Question:
What is the role of spiritual discipline in the daily worship of a believer? You have said that worship is not a checklist of "spiritual things to do" like reading the Bible or going to church... but it is a way of life that encompasses everything that we do. You have also said that worship naturally flows out of our response to God's glory. However, if I only do what comes "naturally", I don't really feel like reading the Bible or praying. I really struggle with this. What is the role of using "discipline" to ensure that I do these things?
Answer: Part 1 - we are saved, and we are being saved. We are transformed, and we are being transformed. We live in the "now but not yet"
Our story of worship starts in Genesis. When God told Adam to "take care" of the Garden of Eden (Gen 2:15), the Hebrew word "take care" of the garden is the same word as that which was used to describe what the Levites did to take care of the Tabernacle and the Temple. It is a word which comes from the root word for worship. So, God's command to Adam was to worship in the garden. Worship - being a reverential, devoted service to God, was what Adam was created to do. And it would have brought him great joy, because he was fulfilling his life's purpose. Have you ever felt like you were created for great and wonderful purposes? Adam was living his great and wonderful purpose.
When Adam fell into sin, he could no longer worship. He could no longer fulfill his great and wonderful purpose. What was previously a joy to him has now become bitter toil (Gen 3:17-19). He could no longer worship God properly - he was now distracted by everything. He tries to fulfill his great and wonderful life's purpose by worship - but he worships idols instead. (Romans 1:22 describes all humanity, Adam included)
I say this, because I want you to understand where you were created to be - in the Garden of Eden, where worship is both your command as well as your great joy, where every cell of your body moved in worship and you didn't need to "discipline" yourself to do it.
We know that Christ saved us from our sins. But not only that, Christ came to reveal God's glory to us (Heb 1:3), and to bring you to God (1 Pe 3:18). And, not only that, He didn't leave us as lonely orphans to muddle our way through life, but instead gives us God Himself, the Holy Spirit, as a deposit (2 Cor 1:22). The Holy Spirit breathes new life into us (Rom 8:10), empowers us (Rom 15:19), guides us, teaches us (John 14:26), and even prays for us if we have not the words ourselves (Rom 8:26).
This, my friend, is the reality that you live in. Christ has revealed himself to you, and you have become His follower. Not only that, the Holy Spirit is God Himself with you, continuing to reveal God's glory to you so that we know Him better (Eph 1:17). I say this with affirmation because I have seen it at work in your life, and have faith that it is so. In Christ you have been made righteous, and he continues to work on you and with you to make you more and more righteous, more and more like what He has created you to be, closer and closer to getting back to that wonderful state in Eden when you could worship without need for discipline.
Your failures may feel disheartening now, but if you look back, I think you will see His work in your life. You know God so much more than you did this time last year, and worship more spontaneously and joyfully in your day-to-day life. Even more so if you compare to five years ago.
But if you yearn to finally, truly have your distractions and killed off, and worship perfectly - then know that it has been promised to you. One day we will truly see God face to face, we will see Him as he is, and this ultimate revelation will make us to be like Him (1 John 3:2-3). We will worship with God as our light, with no need for the sun or the moon - and we will all walk in the light of God (Rev 21:22-24). This is promised to you: take heart, have faith, and keep walking by the Spirit.
However, I imagine I have not answered your question fully. Because I still haven't answered the question of whether you should be using "discipline" to make yourself read the Bible, pray, serve, etc.
Let's say you take your girlfriend to a seafood picnic on the beach. It would be wrong to say that you're just there to eat some prawns - because you would never sit on a beach by yourself, on a picnic blanket, eating prawns. Even though you love the beach and you love prawns. Instead, the focus is the girl, and the shared experience with her. Her pretty face, bashful giggle, holding hands, maybe a kiss - that's what makes the experience worthwhile. A guy sitting on the beach eating prawns by himself is sad and maybe a bit creepy. A couple sitting on the beach doing the same thing is romantic. But don't you see? She is what makes the experience wonderful. If you didn't like the girl, the whole experience is wearisome and burdensome.
(By the way, if you haven't done so already - do it. My husband and I could tell you where to buy the seafood. She'll be yours forever. You can thank me by naming your firstborn after me.)
The same with our worship. Worship becomes easy when we are already justified by God, we are already loved by Him, and we're just doing it out of joy. Not only that, the focus of the devotions is not the act of doing them (just like the focus of your date isn't the seafood) - the devotions are merely a conduit. The true focus is God, and his glory.
If a married couple tell me that it was becoming a struggle to spend time together, and their "date nights" have become dull and routine, then I would perhaps ask them to reflect on why this is. Has something caused this rift? Have they been distracted by work, children, finances? Similarly, I would perhaps firstly ask you to consider the same. What is happening to your worship? What are you worshiping? Is there some unconfessed idolatry? You will, of course, need to seek the Holy Spirit's help to deal with this.
Secondly, as I said, worship is easy when we are already justified by God and our worship flows out of that. But is this the reason for your worship? Or are you trying to justify yourself through your worship? Checking off a list of daily devotional activities to satisfy yourself that you've done your "quota" for the day? I used to think this way. And it's often quite bereft of joy - and burdensome.
Thirdly - worship is easy when you're captivated by God's glory. Reading the Bible reveals his love story, and we're excited to read it! If we don't have time we feel frustrated! Like King David, we will say, "Oh we love your laws, we meditate on it day and night!" (Ps 119:97). Prayer draws us closer to God in a personal way, and we truly pray continually, unceasingly (1 Th 5:16). Our passion for the gospel will compel us such that we "cannot help speaking of what we have seen and heard"! (Acts 4:20). Who needs discipline to learn more about Christ when you are itching and yearning to do it? Discipline and timetables are for little school boys. You will worship like a Prince - a son of the King.
To worship like that is something closer to God's heart. But to worship like that, your heart must be captivated, captured, and raptured by the gospel. The Lord is a consuming fire, and you must be consumed.
I would encourage you to reflect on God's glory as revealed in Christ and the gospel. Lay down everything to find this precious pearl (Matt 13:45). In fact, if you identify anything that is hindering you, cut it off and let it go (Matt 5:29-30). This may cause radical changes to your life. Or it may not - just a radical change to your thinking.
Forget about praying for job, relationships, provision, etc. Just pray that He continues to unveil his glory to you and captivate your heart again. Pray hard. Do not let go until He has shown you His glory. And it is a prayer that will be answered (Jeremiah 29:13), because it is the Holy Spirit that leads you to pray this way (Gal 4:6).
If you have hit a brick wall with your Bible reading - then stop for a while. Instead seek some resource to help you nuance and give colour to what your read. Then, when the scriptures have been explained to you, your heart will be set ablaze to return to them and seek Christ in them (see Luke 24:13-32).
Resources that may be suitable for you:
-- Free seminary lectures are available from covenant seminary
-- Free lectures available from Reformed Theological Seminary via itunes U
-- Free conference talks and sermons from The Gospel Coalition - their blog is worth checking out
And, obviously, we will be praying for you.
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Is it possible to live a good life without Christianity?
Question: Is it possible to live a good life without Christianity?
There are many ways to approach this question. The traditional answer would be a simple "no", the reason being that no person can live a perfectly moral life, and need God's redemption to atone for this imperfection.
But will that simplistic answer stand? Is that all there is to it? Is Christianity a means to live a good and moral life? Can you not reach that end through some other means? If so, what good, then, is Christianity?
In previous generations, a "good" life was widely held to be one where an individual has a satisfying job (both financially and enjoyable), a nice, nuclear family, and makes a significant contribution to his or her local community as well as the wider humanity at large. But this definition of a good life will no longer stand in the current age of relativism and post-modernism. What is seen as a good life to one person may seem dull, unadventurous and indeed a waste of a life to another. To say that Christianity is the only means to live a good life sounds at best nonsensical, and at worst intolerant and self-righteous.
Moreover, greater dialogue with other cultures and religions has shown us that there are millions of industrious, friendly, "good" people who follow the teachings of Buddha, Confucius, Islam, or even Dawkins. I have a close friend who is something of an inspiration to me - a mother, wife, medical professional, who has undertaken clinical research as well as academic teaching. She juggles all of these with patience, compassion, and a sort of humble, understated confidence. When asked if she is a Christian, she said, "I don't do religion."
If it is your aim merely to live a good life in the here and now, you can certainly achieve it without Christianity. All you need is some self-help books (or even some affirmational internet memes!), meditation, a good diet and regular exercise. Ostensibly, you could even do the post-modern thing, which is to reject traditional notions of goodness, and redefine "good" as whatever your life looks like right now. And voila, you're living a good life. No need to give your life to Christ.
If I don't need Christianity to live a good life, then what is Christianity good for?
Once upon a time, there was nothing. Nothing existed except God - a powerful, infinite God, who created everything in the universe out of the mere power of his word. He made everything, and saw it was "good" - defining "good" as that which pleases the Creator.
Unique among all his creations - and they are many - he made one peculiar being - man. This being was made from dust, humble compared to the grandeur of the oceans and stars and galaxies and elephants and whales. A small, pink blob of flesh and bone, whose very life was God-breathed (Gen 2:7). This strange, small creature of flesh and bone was given the very image of God, and set over creation to have dominion over it (Gen 1:29), and enjoying intimate closeness and communication with with the Sovereign God. God gave man some instructions - which were surely to be followed with joy, because the man was created for this - to look after creation and fill it with other who will also enjoy closeness with God.
There was a particular fruit which the man must not eat - because eating it will surely bring death (Gen 2:17). But they saw it, they took, they ate, and they rebelled. Separated from the Sovereign God who breathed life into them, death was the only possible result.
Mankind has so fallen far from God, that we have forgotten what it is to be truly alive. We think we can reach fulfillment by morality - and when that doesn't work we try our hand at immorality. Morality feels good for a while, as does immorality, but it's all smoke and mirrors, a trick of the mind, a mirage. We have forgotten what it is like to truly partake in God's glory, to truly bear His image, and truly have dominion over all of creation.
This infinitely powerful, creator God, who so loved his pink blob that is man, that he took on immeasurable and inconceivable sacrifice to bring him back to Eden. The Bible is that rescue story, in which God is the hero. And Christianity is the good news of the gospel - that by faith in Christ and the indwelling of the Spirit, we once again have the breath of life (John 20:22), have dominion over creation (Romans 8:19-23), worship God (John 4:24) and fill the earth with worshippers (Acts 1:8), and bask, reflect, and partake in His glory again. (2 Cor 4:6, 2 Pe 1:3-4).
And that, my friend, is what Christianity is good for.
If you are looking to live a good life, then you should first define for yourself what "good" means - and pursue it. You will most likely find it, and you may even be happy, at least for the most part.
But if you should have the courage to look further, in Christ is the face of true glory and divinity, in the presence of which your feeble morality shrivels and shrieks. And yet Christ has paved the way for us to see him face to face (Rev 22:4), to stand in his presence (Rev 6-7), and to be like him (1 John 3:2). It may not lead to a "good" life the way your mother will define it - as you will be persecuted and misunderstood in every culture and in every generation. You will die before you can be born again, and indeed we are so fallen that redemption is almost certain to hurt. But great, so great, so great is our reward, both now and in the time to come.
That's what Christianity is good for.
There are many ways to approach this question. The traditional answer would be a simple "no", the reason being that no person can live a perfectly moral life, and need God's redemption to atone for this imperfection.
But will that simplistic answer stand? Is that all there is to it? Is Christianity a means to live a good and moral life? Can you not reach that end through some other means? If so, what good, then, is Christianity?
In previous generations, a "good" life was widely held to be one where an individual has a satisfying job (both financially and enjoyable), a nice, nuclear family, and makes a significant contribution to his or her local community as well as the wider humanity at large. But this definition of a good life will no longer stand in the current age of relativism and post-modernism. What is seen as a good life to one person may seem dull, unadventurous and indeed a waste of a life to another. To say that Christianity is the only means to live a good life sounds at best nonsensical, and at worst intolerant and self-righteous.
Moreover, greater dialogue with other cultures and religions has shown us that there are millions of industrious, friendly, "good" people who follow the teachings of Buddha, Confucius, Islam, or even Dawkins. I have a close friend who is something of an inspiration to me - a mother, wife, medical professional, who has undertaken clinical research as well as academic teaching. She juggles all of these with patience, compassion, and a sort of humble, understated confidence. When asked if she is a Christian, she said, "I don't do religion."
If it is your aim merely to live a good life in the here and now, you can certainly achieve it without Christianity. All you need is some self-help books (or even some affirmational internet memes!), meditation, a good diet and regular exercise. Ostensibly, you could even do the post-modern thing, which is to reject traditional notions of goodness, and redefine "good" as whatever your life looks like right now. And voila, you're living a good life. No need to give your life to Christ.
If I don't need Christianity to live a good life, then what is Christianity good for?
Once upon a time, there was nothing. Nothing existed except God - a powerful, infinite God, who created everything in the universe out of the mere power of his word. He made everything, and saw it was "good" - defining "good" as that which pleases the Creator.
Unique among all his creations - and they are many - he made one peculiar being - man. This being was made from dust, humble compared to the grandeur of the oceans and stars and galaxies and elephants and whales. A small, pink blob of flesh and bone, whose very life was God-breathed (Gen 2:7). This strange, small creature of flesh and bone was given the very image of God, and set over creation to have dominion over it (Gen 1:29), and enjoying intimate closeness and communication with with the Sovereign God. God gave man some instructions - which were surely to be followed with joy, because the man was created for this - to look after creation and fill it with other who will also enjoy closeness with God.
There was a particular fruit which the man must not eat - because eating it will surely bring death (Gen 2:17). But they saw it, they took, they ate, and they rebelled. Separated from the Sovereign God who breathed life into them, death was the only possible result.
Mankind has so fallen far from God, that we have forgotten what it is to be truly alive. We think we can reach fulfillment by morality - and when that doesn't work we try our hand at immorality. Morality feels good for a while, as does immorality, but it's all smoke and mirrors, a trick of the mind, a mirage. We have forgotten what it is like to truly partake in God's glory, to truly bear His image, and truly have dominion over all of creation.
This infinitely powerful, creator God, who so loved his pink blob that is man, that he took on immeasurable and inconceivable sacrifice to bring him back to Eden. The Bible is that rescue story, in which God is the hero. And Christianity is the good news of the gospel - that by faith in Christ and the indwelling of the Spirit, we once again have the breath of life (John 20:22), have dominion over creation (Romans 8:19-23), worship God (John 4:24) and fill the earth with worshippers (Acts 1:8), and bask, reflect, and partake in His glory again. (2 Cor 4:6, 2 Pe 1:3-4).
And that, my friend, is what Christianity is good for.
If you are looking to live a good life, then you should first define for yourself what "good" means - and pursue it. You will most likely find it, and you may even be happy, at least for the most part.
But if you should have the courage to look further, in Christ is the face of true glory and divinity, in the presence of which your feeble morality shrivels and shrieks. And yet Christ has paved the way for us to see him face to face (Rev 22:4), to stand in his presence (Rev 6-7), and to be like him (1 John 3:2). It may not lead to a "good" life the way your mother will define it - as you will be persecuted and misunderstood in every culture and in every generation. You will die before you can be born again, and indeed we are so fallen that redemption is almost certain to hurt. But great, so great, so great is our reward, both now and in the time to come.
That's what Christianity is good for.
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
What does freedom really look like? Part 1 - the bad news
When we think of the word "freedom", what comes to mind?
I think for most of us, the first thing that comes to mind is the ability to do whatever we like, whenever we like, however we like. We think of "freedom" in negatives: freedom from the things that prevent us from doing what we want. Freedom from persecution. Freedom from anxiety. Freedom from poverty. Freedom from rules and regulations. That sort of thing.
Christians can also fall into this kind of thinking. After all, Jesus told us that "Whom the Son sets free, is free indeed" (John 8:36). Paul told us that "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free." (Gal 5:1), and "All who rely on works of the law are under a curse" (Gal 3:10). We are told that "the righteous will live by faith" (Gal 3:11). Therefore, many Christians are tempted to believe that, as long as we have faith in Christ, we are free to do whatever we want - even if it means sinning. After all, Christ's sacrifice set us free from the results of our sin, all we need is faith! At worst, this means that "faith" has given Christians the excuse to use their "freedom" to do whatever they like. Or, at best, some Christians are confused about whether they need to follow the "rules" as set out in the Bible or not... and how this fits in to their life of faith.
Well, firstly, I'm delighted to tell you that the belief that Christians can commit whatever sin they like because of the once and for all sacrifice of Christ is an ancient heresy called Antinomianism. We are not the first ones to have thought of it -- this heresy has been around even during Paul's time (see Romans 6).
But this article is not going to be a history lesson on Antinomianism (but it is immensely fascinating stuff, feel free to look it up). Rather, I hope that I can convince you that true Christian freedom, as proclaimed by Paul and by Christ, is much more nuanced, much more complex than simply whether we follow the rules or not. I hope that I can show you that true Christian freedom, if and when we can attain it, is so much more free than you could ever imagine.
Freedom from or freedom to?
I love the movie Schindler's List, there are so many scenes that are so good for demonstrating various aspects of the Christian life... and the following scene demonstrates this idea perfectly.
About 1200 Jews, mostly from Poland, are held in a concentration camp / slave factory in Czechoslovakia at the end of the WWII. As news filters through that the Nazi armies are defeated and the war is ending, the owner of the factory as well as the soldiers guarding the camp flee, leaving the Jews alone in the camp, the gates wide open. Having no where to go, the Jews stay inside the camp.
The following morning, a solitary Russian soldier on a horse approach the camp with its wide open gates. "You have been set free by the Russian army!" the rider declares. The weary, starving Jews look up at him who proclaimed to have set them free. "Where will we go?" they ask. "We have no food."
"I wouldn't go East if I were you," the soldier says. "They hate Jews there. And I wouldn't go West either. Isn't there a village over the hill?"
And the film closes, as the viewer come to the realisation that, although they are set free from their slavery and persecution in the camp, and could indeed do whatever they want, their freedom means very little, if there is not much they are free to do, as they are displaced from from their home and have no money or food, having lost loved ones and everything that was once life. In their vulnerable, impoverished state, they very easily fall back into the slavery from which they were delivered. The deliverance from the Russian soldier was really quite laughable.
I hope I can show you that Christ's salvation is so much more powerful than that of the Russian soldier. Christ's saving act is not a one-time event that saved us from death and then leaves us to muddle through life. Instead, Christ's saving act is continually working in us, to bring us to greater and greater freedom to become what God intended us to be, what we were made for, in the beginning.
In the beginning, we were free
The Bible begins with Genesis, and a declaration that our God is a God who creates. God as the creator means not only that God made everything, but also that God is the rightful owner of all of creation, and that He is King and sovereign over everything - man, beasts, heavens, and earth. The Bible begins with a proclamation that God as creator means God is to be worshiped.
From his position as King, God created human life, and made us different from all other creation by putting his image on us. God gives Adam a mandate: rule the earth. Have dominion over all of creation - being under the rule of God alone. Adam was free to rule everything God had made, his work in the garden of Eden being an act of service and worship to God. Additionally, he alone of all creation was described to have the very image of God. Adam didn't have to work hard at being perfect, he was perfect, just by being himself, the way God made him. (Gen 1:27-30, Gen 2:15.)
Adam was in a position to worship God, enjoy God's presence, and also enjoy creation but without being ruled by creation. Adam could act according to his nature, and his nature was perfect. Adam knew what it was to be free.
Freedom exchanged for slavery: Adam's story
What happened at the Fall of mankind was more than just eating the wrong fruit. It wasn't so much that Adam discovered the difference between good and bad - God had already told him (Gen 2:16-17). Instead, Adam rejected the rule of God in his life and chose to decide for himself - and his decision was that a created object was more important than the word of the Creator. His decision cemented the rest of his life and our lives as well - all humankind afterwards, similarly, choose creation over the Creator, serving idols over the one true God. After the fall, Adam (and all humanity) still acted according to his nature, but his nature had fallen and no longer perfect. His heart still yearns for the contentment he had in God back in the garden of Eden, but his heart looks for that contentment in other things - exchanging the glory of God for idols of various kinds (Romans 1:23). Thus, sin is more than just breaking rules - sin is seeking fulfillment, contentment, security, and identity in created things rather than the Creator. The heart of sin is serving idols rather than the creator, and the idol could be anything from the idols of ancient society like carved wood and stone, to the idols of modern society like money, sex, status, or self-actualisation.
Adam would act according to his nature, but his nature was fallen, and bound to sin and idolatry... and could no longer provide him with the true contentment for which he was created. Adam, and now all humanity, was now enslaved to sin. (Romans 5:13.)
If God is King and Sovereign, He can not possibly tolerate a subversion of order in his kingdom as what Adam has done. To tolerate a subversion like this would be simply un-kingly and un-sovereign. And yet, in his mercy, God still seeks people to worship him and know him (John 4:21-25)... I say in his mercy, because God knows that our hearts are most satisfied when we find him (Ps 17:15, or as St Augustine famously said, our hearts are restless, O God, until it rests in thee. Confessions of St Augustine, Book I).
And so, God stages a rescue plan. (The below is, of course, a gross over-simplification of the plan. To get the whole thing in its glorious entirety, you'll have to read the Bible. Preferably cover to cover.)
Slavery exchanged for freedom: Israel's story
At this point you might wonder, where does the law come into it?
I think for most of us, the first thing that comes to mind is the ability to do whatever we like, whenever we like, however we like. We think of "freedom" in negatives: freedom from the things that prevent us from doing what we want. Freedom from persecution. Freedom from anxiety. Freedom from poverty. Freedom from rules and regulations. That sort of thing.
Christians can also fall into this kind of thinking. After all, Jesus told us that "Whom the Son sets free, is free indeed" (John 8:36). Paul told us that "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free." (Gal 5:1), and "All who rely on works of the law are under a curse" (Gal 3:10). We are told that "the righteous will live by faith" (Gal 3:11). Therefore, many Christians are tempted to believe that, as long as we have faith in Christ, we are free to do whatever we want - even if it means sinning. After all, Christ's sacrifice set us free from the results of our sin, all we need is faith! At worst, this means that "faith" has given Christians the excuse to use their "freedom" to do whatever they like. Or, at best, some Christians are confused about whether they need to follow the "rules" as set out in the Bible or not... and how this fits in to their life of faith.
Well, firstly, I'm delighted to tell you that the belief that Christians can commit whatever sin they like because of the once and for all sacrifice of Christ is an ancient heresy called Antinomianism. We are not the first ones to have thought of it -- this heresy has been around even during Paul's time (see Romans 6).
But this article is not going to be a history lesson on Antinomianism (but it is immensely fascinating stuff, feel free to look it up). Rather, I hope that I can convince you that true Christian freedom, as proclaimed by Paul and by Christ, is much more nuanced, much more complex than simply whether we follow the rules or not. I hope that I can show you that true Christian freedom, if and when we can attain it, is so much more free than you could ever imagine.
Freedom from or freedom to?
I love the movie Schindler's List, there are so many scenes that are so good for demonstrating various aspects of the Christian life... and the following scene demonstrates this idea perfectly.
About 1200 Jews, mostly from Poland, are held in a concentration camp / slave factory in Czechoslovakia at the end of the WWII. As news filters through that the Nazi armies are defeated and the war is ending, the owner of the factory as well as the soldiers guarding the camp flee, leaving the Jews alone in the camp, the gates wide open. Having no where to go, the Jews stay inside the camp.
The following morning, a solitary Russian soldier on a horse approach the camp with its wide open gates. "You have been set free by the Russian army!" the rider declares. The weary, starving Jews look up at him who proclaimed to have set them free. "Where will we go?" they ask. "We have no food."
"I wouldn't go East if I were you," the soldier says. "They hate Jews there. And I wouldn't go West either. Isn't there a village over the hill?"
And the film closes, as the viewer come to the realisation that, although they are set free from their slavery and persecution in the camp, and could indeed do whatever they want, their freedom means very little, if there is not much they are free to do, as they are displaced from from their home and have no money or food, having lost loved ones and everything that was once life. In their vulnerable, impoverished state, they very easily fall back into the slavery from which they were delivered. The deliverance from the Russian soldier was really quite laughable.
I hope I can show you that Christ's salvation is so much more powerful than that of the Russian soldier. Christ's saving act is not a one-time event that saved us from death and then leaves us to muddle through life. Instead, Christ's saving act is continually working in us, to bring us to greater and greater freedom to become what God intended us to be, what we were made for, in the beginning.
In the beginning, we were free
The Bible begins with Genesis, and a declaration that our God is a God who creates. God as the creator means not only that God made everything, but also that God is the rightful owner of all of creation, and that He is King and sovereign over everything - man, beasts, heavens, and earth. The Bible begins with a proclamation that God as creator means God is to be worshiped.
From his position as King, God created human life, and made us different from all other creation by putting his image on us. God gives Adam a mandate: rule the earth. Have dominion over all of creation - being under the rule of God alone. Adam was free to rule everything God had made, his work in the garden of Eden being an act of service and worship to God. Additionally, he alone of all creation was described to have the very image of God. Adam didn't have to work hard at being perfect, he was perfect, just by being himself, the way God made him. (Gen 1:27-30, Gen 2:15.)
Adam was in a position to worship God, enjoy God's presence, and also enjoy creation but without being ruled by creation. Adam could act according to his nature, and his nature was perfect. Adam knew what it was to be free.
Freedom exchanged for slavery: Adam's story
What happened at the Fall of mankind was more than just eating the wrong fruit. It wasn't so much that Adam discovered the difference between good and bad - God had already told him (Gen 2:16-17). Instead, Adam rejected the rule of God in his life and chose to decide for himself - and his decision was that a created object was more important than the word of the Creator. His decision cemented the rest of his life and our lives as well - all humankind afterwards, similarly, choose creation over the Creator, serving idols over the one true God. After the fall, Adam (and all humanity) still acted according to his nature, but his nature had fallen and no longer perfect. His heart still yearns for the contentment he had in God back in the garden of Eden, but his heart looks for that contentment in other things - exchanging the glory of God for idols of various kinds (Romans 1:23). Thus, sin is more than just breaking rules - sin is seeking fulfillment, contentment, security, and identity in created things rather than the Creator. The heart of sin is serving idols rather than the creator, and the idol could be anything from the idols of ancient society like carved wood and stone, to the idols of modern society like money, sex, status, or self-actualisation.
Adam would act according to his nature, but his nature was fallen, and bound to sin and idolatry... and could no longer provide him with the true contentment for which he was created. Adam, and now all humanity, was now enslaved to sin. (Romans 5:13.)
If God is King and Sovereign, He can not possibly tolerate a subversion of order in his kingdom as what Adam has done. To tolerate a subversion like this would be simply un-kingly and un-sovereign. And yet, in his mercy, God still seeks people to worship him and know him (John 4:21-25)... I say in his mercy, because God knows that our hearts are most satisfied when we find him (Ps 17:15, or as St Augustine famously said, our hearts are restless, O God, until it rests in thee. Confessions of St Augustine, Book I).
And so, God stages a rescue plan. (The below is, of course, a gross over-simplification of the plan. To get the whole thing in its glorious entirety, you'll have to read the Bible. Preferably cover to cover.)
Slavery exchanged for freedom: Israel's story
At this point you might wonder, where does the law come into it?
As it happens, phase one of God's rescue plan involves a small nation called Israel. God saves Israel out of Egypt to do just what he has created humanity to do - worship (Exod. 3:12, 4:23, 7:16, and so on). God chooses to reveal himself to their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (whose name was changed to Israel)... Then to Moses, as He uses him to lead the nation out of bondage and slavery in Egypt. Unlike the Russian soldier in Schindler's List, God doesn't free the people from slavery in Egypt and then leave them to their devices. Instead, God initially dwells with his people in their midst while they journey (Exod. 13:21-22), then inside the tabernacle (Exod. 40:35 - the word "tabernacle" literally means "dwelling place"), until they reach the land which God has promised to them will flow with "milk and honey". Once inside the promised land, God promises the Israelites that they will regain some of what was lost from Eden - that is, they will enjoy the fruits of the land, they will enjoy the presence of God in their midst, and they will get to worship him.
The laws were given to Israel as they were on the cusp of entering into the promised land. You might perhaps think, "What a let down. Rescued out of slavery, only in exchange for a set of laws! What kind of freedom is that?". But if that is the way you think, then perhaps you don't really understand the mood of the average God-loving Israelite at the time. The ten commandments start with a declaration of who God is: "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery". The average Israelite at the time knew the full ramifications of that statement - and would have experienced every miraculous deliverance up until that point. The laws which followed would not have been a burden or obligation, but instead a joy to observe (Psalm 119:13-16). "After all," they might say to themselves, "why would we covet when we have the LORD in our midst? Why would we steal, or give false witness, or oppress the homeless? What could we possibly gain that we don't already have in the LORD?"
Freedom exchanged for slavery: Israel's fall
The pattern of idolatry from Adam continues. The problem with Israel is not so much that they could not obey the laws - although they couldn't, but that their hearts are still fallen, like Adam's heart. They forgot about the God who lead them out of slavery, and their hearts again sought satisfaction and fulfillment from idols (Amos 2:4-8, Hos. 2:13, Hos 11:1-2). Their rejection of the right worship of God meant that even when they performed the right sacrifices according to the law, God could not accept them, because their heart was not right (Amos 5:21-24, Micah 6:8). We see that, although they were set physically free from Egypt, they still were not free from the sinful nature inherited from Adam. Once again, God the sovereign King can only act according to His sovereign nature. Israel was taken over by neighbouring countries, and the pattern of slavery continues.
What God lamented the most, over and above the captivity and slavery of the people's physical bodies, was the captivity and enslavement of their hearts. Through Israel's prophets, God tells his people about the next phase of God's rescue plan. God plans to do something completely new - he will give the people a new heart and a new spirit to replace their old, sinful and fallen hearts. (See Jeremiah 31:31-34, 24:7, Ezekiel 36:26-27).
What God lamented the most, over and above the captivity and slavery of the people's physical bodies, was the captivity and enslavement of their hearts. Through Israel's prophets, God tells his people about the next phase of God's rescue plan. God plans to do something completely new - he will give the people a new heart and a new spirit to replace their old, sinful and fallen hearts. (See Jeremiah 31:31-34, 24:7, Ezekiel 36:26-27).
Lessons from Adam and Israel
You might feel that I have taken a very long detour from Genesis to get to Christ, when a simple "Christ came to set us free" could have sufficed. But I hope that I have demonstrated to you that God's plan for salvation is not simply to set us free from sins or death. God's salvation plan is for us to be set free to greater glory. We will no longer be ruled by the things around us -- our anxieties, perfectionism, legalism. Instead, we will be set free to be truly human as He created us to be - radiant, strong, with the integrity to enjoy all of creation, but not afraid of losing anything because we have God which is greater than all.
Also, I hope I have shown you that the problem is not simply in our inability to obey God's rules. (Exod. 19:8 shows how willing the Israelites were to try.) Rather, the problem is in our very nature - we simply can not worship God in spirit and in truth as he desires. We were born outside of Eden, into slavery. Something very drastic and dramatic is required. We need a heart transplant.
You might feel that I have taken a very long detour from Genesis to get to Christ, when a simple "Christ came to set us free" could have sufficed. But I hope that I have demonstrated to you that God's plan for salvation is not simply to set us free from sins or death. God's salvation plan is for us to be set free to greater glory. We will no longer be ruled by the things around us -- our anxieties, perfectionism, legalism. Instead, we will be set free to be truly human as He created us to be - radiant, strong, with the integrity to enjoy all of creation, but not afraid of losing anything because we have God which is greater than all.
Also, I hope I have shown you that the problem is not simply in our inability to obey God's rules. (Exod. 19:8 shows how willing the Israelites were to try.) Rather, the problem is in our very nature - we simply can not worship God in spirit and in truth as he desires. We were born outside of Eden, into slavery. Something very drastic and dramatic is required. We need a heart transplant.
Sunday, January 3, 2016
Justification in Narrative form: the story of the Ethiopian eunuch
Students of theology, I think, often feel frustrated that the Bible does not read like a systematic theological textbook. If you are looking for a dictionary-like definition of important concepts such as justification, sanctification, atonement, etc... you will not find it in the pages of the Bible.
Instead of finding an instruction manual or didactic textbook, you will find that the pages of the Bible contain stories, letters, poetry, songs and visions... little bits of law inter-dispersed amongst the joys and lamentations of men and of God. It seems God saw it fit to tell us His story (and ours) not in a systematised manual, but in a form that is more compelling and more invitational. Like a father's stories to his child.
The story of the Ethiopian eunuch, recorded in Acts 8:26-40, is very much one of those stories.
The story begins with Philip the Evangelist being given an instruction from an angel to head South. We know from earlier in Chapter 8 that Philip had just been spending time in Samaria - a region populated by people that are half-Jewish in ethnicity and in faith - a region despised by the Jews and considered to be outside of the chosen people of God. Luke, the writer of the book of Acts, goes to some pains to tell us about how God accepted the Samaritans through the gospel. Having started something of a mass movement in Samaria, the Holy Spirit then turned Philip's attention Southwards.
I had the great fortune to have travelled in Israel a couple of years ago, and one of the things that most struck me was the heat and the dust, especially south of Jerusalem. When the angel told Philip to "go towards the south" (8:26), the Greek phrase could also be translated "go at about noon". I wonder what Philip must have thought when he received those instructions - I remember the dread that I felt whenever it was time to get off the air-conditioned bus.
We know a few things about the man Philip encountered on that hot, desert road. He was an Ethiopian, an official from the court of the Ethiopian queen (actually, queen-mother), and he was a eunuch. He had gone up to Jerusalem to worship, and was reading the book of Isaiah in his chariot... and not really understanding what he was reading.
The Bible doesn't tell us what sort of mood Philip found the Ethiopian man in, but I could only imagine it to be a sad and dejected one. He knew enough about God to want to make the journey from his home in north Africa to Jerusalem to worship. Perhaps he had read or heard about Yahweh's love for his people, his mighty hand and outstretched arm saving his people out of bondage in Egypt to establish them in Israel. Perhaps he was captivated by the thought of the one true God, dwelling with His people in the temple. Or perhaps he was just curious. Either way, he was sufficiently compelled to leave the comforts of the Queen's court to make the slow, hot, and arduous journey to Jerusalem to worship.
The centre of Jewish worship was in the temple, in the heart of Jerusalem. When someone goes to Jerusalem to worship, it usually means they do a few things: pray, listen to teaching from the rabbis, give alms to the poor, and present sacrifices... all at the temple. (Cf Paul at the temple in Acts 21-22, Jesus at the temple in the gospels.) This was usually a joyous occasion (cf Psalm 95, Psalm 24), but when the Ethiopian finally arrived at the temple having ascended the steep hills on the south side of Jerusalem, he would have been disappointed. If there were any group of people the Jews looked down upon aside from the Samaritans, it was surely the gentiles. And not just any gentile, but a gentile eunuch. The term eunuch indicates a man who has been castrated, and such men were forbidden by law to enter the temple (Deut 23:1). The Ethiopian eunuch would have been reminded that, though he may hold powerful positions in the Queen's court at home, by Yahweh's standards he was terribly deficient and powerless to do anything about his deficiencies. He would have been turned away in no uncertain terms before he even got anywhere near the temple courts. Didn't get to pray at the temple. Didn't get to present his sacrifices. Didn't get to give gifts to the poor. Didn't get to hear teaching from the rabbis. What else is there for an Ethiopian eunuch to do in Jerusalem? He had no option but start the journey back home. On the road, he opens the scroll of Isaiah - but even that seems to be a rejection from God, because the passage make no sense to him. When Philip asked him if he understood what he was reading, he replied: "how can I, unless someone guides me?".
Philip was able to interpret the passage to him, because Jesus had previously given the disciples the key to reading the scriptures - that everything is fulfilled in Him (Luke 24:44-47). As it happens, the eunuch was reading from Isaiah 53:7-8, a passage now come to be known as the "passage of the suffering servant":
You see, a good Jewish person like Philip and a gentile God-fearer like the Ethiopian eunuch both know a few things. They know that humans were created to enjoy the fellowship and the glory of God, but one fatal decision saw the whole of humanity severed from that glory, becoming sinful and naked (Genesis 3). From then on, they knew that humanity's sinfulness and nakedness could only be covered by sacrifice - from the killing of animals for their skins in Genesis 3 to the sacrifice laws in Leviticus 4. Additionally, God would no longer dwell with people directly as in the garden of Eden, but only in the Most Holy Place in the tabernacle or temple, and could only be approached by the most holy of the priests and only after much sacrifice (described at length in Leviticus). 1 Kings 8:11-12 describe how God came to dwell in the temple in Jerusalem, and Jerusalem became the centre of Jewish worship. And hence, the Ethiopian eunuch braved the heat and the dust and the distance, to come to Jerusalem -- to offer sacrifices, and to draw nearer to God... only to find himself turned away.
Philip would have explained, I think, that what the eunuch was seeking in Jerusalem is fulfilled and found in Jesus. The sacrifices that he was going to make in Jerusalem was already made in Christ - once and for all. Jesus has already taken up the eunuch's sins (Isaiah 53:5), his pain (Isaiah 53:4), and presented himself as a sacrifice for them. God knew that no amount of sacrifice of animals could cleanse the stains of Genesis 3, so he Himself came, in his great mercy and love, and provided the sacrifice in his own body and blood. The punishment that came on Him brought us peace with God, and our wounds are healed as He became wounded (Isaiah 53:5,6).
I think Philip would have told the eunuch about Jesus' other name - Immanuel - meaning "God with us" (Matthew 1:23), pronouncing the good news that we are so cleansed by his blood that God Himself can dwell with us directly again. And Philip would have recounted how the curtain that separated the Most Holy Place from the rest of humanity was torn at Jesus' death (Matthew 27:51), signalling the end of God's separation from us. Perhaps, having mentioned Jesus' death, Philip would not have missed the next obvious event - Jesus' bodily resurrection, promising that we are no longer destined for death but a bodily, glorious resurrection much like His (1 Cor 15:21-22). Therefore, in the waters of baptism, we are baptised into His death so that we may die to our sins and deficiencies, our transgressions and sins no longer ruling our hearts and destiny. Instead, our destiny is bound up with His glory and resurrection (Romans 6:3-6)...
It is, perhaps, at this point that the eunuch notices that they are passing "some water" (Acts 8:36) - maybe a stream or a wadi. He asks: "What prevents me from being baptised?", and finds that his spiritual and physical deficiencies were not enough to separate him from the love and redemption in Christ. They go into the water, and when they come out, Philip is taken away from him to the north... and the eunuch goes home, rejoicing... his sorrow turned into joy, like a merchant who found the most precious jewel.
I remember a time, when I was in my teens, when I knew the "facts" about Christianity (that Jesus is God incarnate, and that he died for the sins of humanity), but never really understood how that actually applies to me and why it should be such good news. It was some years later that I truly understood that the deep ache inside my heart at my own inadequacies, and the deep yearning for true glory, could only be fulfilled by Jesus' sacrifice... and I came to see that it is indeed the good news, the best news. If you have never really understood how the gospel could be good news, I really hope the story of the Ethiopian eunuch could compel you to seek the truth no matter where it may lead you.
For us Christians, the story reminds us that God calls all sorts of people to himself... especially those who have been rejected by us who call ourselves His people. While we are busy arguing about how to arrange the church flowers or whether to sing rock ballads or hymns inside our ivory steeple churches, God is out there calling out to the tax collectors and prostitutes and eunuchs of our society. I have heard Christians say to me, "sure, if I ever meet a prostitute I'll be nice to them just like Jesus was." But these are often the same Christians who are unable to cross the pew to talk with those of a different ethnic background or socio-economic class... and thus, we form cliques within our own churches, and lose sight of the grander vision that captivated Philip and the eunuch.
I must admit, the joke is on us... because the eunuch went away rejoicing.
Instead of finding an instruction manual or didactic textbook, you will find that the pages of the Bible contain stories, letters, poetry, songs and visions... little bits of law inter-dispersed amongst the joys and lamentations of men and of God. It seems God saw it fit to tell us His story (and ours) not in a systematised manual, but in a form that is more compelling and more invitational. Like a father's stories to his child.
The story of the Ethiopian eunuch, recorded in Acts 8:26-40, is very much one of those stories.
The story begins with Philip the Evangelist being given an instruction from an angel to head South. We know from earlier in Chapter 8 that Philip had just been spending time in Samaria - a region populated by people that are half-Jewish in ethnicity and in faith - a region despised by the Jews and considered to be outside of the chosen people of God. Luke, the writer of the book of Acts, goes to some pains to tell us about how God accepted the Samaritans through the gospel. Having started something of a mass movement in Samaria, the Holy Spirit then turned Philip's attention Southwards.
I had the great fortune to have travelled in Israel a couple of years ago, and one of the things that most struck me was the heat and the dust, especially south of Jerusalem. When the angel told Philip to "go towards the south" (8:26), the Greek phrase could also be translated "go at about noon". I wonder what Philip must have thought when he received those instructions - I remember the dread that I felt whenever it was time to get off the air-conditioned bus.
We know a few things about the man Philip encountered on that hot, desert road. He was an Ethiopian, an official from the court of the Ethiopian queen (actually, queen-mother), and he was a eunuch. He had gone up to Jerusalem to worship, and was reading the book of Isaiah in his chariot... and not really understanding what he was reading.
The Bible doesn't tell us what sort of mood Philip found the Ethiopian man in, but I could only imagine it to be a sad and dejected one. He knew enough about God to want to make the journey from his home in north Africa to Jerusalem to worship. Perhaps he had read or heard about Yahweh's love for his people, his mighty hand and outstretched arm saving his people out of bondage in Egypt to establish them in Israel. Perhaps he was captivated by the thought of the one true God, dwelling with His people in the temple. Or perhaps he was just curious. Either way, he was sufficiently compelled to leave the comforts of the Queen's court to make the slow, hot, and arduous journey to Jerusalem to worship.
The centre of Jewish worship was in the temple, in the heart of Jerusalem. When someone goes to Jerusalem to worship, it usually means they do a few things: pray, listen to teaching from the rabbis, give alms to the poor, and present sacrifices... all at the temple. (Cf Paul at the temple in Acts 21-22, Jesus at the temple in the gospels.) This was usually a joyous occasion (cf Psalm 95, Psalm 24), but when the Ethiopian finally arrived at the temple having ascended the steep hills on the south side of Jerusalem, he would have been disappointed. If there were any group of people the Jews looked down upon aside from the Samaritans, it was surely the gentiles. And not just any gentile, but a gentile eunuch. The term eunuch indicates a man who has been castrated, and such men were forbidden by law to enter the temple (Deut 23:1). The Ethiopian eunuch would have been reminded that, though he may hold powerful positions in the Queen's court at home, by Yahweh's standards he was terribly deficient and powerless to do anything about his deficiencies. He would have been turned away in no uncertain terms before he even got anywhere near the temple courts. Didn't get to pray at the temple. Didn't get to present his sacrifices. Didn't get to give gifts to the poor. Didn't get to hear teaching from the rabbis. What else is there for an Ethiopian eunuch to do in Jerusalem? He had no option but start the journey back home. On the road, he opens the scroll of Isaiah - but even that seems to be a rejection from God, because the passage make no sense to him. When Philip asked him if he understood what he was reading, he replied: "how can I, unless someone guides me?".
Philip was able to interpret the passage to him, because Jesus had previously given the disciples the key to reading the scriptures - that everything is fulfilled in Him (Luke 24:44-47). As it happens, the eunuch was reading from Isaiah 53:7-8, a passage now come to be known as the "passage of the suffering servant":
"Like a sheep he was led to the slaughterAnd so, starting from that very passage, Philip told him the good news about Jesus. Jesus had once told his disciples that all the Old Testament is fulfilled in Him - and this passage is no different. We don't know what Philip said to the eunuch exactly (I would love to know!), but we could hazard a guess.
and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he opens not his mouth.
In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.”
You see, a good Jewish person like Philip and a gentile God-fearer like the Ethiopian eunuch both know a few things. They know that humans were created to enjoy the fellowship and the glory of God, but one fatal decision saw the whole of humanity severed from that glory, becoming sinful and naked (Genesis 3). From then on, they knew that humanity's sinfulness and nakedness could only be covered by sacrifice - from the killing of animals for their skins in Genesis 3 to the sacrifice laws in Leviticus 4. Additionally, God would no longer dwell with people directly as in the garden of Eden, but only in the Most Holy Place in the tabernacle or temple, and could only be approached by the most holy of the priests and only after much sacrifice (described at length in Leviticus). 1 Kings 8:11-12 describe how God came to dwell in the temple in Jerusalem, and Jerusalem became the centre of Jewish worship. And hence, the Ethiopian eunuch braved the heat and the dust and the distance, to come to Jerusalem -- to offer sacrifices, and to draw nearer to God... only to find himself turned away.
Philip would have explained, I think, that what the eunuch was seeking in Jerusalem is fulfilled and found in Jesus. The sacrifices that he was going to make in Jerusalem was already made in Christ - once and for all. Jesus has already taken up the eunuch's sins (Isaiah 53:5), his pain (Isaiah 53:4), and presented himself as a sacrifice for them. God knew that no amount of sacrifice of animals could cleanse the stains of Genesis 3, so he Himself came, in his great mercy and love, and provided the sacrifice in his own body and blood. The punishment that came on Him brought us peace with God, and our wounds are healed as He became wounded (Isaiah 53:5,6).
I think Philip would have told the eunuch about Jesus' other name - Immanuel - meaning "God with us" (Matthew 1:23), pronouncing the good news that we are so cleansed by his blood that God Himself can dwell with us directly again. And Philip would have recounted how the curtain that separated the Most Holy Place from the rest of humanity was torn at Jesus' death (Matthew 27:51), signalling the end of God's separation from us. Perhaps, having mentioned Jesus' death, Philip would not have missed the next obvious event - Jesus' bodily resurrection, promising that we are no longer destined for death but a bodily, glorious resurrection much like His (1 Cor 15:21-22). Therefore, in the waters of baptism, we are baptised into His death so that we may die to our sins and deficiencies, our transgressions and sins no longer ruling our hearts and destiny. Instead, our destiny is bound up with His glory and resurrection (Romans 6:3-6)...
It is, perhaps, at this point that the eunuch notices that they are passing "some water" (Acts 8:36) - maybe a stream or a wadi. He asks: "What prevents me from being baptised?", and finds that his spiritual and physical deficiencies were not enough to separate him from the love and redemption in Christ. They go into the water, and when they come out, Philip is taken away from him to the north... and the eunuch goes home, rejoicing... his sorrow turned into joy, like a merchant who found the most precious jewel.
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ... for through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. -- Ephesians 2:13, 18-22What does this mean for us today?
I remember a time, when I was in my teens, when I knew the "facts" about Christianity (that Jesus is God incarnate, and that he died for the sins of humanity), but never really understood how that actually applies to me and why it should be such good news. It was some years later that I truly understood that the deep ache inside my heart at my own inadequacies, and the deep yearning for true glory, could only be fulfilled by Jesus' sacrifice... and I came to see that it is indeed the good news, the best news. If you have never really understood how the gospel could be good news, I really hope the story of the Ethiopian eunuch could compel you to seek the truth no matter where it may lead you.
For us Christians, the story reminds us that God calls all sorts of people to himself... especially those who have been rejected by us who call ourselves His people. While we are busy arguing about how to arrange the church flowers or whether to sing rock ballads or hymns inside our ivory steeple churches, God is out there calling out to the tax collectors and prostitutes and eunuchs of our society. I have heard Christians say to me, "sure, if I ever meet a prostitute I'll be nice to them just like Jesus was." But these are often the same Christians who are unable to cross the pew to talk with those of a different ethnic background or socio-economic class... and thus, we form cliques within our own churches, and lose sight of the grander vision that captivated Philip and the eunuch.
I must admit, the joke is on us... because the eunuch went away rejoicing.
Friday, December 18, 2015
Why I will not be buying pretty dresses for my daughter
Today, our work place held a "family Christmas party". The furniture was shifted around to allow for some chairs, everybody brought a plate of home cooking, and children ran around, enjoying all the junk food and pizza. One of our receptionists brought along her toddler daughter, a beautiful little girl with golden curls, wearing a lacy and elaborate red dress.
As we all looked how cute and innocent she is, one of the other staff members remarked to me: "You'll be buying that sort of dress for your daughter soon."
"No, I don't think so." I said, with a shrug. "I don't think I will be buying pretty dresses for her."
Suddenly I found 3 or 4 ladies looking at me with dismay and disbelief. It was as if I had said I planned to starve my child.
We live in a world that is increasingly obsessed with externals. If you look at social media, you'll see lots of "selfies" - particularly of young women. Carefully made up, carefully dressed, lips carefully painted and pouted. Carefully posed to look careless. Girls of all shapes and sizes proclaim to be "proud of their bodies" - whether they be slender or curvy or obese, tall or short. The message is clear: we proclaim to be tolerant of different appearances, but one thing we all have in common is that we care about it. Very, very much.
As a Christian feminist, this nauseates me. We have not "liberated" women from the deep desire to be beautiful. We have merely made it more artificial, more subjective, and more elusive... and more open to commentary.
1 Peter 3:3-4 says:
Peter wants us to find our beauty, covering, and adornment in something else - more imperishable, more precious, and certainly less exhausting. A gentle and quiet spirit is one that is able to be gentle because she has already received all that she needs from Christ. She has put on Christ to be her adornment, like a garment (Gal 3:27), and therefore her heart is content. She has no need for baubles and tinsel and lights.
I have friends who love to dress up their little girls from birth. The baby (who is too young to know or care) does not leave the house without a flowery headband, with matching outfit and shoes. I always wonder what this communicates to the little girl as she gains increasing self-awareness. Perhaps that she is not complete until she has the right headband on?
For this reason, I have decided not to buy elaborate dresses for my baby girl, or pretty headbands, or ornate shoes, etc. I don't mean to be a Nazi or dogmatic about it, though. My mother and my mother-in-law are pretty enamoured with the idea of having a granddaughter, and no doubt will really love buying girly things for her. I'm not going to stop them, or stop my daughter from wearing them. While I will try to teach her to be comfortable in her own skin, and confident no matter what she is wearing, I will of course teach her to dress appropriate for the occasion. We do not wear woollen jumpers in the heat of the summer, no matter how confident you are. We do not wear our pyjamas to a friend's wedding, out of love and respect for our friend. Stuff like that.
I do want to teach her that there is more to her than her clothes or hair. I will try to spend more time making encouraging comments and drawing attention to her character, generosity, determination, perseverance, and patience... more so than how cute her shoes are. I will try to teach her that she has immeasurable beauty in Christ, that He is her adornment, and she doesn't need to look for her justification in external things or how many "likes" she gets on social media. She is God's child, a daughter of the King of Kings, a true princess... and it will be my hope and prayer that she will always be confident of this, and live her life ever mindful of her true identity in Christ... pretty dress or no pretty dress.
As we all looked how cute and innocent she is, one of the other staff members remarked to me: "You'll be buying that sort of dress for your daughter soon."
"No, I don't think so." I said, with a shrug. "I don't think I will be buying pretty dresses for her."
Suddenly I found 3 or 4 ladies looking at me with dismay and disbelief. It was as if I had said I planned to starve my child.
We live in a world that is increasingly obsessed with externals. If you look at social media, you'll see lots of "selfies" - particularly of young women. Carefully made up, carefully dressed, lips carefully painted and pouted. Carefully posed to look careless. Girls of all shapes and sizes proclaim to be "proud of their bodies" - whether they be slender or curvy or obese, tall or short. The message is clear: we proclaim to be tolerant of different appearances, but one thing we all have in common is that we care about it. Very, very much.
As a Christian feminist, this nauseates me. We have not "liberated" women from the deep desire to be beautiful. We have merely made it more artificial, more subjective, and more elusive... and more open to commentary.
1 Peter 3:3-4 says:
Do not let your adorning be external - the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewellery, or the clothing you wear - but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. - 1 Peter 3:3-4 (ESV)This verse is not about whether women are "allowed" to wear particular hair styles or particular types of jewellery. This verse is also not about whether women have to adopt a particular "persona" - as if all women ought to talk and act softly and gently, as if they are some sort of a wilting flower. No, Peter is addressing the question of how we adorn ourselves or how we make ourselves beautiful. Peter knows that we have this deep desire for beauty. It seems to be innate in us, and also encouraged in our societies. We seem to feel that there is something lacking in us, like a naked Christmas tree. We seek to find the right covering and adornment to make us "right" - just like a Christmas tree needs tinsel and baubles and lights. So, we put on jewellery, brand-name clothing, make sure our shoes and accessories match, and don't leave the house until we have put on our "face".
Peter wants us to find our beauty, covering, and adornment in something else - more imperishable, more precious, and certainly less exhausting. A gentle and quiet spirit is one that is able to be gentle because she has already received all that she needs from Christ. She has put on Christ to be her adornment, like a garment (Gal 3:27), and therefore her heart is content. She has no need for baubles and tinsel and lights.
I have friends who love to dress up their little girls from birth. The baby (who is too young to know or care) does not leave the house without a flowery headband, with matching outfit and shoes. I always wonder what this communicates to the little girl as she gains increasing self-awareness. Perhaps that she is not complete until she has the right headband on?
For this reason, I have decided not to buy elaborate dresses for my baby girl, or pretty headbands, or ornate shoes, etc. I don't mean to be a Nazi or dogmatic about it, though. My mother and my mother-in-law are pretty enamoured with the idea of having a granddaughter, and no doubt will really love buying girly things for her. I'm not going to stop them, or stop my daughter from wearing them. While I will try to teach her to be comfortable in her own skin, and confident no matter what she is wearing, I will of course teach her to dress appropriate for the occasion. We do not wear woollen jumpers in the heat of the summer, no matter how confident you are. We do not wear our pyjamas to a friend's wedding, out of love and respect for our friend. Stuff like that.
I do want to teach her that there is more to her than her clothes or hair. I will try to spend more time making encouraging comments and drawing attention to her character, generosity, determination, perseverance, and patience... more so than how cute her shoes are. I will try to teach her that she has immeasurable beauty in Christ, that He is her adornment, and she doesn't need to look for her justification in external things or how many "likes" she gets on social media. She is God's child, a daughter of the King of Kings, a true princess... and it will be my hope and prayer that she will always be confident of this, and live her life ever mindful of her true identity in Christ... pretty dress or no pretty dress.
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Is there a "Biblical" way to meet someone?
Question:
Is there a "Biblical" way to meet someone?
Answer:
The whole relationship / dating experience is fraught with risks, and sometimes well-meaning older people, in order to minimise those risks, will set up certain rules. "God will only bless a relationship if you meet him here at church", I was once told. Another wise older Christian told me: "You should never meet a boy one-on-one... you should always get to know him through a cell group or a church activity, with a group of other people. Meeting someone one-on-one invites temptation."
A lecturer at a well-known seminary in the US once remarked: "Should we allow young people to date? Well, should we allow a young woman and a young man to meet up alone, often in some secluded place, and see if they get into trouble? It's obvious, isn't it?"
Well, with all due respect to all these wise people, it's not obvious. Not at all.
The Bible contains lots of stories of people in relationships, and lots of marriages that were blessed by God. Many of these marriages played a small role in the grander story of God's salvation of his people. I'm thinking of a few examples: Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Leah and Rachel, Judah and Tamar, Moses and Zipporah, Ruth and Boaz... the list goes on. The Bible is a story about God and his work of salvation of his people, and not just a story for the sake of a story... so we're not given a lot of details of these marriages, and sometimes the details that we are given are not exactly pretty (think the story of Judah and Tamar, Genesis 38).
The only thing in common between these marriages is their role in God's story. In other words, the only thing they had in common was that God used them for his purpose. Isaac and Rebekah was an arranged marriage, Jacob fell in love with Rachel, and Ruth met Boaz alone, in a secluded place, in the dark. The Bible simply doesn't give a framework as to how we are to meet, court, and get to know members of the opposite sex. It only tells us that once we have decided on a spouse, we need to hold fast to that spouse and not let go (Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:3-6).
I am, of course, wary of using people of the Old Testament to be examples for us. After all, just because Ruth met Boaz in the dark in a secluded place, it doesn't mean I would want my daughter meeting a boy like that. And indeed it is true, some forms of dating does invite more temptation than others. We do want our young people behaving in a righteous, honourable way, don't we? So what is wrong with making a rule about the circumstances of their courtship?
Well, for one thing, making rules and legislating good behaviour simply doesn't work. What happens when we try to get a sinful person to behave righteously by obeying laws? More sin - look at Romans 7:7-12 - where Paul confesses that, because of his own sinful self, the law "do not covet" didn't produce righteousness but "every covetous desire". So we know that making a rule about how young people should relate to one another will not work, because we are all such sinful people. Telling a young person not to meet a member of the opposite sex in the park will not produce fruits of righteousness - after all, temptation is readily available in other places, such as pornography.
So, if making rules won't work, what will? Is there a biblical framework of how we can ensure our young people can get to know each other in a healthy, romantic way (and, dare I say it, exciting way) without falling into sin?
The answer lies in Romans 6:1-14. Paul tells us that we have died with Christ, and raised from death with him, and now walking in newness of life (verse 5). Therefore, we consider ourselves dead to our sinful ways, and alive to God (verse 11). Because we are alive to God and He is altogether glorious, so we can turn away from our temptations and our sins, and surrender ourselves to God (ver 13). So that is how we can face temptation: because our God is more glorious and more attractive and holds more power over our hearts than that thing that is tempting us. And that is how Ruth was able to meet with Boaz, in the dark, for the glory of God.
Relationships are fraught with risks - risks that scare older people and excite younger people. There is no "biblical" way to get to know someone that doesn't involve risks. If we want to minimise these risks, the most biblical way to do it would be to realise just how wonderful, glorious, and attractive our God is... and to fall in love with Him over and over again.
Is there a "Biblical" way to meet someone?
Answer:
The whole relationship / dating experience is fraught with risks, and sometimes well-meaning older people, in order to minimise those risks, will set up certain rules. "God will only bless a relationship if you meet him here at church", I was once told. Another wise older Christian told me: "You should never meet a boy one-on-one... you should always get to know him through a cell group or a church activity, with a group of other people. Meeting someone one-on-one invites temptation."
A lecturer at a well-known seminary in the US once remarked: "Should we allow young people to date? Well, should we allow a young woman and a young man to meet up alone, often in some secluded place, and see if they get into trouble? It's obvious, isn't it?"
Well, with all due respect to all these wise people, it's not obvious. Not at all.
The Bible contains lots of stories of people in relationships, and lots of marriages that were blessed by God. Many of these marriages played a small role in the grander story of God's salvation of his people. I'm thinking of a few examples: Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Leah and Rachel, Judah and Tamar, Moses and Zipporah, Ruth and Boaz... the list goes on. The Bible is a story about God and his work of salvation of his people, and not just a story for the sake of a story... so we're not given a lot of details of these marriages, and sometimes the details that we are given are not exactly pretty (think the story of Judah and Tamar, Genesis 38).
The only thing in common between these marriages is their role in God's story. In other words, the only thing they had in common was that God used them for his purpose. Isaac and Rebekah was an arranged marriage, Jacob fell in love with Rachel, and Ruth met Boaz alone, in a secluded place, in the dark. The Bible simply doesn't give a framework as to how we are to meet, court, and get to know members of the opposite sex. It only tells us that once we have decided on a spouse, we need to hold fast to that spouse and not let go (Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:3-6).
I am, of course, wary of using people of the Old Testament to be examples for us. After all, just because Ruth met Boaz in the dark in a secluded place, it doesn't mean I would want my daughter meeting a boy like that. And indeed it is true, some forms of dating does invite more temptation than others. We do want our young people behaving in a righteous, honourable way, don't we? So what is wrong with making a rule about the circumstances of their courtship?
Well, for one thing, making rules and legislating good behaviour simply doesn't work. What happens when we try to get a sinful person to behave righteously by obeying laws? More sin - look at Romans 7:7-12 - where Paul confesses that, because of his own sinful self, the law "do not covet" didn't produce righteousness but "every covetous desire". So we know that making a rule about how young people should relate to one another will not work, because we are all such sinful people. Telling a young person not to meet a member of the opposite sex in the park will not produce fruits of righteousness - after all, temptation is readily available in other places, such as pornography.
So, if making rules won't work, what will? Is there a biblical framework of how we can ensure our young people can get to know each other in a healthy, romantic way (and, dare I say it, exciting way) without falling into sin?
The answer lies in Romans 6:1-14. Paul tells us that we have died with Christ, and raised from death with him, and now walking in newness of life (verse 5). Therefore, we consider ourselves dead to our sinful ways, and alive to God (verse 11). Because we are alive to God and He is altogether glorious, so we can turn away from our temptations and our sins, and surrender ourselves to God (ver 13). So that is how we can face temptation: because our God is more glorious and more attractive and holds more power over our hearts than that thing that is tempting us. And that is how Ruth was able to meet with Boaz, in the dark, for the glory of God.
Relationships are fraught with risks - risks that scare older people and excite younger people. There is no "biblical" way to get to know someone that doesn't involve risks. If we want to minimise these risks, the most biblical way to do it would be to realise just how wonderful, glorious, and attractive our God is... and to fall in love with Him over and over again.
Is there a soul mate for me?
Question:
Is there a soul mate for me?
Is there a soul mate for me?
Answer:
Did you know that this idea of the "soul mate other half" comes from pagan Greek mythology? The idea was that humans were created whole and androgynous - that is, we were a creature that is both male and female. Then, the gods split us up so we are no longer whole, but two halves. We spend the rest of our lives yearning and incomplete until we find our "one true love" (sound familiar?), at which point we will be finally complete and content. Least you are tempted to just dismiss this as ancient pagan philosophy that has no relevance today, think about how this idea permeates in our modern society. Fairy tales tell us that they lived "happily ever after", as if finding a partner the key to lifelong happiness. The internet is filled with quizzes like "How to find out if he is The One!". A recent trend in Hollywood movies is to have a protagonist be already married, and then finding their soulmate some years after their marriage. In those movies, we are lead to be sympathetic to their adultery because - after all - the person they married was not their other half!
Christians can buy into this as well. After all, we know that "it is not good for man to be alone" (Genesis 2:18). We can easily imbibe the popular cultural belief that we are incomplete, unfulfilled, and deficient unless we are in a relationship.
What does the Bible say?
1. In the beginning (Genesis 1:26-31)
In the beginning, God created humans, and set us apart from all of His other creation. We uniquely bear His image and likeness, we alone were given the commission to have dominion over the vastness of the earth. There can be no doubt about it - we were his people, in his garden, doing his work, reflecting his image, enjoying his presence and blessing. And God looked and said this is very good... and stepped back and rested.
The "fall" of mankind is described in chapter 3 - the forbidden fruit which brought about death. Eve looked at the fruit and saw that it was "good", and in that moment mankind turned away from the source of our life and blessing, toward something we thought was better. The result? We could no longer be his people, in his garden, doing his work, enjoying his presence. We separated from the one God that brought us life, and we continue seek to find the life, shelter and identity we once had in Eden... except that we look for it in anything but God. The creation that was intended to be subdued by us now has now become our master (Romans 1:25).
Perhaps you will think that I am taking a detour, but it is important to see that we were indeed whole at one time, but our wholeness had nothing to do with a "soulmate" of the opposite sex. God saw that man was not good by himself, and so made the woman, and together they imaged God... but the source of their life and fulfilment came not from each other but from God and his commission.
2. The solution
3. What does this mean for me?
This means that there is no such thing as "The One"... unless of course you are talking about Christ. I'm not sorry to pop your bubble - because this is wonderfully liberating. You're not looking for someone who is "perfect" for you, or someone who understands you completely - you've already found him in Christ! And if you are already dating someone, you can stop asking yourself if he or she is the "soulmate" who is going to give fulfilment to your life. I can tell you that he (or she) is not, Christ is.
Christians can buy into this as well. After all, we know that "it is not good for man to be alone" (Genesis 2:18). We can easily imbibe the popular cultural belief that we are incomplete, unfulfilled, and deficient unless we are in a relationship.
What does the Bible say?
1. In the beginning (Genesis 1:26-31)
In the beginning, God created humans, and set us apart from all of His other creation. We uniquely bear His image and likeness, we alone were given the commission to have dominion over the vastness of the earth. There can be no doubt about it - we were his people, in his garden, doing his work, reflecting his image, enjoying his presence and blessing. And God looked and said this is very good... and stepped back and rested.
The "fall" of mankind is described in chapter 3 - the forbidden fruit which brought about death. Eve looked at the fruit and saw that it was "good", and in that moment mankind turned away from the source of our life and blessing, toward something we thought was better. The result? We could no longer be his people, in his garden, doing his work, enjoying his presence. We separated from the one God that brought us life, and we continue seek to find the life, shelter and identity we once had in Eden... except that we look for it in anything but God. The creation that was intended to be subdued by us now has now become our master (Romans 1:25).
Perhaps you will think that I am taking a detour, but it is important to see that we were indeed whole at one time, but our wholeness had nothing to do with a "soulmate" of the opposite sex. God saw that man was not good by himself, and so made the woman, and together they imaged God... but the source of their life and fulfilment came not from each other but from God and his commission.
2. The solution
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:14-19, emphasis added)God had a singular solution to our fallenness: Christ, who lived the life that we should have lived, and endured the death we should have died. Not only that, he gave us a new heart in the Spirit to replace our old hearts which have grown deaf and numb to him (Ezekiel 11:19). Through Christ, we can be filled with the fullness of God. In other words, if you are looking to be fulfilled in your human life, it is not going to come from a member of the opposite sex. To truly get back to Eden, to that place where we can be filled with the riches of his glory again, we need Christ to dwell in our hearts through faith.
3. What does this mean for me?
This means that there is no such thing as "The One"... unless of course you are talking about Christ. I'm not sorry to pop your bubble - because this is wonderfully liberating. You're not looking for someone who is "perfect" for you, or someone who understands you completely - you've already found him in Christ! And if you are already dating someone, you can stop asking yourself if he or she is the "soulmate" who is going to give fulfilment to your life. I can tell you that he (or she) is not, Christ is.
A Sola Scriptura approach to dating, relationships, singleness, and all that
I had hoped to escape the stereotype of a Christian woman writing solely about "micro" issues such as marriage and relationships - I had fully intended for my next writing "project" to be an exploration of faith vs works. However, recent conversations with young people around me convinced me that these "micro" issues need to be addressed just as much, perhaps even more urgently.
While my previous article was directed toward married couples, this is for those who are unmarried - either single, or in a relationship that hasn't progressed on to engagement or marriage. As I write this, I have been married to my husband for four years. It was not so long ago that I was single, praying and asking God to "prepare" for me my future "other half". Some of the issues that I have outlined below are issues that I myself have wrestled with - others have arisen from my conversation with people in similar situations.
What is Sola Scriptura?
Sola Scriptura is a slogan that was coined in the sixteenth century by the emerging Reformation in protest against the Catholic Church. Sola Scriptura means scripture alone - only the Holy Bible is to be viewed as definitive, prescriptive and divinely inspired. It means that we base our life and decisions solely on what the Bible says. It doesn't mean that we don't look to other sources to help us understand the Bible (indeed I will be using lots of dictionaries and commentaries to help write this series), but it does mean that scripture alone is holy writ.
Christian boy-girl relationships is a hot topic, as I have discovered, and everybody has an opinion. Almost everyone has some opinions on how it should or shouldn't be done - and the married couples are often quick to say: "Well, this is how we did it". It all gets very confusing. Sola Scriptura asks the question: what does the Bible say?
Some frequently asked questions:
(Click on the question you are most interested in. If there is a question that is not covered, contact me and I'll give it a go.)
I'm Christian and single, and I'm ready for a relationship. How do I "handle" my singleness?
- Is there a soulmate for me?
- Is there a "Biblical" way to meet someone?
- Does the Bible really say that I can only date other Christians?
- How do I "prepare" myself for a relationship?
I'm Christian and in a relationship, it's all going pretty well, but...
- How do I really know that he/she is the one God has prepared for me?
What does the Bible actually say about sex outside of marriage?
What does the Bible say about pornography?
If you have any other questions that are not covered above, then contact me via the comments.
God willing, I will move on to some "meaty" theological topics. Coming up next: faith vs works.
While my previous article was directed toward married couples, this is for those who are unmarried - either single, or in a relationship that hasn't progressed on to engagement or marriage. As I write this, I have been married to my husband for four years. It was not so long ago that I was single, praying and asking God to "prepare" for me my future "other half". Some of the issues that I have outlined below are issues that I myself have wrestled with - others have arisen from my conversation with people in similar situations.
What is Sola Scriptura?
Sola Scriptura is a slogan that was coined in the sixteenth century by the emerging Reformation in protest against the Catholic Church. Sola Scriptura means scripture alone - only the Holy Bible is to be viewed as definitive, prescriptive and divinely inspired. It means that we base our life and decisions solely on what the Bible says. It doesn't mean that we don't look to other sources to help us understand the Bible (indeed I will be using lots of dictionaries and commentaries to help write this series), but it does mean that scripture alone is holy writ.
Christian boy-girl relationships is a hot topic, as I have discovered, and everybody has an opinion. Almost everyone has some opinions on how it should or shouldn't be done - and the married couples are often quick to say: "Well, this is how we did it". It all gets very confusing. Sola Scriptura asks the question: what does the Bible say?
Some frequently asked questions:
(Click on the question you are most interested in. If there is a question that is not covered, contact me and I'll give it a go.)
I'm Christian and single, and I'm ready for a relationship. How do I "handle" my singleness?
- Is there a soulmate for me?
- Is there a "Biblical" way to meet someone?
- Does the Bible really say that I can only date other Christians?
- How do I "prepare" myself for a relationship?
I'm Christian and in a relationship, it's all going pretty well, but...
- How do I really know that he/she is the one God has prepared for me?
What does the Bible actually say about sex outside of marriage?
What does the Bible say about pornography?
If you have any other questions that are not covered above, then contact me via the comments.
God willing, I will move on to some "meaty" theological topics. Coming up next: faith vs works.
Monday, October 5, 2015
Eph 5:22-33- Christian marriages: Why headship is way more than you think, and submission is not a dirty word.
Ephesians 5:22-33 (ESV)
Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Saviour. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendour, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Introduction
I felt moved to write this after my husband heard a sermon on this passage, and felt the explanation the preacher gave to be inadequate. I couldn't help but feel that Christianity (and the Church) has been poorly represented in the secular community due to poor exegesis. A quick reading of the above passage may lead someone to believe that the husband is the dominant authority in the household, and the wife is the passive, obedient one. You would naturally think that Christianity is to blame for all the misogyny, sexism, and domestic violence in the Western world. I felt moved to address this.
Moreover, serious, Bible-believing men and women may also become confused. A young man may want to be a good husband in the most biblical way possible, but does that mean he must become the "lord" of his household, dominating his beloved wife with his masculinity? A young woman may likewise wish to follow the Bible's teachings, but does that mean she must leave her personality, her intellect, and her individual opinions behind when she marries, and must relegate herself to become some sort of subordinate to her husband?
When we take the effort to approach this text more studiously, you will find a picture of marriage that is too beautiful and too romantic for even the most idealistic poet to imagine. This is going to be a bit of a long article, but I hope you can follow with me to that picture.
The context of the text
When we come to a text and consider its meaning, we should always resist the urge to take the text out of the context of the chapter and the book it is written in.
Ephesians 5:22-6:9 is a section where the author Paul discusses how different relationships should work between Christians, and the preceding chapters, chapters 1-4 explains the why. Paul spends the first three chapters giving a detailed discussion on Jesus - his lavish love for us, his gracious act of redemption for us, giving us life and immeasurable riches with Him. Chapter four tells us that we have unity with each other in Christ, and through Him we can put aside our old, selfish selves, and put on a new, Christ centred life. Chapter five then opens with:
Headship is more than you think
When we think of the man has the head of the family, we naturally consider a situation where the man is the "master" of his family. I grew up in such a family. If we ever sat around to watch TV, my father held the remote and decided what we were going to watch. If my mother bought any expensive food or rare fruit, the choicest, largest piece usually went to my father. (Sometimes it went to us kids, but he always got the better portion compared to my mother.) If ever we disagreed, he had the ultimate veto power, and he enforced his control by shouting, emotional manipulation, and, once in a while, by physical violence.
Jesus has a different idea of what headship and leadership means. In Luke 22, while seated at the Last Supper, the disciples start arguing over who was to be regarded as the greatest. Jesus didn't admonish them for their ambition for greatness, but instead offered an alternative definition of greatness:
Paul picks up on this when he says, "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her". How does Christ love the church? Perhaps I don't need to outline the lavish and sacrificial love Christ has for his beloved bride the church, the way he endured death and separation from God in order for the church to be redeemed to him. Paul demands that sort of love from husbands for their wives. And it's not just a theoretical "if a gunman ever comes I'll jump in front of a bullet for you" kind of sacrifice, but also in the mundane, day to day things that place your wife's needs above your own.
Next, we come to the goal of headship. It's important to see that the leadership of the husband is not in order to boost his ego, or so that he may have his way all the time, or assert his dominance. Instead, the aim is that:
There is so much more I could say about this, because the language in the text is so rich and loaded with imagery, but I feel we must move on, before this article becomes a novel.
Submission is not a dirty word
When we hear the word submission, we instinctively repulse against it - and with good reason. After all, submission is something we teach our children and our puppies. We imagine a wife who is a sort of subordinate to her husband, silently submissive to his will and command. We imagine a diminished woman who left behind her own ideas and opinions behind when she married, and is but a shadow behind her looming husband.
The text says: Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Ephesians 4:24. Sounds pretty submissive to me, right? But how does the church submit to Christ?
Well, certainly the church submits to Christ by accepting his love and sacrifice for us, as a start. The church puts absolute trust and faith in Christ's love, but certainly not in a passive, silent, leave-your-gifts-behind kind of way. In fact, those in leadership positions within the church are always looking for ways to make use of every available resource to bring glory to Christ:
What this looks like
Imagine a couple dancing a beautiful waltz. The man is dressed in a tux, his back straight and strong but not inflexible, the lady in a beautiful flowing dress, her steps and turns flowing seamlessly. They dance to the tune of Christ's love for them. The husband commits to loving his wife as sacrificially, selflessly, and courageously as possible, in all things seeking to make her more perfect, more holy, and more splendid. Not because of how great he is or how great she is, but simply because he has received the same love from Christ. In turn, the wife commits to honouring her husband, trusting in his love, and committing all that she has to make him more glorious. Not because of how wonderful her husband is, but simply because she first submitted her ultimate love and trust and obedience to Christ.
And thus, the couple dances through life, and each hurdle that comes their way. At times in their dance together one may dance more vibrantly than the other, and they may indeed follow each other's lead in different times. But the basic pattern remains the same, and all this with the love of Christ being their mutual goal, their joy, and satisfaction.
But what does it look like, really?
At this point, the reader might want to say, "Yes, that's a nice picture you have painted, but how does this work? Who holds the remote? Who controls the finances? Who does the cooking? Can the wife go to work? If the two disagree on something, who has the right to make the final decision?"
The bible offers guiding principles to help us navigate through life, but it doesn't didactically give specific laws about every single decision we've got to make. I would say that an approach that seeks to give specific, inflexible and absolute answers to the above questions would be legalistic and Pharisaical. When we married, my husband and I had slightly different marital vows. He vowed to "love, honour, and protect" me all his life. I vowed to "love, honour, and respect" him all of my life. While our marriage is not perfect, we fulfilled our vows in different ways as our situations changed. There was a time when I did most of the housework. Then there was a time when he did most of the housework. For the majority of our married life, as he pursued full time theological studies, I was the sole breadwinner. But I don't feel unloved, and he does not feel disrespected, as we seek to worship Christ together.
The other thing to note that Eph 5:22-33 is talking about duties of the husband and wife toward one another, and not rights. And the duties are Christ-centred. As soon as we begin to ask questions like "who has the right to make the final decisions", we are already starting off on the wrong foot. The focus is not on what is your right to expect from your spouse, but what is your duty toward your spouse.
Finally, a practical example
Jack and Jill are a young married couple, who are struggling financially and living pay-day to pay-day. Finally, they save up a sum of money, and disagree about what to do with it.
The rights-based, battle of the sexes approach
Jill says: "I have been so tired in the past few months, this year has been so stressful, I feel jaded and faded. I found this great deal on the internet for a relaxing holiday overseas, it's a great bargain. We can afford it, we've got the money, but Jack says no. Doesn't he realise that he is supposed to love me sacrificially and selflessly? I have been married to him all these years and worked hard all these years, how can he be so selfish? I have the right to feel loved, but he just isn't doing it."
Jack says: "Living pay-day to pay-day is so stressful for me, I'm always afraid that something unexpected would happen. What if the old car falls apart? What if one of our kids become really sick? This money gives us a buffer and helps relieve my anxiety, but she wants to throw it all away on some extravagant holiday. She's so impractical. Doesn't she know that she is supposed to submit to me, that I am the head of this household? I have the right to decide what to do with this money, but she just isn't submissive to it."
As the conflict escalates, the issue becomes more and more personal, and both parties feel injured and that their rights has been violated.
The duty-based, Christ-centred approach
Jill says: "I am tired and stressed and would love a holiday, but Jack says no. But perhaps I need not feel so tired and stressed? What is it about my life that is tiring and stressing me out? After all, in Christ I will renew my strength and have peace that transcends understanding. I feel unloved when Jack doesn't want to go on a holiday, but that's ok, because I know I am already loved by Christ, more completely and lavishly than Jack's love. But I am to submit to Jack. I still want to go on a holiday, but more importantly, how can I respect Jack in this conflict?"
Jack says: "Living pay-day to pay-day is so stressful for me, but why am I so stressed? I am trying to provide for my family, but I know that, ultimately, Christ provides for us, even in the unexpected circumstances. Perhaps I am trying to put my security in having a good bank balance - I need to reorient my security on Christ. I still don't think this holiday is a good idea, but I know that I am to love her, because Christ first loved me. So, how can I love her sacrificially in this issue?"
There is no right or wrong answer to how they will resolve this issue, but no matter what the conclusion is, Jill will try to make sure that Jack is respected, and Jack will try to make sure that Jill is loved. Neither focuses on their own rights, or even their own feelings - but instead they will try to love and respect each other out of the love and dignity they have received from Christ.
Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Saviour. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendour, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Introduction
I felt moved to write this after my husband heard a sermon on this passage, and felt the explanation the preacher gave to be inadequate. I couldn't help but feel that Christianity (and the Church) has been poorly represented in the secular community due to poor exegesis. A quick reading of the above passage may lead someone to believe that the husband is the dominant authority in the household, and the wife is the passive, obedient one. You would naturally think that Christianity is to blame for all the misogyny, sexism, and domestic violence in the Western world. I felt moved to address this.
Moreover, serious, Bible-believing men and women may also become confused. A young man may want to be a good husband in the most biblical way possible, but does that mean he must become the "lord" of his household, dominating his beloved wife with his masculinity? A young woman may likewise wish to follow the Bible's teachings, but does that mean she must leave her personality, her intellect, and her individual opinions behind when she marries, and must relegate herself to become some sort of subordinate to her husband?
When we take the effort to approach this text more studiously, you will find a picture of marriage that is too beautiful and too romantic for even the most idealistic poet to imagine. This is going to be a bit of a long article, but I hope you can follow with me to that picture.
The context of the text
When we come to a text and consider its meaning, we should always resist the urge to take the text out of the context of the chapter and the book it is written in.
Ephesians 5:22-6:9 is a section where the author Paul discusses how different relationships should work between Christians, and the preceding chapters, chapters 1-4 explains the why. Paul spends the first three chapters giving a detailed discussion on Jesus - his lavish love for us, his gracious act of redemption for us, giving us life and immeasurable riches with Him. Chapter four tells us that we have unity with each other in Christ, and through Him we can put aside our old, selfish selves, and put on a new, Christ centred life. Chapter five then opens with:
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Eph 5:1-2 (ESV)This bit is important: as we approach the words of instruction to wives and husbands, we remember we do this because Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us. When Paul gets to chapter five, he is writing to the Ephesian church assuming that they have read chapters 1-4, and have grasped the good news of the gospel, and living in Spirit-renewed unity... and he gives instructions to husbands and wives having set the foundation of the gospel. The instructions given to married couples has the expectation that they are both already Christians who understand the foundations set in chapters 1-4.
Headship is more than you think
When we think of the man has the head of the family, we naturally consider a situation where the man is the "master" of his family. I grew up in such a family. If we ever sat around to watch TV, my father held the remote and decided what we were going to watch. If my mother bought any expensive food or rare fruit, the choicest, largest piece usually went to my father. (Sometimes it went to us kids, but he always got the better portion compared to my mother.) If ever we disagreed, he had the ultimate veto power, and he enforced his control by shouting, emotional manipulation, and, once in a while, by physical violence.
Jesus has a different idea of what headship and leadership means. In Luke 22, while seated at the Last Supper, the disciples start arguing over who was to be regarded as the greatest. Jesus didn't admonish them for their ambition for greatness, but instead offered an alternative definition of greatness:
"Let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. For who is greater, the one who reclines at table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves." Luke 22:26-27 (ESV)John 13 also records that, at the same supper, Jesus washed his disciples' feet to demonstrate the same lesson, and instructed them to do the same. So, we see that Jesus demonstrates his greatness not by displays of power or domination, but by being among us as one who serves.
Paul picks up on this when he says, "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her". How does Christ love the church? Perhaps I don't need to outline the lavish and sacrificial love Christ has for his beloved bride the church, the way he endured death and separation from God in order for the church to be redeemed to him. Paul demands that sort of love from husbands for their wives. And it's not just a theoretical "if a gunman ever comes I'll jump in front of a bullet for you" kind of sacrifice, but also in the mundane, day to day things that place your wife's needs above your own.
Next, we come to the goal of headship. It's important to see that the leadership of the husband is not in order to boost his ego, or so that he may have his way all the time, or assert his dominance. Instead, the aim is that:
"he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendour, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish." Eph 5:26-27 (ESV)You see, according to the biblical model, my husband is to sacrificially love me because it leads to my sanctification. In other words, it leads me to grow more holy, more like Christ, and with more splendour. (I feel a little embarrassed even typing this. Me? Splendour? But hey, the text says what the text says.)
There is so much more I could say about this, because the language in the text is so rich and loaded with imagery, but I feel we must move on, before this article becomes a novel.
Submission is not a dirty word
When we hear the word submission, we instinctively repulse against it - and with good reason. After all, submission is something we teach our children and our puppies. We imagine a wife who is a sort of subordinate to her husband, silently submissive to his will and command. We imagine a diminished woman who left behind her own ideas and opinions behind when she married, and is but a shadow behind her looming husband.
The text says: Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Ephesians 4:24. Sounds pretty submissive to me, right? But how does the church submit to Christ?
Well, certainly the church submits to Christ by accepting his love and sacrifice for us, as a start. The church puts absolute trust and faith in Christ's love, but certainly not in a passive, silent, leave-your-gifts-behind kind of way. In fact, those in leadership positions within the church are always looking for ways to make use of every available resource to bring glory to Christ:
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21. (ESV)The bible is clear that the wife is not subordinate or a lower-class human compared to her husband (see Galatians 3:28, Genesis 1:27). However, the wife devotes herself to submission to her husband the way the church submits - not by suppressing her gifts and ideas and opinions, but by using them all to make him more glorious.
What this looks like
Imagine a couple dancing a beautiful waltz. The man is dressed in a tux, his back straight and strong but not inflexible, the lady in a beautiful flowing dress, her steps and turns flowing seamlessly. They dance to the tune of Christ's love for them. The husband commits to loving his wife as sacrificially, selflessly, and courageously as possible, in all things seeking to make her more perfect, more holy, and more splendid. Not because of how great he is or how great she is, but simply because he has received the same love from Christ. In turn, the wife commits to honouring her husband, trusting in his love, and committing all that she has to make him more glorious. Not because of how wonderful her husband is, but simply because she first submitted her ultimate love and trust and obedience to Christ.
And thus, the couple dances through life, and each hurdle that comes their way. At times in their dance together one may dance more vibrantly than the other, and they may indeed follow each other's lead in different times. But the basic pattern remains the same, and all this with the love of Christ being their mutual goal, their joy, and satisfaction.
But what does it look like, really?
At this point, the reader might want to say, "Yes, that's a nice picture you have painted, but how does this work? Who holds the remote? Who controls the finances? Who does the cooking? Can the wife go to work? If the two disagree on something, who has the right to make the final decision?"
The bible offers guiding principles to help us navigate through life, but it doesn't didactically give specific laws about every single decision we've got to make. I would say that an approach that seeks to give specific, inflexible and absolute answers to the above questions would be legalistic and Pharisaical. When we married, my husband and I had slightly different marital vows. He vowed to "love, honour, and protect" me all his life. I vowed to "love, honour, and respect" him all of my life. While our marriage is not perfect, we fulfilled our vows in different ways as our situations changed. There was a time when I did most of the housework. Then there was a time when he did most of the housework. For the majority of our married life, as he pursued full time theological studies, I was the sole breadwinner. But I don't feel unloved, and he does not feel disrespected, as we seek to worship Christ together.
The other thing to note that Eph 5:22-33 is talking about duties of the husband and wife toward one another, and not rights. And the duties are Christ-centred. As soon as we begin to ask questions like "who has the right to make the final decisions", we are already starting off on the wrong foot. The focus is not on what is your right to expect from your spouse, but what is your duty toward your spouse.
Finally, a practical example
Jack and Jill are a young married couple, who are struggling financially and living pay-day to pay-day. Finally, they save up a sum of money, and disagree about what to do with it.
The rights-based, battle of the sexes approach
Jill says: "I have been so tired in the past few months, this year has been so stressful, I feel jaded and faded. I found this great deal on the internet for a relaxing holiday overseas, it's a great bargain. We can afford it, we've got the money, but Jack says no. Doesn't he realise that he is supposed to love me sacrificially and selflessly? I have been married to him all these years and worked hard all these years, how can he be so selfish? I have the right to feel loved, but he just isn't doing it."
Jack says: "Living pay-day to pay-day is so stressful for me, I'm always afraid that something unexpected would happen. What if the old car falls apart? What if one of our kids become really sick? This money gives us a buffer and helps relieve my anxiety, but she wants to throw it all away on some extravagant holiday. She's so impractical. Doesn't she know that she is supposed to submit to me, that I am the head of this household? I have the right to decide what to do with this money, but she just isn't submissive to it."
As the conflict escalates, the issue becomes more and more personal, and both parties feel injured and that their rights has been violated.
The duty-based, Christ-centred approach
Jill says: "I am tired and stressed and would love a holiday, but Jack says no. But perhaps I need not feel so tired and stressed? What is it about my life that is tiring and stressing me out? After all, in Christ I will renew my strength and have peace that transcends understanding. I feel unloved when Jack doesn't want to go on a holiday, but that's ok, because I know I am already loved by Christ, more completely and lavishly than Jack's love. But I am to submit to Jack. I still want to go on a holiday, but more importantly, how can I respect Jack in this conflict?"
Jack says: "Living pay-day to pay-day is so stressful for me, but why am I so stressed? I am trying to provide for my family, but I know that, ultimately, Christ provides for us, even in the unexpected circumstances. Perhaps I am trying to put my security in having a good bank balance - I need to reorient my security on Christ. I still don't think this holiday is a good idea, but I know that I am to love her, because Christ first loved me. So, how can I love her sacrificially in this issue?"
There is no right or wrong answer to how they will resolve this issue, but no matter what the conclusion is, Jill will try to make sure that Jack is respected, and Jack will try to make sure that Jill is loved. Neither focuses on their own rights, or even their own feelings - but instead they will try to love and respect each other out of the love and dignity they have received from Christ.
Thursday, August 13, 2015
Joy and Happiness in the Christian mindset
Recently, I saw a question posted by an acquaintance on Facebook: is it true that when non-Christians find happiness, they're not truly happy; they just think they are?
I thought it was a great question, and here is my rather long-winded attempt to answer it.
Happiness vs Joy
Joy is a word frequently used in the Bible to denote happiness and gladness. However, it is important to make a distinction between joy in the Biblical sense (I will call it biblical joy) and an emotional happiness.
Biblical joy is not just an emotional state, but a quality or a characteristic of the believer. The believer has joy at all times, in all circumstances, even in the face of great trials. (See Phil 4:4). The object of Christian joy is in the person of Christ Himself: whether our surroundings are good or bad, we recognise that He himself is sufficient for our needs, and we will never lose His love or faithfulness. Biblical joy is not something that we conjure up ourselves, through self-affirmation or pep talks - it is given by God (Rom 15:13), and is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
Happiness is different. It is an emotion, not a character. Many things make us happy, usually for perfectly legitimate reasons. Roast on a winter's night, cold beer in a summer's eve, a lover's embrace, a baby's chuckle, the list goes on. A person (Christian or non-Christian) may very well live generally contented lives: enjoying prosperity, the love of their family and friends, content in their jobs and hobbies.
It is, I believe, imperative to make a distinction between Biblical joy and happiness. Without such a distinction, you may expect Christians to be happy all the time, and non-Christians to be always miserable - and this is simply not the case.
Some facts about joy:
1. Christian joy is joy in the Lord. (See Phil 4:4)
Christian joy flows from a relationship with Christ. We don't rejoice because Christ has given us a nice job, nice family, or a healthy body. We don't even rejoice even because Christ has saved us from hell. Christian joy is simply joy in the Lord - a simple recognition that Christ is all things great and glorious, Christ is great strength and great beauty all in one, and simply that we get to have a relationship with Him. We rejoice over the good news - the wonderful news - that for this relationship to be made possible great sacrifice had to be made, and He has made it. Thus, we rejoice over who He is, what He has done, and our bond with Him.
2. Christian joy is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)
When we have a relationship with Christ, we are given the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit works in our lives in such a way that it gives visible results - or, to use the language of Galatians, bears fruit. It is important to note that these are not our fruit, but the Spirit's. Therefore, Christian joy can not be "produced" by some self-affirmation pep talk, nor by some self-applied cognitive behavioural therapy. You can not make a New Year's resolution to have more joy - it simply will not work. Instead, we take our eyes off ourselves, on to Christ, and joy naturally flowers and fruits.
3. Joy in all circumstances (Phil 4:12, James 1:2-4)
In Phil 4:12, Paul informs us that he has learned the "secret" of facing all situations, whether good or bad. Earlier in the same chapter, he gives us the key to the secret: we are to rejoice in the Lord, because He is at hand and He gives us peace. If we are to rejoice in the Lord, then we will indeed have surpassing joy - because Christ surpasses everything! In a world of uncertainty and change, Christ's nature doesn't change, the work of Christ on the cross doesn't change, and our relationship to Him doesn't change. What is most of value to us - above health and wealth - Christ Himself - will not be taken from us, although our health may fail and money flows in and out of our bank accounts almost as if it has a life of its own.
James gives us another reason to have joy in tough circumstances: because they produce steadfastness (James 1:2), or endurance in our faith. Our trials and sufferings produce a deeper, more steadfast faith in Christ, enriching and deepening our relationship with Him - and in this we rejoice! So, even in our trials, the source of our joy and the focus of our attention is still Christ.
OK... so how does this apply to me?
1. Does this mean that Christians should be happy at all times?
3 years ago, my father-in-law passed away after a swift battle with cancer. Our family was devastated - but particularly my mother-in-law. They had been happily married for over 30 years, lived through some terrible trials together, and was just starting to enjoy a more stable lifestyle. She was shattered. During those days, if somebody had come up to her and said, "Why are you sad? Christians should always be happy!", I might very well have punched them in the face.
The Bible does not teach that Christians should be stoical in all situations. Jesus was not a stoic - he wept, anguished, got angry, and sweated blood. In the passages of the Bible where it talks about rejoicing in all circumstances, there is a recognition that these circumstances causes grief and suffering. (See Romans 5:3-4, 1 Peter 1:6-7.) These books, often written during times where Christians faced terrible persecution, showed a raw and acute awareness of the devastation life can throw at us. However, these passages does give us encouragement and point us toward the object and source of our joy, Christ Himself. My mother-in-law is not perfect (which daughter-in-law will admit that?), but I do know that her ultimate comfort, and joy, came from Christ.
2. So, what should we say to non-Christians who seem to have it all?
A couple of years ago, my brother-in-law started doing some work placements inside a hospital, where he met many doctors. He was amazed - these doctors were smart, altruistic, compassionate, hard working, secure, and friendly. And none of them were believers. "They are happier than you are," he said to me, somewhat accusational in his tone, "and they laugh at Christians."
C. S. Lewis, in his book The Pilgrim's Regress, suggest that we are all searching and yearning for a place of absolute beauty, where all of our desires and needs are ultimately fulfilled. Various things in life give us an "image" of what that place is like - poetry, music, entertainment, food, and even love from our family and friends - all give us a faint taste, a little snippet, of that place of ultimate fulfilment. But these things are only good as sign-posts: when you pursue them for their own sake, the faint happiness you get from them disappears like a mirage, leaving behind only despair and addiction. (Think about the hypochondriacs who obsess about their health so much they lose their enjoyment of their health; the foodie who descends into bulimia; the doting mother whose happiness is so entangled in her son that both of their lives are a misery.) A non-Christian do not always have to fall into the extremes of addiction and despair - you can ostensibly enjoy a little bit of everything without being completely addicted to it. And certainly - the happiness that you get out of a hot roast or a cold beer, or your wife's embrace - is all very, very real.
But I would tell my non-Christian friends who live happy lives - that their happiness is but merely happiness, which is only a shadow or a mirage compared to the deeper, eternal joy that they could have in Christ. Examine each source of happiness, examine it closely and you'll see smoke and mirage. The fulfilment that we have in Christ - is so much bigger, more joyful, more fulfilling, more solid - and so much more freeing than any other happiness that we can have. We know, deep down, that this kind of fulfilment is impossible for us who are mere human - and yet Christ has made it possible. And that is the good news.
I thought it was a great question, and here is my rather long-winded attempt to answer it.
Happiness vs Joy
Joy is a word frequently used in the Bible to denote happiness and gladness. However, it is important to make a distinction between joy in the Biblical sense (I will call it biblical joy) and an emotional happiness.
Biblical joy is not just an emotional state, but a quality or a characteristic of the believer. The believer has joy at all times, in all circumstances, even in the face of great trials. (See Phil 4:4). The object of Christian joy is in the person of Christ Himself: whether our surroundings are good or bad, we recognise that He himself is sufficient for our needs, and we will never lose His love or faithfulness. Biblical joy is not something that we conjure up ourselves, through self-affirmation or pep talks - it is given by God (Rom 15:13), and is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
Happiness is different. It is an emotion, not a character. Many things make us happy, usually for perfectly legitimate reasons. Roast on a winter's night, cold beer in a summer's eve, a lover's embrace, a baby's chuckle, the list goes on. A person (Christian or non-Christian) may very well live generally contented lives: enjoying prosperity, the love of their family and friends, content in their jobs and hobbies.
It is, I believe, imperative to make a distinction between Biblical joy and happiness. Without such a distinction, you may expect Christians to be happy all the time, and non-Christians to be always miserable - and this is simply not the case.
Some facts about joy:
1. Christian joy is joy in the Lord. (See Phil 4:4)
Christian joy flows from a relationship with Christ. We don't rejoice because Christ has given us a nice job, nice family, or a healthy body. We don't even rejoice even because Christ has saved us from hell. Christian joy is simply joy in the Lord - a simple recognition that Christ is all things great and glorious, Christ is great strength and great beauty all in one, and simply that we get to have a relationship with Him. We rejoice over the good news - the wonderful news - that for this relationship to be made possible great sacrifice had to be made, and He has made it. Thus, we rejoice over who He is, what He has done, and our bond with Him.
2. Christian joy is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)
When we have a relationship with Christ, we are given the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit works in our lives in such a way that it gives visible results - or, to use the language of Galatians, bears fruit. It is important to note that these are not our fruit, but the Spirit's. Therefore, Christian joy can not be "produced" by some self-affirmation pep talk, nor by some self-applied cognitive behavioural therapy. You can not make a New Year's resolution to have more joy - it simply will not work. Instead, we take our eyes off ourselves, on to Christ, and joy naturally flowers and fruits.
3. Joy in all circumstances (Phil 4:12, James 1:2-4)
In Phil 4:12, Paul informs us that he has learned the "secret" of facing all situations, whether good or bad. Earlier in the same chapter, he gives us the key to the secret: we are to rejoice in the Lord, because He is at hand and He gives us peace. If we are to rejoice in the Lord, then we will indeed have surpassing joy - because Christ surpasses everything! In a world of uncertainty and change, Christ's nature doesn't change, the work of Christ on the cross doesn't change, and our relationship to Him doesn't change. What is most of value to us - above health and wealth - Christ Himself - will not be taken from us, although our health may fail and money flows in and out of our bank accounts almost as if it has a life of its own.
James gives us another reason to have joy in tough circumstances: because they produce steadfastness (James 1:2), or endurance in our faith. Our trials and sufferings produce a deeper, more steadfast faith in Christ, enriching and deepening our relationship with Him - and in this we rejoice! So, even in our trials, the source of our joy and the focus of our attention is still Christ.
OK... so how does this apply to me?
1. Does this mean that Christians should be happy at all times?
3 years ago, my father-in-law passed away after a swift battle with cancer. Our family was devastated - but particularly my mother-in-law. They had been happily married for over 30 years, lived through some terrible trials together, and was just starting to enjoy a more stable lifestyle. She was shattered. During those days, if somebody had come up to her and said, "Why are you sad? Christians should always be happy!", I might very well have punched them in the face.
The Bible does not teach that Christians should be stoical in all situations. Jesus was not a stoic - he wept, anguished, got angry, and sweated blood. In the passages of the Bible where it talks about rejoicing in all circumstances, there is a recognition that these circumstances causes grief and suffering. (See Romans 5:3-4, 1 Peter 1:6-7.) These books, often written during times where Christians faced terrible persecution, showed a raw and acute awareness of the devastation life can throw at us. However, these passages does give us encouragement and point us toward the object and source of our joy, Christ Himself. My mother-in-law is not perfect (which daughter-in-law will admit that?), but I do know that her ultimate comfort, and joy, came from Christ.
2. So, what should we say to non-Christians who seem to have it all?
A couple of years ago, my brother-in-law started doing some work placements inside a hospital, where he met many doctors. He was amazed - these doctors were smart, altruistic, compassionate, hard working, secure, and friendly. And none of them were believers. "They are happier than you are," he said to me, somewhat accusational in his tone, "and they laugh at Christians."
C. S. Lewis, in his book The Pilgrim's Regress, suggest that we are all searching and yearning for a place of absolute beauty, where all of our desires and needs are ultimately fulfilled. Various things in life give us an "image" of what that place is like - poetry, music, entertainment, food, and even love from our family and friends - all give us a faint taste, a little snippet, of that place of ultimate fulfilment. But these things are only good as sign-posts: when you pursue them for their own sake, the faint happiness you get from them disappears like a mirage, leaving behind only despair and addiction. (Think about the hypochondriacs who obsess about their health so much they lose their enjoyment of their health; the foodie who descends into bulimia; the doting mother whose happiness is so entangled in her son that both of their lives are a misery.) A non-Christian do not always have to fall into the extremes of addiction and despair - you can ostensibly enjoy a little bit of everything without being completely addicted to it. And certainly - the happiness that you get out of a hot roast or a cold beer, or your wife's embrace - is all very, very real.
But I would tell my non-Christian friends who live happy lives - that their happiness is but merely happiness, which is only a shadow or a mirage compared to the deeper, eternal joy that they could have in Christ. Examine each source of happiness, examine it closely and you'll see smoke and mirage. The fulfilment that we have in Christ - is so much bigger, more joyful, more fulfilling, more solid - and so much more freeing than any other happiness that we can have. We know, deep down, that this kind of fulfilment is impossible for us who are mere human - and yet Christ has made it possible. And that is the good news.
Sunday, July 27, 2014
What every worship leader must realise
This post is dedicated to all Christians who participate in the music ministry (or the worship ministry), but most of all to the worship leader, or the "song leader" as some churches call it.
1. Realise why you do what you do.
So you participate in the music ministry - you select a few songs, lead the worship, or perhaps you play an instrument in church. It is vital that you pause and ask yourself - "why do we have worship? why does our church sing songs? What are we trying to achieve?".
It is simply not good enough to say, "we sing worship songs because we have always sang worship songs". It is also not good enough to say, "I am leading worship because I am good at singing." It is definitely not good enough to say: "we sing worship songs because Pastor wants us to", or "we sing worship songs because all the other churches sing worship songs".
Now, I am not an expert in this topic, but I think we need to look no further than the Bible:
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done marvellous things
his right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
- Psalm 98:1
There are many other psalms that extol people to worship God through singing and making music (see Ps 66, 81, 89, 92, 95, 96, 100, 101, 105... and so on.) In all of them, the Psalmist calls us to sing and make music to God, as a response to what he has done for us, and to his greatness. (For the Christian today, worship therefore is a response to the gospel.) The psalmist used music for individual worship, and the nation of Israel used music for corporate worship. From time immemorial, people have been making music as an outpouring of love in response to God's outpouring of love over us. And if that isn't the reason you're singing, then you're doing it wrong.
2. Realise that the music doesn't matter. The worship matters.
Once, I took part in an Easter Friday prayer service, where the pastor simply played a music CD on speakers, and the congregation sang along to the CD. And yet, as the pastor lead us in prayer and in song, tears were flowing, confessions made, hands were raised in submission, and God was glorified. There were no singers, no band, just a CD on replay.
Worship is an act of adoration, an act of submission, in response to God's love. You can't make worship the way you make music, worship is something that just happens when people come to God with the right attitude. Your job as a worship leader is not just to make music, but to lead the people in worship. (Also, you can't make people worship by singing a great song, or by having the PA guy turn the volume higher. You lead people to worship. This means if you are not worshipping, people won't follow.)
There is no point in having a full symphony orchestra in your band, if you don't have the heart of worship. There is no point in making the singers harmonise their vocals, if that means their mind is too focussed on getting the harmony right to really set their eyes upon God.
3. Realise that your preparation shows.
There is a Chinese proverb that says: "ten years of training for three minutes on stage". In other words, you must put the hard work in to preparing, even if you will only be on stage for a few minutes.
My husband says that the stage is somewhere that really exposes who you are in Christ. And if you are not prepared, it will also show.
I am not talking about technical preparedness (such as practising the songs, preparing the chords, but that is important too), but spiritual preparedness. In order to lead God's people to worship, you must know how to worship, not just on stage but also in every day life. You can't lead people to relate with God if you yourself don't have a relationship with God. You simply can not lead people where you have not been yourself. If you don't worship God in private, no amount of musical practice will cover that up. It shows.
4. Realise that it is not about you. It's all about Jesus.
Your job as a worship leader is to lead people in adoration of God, in response to the Gospel. The psalmist says "Sing to the Lord because he is great", not "sing to the Lord because he gave you a really nice voice". Perhaps, inevitably in worship, people may notice that you have a nice voice, or that you're gifted on the piano. But if that is all that they notice, then worship didn't happen. True worship is when people hear the music, and get swept up in the great love story that is Jesus. It is not about you, or your instruments, or how well you harmonise. It is all about Jesus.
5. Realise that it is possible for God to reject your worship
In Amos 5:23, God says to the Israelites: "Spare me the sound of your songs. I won't listen to the music of your harps.".
The subject of unacceptable worship is a huge one, and I can't do it justice here. But realise that it is possible for God not to accept your worship, God is not obligated to be pleased. If you sing worship songs but the object of your focus is not God (for example, if your focus is on your voice, the music, or your image), then that is idolatry and God is not pleased.
Conclusion: worship done right
I remember many times in the past, when I have had a particularly tough week, I manage to hold it all together until the worship starts. When the music starts, and I am reminded of how great God is, His love sweep over me and the tears flow. It feels like a burden taken off your shoulders, as if God Himself is saying: "welcome home. Leave your burdens behind, and come sit at my feet."
Worship does that. It reminds us of our place in His salvation, turns our hearts towards the cross, and leads us to His courts.
This responsibility and ministry of worship was given to Aaron and his sons, taken up by King David and the psalmists, and now given to you. In the end, it is all about Jesus.
1. Realise why you do what you do.
So you participate in the music ministry - you select a few songs, lead the worship, or perhaps you play an instrument in church. It is vital that you pause and ask yourself - "why do we have worship? why does our church sing songs? What are we trying to achieve?".
It is simply not good enough to say, "we sing worship songs because we have always sang worship songs". It is also not good enough to say, "I am leading worship because I am good at singing." It is definitely not good enough to say: "we sing worship songs because Pastor wants us to", or "we sing worship songs because all the other churches sing worship songs".
Now, I am not an expert in this topic, but I think we need to look no further than the Bible:
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done marvellous things
his right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
- Psalm 98:1
There are many other psalms that extol people to worship God through singing and making music (see Ps 66, 81, 89, 92, 95, 96, 100, 101, 105... and so on.) In all of them, the Psalmist calls us to sing and make music to God, as a response to what he has done for us, and to his greatness. (For the Christian today, worship therefore is a response to the gospel.) The psalmist used music for individual worship, and the nation of Israel used music for corporate worship. From time immemorial, people have been making music as an outpouring of love in response to God's outpouring of love over us. And if that isn't the reason you're singing, then you're doing it wrong.
2. Realise that the music doesn't matter. The worship matters.
Once, I took part in an Easter Friday prayer service, where the pastor simply played a music CD on speakers, and the congregation sang along to the CD. And yet, as the pastor lead us in prayer and in song, tears were flowing, confessions made, hands were raised in submission, and God was glorified. There were no singers, no band, just a CD on replay.
Worship is an act of adoration, an act of submission, in response to God's love. You can't make worship the way you make music, worship is something that just happens when people come to God with the right attitude. Your job as a worship leader is not just to make music, but to lead the people in worship. (Also, you can't make people worship by singing a great song, or by having the PA guy turn the volume higher. You lead people to worship. This means if you are not worshipping, people won't follow.)
There is no point in having a full symphony orchestra in your band, if you don't have the heart of worship. There is no point in making the singers harmonise their vocals, if that means their mind is too focussed on getting the harmony right to really set their eyes upon God.
3. Realise that your preparation shows.
There is a Chinese proverb that says: "ten years of training for three minutes on stage". In other words, you must put the hard work in to preparing, even if you will only be on stage for a few minutes.
My husband says that the stage is somewhere that really exposes who you are in Christ. And if you are not prepared, it will also show.
I am not talking about technical preparedness (such as practising the songs, preparing the chords, but that is important too), but spiritual preparedness. In order to lead God's people to worship, you must know how to worship, not just on stage but also in every day life. You can't lead people to relate with God if you yourself don't have a relationship with God. You simply can not lead people where you have not been yourself. If you don't worship God in private, no amount of musical practice will cover that up. It shows.
4. Realise that it is not about you. It's all about Jesus.
Your job as a worship leader is to lead people in adoration of God, in response to the Gospel. The psalmist says "Sing to the Lord because he is great", not "sing to the Lord because he gave you a really nice voice". Perhaps, inevitably in worship, people may notice that you have a nice voice, or that you're gifted on the piano. But if that is all that they notice, then worship didn't happen. True worship is when people hear the music, and get swept up in the great love story that is Jesus. It is not about you, or your instruments, or how well you harmonise. It is all about Jesus.
5. Realise that it is possible for God to reject your worship
In Amos 5:23, God says to the Israelites: "Spare me the sound of your songs. I won't listen to the music of your harps.".
The subject of unacceptable worship is a huge one, and I can't do it justice here. But realise that it is possible for God not to accept your worship, God is not obligated to be pleased. If you sing worship songs but the object of your focus is not God (for example, if your focus is on your voice, the music, or your image), then that is idolatry and God is not pleased.
Conclusion: worship done right
I remember many times in the past, when I have had a particularly tough week, I manage to hold it all together until the worship starts. When the music starts, and I am reminded of how great God is, His love sweep over me and the tears flow. It feels like a burden taken off your shoulders, as if God Himself is saying: "welcome home. Leave your burdens behind, and come sit at my feet."
Worship does that. It reminds us of our place in His salvation, turns our hearts towards the cross, and leads us to His courts.
This responsibility and ministry of worship was given to Aaron and his sons, taken up by King David and the psalmists, and now given to you. In the end, it is all about Jesus.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Random thought #2: Social justice and the church
"These impious Galileans [Christians] not only feed their own poor, but ours also." - Julian the Apostate,
When people think of Christianity and the Church today, do they associate it with social justice? They certainly did early in the history of Christianity.
Julian the Apostate was a Roman emperor in the fourth century, given his rather impious title for his attempts to restore paganism to Rome, undoing the work of his Christian predecessors, and suppression of the development of Christianity. In other words, he despised the Christians, but nevertheless had to admit in his writing that under its church, Rome's impoverished were being looked after.
The early church was scoffed at for the demographic of its flock; the critics called it a religion for "the lower classes, the slaves, and the women." And little wonder - Christianity preached about hope for the future, the transient nature of present sufferings, equality of all men, and women as well. The Church fed the poor, looked after the widows and orphans, and preached that a man should love and honour his wife, and take up the cross for her if necessary. These were all very novel concepts to the ancient Romans. The pagan Romans were known for leaving unwanted newborn babies to die of exposure to the elements - this most often happened if the child was a girl. The church, on the other hand, were known to going out there and picking up these unwanted children, to be brought up and cared for. Though early Christianity was despised, it was also known for its love, justice, and mercy. No wonder Christianity flourished.
Christianity is inseparable from social justice, just as faith is inseparable from works (James 2:14-26). In the Old Testament, when God saw the oppression of the poor and the widows and orphans being forsaken by the nation of Israel, He seethed with anger, and refused to accept their fasts, feasts, or music (Isaiah 58; Amos 5).
What is the reaction of our churches today, when we look at modern injustices such as human trafficking, poverty, inequalities in access to education and medical care? What about the problems in our own backyard? Is our church complacent and sitting on its hands when looking at its global and local responsibilities? Or does the sight and thought of these injustices stir in us a Godly seething anger?
When people think of Christianity and the Church today, do they associate it with social justice? They certainly did early in the history of Christianity.
Julian the Apostate was a Roman emperor in the fourth century, given his rather impious title for his attempts to restore paganism to Rome, undoing the work of his Christian predecessors, and suppression of the development of Christianity. In other words, he despised the Christians, but nevertheless had to admit in his writing that under its church, Rome's impoverished were being looked after.
The early church was scoffed at for the demographic of its flock; the critics called it a religion for "the lower classes, the slaves, and the women." And little wonder - Christianity preached about hope for the future, the transient nature of present sufferings, equality of all men, and women as well. The Church fed the poor, looked after the widows and orphans, and preached that a man should love and honour his wife, and take up the cross for her if necessary. These were all very novel concepts to the ancient Romans. The pagan Romans were known for leaving unwanted newborn babies to die of exposure to the elements - this most often happened if the child was a girl. The church, on the other hand, were known to going out there and picking up these unwanted children, to be brought up and cared for. Though early Christianity was despised, it was also known for its love, justice, and mercy. No wonder Christianity flourished.
Christianity is inseparable from social justice, just as faith is inseparable from works (James 2:14-26). In the Old Testament, when God saw the oppression of the poor and the widows and orphans being forsaken by the nation of Israel, He seethed with anger, and refused to accept their fasts, feasts, or music (Isaiah 58; Amos 5).
What is the reaction of our churches today, when we look at modern injustices such as human trafficking, poverty, inequalities in access to education and medical care? What about the problems in our own backyard? Is our church complacent and sitting on its hands when looking at its global and local responsibilities? Or does the sight and thought of these injustices stir in us a Godly seething anger?
Friday, July 13, 2012
Random Thought on Church History
I've been doing some reading/study on Church History in the past few days, and, I must say, it has been interesting.
Over the next few days, I will present some of my random thoughts as I study this topic. They will be presented in no particular order.
A disclaimer: I'm a doctor of medicine, not a theologian nor a historian. The views presented here have a high chance of being incorrect. And pardon my poor prose; it has been a very long time since I last wrote something other than medical records and shopping lists.
Random Thought #1: Persecutions
"The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church; the Church has thrived on persecutions." - Tertullian (AD 116-225).
For the first nearly 300 years of Christianity, its followers were routinely persecuted and killed, its Scriptures and other writings sought out and burnt. How did it then thrive to become the widespread religion that it is today?
When we think of persecutions of Christians today, as it applies to us in the Western world, we think of somebody making fun of our faith. Not so for the early Christians: those persecutions were not mild. Roman citizens faced execution by sword, but non-Roman citizens (which was most of the Roman empire) were killed by various and rather creative means - fed to wild beasts in the gladiatorial arenas, seared with hot irons, crucifixion, as well as other forms of public torture. Christians who were not being tortured were forced to watch the proceedings of others. Knowing that the Christians believe in resurrection of the body, the Romans burnt the bodies of the martyrs and scattered the ashes into the rivers. No Christian that was caught was spared - irrespective of sex, status, wealth, or age. Polycarp was 86 when he was burnt alive; Agnes was 12 or 13.
Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 that He will build the Church on Peter the "rock" - and 'the gates of hell shall not overcome'. Certainly some of the executions the Romans thought up were quite hellish. There can be no doubt that something divine was moving amongst the believers in those first 300 years, and has continued to move in the church as Christians faced persecutions in Asia and Africa in later centuries, and even now as Christians are facing the unspeakable in the Middle East. It is heartening to know that, in this period of crashing economies and whole nations facing bankruptcy, there is one institution that will never fall.
Over the next few days, I will present some of my random thoughts as I study this topic. They will be presented in no particular order.
A disclaimer: I'm a doctor of medicine, not a theologian nor a historian. The views presented here have a high chance of being incorrect. And pardon my poor prose; it has been a very long time since I last wrote something other than medical records and shopping lists.
Random Thought #1: Persecutions
"The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church; the Church has thrived on persecutions." - Tertullian (AD 116-225).
For the first nearly 300 years of Christianity, its followers were routinely persecuted and killed, its Scriptures and other writings sought out and burnt. How did it then thrive to become the widespread religion that it is today?
When we think of persecutions of Christians today, as it applies to us in the Western world, we think of somebody making fun of our faith. Not so for the early Christians: those persecutions were not mild. Roman citizens faced execution by sword, but non-Roman citizens (which was most of the Roman empire) were killed by various and rather creative means - fed to wild beasts in the gladiatorial arenas, seared with hot irons, crucifixion, as well as other forms of public torture. Christians who were not being tortured were forced to watch the proceedings of others. Knowing that the Christians believe in resurrection of the body, the Romans burnt the bodies of the martyrs and scattered the ashes into the rivers. No Christian that was caught was spared - irrespective of sex, status, wealth, or age. Polycarp was 86 when he was burnt alive; Agnes was 12 or 13.
Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 that He will build the Church on Peter the "rock" - and 'the gates of hell shall not overcome'. Certainly some of the executions the Romans thought up were quite hellish. There can be no doubt that something divine was moving amongst the believers in those first 300 years, and has continued to move in the church as Christians faced persecutions in Asia and Africa in later centuries, and even now as Christians are facing the unspeakable in the Middle East. It is heartening to know that, in this period of crashing economies and whole nations facing bankruptcy, there is one institution that will never fall.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Top 5 Reasons Christians Should Read The Bible
Last year, I wrote an entry named "Top 5 Reasons Non-Christians Should Read The Bible". At the time, my brother-in-law (who at that time was not yet my brother-in-law) suggested that I write one to exhort Christians to read the bible. He reasoned that too many people professing to be Christians are very unfamiliar with the Bible, its contents, and what it really espouses. I couldn't agree with him more. I have met too many Christians whose only study of the bible occurs at Sunday service or in cell groups. Although they appear to have a strong belief, yet the foundations of their faith are all too easily shaken. I have, since then, wanted to write something like this, but it has taken me a long time.
This is an exceptionally difficult post to write... if we were going to talk about the Bible and why it is important... gosh, where do I start? Do I talk about my own experiences? Do I talk about the intellectual or the emotional ways that the Bible helps us in our faith? Do I go into the theology of scripture - concepts like inspiration of scripture, the birth of the canon, inerrancy of the canon, etc? I hope to write a short, concise, yet compelling and motivating treatise. The emphasis here is on short, something that is easier said than done. Here is my attempt, after many trials and errors. Hope this works.
1. The Bible is God's Story, and if you are a Christian (and therefore believes in God), then it makes sense for you to read it. It is a biography of God and His involvement with His creation. The entire book - even those parts that are not narratives - weave together to tell the story about a perfect God, imperfect and tainted mankind, and His attempts to love us. You can't afford to miss out on this story.
2. Get your theology right.
What do you say if somebody starts attacking your faith? What do you think if someone presented you with what seems like quite a compelling message (in a leaflet, book, or sermon) that sounds good and doesn't seem to deviate too much from Christianity? If ever you were in that situation, would you even know what are the fundamental tenets of the Christian faith? On that vein, what does the Bible really say about abortion, extramarital sex, homosexuality, euthanasia, etc?
It is imperative that the everyday Christian is clear about their theological beliefs, rather than just relying on their leaders and pastors. Firstly, your pastor isn't necessarily going to be around when you are attacked... Secondly (and God forbid that you should meet these), not every compelling "speaker" or "leader" is going to be theologically sound. In the early church, medieval and middle ages, literacy was not widespread among the populace, and people were easily lead by anybody who had good oratory skills. Not so our generation! Read the Bible because you can, and get your theology right.
3. The Bible is practical
What is the best way to make money? What is the best way to relate to people around you? How do you build a relationship with your spouse? How do you bring up your children? How do you deal with life when poverty, persecution, or loneliness comes? What exactly is wisdom, which choices are wise? The Bible does not beat about the bush when it comes to these practical problems that trouble us. Aside from being an epic large scale romance and a theological doctrinal treatise, it is also a practical guidebook of life-money-marriage-parenting.
4. Know what God promises
I believe that what we believe about God and His nature and promises has a profound effect on our values, attitudes, and even our life vision. "Theology dictates living", theologian Dr. S. Donald Fortson III once said. If you know God and what He promises, how will you live differently?
The Bible contains countless promises that God gives us, and without reading it we don't really have an understanding of what they entail. Not only do we need to read the Bible for the promises that are recorded, but we need to keep reading it to remind ourselves, and even memorise it for a time when we can use it to encourage others.
5. Jesus read the Bible. Actually, that's not strictly true - the Bible didn't exist in Jesus' day - many books were in fact written after Jesus' death. However, Jesus was familiar with the scripture that was available to him - the prophets, the laws, and psalms in the Old Testament. He knew them well, committed them to memory, and often made references to them in his teaching.
If you profess to be Christian, and follow Jesus, it makes sense to follow his example!
In closing, you may notice that I didn't include reasons like "God talks to you using the Scriptures". Sometimes it is true that, whilst reading the Bible, a certain verse just jumps out at us, comforts our hearts and directs our steps, as if a personal revelation. Many people have experienced it, myself included... indeed on numerous occasions. However I didn't include this as one of the five reasons, because I don't think we should have a "mining" approach to reading the scriptures, as if we are reading in order to "find" a revelation or to somehow "channel" God to talk to us this way. If you take this attitude to your scripture reading, you may find yourself frustrated after reading 10 chapters of Leviticus and nothing jumps out at you, and you may consider Leviticus 'useless'.
My husband, who is usually permissive about these things, once remarked that regular reading of the Bible is compulsory for anyone who seriously wishes to love and serve God... and we all learn this, sooner or later.
(I'm sure there are a thousand other reasons that I've not presented here, even now I can think of heaps that didn't make this list. If you can think of heaps more, I would love to see your comment.)
This is an exceptionally difficult post to write... if we were going to talk about the Bible and why it is important... gosh, where do I start? Do I talk about my own experiences? Do I talk about the intellectual or the emotional ways that the Bible helps us in our faith? Do I go into the theology of scripture - concepts like inspiration of scripture, the birth of the canon, inerrancy of the canon, etc? I hope to write a short, concise, yet compelling and motivating treatise. The emphasis here is on short, something that is easier said than done. Here is my attempt, after many trials and errors. Hope this works.
1. The Bible is God's Story, and if you are a Christian (and therefore believes in God), then it makes sense for you to read it. It is a biography of God and His involvement with His creation. The entire book - even those parts that are not narratives - weave together to tell the story about a perfect God, imperfect and tainted mankind, and His attempts to love us. You can't afford to miss out on this story.
2. Get your theology right.
What do you say if somebody starts attacking your faith? What do you think if someone presented you with what seems like quite a compelling message (in a leaflet, book, or sermon) that sounds good and doesn't seem to deviate too much from Christianity? If ever you were in that situation, would you even know what are the fundamental tenets of the Christian faith? On that vein, what does the Bible really say about abortion, extramarital sex, homosexuality, euthanasia, etc?
It is imperative that the everyday Christian is clear about their theological beliefs, rather than just relying on their leaders and pastors. Firstly, your pastor isn't necessarily going to be around when you are attacked... Secondly (and God forbid that you should meet these), not every compelling "speaker" or "leader" is going to be theologically sound. In the early church, medieval and middle ages, literacy was not widespread among the populace, and people were easily lead by anybody who had good oratory skills. Not so our generation! Read the Bible because you can, and get your theology right.
3. The Bible is practical
What is the best way to make money? What is the best way to relate to people around you? How do you build a relationship with your spouse? How do you bring up your children? How do you deal with life when poverty, persecution, or loneliness comes? What exactly is wisdom, which choices are wise? The Bible does not beat about the bush when it comes to these practical problems that trouble us. Aside from being an epic large scale romance and a theological doctrinal treatise, it is also a practical guidebook of life-money-marriage-parenting.
4. Know what God promises
I believe that what we believe about God and His nature and promises has a profound effect on our values, attitudes, and even our life vision. "Theology dictates living", theologian Dr. S. Donald Fortson III once said. If you know God and what He promises, how will you live differently?
The Bible contains countless promises that God gives us, and without reading it we don't really have an understanding of what they entail. Not only do we need to read the Bible for the promises that are recorded, but we need to keep reading it to remind ourselves, and even memorise it for a time when we can use it to encourage others.
5. Jesus read the Bible. Actually, that's not strictly true - the Bible didn't exist in Jesus' day - many books were in fact written after Jesus' death. However, Jesus was familiar with the scripture that was available to him - the prophets, the laws, and psalms in the Old Testament. He knew them well, committed them to memory, and often made references to them in his teaching.
If you profess to be Christian, and follow Jesus, it makes sense to follow his example!
In closing, you may notice that I didn't include reasons like "God talks to you using the Scriptures". Sometimes it is true that, whilst reading the Bible, a certain verse just jumps out at us, comforts our hearts and directs our steps, as if a personal revelation. Many people have experienced it, myself included... indeed on numerous occasions. However I didn't include this as one of the five reasons, because I don't think we should have a "mining" approach to reading the scriptures, as if we are reading in order to "find" a revelation or to somehow "channel" God to talk to us this way. If you take this attitude to your scripture reading, you may find yourself frustrated after reading 10 chapters of Leviticus and nothing jumps out at you, and you may consider Leviticus 'useless'.
My husband, who is usually permissive about these things, once remarked that regular reading of the Bible is compulsory for anyone who seriously wishes to love and serve God... and we all learn this, sooner or later.
(I'm sure there are a thousand other reasons that I've not presented here, even now I can think of heaps that didn't make this list. If you can think of heaps more, I would love to see your comment.)
Saturday, October 15, 2011
The Doctrine of Common Grace
Common Grace is a theological term referring to grace that is bestowed to all mankind by God.
It is 'common' because it is given to all humanity, irrespective of
whether they are believers or not. It is 'grace' because it is a gift of
God that is undeserved by us, and can't be earned by merit. Examples of
common grace include basic things like the phenomena in creation that gives
us life (rain, sunshine), civil authorities and civilisation, etc. This is, of course, different from special grace, which is the gift of adoption into God's kingdom, given only to believers.
When I first learnt about the doctrine of common grace, I must admit I was a bit unimpressed. After all, what sort of 'grace' is rain? What sort of 'grace' is speeding cameras and parking regulations? Besides, we need more than just rain and oxygen for an abundant, fulfilling life. I recall feeling that common grace was really pretty useless.
Common grace began in Genesis 2:17, when God told Adam that if he eats from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, he will "surely die". So when Adam and Eve ate from the tree, we expect to find them perhaps instantaneously put to death. In fact, when I first read those words as a child, I thought perhaps the fruit would contain some sort of explosive that detonates upon eating. I was surprised to find that Adam and Eve were not struck by lightning, nor did they spectacularly perish the moment the fruit enters their mouths. In fact, Adam did not die until he was 930 years old. I wonder how Adam must have felt about common grace, waking each morning to sunshine and the knowledge that the Lord Almighty had tolerated (or perhaps even delighted in) his existence for another day. I wonder what he thought of common grace as he worked the soil and the rain nourished his crops. Adam knew the heights from which he fell, Adam knew what he really deserved, and the significance of the rain was not diminished in his eyes.
After Adam, generation after generation fell to the same darkness... from Cain to Lamech to the days of Noah. No one deserved this common grace, yet all benefited from it. Although it is given to everybody, it is anything but 'common'. Each person uniquely exemplifies the gracious and loving kindness of God. Each person, believer and unbeliever, is given it as a special gift, a miracle that defies our nature.
Common grace is given to each of us. What are you doing with yours?
When I first learnt about the doctrine of common grace, I must admit I was a bit unimpressed. After all, what sort of 'grace' is rain? What sort of 'grace' is speeding cameras and parking regulations? Besides, we need more than just rain and oxygen for an abundant, fulfilling life. I recall feeling that common grace was really pretty useless.
Common grace began in Genesis 2:17, when God told Adam that if he eats from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, he will "surely die". So when Adam and Eve ate from the tree, we expect to find them perhaps instantaneously put to death. In fact, when I first read those words as a child, I thought perhaps the fruit would contain some sort of explosive that detonates upon eating. I was surprised to find that Adam and Eve were not struck by lightning, nor did they spectacularly perish the moment the fruit enters their mouths. In fact, Adam did not die until he was 930 years old. I wonder how Adam must have felt about common grace, waking each morning to sunshine and the knowledge that the Lord Almighty had tolerated (or perhaps even delighted in) his existence for another day. I wonder what he thought of common grace as he worked the soil and the rain nourished his crops. Adam knew the heights from which he fell, Adam knew what he really deserved, and the significance of the rain was not diminished in his eyes.
After Adam, generation after generation fell to the same darkness... from Cain to Lamech to the days of Noah. No one deserved this common grace, yet all benefited from it. Although it is given to everybody, it is anything but 'common'. Each person uniquely exemplifies the gracious and loving kindness of God. Each person, believer and unbeliever, is given it as a special gift, a miracle that defies our nature.
Common grace is given to each of us. What are you doing with yours?
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