Wilberforce on Perserverence in Office
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MARCH 16, 2020 MEMBERS BIBLE STUDY & UNITED STATES CAPITAL BIBLE STUDY SPONSORS GOVERNMENT & ECONOMICS SERIES | PART 11 CABINET MEMBERS Mike Pence, VP: DC Mike Pompeo, SOS: DC Wilberforce on Mark Meadows, COS: DC Alex M. Azar II, HHS: DC Jim Bridenstine, NASA: DC Perseverance in Office Ben Carson, HUD: DC Betsy DeVos, DOE: DC Sonny Perdue, USDA: DC Alex Acosta, Fmr Sec DOL: DC Rick Perry, Fmr Sec DOE: DC Tom Price, Fmr Sec HHS: DC Jeff Sessions, Fmr AOG: DC INSIDE SENATORS Marsha Blackburn: TN MINISTRY UPDATE Bill Cassidy: LA Kevin Cramer: ND Pastor Reaps Violence Steven Daines: MT Joni Ernst: IA for Preaching Cindy Hyde-Smith: MS James Lankford: OK the Word ..................................... 2 David Perdue: GA Mike Rounds: SD Tim Scott: SC VERSE OF THE WEEK John Thune: SD Colossians 3:16 ................... 3 REPRESENTATIVES Robert Aderholt: AL Rick Allen: GA Don Bacon: NE ABOUT Michael Bost: IL Ted Budd: NC Capitol Ministries® ............. 8 John Carter: TX Michael Conaway: TX Rick Crawford: AR Ron Estes: KA Bill Flores: TX Greg Gianforte: MT Louie Gohmert: TX Tom Graves: GA HIS SERIES HAS EXAMINED WHAT THE Glenn Grothman: WI Kevin Hern: OK Bible has to say about government and economics— George Holding: NC both the “whats” and the “whys.” But also important Bill Huizenga: MI Tis the concept of “how.” Simply put, biblically informed Bill Johnson: OH Dusty Johnson: SD policy is accomplished only through persistence and Jim Jordan: OH perseverance. The story of British Parliamentarian William Doug Lamborn: CO Kevin McCarthy: CA Wilberforce is a great example! His perseverance in office Gary Palmer: AL forever changed slavery laws in Britain; his indefatigable Bill Posey: FL Cathy McMorris Rodgers: WA determination proves exemplary for all officeholders. David Rouzer: NC Here personified is what it takes to reform most any John Rutherford: FL Glenn Thompson: PA governmental policy in a democracy, the kind of character Scott Tipton: CO it takes to pass a balanced budget amendment to the Tim Walberg: MI Constitution in America. Mark Walker: NC Jackie Walorski: IN Randy Weber: TX On July 26, 1833, Great Britain’s House of Commons voted Daniel Webster: FL Bruce Westerman: AR to end the practice of African slave trading throughout its Roger Williams: TX Joe Wilson: SC Continued next page Rob Wittman: VA Steve Womack: AR Rob Woodall: GA Ted Yoho: FL PUBLISHED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH Weekly Bible Studies CABINET: 7:00am Wednesdays, location undisclosed, refreshments served. The views expressed in each Bible study are those of the author, and do not SENATE: 8:00am Tuesdays, rotating offices, hot breakfast served. necessarily reflect the position of any KNOW YOUR BIBLE. HOUSE: 7:45am Thursdays, The Capitol Hill Club, hot breakfast served. individual Bible Study Sponsor. Wilberforce on Perseverance in Office MINISTRY UPDATE empire. This historic legislative feat can be attributed to the perseverance of William Wilberforce. Pastor Reaps Violence for The spiritual mentor behind Wilberforce was John Newton. “A wretched man” in his own words, Newton was a slave trader who was dramatically saved by the powerful Preaching the Word message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is no wonder he is the author of the hymn “Amazing Grace,” which includes the lamenting admission, “that saved a wretch like me.” After his conversion, Newton became a pastor who had a profound personal impact on William Wilberforce: not a lobbying kind of impact, but a spiritual one that led to a political impact that changed a nation. Newton and other ministers within the church were responsible for helping Wilberforce develop convictions born from Scripture. Their discipleship efforts led Wilberforce to become a man driven by theology and doctrine. He was a lover of God and the Bible. After he became a Christian, he decided to spend legislative recesses studying the Bible. It was common for him to spend ten hours per day studying and Some CapMin ministry leaders memorizing Scripture. This righteous conviction rooted in biblical doctrine is what recently divulged persecution sustained and directed Wilberforce during his decades-long battle against slavery. in their nations that are openly hostile to Christianity and their willingness to create Bible study Those are the kind of persevering legislators America needs ministries to leaders regardless of the today in order to wean our nation from its enslavement to debt. consequences that will bring. A pastor whose church is William Wilberforce would be a forgotten figure in history had it not been for the discipling 10,000 new converts every disciple-maker John Newton. Newton remained singularly focused on his calling, year in a Christian-minority and which was making disciples of Jesus Christ by the Word of God. He was perhaps Christian-hostile nation talked about just as responsible for ending the slave trade in Britain as was Wilberforce, yet he open harassment, discriminating never engaged directly in politics. The church made Wilberforce who he was, not by laws, intimidation, oppression, and morphing itself into a lobbying mechanism, but through the ministry of the Word in bullying that included violence. the lives of members of parliament. The pastor said he had been physically attacked a dozen times. What follows is my best attempt at helping you to get to know Wilberforce—and Once he was beaten by a gang of hopefully become like him in many ways. This is the kind of guy it will take today to men. While one pressed his foot bring about a balanced budget amendment to the American Constitution! on the pastor’s neck, the others surrounding him drew their swords. Read on, my friend. Each time, God miraculously saved him. The pastor said he has been working for years to reach political Ralph Drollinger leaders for Christ in his nation. He said he now will join with Capitol Ministries to continue that mission with CapMin’s biblical methods, even though recent laws make it illegal for Christians to approach I. INTRODUCTION sides of the slavery issue were firing theo- non-believers with the Gospel. logical volleys back and forth at one an- “My grandfather was a militant One of the darkest chapters in Ameri- other in an attempt either: (1) to decry Islamist and someone reached him can history is nineteenth-century Afri- the enslavement of one human being by can slavery. During America’s Civil War another or (2) to justify slavery by align- 1 Continued next page (1861–1865), Bible scholars on both ing it with slavery in the Bible. [ 2 ] MEMBERS BIBLE STUDY & UNITED STATES CAPITAL Commenting on this theological war- Jesus Christ that steered his political ca- ♥ VERSE OF THE WEEK fare, one historian writes, “Abolitionists reer, informed his convictions, and gave argued vehemently that, based on the Bi- him the motivation to persevere against Colossians 3:16 ble, the spirit of Christianity forbids the incredible odds as a monumental reform- enslavement of one race by another. Slav- er—someone who turned the course of a 7 “Let the word of Christ ery’s defenders in the South argued just nation. The following survey of Wilber- richly dwell within you.” as vehemently that the Bible itself did not force’s life will bear this out. In Wilber- condemn slavery but took it for granted.”2 force’s own words: While it is not the purpose of this study “The diligent perusal of the Holy Scrip- to reconstruct and analyze the theologi- tures would discover to us our past igno- cal arguments surrounding this human rance. We should cease to be deceived by atrocity, it is the firm conviction of this superficial appearances, and to confound writer that nineteenth-century African the Gospel of Christ with the systems slavery in America was in no way biblical- of philosophers; we should become im- ly justified.3 Nor was it justified in Great pressed with that weighty truth, so much Britain. Let’s examine the primary figure forgotten, and never to be too strongly behind the abolition of African slavery in insisted on, that Christianity calls on us, Great Britain two hundred years ago, the as we value our immortal souls, not mere- politician William Wilberforce.4 And ly in general, to be religious and moral, important to this study on Government but specially to believe the doctrines, and It was the Word of God that and Economics: imbibe the principles, and practice the dwelt richly in Wilberforce, precepts of Christ.”8 a vibrant and growing faith How did Wilberforce in the Lord Jesus Christ that persevere in his decadal Yet another way to answer what moti- steered his political career, quest that changed the vated him was his involvement in Bible informed his convictions course of a nation? study with other believers in parliament, and gave him the motivation one that was led by a skilled Bible teacher to persevere against 5 Contemporary religious right activists named Newton. It saddens my heart that incredible odds. often cite this man as the par excellence so many believers in office in America to- example of Christian political activism.6 day do not get this! How unfortunate it His ultimately successful twenty-year is to see believers leave office each cycle fight in British Parliament to end slavery in discouragement—unfortunately many is looked upon as a jewel in the crown of of them never connected to a Bible study moralistic campaigning. While it can- while on the Hill. not be denied that Wilberforce fought a persevering, meritorious fight prevail- II. WHO WAS WILLIAM ing against the odds, and that he helped WILBERFORCE?9 eradicate a vile cancer from his part of Continued from previous page the world, what sustained him as he William Wilberforce was born in 1759 in with the Gospel,” the pastor said.