sin. But I imagine the apostles gently, kindly, patiently, but forcefully and clearly speaking the truth about sin first – and then God’s gracious solution. Eventually, they did this at the cost of their life.
Here I’m reminded of Peter’s first sermon as he is filled with the Holy Spirit. What does he do? Confrontation. “This Jesus, whom you killed …” Not very nice there, Peter; thought we were trying to win them and you’re blowing it with your tone. Yet, when he finished they were “cut to the heart” by being confronted with the bold truth.
But like I said, I love the 11th commandment. Being non-confrontational and avoiding any conflict is right up my alley. Please don’t tell me I need to be more like these John’s – bold with the truth against sin. Let me believe that is unloving – and that I’m being more loving by being nice. But I know that underneath my like of the 11th commandment and my definition of “nice” is this – the fear of man. Desire for man’s approval. Because if I really examine my heart, I know that down there “be nice” is the opposite of “be bold and courageous.” The 11th commandment is the way I turn the lack of boldness and courageousness into a virtue. I fool myself. Our enemy knows all this, so today we take it to even more extremes – “micro-aggressions”. To make someone even feel uncomfortable in any way is aggression today. And that, in today’s view, is the sin. We are to the point today that to point out sin is the worst sin. So, we shut our mouths and make the 11th commandment our primary “virtue.”
Here is a very revealing question for us all that just came to my mind. Let’s say that God is pleased to use MacArthur’s bold declaration of God’s own words of truth one day in the future – and radically saves him. He’s done it before in one Saul of Tarsus – the murder-approving persecutor of Christians. What if, just imagine it with me, Mr. Newsom becomes like a Paul of our day? Radically transformed, tears down his billboards, repents of ever using Christ’s words for evil. What if he did a 180 and started supporting righteous policies? Here’s the question – would we fall to our knees in amazement at the grace of God – or start firing up our tweets?
I think back to all the YouTube videos I’ve seen of MacArthur on Larry King Live. Larry died back in 2021, and there is one man who loved him enough to go on his show, cameras rolling, national audience – and tell him the truth boldly, clearly, unashamedly, knowing the ridicule he’d receive from answering Larry’s questions with no “nuance” – particularly the exclusivity of Christ for salvation. Maybe the only person who is truly loving Gavin Newsom right now is John MacArthur by warning him his soul is in eternal danger as he mocks Christ’s own words across the nation.
I’ve got a lot to consider.