Tag: God

Christian Pacifism

On the Turning Away…

On September 9, 1980, five years after the Vietnam War and a mere four years from the celebration of America’s Bicentennial, an activist group called the Plowshares Eight broke into a General Electric plant in Pennsylvania and hammered violently on the nose cones destined to cap nuclear warheads. This was not the first kinetic protest for at least two of the activists, the brothers Daniel and Philip Berrigan. The Berrigans were well known among the Catholic antiwar and antiviolence community, following the tradition forged by others like Justin Martyr and Dorothy Day before them. Pacifism rooted in their Christian faith could not exist as mere doctrine or theory; for these men and women it must move from Word to action.

Christian pacifism is more than opposition to war; it is an intentional assumption of the reality of the peaceable Kingdom of God as inaugurated by the coming of Jesus. Shalom is the pervasive state of being in that kingdom as the Bible describes it, and the pacifist insists we are to labor for that peace in every situation, regardless of the personal cost. Because the pacifists within the Church usually gain the ‘activist’ label and seen as outliers from the rest of millions of believers, the central question to be addressed is not why they govern their lives by a biblical principle of peace at all costs, but what interpretative framework has enabled most Christians to respond indifferently to this issue and view non-violence as an optional belief?

The Berrigans did not root their pacifist worldview in philosophy alone. They interpreted the Bible as though it meant what it said and that the word of God demanded obedience and action. The Plowshares movement involved in the Pennsylvania protest took its name from the beautiful passage in Isaiah chapter 2 [cf. Micah 4:1-5] about the peace of the Kingdom welcoming all people to come under its comforting protection. Verse 4 paints a powerful picture of the core of this divine promise:

4 He will judge between the nations
and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.

Isaiah 2:4

Father Daniel pointed to this verse as his authority to action, to be moved toward “doing it.” (Kierkegaard). “To the Plowshares community, this text of Isaiah has been a summons—a vigorous word, a word that sets the human in motion.”  [1]

Isaiah’s prophetic allusion to future kingdom peace is not a one-off reference. A handful of chapters later, he prophesies that the warrior’s tools will again no longer be necessary, saying, “Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.” [Isaiah 9:5] The prophecy does not end with just foretelling peace at some undefined point; it continues saying that this peace will come with the Messiah:

6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.

Isaiah 9:6-7

As Jesus makes his gospel announcement then, “The kingdom of God has come near” [Mark 1:15], believers should see prophecy fulfillment and take to heart both the present reality of that kingdom and the different life expected of its citizens. If Jesus is the Prince of Peace, then the lives of his people are to be marked by shalom. The pacifist presses this claim to its logical end: there can be no situation in which violence can be the solution to any situation for the Christian.

It is the authority of Scripture and its application to life that separates Christian pacifism from its secular-humanist counterpart. In simple terms, the humanist chooses the path of pacifism because the consequences of violence and war are damaging to other humans, both aggressor and defender alike. The argument assumes that all people can see this harm and come to the same ethical position, wanting to avoid the pain of violence, everyone living happily counting on everyone else wanting them to live happily. Fallen human nature, however, inveighs against this. The Christian pacifist is more clear-eyed about the damaged souls of humanity and obeys a different authority; he or she takes Jesus and His kingdom seriously and obeys the imperative to ‘turn [to them] the other cheek also” and seeks the blessing of being a ‘peacemaker.’

Father Berrigan’s application of Isaiah 2:4 reveals a core tenet of the committed pacifists within the Church: they hold firmly to the belief that the kingdom of God is a present reality in the world right now, even though it is not yet fully realized. This immediacy of the Kingdom of God is to prompt an urgency in the believer to live by kingdom values and ethics now and witness to this truth. A specific ‘existential’ hermeneutic is in view here, best explained by Kierkegaard [2] and his description of the Bible as a mirror. He argued the scriptures are perfectly clear, and the Bible presents truth in such a way that it should provoke a radical, life-changing response in the believer. To read the words of Jesus concerning non-violence and the seeking of peace is to hear a command to citizens of the Kingdom to live their lives in a like fashion. In the same stream of thought, Kierkegaard says that Jesus is not a historical figure simply to be admired; He is a prototype for Christian living. The Lord’s portrait in Scripture is given as it is to move us to imitate His life. If Jesus was non-violent and seeking peace in all He does, so must we. From this hermeneutic, the philosopher insists, believers must reach the conclusion that taking a life in war (or other violent action) is inconsistent with kingdom values and the teaching of Jesus. From this hermeneutic a pacifist is born.

As with many of the modern applications of biblical truth to the life of a believer, the interpretive framework one brings to the teachings of Christ is going to be a major determinant of what position you take on pacifism, and to a further extent, general non-violence. Shalom-Peace is a holistic concept extending beyond the lack of war or physical violence. In the biblical sense, the idea of wholeness communicated by shalom expands our idea of how we will pursue peace; it includes the principle of non-violence but justice as well. Will the same invitation to sacrifice your other cheek call you to sacrifice your treasure, time, and life to see similarly violent injustices continue unabated? A pacifist can insist that they will not join the military and kill another human being in war while still turning a blind eye to the oppression and discrimination that visits equally detrimental violence on those same people. Jesus is clear that citizens of His kingdom will live differently. Their lives, marked by kingdom principles, will serve as a winsome invitation for others to commit to Jesus and have their lives shaped by the same values. Early church father Tertullian offers further reasoning attributed to the redemptive project of which the kingdom is a part. He teaches Christians dare not take the life of a person whom Christ purposes to redeem.

Unlike the clear prohibition against murder in the Ten Commandments­­–“You shall not murder.” [Exodus 20:13]–the Messiah gives no such direct command. Instead (cf. Kierkegaard), Jesus offers Christians the prototype of His life of peace, a life that was studiously non-violent, modeling the ideal for citizens of the Kingdom of God. The kingdom principles He teaches are embodied in the life He leads, teaching His followers that this life is not only possible but desirable. There are many avenues to peace and even to the well-being of shalom. Pacifism in the Christian community chooses that path which they interpret as most closely adhering to the Lord’s teachings and the model of His life. Many within the kingdom will not elect to walk that same path, but there is much to be gained by giving their framework and principles a second look.

Notes:

[1] Isaiah. Berrigan, Daniel. Fortress Press.

[2] cf: Christian Discourses and Works of Love, Kierkegaard, Soren

How to Think About War

The original post from which this essay stems was published nearly 20 years ago. There has been much geopolitical and spiritual change over those two decades, and I thought it important—during today’s heated discussions of war in Iran—to revisit the topic and the essays related to it. My aim in rewriting and republishing these is not to persuade toward one position or another. Rather, it is to encourage Christians to examine how they think about topics such as war. My hope is that we will devote ourselves to honing the tools we use to guide or control and express our positions on serious topics, including war. Once sharpened, these same intellectual and spiritual tools enable us to think about and speak to other political and cultural issues of the day from the perspective of a soul enrobed by the Spirit of Christ and devoted to the Lord.

In the multitude of evils that are a part of human experience, war and the destruction and carnage that follow in its wake rank in the top tier of wickedness. War has been a constant of human history and, despite the promise of the transforming power of Jesus Christ, He said that we “will hear of wars and rumors of wars” (Matthew 24:6), that it will be with us until the end of days. Given this constant from Jesus, a Christian’s worldview should be discipled in a biblical way of considering political violence and to have a framework from which we determine our thoughts and actions in relation to the act of war. The Christian is under competing pressures from being a citizen of the Kingdom of Christ and, simultaneously, being a good member of society. Many questions come our way in the ‘already, but not yet’ life we live. Shall we declare ourselves to be conscientious objectors when the country that supports the foundation of our religious liberty is under attack? Can we determine for certain that a war is ‘just’ in the classical definition of the term? Is pacifism the only acceptable stance a Christian can take? These questions sketch some ideas that a spirit-led Christian must wrestle with in approaching the Christlike commitment to seeking peace amidst the ongoing reality of war.

There is a substantial body of work created by Christian and secular thinkers to which we can turn to shape our thinking on the subjects of violence and war. Christianity through the centuries has engaged the full range of philosophy toward war, from full participation to absolute prohibition. If asked, can you define your position and defend it in the heated arena of ideas? Taking a prohibitionary stance that disallows Christian participation in war, for example, is simple to hold but challenging to explain when it means that not-yet-God’s-people non-Christians must be sent to fight in one’s place. Coming to a settled position on this and other hot-button issues of the day requires a familiarity of multiple topics that all contribute to the discussion. The philosophy of ethics is important in considering Just War theory. The imago dei must be held against the use of violence in creating or preserving peace. To engage in the arena of ideas demands that we be able to understand the positions of those with whom we might disagree.

The Bible is the primary resource from which Christians develop their beliefs and worldview, and even a cursory knowledge of the text shows us that war has been a reality for God’s people throughout history. Early in the Old Testament we encounter widespread war commanded by God of His people. In the book of Joshua, we turn the page to be confronted with wars of outright aggression fought with the explicit intent of taking  territory. Yahweh sends Israel into battles of conquest with the instruction to “not leave alive anything that breathes. Completely destroy them…” (Deuteronomy 20:16-17) and to Joshua (Ch 6) the command is to see to the total destruction of Jericho, soldier and citizen alike. This same God will later stand on a mountainside and pronounce a blessing on those who seek peace (Matthew 5:9) and press His listeners to “love their enemies” (Matthew 5:44). The Christian not only needs to hold these (seemingly) contradictory points in hand but devote themselves to knowing the God who gives them and try to understand what lies behind the commands. New questions arise that shape our position: Is God in support of war, despite the destruction and loss of life that follow? What of the words of Christ that even non-Christians can quote to ‘turn the other cheek’ in the face of evil? Is God of two minds? Certainly not, but the complexity of thinking about war and how Christians should think through the topic is clear.

As difficult as the subject of war might be, we must consider the topic to some depth as disciples. We should be able to articulate the position we hold with clarity. The importance of our gospel presence requires of the Christian that we soberly and carefully determine the position we hold given our calling to be light in the dark world.

The Greatest Love

A Rolling Stone Sings of God’s Love || Warren Rachele

[Originally published in the Times-News during the Time of Covid, 2020]

The most familiar verse in the Bible reads “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Jesus says this to a man who is trying to understand the Messiah. He went on to describe his mission in the next sentence, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” Life and love are the essence of Easter.

When Jesus said these memorable words, his crucifixion was still some distance in the future and the way God would ‘give’ the son still a mystery. The degree of sacrificial love that motivated the gift, however, was not. The two letters of ‘so’ describe the great extent to which God loved the creation and all in it. The love would not be measured in a blanket forgiveness and not in requiring the rebellious humans to earn it. Instead, the promise of forgiveness and salvation would be fulfilled by one perfect sacrifice, a sacrifice that was pure and unblemished, a sacrifice that human effort could not attain. The price of redemption would be the life of the Son of God, the Messiah Jesus.

The love of Easter is not merely an emotion. Emotional love is subject to change, it can be influenced by circumstance, it can be lost in an instant.  The love that God has for his creation is none of those things. It is a facet of his character, a state of being. God’s love for the world is unchanging and unwavering. It cannot be earned nor can any human action result in its termination. The measure of this love is nearly beyond human ability to understand. Despite this, the full measure of God’s love is seen in the most horrific act in history, the crucifixion the Messiah Jesus.

How is this love? The rebellion of humanity in the earliest days of history create a chasm between creator and creation so wide that it cannot be bridged by any human effort. God, loving the world and its inhabitants so deeply, longs to close this divide, to be united in peace once again. He knows that without action on his part, his creatures are lost. In their pitiful state they cannot make restitution or pay a sufficient penalty, and try as they might humanity can never leap, fly, swim or find any way of transporting themselves to the other side. If this dark expanse is to be crossed, it will have to be done by God himself.

The paradox of the good news is that God, in the depths of his love, takes it upon himself to pay this penalty owed by humankind. His holy nature does not permit the option of dismissing the charges, a penalty is due in equal measure to that holiness. No human work can make a dent in that debt and so, out of an immeasurable love, God sends His Son to be the payment for the debt. The sobering truth in that good news? The debt could only be satisfied by sacrifice, the blood of Jesus on the cross paying the cost in full.

This ‘giving of his son’ would become the measure by which love is measured. As the cross grew nearer, Jesus described its heights, the personal challenge for his followers, telling them that “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” More than a challenge, his followers realized the judicial change that would be brought about, they would be friends and no longer enemies of God. The gulf would be bridged and the lost would be able to make their way home.

If it ended at the cross, this love would be unmatched. God had a higher expression of love to give though. The debt paid on the cross became the new life of Easter morning when the Messiah rose from the tomb. The perfect judge who paid the penalty himself rose as he had assured, condemnation behind and new life in full ahead. Easter became two parts of the same story, horror and celebration, mourning and joy. The rise of the sun on Easter morning brings all the promises of the Savior to light. Forgiveness came through the cross for those who would believe. For his friends, Jesus’ death became life in full. No greater love has ever been shown, nor will it be again. The love of Easter assures us of that.

A Review of “A Dozen Things God Did with Your Sin” by Sam Storms

Christians often perceive God dealing with sin in a binary fashion. He forgives sin, or he holds people accountable for sin and judgment. It’s difficult to argue with that equation because it is factually correct, but it doesn’t encourage much in the way of meditation. This new volume by Sam storms seeks to broaden our perception of what God does with our sin. He does so by enumerating 12 different facets of forgiveness that give us weeks and months of scripture and devotion to draw our souls deeper into the love and goodness of God’s grace.

As an example of the depth that the reader is encouraged to explore, Storms steps to either side of the key point: God forgives you of your sin. On one side of that truth lies the fact that the forgiveness that we enjoy came about because God laid our sin upon his son, Jesus. This draws our devotion from simple gratitude at being forgiven, to considering the cost of that grace. Bringing those two truths together deepens our gratitude and makes it less likely that we will take it for granted. On the other side of forgiveness is the truth that God has cleansed us of our sin. This draws us to an entirely other meditation and degree of gratitude. Not only have we been judicially redeemed, the Christian is washed clean and set apart. As with the previous thought, we are again drawn away from cheap grace.

After giving a dozen positive truths about what God has done with our sin, Dr. Storms adds an important chapter about three things that God does not, and will never do with our sin. I found this chapter to be very important in light of discussions I’ve had with people through the years. Lacking a firm hold on the concept of forgiveness, well-meaning Christians have looked at God’s grace in the same way that we might be tempted to look at human grace, as though it could be rescinded at anytime. Storms makes clear through scripture that this is definitely not the case.

This book is excellent reading for the individual Christian, but I can see this being the basis for a small group or a discipleship relationship study. Each of the topics he touches on can create an opening for a brother or sister to open up and share their concerns with the answer close at hand. Put this book on your reading list today.

3 Signs Your Church Needs Spiritual Renewal

A church may be filled to overflowing week after week, with visitors regularly adding to the attendance and pushing the numbers ever higher. The generous giving of all those people may account for a budget that builds a grand edifice and fills it with the latest technology to stream the pastor’s message around the globe. During the week, there may be programs scheduled every day, enough to fill the family’s wide and varied interests. From the outside, the church gives the appearance of success, and yet, it might be a valley of dry bones on the inside.

Despite the external measures of health that many churches use–attendance, budget and program reach–it may be the case that internally the church is in deep need of spiritual renewal. The same metrics used by a baseball team to judge success are not the same measures that determine the spiritual vitality of a church. We measure her health on a different scale and by a different authority. The Church’s health is measured in the spiritual life of the people of God. Here are three signs that point to a need for renewal within a church.

3. Discipleship Does Not Transform

The outcome of disciple-making is the third measure of spiritual health. Discipleship should transform. To disciple is to affect the obedience of a Christian and shape their spiritual lives as their Christlikeness grows. Influenced by the world, much of discipleship has become knowledge acquisition in programmatic chunks. People, for example, participate in a program on improving marriage, fill out the study guide, have a potluck at completion and put the book on their shelves. Very few marriages are transformed, but, hey, the participants can recite from memory 5 bible verses about relationships. If the discipleship within a church does not transform the lives of Christians, it is not serving the needs of a body on mission.

 2. Worship is Not Inspired

Any worship where there are performers and an audience is most likely not inspired. If no one is convicted of their rebellion while singing choruses of God’s incredible grace, spiritual vitality is diminished. This measure of inspiration requires keen insight because it’s possible to confuse emotion with spiritual practice and they might look a lot alike. Singing 5 prom-songs to Jesus can lead the ‘worshipper’ to a feeling of euphoria without once drawing attention to the lingering sin of a “wretch like me.” Singing praises to God or praying over the congregation or even standing to read the word of God should give a spiritual lift as we see and hear and feel the grace of God. At the same time that we are in awe of His mercy, we should be convicted of our own spiritual condition in His presence. Worship that does not remind us of the undeserved grace that redeems the Christian from destruction is empty.

1. The Church Doesn’t Pray Together

As Leonard Ravenhill said, no man and no church will be greater than their prayer life. Praying together, voicing our praise and petition and penance aloud in the hearing of other Christians is a unique and transformative experience. It’s also an experience most likely to be avoided by church members, and the lack of congregational prayer is usually (but not always) indicative of little individual prayer. If the Lord Jesus relied on prayer to carry Him through life, who are we Christians to say that we don’t need this discipline in our lives? The lack of a vibrant prayer life is the greatest sign that spiritual renewal is needed.

The encouraging news is that none of these traits are fatal. God encourages even the slightest move toward Him, rewarding the Christian with a new sense of spiritual depth. If this spiritual growth is recognized, it has the effect of becoming self-motivating, drawing the whole church into the life-giving practices. As the church is drawn toward a transformative discipleship that includes a vibrant life of prayer and deep, God-glorifying worship, the dry bones of the church click and clack as they come to life. The vine grows and bears fruit. The church is invigorated and returns to the gospel mission. The world is changed. Isn’t this worth it?

Keep in Step with the Spirit by J.I. Packer

The Missing Element

In a blurb commending the book, Ray Ortlund says this about J.I. Packer, “When we face a debated theological topic, we need a guide who has no ax to grind, who is fair, honest, reasonable, and—above all—carefully biblical. We Christians do debate the ministries of the Holy Spirit. But we have a reliable guide in J.I. Packer.” I read that in opening the second of my 10 out of 5 books from 2021, and found small dispute with Ortlund on this point: Packer does take sides in debate. In the volumes that have enriched me, Mr. Packer always takes the side of the biblical text. Unlike so many other authors, he does not read his theology back into the text, instead allowing his position to be discovered inductively. This trait (exhibited by so many of our senior scholars and theologians) makes reading a pleasure and his positions trustworthy.

If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:25

So Packer enters the theological scrum concerning a biblical understanding of the person and ministry of the Holy Spirit. His aim in this book is to restore the centrality of the Holy Spirit in the Church, a ministry that is often tossed and torn between the intellectualism of theologians and doctrine and unrestrained charismatic practices. Packer envisioned the book as a corrective to these extremes, a biblical call to Christians to restore the place of the Spirit and His gifts in their faith and lives. Unlike other authors that plant both feet in their camp and refuse to consider positions other than their own, Packer takes a much more irenic tone, insisting that the Bible speak louder than he does.

A point that Packer makes that is important for the reader to engage is that the Holy Spirit is not a discrete ministry on His own. The Spirit is inseparable from the Godhead and will always act in concert with the Father and the Son. He mediates Christ (John 16:14) to us. All the Spirit’s power and gifts are  Jesus working through the Spirit in us. It is in the self-effacing nature of the Spirit’s ministry that we gain the perspective to evaluate spiritual claims attributed to the movement of the Spirit. He will always be directing attention back to the Son, and anything that does not achieve that end is to be considered much more carefully.

The mediation of Christ to His people involves the Spirit in spurring on holiness in their lives. We often refer to this growth using the term sanctification, and it is yet another idea that gets drawn to the edges of the Church. In some quarters it is a practice through which we grow intellectually through Bible study and discipleship. At the other side of the yard, the term sanctification points to a growing perfectionism in behavior. Packer draws the idea back to the center, saying that holiness in the Bible is evidenced by growth in the fruit of the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit conforming us to Christlikeness and our pursuit of holiness is governed by our beliefs about the Spirit.

Packer takes this axiom to his examination of modern charismatic theology and practices, giving support where appropriate and critique where warranted. This evaluation includes a valuable chapter on different schools of thought and practice pursuing holiness. This part of the book is valuable from two different directions. First, when we locate our generalized tribe within the chapter it helps the Christian to see where their beliefs on this subject derive from. The reader that approaches the text fairly finds a second benefit in learning where other tribes have come from as well, preventing some of less loving criticisms that find their way into our speech. It seems to be Packer’s hope that brothers and sisters in Christ will find their own attitudes becoming as irenic as the one he displays in his words.

Keep in Step with the Spirit is a valuable contribution to the church and written at a slightly above popular level. It is worth every effort in working your way through the text, bible close by so you can read the many references in full context. More than reading the text and placing the book on your library shelves, let it affect your meditation on the Holy Spirit and His work in your life. He was never meant to be divisive within the Church. His ministry is to draw us all closer to Christ as we grow together in the Lord’s image. If this book contributes in some small way to unity within the body, Packer’s efforts will be the blessing it was intended to be.

Planting Seeds of New Life in Prayer

Matthew Henry wrote, “When God intends great mercy for His people, the first thing He does is to set them praying.” History affirms this maxim, as the great revivals that God has sparked around the world have always been launched by prayer. There may have been grand movements of Christians joined in crying out to God that brought the revival, but it hasn’t always been so. In countless instances, the hearts of just a handful of people united to plead with God for new life in their community, their country or their church were the passion to which God responded. It is not the size of the group praying that matters as much as the depth of that group’s heart. They need this depth for the perseverance in petition that renewal often requires. God does not put a shot-clock on these prayers, and He may respond to them at once, or it’s more likely that revival comes after a season of souls persevering in long hours of communal prayer.

God uses our commitment to prayer to prepare us for receiving the life-giving power of the Spirit, and this preparation is two-fold. He first sets out to prepare our hearts to burn for revival. The Christian must be able to see the dry bones of the church or the distracted hearts of their community and then believe that spiritual life can come to them if God moves. This hope is the second area in which the heart is prepared because these prayers for new life can require extraordinary perseverance. Revival may appear like a single cloud on the horizon, no bigger that a fist, and prayer warriors must be patient in the time it takes to blossom into a drenching storm pouring down torrents of living water. Without preparation, our hearts would often fail to have the vision needed or the strength to carry on when answer is not immediately forthcoming.

“From the day of Pentecost, there has been not one great spiritual awakening, in any land, which has not begun in a union of prayer, if only [among] two or three. No such outward, upward movement has continued after such prayer meetings have declined.”

A.T. Pierson

The prepared heart prays in complete honesty [JAS 5:16]. Christians recognize that the spiritual vitality of their church is not what it should be and the prayers that issue forth confess as much to God. Sin, cold fellowship, poor leadership – whatever the list of known deficits holds is boldly and openly laid before the Lord for his correction. Genuine repentance in revival prayer forges a heart soft and malleable for God to turn and shape, addressing these things so that new life does not germinate in rocky soil where it cannot flourish. When we pray for our community and for salvation to come, we are open with God about those areas in which we have not reached out or cared for. He may take the first step of turning our attention to knowing our neighbors and serving this community before He sends the Spirit with revival for the hearts of the lost. Honesty starts in the humbled heart, and a humbled heart is prepared by God and committed to Him above all other things.

Longing for Revival

I passionately believe in the possibility of renewal in the church, particularly the legacy church where the devotion to the Missio Dei has grown cold in favor of comfort and familiarity. I believe that the best way, but not the only, for revival to come to the church is through a return to first principles, a devotion to prayer and worship.

As a matter of regular meditation, I consider the list of things I believe:

  • The eternal God of the Bible created, sustains, and has a purpose for the universe and my life within it
  • Jesus gave His life to atone for the sins of the world (Mark 10:45) and by vesting belief in Him, people are saved (1 Corinthians 1:21)
  • The Holy Spirit of Christ miraculously indwells redeemed people (1 Corinthians 6:19)
  • The Colorado Rockies will win the World Series (someday, no scripture reference)
  • Many churches need and can have revival

I passionately believe in the possibility of renewal in the church, particularly the legacy church where the devotion to the Missio Dei has grown cold in favor of comfort and familiarity. I believe that the best way, but not the only, for revival to come to the church is through a return to first principles, a devotion to prayer and worship. A renewed sense of the mission of disciple-making results from the first sparks of spiritual life that ignite, giving evidence to my belief. I believe these things are Scripture honoring and God glorifying.

There are doubtless many reasons that churches fall into decline, some beyond their control. As we talk about revival, it’s important to distinguish between spiritual and material poverty as a contributing factor. Geographic factors and demographic shifts can be the reasons that churches find themselves in material decline, making closure a choice that has to be made. We can identify numerous other external factors as reasons for the death of a church, and we need to be clear-eyed in assessing these realities. Conversely, spiritual decline has but a single source, the dimming of the passion of the members of a body for the gospel mission. Jesus spoke of this as forsaking “your first love” (Revelation 2:4).

While external factors may be beyond the control of a local church, the spiritual fire they exhibit is not. I believe that the Lord’s promise to be with His Church always (Matthew 28:20) assures us that any spiritual spark can be fanned into a roaring flame through His power. What does it require? I believe this inferno lies at the juncture of a return to heartfelt worship and the restoration of the Church as a house of prayer. Does this guarantee revival? Perhaps not, but it ensures that any ministry that emanates from a church is glorifying to God.

Be Careful What You Wish For – Roman Road 6

Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, He gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.   Romans 1:28

romansheader

Despite our protestations to the contrary, we human beings want what we want. We invest a lot of energy in trying to be less selfish, or at least appearing to be less self-interested. Sooner or later, however, the reality of who we are comes to the surface. Our greatest desire is for our greatest desire.

On its surface, this doesn’t appear to be a negative trait. And if we are pure in heart and consider the greater good when evaluating our own interests then the probability of a positive outcome is measurably higher. But let’s not fool ourselves; we are not pure in heart and our idea of the greater good takes self into account before other.

This is what Paul has in mind as we begin to walk down the Roman Road. He makes a simple case for our greatest desires to be guided by the will of God rather then our natural self-satisfaction. Without diving into a deep theological morass he makes the case that what can be known about the natural order is self-evident to all people. To put this another way, we can evaluate what is proper according to the natural order and therefore judge when our desires are not in alignment with that order.

It’s here that the awful reality of accountability before God strikes our hearts. If we cannot claim to be ignorant of the way in which God intends for things to be then we will only be left with two choices, align with God’s will or our self-will. The consequence of this decision is clear as well.

When we choose and elevate and exercise our desires contrary to the plain evidence of God’s order and will, the possibility that we will find ourselves in a dangerous position increase exponentially. That dangerous position — that horrific position — is that God may turn us over to our desires. Paul makes this awful proclamation three times in the span of four verses and it catches us off guard. The omnipotent God who could force us to toe the line instead appears to throw up his hands and say “have at it!” Enjoy your desire and the consequence of that choice.

“Not fair”, we exclaim. We want the product of our selfish desire without the consequence but this is contrary to the evidence all around us that Paul has pointed to. You can’t have one without the other. It has never happened and it never will since it contradicts the created order.

The direction of our will sets the foundation for the gospel that Paul unfolds as we walk further down the road together. God does not force us to accept his will in place of our own. He makes the superiority of his ways evident to all. He makes the extent of his love for all transparent. He gives evidence to his desire in Jesus. Then God says choose. This call to choose is put in human language by Moses (Deuteronomy 30:19); “choose life.” Not choosing life can result in nothing but death.

Grace and peace to you.