Keep in mind:
most people we come into contact with each day are having a worse day that we are
Let’s show others grace, for everyone is carrying burdens. Also keep in perspective that we all are having a better day than we deserve.
Let’s take the time to listen to other’s stories.
(Ideas formed today during our communication skills for ministry class)
I’ve recently come to see how un-humble I am (read: prideful), and am desperately in need of the Gospel, and being specifically humble before my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
Humility is a reoccurring theme, and truly the answer for all my problems in this two-second earthly life. A right assessment of self (humility), and a proper view of circumstances, as in contentment (see here ).
On this theme, there seems to be a strange paradox at work in my life. Why is it that sometimes I am more authentic with people I know are not Christian than with fellow believers and leaders in the church. Not overall as a huge difference in character on display, but in spots and situations. Why is that? Why do I ‘edit my story’ and try to come across as competent and gifted and a good leader? Anyone else struggle with this? (It is sin, and we must repent of it, and flee it .. but how?)
An incisive quote by Tim Keller addresses part (or at least the center) of my dilemma in his book The Reason for God . He writes:
"Sin is the despairing refusal to find your deepest identity in your relationship and service to God. Sin is seeking to become oneself, to get an identity, apart from him…Sin is not just the doing of bad things, but the making of good things into ultimate things. It is seeking to establish a sense of self by making something else more central to your significance, purpose, and happiness than your relationship to God" (p. 162).
(Thanks to Jake Belder for the reminder .)
That is my problem — making good (not at all sinful things) into the ultimate things. I suffer with this self-idolatry, being a task-oriented, generally productive and competent (with a Type-A personality fueling it all). By default I find significance in what I do , which is a perversion of identity and life purpose before God. Rather, my significance is found in Christ, my life hidden with Him in God — in fact, Jeff is dead (Col. 3:3). That’s the reordering of life under the Gospel.
Unless we are diligent in seeking humility (since we cannot simply "do" it) we will not be progressing on the trajectory towards Christ-likeness. To long to fulfill what Andrew Murray defines humility as: "simply the sense of entire nothingness, which comes when we see how truly God is all, and in which we make way for God to be all " [Andrew Murray, Humility , p. 12].
A passage that keeps coming to mind is 1 Corinthians 8:1-3:
Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.
It probably took about three hours wrestling with those verses to scratch the surface of what they mean for my identity, seeking knowledge and loving God in all things. (Still wresting with it.) Knowledge is not bad, nor is seeking knowledge a vain pursuit. The issue is with motives, issues of the heart and mind. Why am I seeking knowledge? For God’s glory and my joy? Is my learning a loving act towards God and others? Loving God is the chief goal (display His infinite worth and glory, by enjoying Him through love). And all knowledge should serve to help us know, love and enjoy God above all else. But of course none of this can be done in a vacuum, to the exclusion of others. We do not live to ourselves, and even in living to God we affect (and should) others greatly. If we wish to help others see Christ as beautify and glorious as He is, then we must be actively loving others. That is how the world will know Christ is in us, that He knows us (John 13:35). And that is what I am learning. Humbled, learning contentment. Happily.
I guess that if you are a Christian reading this then I’m being authentic with you after all…
The Bible specifically tells us the What & Why of God’s revelation, and in many ways reveals to us the How (as well as they where, when, etc.). It is a collection of God’s specifically written 66 books packed with narrative, the great themes of God’s revelation, propositional truths, and a whole lot more, for all Scripture is "breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness" ( 2 Timothy 3:16 ). Why? So the people of God will be thoroughly equipped for all of life (every good work, v. 17).
Related to this, let us consider a different perspective or facet related to What, Why & How, especially related to communicating God’s true Word (preaching, teaching, etc.). For right now let’s think of "What" as the truths of Scripture, the essential doctrines . "Why" would be the theological perspectives and reasons behind these truths . "How" represents principles for godly living derived from Scripture (based on the What & Why), for life application.
But there is still something missing - rather, "Who" is missing? Jesus is the "Who" of the Bible, for He is the sum and substance of God’s revelation ( Hebrews 1:1-3 ), the Image of God, the purpose for which and One for whom the Scriptures exist. That special revelation was given to show us The special revelation, the Christ — to testify of the worth, work and ways of the Son of God who came to reveal the Almighty Father.
"You search the Scriptures … it is they that bear witness about Me" ( John 5:39 )
"And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself." ( Luke 24:28 )
With these working definitions it seems to be that any communication of God’s Word should have a relative proportion of Why, Why & How, which probably changes for each setting, context, need etc. All of these must point to the Who — Jesus. I’m not just for filling people with Bible knowledge (the What), especially not divided from their Subject, Jesus. Yet on the other side it seems that majoring on "How to …" messages will stunt the spiritual growth of our people (most of whom sadly get almost all of their "feeding" on a Sunday morning). That part may be their fault, but is it not ours as well? If we make them dependent upon our endless ways to make the Bible fresh and fun and principled, does that not also sort of set them up for failure long-term? Our people do not know what is in their Bible because it is spoon fed for them, in lists, principles and acronyms.
Back to considering the "How to …" method. One problem with this method of communicating God’s word is that it treats the Bible like a divine recipe book . A cup of this, a pinch of that, a bit of another thing, and mix it all together. Viola, a godly life comes out as long as we mix it all together and do what we hear. Or, one could saw it reveals a scatter plot of God’s truth . A dot here, a dot here, a few scattered over here, etc. So, a pastor may say within himself, "I’d like to teach my people on ________. What in Scripture backs up my points?" So he looks for "dots" in the Scriptures, perhaps being diligent to give chapter and verse so that his message remains "biblical." Do you see the inherent flaw in this method? Not only is one prone to find specific verses (not in their context) to "prove" one’s point, and to avoid hard and uncomfortable passages, but it also insufficiently models for the people how to properly live under the authority of God’s Word. They think, "I could never come up with that on my own, so let me close this Book and listen to it fresh and new!" The urge to be clever and new and exciting drives us to think we must re-package God’s Word for His people to be able to interact with it and apply to their lives. I’m all about creative communication, but I cannot think of a more creative and effective way to transform people’s minds ( Romans 12:2 ) than to bring light to the truth of the Gospel and unleash Scripture itself in its context for all to see and taste. The Bible in its context shall not just be the foundation of our preaching, but rather the content of it.
Another reason I find this method lacking is that it is built upon the premise of pragmatism . Pragmatism is couched in the premise, "it works," and argues that it must be right as a result. "How" is the main question and "Why" is hardly ever asked except as a reason to validate the How. And the pragmatic core of it all says that if we do A then B will happen to us. People are then prone see God as a genie and if we live rightly before Him then He rewards us (which denies grace and love and humility) and essentially fuels a light version of self-righteousness based on biblical principles. (Again, where’s the "Who"? Or, perhaps He has been cast as the One who helps us do the How.) Reducing the Bible to a How-To-Manual takes away from its infinite worth and does not adequately reveal Who and Why (or even What) is in it.
Do I not like principles for godly living? Of course I do, and the Bible is full of them. Saving, investing, forgiving, parenting, all of it is in there to be known and applied. Furthermore, we want to be relevant to people and our culture. I want to be relevant too, but who said the Bible itself is not relevant? And who said our job is primarily to be relevant? Seems like being faithful as stewards of the mysteries of Christ is a top priority, which would then make us relevant. We are relevant when we love people authentically, unconditionally, and sacrificially. I do not know if it is because the Bible does not move some pastors and leaders that they feel compelled to chase after some new book because it gets their juices flowing and not the Word. If we think that the Bible is boring perhaps it is because we don’t believe it … or at least do not feel it. Let us reconsider the crazy and dangerous and compelling ways God in His Word enthralls His people; it is the most exciting book in all the Word. . Take any sign and message of Jesus, any parable and command ( Luke 9:23-27 for example) and tell me that is not exciting and crazy. Do we resort to only principles because we think Scripture is not enjoyable nor sufficient to change our lives? Let’s get on our knees and plead with God to grip us with His Word to such a degree that His worth, work and ways fill our minds and hearts and lead us to passionately preach of Him.
Perhaps the major reason this method is flawed is because it sets forth a system of redemption instead of giving the people a Redeemer (elevating the How above the Who). It assumes people understand the Gospel and live within it, but just incompletely. But a side effect is that people come to trust the principles more than see the beauty and worth of the One who gave Himself for them. Jesus came as the Incarnate God in human flesh and suffered on the cross and rose again triumphant over all His enemies. Did He do all of that (and continue today as our High Priest and Mediator) to merely give us a list of 7 things to do for a happy marriage, or 4 truths for parenting teenagers, or two rhyming words to keep in mind when trying to decide if we need a 42-inch flat panel TV? No, Jesus came to set us from from sin and Satan and deliver us up to bring us to God. He came as our Great God and Savior who gave Himself up for us all, so that we would see God as our portion and treasure and joy forever. He is the Redeemer who when trusted transcends every circumstance and makes us glorious with Him. Again, this cannot be assumed, for it is the "Why" behind our Gospel-centered preaching. And when we see Jesus as our treasure above all else (knowing, loving and enjoying Him more than anything), we will do life differently. Our finances will be transformed, our marriages deepened, parenting in humble desperation and dependence upon Christ, and suffering endured, for His sake and our good. The Redeemer shows us His What, Why & How, because they are rooted in the Who — Him!
The Gospel applies to all of life, at work, in relationships, in parenting, in finances, in all things. It is not just the way we get saved. It is the whole sphere of the Christan life, for we never outgrow our need for the grace of God in the Gospel. The "How to …" approach to communicating the Bible merely assumes the Gospel is our foundation. But let us not assume our people understand or live in the Gospel; their lives do not just need tweaking or new and innovative ways of thinking. They need to be enthralled with the truth and beauty of Jesus Christ who is the Image of God and be transformed to live not for self but for God and others.
As we stare at Christ and consider His worth, His work, and His ways, we are changed into His likeness, for
"we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another" ( 2 Corinthians 3:18 ).
Let us endeavor to speak the Gospel so that people are changed — What, Why, How and especially the Who!
This one is difficult to introduce because, well, I am not an expert of having a right view of self, God, and all things. I am a recovering perfectionist, one in need of the Gospel to astonish and transform me from being so task-oriented and dependent upon my view of self worth being related to what I do (performance). That is the "default" mode and must be overcome daily with the Gospel of God’s Christ in Jesus.
Hopefully I’m on a trajectory that direction, and I trust moving closer to having my identity fully identified with/in Christ. This conversation (identity, performance, making idols of things in our lives) comes up many times a week with others, if not daily. And I don’t know if I have met a person who doesn’t resonate with or feel this tension. (At least among those who are willing to be honest and not just show a false facade of religiousness.)
Instead of trying to explain this in more detail, I will let Darrin Patrick, Lead Pastor of Journey Church in St. Louis give a brief snapshot of what it means to be a Christian living a Gospel-centered life.
The main premise: "I don’t think Christians understand that the Gospel is for Christians."
Here’s a short interview with Darrin Patrick at the recent Whiteboard Sessions:
[Also see Religion v. the Gospel]
There is a short phrase I like to use when describing the mysterious paradox between two truths, which from God’s perspective probably compliment one another, but from our limited vantage point seem unnecessary or at least difficult to grasp. I call these "happy tensions ." Since we are made in God’s image, and not vice versa, our place is not to judge. Rather, we shall joyfully receive all the goodness and love and justice Almighty God our Creator — the one and only God — happily chooses to send our way. And if we don’t feel like rejoicing, then part of our tension is to cultivate joy in the midst of hardship, for this light and momentary affliction will pass, and for believers in Jesus Christ it give way to everlasting joy in God.
The first happy tension I want to consider is the connection between suffering and glory . Or key text on the matter is Romans 8:18 :
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
The two parts of our inheritance (see v. 17), as co-heirs with Christ and children of God, is to suffering like the Son of God did, and then enter into glory like Him. We can take all the suffering experiences in humanity in this brief life and weigh it against the coming glory, which has a weight far greater. They are incomparable, yet inseparable. That is the happy tension. Without the first we shall not inherit the second.
Why do we suffer? It is partly related to the reason why we await glory. Because we are the sons of God (see vv. 14-17). Constable writes on this theme:
“The phrase ‘if indeed’ seeks to render the first class condition in the Greek that in this case we could translate ’since.’ Just as surely as we share His sufferings (Gr. sumpaschomen , any sufferings, not just those connected with our bearing witness for Christ) now we will share His glory in the future. This is a reference to the glorification that every believer will experience at the end of his or her life (vv. 18-25). Our glory then will be in proportion to our suffering for His sake as His disciples now (cf. 1 Peter 4:12-19 )."
In fact, all of creation eagerly anticipates the final redemption, looking to when the sons of God shall be fully redeemed (vv. 19-23). In anticipation all creation groans, the church groans (vv. 24-25) and the Spirit Himself groans (vv. 26-27). In light of this reality of suffering and the promise hope of glory with Christ, "we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose" ( Romans 8:28 ). That is not a blanket promise to all people that suffering will be alleviated, or even that the results will be good.
In fact, the "good" spoken of here is illuminated in verse 29, "those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers." The good is defined as the process and goal of being remade into the image of Christ, our inward motives and desires refined by the hardships and trials we encounter. Our character is formed, our values refined and our mind is renewed. This purifying we call sanctification , which may be an irrelevant word but is a crucial reality. Without this movement towards holiness we cannot become more like Jesus, and that cannot be achieved without suffering. Suffering and glory, incomparable yet inseparable.
Kari's latest Patterson Family Margin
