"At [a particular institution] we have made our peace with evolution and it has been liberating and even faith-affirming. We encourage conversations to further that agenda and make no excuses for that. We are not destroying Christianity. We are saving it."
I am always thrown for a loop when I hear that Christianity is in need of saving. I am pretty sure the Bible teaches that it is we who are in need of saving. Does God the Father, the creator of the entire universe, really need our help to save Christianity (Gen 1:1)? Is Jesus, the author and perfecter of the faith, up in heaven right now wringing His hands just hoping that some of us will stand up and save Christianity for Him (John 1:1-3)? Or is the Holy Spirit, Who in the beginning hovered over the face of the primordial waters, waiting with baited breath for someone to take the initiative and put Christianity back on the right track (Gen 1:2)? I believe it is safe to say that the answer to all three of these questions is a resounding no!
We cannot "save Christianity" because Christianity is not about us; it is about Jesus (Eph 2:20). We- Christians- are sinners, who have been saved by God's grace through faith in Jesus- faith in: Who He is, what He has done, and why He had to do it. We can bring no merit or accomplishment of our own to the table, we have no bargaining chip to offer, no ace in the hole to play; we are wholly dependent on God for our initial salvation and the preservation of our relationship to Himself. God is all in all (Eph 2: 8-10).
I do not believe the author, of the above statement, meant to say that he, and others like him, him "are saving Christianity" in the way that I just addressed. I am sure he meant that, in his opinion, they are keeping Christianity relevant, engaged with the world, and scientifically honest. In any case, I do not have any real interest in debating the subject of evolution. My concern (at least in this instance), is not with the author's position on evolution, but with the anthropocentric view of Christianity that his language reveals. Statements, like the one above, completely miss the heart of Christianity- a loving and righteous God, Who created the world and is redeeming it to Himself for His own glory. Our faith is not rooted in humanity, it is not sustained by humanity, and does not depend on human understanding. God testifies to Himself and all creation declares Who He is (Rom 1:19-20).
Christianity, like its name, is founded on Christ Heb 12:2). It was not initiated by man and has no need of man's "saving." Quite the opposite; we have every need of God's saving work and without Him we can do nothing (Jhn 15:5). Tim Keller, Pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian in NYC, gave great three minute teaching on the question of what the Bible- and by extension Christianity- is all about. Check it out here: http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2010/08/26/the-bible-is-not-basically-about-you/
Friday, August 27, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Paradoxes and Contradictions
Just yesterday, I posted the following on my Facebook profile; "When wrestling with difficult passages in the Bible, it is important to keep in view the difference between contradiction and paradox. A contradiction is 'a statement or proposition that contradicts or denies another or itself and is logically incongruous." However, a paradox is "a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth'" (both definitions taken from www.dictionary.com).
So, imagine my surprise today, when I just happened to read the following: "Religious belief is complex and full of mystery, paradox, and contradiction. Those without faith often seem unable to even understand it, much less enter into meaningful conversation with believers. And often they express this with caricature and ridicule. But our conversation, as shaky and precarious as it may be, should always be anchored to whatever bits of truth we can find and agree on."
This quote is taken from an article in the Huffington Post by Karl Giberson, Ph. D., the VP of the Biologos Foundation. He is an Evangelical Christian leader who is seeking to reconcile the truth of Scripture with, what he believes, is very strong evidence to for evolution. I may not agree with him academically, but I respect his desire to see truth win out in the end. But I have to ask; why he feels he has to include 'contradiction' side by side with 'mystery and paradox?' In so doing he has halted the conversation with anyone who holds to the inerrancy of Scripture.
Two people who believe the Bible contains paradoxes, albeit see them differently, can at least have a constructive conversation. However, someone who maintains that God's Word espouses contradictions stands in opposition to what God says about Himself. Is this statement too harsh? I do not believe so; Numbers 23: 19 says, "God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?"
Make no mistakes, God is not a liar, He does not promote falsehood or contradiction, and His Word to us is faithful and true. "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work" (II Timothy 3: 16-17). Does this mean we will never disagree with one another about what the Bible is saying? Definitely not; there will always be room for disagreement. In fact, disagreement and constructive discussion can help us to grow in wisdom, understanding, and maturity. But, once we begin to tread the slope of inherent Biblical contradiction, we are on dangerous ground. Even the Apostle Peter, in the closing remarks of his second letter, wrote of how Scripture (Paul's writings in particular) can "be hard to understand." But far from giving it up to contradiction, Peter calls us to wrestle with Scripture, so as not to get " carried away" into lawlessness and instability, but to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (II Peter 3: 15-17).
So, as I said in my Facebook post, when studying Scripture, keep in view the difference between contradiction and paradox (we can easily add mystery here too). Contradiction is, at best, logically incongruous and, at worst, running the gambit of calling God a liar. So instead, let’s look at the Bible and discuss the more difficult passages in light of paradox or mystery, knowing that God is so much bigger that we (a grain of sand contemplating the desert doesn't even begin to describe it). No one has put it better than the Apostle Paul, "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 'For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?' 'Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?' For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen" (Romans 11: 33-36).
So, imagine my surprise today, when I just happened to read the following: "Religious belief is complex and full of mystery, paradox, and contradiction. Those without faith often seem unable to even understand it, much less enter into meaningful conversation with believers. And often they express this with caricature and ridicule. But our conversation, as shaky and precarious as it may be, should always be anchored to whatever bits of truth we can find and agree on."
This quote is taken from an article in the Huffington Post by Karl Giberson, Ph. D., the VP of the Biologos Foundation. He is an Evangelical Christian leader who is seeking to reconcile the truth of Scripture with, what he believes, is very strong evidence to for evolution. I may not agree with him academically, but I respect his desire to see truth win out in the end. But I have to ask; why he feels he has to include 'contradiction' side by side with 'mystery and paradox?' In so doing he has halted the conversation with anyone who holds to the inerrancy of Scripture.
Two people who believe the Bible contains paradoxes, albeit see them differently, can at least have a constructive conversation. However, someone who maintains that God's Word espouses contradictions stands in opposition to what God says about Himself. Is this statement too harsh? I do not believe so; Numbers 23: 19 says, "God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?"
Make no mistakes, God is not a liar, He does not promote falsehood or contradiction, and His Word to us is faithful and true. "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work" (II Timothy 3: 16-17). Does this mean we will never disagree with one another about what the Bible is saying? Definitely not; there will always be room for disagreement. In fact, disagreement and constructive discussion can help us to grow in wisdom, understanding, and maturity. But, once we begin to tread the slope of inherent Biblical contradiction, we are on dangerous ground. Even the Apostle Peter, in the closing remarks of his second letter, wrote of how Scripture (Paul's writings in particular) can "be hard to understand." But far from giving it up to contradiction, Peter calls us to wrestle with Scripture, so as not to get " carried away" into lawlessness and instability, but to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (II Peter 3: 15-17).
So, as I said in my Facebook post, when studying Scripture, keep in view the difference between contradiction and paradox (we can easily add mystery here too). Contradiction is, at best, logically incongruous and, at worst, running the gambit of calling God a liar. So instead, let’s look at the Bible and discuss the more difficult passages in light of paradox or mystery, knowing that God is so much bigger that we (a grain of sand contemplating the desert doesn't even begin to describe it). No one has put it better than the Apostle Paul, "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 'For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?' 'Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?' For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen" (Romans 11: 33-36).
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Saint Patrick's Legacy
Today is March 17th, 2010. Every year on this day we celebrate St. Patrick's Day. This celebration usually consists of drinking copius amounts of green beer and sometimes passing out in the parking lot outside the local pub. So this year, before imbibing too much lime colored ale, let's take five minutes to consider the heart of St. Patrick, on this the day which bears his name. Would he have enjoyed a pint of ale from the local brewery? Probably. But that was not what got him up in the morning and it certainly was not the legacy he would have hoped to leave behind.
Born a wealthy in Roman Britain, Patrick became a rebel in his youth, a slave in his young adult years, a Christian in his desperation, and a pastor and a missionary for the last two thirds of his life. He was a man of the cross, who lived his life, poured himself out, for love of Jesus and the witness of the Gospel. He went to the hardest place he could imagine, Ireland, the land in which he was previously enslaved and there preached the good news of Jesus Christ. He gloried in the message of the Cross and saw tribe after tribe of the "barbarian" Celts come to know Jesus.
The great irony in our celebration of St. Patrick's day is that we have gotten it backawards. We remember the name of Patrick, all the while acting like the pre-Patrick Celts of Ireland. Patrick did not spend last 40 years of his life on the Emerald Isle for the beer, he did for Jesus and His namesake. He lived so Jesus would be glorified and the people (of Ireland) would see His glory. In his own words, "I am a servant of Christ to a foreign nation for the unspeakable glory of life everlasting which is in Jesus Christ our Lord."
Saint Patrick's Breastplate
I bind unto myself today
The strong Name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same,
The Three in One and One in Three.
I bind this day to me for ever.
By power of faith, Christ's incarnation;
His baptism in the Jordan river;
His death on Cross for my salvation;
His bursting from the spicèd tomb;
His riding up the heavenly way;
His coming at the day of doom;*
I bind unto myself today.
I bind unto myself the power
Of the great love of the cherubim;
The sweet 'well done' in judgment hour,
The service of the seraphim,
Confessors' faith, Apostles' word,
The Patriarchs' prayers, the Prophets' scrolls,
All good deeds done unto the Lord,
And purity of virgin souls.
I bind unto myself today
The virtues of the starlit heaven,
The glorious sun's life-giving ray,
The whiteness of the moon at even,
The flashing of the lightning free,
The whirling wind's tempestuous shocks,
The stable earth, the deep salt sea,
Around the old eternal rocks.
I bind unto myself today
The power of God to hold and lead,
His eye to watch, His might to stay,
His ear to hearken to my need.
The wisdom of my God to teach,
His hand to guide, His shield to ward,
The word of God to give me speech,
His heavenly host to be my guard.
Against the demon snares of sin,
The vice that gives temptation force,
The natural lusts that war within,
The hostile men that mar my course;
Or few or many, far or nigh,
In every place and in all hours,
Against their fierce hostility,
I bind to me these holy powers.
Against all Satan's spells and wiles,
Against false words of heresy,
Against the knowledge that defiles,
Against the heart's idolatry,
Against the wizard's evil craft,
Against the death wound and the burning,
The choking wave and the poisoned shaft,
Protect me, Christ, till Thy returning.
Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
I bind unto myself the Name,
The strong Name of the Trinity;
By invocation of the same.
The Three in One, and One in Three,
Of Whom all nature hath creation,
Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
Praise to the Lord of my salvation,
Salvation is of Christ the Lord.
Born a wealthy in Roman Britain, Patrick became a rebel in his youth, a slave in his young adult years, a Christian in his desperation, and a pastor and a missionary for the last two thirds of his life. He was a man of the cross, who lived his life, poured himself out, for love of Jesus and the witness of the Gospel. He went to the hardest place he could imagine, Ireland, the land in which he was previously enslaved and there preached the good news of Jesus Christ. He gloried in the message of the Cross and saw tribe after tribe of the "barbarian" Celts come to know Jesus.
The great irony in our celebration of St. Patrick's day is that we have gotten it backawards. We remember the name of Patrick, all the while acting like the pre-Patrick Celts of Ireland. Patrick did not spend last 40 years of his life on the Emerald Isle for the beer, he did for Jesus and His namesake. He lived so Jesus would be glorified and the people (of Ireland) would see His glory. In his own words, "I am a servant of Christ to a foreign nation for the unspeakable glory of life everlasting which is in Jesus Christ our Lord."
Saint Patrick's Breastplate
I bind unto myself today
The strong Name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same,
The Three in One and One in Three.
I bind this day to me for ever.
By power of faith, Christ's incarnation;
His baptism in the Jordan river;
His death on Cross for my salvation;
His bursting from the spicèd tomb;
His riding up the heavenly way;
His coming at the day of doom;*
I bind unto myself today.
I bind unto myself the power
Of the great love of the cherubim;
The sweet 'well done' in judgment hour,
The service of the seraphim,
Confessors' faith, Apostles' word,
The Patriarchs' prayers, the Prophets' scrolls,
All good deeds done unto the Lord,
And purity of virgin souls.
I bind unto myself today
The virtues of the starlit heaven,
The glorious sun's life-giving ray,
The whiteness of the moon at even,
The flashing of the lightning free,
The whirling wind's tempestuous shocks,
The stable earth, the deep salt sea,
Around the old eternal rocks.
I bind unto myself today
The power of God to hold and lead,
His eye to watch, His might to stay,
His ear to hearken to my need.
The wisdom of my God to teach,
His hand to guide, His shield to ward,
The word of God to give me speech,
His heavenly host to be my guard.
Against the demon snares of sin,
The vice that gives temptation force,
The natural lusts that war within,
The hostile men that mar my course;
Or few or many, far or nigh,
In every place and in all hours,
Against their fierce hostility,
I bind to me these holy powers.
Against all Satan's spells and wiles,
Against false words of heresy,
Against the knowledge that defiles,
Against the heart's idolatry,
Against the wizard's evil craft,
Against the death wound and the burning,
The choking wave and the poisoned shaft,
Protect me, Christ, till Thy returning.
Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
I bind unto myself the Name,
The strong Name of the Trinity;
By invocation of the same.
The Three in One, and One in Three,
Of Whom all nature hath creation,
Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
Praise to the Lord of my salvation,
Salvation is of Christ the Lord.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
This About Sums It Up
"Who delivered up Jesus to die? Not Judas, for money; not Pilate, for fear; not the Jews, for envy;- but the Father for love!" - Octavius Winslow
Much thanks to John R. Stott who included this quote in his masterpiece 'The Cross of Christ.'
Much thanks to John R. Stott who included this quote in his masterpiece 'The Cross of Christ.'
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Thank You New Day Church!
I am so thankful to New Day Church in Grandview, MO for four awesome years of the Gospel, worship, and community! Thank you for giving my wife and I the opportunity to meet one another, get married, and serve to Lord with you. Sarah and I will miss you all dearly. However, we are excited about what the Lord has in store... both for us and for New Day. So, that being said, "to Him who is able to keep us from stumbling and to present us blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen." - Jude 1: 24-25
www.newdaykc.org
www.newdaykc.org
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
A Different Gospel?
There are new teachings in the church today that are attempting to undercut the very heart of the Gospel. These new "doctrines" (a term which, I am sure, would be offensive to many who espouse them) are no more than a man centered theology. One without power, conviction, or, in the end, hope that God is truly that different then us. If we are pretty decent people and not deeply depraved, then what need do we have of God? Why did Jesus come and die, was He just a divinely inspired role model for how we are to give our lives away? That seems a bit extreme; if He wanted to be a role model He could have just come and given his entire life to feeding the poor, healing the sick, and consoling the widows. But no, He came to live like we would not live, die like we should have died, and rise like we could not rise!
Paul's words in the first chapter of Galatians resound as a warning to those who come in the name of Jesus bearing a "different gospel" and to those who listen and take their teaching to heart. "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed" (Galatians 1: 6-9).
Charles Haddon Spurgeon, speaking of the church in his day said the following:
"There has sprung up in the Church of Christ an idea that there are many things taught in the Bible which are not essential; that we may alter them just a little to suit our convenience: that provided we are right in the fundamentals, the other things are of no concern.... But this know, that the slightest violation of the divine law will bring judgments down upon the Church, and has brought judgments, and is even at this day withholding God's hand from blessing us.... The Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible.... Until we come back to that the Church will have to suffer.... Our victories of the Church have not been like the victories of olden times. Why is this? My theory to account for it is this. In the first place, the absence of the Holy Spirit in great measure from us. But if you come to the root of it to know the reason, my fuller answer is this: the Church has forsaken her original purity, and therefore, she has lost her power."
Why is the church lacking for power or potency? Because, we lack conviction, which is rooted in a right understanding of the Cross of Christ, fired and refined by the Word of God, and sealed to our hearts by the Holy Spirit. But, many who say "Lord, Lord" will give up these truths in search of a weaker, watered down theology, one which will not offend the masses! But what then is forsaken? Simply the very words of Jesus: “Go and tell... what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me” (Luke 7: 22-23).
However, if we will love the Cross, cherish and search the Word of God, and truly open ourselves to the Holy Spirit, then these words of Jesus are for us, "You will see greater things than these.... Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man” (John 1: 50-51).
Paul's words in the first chapter of Galatians resound as a warning to those who come in the name of Jesus bearing a "different gospel" and to those who listen and take their teaching to heart. "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed" (Galatians 1: 6-9).
Charles Haddon Spurgeon, speaking of the church in his day said the following:
"There has sprung up in the Church of Christ an idea that there are many things taught in the Bible which are not essential; that we may alter them just a little to suit our convenience: that provided we are right in the fundamentals, the other things are of no concern.... But this know, that the slightest violation of the divine law will bring judgments down upon the Church, and has brought judgments, and is even at this day withholding God's hand from blessing us.... The Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible.... Until we come back to that the Church will have to suffer.... Our victories of the Church have not been like the victories of olden times. Why is this? My theory to account for it is this. In the first place, the absence of the Holy Spirit in great measure from us. But if you come to the root of it to know the reason, my fuller answer is this: the Church has forsaken her original purity, and therefore, she has lost her power."
Why is the church lacking for power or potency? Because, we lack conviction, which is rooted in a right understanding of the Cross of Christ, fired and refined by the Word of God, and sealed to our hearts by the Holy Spirit. But, many who say "Lord, Lord" will give up these truths in search of a weaker, watered down theology, one which will not offend the masses! But what then is forsaken? Simply the very words of Jesus: “Go and tell... what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me” (Luke 7: 22-23).
However, if we will love the Cross, cherish and search the Word of God, and truly open ourselves to the Holy Spirit, then these words of Jesus are for us, "You will see greater things than these.... Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man” (John 1: 50-51).
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