Avoiding Sin in Theology

This post emerged from a question posed to a prior entry ("Thoughts on Theology")...

Question: What precautions could you take in the seminary environment to prevent sin through theology? (because that is a place where you run a high risk of placing the theologian over the scripture)

I think the first and most important thing is to study the Scriptures relentlessly and know them much better than you know any other book that you read. If you know the Old Testament well, how the New Testament authors quote and comment on it, and what more they have to say about Christ and the Christian life, then you will be much better equipped to see bad teaching and heresy for what it is, and you will also be able to bring a ready defense of solid Scriptural support for your conviction and understanding of what God is communicating to us through his written Word.

A very close second to knowing the Bible well is not reading the Bible through a theological grid, but reading the Bible for what it is actually saying about God. The books of the Bible were not composed in a vacuum, so we must study their historical and canonical context. They also were not composed by a theologian trying to build a system. Rather they were composed by a God who was intent on revealing his character, his attributes, his actions through history, and his Son who was the focal point of all creation. So we shouldn’t read the Bible looking for verses that support a certain theological conviction, getting all excited when we find a neat proof-text. The Bible is not meant to be stood over and told what it says – rather it is to be read in such a way as to bring the reader to a closer relationship with God. God is not a doctrine to be studied, but rather a ‘person’ (divine being with personal attributes) to be worshiped. Theologians have done us a great service in aligning the text to assert certain theological positions. However, while the ideas and concepts that they have picked up on may indeed be in the text, it is best to approach the Bible without using them as an interpretive lens. We have the Holy Spirit in us to testify to the meaning of the text and I think we are much better off listening to him first and foremost. That having been said, I do believe that theologians are immensely helpful in bringing up points and showing us things that we have either ignored or interpreted differently in the text – thus challenging our position and sharpening us in our convictions.

Another significant point is that in order to keep Scripture supreme we should always always always know the Scripture behind a certain theologian’s convictions. So you have your five solas (fide, gratia, Scriptura, Christus, Deo Gloria)... great. But where are they found in the Bible? For my fellow Reformed theologians, you have your TULIP… excellent. Quote the Scriptures as they make sense to you and have a working knowledge of the full counsel of God that feeds into these theological constructs and convictions. Do not forsake Scriptural knowledge for the convenience and sanctification-shrinking ease of quoting a theologian. To give an utterly practical example, when a non-Christian brings an pagan heresy against the Bible or has a legitimate question, will you quote the Scriptures back to them, or will you first turn to a theologian or philosopher to do your dirty work for you? To give an utterly biblical example, this is what was happening in Corinth when Paul rebuked the church for starting quarrels about what the apostles and early church fathers were teaching:

“… each one of you says, ‘I follow Paul,’ or ‘I follow Apollos,’ or ‘I follow Cephas,’ or ‘I follow Christ.’ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” - 1 Corinthians 1:12-13

In other words, are not all Christians baptized in the name of the Triune God? We are Christ-followers, not Calvinists. We are Jesus’ disciples, not Piper-ites (… Piperians? Piperinis?). Mark Driscoll is not the fourth member of the Trinity. What it boils down to is first knowing the Bible well and having a working personal knowledge of what God has written to us. Once that has been accomplished, then begin sorting out your deduced theological convictions and finding out who is like-minded, who disagrees and why (for each camp).

And finally (thank you, by the way, for reading this far), we must also be relentless to tie theology to life.

We seminarians have an uncanny knack for engaging in great theological conversations but leaving them at the coffee table next to our ESV Study Bible and our Moody Handbook of Theology (both of which I recommend, by the way), never to make it into the real world for real effect. So you can carry on an extended debate over supra- infra- and sub-lapsarianism. Excellent. So you can articulate your eschatology clearly, succinctly, and with Scriptural coherence. Incredible. But how do those things help you mortify sin, vivify affections for Christ, and make disciples of Jesus out of non-believers? I think in an academic environment like seminary we must be doggedly determined to always ask the question: “What does this have to do with how I live, and what am I going to do about it?”

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Cool Website: The Art of Manliness

I've been made aware of one of the coolest websites, and it has afforded me much procrastination and entertainment over the past few hours, so I figured I'd share it with whoever pays attention to my blog.

check it out here

This little bit of awesomeness chronicles a wide variety of topics concerning the art of manliness in an era where chivalry, self-sufficiency, self-respect, responsibility, and socially appropriate facial hair are scarce at best. In it you'll learn about cooking, taking pride in things that you do, manly life skills, really cool gadgets, fashion, personal hygiene (especially shaving), relationships, career-oriented things, and life tips in general. It is a fine collection of wisdom, practical advice, and lively discussion.

So if you haven't already, give the link above a click. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have so far.

- NJ

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Thoughts on Theology

The following is an assignment from one of my classes... we were to define theology and then we had a discussion on whether theology could be sinful.

Theology is the study of God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) in and through his self-revelation, human religious experience (including church practices like worship and teaching, and the processes of salvation, sanctification, and glorification), faith, spirituality, and orthodox church tradition, resulting in the pursuit of (and conformity to) Truth as expressed in Scripture – all of which being ultimately for the glory of God. Systematic Theology seeks to express in a cogent, coherent system of beliefs the commands, teachings, principles, implications, truths, and spirit of the Scriptures in addition to the God with whom they are concerned and from whom they come.

Can theology be sinful? If so, when does it become sinful?

It seems to me that theology can and does become sinful when it begins to be an end in and of itself. When a theological perspective ceases being first and foremost for the glory of God in Christ Jesus, and becomes more dedicated to proving itself (its logical consistency, its universal appeal, its biblical basis, etc.), replicating itself, or making itself known and respected rather than aiding discipleship of the saints in understanding God’s self-revelation, it has dethroned God (by making him and his glory a secondary or tertiary goal) from his rightful place and has exalted itself above him. In this way, it becomes sinful.

For example, if I quote a certain theologian (Augustine, Calvin, Luther, Edwards, Grudem, Piper, Driscoll) – or any other man, for that matter – more than I quote Scripture, and if I know a certain book or collection of writings better than I know the Scriptures themselves then I have begun traveling down this road. Rectifying this situation does not involve merely reading the Bible more and studying it more intently… rather, it begins with repentance for idolatry, turning from my trust of fallible humans over the infinite God and pursuing what he has said above all others.

This is not to say that theologians are detrimental or obstruct our understanding of the Scriptures. The men mentioned above have been immensely formative to my beliefs and my sanctification. The sin lies not with the theologian (unless they are a heretical false teacher), but rather with me. If I put my trust in Grudem’s theology or Edwards’ sermons or Calvin’s doctrine before I put my trust in the Scriptures from which they are derived, then I have turned the appropriate order on its head – I have begun examining the Scriptures through a theologian’s lens rather than measuring a theologian’s claims against the Scriptures.

The end goal of theology, then (as far as I can tell), is the study of God’s self-revelation in such a way as to bring him glory through truth-based spirit-filled worship, bold Christ-centered gospel-saturated preaching and teaching, and through the transformed lives of Christ followers working out the lifelong process of sanctification.

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Groping for the Door

So I have been reading through Genesis for my Old Testament class. For the most part it has been a really refreshing look at the beginnings of our world, the foundations of theology from God’s revelation, and a convicting reminder of both humanity’s sinfulness and God’s sovereign grace. I made my way through Creation and Fall, Noah, the Tower of Babel, and Abraham… but then one story in particular – in fact just one line from Genesis 19 – blew my mind, and immediately I began to pray, think, and write.

As the story of Sodom unfolds in Genesis 19, God has sent two angels (in human form) to investigate and destroy Sodom for its immense wickedness and ‘very grave’ sin (18:20). Lot (Abraham’s nephew) met the angels at the city gates in the evening and invited them to stay at his home. Then the men in the town surround Lot’s house, demanding that Lot hand over his visitors to them “that [they] might know them,” (19:5). Now up to this point if you have no idea what’s going on, you might think that these men are a welcoming bunch and are practicing for the meet and greet time at church on Sunday. This scene is much more sinister than it appears, though, because these men have such a grave sinfulness in their hearts that they desire to gang rape Lot’s heavenly visitors (the Hebrew word translated ‘know’ conveys a bit more than a handshake and a smile if you know what I mean... in fact the English word ‘sodomy’ comes from this story). Lot goes on to demonstrate his excellent parental wisdom by offering to sate the men’s lust with his virgin daughters - to no avail. The angelic visitors pull Lot back into his house and strike the crowd (which ranges in age from young to old) with blindness… which brings us to the line that stopped me in my tracks.

“And [the angels] struck with blindness the men who were at the entrance of the house… so that they wore themselves out groping for the door.” (Genesis 19:11 - emphasis added)

These men were so consumed with their lust and hell-bent on gratifying their wicked desire to sexually abuse two other men that even when they were miraculously struck with blindness, they continued pursuing their sin with full intention of carrying it out.

My immediate reaction to reading this astounding phrase came in the form of a few questions:

How often do I continue pursuing my sin, even when God hems in my way and disciplines me so as to show me my sinfulness?

See, I am prone to wander far from the Lord’s guidance in my own pride and arrogance. I like to try things on my own, and I like to think that my way is correct and beneficial. But when I experience God’s gracious discipline and the merciful pain that is designed to bring me to repentance (Hebrews 12:11), I must heed that conviction and truly repent – meaning that I turn away from my sin and turn toward Christ. To not heed the wisdom of Scripture and to continue on unhindered in pursuit of my sin denotes a hardness of heart that characterizes those who do not know Jesus. In other words, if the life I lead appears no different than those men in Sodom (continuing in my pursuit of sin despite divine intervention), then I have just cause to seriously question whether I am one of God’s children. The Holy Spirit not only leads us to a deeper knowledge of both God and his Scriptures, but he also brings conviction of sin for the purposes of repentance and sanctification.

What does it look like for me to wear myself out ‘groping for the door’?

· When I feel that heart check from the Holy Spirit warning me to turn from the path that I’m on and I disregard it, continuing on in my pursuit of sin, I have begun groping for the door.

· When I consciously decide to disregard Scripture or distort the clear teachings of the Bible to create ‘gray areas’ that give me license to sin, I have begun groping for the door.

· When I acknowledge the horrid effects of sin (corporate and/or personal) and continue in it anyway, I have begun groping for the door.

What will it take for me to see that the way that I’m pursuing only leads to folly, destruction, and death?

When will I repent of my sin and return to Jesus, the author and perfecter of my faith, who will welcome me with open arms and throw a celebration for his prodigal son (see Luke 15:11-32)?

When will I see that I am not gaining even fleeting pleasure, but rather rejecting the eternal promises of Christ and slopping around in worldly filth?

One thing that I’ve learned through my experiences with sin is that it's actually Jesus we're groping for and we will not truly be satisfied until we look to him (St. Augustine wrote in his “Confessions” that ‘our hearts are restless until they find rest in God’). So we will continue being frustrated and blind as long as we are pursuing unworthy ends. But as soon as we turn our affections toward Christ’s loving grace and see that he is actually not for our pain and hurt, but rather for our good and our joy, then the world begins to look wholly different. Monogamous relationships and marital fidelity are no longer shackles but rather unlock the full potential for love and intimacy. Fleshly hedonistic pursuits ring hollow and fall flat in comparison to the richness of the depth, breadth, length, height, and beauty of our Savior (Romans 11:33; Ephesians 2:7) working on our behalf for his glory - for they are not mutually exclusive, but actually work in tandem. God is both sovereign and good, and when we realize that he is not some cosmic buzzkill but rather a mighty king who saves (Zephaniah 3:17) his people from themselves, the better off we will be, and the more glorified God will be in and through our heartfelt worship in light of his unequalled grace.

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My Battle Axe and Weapons of War

I’m so very thankful for the wisdom of men and women who have gone before me into ministry and have felt the need to offer advice and direction to those following similar paths. Charles Spurgeon is one such man who has impacted countless souls for the sake of Christ both before and after his death. “Lectures to my Students” is a collection of manuscripted lectures given by Spurgeon to the young men in training at his seminary, and it has proven to be one of the most helpful, challenging, and encouraging books that I’ve read to date. I would encourage any who have felt the call to ministry or seminary to read it and take his advice to heart. What follows is a reaction to one of my favorite quotes from “Lectures” which rests in a wooden frame on my desk.

“It will be in vain for me to stock my library, or organize societies, or project schemes, if I neglect the culture of myself; for books, and agencies, and systems, are only remotely the instruments of my holy calling; my own spirit, soul, and body, are my nearest machinery for sacred service; my spiritual faculties, and my inner life, are

my battle axe and weapons of war.”

- Charles Spurgeon (from ‘Lectures to my Students’) -

It seems to me that all too many seminarians fall into the trap of writing papers, reading books, and being concerned with climbing the ministerial ladder… and seminary does train you to do those things. But let us not forget our calling – to minister to people, and to administer the Word of God correctly, by the power of the Spirit, under the authority of Christ, to the glory of God. While ‘stocking the library’ can bring new ideas to light, share experiences, and sharpen the mind, it can become a pursuit that allows the excuse for avoiding ministry and inflating the ego. And while ‘organizing societies’ (conversations over coffee and/or lunch, etc.) is the medium of a precious sort of ministry, it can take precedence over those times that fill our tanks so that we can be sharp during such conversations and offer that bit of wisdom, that spiritual insight, or that word of encouragement that makes such meetings worthwhile. Finally, as a strategist I am no stranger to spending countless hours ‘projecting schemes’ and getting ministry-oriented things organized in my head. However, if this energy is divested of both the foundation and the end goal of such plotting – that is, the glory and renown of Christ – then it is less than in vain. Obsessive planning and ‘strategery’, when pursued without having been anchored in a solid consistent walk with Christ, become filled with prideful sin (self-importance and self-reliance) and will rarely be honored by the Lord.

And let us not forget that all of the theological training, exegetical papers, and seminary professor recommendations on our resumes will be completely useless if we neglect the culture of ourselves and fall into egregious sin that disqualifies us from serving as shepherds.

[As a quick aside, if you find yourself struggling with sin while serving in ministry, please, for the sake of Christ and the Gospel, do not let yourself become a wicked pastor. Get help; pursue repentance-oriented counseling, resign from your position, or begin by confessing your sin to another pastor before it finds you out and you must deal with it publicly. Enough men have walked down that path – we do not need any more.]

Getting back to my original train of thought, it is not as though stocking libraries, organizing societies, and projecting schemes is bad; rather, they are all secondary and we should treat them as such. Do them in as much as they further your sanctification and help you develop your spiritual faculties.

God has called us to the ministry – not our books, not our social schedules, and not our church planting proposals. He has called us to steward our minds, our bodies, our hearts, and ultimately our walks with Him in such a way as to serve him faithfully and glorify him with our successes and our failures. So do spend the appropriate time relating to God and anchoring your soul in Him first and foremost every day. Read the Bible regularly and conform your life to its mandates rather than conforming the Word to your life and in so doing justifying sin. Get to know yourself, find out where and when you are most vulnerable to sin and build up your defenses so as to not fall into Satan’s numerous traps. Honestly examine your soul and let the Holy Spirit show you where the rough and unpolished areas of your life are. Find true biblical accountability and have the hard conversations that will lead to solid growth – do not allow yourself to get by with the auspices of battling sin, all the while allowing sin to fester and rot the foundation of your ministry. Pray fervently for the Gospel to continue transforming you and your flock, for without it we are adrift and most of all to be pitied.

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What is the purpose of Doctrine?

The following is a short assignment for one of my theology classes in which I was to read all of 1 Timothy and briefly describe the nature and purpose of doctrine and theology.

"But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine."
- Titus 2:1 -

Solid doctrine is not a myth or endless genealogies, and it doesn’t promote speculations or vain discussions (1:4,6; 4:7). Rather it is Truth (revealed, not obscured), that brings certainty, confidence, and faith; it is in accordance with the gospel (1:11). Sound doctrine comes only from God’s revelation in Scripture, not from man’s obsessions and curiosities.

Sound doctrine also inspires a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith that are evidenced by love (1:5). Therefore it is beneficial and spurs to action; it is life - transforming, not stuffy, boring, or stale.

Solid doctrine is to be taught and commanded; it is the fuel for public reading, teaching, and exhortation (4:11,13). Therefore it is meant for the public ministry and leadership of the Church, not just debates in coffee houses and seminary classroom discussions.

Sound doctrine is in accordance with the words of Christ and does not puff up - it breeds humility as it conforms our lives to the gospel. It also does not promote controversy and quarrels - it silences the cravings for more/extra teaching, and it nourishes and sates the appetite with the gospel rather than tickling the ears with unfulfilling false teaching. It doesn’t produce envy - it brings humility and focuses the glory on God, not me. It should not breed dissension, but rather should unite Christ-followers around the gospel. With sound doctrine, there is no reason or opportunity for slander, evil suspicions, or friction in relationships - it produces love, humility, trust, unity, love, peace, and harmony (6:3-5).

Sound doctrine can be stained (or eclipsed by sin, clouding the world’s perception of the gospel), so it must be guarded and pursued to avoid swerving from the faith (6:14,20).

So my questions are thus:

- What is your reaction to doctrine? Is it boring? Is it something that fuels your ego and eclipses the gospel in your life?

- Does your love of sound doctrine flow from a deep, abiding love for Christ and the gospel resulting in a life of love and God’s greater glory, or is it a vehicle through which you steal glory from God and a crutch that you use to neglect your walk with Christ?

- Do doctrine and theology transform your life and help further your walk with Christ, or are they a source of friction (both with Christians and non-Christians), providing a stumbling block to the gospel?

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Big Question Follow-Up

Follow-up to Big Question #4:

So how exactly does a Reformed (Calvinist) person share the gospel using theologically precise language? How would it sound different than the typical Arminianist gospel presentation?

My answer is that a Reformed gospel presentation should not sound very different from an Arminianist one, because the basis and goal of the conversation is exactly the same. We are Christians appealing to non-Christians to become Christians based on the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. While there are very distinct differences in Arminian and Reformed understandings of conversion and regeneration, a gospel presentation with a non-Christian is not the appropriate place to have such discussions. That is more of the 'meat and potatoes' which would choke a new believer who needs 'milk.' (1 Corinthians 3:2, Hebrews 5:12-14, 1 Peter 2:2)

[As a note of preface, what follows is in no way meant to make me look like the end-all, be-all of evangelism... I am simply sharing an approach that I have used that seems to grant me an audience and extended conversation with non-believers. I am not a skilled evangelist and am far from perfect in the way that I conduct myself during these conversations.]

Whenever I share the gospel with someone I am always very careful to take them through Scripture – not just spout off doctrine or opinions. I bring a Bible that I will give them (nice decent Bibles, not cheap ones... They’re an immensely important gift and I like to make sure that I honor them with a Bible I would use) and a list of the Scriptures that I will reference throughout our conversation, and I make sure to give them a CityView Church business card so they can visit if they’d like. I also take quick notes about who they are so that I can effectively guide the conversation and pray for them after we're done (I'll tell them that I'm writing down things that I'll be praying about for them so they don't get skittish).

Basically after we've talked about their spiritual beliefs or religious heritage, I ask the person in question if I could share what I believe. I have never had anyone turn me down on this. I then tell them (the words and depth depending on our previous conversation and their religious/spiritual background) that God created everything in the universe for a specific purpose. He created humans to honor and worship him, but we rebelled against God and tried to do things our own way. As a result, our connection with God was broken, and we have all sorts of problems in the world (hate, fear, greed, insecurity, etc.) because of our rejection of God and his subsequent wrath toward our disobedience. God, however, sent his Son Jesus to live a perfect life and teach us how to live (he is God in human form) and to absorb the punishment and wrath of God because of our sin. Jesus died on the cross in order to make it possible for us to be with and know God personally – he reconnects us with God, and if we trust that Jesus will save us and if we obey what Jesus told us to do we will be in heaven when we die, living with God for eternity. Then I talk about how faith is a gift from God, and that we cannot save ourselves with just living well – we must trust God to give us the Holy Spirit, made possible by the grace of Jesus’ death, according to the will of God the Father.

Along the way, I will sprinkle in the Scripture references from my cards (as well as others) and show the person where in the Bible I get the material I’m talking about.

The references (and brief descriptions) are:

- Romans 3:23 – we have all sinned against God

- Romans 6:23 – because of our sin we are spiritually dead

- Romans 5:8 – God loves us in spite of ourselves and sent Jesus to save us

- Isaiah 53:6 – God punished Jesus for our sins

- 2 Corinthians 5:21 – God sent Jesus to take away our sins and renew our relationship with God

- Ephesians 2:8-9 – we are saved by faith in Jesus and that faith is a gift from God

- Romans 10:9-10 – if you believe that Jesus died for your sins, give your life to him and follow him faithfully and you will be saved

At that point, the conversation has had many rabbit trails and we’ve had some good laughs and a few points of disagreement. I give them an opportunity to pray with me if they would like, I invite them to church, give them my contact information, and get theirs as well. I’ll also follow up and keep talking with them so they don’t drop off the map. I’ve seen first-hand the illustration of the parable of the sower (some receiving the news with joy and then falling away, some growing and bearing fruit, and some completely rejecting what I have to say - see Matthew 13).

In evangelism it’s important to realize that the average person who comes to faith in Jesus hears the gospel between 7 and 10 times before they make a decision... And you may be the third time in that line. It’s important that you build a relationship with the person rather than trying to check items off a to-do list. Teach them well and express yourself clearly, but remember that you’re building the kingdom and if you’re successful you may start a lifelong relationship with a new brother or sister in Christ. Keep the pressure off by keeping your conversation in perspective. One-conversation conversions are incredibly rare in today’s society... Just be patient and gracious with them. They will learn far more about Christianity from your actions and the way that you speak than from the words you say and the concepts you’re talking about.

Again, I didn't write this because I'm an evangelism guru... I'm just trying to answer questions and start conversations. That's about all I've got for now.

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Big Questions - Day 5

Question #5:

How much of our relationship with God is our responsibility? How does God's Spirit and our actions work together? When are we walking in the Spirit vs. flesh?

I’ve got to say that this is by far the toughest question for me. It is a deep, involved discussion on which Scripture is not explicitly clear. I can tell you that if we are saved in Christ then we are not under God’s wrath, but under his mercy as his children. His grace covers our sin (and we do most definitely sin), and he does indeed discipline us when we disobey.

At this point, I cannot offer you a 100% definitive answer, but I will do my best to tell you what Scripture says to this effect, and offer my best shot at an opinion. I do know that God has begun a good work in me, and will perfect it (Philippians 1:6). Our sanctification began by the regenerating work of the spirit, and cannot be perfected by our own efforts in the flesh (Galatians 3:3). So for sure, God is the one who drives our sanctification. However, we are still responsible for our actions, otherwise there would be no commands to obey God’s commands, consider ourselves dead to sin, and to stop sinning (Romans 6; 1 Corinthians 2, 10; Galatians 5; Ephesians 4, etc.).

See, there is this tension in Scripture that we find throughout Paul’s letters… there’s a sense of Christians already having the perfecting power of the Holy Spirit inside of us, but we are not yet perfected – that will only be when we are in heaven for eternity. It’s called the ‘already/not-yet’ paradox, and there have been many books written about it as well as the interaction between God’s sovereignty and human responsibility.

The best thing that I can tell you from this point on is to fall on your face before the sovereignty of God and pour your heart into your relationship with him. Pray constantly that he will continue to drive your sanctification and trust that the Holy Spirit (God himself) is enough to help you as you live your life.

As far as knowing when you’re walking by the Spirit as opposed to gratifying your flesh, read the Scriptures and figure out what God’s heart is and where your convictions lie. Also, find a solid church that can teach you and sharpen your walk with the Lord, and get plugged in with a group of people who love you and who you will let speak into your life with authority, and hold each other accountable. Trust that God will convict you of sin, pray that he would open your eyes to it, and lean on the grace of Christ when (not if) you find it in your life. That, as far as I can tell, is how we can humbly work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12).

As a final reference, I would encourage you to read Romans 6-8 (especially 8:1-17).

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Big Questions - Day 4

Question #4:

What message of Good News are we supposed to bring to people in light of God's Sovereignty? Do we tell people that aren't Christians yet that it is in fact God's choice whether they will be saved or not? What would this message sound like?

I think a lot of people in the Reformed camp are confused about this, and don’t really know how their theology should practically work itself out in their lives. The best thing I can say to you on this question is that you shouldn’t let your theology get in the way of clear commands from Scripture. While it is very true that God is the one who brings souls to himself, he is also clear in commanding us to go and share the gospel with nonbelievers. Even though we don’t know who will respond in faith and be saved, God does – which lets us share the gospel confidently, knowing that God will ultimately act for his glory, whether the person we’re talking with comes to faith or not. It is simply not in our hands. It is not our job to predestine, but it is our job to obey our Lord Jesus and follow the commands he has set for us (Matthew 28:18-20).

So in a sense, the message would sound no different. We are to call people to repentance and a saving faith in Christ, and then the process of discipleship should kick into high gear. When we proclaim the gospel, only those whom the Holy Spirit has already started working in will respond – those who are still dead in their trespasses and cold toward the gospel will merely shrug it off and go on about their business.

I think another misconception about Reformed theology and gospel presentations (especially trips to other nations) has to do with us ‘bringing the gospel’ to that place. We don’t ‘bring the gospel’ with us… God is already at work in that place, beginning to stir in people’s hearts to bring them to repentance and saving faith. The gospel working and bearing fruit doesn’t depend on our presence, and it doesn’t depend on our ingenuity or our well-articulated phrasing of biblical truth. Rather, it rests in the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit, and we as the ones who are there sharing the gospel are just spectators and get the incredible opportunity to see God’s hand at work saving people. Going on ‘mission trips’ is more about obeying God’s call and getting to see God at work rather than ‘taking the gospel’ somewhere because ‘if we don’t, they won’t hear the gospel and none of them will be saved’.

A while back I heard someone that I greatly respect say that we should ‘believe like a Calvinist, and act like an Arminianist.’ By that he meant that we should trust God to bring souls to himself, but we should also co-labor with God to bring them to faith in Christ. We as humans with a limited perspective do not know who will be saved – we can only know who true Christians are by their fruit and works (James 2:14-26; Galatians 5:16-26; Matthew 7:15-20, 13:1-9, 18-23). That should take the pressure off of us when we share the gospel and realize that there’s nothing that we can do to screw up God’s plan to bring someone to salvation, and on the flip side of that coin there’s also no amount of creativity or attractive speech that will bring someone to genuine repentant saving faith if they are lost and the Holy Spirit is not working in them.

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Big Questions - Day 3

Question #3:

Since God is sovereign and He does choose some people to be saved and others to go to hell, does he hate those he doesn't choose to be saved?

The short answer to this question is yes - BUT with a large footnote for clarification and explanation. God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in faithful covenant love, and forgiving of all kinds of sin (Exodus 34:6-7). However, God is also holy and must punish sin if he is indeed a righteous and just God (Exodus 34:7). For example, would a state or federal judge be just if he acquitted a guilty criminal and dropped all of his charges without any form of retribution or punishment for the offense? Absolutely not. It’s the same way with God – he is infinitely holy, so our sin is infinitely offensive to him; therefore if he is just he must punish sin in keeping with his holiness. This is why the Old Testament has the sacrificial system (in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy), the prophets proclaiming judgment on disobedient nations (Jeremiah, Nahum, Obadiah, Malachi, etc.), and ultimately why God sent Jesus to suffer and die on our behalf, that we might become children of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).

God hates sin and exercises his wrath toward and upon it (Romans 1:18-32 – especially verses 18, 24, 26, and 28). He also tells us through Paul in his letter to the Romans (3:23, 5:12) and through the prophet Isaiah (53:6) that we are all sinners and deserve to go to hell. But God, being rich in his mercy has chosen some to be examples of his grace to live for his glory (Romans 3:24, 5:8; Ephesians 2:8-10) and through his infinite wisdom has chosen some to be vessels of his wrath (Romans 9:13-23). For those elect, God punished Jesus so that he would be just in rightfully punishing our sin, but also so that he would be the one who justifies us by presenting Jesus as the one who takes that punishment (Romans 3:25-26).

So yes, God does hate sin, and he punishes all sin because he is a just and holy God. However, those whom He has chosen have the precious blood of Christ protecting them from God’s wrath, whereas those who do not know Jesus as their savior are left to endure the consequences of their sin and will ultimately face eternal judgment in hell. This is not a pleasant discussion, and it is not easy to see God as the righteous judge of the universe, but I believe that this is the picture that God's revelation of himself (the Bible) paints of who he is. This is also why it is immensely important to trust and follow Jesus, for he and he alone is the one who can truly take our sins away and guarantee our favor with God by his perfect sacrifice on the cross.

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Big Questions - Day 2

Question #2:

How do you stay focused on God's glory?

My goodness… this one could easily fill a book. Actually, now that I think of it, John Piper has written a great book on this subject called “Desiring God”… I highly encourage you to read it and plod through it. It’s a great read, but it is thick and deep – so pack a lunch and some Advil.

In a nutshell, we stay focused on God’s glory by understanding who he is in relation to us – in other words, we’ve got to have the right perspective. God is uncreated; we are created. God is infinite, omniscient, and holy; we are finite, limited in our thinking, and sinful. So, knowing that God is much grander than we will ever be means that we honor him as the most glorious being that ever will be.

Now, that’s not to say that I don’t get sidetracked and follow after less glorious things (the ‘created things’ from Romans 1) and spend my time and affections following after things that don’t deserve what only God deserves. Staying on track, then, takes diligence, discipline, and God’s grace. The Christian life isn’t always peachy – it’s tough being a sinner, dealing with sinfulness and other sinners. But, if we keep our eyes on heaven and have an eternal perspective (not a temporal earthly one), then we will stay devoted to prayer, knowing and studying Scripure, and following what God has willed for our lives. The Holy Spirit is instrumental in this, as Jesus calls him the ‘helper’ (see John 14:16, 14:26, 15:26, 16:7; Romans 8:15, 23, 26-30). Also, the community of believers is a huge help that God has given us a bunch of folks to run with, to live with, to worship with, to encourage us, to challenge us, to help teach and lead us, and to battle in the trenches with us.

The last thing that I can say to you on this is to keep the faith and study the parable of the talents from Matthew 25. The men who were entrusted with the talents (large units of money back then) were told to spend them wisely for their master’s glory. The ones who were faithful and wise stewards were praised, given more, and allowed into their master’s joy (heaven). But the one who was not diligent and neglected what his master entrusted him with was cast into the darkness (hell). Stay faithful, not out of fear of God’s judgment, but rather out of joy because God has enabled you to be faithful, and gives us grace and merciful discipline when we are not.

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Big Questions - Day 1

Recently, an acquaintance of mine sent me a list of really good, tough questions about Christianity and Reformed theology. I have decided to post the questions and my answers to them here over the next five days (1 question per day) in hopes that it may help someone else, or at the very least get a good discussion going. Please feel free to throw your comments out there, add some more Scripture, or offer counterpoints.

Question # 1:

What does it look like to have a daily relationship with God that is not going through the motions? The other day our pastor said that he didn't think you had to have a quiet time to spend time with God, you could just hang out with God during the day. That sounds great, but how do you do that in practical terms?

I would guess that the majority of Christians know neither what this means nor looks like. So, being prideful enough to venture an answer, I’ll give it my best shot. The first thing that goes into having a daily relationship with God is to realize that we’re never outside of his sight or presence. That means that God is always with us, no matter whether we’re singing worship songs in church or cussing out bad drivers in our car.

Use the analogy of human relationships to consider the elements of your relationship with God. We communicate, we spend time with, we think about, and we act toward other people that we are in various relationships with. For example, if you are acquainted with someone, you will say hi and acknowledge their presence, and might meet up with them every once in a while for a special occasion (like a birthday or game night). But if you truly love someone, you will talk with them regularly, you will spend time thinking about them and want their desires to be fulfilled, and you’ll work toward that end with your actions, words, and thoughts. This is the same way with God. If we only know who he is, nothing in our life will drastically change at all. We will acknowledge him when we see a miracle or a spiritual thing on TV, and we will meet up with him every few Sundays, especially Easter and Christmas. But if we truly love him, it will show in how we treat others, in how often we talk with him (prayer), how much we think about and consider what he thinks about everything (ethical issues, morality, etc.), how often we read his revelation to us (the Bible), and how much his presence affects our lives (are we being sanctified on a daily basis, or are we limping along in our spiritual development, hoping we’re doing the right things?).

While it is insufficient and breaks down after a while, human relationships serve as a decent analogy for our daily walk with God. So when your pastor said that we don’t necessarily have to have a 20 to 60 minute block of time where we read the Bible and journal our thoughts (the proverbial ‘quiet time’), he meant that our daily relationship with God isn’t determined by how many pages of a journal we’ve filled or how many times we’ve read through the Bible. Rather it’s how deep a spiritual intimacy we have with the Lord (how well we know him and how well he knows us), and how much of an impact God is having on our daily lives (our progressive sanctification).

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Singles Ministry Scorecard

I recently came across a particularly satirical Christian blog and thought this post was especially funny... and it hit a little close to home. Below are my comments, and I have included some 'excellent' singles ministry logos down at the bottom for good measure.

My Score: 28

My Personal Favorites Are:

#5 - never really figured out how to respond to this one

#6 - seriously... as a culture, let's stop saying this

#11 - this is the biggest enemy to my school work

#20 - i agree with the Scriptures, but it MIGHT have a different application in the 21st century...

#21 - this one made me laugh out loud in Starbucks

#29 - has happened to me a couple of times... true story.

#31 - always makes me smile when this happens

#34 - my personal favorite; just because i'm currently single and want to be a pastor doesn't mean that it's an open door to bring in random Bible trivia to 'try to make me feel better'... I don't want to be Paul, and you don't need to help me justify my singleness.

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Changing Times...

As the present now, will later be past
The order is rapidly fadin'.
And the first one now will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'.

" The Times They Are A-Changin’ "
– Bob Dylan –

Things are always changing – in fact they never stay the same. The world is constantly in flux – changing governments, changing weather, changing life stages, deaths, births, etc. – and this is something that I’ve recently turned my thoughts and prayers to lately. Whether it’s weeping with a family over the loss of an unborn child, celebrating the closing chapter of another’s seminary career, seeing the preparations for several upcoming life-long marriage covenants, or seeing the dynamics of many friendships change, God has seen fit to remind of the truth behind Bob Dylan’s words ‘the present now will later be past’ as I struggle to make sense of this time in my life.

I guess I’m not so much struck by the fact that life changes, but rather how often and how much it changes. Because in a few months’ time, babies will be born that will change a family’s dynamic forever, people’s jobs will change, people will move to different cities, and the things that seem so important now will fade into a distant memory only to be replaced with new ambitions, desires, and longings. So I’m left with this tension of having temporary stresses, emotions, and situations, all the while knowing that in a few years’ time and a little more perspective, I will simply shake my head and smile at the drama and ‘turmoil’ that made up my mid-twenties.

Being a ‘type-A’ kind of guy, I like to attempt to exert some control over my life and I enjoy it when things are predictable and stable. But if I’m being honest, this is never really the case (and I hear it only gets worse after marriage and children). It’s a rare occurrence when I feel like everything is in its groove and I’m firing on all cylinders, and when that happens things are smooth and seemingly easy. But then something unexpected happens – a fender-bender that puts my Jeep in the shop, a change of plans that makes me rearrange my schoolwork for something ministry- and/or entertainment-related, or any one of the million things that can change at the drop of a hat.

Surely there is a season and a time for everything under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1), and I thank God that he makes everything beautiful in its time, because death, weeping, loss, and war hardly seem beautiful while we’re walking through them. But the beauty of trusting in God is that no matter what happens in this life, and no matter how hectic the schedules or how random the events, I know that God is ultimately working for my good and for his glory (Romans 8:28, 31). The same God who upholds the world by the word of his power (Hebrews 1:3) also knows the number of hairs on my head (Luke 12:7), so my ‘type-A’-ness can rest easy and worship in all circumstances because I know that God has dealt bountifully with me (Psalms 13:6 and 116:7) through the grace that comes by faith in Christ. Thank God that his sovereignty is so comforting because without it I would be a nervous, neurotic, depression-prone bitter cynic… well, even more than I already am.

I hope that these rambling musings made sense. If they seem jumbled it’s because they’re that way in my head, and I’m praying for the wisdom and perspective to sort them out… or at least the patience and faith to trust God and lean not on my own understanding.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
– Isaiah 55:8-9 –

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Acting

"Do not be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

- Romans 12:2

I remember this time I took a theater class when I was in high school. I’m not really a theater-artsy kind of guy, so it was a challenge to get into character… I didn’t know how to act at all. I remember how frustrated I was with the whole ordeal. I had the right outfit with the right props and I had the lines memorized but my performance was still crap. Somewhere along the way I had missed something crucial to the performance process. So I stayed after class to talk with my teacher, and she gave me some great advice: I had to put myself in the mindset of the character… get to know the character I was playing and then mold my viewpoints to fit that person before my performance would be believable. If I didn’t make that change in my mind, my role would conform to my personality rather than come off the way it was meant to be played. She told me it wasn’t just about the props or the wardrobe, or even the lines… acting wasn’t about representing someone else’s character on stage, it was actually being that character, and that started on the inside.

So that memory got me thinking… aren’t we Christians like that? It seems as if we’ve got the lines memorized (“I’m good, how are you? How can I be praying for you?”), we have the right clothes for church and our Christian camp t-shirts for class, and we even have the coolest props around (iPods with sermons and acoustic praise music, worn-looking Bibles and trendy journals).

The problem is, the performance isn’t real unless we have the character of Christ on the inside. And if we appear to do everything right on the outside but inwardly we’re not living it out, Jesus calls us whitewashed tombs. Our role as Christians won’t resemble Christ, but will rather conform to our own fallen flesh. If we are trying to deal with sin but aren’t dwelling in the victory that we have in Jesus, then we’re trying to tackle a monumental spiritual problem with just our discipline, reliability, and faithfulness. That leaves us shorthanded and outmatched with no reinforcements… pretty much a strategic nightmare.

However, if the mind is renewed and if we are transformed in light of that, then we live in the purity that Christ purchased in His death on the cross as well as the victory that He accomplished at His resurrection. And when we base our lives (or ‘performance’ as it were) on our Lord Jesus, then He gets the glory and He saves the day. It then rests on His perfect will, not our imperfect one. Our outward character will begin resembling our renewed inward soul as the glorious grace of Christ moves from inside out.

What I’ve found in my short time on this planet is that God is the only one who can change hearts. I’ve tried it without Him, and it just flat doesn’t work.

Another thing that I’ve found… when God begins this renewing and molding process, we begin conforming to the image of Christ and start thinking like Him, walking like Him, talking like Him, and acting like Him. We start memorizing our lines (of Scripture), and we begin really playing our part in the Kingdom.

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Fig Trees and God's Sovereignty

The following was written in August 2007...

Habakkuk 3:17-19
Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
The sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights.

God is sovereign even if He does not give us money, food, cars, a spouse, etc. Though we toil through life and experience hardship along with providence, God is still our hope and strength, for who have we in Heaven but Him (Psalm 73:25)? We must throw ourselves on His mercy and expect the Almighty, the One with the highest wisdom to bring about His glory and the best things for us, regardless whether they make us sting or sing, or whether they bring pain or bring joy. Our reliance on God cannot and must not rely on His providing everything that we want, for if we ask God to provide for everything we want, we automatically assume that we know what is best, and that our finite knowledge and experience of a few decades is loftier than the wisdom of the Creator of both life and time.

Though the sweetness of this earth has evaded us (“the fig tree does not bud, and there are no grapes on the vines”), we must trust in the sweetness of God. His Word is ‘like honey on our lips’ (to steal a line from a worship song), and His wisdom is like honey to our souls. Though the prosperity of life hides itself from us (the olive crop fails), and we yearn for food (both spiritually and physically), we must trust that God has a plan, a purpose, an awe-inspiring plot behind the scenes that we are only beginning to awaken to. As in the book of Job (1:16-17), though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, we must fall on our faces and worship God for who He is, whether that be with anointing oil running down our faces, or whether we sit with shaved head in the midst of ashes wearing torn clothes.

On a more personal note, we must be supremely satisfied to know the Bridegroom and to attend their wedding feast. Our joy must be found full and complete in hearing the Bridegroom’s voice (John 3:29-31), though there is no mention of our own bride on this planet. John 3:27 says that man cannot receive anything unless it’s been given him from heaven. This includes our measure of faith (Ephesians 2:8), the grace that comes from it, and any other Gift (1 Corinthians 12) or Fruit (Galatians 5:22-23) that we experience in our days under the sun. Marriage is a gift, a responsibility, a dedication, a commitment, and a wondrous delight, but it need not distract us from the surpassing greatness of God, His Son Jesus, or the pursuit of His glory on this earth at the behest of the Holy Spirit.

God is our strength. To deny such is to deny belief in Him at all, which is a dangerous proposition at the very least. To forsake the rod and staff of God, to deny the authority of His law is to throw off the wonderfully secure blanket, to shred His hedge of protection, and to dismantle His fortress of defense in our lives brick by brick. He makes our feet like the deer and allows us to walk in high places. He allows us to transcend this world’s thorns and thistles, to scale the heights as only those who are pure in heart can (Psalm 15). Therefore we submit to His authority, His will for our lives and put our concerns fully in His hands, casting our anxieties at His wonderful feet, and though we may cry tears of pain or joy, we are fully confident that they are falling on the feet of our Savior, our Protector, our Potter and Creator.

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Geese and Confession

I was watching this show on the Discovery Channel and I observed something that made me immediately sit back and think.

The show had a few men and women testing and foot-tagging Canadian geese for some kind of scientific data endeavor. They had helicopters hovering overhead so the geese would feel intimidated and not fly off, and then they built a corral of sorts to herd the geese into. After all of this goose wrangling, they picked out the geese one-by-one and put the foot tag on, swabbing them to see if they had bird flu, and doing a few other things. Once the workers were finished with this alien-abduction-like process, the geese were free to go. But the birds wouldn’t run off or fly away – even after the helicopter had gone and the restrictions on their wings were removed. The former goose captives, even though they were free to go, would huddle back up with the rest of the gaggle… back inside the corral. They chose a communal prison rather than the temporary isolation of freedom (the birds always find each other in the wild fairly quickly).

As I thought about this, I wondered to myself whether we Christians aren’t the same way sometimes. After being convicted of sin and asking God for forgiveness, rather than escaping into the newness of life and the freedom that ensues confession and openness (as James 5:16 tells us), we huddle back up with the other captives and hurry on as if nothing has changed. We’re back in captivity with the rest of the evangelical gaggle. No observable repentance, no discernible victory, no lasting change… sanctification grinds to a halt. But what if we were, like Nate Larkin - the author of “Samson and the Pirate Monks” - to be mature enough and confident enough in our God and His Son Christ Jesus that we could and would confess our sins to each other and experience the healing within the safe confines of true Christian unity. In “Samson,” Nate tells his gritty story of addiction, adultery, pain, and long agonizing despair in sin. But he also tells of the victory that is found in godly repentance, spirit-led confession, and the true victory that walking in the light brings. It is one of the few books that addresses sin as it truly is, and warns of the danger of keeping secret sin from the potentially helpful awareness of true brothers and sisters in the faith.

I think it took this one crazy goose who went off into the freedom of open confession and the joy in victorious living for me to see that the way to holiness and continuing sanctification is by weeping at the foot of the cross, but not alone in my room at night before I sleep… rather in the sight of trusted believers. And I’ve found two really cool things… First, I’ve seen that it hasn’t necessarily made my struggles easier, but it’s made my walk more comfortable because I know that I don’t have to be the hero. I don’t have to be the Christian Superman who has it all down. Second, I’ve realized that there are a lot of solid, mature believers out living in the openness of true confession and repentance. The community is real, the brotherhood authentic, the relationships wholesome and fulfilling. The rest of the evangelical geese back in the communal captivity of the religious corral have some semblance of community, but it’s all based on a common fear – that their armor might be seen as rusty or that it might have a weak spot or two. But I’ve found that the true community is found in patching each other’s armor and grinding the rust off each other’s blade.

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” – James 5:16

“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” – Proverbs 27:17

“The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.” – Romans 13:12

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