If you've been following my FaceBook or Twitter status updates, you may notice that I've been thinking a lot lately about the Gospel. This preoccupation with the Good News has been encouraged by listening to Tullian Tchividjian, the preaching pastor at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Through this transformation of beginning to see everything in life through the lens of the Gospel, I've realized how Legalism is not just a category of people that have a lot of rules or perhaps stress personal holiness (which is not bad)- Legalism is the natural state of every person everywhere, regardless of theological bent or denominational upbringing.
I write this introduction knowing that some may disagree with what I say for various reasons. For the purpose of promoting one-mindedness (and my desire to not be misunderstood), I would like to mitigate those reasons to the best of my ability for the furtherance of the Gospel and the ministry of grace. To accomplish such an end, I plan on carefully defining, or redefining, these key terms of "Gospel" and "Legalism" and work with said definitions for the clarity of those who read and for my own lucidity of thought.
Lastly, while I will do my very best to make these posts readable on their own merit, I ask that this set of posts specifically be read in order of parts (Part 1, 2, then 3), because I want to build my case from the ground, up. My plan of attack is as follows-
Part 1 - Explain the Gospel and how the Gospel is not synonymous with evangelism
Part 2 - Explain Legalism and dispel the myth that only a small sect of rule-keepers are Legalists
Part 3 - Explain how the Gospel works to solve the problem of Legalism through the Unconditional Grace of God
I hope that these posts will be a blessing, and that my attitude and tone will only promote the building of the body of Christ. Each one of these posts has been, is, and will be bathed in prayer and input from many spiritual leaders far more godly than I am- and in some cases, I may just parrot phrases/ideas not original to me at all (not like I've ever done it in the past either...) :)
God Is Our Hope
Friday, July 8, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
The Bible And Bad Language
What follows is an excerpt from a very dear friend to whom I did my best to explain the view that I believe that God communicates to us from His word. As always, please leave a comment and let me know how you think I represented the view from the Scriptures. If you do want to comment, please do read my whole post, just so you do not get an idea from what I said that is not what I am trying to write. Thanks! I hope this helps to at least get the wheels turning in your mind, if nothing else.
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I know that what I will say will probably (hopefully) spur further conversation concerning this topic, but I will similarly risk your not liking me or thinking less of me in some way and let you know what I've been thinking.
I've thought A LOT about the whole issue of language and what is appropriate and inappropriate and I have come to some conclusions, and some other non-conclusions as you will see
My first conclusion was in the form of just questioning what I've always grown up being taught by simply asking, "Why?" Not necessarily in a rebellious "I don't want to obey" type of attitude, but just asking, "Why do we have such stringent rules the way we do?" I thought to myself that if one is to own such standards/rules/guidelines, or even more strongly perhaps, an moral injunction, one should be able to support such rules with clear Scriptural support, not just a few misapplied verses.
Having asked the "Why?" question, I began to get feedback. Many people said that the Bible clearly speaks against "cursing", "swearing", and using "filthy/corrupt language."
Looking at cursing for instance, the Bible speaks of cursing as cursing another person, not as we would say that someone "cursed someone out." That kind of application isn't used in the Bible. Cursing is more like speaking beguilements towards someone or something, such as the kind of mockery Jesus endured on the cross as he had many men speak curses to him, wishing ill and harm to him as he was on trial and hanging being slapped and asked to prophesy. You know the story. Also, a few more examples of cursing are things like Job cursing the day he was born, or when King Balak asks Balaam to curse Israel. It seems ridiculous that the king would ask Balaam to just utter a "curse word" against Israel, but actually to prophesy evil upon them. A modern example would be saying "D- you" out of anger towards another person. Those are the kinds of things against which the Bible directly speaks.
Swearing seems even more straightforward than cursing. When the Bible speaks of swearing, as in Matthew 5, Jesus says, “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all by heaven, for it is the throne of God... Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil." Jesus equates swearing with oath-making. There should be no need to say "I swear on my mother's life that I didn't take the cookie." Our word should be so trustworthy that we are taken to sincerely mean what we say.
We could do word studies on these word usages, as many have done- and compile a laundry list of places in which both words have been used, but in none of the cases I have found have I seen either of those words mean anything other than the things that I mentioned.
This discussion gets interesting when the third reason given against using "sinful words" is brought up, and the most clear passage cited is Ephesians 4:25ff. Paul makes a list of things in the format of "Don't do this, but instead do this, the reason being... (and applies an aspect of the Gospel to each particular instance)." Specifically, we're looking at verse 29, "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." The issue here hinges on the definition of "corrupting talk." I won't make up some Greek word that supports my argument, because frankly, I don't know Greek . However, we can get an idea of what Paul means by seeing the positive speech qualities with which he contrasts "corrupting talk." He says that things that should be uttered should not be corrupting, but are things that are 1) useful for building up, 2) fitting for the occasion, and 3) used to give grace to the hearer.
It may seem like an open and shut case on the side of never using any kind of "bad words" at all, but I ask that you look at the broader context of the way that Paul talks. First, building others up does not mean that we are supposed to make everyone feel nice and warm inside. If that were true, then Jesus sinned all the time. His purpose was to use the means necessary to (sometimes in a jarring way) proclaim truth. Paul says in Ephesians 4:15 that we are to grow up into the head (of the body of the church) which is Christ. That is our motive- we need to do whatever we can to help people understand truth, so that they will see God in a clearer way in order to help someone in their process of sanctification. So things that build up may be something like, "The Spirit was moving through your message today, pastor", but may also be some a variation of "You need to get your head where it needs to be and see what's actually going on here in 'x' situation." Both are things that will hopefully build up a brother/sister- one nicely, the other more harshly.
For a word to be fitting for the occasion, it may similarly be an expression of blessing to a minister, or a warning to a straying brother or sister who may be harmfully affecting himself and/or others.
Ultimately, God-centered words are meant to give grace to the hearer. I think it's interesting that God does not define unwholesome talk by way of a vocabulary list. He could have done that. The reason I think He chose not to do such a thing is because rather than denigrating the battle for words by making about a list of "do's" and "don'ts", He makes it a matter of intention.
There are certain words that are condemning and judgmental, the foremost of this category being the "G-D" word. This word explicitly invokes the name of God to curse something that we have ABSOLUTELY no power to curse. It's the same thing to say D- You to any person for the purpose of wishing harm upon them.
There are also words that have very inappropriate sexual meanings that I would never want to say them because in saying them, they bring up sexual thoughts that should not be thought of at any time, regardless of the person.
Then there are words that are not sexual or condemnatory, but fall into the category of social politeness- words for excrement being among these. As an example, we wouldn't talk about the details of cleaning up after the dog during Thanksgiving dinner. God considers the heart of the words said (intention) more important than parsing out the uses of culturally defined words (vocabulary list).
Looking at Jesus, He always went right to the core of the matter- He never said, "You need to do x, y, and z to be one of my good disciples." He said that the summary of the WHOLE LAW was to love God with all of your heart and your neighbor as you would yourself. If we love God with our whole hearts, then the things that we say and do will directly follow from that heart (Matthew 15:18). That's why I don't see a problem using a euphemism to make a certain point about something I see as important. In this case, it really bothers me when people are under the delusion that real men are not allowed to cry. I used the phrase that I did because I honestly didn't see a problem with using it. I wasn't thinking, "Aha! Here's a way to toe the line of sin and still be not be sinning!"
While slightly unrelated to this specific instance, I also see just as much of a problem saying something like "Dang it" as I would saying "Oh snap" when something doesn't go the way it was supposed to- because someone that says "Dang it" isn't using that phrase in a way to inappropriately condemn something, but is saying something out of frustration. The intent is just the same as when someone says "Snap" or "Oh come on."
If there is a way that I can build someone up (by possibly using shock value as a way to get someone's attention) using language that isn't a part of my everyday vocabulary, I can't see in Scripture (either inductively or deductively) the conclusion that certain words are inherently worse than others.
However, I BY NO MEANS want anyone to think that I go around using base language all day, because I don't. I'm just convinced that while we need to consider the appropriateness of our speech, God holds our hearts accountable; and if we are trying and seeking God's enabling us to be mini-grace-dispensers (whether the form of grace be a pez candy or a hard pill to swallow) then I don't see what else God will judge us for.
If you're here that means that you've (hopefully) read my little epic on what I think the Bible says about speech , and I really hope that you don't just write it all off because it's different than what you and I have grown up hearing, but that you would think through my points, and let me know if you have objections to either the methods or the conclusions that I have in anything regarding this topic.
I love ya bro, and I'm really glad that we're friends
David
-----------------------
I know that what I will say will probably (hopefully) spur further conversation concerning this topic, but I will similarly risk your not liking me or thinking less of me in some way and let you know what I've been thinking.
I've thought A LOT about the whole issue of language and what is appropriate and inappropriate and I have come to some conclusions, and some other non-conclusions as you will see
My first conclusion was in the form of just questioning what I've always grown up being taught by simply asking, "Why?" Not necessarily in a rebellious "I don't want to obey" type of attitude, but just asking, "Why do we have such stringent rules the way we do?" I thought to myself that if one is to own such standards/rules/guidelines, or even more strongly perhaps, an moral injunction, one should be able to support such rules with clear Scriptural support, not just a few misapplied verses.
Having asked the "Why?" question, I began to get feedback. Many people said that the Bible clearly speaks against "cursing", "swearing", and using "filthy/corrupt language."
Looking at cursing for instance, the Bible speaks of cursing as cursing another person, not as we would say that someone "cursed someone out." That kind of application isn't used in the Bible. Cursing is more like speaking beguilements towards someone or something, such as the kind of mockery Jesus endured on the cross as he had many men speak curses to him, wishing ill and harm to him as he was on trial and hanging being slapped and asked to prophesy. You know the story. Also, a few more examples of cursing are things like Job cursing the day he was born, or when King Balak asks Balaam to curse Israel. It seems ridiculous that the king would ask Balaam to just utter a "curse word" against Israel, but actually to prophesy evil upon them. A modern example would be saying "D- you" out of anger towards another person. Those are the kinds of things against which the Bible directly speaks.
Swearing seems even more straightforward than cursing. When the Bible speaks of swearing, as in Matthew 5, Jesus says, “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all by heaven, for it is the throne of God... Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil." Jesus equates swearing with oath-making. There should be no need to say "I swear on my mother's life that I didn't take the cookie." Our word should be so trustworthy that we are taken to sincerely mean what we say.
We could do word studies on these word usages, as many have done- and compile a laundry list of places in which both words have been used, but in none of the cases I have found have I seen either of those words mean anything other than the things that I mentioned.
This discussion gets interesting when the third reason given against using "sinful words" is brought up, and the most clear passage cited is Ephesians 4:25ff. Paul makes a list of things in the format of "Don't do this, but instead do this, the reason being... (and applies an aspect of the Gospel to each particular instance)." Specifically, we're looking at verse 29, "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." The issue here hinges on the definition of "corrupting talk." I won't make up some Greek word that supports my argument, because frankly, I don't know Greek . However, we can get an idea of what Paul means by seeing the positive speech qualities with which he contrasts "corrupting talk." He says that things that should be uttered should not be corrupting, but are things that are 1) useful for building up, 2) fitting for the occasion, and 3) used to give grace to the hearer.
It may seem like an open and shut case on the side of never using any kind of "bad words" at all, but I ask that you look at the broader context of the way that Paul talks. First, building others up does not mean that we are supposed to make everyone feel nice and warm inside. If that were true, then Jesus sinned all the time. His purpose was to use the means necessary to (sometimes in a jarring way) proclaim truth. Paul says in Ephesians 4:15 that we are to grow up into the head (of the body of the church) which is Christ. That is our motive- we need to do whatever we can to help people understand truth, so that they will see God in a clearer way in order to help someone in their process of sanctification. So things that build up may be something like, "The Spirit was moving through your message today, pastor", but may also be some a variation of "You need to get your head where it needs to be and see what's actually going on here in 'x' situation." Both are things that will hopefully build up a brother/sister- one nicely, the other more harshly.
For a word to be fitting for the occasion, it may similarly be an expression of blessing to a minister, or a warning to a straying brother or sister who may be harmfully affecting himself and/or others.
Ultimately, God-centered words are meant to give grace to the hearer. I think it's interesting that God does not define unwholesome talk by way of a vocabulary list. He could have done that. The reason I think He chose not to do such a thing is because rather than denigrating the battle for words by making about a list of "do's" and "don'ts", He makes it a matter of intention.
There are certain words that are condemning and judgmental, the foremost of this category being the "G-D" word. This word explicitly invokes the name of God to curse something that we have ABSOLUTELY no power to curse. It's the same thing to say D- You to any person for the purpose of wishing harm upon them.
There are also words that have very inappropriate sexual meanings that I would never want to say them because in saying them, they bring up sexual thoughts that should not be thought of at any time, regardless of the person.
Then there are words that are not sexual or condemnatory, but fall into the category of social politeness- words for excrement being among these. As an example, we wouldn't talk about the details of cleaning up after the dog during Thanksgiving dinner. God considers the heart of the words said (intention) more important than parsing out the uses of culturally defined words (vocabulary list).
Looking at Jesus, He always went right to the core of the matter- He never said, "You need to do x, y, and z to be one of my good disciples." He said that the summary of the WHOLE LAW was to love God with all of your heart and your neighbor as you would yourself. If we love God with our whole hearts, then the things that we say and do will directly follow from that heart (Matthew 15:18). That's why I don't see a problem using a euphemism to make a certain point about something I see as important. In this case, it really bothers me when people are under the delusion that real men are not allowed to cry. I used the phrase that I did because I honestly didn't see a problem with using it. I wasn't thinking, "Aha! Here's a way to toe the line of sin and still be not be sinning!"
While slightly unrelated to this specific instance, I also see just as much of a problem saying something like "Dang it" as I would saying "Oh snap" when something doesn't go the way it was supposed to- because someone that says "Dang it" isn't using that phrase in a way to inappropriately condemn something, but is saying something out of frustration. The intent is just the same as when someone says "Snap" or "Oh come on."
If there is a way that I can build someone up (by possibly using shock value as a way to get someone's attention) using language that isn't a part of my everyday vocabulary, I can't see in Scripture (either inductively or deductively) the conclusion that certain words are inherently worse than others.
However, I BY NO MEANS want anyone to think that I go around using base language all day, because I don't. I'm just convinced that while we need to consider the appropriateness of our speech, God holds our hearts accountable; and if we are trying and seeking God's enabling us to be mini-grace-dispensers (whether the form of grace be a pez candy or a hard pill to swallow) then I don't see what else God will judge us for.
If you're here that means that you've (hopefully) read my little epic on what I think the Bible says about speech , and I really hope that you don't just write it all off because it's different than what you and I have grown up hearing, but that you would think through my points, and let me know if you have objections to either the methods or the conclusions that I have in anything regarding this topic.
I love ya bro, and I'm really glad that we're friends
David
Sunday, June 19, 2011
I'm A Loser
“I will not boast in anything: no gifts, no power, no wisdom. But I will boast in Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection! Why should I gain from His reward? I cannot give an answer! But this I know with all my heart- His wounds have paid my ransom!”
This line is from a hymn and recently popularized Praise and Worship song called How Deep The Father’s Love For Us. I popped a CD into the CD player after trying to find something to do following cancelled plans with some friends. On the way out of the gym as I scoured anything resembling a coffee shop (in a city that is terribly lacking of such an establishment), I was blown away by this deep and life-altering line.
I am what you call an “emotional person”; and after listening to this song and singing my lungs out, I just started to cry right there at the stoplight waiting to turn left into the Starbucks plaza. I had a realization that I’m not sure that I’ve had before.
I’m a loser.
I do not mean this in a false-humility (hopefully) or self-deprecating type of way, but really. I am a loser. I am not “winning.” I really love myself. I work out, and then I praise myself for working hard and become happy that I’ve seemed to make some physical progress.
I worship my mind. If I hear a “deep” concept that I think that I can wrap my mind around, I get smug and arrogant. If I feel like I can successfully argue a hard philosophical or theological point, then I do the same thing. I love feeling intellectually superior over as many people that I can.
This is how much of a loser I am: I worship my “social progression.” I see where I came from as a 16-year-old jerk to “where I am now” after 3 years of education outside of being homeschooled for most of my grade-school education. I make the connection that because I used to feel very uncomfortable in large groups of people (especially groups that include a noticeable amount of females) and now I feel totally comfortable in any setting, I am of a higher quality than others who may not be “so socially gifted.”
Even if all of these things were true and I was a workout beast, intellectual giant, and a social guru, the problem remains: I feel miserable. Really, I feel miserable. Especially over the last week, I’ve felt hopeless, helpless, and very lacking in joy. How can this be? I’m a Christian right? Right. That’s the point. I’m a Christian, and have the same feelings and inclinations that I did when I wasn’t. What does this mean? It means that the effects of the soul-saving and spirit-securing Gospel of Jesus Christ has not been driven to the deepest recesses of my heart… yet.
I want to dispel the myth that once ‘you’ become a Christian ‘you’ have no doubts, fears, worries, or massive shortcomings. You do. Not only do your problems not go away, you become much more aware of the many problems that you have. The difference between a Gospel-believer and a non-Gospel-believer is not at all a mitigation of these problems, but is simply the presence of the Holy Spirit and the power of Christ’s resurrection in life to defeat sin and to possess the ability to dispense infinite amounts of grace and forgiveness to anyone who needs them.
After contemplating why I feel so miserable, I’ve realized how little I boast in my weakness, and how equally little I boast in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. I love to bask in all of the previously mentioned idiocies of mine, and think about how much “strength” I seem to have. However, when something happens, such as finding out that a very close friend has been abused in extremely damaging ways, my feeble framework of self-preservation falls flat on its face with no recovery plan or 6-step program for self-improvement. I have nothing to say or anything to offer to someone that has hurt in ways that I have never hurt like that.
When I am boasting in my weaknesses, the healing power of God shines through clearly; but when I am not boasting in my weaknesses but smugly relying on worthlessness, there is no vital, vibrant, or restoring power of the Gospel in my lifestyle which plays out in my attitude. Nobody can be encouraged by someone who is self-focused in such an others-neglectful way.
As one of my more favorite pastors has said, “You can’t lead anyone to Christ and the cross if you haven’t been there yourself!” I want my modus operandi to be one of constant confession of my sin to God and to everyone around me, for the purpose of exposing my sin so that if anyone sees anything good in me, they will know for sure that it has nothing to with me, but God who is working in me to both will and to do His good pleasure.
I’m a loser.
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me both was and is not in vain.
Deus Spes Nostra.
This line is from a hymn and recently popularized Praise and Worship song called How Deep The Father’s Love For Us. I popped a CD into the CD player after trying to find something to do following cancelled plans with some friends. On the way out of the gym as I scoured anything resembling a coffee shop (in a city that is terribly lacking of such an establishment), I was blown away by this deep and life-altering line.
I am what you call an “emotional person”; and after listening to this song and singing my lungs out, I just started to cry right there at the stoplight waiting to turn left into the Starbucks plaza. I had a realization that I’m not sure that I’ve had before.
I’m a loser.
I do not mean this in a false-humility (hopefully) or self-deprecating type of way, but really. I am a loser. I am not “winning.” I really love myself. I work out, and then I praise myself for working hard and become happy that I’ve seemed to make some physical progress.
I worship my mind. If I hear a “deep” concept that I think that I can wrap my mind around, I get smug and arrogant. If I feel like I can successfully argue a hard philosophical or theological point, then I do the same thing. I love feeling intellectually superior over as many people that I can.
This is how much of a loser I am: I worship my “social progression.” I see where I came from as a 16-year-old jerk to “where I am now” after 3 years of education outside of being homeschooled for most of my grade-school education. I make the connection that because I used to feel very uncomfortable in large groups of people (especially groups that include a noticeable amount of females) and now I feel totally comfortable in any setting, I am of a higher quality than others who may not be “so socially gifted.”
Even if all of these things were true and I was a workout beast, intellectual giant, and a social guru, the problem remains: I feel miserable. Really, I feel miserable. Especially over the last week, I’ve felt hopeless, helpless, and very lacking in joy. How can this be? I’m a Christian right? Right. That’s the point. I’m a Christian, and have the same feelings and inclinations that I did when I wasn’t. What does this mean? It means that the effects of the soul-saving and spirit-securing Gospel of Jesus Christ has not been driven to the deepest recesses of my heart… yet.
I want to dispel the myth that once ‘you’ become a Christian ‘you’ have no doubts, fears, worries, or massive shortcomings. You do. Not only do your problems not go away, you become much more aware of the many problems that you have. The difference between a Gospel-believer and a non-Gospel-believer is not at all a mitigation of these problems, but is simply the presence of the Holy Spirit and the power of Christ’s resurrection in life to defeat sin and to possess the ability to dispense infinite amounts of grace and forgiveness to anyone who needs them.
After contemplating why I feel so miserable, I’ve realized how little I boast in my weakness, and how equally little I boast in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. I love to bask in all of the previously mentioned idiocies of mine, and think about how much “strength” I seem to have. However, when something happens, such as finding out that a very close friend has been abused in extremely damaging ways, my feeble framework of self-preservation falls flat on its face with no recovery plan or 6-step program for self-improvement. I have nothing to say or anything to offer to someone that has hurt in ways that I have never hurt like that.
When I am boasting in my weaknesses, the healing power of God shines through clearly; but when I am not boasting in my weaknesses but smugly relying on worthlessness, there is no vital, vibrant, or restoring power of the Gospel in my lifestyle which plays out in my attitude. Nobody can be encouraged by someone who is self-focused in such an others-neglectful way.
As one of my more favorite pastors has said, “You can’t lead anyone to Christ and the cross if you haven’t been there yourself!” I want my modus operandi to be one of constant confession of my sin to God and to everyone around me, for the purpose of exposing my sin so that if anyone sees anything good in me, they will know for sure that it has nothing to with me, but God who is working in me to both will and to do His good pleasure.
I’m a loser.
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me both was and is not in vain.
Deus Spes Nostra.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
7 Reasons Why Rain Is Grace From God
1) Rain is an evidence that God has not forsaken the land so as to withhold water from it (1 Kings 17:1).
2) Rain is necessary for growth. There can be no times of growth, physically or spiritually without times of rain. Physical rain is a reminder of that reality.
3) Rain is God’s evidencing that He truly does have a love for every person everywhere (Matthew 5:45).
4) We often tend to take sunny days for granted if there have been no seasons of rain. A time of rain is preparation for a time of rejoicing.
5) Rain is one of God’s means for displaying His everlasting promise that He will not send another catastrophic flood in order to destroy all flesh (Genesis 9:13-16).
6) The simple reality that rain cools off someone who is exercising or working outside points to it as a blessing that comes down from the Father of Lights.
7) While rain seems formidable and incredibly overpowering, it this occurrence that Jesus uses to display his sovereign power over nature in Matthew 8:23-27, and is also the means against which God is described as a fortress and protector. He is the Shelter in the midst of the storm (Isaiah 25:4).
2) Rain is necessary for growth. There can be no times of growth, physically or spiritually without times of rain. Physical rain is a reminder of that reality.
3) Rain is God’s evidencing that He truly does have a love for every person everywhere (Matthew 5:45).
4) We often tend to take sunny days for granted if there have been no seasons of rain. A time of rain is preparation for a time of rejoicing.
5) Rain is one of God’s means for displaying His everlasting promise that He will not send another catastrophic flood in order to destroy all flesh (Genesis 9:13-16).
6) The simple reality that rain cools off someone who is exercising or working outside points to it as a blessing that comes down from the Father of Lights.
7) While rain seems formidable and incredibly overpowering, it this occurrence that Jesus uses to display his sovereign power over nature in Matthew 8:23-27, and is also the means against which God is described as a fortress and protector. He is the Shelter in the midst of the storm (Isaiah 25:4).
Friday, May 13, 2011
For The Ladies
I've just been thinking about a lot lately (not that anything's changed), and I've been feeling that we as Gospel-believing Christians don't stress God's totally unconditional grace nearly enough. God isn't waiting to bless us until we get up and serve in the church, read our Bibles and pray more, or even sin less! If you're a believer, God has an INFINITE store of love for you! You can do NOTHING for Him to love you any more than he does! Trying hard to be good does NOTHING for us in the eyes of God: (Galatians 3:3) "Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?"
This thought is the springboard for the application of truth that I want to share as I sit here (mini-update) after a tough week getting ready to return home to NH in 15 days. If you've had any similar experiences that I've had growing up in a Christian home, you've heard the camp meeting sermons, the youth group guys/girls talks, and the indoctrination that girls, often to the exclusion of guys, need to dress (however ambiguous this term is) "modestly." The reasons that they give for dressing "modestly" are all across the gamut; motivations for doing this range from not looking like a fast and loose woman, to not being a temptation in the eyes of men, to not comparing your body with other girls, to having a sense of self-respect by not wearing "slutty" clothes. I agree that all of those things are good reasons to dress with propriety, but I firmly believe that they all miss the crux of the Gospel point entirely!
I can speak for men in this way: when guys see a girl/woman in revealing clothes or ostentatious accessories (i.e. short skirt, more-than-needed makeup, low-cut shirt, gaudy jewelry, etc.) it does a number of things. First of all, it will probably arouse thoughts in him that he has no business thinking about you. This is real. Even if he is in a "relationship", he will still recognize and replay those thoughts in his mind at moments advantageous to him. While, by God's grace, many men have learned/are learning how to put away those thoughts, it is a VERY REAL struggle (even if they are way older/younger than you).
However, this point is not what I want to hammer home. This is what is important to me- when I see a girl that wears revealing clothing, it saddens me, not just because I see that she doesn't agree with my personal morals, but because I see that she may have a lot of insecurities that run FAR deeper than that she is just "promiscuous", or whatever the condemnatory word du jour is. It is the same principle for a guy (personal experience) that works out constantly and wears size 'XS' t-shirts to school or out with his friends. At the root, it is the same problem. We are sinful people, and sinful people like to get noticed. For a guy, it may be showing off his guns or his abs, and for a girl it might be showing the more-than-necessary cleavage or short short shorts. Both unbelievers and believers that dress in ways that bring undue attention to themselves have a Gospel problem, in that unbelievers don't believe that there is a way to be fulfilled inside other than exposing themselves for the attention of onlookers, and believers are insecure because they think that they need to do something to supplement the COMPLETE AND TOTAL soul-satisfying work of Christ on the cross by getting the looks, stares, nods, winks, or whispers from onlookers.
This is why I'm sad. There is an answer to the problem of emptiness! You don't need to compare yourself to someone else, get the attention of men (or women), or even just dress in a way that accentuates how good you may perhaps look. As a brother, I BEG that you would consider what I'm saying! Please! I know it's something that is very close to you, even possibly something that is a part of your identity as a person, but I don't want to see that the way you dress is more important to you than the THE TOTAL AND COMPLETE SOUL-SATISFYING POWER OF THE GOSPEL!!! You don't need the approving looks from guys that you walk past or the other girls you hang out with, because Jesus is so much better!
I ABSOLUTELY DON'T want you to think that God somehow likes you more if you wear Puritan dresses and have really long hair and don't wear makeup; because that's the same insecurity, but on the other side of the spectrum. What I want to communicate is that it is a blessing to my soul when I see women that don't let their shirt puff out when they bend over, because they understand that they don't need to direct attention towards themselves to feel deeply loved and satisfied in the deepest parts of their spirit. Instead, they love Jesus and they know that He loves them, and He is ALL.
I hope that I'm appealing on a deeper level than the self-focused "You need to consider your testimony." I'm fairly certain that we can't be rightly motivated unless it's out of love for the gospel in response for what Jesus accomplished there. God isn't happy with obedience to the rules that we've been taught our whole lives, God is happy when we love Him for who He is and live the minutia of our lives in response to the love with which He loved us. The message of complete self-affirmation in the Gospel is so much more powerful, and really, I'm convinced that it makes a lot more sense.
Thanks for listening, and I hope you think on these things :)
Deus Spes Nostra
This thought is the springboard for the application of truth that I want to share as I sit here (mini-update) after a tough week getting ready to return home to NH in 15 days. If you've had any similar experiences that I've had growing up in a Christian home, you've heard the camp meeting sermons, the youth group guys/girls talks, and the indoctrination that girls, often to the exclusion of guys, need to dress (however ambiguous this term is) "modestly." The reasons that they give for dressing "modestly" are all across the gamut; motivations for doing this range from not looking like a fast and loose woman, to not being a temptation in the eyes of men, to not comparing your body with other girls, to having a sense of self-respect by not wearing "slutty" clothes. I agree that all of those things are good reasons to dress with propriety, but I firmly believe that they all miss the crux of the Gospel point entirely!
I can speak for men in this way: when guys see a girl/woman in revealing clothes or ostentatious accessories (i.e. short skirt, more-than-needed makeup, low-cut shirt, gaudy jewelry, etc.) it does a number of things. First of all, it will probably arouse thoughts in him that he has no business thinking about you. This is real. Even if he is in a "relationship", he will still recognize and replay those thoughts in his mind at moments advantageous to him. While, by God's grace, many men have learned/are learning how to put away those thoughts, it is a VERY REAL struggle (even if they are way older/younger than you).
However, this point is not what I want to hammer home. This is what is important to me- when I see a girl that wears revealing clothing, it saddens me, not just because I see that she doesn't agree with my personal morals, but because I see that she may have a lot of insecurities that run FAR deeper than that she is just "promiscuous", or whatever the condemnatory word du jour is. It is the same principle for a guy (personal experience) that works out constantly and wears size 'XS' t-shirts to school or out with his friends. At the root, it is the same problem. We are sinful people, and sinful people like to get noticed. For a guy, it may be showing off his guns or his abs, and for a girl it might be showing the more-than-necessary cleavage or short short shorts. Both unbelievers and believers that dress in ways that bring undue attention to themselves have a Gospel problem, in that unbelievers don't believe that there is a way to be fulfilled inside other than exposing themselves for the attention of onlookers, and believers are insecure because they think that they need to do something to supplement the COMPLETE AND TOTAL soul-satisfying work of Christ on the cross by getting the looks, stares, nods, winks, or whispers from onlookers.
This is why I'm sad. There is an answer to the problem of emptiness! You don't need to compare yourself to someone else, get the attention of men (or women), or even just dress in a way that accentuates how good you may perhaps look. As a brother, I BEG that you would consider what I'm saying! Please! I know it's something that is very close to you, even possibly something that is a part of your identity as a person, but I don't want to see that the way you dress is more important to you than the THE TOTAL AND COMPLETE SOUL-SATISFYING POWER OF THE GOSPEL!!! You don't need the approving looks from guys that you walk past or the other girls you hang out with, because Jesus is so much better!
I ABSOLUTELY DON'T want you to think that God somehow likes you more if you wear Puritan dresses and have really long hair and don't wear makeup; because that's the same insecurity, but on the other side of the spectrum. What I want to communicate is that it is a blessing to my soul when I see women that don't let their shirt puff out when they bend over, because they understand that they don't need to direct attention towards themselves to feel deeply loved and satisfied in the deepest parts of their spirit. Instead, they love Jesus and they know that He loves them, and He is ALL.
I hope that I'm appealing on a deeper level than the self-focused "You need to consider your testimony." I'm fairly certain that we can't be rightly motivated unless it's out of love for the gospel in response for what Jesus accomplished there. God isn't happy with obedience to the rules that we've been taught our whole lives, God is happy when we love Him for who He is and live the minutia of our lives in response to the love with which He loved us. The message of complete self-affirmation in the Gospel is so much more powerful, and really, I'm convinced that it makes a lot more sense.
Thanks for listening, and I hope you think on these things :)
Deus Spes Nostra
Friday, April 15, 2011
Why The Bible Shouldn't Have Verses
I love Bible school. This week has been the week that many of us from Bethlehem College and Seminary students have volunteered at the Gospel Coalition Conference ’11 in Chicago. Earlier this week, I was having conversation with one of the seminarians, and we were talking about whether or not the advent of chapters and verses in the Bible are truly helpful. We both agree that it is convenient to have chapters and verses in order to reference different parts of this massive 66 book anthology, but because of chapters/verses, there have been some pretty detrimental consequences that have come about as a consequence of diving the Bible into chapters and verses. It also may be helpful to note that these demarcations of the text were instituted within the last 600 years, so they certainly not inspired by a long shot.
With some publications of the Bible, which were most of the Bibles that I grew up reading, the passages are printed with each verse parsed out as each its own beginning of a new paragraph. Reading and studying these Bibles can be dangerous, because it is very easy to look at each verse as its own thought, independent from its wider context. This can be especially dangerous when studying one particular doctrine, when one or two verses jump off the page; and being their own entity, they can be used to manipulate the intent of the passage to something that the author was not actually intending at all.
On the other hand, for someone to argue that verse delineations are not helpful at all is out of his mind. However, while there is much more to say on this, I believe there is a strong case to be made that in the realm of theological study, verses have not ultimately been helpful in understanding each passage for the message that it was originally intended to be read. It would be more time-consuming to consistently read larger portions of Scripture, but I would be interested to see if taking such an approach to Scripture reading would affect us differently? Who knows. Just some thoughts from a young Bible school student. I would love to read thought/opinions in the comment section below. Please share!
Deus Spes Nostra
Friday, April 8, 2011
Moment of Cogency v1.0
"Hanging on to every word you speak, because it's all that I need. Hanging on to every word you say, to light up my way. Even every little whisper I'm hanging on as if it were my life, I'm hanging on."
That's the chorus to a Britt Nicole song that I just listened to as we just finished up a really busy week here at the incubator for theological students. We studied the Pastoral Epistles on Monday, had 3.5 hours of lecture on Calvinism/Arminianism on Wednesday, and listened to 2 hours on Hebrews today. All while trying to write an 8 page paper on limited/definite atonement which was due today (my choice). I listen to that song as I process this week, pending conversations, and the coming trip to Chicago, and I realized that I don't believe a word of that song. I got up at 5:15 this morning to exercise; while I was in the middle of running, I realized that I'm wasting my life. I haven't been in the Scriptures to get to know God for months. I have not been hanging on every word He speaks. I've been just floating along, not affecting the kingdom or spreading the gospel. I'm wasting my life. My freshman year of college is almost over. I will be home for my first college summer in 50 days. I have not done anything to pour into other peoples' lives, I've just taken for myself and expected MOUNDS of grace and LOADS of service. This has all culminated in today's realization that I am not furthering the kingdom with my life and pursuing recognition to be seen and praised by men.
I'm just tired. I'm getting really sick of pursuing things that make me feel good and scrape hours, days, weeks, months, years off of my life, and I just need to grow up. The only problem is, the more of the onus that I put on myself to just grow up and dress for action like a man, the more I fail and get more miserable. What do you know, I guess I'm seeing that the gospel really is true after all.. To put it in worldly terms, I feel like I'm having a pre-mid-life crisis. I see friends that are playing college basketball, and I want to play college basketball. I see friends that are in a relationship, and I want a girlfriend. I see married couples that are learning the intricacies of living together and having little babies, and I want to get married and have kids. I know in my mind that those things are not for me right now, but I still want them all. The problem is that I see God's calling for my life as being something much more than that. I am gaining clarity on what I honestly can see God doing in me; but at the same time, I have such an aversion to pursuing excellence in those areas. I feel the draw to the world and to worldly things, but they are so transient! I just can't see myself totally pursuing worldly things, because it just seems like SUCH a worthless waste of time. I'm almost 20, and I haven't done anything with myself to present to God when I get to heaven. Maybe that's the point. Sometimes I think I never do enough, sometimes I think I try too hard and don't just rest in what God has done. I get jealous and sad about the fact that I can't sing like Putnam, play guitar like Thom, play basketball like Fields, make friends like Gerstl, think and read like Griffith, teach like Rigney, or love people like Schmitter.
I've hit the wall. I can't really find the energy to keep trying to run through. It's too hard. I have no self-control. I go on food binges of eating a whole box of Hot Tamales and another box of Milk Duds.. In the same day. I'm breaking down... but
Deus Spes Nostra
That's the chorus to a Britt Nicole song that I just listened to as we just finished up a really busy week here at the incubator for theological students. We studied the Pastoral Epistles on Monday, had 3.5 hours of lecture on Calvinism/Arminianism on Wednesday, and listened to 2 hours on Hebrews today. All while trying to write an 8 page paper on limited/definite atonement which was due today (my choice). I listen to that song as I process this week, pending conversations, and the coming trip to Chicago, and I realized that I don't believe a word of that song. I got up at 5:15 this morning to exercise; while I was in the middle of running, I realized that I'm wasting my life. I haven't been in the Scriptures to get to know God for months. I have not been hanging on every word He speaks. I've been just floating along, not affecting the kingdom or spreading the gospel. I'm wasting my life. My freshman year of college is almost over. I will be home for my first college summer in 50 days. I have not done anything to pour into other peoples' lives, I've just taken for myself and expected MOUNDS of grace and LOADS of service. This has all culminated in today's realization that I am not furthering the kingdom with my life and pursuing recognition to be seen and praised by men.
I'm just tired. I'm getting really sick of pursuing things that make me feel good and scrape hours, days, weeks, months, years off of my life, and I just need to grow up. The only problem is, the more of the onus that I put on myself to just grow up and dress for action like a man, the more I fail and get more miserable. What do you know, I guess I'm seeing that the gospel really is true after all.. To put it in worldly terms, I feel like I'm having a pre-mid-life crisis. I see friends that are playing college basketball, and I want to play college basketball. I see friends that are in a relationship, and I want a girlfriend. I see married couples that are learning the intricacies of living together and having little babies, and I want to get married and have kids. I know in my mind that those things are not for me right now, but I still want them all. The problem is that I see God's calling for my life as being something much more than that. I am gaining clarity on what I honestly can see God doing in me; but at the same time, I have such an aversion to pursuing excellence in those areas. I feel the draw to the world and to worldly things, but they are so transient! I just can't see myself totally pursuing worldly things, because it just seems like SUCH a worthless waste of time. I'm almost 20, and I haven't done anything with myself to present to God when I get to heaven. Maybe that's the point. Sometimes I think I never do enough, sometimes I think I try too hard and don't just rest in what God has done. I get jealous and sad about the fact that I can't sing like Putnam, play guitar like Thom, play basketball like Fields, make friends like Gerstl, think and read like Griffith, teach like Rigney, or love people like Schmitter.
I've hit the wall. I can't really find the energy to keep trying to run through. It's too hard. I have no self-control. I go on food binges of eating a whole box of Hot Tamales and another box of Milk Duds.. In the same day. I'm breaking down... but
Deus Spes Nostra
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