Biblical Recorder - Akin blasts Obama detractors

10. November 2008 by Steve DeVane, BR Managing Editor

GREENSBORO — Christians who denigrate president-elect Barack Obama should be ashamed, said the president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

While Danny Akin said he disagrees with Obama on a number of issues, he has been embarrassed by what some Baptists and evangelicals have said since Obama was elected Nov. 4.

BR photo by Steve DeVane

Danny Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, took issue with people who spoke harshly about President elect Barack Obama.

Akin said he's heard people say that it wasn't God's will for Obama to be elected and or that Obama will not be their president. He said he's even heard some refer to Obama as "nigger."

"Shame on us," Akin said. "I'm not talking about secular people. I'm talking about people who say they're a Baptist, who say they're a born-again believer."

Akin said that according to the Bible, God ordained the election's outcome.

"God did not wake up Wednesday morning (Nov. 5) and say, 'Golly, I didn't see that coming,’" Akin said. "If you think that, you're a heretic because you have denied the omniscience of God."

God raised up Obama to be president, just like God raised up every other president since he’s been able to vote, Akin said, including Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, both Bushes and Bill Clinton.

"If you don't believe that, you don't know the book, you don't know the word," he said. "He has His purposes and He has His reasons we may not understand, but God is not in the business of being caught off guard by who steps into the White House."

Christians have clear commands in scripture to pray for, submit to and honor Obama, Akin said. The Bible also tells Christians to ask God to take Obama's heart and change it.

If Christians aren't careful, they'll make the government and the White House an idol, Akin said.

"I've got news for you, my Savior is not on Capitol Hill, He's on Calvary's hill," he said. "That was true with the present administration as it will be in the next administration."

Akin said he is sometimes proud of who Southern Baptists are and what they stand for, but at other times he wants to run and hide.

"I'm begging us as Southern Baptists, let's don't act in a way that brings shame to the name of Jesus and harms our ability to extend the gospel to every man, every woman, every boy and every girl regardless of the color of their skin."

Akin said he will cooperate with Obama when he can and confront him when necessary.

"I will always respect the office I believe was ordained and raised up by God," he said. "I've been preaching the gospel the same way for 30-plus years regardless of who's in the White House. That's not going to change on Jan. 20, 2009 one whit."

For complete coverage, click BSC 2008.

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Thomas Kiker

Proud to call this man the president of the seminary I attend. Just a true man of God. Also have committed to pray for our new President and ask God's blessing and protection upon him and his family.

posted Monday, November 10, 2008 11:22 PM | Report Abuse

Russell E. Mapston

Praise God for a firm voice of reason in the wilderness,God bless and protect you Brother Danny Akin.

Russ Mapston Hurst, Texas

posted Tuesday, November 11, 2008 12:11 PM | Report Abuse

Don Gordon

If all elections are the will of God elected leaders are we to conclude that Hitler's, who was elected by the German people, was the will of God? If Obama's election as President of the U.S. was the will of God, weren't all those who opposed his election opposing the will of God?
Is the criteria that something is the "will of God" simply that it occurred? Abortions happen everyday. Are they the will of God? I don't believe Dr. Akin's position appropriately acknowledges the fallenness of creation and the activity of evil in the world. I am not granting that Obama's election was the will of God or that it was outside the will of God. I'm challenging the blanket statement that simply because something occurs it means it is the will of God. There is a difference between the omniscence of God and the will of God. Simply because God knows/knew Obama would be elected president does not mean this is or was the will of God. God knows many things that happen that aren't His will.

posted Tuesday, November 11, 2008 10:01 PM | Report Abuse

Matt Williamson

To the above comment made by Don Gordon I would like to say that Hitler was appointed by God!!!
Romans 13:1-2 makes that very clear. The assumption I believe you are making is that God does not rule over man specifically his actions... even his evil actions. It is made plain in God's word that God is in charge even over the evil actions of man. in Gen. 50:20 after Joseph's brothers had done "evil" intentionally against him this is what Joseph says,

"As for you (the brothers) you meant evil against me, but Got meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today."

Notice the words use by Joseph namely... "meant" that signifies intention, planning, and purpose. The brothers meant evil, but that's not all... God "MEANT" it for good. It does not say that God USED it for good which is how we often take that to mean along with Rom. 8:28. God does not just take evil and use it...it actually says that he intended it to happen. Then look to Ps. 105 which is an inspired interpretation of the inspired story of Joseph. In v. 16-17 of Ps. 105 it says, "...He summoned a famine on the land and broke all supply of bread, He sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave."

It says that Joseph was "sent"!!!! Sent? By who? Obviously God sent him. How? Through the "evil" actions of his brothers.
Therefore man's sinning was God's sending!!!!!!!!!! God had planned that for a long time.

One more note that might be worth considering is this. It was the intentional evil actions of man PLANNED by God since before the foundation of the world that put Christ on the cross to save you from you sin(1 Peter 1:17-21). God planned that evil to happen to draw you and I and all else who will call on the name of the Lord to be saved.

I'd love to hear back from you
Respectfully submitted
Matt Williamson
ofbaptist@bellsouth.net

posted Friday, November 14, 2008 1:17 PM | Report Abuse

Tim Marsh

Matt,

I respectfully think that you have not thought through the implications of everything that you are saying, especially with regards to Hitler. The sovereignty of God, the problem of evil, and the doctrine of providence are more complex than your statements indicate and need further unpacking. Even if your exegesis of the Joseph narrative is correct, (though I do not agree that it is), then comes the question of whether or not you can determine that God acts in this manner ALL the time. Interestingly, giving the benefit of the doubt to your exegesis and hermeneutics, Joseph, the Psalmists, and even the evangelists all determined God's will retrospectively. In other words, all accounts of Jesus' death, what it accomplished, etc., are from the perspective of those who witnessed what happened the following Sunday. This is providence. Your exegesis leans toward fatalism.

Tim

posted Friday, November 14, 2008 1:30 PM | Report Abuse

Tim,

Is Rom. 9 fatalism or our sovereign God at work?

posted Friday, November 14, 2008 3:49 PM | Report Abuse

Matt,

For the sake of the readers of this post, though I would be happy to discuss this further with you by email, you did not answer the question posed. The question I asked, regarding your example of Hitler, is how can you determine that God worked in the same way through Hitler, that you see in the Joseph narrative? How can you be sure that God caused Hitler to take power, commit atrocities, murder, and genocide? Does God cause or allow evil? I go with the latter. To some, that is a fine line, but a necessary line to hold.

Also, even if you argue that God causes evil (I would be careful where that line of thought goes), we do not have an authoritative interpretation of WWII to base that kind of judgment on. If God meant harm to Joseph for good, at least we know it because the Bible says it. The Bible says nothing of Hitler's power, so we do not have an authoritative interpretation that says anything about WWII.

Furthermore, in the Lord's prayer, Jesus teaches his disciples to pray that God's kingdom (i.e., reign or sovereignty) come, that his will would be done on earth as it is in heaven. Which, according to the words of Jesus himself, implies that God's will is not being done on earth as it is in heaven. It implies that the world does not, at the present, reflect the kind of world that an all-loving, all powerful God would rule. Why? Humans, in freedom rebel. What does God do with that? He takes our rebellion, ultimately demonstrated in our willingness to crucify Jesus, God's embodiment of love and goodness and faithfulness as a human being, and He works together for good for those who love him, i.e., He raises the dead. And, what we meant for as evil, God meant for good. Jesus' death atoned for the sins of those who would destroy him, and his resurrection testified to God's ability to raise the dead. This is providence. This is how God works in Scripture.

Tim
tmarsh0307@gmail.com

posted Sunday, November 16, 2008 9:07 AM | Report Abuse

Akin blasts Obama detractors

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