Search

Living Theologically

theology and the Christian life

Open Search

What’s Your “Thing?”

A brilliant and insightful question, right?! But seriously consider this for a moment with me: What’s your “thing?”

This is something I’ve been chewing on over the last few weeks since I finished reading Walter Isaacson’s biography on Steve Jobs. It’s a fascinating (long!) book, and I’m really glad I read it. There’s a ton about Jobs that we should NOT emulate, but it’s difficult to not be inspired by his focus and determination. As a leader, I would hate to follow him because of how he treated people; but as an innovator there is much for me to learn.

The big idea I walked away with is this: There’s only so much you can do, and do well. It’s better to do one or two things really really well than to do many things mediocre. I don’t want to live in mediocrity. I want to live well, I want to make an impact in the world for Christ, and I hope you do too.

So this begs the question… what’s your “thing?” What is it that you are more passionate about? When you look at your life, your family, your work or your ministry – what is it that ties everything together? Try to be more specific/narrow than saying “Jesus.” The Christian’s faith in Christ should be central for every Christian… I’m encouraging you to consider what is your distinctive passion?

Jobs’ passion was getting simple computing into the hands of the common consumer. For me, I’m passionate about showing the beauty of the Church to a world who looks down on organized religion. Job’s passion took various forms throughout his life, and I’m sure mine will too; but it’s been a good exercise to look back throughout my life and discover this common thread running and guiding me to where I am today. And I’m excited to see how that “Thing” will continue to guide and inspire me in the coming years and decades (God-willing).

So… What’s your “Thing?” If you’re willing to share or want to process this together, I’d love to hear and discuss it together in the comments below.

0

Theology isn’t the goal of faith, Love is

Evangelical Christians have a habit of being known more for what we believe theologically/ideologically than for how we live. And when those outside our camp think about how we live, “hypocrite” is the frequent accusation. I’m not here to debate whether or not that’s a fair accusation, but I’ve been challenged twice just today to remember the centrality of love for God in the Christian life.

I was rereading Revelation 2-3’s letters to the churches and was struck again by the Letter to the Ephesian Church. Here’s what immediately jumped out at me:

“I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.” (vv.2b-4)

What Caught My Attention
As someone who named his blog “Living Theologically” I doubt I need to tell you that theological faithfulness is important to me. The name of this blog isn’t just an idea that I came up with, it really is a description of how I think, make decisions, observe what’s around me, even how I make jokes (or attempt to, at least). Accordingly, I naturally filter what I hear and read through a biblical and theological lens.

The Ephesian Church did the same thing, and yet they were rebuked because the did this at the expense of love. How often do I, and how often do we as thoughtful Evangelicals, think theologically in a way that separates doctrine from love?

No Division Necessary
Theological faithfulness and passionate love for God belong together. One without the other either leads to sterile faith or rootless faith. Scripture consistently affirms God’s passionate love for humanity. Why, then, do we who desire to know him thoroughly fail to show the kind of love towards him that we are trying to understand?!

As I/we continue to grow in our understanding of who God is and what He’s done and what He’s calling us towards, let us do so with our eyes firmly fixed on God Himself, not on our theology books or creeds. When we desire theological clarity more than we desire intimacy with Christ then we are in danger of forsaking our “first love.” As the A.W. Tozer quote above reminds us, “The Devil is a better theologian than any of us and is a devil still.”

The Heart of the Christian Faith is Love
The heart of Christianity is love: God’s love for us, our love for Him, and our love for each other. As the Apostle Paul concludes in the famous “love chapter,”

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” (vv.1-3)

Theological precision is good, it’s something I am committed to – but love is better. I know from experience the coldness of theological faithfulness when one’s heart begins to harden towards God. I want a soft heart that is filled with wonder that God would love me. I want a discerning heart that would give someone a word of comfort and hope before I jump to correct their theology.

I don’t think I’m alone. I think there are many who hear the words to the Church in Ephesus and are convicted about forsaking their love for God in exchange for theological accuracy. Let’s not throw theology in the dumpster or say it’s not essential (it is, just read the words to the Church in Thyatira!), but let’s remember that Love is primary.

  • Do not let God’s love for you grow boring or theoretical
  • God is more than “a good idea” …  ask yourself whether or not you have affection for God
  • When God’s love for you (or your love for Him) begins to grow cold, you can assume that your love for other people has already iced over. You cannot love God without loving other people (1 John 4:20), so if you want to recover your love for God then send some “Thank You” cards, give to those in need (out of genuine love, not pity), and listen carefully to those around you (and refrain from being the “answer guy” who knows the solution to all their problems… just listen).

Note: I heard John Piper talk on the relationship between the heart and the head last year at a Gospel Coalition: New England conference. I haven’t read his book Think, but I know it dives into this topic more fully… if you hear nuances of what Piper writes about in this post it’s probably coming from the talks I heard last year. 

I’d love to hear from those of you out there who share this struggle with me, please add your insights in the comment section regarding the relationship between theological faithfulness and all-out love for God. I know I’m not alone… 

 

3

Protected: What Makes Homosexuality Different From Other Sins?

This content is password-protected. To view it, please enter the password below.

Understanding the Lord’s Prayer

Many people can recite the Lord’s Prayer without being able to explain what it means or answer basic questions about it.  I’d like to break it down very simply to help us all better understand what Jesus was teaching about prayer.

It’s a Pattern, Not a Chant. Jesus said, “This, then is HOW (not what) you should pray…”  Jesus gave it as a pattern for his followers to copy.  He did not intend for them to recite it as if they were chanting a magical incantation that would force God to do what they want him to do.  The different parts of the Lord’s Prayer are meant to teach us something about God, prayer, and about our need.

“Our Father in Heaven.” First, we should start our prayers by recognizing that we are praying to God Almighty who is in Heaven.  But at the same time, we approach him as a child approaches his loving father.  God is “in Heaven,” but He is our loving Heavenly Father.  Just as a respectful child approaches his father with humility and love, we also should approach praying to our Heavenly Father with humility and love rather than praying as if God is a “Cosmic Vending-Machine” who is there to give us whatever we ask for.  We should start our prayers by humbly recognizing who we are and who God is.

“Hallowed be your name.” We barely ever hear the word “hallowed” today, and most of us couldn’t give a good dictionary definition for it… and yet many recite it in the Lord’s Prayer without giving much thought to what we’re saying in this line.  “Hallowed” literally means “to make holy” or “to demonstrate as holy.”  So when we say “hallowed by your name,” what we are praying is, “show us how holy and perfect and ‘different from us’ you are!”  This line really is an extension of the opening acknowledgement that God is our Father in Heaven: First we recognize that God loves us and listens to us (“Our father in heaven”) and then we move on to recognize his holiness (“hallowed be your name).  God is not our buddy whom we should carelessly address, but neither is He is distant and uncaring God whom we should be terrified to pray to.

“Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” God is the King.  When we say that God is “Sovereign,” what we are declaring is that God really is in charge of everything.  Even some atheists pray when their loved ones are in a terrible life-threatening accident.  That’s because there’s just ‘something’ inside of us that tells us God is in control, and Scripture time and again affirms that idea.  The word “will” means the same as “desire,” so by praying for God’s will to be done we are praying for all that God desires to be done.  If we pray but refuse to submit to God’s authority (“your will be done…”), then we are only deceiving ourselves and we’re not really praying the way Jesus taught his followers to pray.  As Jesus’ people pray and obey God’s will for them, his kingdom is made increasingly evident to the unbelieving world around them.

“Give us today our daily bread.” God provides.  He does not give us everything we ask for, but He gives us everything we need.  This doesn’t mean that people who are dying of starvation aren’t praying enough (but it does mean that others aren’t praying “your will be done” enough!).  God provides everything we truly need. This line points back to when God was leading Israel out of Egypt and provided the Manna from heaven each morning for them to eat.  God did not give them enough to last any more than a day so that they would have to continue relying on Him to provide.  Likewise, we are are following Jesus each day can trust that He will provide everything I need for today; and tomorrow he will provide for everything I need tomorrow.  God cares for his children and takes care of them.

“Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” God is the only one who can forgive sin, I think most people agree about that.  In Matthew 6:12 the Lord’s Prayer says “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors” while Luke 2:4 says “Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.”  Scholars agree that the reason these lines are different is because Jesus probably taught them this prayer in Aramaic (which was the commonly spoken language of the day), so when they wrote the prayer in Greek they used different words to communicate what Jesus said.  This line in the prayer is significant, because we we pray we confess our sins to God and admit our need to be forgiven.  You cannot receive forgiveness if you don’t admit that you need it!

“And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.” Confessing sin to God in prayer is really important, but so is repenting from your sin.  I like to think about “Repentance” as doing an “About-Face” – imagine you’re walking one way, then you stop, turn around, and start walking in the opposite direction that you were walking in before – that’s what repentance is like.  When we confess our sin to God we are admitting our need to be forgiven and that we have dishonored God.  Confession is great, but if we do not repent of our sin then we are doomed to repeat it.  Praying this part of the Lord’s Prayer might sound like this: “God, I know that I have sinned by gossiping about my coworker.  This does not honor you and isn’t what you want from me.  I want to speak well of people and not be known as a gossip or slanderer.  When I am tempted to gossip, remind me of your desire for me to to speak well of people and make me a blessing rather than a discouragement.”  It’s important for us to realize that we cannot escape temptation on our own, no matter how “good” we are or how much self-control we have.  We are fully dependent upon the Holy Spirit who lives in Christians to give us eyes that see temptation coming and feet to escape it.

“For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen.” Technically, this isn’t in the Lord’s Prayer in Scripture and therefore some traditions don’t say this when they recite the Lord’s Prayer.  This simply is a way of closing out the prayer while again declaring God’s holiness and sovereignty.  We pray for God’s kingdom and power and glory to be lifted up and made more beautiful in the eyes of all people.  “Amen” is an expression that means “So be it” or “Make it so.”  By closing our prayers with “Amen,” we are declaring that we truly believe that God has heard everything we have said and that He will do it.

I hope this has been a helpful look into the Lord’s Prayer.  Please feel free to ask any questions as a comment below and I’ll do my best to reply with an answer.  Martin Luther’s “Small Catechism” has a section on the Lord’s Prayer which is really good, I highly recommend it for those of you who might be looking to read a bit more.

[note: I wrote this post and published it on my youth ministry’s blog, crosswalking.net in order to help parents better explain the Lord’s Prayer to their children.] 

0

Can the Bible Correct You?

I had a conversation a while ago with a friend who a Christian and is struggling through some difficult doctrines. In the midst of our conversation he said a few things I’ve been thinking about:

1. “I just don’t like it when people have an ‘I’m right and everyone else is wrong’ attitude.”

2. “I just don’t want to believe it.”

Ultimately, I think these comments come down to this question: Will you allow Scripture to correct your thinking. Here’s why I think this is the foundational question.

1. As Christians, we must be people who stand upon God’s revealed Word (the Bible) rather than our own opinions. 

2. When our opinion and God’s Word seem to be at odds, we need to be honest as we dig into Scripture to unveil the original intent (exegesis). Yes, there are cultural differences between our lives today and the culture of the Bible, but we need to be honest and have the integrity to resist merely saying, “Oh, well that was for them, not for us.” We need to honestly examine why it was for them and not for us and dig deeper than “Because that’s how I want it.”

3. When we refuse to believe what the Bible reveals, what we claim to believe about Biblical Authority and what we really believe are at odds with each other. It’s good to affirm the inspiration and authority of Scripture, but if we will not allow God’s Word to correct us then we do not really believe what we think we believe.

4. Truth brings joy. Yes, there are times when it is difficult and painful to believe some things in Scripture, and there are times when I wish I could believe differently because it would be a whole lot easier. But God’s truth brings joy… eventually. Once we see God for who He is and we understand what He has done and what He is doing then even in the midst of the difficulty of faith, we rejoice in who God is and what He has promised.

If you are wrestling with something in Scripture that you do not want to believe… that’s ok. I think we should all be in that position, because it shows that we’re being honest about our beliefs and our preferences and we’re bringing them before God.

A few tips on wrestling with Scripture:

1. Pray. Ask God to increase your faith in Him and not in yourself or in your own preferences. We need to be people who are finally and ultimately devoted to God. We may know that, but are we truly willing to be that kind of person?

2. Interpret Scripture through Scripture. That may sound confusing, but the best way to understand difficult things in the Bible is by understanding what other verses/portions of the Bible have to say about that same thing. Interpret what is obscure or unclear through what is consistently and clearly taught. This also means we should interpret the Old Testament through the lens of the New Testament (but that’s a whole other blog post for another day).

3. Dig Dig Dig. God gave you a brain, he wants you to use it. Study, research, and read what has been written. There are many sites online that provide free Bible Study tools (crosswalk.com is probably the most well known; GotAnswers.com has great Q&A type of articles too).

4. Don’t think you’re alone. You are not the first person to ask the question your asking or to study the passage you’re studying. Read what others have written, but also talk to other Christians about this. Maybe they’re wondering the same thing but think they’re alone… study it together.

5. Finally, have faith. There are some things we will simply never fully understand because we aren’t meant to. That’s not an excuse to avoid intelligently pursuing truth. Instead, it’s a call to remember that God is infinite and you are finite. God is mysterious, but He has made Himself known… in part. If you think you can explain everything about who God is and what He has done (and will do) then either your wisdom is infinite or you have made God finite. There comes a point where you may need to humbly say, “I don’t know everything I want to know, but I know enough to confidently trust God.”

One of the greatest ways we can honor God is by trusting Him when we don’t want to.

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
Hebrews 11:1

0

There’s No Such Thing as a Small Decision

Ok, so maybe that’s overstating it a bit… but the small decisions count. Honestly, I do think the small decisions we make each day count more than the big decisions we might make once a few times throughout our lives. Let me explain.

If I’m making good, wise, and courageously faithful small decisions then what kind of bid decisions do you think I’ll make?

On the other hand, if I’m blowing off small decisions as insignificant then I will be far more likely to be in a bad position to make wise choices about big decisions.

I do think it’s that simple.

Simple… yes. Easy… well, no.

Daily decisions count. That stack up on top of each other and set patterns like a small stream cutting its way through the desert. With time and repetition, decisions become habits, and habits shape and reshape our character.

All this being said: If you find your character lacking, and if you’ve been making consistently poor decisions, there is hope. There is hope through Christ, that our history doesn’t determine our future. There is hope through Christ, that today’s sin has already been atoned for. There is hope through Christ, that tomorrow’s temptation can be overcome through faithfully fighting sin with some close, trusted friends who are pursuing Christ with us. No matter how many bad decisions you’ve made, there is always hope to make the best decision possible… and that decision to repent of your sin and believe on Jesus Christ will impact your future decisions.

May the decisions we make today and every day (yes, even the “little decisions”) be good decisions, because every thing matters.

0

If Grace is Sufficient…

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
2 Corinthians 12:9

The Christian life is not one of strength, but one of weakness. We are not called to live in a way that is seeking glory, but the the cross. To be broken and poured out, not to be exalted and lifted up. “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.” (Mark 8:35).

If we want to follow Jesus, then we will follow him to the cross. For in God’s economy, glory comes only through the cross. Jesus’ promise was never that he bore the cross in order that we might receive glory without suffering. No, the promise is that there is hope and future glorification for those who endure by faith.

Martin Luther talked a lot about being a “Theologian of the Cross” rather than a “Theology of Glory.” The article linked to above is helpful in fleshing that out in ways I don’t feel the need to repeat here.

If God’s grace is sufficient, then…

  • When I have nothing left to give, God will make my pitiful offering a valuable treasure.
  • I don’t need to “have it all together” in order to be used by God.
  • I don’t need to hide in shame over my sin and failures, because they have been redeemed and used by God to demonstrate his strength.
  • I have peace, because I can trust that God is the one who bears fruit, not me.
  • I am humbled… because God chose me despite my brokenness (not because I was worthy).

In life and in ministry there are times when we simply run out of strength to offer. It is in those seasons when being a Theologian of the Cross is of particular encouragement. My usefulness in ministry (preaching, teaching, counseling, mentoring, etc.) doesn’t come from my strength, but from God’s grace. And my faithfulness in leading my family (loving my wife and kids in a way that reflects God’s perfect love and leading my family in Scripture and prayer) are also an overflow of whether or not I am drawing from the well of grace, if I’m running on reserves, or if I’m totally dry.

I’m thankful for God’s grace. Without it I’d be useless… I’d remain the self-centered, impatient, snarky guy who thinks he’s got all the answers. When I remember God’s grace, the Holy Spirit pulls me out of myself and reminds me of the patience and mercy I’ve received – and He empowers me to give what I have received.

What difference does the sufficiency of grace (not just the “idea” of grace, but the reality that you have received it by God) make in your life?

1

Love Your Children Well

A friend of mine lost his three year old son this week. He went to sleep and simply never woke up. It is a tragedy beyond my understanding, and one I pray that I would never fully comprehend. As I pray for God’s comfort and peace and hope to surround my friend and his family, it’s only natural to feel a new layer of love for my children grow. 

I want my son and daughter not only to know that I love them. I want them to feel loved. While we should not live by our “feelings,” God gave them to us, and feelings are not inherently bad or shallow or trite. 

This is something I struggle with, because I’m not much of a “feeler.” Most people who know me know I’m not a particularly emotional person and that I tend to be fairly matter-of-fact. But with my family, it is one of my greatest prayers that they would not simply know that I love them… I pray that they would feel how much I love them. 

The greatest thing a parent can do for his/her children is to love them well.  
If my kids are well-behaved but don’t feel loved by me, then I have failed them. If my kids are ridiculously smart but they believe my love for them is conditional, depending on how well they are “performing,” then I have failed them. I could almost picture the Apostle Paul including this type of scenario into 1 Corinthians 13:1-3.

In the midst of discipline, does love reign?
As a Christian dad I do not have the “luxury” of neglecting to discipline my kids because it’s easier (in the short-term). Loving your kids doesn’t mean there is no “law” or that rules are absent. But it does mean that love is freely given despite my kids’ worthiness or unworthiness. Instead, I love my children unconditionally because I know I am loved by my Heavenly Father. Personally, I think I learn more about love when I’m in the throes of discipline than when I’m laughing with my kids – because that’s when I need to remember how uniquely God loves me. 

Questions I’ve been wrestling with over the past few days:

  • Do I discipline out of love and desire to see my children desire faithfulness to God, or out of a heavy-handed authority that demands law-abiding, rule-keeping children?
  • What if God treated me the way I sometimes treat my children? 
    That thought should terrify me…
  • What if I loved my children the way God loves me? 
    That thought should bring joy to my children… 

 

6

Costly Grace

I don’t want to comment on this other than to say this paragraph is perhaps the most life-shaping paragraph that isn’t Scripture I’ve ever read. Read it slowly, and often…

“Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: ‘Ye were bought at a price’, and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship

0

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑