Smuggling in Character

a great quote to think about:

"The glory of the gospel is that God has declared Christians to be rightly related to him in spite of their sin. But our greatest temptation and mistake is to try to smuggle character into his work of grace. How easily we fall into the trap of assuming that we can only remain justified so long as there are grounds in our character for justification. But Paul’s teaching is that nothing we do ever contributes to our justification."

The Walls We Have Built

In the Apologetics & Outreach course that Jerram Barrs teaches at Covenant Seminary in St. Louis, Jerram discusses barriers we create between ourselves as Christians and the world:

1. Intimidation or fear: Are we intimidated by the culture in which we live? We look at our society and we see that much of it is deeply hostile to the Christian faith, whether that is in universities or in popular culture. If we are terrified of the people around us, afraid of the non-Christians in our community, and afraid of the cultural products of our world, the consequences are disastrous. This creates an enormous divide from each other.

2. Condemnation: A constant judging of those who are out there. "Let us say three or four of you are sitting at a table in the coffee shop any day of the week, or anywhere, and you are sitting discussing something in culture, let us say homosexuality or political leaders or candidates. How do you talk about people, how do people overhear you, and what kind of language do they hear you using? Do they hear you using the language of condemnation and of self-righteousness? What do people hear from us?" We shouldn't delight in attacking and condemning people. It matters how I talk about the human beings involved in the issues.

3. Cultural retreat: "We can become so distressed by the world because it is so worldly, as if that should surprise us, that we try to create our own distinct evangelical culture so that we can avoid the sinful society as much as possible." Examples of this could be Christian country clubs, Christian sports facilities, Christian teams, schools, etc. Not that these are bad things, but turning our churches into havens from the world is not what we are called to do. Christ didn't redeem us by living in a haven that was completely retreated from the world.

4. Personal separation: The insistence that what it means for us to be holy and set apart from sinners, as the Scripture calls us to, as Jesus was, is that we must be personally separated from them, in the sense of keeping ourselves apart from them and having nothing whatsoever to do with them. This is generally a thinking that the only way we can grow in the faith and continue in the faith is by keeping ourselves personally separate from the unbelievers and the sinners around us, because of a possible "contamination."

If we build these walls, our model of evangelism becomes incredibly unbiblical. "Do we think of evangelism as raids that we undertake for a brief moment or two, or an hour or two? We go always in groups of two or three, never alone, to make sure that we are secure. We go in groups of two of three from the church into the world, hoping that we can grab somebody and bring them back with us." Jesus came into the world to relate to us; He challenges us to not be afraid, and to trust that our Heavenly Father would care for us and protect us. We may feel overwhelmed, but God is greater. We serve the Creator of heaven and earth.

It is easy to think that our calling is to judge everybody all the time. Even on Christian radio and television, you hear constant scorn, condemnation, criticism, and judgment of the culture and even of unbelievers by name. Our calling is not to condemn the culture in which we live, but to be merciful toward it. And it does not matter if people hate Christ, the Church, and the Gospel; we are called to love them still. We are to bless them and to pray for them. God has shown time and time again that He delights in saving people who make themselves enemies of His law, His Word, and His Son. We shouldn't be surprised if people hate the Gospel, the Church, the faith, and us personally, because they hated Christ. But our response to them is to serve them and pray for them, to pray God's blessing on the world.

ask a pastor.

you know all those questions you just wish you could ask your favorite pastor... all of those practical questions like what do your morning devotions look like? what books are you reading? how do you best meet with the Lord? what do you do if your soul feels weary? how do you personally grow spiritually?

well... now you can listen in on these questions with answers plus much more on a new podcast called the sovereign grace leadership interview series. it's a roundtable discussion among three great pastors, including c. j. mahaney, author of the book, "humility: true greatness." what surprised me the most was how practical and real they got--i learned a ton and was very encouraged. their passion for the Lord is so evident, and it comes across through this podcast.

you can subscribe to the podcast by going to the itunes store and searching for "sovereign grace leadership interview series" or download the two discussions that are out so far here.

our true goal.

what a good reminder from carolyn mahaney:

“Sometimes I don’t want to serve when it is something I don’t think I’m very good at” the young woman humbly confessed to me. The ugly truth behind her reluctance? Pride. This woman realized that she wants to be “the best” at whatever she puts her hand to, and if she can’t be the best, well, then she’d rather not even try.

Oh, how I can relate! I wrestle with the same temptation. But I’m grateful for my husband who has modeled humility in service for me. Whatever endeavor he undertakes, he acknowledges (to himself and others): “I know there are many people who can do this better than me.” Then he seeks to faithfully serve in whatever ways God has called him to, regardless of how gifted he feels to do it. His goal is to obey God and bless others.

Using our gifts requires humility. For as I’ve often reminded my girls (and myself!): “There’s always going to be someone better than you at what you do.” There’s always going to be the smarter kid in the class, the more outgoing friend, the more talented co-worker, the more organized homemaker, the more capable homeschool teacher, the more energetic servant, the more gifted than you at whatever you do. And you know what? These people have been strategically placed in our lives to expose our pride and help us serve with humility.

How much easier it would be to stick to arenas where we think we shine. But we should do our best even when we may not be the best. We should be willing to risk making mistakes, to allow others to see where we lack gifting and need help.

And when we humbly serve--even when we’re not the best--we’ll be pleasantly surprised at how God can use our meager gifts to encourage others and bring glory to Him!

“Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” Philippians 2:3

the "new story:" why christianity must change?

i've had my nose in by demonstration: god, by wade bradshaw for about a week now, and it raises some really good points. one thing bradshaw said was really interesting to me:

bradshaw says there are two stories going on today, an Old one and a New one. in the Old Story, if someone wanted to be good they would go to the church and the God of the Bible. forgiveness was available to them there. even though this might have been the "moral high ground," non-christians were in agreement with it--if they wanted to climb this moral high ground, they would go to where goodness resided--in the church.

but now there is a New Story. people no longer feel that the church is the moral high ground, but instead they think themselves morally superior to the God the church proclaims. they might look to spirituality for guidance if they decided to be good, but not the church. why would someone want to go back there to find a good ethical life?

"our neighbors think we are calling them down to something they are already above, a god they are sure they have outgrown." it is inferior and immoral. bradshaw goes on to say:

"think of the hot religious issues of our day; the points on which our culture really disagrees with evangelicals on the way to live a good life. the God of the Bible is seen as homophobic. the God of the Bible is considered misogynistic. he is regarded as violent and cruel, as revealed by his acts in history. he is prejudiced and partial in his judgments, treating some people as more important than others" (142).

so what do we do, how do we respond to this? i think some have given up insisting that our God is a personal God, and some have given up on doctrine that is theologically sound. they throw it away for something that is easier to swallow, replacing it with something that has a bitter taste, but a taste nonetheless. but we cannot be unfaithful to the revelation of God. we must listen and understand where the arguments are coming from and do this carefully, even if it is frightening or displeasing, as bradshaw says. "we cannot do everything else that others may require of us in order to be acceptable." we cannot simply say that we live in a culture which will not tolerate sound doctrine and leave it at that. we must react and explain things in such a way that they do make reasonable and moral sense today--because they should and they do.

keller veritas forum at berkeley.

check out this video of tim keller called "belief in an age of skepticism." he answers questions and reasons through a lot of tough things.

also check out www.veritas.org, which is a forum on college campuses that "engages university students and faculty in discussions about life's hardest questions and the relevance of Jesus Christ to all of life." you can find more recordings of past speakers and audio too.

on deck...

these are the books that i will be reading shortly:

reason for God, by tim keller. i've been holding off on reading this ever since l'abri because i've just had so many other things to read! the plan is to start this over spring break (and finish over break?) so hopefully that can happen. i think i've been so excited to read this because i've heard such great things about it--that keller makes a very compelling case for God in a way that is relevant to our culture. i'm looking forward to seeing how this will help me in talking to people who really don't know God, and how my perspective will be enlightened.


the mark of a christian, by francis schaeffer. i got this book as a gift for valentine's day because the mark of a christian is... love! "it is possible to be a christian without showing the mark, but if we expect non-christians to know that we are christians, we must show the mark." whether we want to acknowledge it or not, christians do leave a mark on the world. sometimes we fail, sometimes not, but we need to respond to it with compassion and with a love and a unity that surpasses all else. i'm excited to read this short 59 page book.

by demonstration: God, by wade bradshaw. i started this book yesterday, so it's not officially on deck, but it's on first base. so far, this book has been great. it's describing "fifty years and a week at l'abri," so it's all about the daily functionings of l'abri as well as some stories of the people who have come. i love the ideas it brings up and the daily demonstration of a reliance on the reality of God.



fiction-wise i'm not sure yet, but i'm open to suggestions.

my hit list.

what's on your reading list, both currently and what you're planning on reading soon?

here's my current list:

war of words, by paul david tripp. i first read this book over the summer and now we're reading it for bible study, so it is great to have a chance to re-look and re-think so many things. it's insightful and practical, and shows just how important our words really are. tons of Scripture is used throughout. while tripp acknowledges the helplessness and hopelessness of our sin, he writes entire chapters to show exactly how the gospel of Christ addresses our fallen lives and our muddled speech. tripp "understands that the war of words is really part of a deeper war: the war for our hearts and souls, the war between the Word made flesh, and the enemy, whose primary tools are words of distortion, deception, and destruction." this is probably in my top 5 favorite books ever.

running with scissors, by augusten burroughs. if i could describe this book in one word it would be intense. this is the memoir of a nightmarish youth, who is the son of a poet with a "wild mental imbalance" and a professor with a "pitch-black dark side." burroughs is sent to live with dr. finch when his parents separate and his mother comes out as a lesbian. there are lots of scenes where if it were a movie (actually it is i think), i would close my eyes and cover my ears, but i think they are necessary to the memoir in order to really understand this boy's childhood. i'm not sure how i feel about it halfway through the book, but from reading this, i think it's true that truth really is stranger than fiction. i'll let you know if this book has some redeeming end qualities.

the heart of prayer, by jerram barrs. i love this book because it shows me prayer from God's point of view. sometimes i get so wrapped up in if i'm praying right, or for the right things, or praying enough, when really, God just wants us to come to him. jerram writes: "we don't need to be afraid to come to God, as if he were a person we must be careful not to disturb, or around whom we must tread on tiptoes and speak with care." so often we turn prayer into a work, and this book shows the true "heart of prayer." God doesn't hold this standard that we must reach when we pray, he is simply there and willing for us to come to him with our honest thoughts, triumphs, and griefs. focusing on our performance takes away the joy and "childlike dependence" of prayer. the gentleness of jerram emerges through the pages when you read this book.

don't waste your life, by john piper. in this book, piper comes right out and calls people to bigger and better things. he explains what it means to waste your life--a true tragedy of living without a passion for God, spending lives on "trivial diversions," and getting caught up in something that counts for nothing. i think he really wants to draw attention to the futility of average, everyday life, settling for complacency and boredom instead of your desires and passions. i wish that he would talk about the will of God more. because ultimately, we will find the most joy and satisfaction in what he calls us to do and in what he designs us to do, whether that calling is in something that seems as mundane as an office job or whether that is spending your life in africa serving orphans. the challenge of this book is good, but my fear is that it will give some people the idea that the only way to serve the Lord is by doing something life-threatening, risky, and completely without any trivial comfort.

TGIM - Thank God it's Monday.

Check out these two articles (part one, part two) by Justin Taylor on how we should view work as Christians. The second part of the article talks mainly about how to work to the glory of God, how to determine your calling (relevant, anyone?), and how we integrate work and faith. They are great, please read them!

Here's some excerpts:

Have you ever seen a TGIM (Thank God It’s Monday) bumper sticker? I haven’t.

As Americans—and Christians usually aren’t much different—we spend many years and thousands of dollars getting an education, all to prepare us to get a job. Then once we get a job, we spend many years and thousands of more dollars awaiting the soonest time that we can retire! In the meantime—we live for the weekend.

As Christians we should view work differently, because God views work differently. Work is a gift from God and can be a source of meaningful fulfillment—and at the same time, it can make us weary and full of frustration.

In my view, we are due for another reformation with regard to our view of work. Although it’s much more subtle, many of us can still perpetuate a sub-biblical view of work. I remember once hearing a student leader suggest that the norm was for Christians to consider themselves called to vocational ministry—and that a calling to a so-called “secular” vocation was the exception. In other words, the default for Christians should be to go into vocational ministry unless they feel compelled to do something else. But I don’t find that idea taught anywhere in Scripture. The result is that we sometimes have people in vocational ministry, not because it is where they have been called by their church, or equipped by God, but simply because they never prepared to do anything else.

We need to recover the reformational understanding of vocation: all of life—in every sphere and in every calling—should be lived to the glory of God and in obedience to his Word. Abraham Kuyper wrote, “there is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, ‘Mine!’” If that’s true (and it is!), isn’t it worth our time and effort to think through how to glorify God in the area of work to which he has called you?

signs of life.

signs of life: incredible books, good coffee, and amazing friendships.

if that's all i had in life, i would be ok with that.

zeal without knowledge?

"Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." Romans 10:1-4

Here Paul is talking about Israel and the Jews who were extremely zealous to please and honor and serve God, who were willing to go to any lengths to obey him. Paul gives them credit where credit is due, granting how good it is for them to realize the importance of honoring God. But I think it is interesting here that the reason Israel goes astray is that their zeal was not enough--that it must be based on knowledge.

It is so common in our culture to hear, "It doesn't matter what you believe, as long as you are sincere." The Jews were sincere and zealous in their beliefs, but their beliefs were mistaken.

Tim Keller says that zeal without knowledge or understanding is fanaticism, terrorism. Imagine a person who intensely believes that a poison solution is not fatal--but if she drinks it, she will be dead. Her zeal not only did not help her, it helped her die. That is zeal without knowledge.

Was Israel's problem ignorance? Look at verse 3: "being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to [it]." The information is not unavailable, it is simply what suits them; this is a zeal that refuses reflection--they refuse to stop and think things through. Though they are sincere, they can also do a lot of damage.

I think this is true of all of us. We need a knowledge of God and His righteousness in order to make our sincerity right. Anyone can believe anything with a fervent passion, but if that passion does not come from truth, then it is misplaced. It's so easy for us to pick and choose what we want to believe and emphasize what we really believe in our actions, but what about the rest, what about the parts that we don't want to see? Creating our own boundaries and beliefs causes destruction. We need to be continually learning and challenging ourselves and each other to believe what is right and true, because if we don't, our actions are put into something that is misplaced, no matter how much passion and zeal we have.

*thanks to Tim Keller's Romans study for a lot of these thoughts.

shimmer.

my favorite parts of the song "shimmer" by shawn mullins:

cause I want to shimmer, i want to shine
I want to radiate
I want to live, I want to love

we're born to shimmer
we're born to shine
we're born to live, we're born to love

this is what we are made for. made in the image of God to shimmer, to shine this light that somehow we have been created with. i want to be a person who just diffuses a love that is full of passion and life.