On the Centrality of Death

Francis Schaeffer once said, “We are surrounded by a world that says “no” to nothing” (True Spirituality, p. 216). In fact, it is countercultural to say “no” to anything, which is well illustrated in Eden when Adam and Eve wanted to put themselves at the center. But, after becoming a Christian, we are now enabled to say “no” to things. How is this possible? It is because the Christian has experienced a death.

The scriptures tell us that we have died with Christ and that this death is central to the Christian life. This can be summed up in four passages:

Romans 6:4a – “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death”
Romans 6:6a – “We know that our old self was crucified with him”
Galatians 2:20a – “I have been crucified with Christ.”
Galatians 6:14 – “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”

In dying with Christ, we have the opportunity to say “no” to 2 things: First, the dominance of things and second, the dominance of self. Christ said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself” (Luke 9:23).

The death of Christ is central to the message of the Good News as well as the central issue in true spirituality. He was rejected, slain, raised. This is true for us too and our true spirituality – we are rejected, slain, raised. Schaeffer said, “As Christ’s rejection and death are the first steps in the order of redemption, so our rejection and death to things and self are the first steps in order of true and growing spirituality” (True Spirituality, p. 222). This is a daily process, not just a once in a lifetime event – we must take up our cross daily!

On True Spirituality

Spirituality is big business today.  Just one episode of Oprah will demonstrate this.  But what is true spirituality?  Here are some thoughts stimulated from Francis Schaeffer’s book True Spirituality.

Who Can Truly Understand True Spirituality?

Let’s begin with this statement – it is impossible to know anything about true spirituality without first being a Christian. Why?  Because of our guilt and corruption before a Holy God. This guilt and corruption blinds men and women from knowing what is true spirituality.

If guilt and corruption are our main problems, how does one get rid of them? The answer is that no human can get rid of them… we need the work of someone else and that someone else is Jesus Christ.  The basis of dealing with our guilt and corruption is the finished work of Christ + nothing, what the Reformers referred to as Sola Christus or Christ alone, and the instrument for appropriating this work is the empty hands of faith.

When Does True Spirituality Begin?

The answer is that it begins with the new birth (regeneration), which in one sense is the most important part of our Christian life in that it was the beginning of our Christian life. But, the new birth must be minimized to some degree after becoming a Christian in order to focus on actually living as a Christian (sanctification).

How Does One Experience True Spirituality?

Some people say it is by not doing certain things (legalism)?  Others say it is by not doing anything (antinomianism)? We need to say no to both of these options.  To experience true spirituality, we should live by the Law of Love – love of God and love of neighbor – made possible only by God’s empowering presence, the Holy Spirit.

The Nature of True Spirituality

True spirituality is an inward change, not just an outward change (but the outward should change as the inward changes). The Law of Love is an internal thing because love is internal, not merely external.  Schaeffer said, “the internal is the basic, the external is always merely the result” (p. 210). The internal (the heart) has been changed through regeneration, which Paul describes in this way, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV).

On Being a Christian

Bill Mounce on what it means to be a Christian:

What is a Christian? What is a simple, straight forward, easy-to-understand answer that makes use of all biblical data? For me, it is Jesus’ gate and path analogy. Being a Christian is a being a follower of Jesus. You start following at the gate, continue following as you walk along the path, and at the end of the path of perseverance is life. So for me, it is easy to say that while I celebrate the finished work of Christ on the cross and the underserved, grace-filled, regenerative work of the Holy Spirit at my conversion, there is a very real sense in which my salvation is an ongoing process culminating in glorification…

Source: Bill Mounce, Are Being Saved – 1 Cor. 15:2, Koinonia blog.

On a Tragic Loss

Tricia Williford shares the unbelievable story of the death of her husband just days ago.  She begins her story this way…

My husband died on the morning of December 23, 2010. The following is my personal account of his final hours, the story I must write. Please be advised, these paragraphs are graphic, detailed, personal, and mine. Read with caution, respect, and care.  These words hold my very heart.

You can read her story HERE.  Be sure to grab some tissues as the story is tragic and sad, yet powerful and hopeful.

Source: Tricia Williford, Final Hours, Teaching Tuck and Ty blog.

On Identity

I have a confession to make… I let my identity get wrapped up in my earthly titles instead of my heavenly title.  I saw this anew when I resigned from being Pastor of Adult Ministries at Christ Community Church on December 21, 2010. I felt (and still feel to some degree) disoriented.  Who am I?  What is my life about?  What should I do now?  I realize how little I have allowed the truth of God’s Word to serve as a foundation for who I am, but rather have depended too heavily on earthly things.  So, I go back now to God’s Word and I am reminded of my heavenly title – son!

The Apostle John is one of my favorite writers in the Bible, I think because he seems to have a tender heart.  As I have been processing through the changes in my life, I have drawn back to his first letter and the following reminders of my true identity…

“…indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3 ESV).

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are” (1 John 3:1 ESV).

“Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2 ESV).

And then throw in a dose of the Apostle Paul…

“For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him” (Romans 8:15-17 ESV).

“…he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will…” (Ephesians 1:5 ESV).

How about you? Any identity strugglers out there like me? Maybe I am the only one.

On Blogging

It is interesting to see the differences between the websites/blogs my wife follows and ones I follow.  Hers are autobiographical and personal in nature. She loves to read about families and their lives, including their successes and struggles.  For example, she follows a blog called life{in}grace, written by a woman named Edie.  In a recent post, Edie shared how, just a few days after her pastor finished a sermon series on Job, her house burned down. Here is Edie in her own words…

…at 4:30 in the morning, I awake to a terrifying amount of smoke. My husband miraculously crawls through the house to try to get to the kids. I am unable to follow him and jump out the nearest  window and meet him at the front door. We stand screaming and sobbing and helpless,unable to get up the stairs to our kids. Caiti, my guardian angel daughter, who only by a miracle was even sleeping upstairs, was already awake and ushering the little girls out of harms’ way. She even has the forethought to have them cover their faces with their pillow. The image of my oldest daughter ushering her sisters through mortal danger to safety will forever be imprinted on my heart.

She’s the angel on the bridge.
My forever hero.

She then runs around to the basement to wake Cody. He rescues our dogs. Less than  two minutes later, our house is engulfed in flames and  before daylight is burned to the ground.    Everything.   Gone.   I don’t think I stop crying all day.   And shaking on the inside. I can’t stop thinking ‘what if’. And then I can’t stop saying prayers of thanksgiving. Only God can save 6 people and 2 dogs without so much as a singed strand of hair. I cannot plumb the depths of his love and mercy.

I, on the other hand, follow websites and blogs that focus more on theological ideas.  I’m interested in what pastors, professors, and theologians are saying in the realm of the Bible and doctrine.  For example, I follow my colleague Fred Sander’s blog. In a recent post, he speaks about how Christmas is more about the person of Jesus and Easter more about the work of Christ.  Here is Fred in his own words.

Of course it’s possible to focus on who Jesus is, even while telling the story of his death and resurrection. But at Christmas, it is unavoidable: the baby is not doing anything, and we can only stand amazed at who he is. Easter may be the festival of what Jesus did, but Christmas is the festival of who Jesus is. That is why so many of the Christmas carols come back to the note of simple adoration: “Come, let us adore him.” It is also why so many of them pose questions to us like “What child is this?” Adoration for who Jesus is, rather than thanksgiving for what he does, is the secret of the strange hush that steals over us at the center of this holiday. It is why all we can do is celebrate, gather with loved ones, and exchange gifts and gratefulness.

Perhaps comparing our online reading says something about basic differences between men and woman.  Or perhaps it just illustrates a basic difference between my wife and I (and not necessarily between men and woman).  In either case, it is interesting how my wife and I compliment each other.  She pulls me out of my world of ideas and helps me be more relational and perhaps I help her with the world of ideas (?).

Perhaps there is less of a difference between us though.  The Bible and the doctrine that flows from it are personal.  The Bible tells the story of a personal God breaking into our world in order to re-establish a relationship with us, one that is characterized by a new family relationship. And the stories of people that my wife exposes me to teach me about the every day playing out of this relationship between God and His children.  I’m thankful she exposes me to people like Edie so I can witness faith in action.  By the way… Edie, you and your family are in my prayers.  Thank you for sharing your story and how God is working in and through this tragic situation.

On Pride

Pride is my greatest problem.  Is there anything I think or do that is not tainted with the sin of pride?  It is a hunger for recognition and glory and it is a sickness in my soul.

Last summer I preached a sermon about pride from Philippians 2:1-11.  I think it is the forgotten topic in the church today and the topic I attempt to forget on a daily basis.  If you are interested in hearing more about pride and its counterpart, humility, just click on the link below.

Christ Our Gracious Cure

On Contentment

I gave a talk one morning not long ago on the idea of contentment (cf. Heb 13:5-6).  The dictionary definition of contentment is to be satisfied, desiring no more than what one has.  It is the opposite of coveting, or the lust of the eyes.

How many people have contentment in this world?  It seems few have this rare and precious jewel.  Divorce, sexual obsessions, drug problems, materialism, crime, the self-help movement – all these seem to testify to the fact that we lack contentment.

Many people have recognized the benefits of contentment.  Socrates said, “He is the richest who is content with the least.”  “He is well paid that is well satisfied” (Shakespeare).  The Apostle Paul even wrote that “…godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Tim. 6:6).  So, how does one cultivate a life of contentment?  Here are some ideas:

-Trust in God’s providence.  He will provide for all your needs.

-Know that you can’t take any material thing with you after you leave this life.

-Realize what is truly essential for life (food, clothing, shelter) & be thankful to God for anything above and beyond.

-Understand that material things do not truly satisfy the deepest longings of the soul.

-Understand that contentment is a gift from God (Phil. 4:11-13)

But seek first the kingdom of God & His righteousness and all these things will be added to you-Matt. 6:33

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For further reading on the subject of contentment, check out The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment at the Deus Tecum bookstore.

On Friendship

Does the Bible speak of friendship?  Jonathan and David’s friendship is obviously in the Bible.  The Greek word “philadelphia” (cf. Heb. 13:1) refers to brotherly love and is made up of two words, one for a kindness type of love (often associated with friendship love) and the other for brother.  So, we have a friendship love, characterized by kindness, between Christian brothers (and sisters of course).  So yes, the Bible does speak of a love we can associate with friendship.  C.S. Lewis said that friends stand “side by side, absorbed in some common interest” and that common interest for Christians is Jesus Christ.  He is the center of all true Christian friendship.

Is love, in its many forms, important?  Yes.  It is a mark of true discipleship (Jn. 13:35).  It is also an indication of true spiritual life (1 Jn. 3:14).

What is the motivation for such love?  The author of Hebrews gives at least one motivation in Heb. 12:29 – “…our God is a consuming fire.”  (cf. Deut. 4:24).  What does this mean?  It seems to mean that there are breakable, consumable, burnable things and unbreakable, inconsumable, unburnable things in this world.  God will consume the burnable things (e.g., material things, etc.), but will refine the unburnable things so that they are pure.  So, the author is exhorting his readers to focus on the unburnable things, namely things like brotherly love.

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. -Matt. 6:19-21

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For further reading on friendship, I recommend Friendship by Gilbert Meilaender.  This book, along with others mentioned in this blog, can be found at the Deus Tecum bookstore.

Today is Ash Wednesday

Occasionally this time of year, I’ll see students at the university where I work with an ash cross on their foreheads.  Why do they do this?  Bad hygiene?

Today is Ash Wednesday and it has been traditionally set aside by many churches as a day of repentance and fasting.  It occurs 40 days before Easter (not counting Sundays) and marks the beginning of a 40-day period called Lent, a season of fasting and prayer before Easter.  A pastor marks a person’s forehead with ash in the sign of a cross, ash being the biblical sign of sorrow and repentance (e.g., David, Daniel, Job, etc.).   Traditionally, the pastor will recite Genesis 3:19 as he makes the ashen cross (“for you are dust, and to dust you shall return”) as a way for a person to reflect on their frail humanity and his or her need for Christ.

Protestant groups that follow this tradition include some Presbyterians, Lutherans, Wesleyans, and even some churches within the Free church movement.  Other protestant groups protest the practice, believing it should be an inward, not outward, practice.  They often cite Matt. 6:16-18 in their argument:

And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Should you observe Ash Wednesday?  It really is a matter of individual consceince.  There is nothing wrong with reflecting on one’s sinfulness or fasting, but the practice should not point merely inward, but should ultimately point to Christ.  The writer of Hebrews reminds of this when he encourages us to look “to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:2).  As with any practice or tradition, Christ should be the center.