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Can Christians be Freemasons?

If we had to answer this as a poll question with the options being "Yes", "No" or "Nuanced" then the answer I would give is "Yes'> 

Not every one of our sins is confronted the instant the Lord regenerates us. I have often confronted believers in congregations to leave masonry due to its horrendous idolatry. No one can accuse me in good conscience of justifying masonry. It is something Christians ought to flee from.

Discipleship

That said, a person could go their whole (or much of their lives) without being discipled away from such awful affiliations. Does this excuse the sin or make it righteous in God's eye to be a member of masonry or other cultic groups? By no means! But let's not pretend that growth in discipleship, and growth in sanctification is conflated (as the federal vision and Roman Catholic dogmas do) with justification. We can be Christian, can be regenerate, and yet have sins that we out of ignorance or even out of great struggle against still fall into.

The issue becomes different once a person is confronted with the horrors of masonry and is reminded of the exclusive love and allegiance the Christian has to Christ. Someone confronted and taught of the evil of masonry then knowingly rejecting the Biblical correction is quite different from someone unknowingly loving Christ and maintaining their membership in something that they do not yet recognize they have been called out of.

Why is the Answer Yes?

The question in itself framed as a yes, nuanced or no is "stupid" because the answer "no" indicates that God's grace does not save those who have membership in Freemasonry. Masonry ain't that powerful folks, our God is. We're better than this, let's tear down the false idol of masonry, but lift up that God delivers sinners, and even after we are justified, we have many sins to confront and contend against in our lives of sanctification.

The answer "nuanced" may seem to more fit my camp, but the question is asked in a straightforward manner of yes or no with little room for distinction. I can't make a distinction biblically that Christ saves sinners from every sin, but not freemasonry. Saying nuanced and not "yes" I grant may allow for more discussion, but it seems to limit the grace of God to sinners, and the ongoing work that Christians do indeed grow. We grow in our knowledge of the Lord and of repentance.

Saying anything other than yes is an indicator that membership in Freemasonry is somehow a defacto gospel issue that either puts a person in the kingdom or out. Just as plenty of our forebearers have committed grave sins that went uncontrolled or relatively unknown, we too have to and should biblically admit that David, Moses, and plenty of others were in sin and risked their own lives and the lives of others. Yet, their sin did not negate their salvation.

A Christian choosing to become a Freemason, even and again, out of ignorance, maybe a very wicked and sinful thing, and yet, does the presence of sin violate or negate, or triumph over the grace of God to redeem us as sinners? No way.

The question asked "can", the answer is - yes. God can redeem, and even leave his people in such groups as freemasonry for a time. For those of us who genuinely care about this, we've got to take the time and make the effort to show our brothers the evil and demonic thoughts and practices of this abominable group. Our brothers who are stuck in this thing will not come out without wise, trusted, loving Christians praying and confronting and instructing about the exclusive allegiance of Christ, and the terrible buffet of Ba'al that is masonry.

As the question is structured there is only one way to answer- "yes". God can save Christians who are masons, and God can even in great patient forbearance allow his children to wander. That doesn't mean Freemasonry is free from the charge that it is a horrendously evil thought and practice group. That doesn't mean God Almighty is pleased with his children, ignorant or wilful, engaging in committing themselves to such diabolical fraternities.

Back to the Light

This is partly why when I've written and discipled those in masonry away from it and to the Lord Jesus I've used the OPC report and CRC report on this topic. Both of those reports and studies give incredibly helpful guidance and instruction to lead blind (ignorant) and wandering (willful) brothers out of the darkness of masonry and back to the light of Christ.

Let's not limit God's grace even as we decry the truly heinous and idolatrous nature of sin.