Puh!
Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. -Col. 1:28
The Christian–evangelize until maturity then start over.
It is difficult to maintain. Our inclinations draw us away from Cross-bought grace. The Gospel becomes some rite of passage or a Christian entry-level that loses its life-application once accepted. This was never the intention. The faith that saves is the exact same faith that sanctifies–the faith that is anchored securely to the finished work of Christ. The temptation every day is to drift into an obedience to God that is detached from Christ. The God that this obedience is directed towards is not the God of Scripture, it is Self. Self, in many cases, forgives the same way God forgives–by punishing sin. Yet, Self finds no substitute because there is none. Christ is the only objective Substitute for sin. He was substituted not only to justify–but also to sanctify. Spirit-wrought sanctification finds its source in the Cross…and that is accessed by faith.
- The word “love” is an easy, one-syllable word that rolls off the tongue very well. But the essence of love is boiled down to sacrifice. Emotional affection is not love unless it is coupled with tangible selflessness. But, tangible selflessness without the emotional affection, in my opinion, is still considered love.
- I don’t remember where I heard this from but it goes something like this, “Hell is not eternity away from the presence of God, it is an eternity in the presence of God without a mediator.” So Hell is being with God without someone to vouch for you and Heaven is being with God with someone to vouch for you.
- The thought of eventually doing seminary has crossed my mind. I’m not excited about it.
- God is my vindicator and the judge of my motives.
- Every single day, I run away from grace and every night I have to walk back.
A man who can’t start a revival in his home should not expect any success outside the home. A man who can’t find the grace in his wife will not find the grace in people who don’t love and respect him. A joyless wife is the fruit of a less than godly husband.
- Truth can be made an idol. Are you resting in the rightness of your doctrine rather than the work of Jesus? If so, the Bible calls you a fool. In Proverbs, “the scoffer” is a person like this. The scoffer is always sure he is right, and always disrespectful, disdainful, and mocking toward his opponents. The internet breeds scoffers, because if you’re a scoffer you get more traffic to your blog.
- Gifts can be an idol. You can mistake spiritual gifts for spiritual fruit. Especially if you are successful in ministry, you can begin believing in justification by ministry: “I know I’m in God’s will because my ministry is going well.” Many of us in the Reformed world make an idol out of being a great preacher: “If I could just be a great preacher, then my life would have significance.”
- Morality is a religious idol. It’s typical for Christians to feel that God loves them and will bless them because of their moral record.
(HT: The Resurgence)
The first one really hit me because that is exactly where I’ve been convicted lately.
I’m coming to a point in my walk when I look back and see this pattern of sneering self-superiority. Many men can authoritatively attack inadequate doctrines or ideologies without developing this trait, but it seems that I have a difficult time doing so. Several things I’ve learned in the last few months:
- Assumption is dangerous. To initially assume instead of trying to understand what someone is trying to communicate will invoke wrong responses. I have trigger words/phrases like feeling, experience, God loves ALL people, or free will. When I hear these words, I stop listening and formulate my strategy for defending the omnipotent God.
- I miss opportunities to get to root issues with people by focusing on semantics and surface theological problems.
- Sarcasm and humility don’t coexist well in my life. One always suffocates the other. I’m not ready to say that all sarcasm is bad (I see it in Scripture) but I can say that I haven’t found that I use much of the good kind.
- I think calling myself Reformed or Calvinist is unhelpful. It can become a source of identity rather than a way to describe what I believe. I have always been annoyed when I would tell people that I’m Calvinist/Reformed and they would answer, “Well, I just believe the Bible” or “Well, I’m just a Christian.” There is an appropriate rebuke that can be gleaned from those responses.
- If God karate-chopped every golden calf in my life in one conversation…I’d be a spiritual vegetable. In Jude, God says, “Have mercy on those who doubt.” If the Holy Spirit (the unveiler of Truth) directs us to have mercy then we should not be afraid of allowing some lesser idols to survive while we get closer to the idol Mothership.
- Many (most) people do not receive truth in the same package I like to receive it.
- Gentleness is a virtue that I have not even begun to tap into.
Aside from the controversy, both of these men are doing the work of the gospel and are worthy of respect and admiration.
How radical it is to be identified by Christ. A man like this loves sacrificially, not seeking to preserve his own health, interests, or preferences. He can rebuke with unparalleled confidence and gentleness of heart. He can fail countless times and approach the throne of grace with ever-increasing boldness and security. He can feel and demonstrate love to others without demanding the same. He withholds judgment on others seeing that he is not qualified to give it. He shows no favoritism yet actively cares for the needs of others. He does not think in terms of “What does this person deserve?” but asks, “What would benefit this person the most?” He absorbs insults without giving them. His joy transcends his circumstances. He refuses to join the ranks of Pharisees by feeling superior to them. He savors Christ and despises sin. His kindness is attractive to pagans and controversial to the religious. He builds bridges with the ignorant but refuses to compromise truth. He denounces those who teach falsely yet prays for their souls with tears. He continually points to the value, accomplishments, and glory of Christ. He will never tire of seeking peace. He strips away all offensiveness in his speech except for the offense of the Cross. He claims to be defined by Jesus and establishes the veracity of that claim by being a man of love. His motives are as important to him as his actions. He walks by faith, obeys by faith, and is made holy by faith. He has a lack of idols.
I’m going to be a dad in 8 months. My gorgeous wife is now my “baby momma.” Glory to God!
Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he will eat for a lifetime. -Chinese proverb
I think this is applicable to our view of conversion versus philanthropy. Many would say that we are put on the earth not primarily to soak up our transformed relationship with God–but to make the world more just. I wholeheartedly agree. But, you make the world more just by leading others into a transformed relationship with God. Scripture does not say that angels rejoice when a malnourished child is fed or when an AIDS patient is ministered to (as wonderfully important as those things are). The angels rejoice when a sinner repents–comes into a right relationship with God. Philanthropy makes conversion attractive. They are complementary friends not rivals.
Yesterday, Sarah and I were driving back to Dallas and we saw a black billboard saying:
If you must curse, use your own name. -God
I expressed a large measure of disgust at that billboard. Sarah asked me if there was any possible way I could find any good in it. I said, “No, its impossible.” I hated that billboard because I hate pseudo-Christian moralism. If a Christian were to have one opportunity to post a sign on a highway in which thousands of people travel in one week, invoking the Law alone should not even remotely come to mind. Our culture craves to be justified by works. Pseudo-Christian moralism says, “If only they take out ‘God’ before they say ‘damnit,’ give to anti-abortion causes, and vote Republican…then God is pleased and sin is atoned for. The Church has allied themselves with these moralists. Let the world hate us for saying that Jesus is the only way to salvation; that trusting in His work is the only means….but God forbid we ever be known as moralists!
For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. -Rom. 3:20
For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. -Rom. 8:2-4
A very kind and intelligent non-Christian named Jill from a site I frequent has graciously decided to read a book of my choice if I will read Jesus, Interrupted by Bart Ehrman. I thought it was a great idea, though I don’t know how long it will take. It should be interesting. I’m praying that my faith will be deepened and that others would recognize Christ as immeasureably valuable through this. I haven’t decided what book I’ll have her read….maybe Your Best Life Now by Joel Osteen. Wow, made myself laugh.
Seeking the highest good for someone can morph into pride very quickly.
A Christian should never have an allegiance to any political group. We have allied ourselves with the same type of Pharisees that persecuted us in the beginning.
The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ is a past event with present implications.
Don’t defend historical Christianity. Defend the Bible. Countless atrocities have been done in the name of Christ with no resemblance to His teachings.
Swallow your good excuses and take responsibility. That is a very spiritual endeavor.
Allowing an adherence to sound doctrine to stroke your ego is, in many ways, a far greater threat to your soul than blatant ignorance of it. A person who accepts the sovereignty of God, the completeness of the atonement, and the inability of human will, should recognize that God has made him the humble slave of those who don’t recognize truth. A tendency towards self-superiority marks how much you don’t actually intimately know Jesus. Receptiveness to truth is just as much a work of grace as the understanding of it. Grace is the foundation of every blessing. Given that, being a “studious theologian” makes you the least of all. God has decided that you, being spiritually bankrupt, need more truth than most to survive in this world and the next. You cannot be independent. You are a weak beggar. You are a servant of servants—expect to be treated like one….and, better yet, act like one!
…when it is the expression of unbelief. It is better to say nothing than to indirectly tell God that you don’t trust what He has already promised.
