JUDICIAL WARFARE
Christian Reconstruction and Its Blueprints For Dominion
by Greg Loren Durand

Conclusion

       In the final analysis, it is apparent that theonomic Reconstructionism is a serious departure from the Reformed faith. It seeks to impose a law-order upon the world which the Christian Church has historically believed was abrogated by the New Testament, and more importantly, never had direct application to any people other than national Israel. It tends to disparage the heavenly hope of the Church by shifting the Christian's focus from his present spiritual reign with Christ to a mythical earthly dominion in the future. It attempts to place the Christian back under the covenant of works by making the law the basis of God's blessing or cursing. Finally, it engenders contempt in its followers for other Christians who do not accept its teachings and a pharisaical rigidity toward those within its ranks who fail to live up to its own contrived standards.
       It should be noted that the preceding critique has been aimed solely at the Reconstructionist leaders. As a former Reconstructionist of ten years myself, I certainly do not wish to imply that the followers of this movement are not sincere Christians, or that they are consciously pursuing an unbiblical agenda. These deceived souls really believe that they are applying "God's Word to every area of life" and, because of the ingenuity of the system and its foundation in Van Tilian fideism, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for them to entertain any doubts as to its validity.⁽¹⁾ As with any cultic mindset, only the illumination of the Holy Spirit is able to cut through the intricate network of falsehood to reach the heart.⁽²⁾
       Let us conclude this critique of Reconstructionism with the following exhortation from John Bunyan, author of the Christian classic, Pilgrim's Progress:

       Wherefore whenever thou who believest in Jesus, dost hear the law in its thundering and lightning fits, as if it would burn up heaven and earth; then say thou, I am free from the law, these thunderings have nothing to do with my soul; nay even this law, while it thus thunders and roareth, it doth both allow and approve of my righteousness. I know that Hagar would sometimes be domineering and high, even in Sarah's house and against her; but this she is not to be suffered to do, nay though Sarah herself be barren; wherefore serve it also as Sarah served her, and expel her out of the house. My meaning is, when this law with its thunderings doth attempt to lay hold on thy conscience, shut it out with a promise of grace; cry, the inn is took up already, the Lord Jesus is here entertained, and here is no room for the law. Indeed if it will be content with being my informer, and so lovingly leave off to judge me; I will be content, it shall be in my sight, I will also delight therein; but otherwise, I being now made upright without it, and that too with that righteousness, which this law speaks well of and approveth; I may not, will not, cannot, dare not make it my saviour and judge, nor suffer it to set up its government in my conscience; for by so doing I fall from grace, and Christ Jesus doth profit me nothing.⁽³⁾

Endnotes

1. Van Til taught his followers to distrust and even reject reason: "Reason has no right to judge in matters of theology, or for that matter, anything else" (Introduction to Systematic Theology, page 29). Because the Van Tilian Reconstructionist may "embrace with passion the apparent contradictory" (Common Grace and the Gospel, page 9), the conflicting testimonies of logic, Scripture, and Church history will encourage him to cling to the system all the more passionately.

I suppressed my own doubts about Reconstructionism for many years. My deliverance from the system came from a very unexpected source: a critique of Seventh Day Adventism which was published in 1889. Already knowing the SDA church to be a cult, it was a great shock to see that group employing the very same arguments and twisting the very same Scriptures to uphold their unbiblical use of the Mosaic law as do the Reconstructionists. My abandonment of theonomic Postmillennialism was similarly triggered by another old book which was written in response to Dispensational Millennialism. It is likely that most of those who finally abandon Reconstructionism do so because of such indirect circumstances, rather than as a result of direct critiques such as this.

3. John Bunyan, The Works of John Bunyan (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1977), Volume II, page 388.