Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Gonzo Grace

“No man is so foolish but he may sometimes give another good counsel, and no man so wise that he may not easily err if he takes no other counsel than his own. He that is taught only by himself has a fool for a master.” ~ Hunter S. Thompson

“If your preaching of the Gospel doesn’t provoke the charge from some of antinomianism you’re not preaching the Gospel.” ~ Martyn Lloyd Jones

I think it is safe to say that no 20th century writer was as self indulgent as Hunter S. Thompson. I first became aware of Thompson through his articles in sports magazines and also through Garry Trudeau’s “Doonesbury” comic strip and the character Duke who was a thinly veiled caricature of Thompson. Thompson was a journalist, author and hedonist who was fueled by sex, drugs and insanity and he covered events ranging from the Kentucky Derby to the 1972 Presidential Campaign. He most notably wrote for Rolling Stone and Sports Illustrated, and his articles and own books chronicled his drug-fueled self destruction. His most “notable” book was aptly titled “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” which chronicled his pursuit of the American Dream through illegal narcotics.

Thompson is credited with coining the term “gonzo journalism” which is a style of reporting that the journalist becomes a central part of the story on which they are reporting, and involve themselves in the action, rather than simply serving as a detached observer. They insert themselves into the story to such a degree that they become the central figures rather on whom or what they are reporting on. It has been said of the gonzo style that the best fiction is far more true than any kind of journalism. It is based more on style over fact and it is journalism without any claims of objectivity.

At times I wonder if followers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ have unwittingly torn a page out of a Hunter Thompson book. Rather than fully embrace the grace of the Gospel we settle for a poor facsimile of grace, and our life’s story could be titled “Fear and Self-Loathing; Gonzo Grace on the Trail of Life”. We readily accept only a portion of the grace in which we stand and spend the rest of our Christian existence trying to earn the balance. In the words of Tim Keller; “Without the Gospel we hate ourselves instead of our sin. Without the Gospel we’re motivated through all sorts of awful fear and pride to a change and it doesn’t really change our hearts; it just restrains our hearts.”

Something that has struck me about not only myself but also my fellow Gospel believing friends and acquaintances is that we seem to be afraid of grace. Grace or God’s unmerited favor is truly shocking and scandalous, and conservative evangelicals and fundamentalist Christians seem to live in fear of accepting it or applying it to it’s fullest extent. At times it seems we would rather live in perpetual fear of disappointing or offending God (or the subculture), rather than joyfully accepting Sonship and fellowship with God. Without a doubt Sonship carries with it both obligations AND freedom. Sadly we settle for some obligations that are purely personal applications and preferences rather than biblical injunctions. I will freely admit there are some activities and venues that I avoid purely as capitulation to the subculture rather than out of deep conviction and this can lead to a form of gonzo grace.

Or maybe we chose to skulk around like some self flagellating monk with a hang dog look on our face chanting; “we’re not worthy.” Here is a news flash; no we are not worthy, but God in His infinite and unchanging mercy and love offers it freely anyway. He is not expecting us to live perpetually in sack cloth and ashes or to be constantly looking over our shoulder like someone in the witness protection program. Do we really embrace verses like John 8:36? John boldly tells us “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!” Do we live like it? What about the words of Paul? In 2 Timothy 1:7 he states; “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” and then in verse 9 when he declares; “who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.”

One would almost get the impression that we don’t want to accept the gift of grace that God so freely offers and we fight with Him over it. It is like two people sitting in the most expensive restaurant on the planet; one the penniless pauper and the other the richest individual in all the universe. We are the honored guests and we want to tell the chef how to prepare the meal. Then the check comes to the table and we reach for it arguing about who is going to pick up the tab. The great problem is that God has already picked up the tab in the form of His Son Jesus Christ and the atoning work of the Cross. We cannot even cover the tip with our works or attempts at goodness, let alone pick up the check. But we still seem to insist that we can pay something; anything to contribute to the cost of grace. So we want to sneak into the restaurant and set the table, clear after the meal and maybe even wash the dishes. How is that graciously accepting the banquet set before us? It is an affront to the Founder of the feast!

The beauty of grace is that we no longer need to live in fear or self-loathing. God’s love is fixed on us and there is absolutely nothing we can do to make Him love us MORE or less. Through Christ’s sacrifice and through no merit of our own, we who were dead in our trespasses and sin have been forgiven! He has cancelled the record of debt that stood against us with all of it’s legal demand for justice, (Colossians 2:13-14). As Tim Keller has stated; “The Gospel of justifying faith means that while Christians are, in themselves still sinful and sinning, yet in Christ, in God’s sight, they are accepted and righteous. So we can say that we are more wicked than we ever dared believe, but more loved and accepted in Christ than we ever dared hope—at the very same time. This creates a radical new dynamic for personal growth. It means that the more you see your own flaws and sins, the more precious, electrifying and amazing God’s grace appears to you. But on the other hand, the more aware you are of God’s grace and acceptance in Christ, the more able you are to drop your denials and self-defenses and admit the true dimensions and character of your sin.”

We have been freed through Christ from the idols of sin, so why trade it for the idol of empty religion? We often fall into the trap of thinking grace is not enough to keep us in check spiritually and that the indwelling Holy Spirit needs our help. We must have lists, rules, structure and organization lest antinomianism (lawlessness) will run rampant in the church. After all, without us God’s plans and will be thwarted! We must insert ourselves into the mix and become central to the work of sanctification; at least where others and their choices are concerned. How utterly arrogant and self righteous beings we are! If God’s grace and mercy are not enough for us and they do not lead us to obedience and a pursuit of holiness than I honestly have no answers for you. None at all…

Don’t settle for gonzo grace; attempting to insert ourselves in the work of salvation and making it about us and our deeds, merits and conformity to a religious subculture rather than Christ, the central element of the Gospel and all of history. The beauty of the Gospel is that if you are in Christ you are free indeed! Live like it!

“If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations-- "Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch" (referring to things that all perish as they are used)--according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.” ~ Colossians 2:20-23

Friday, March 18, 2011

Call me irresponsible

"He is no fool who gives that which he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." -- Jim Elliot

"My most recent faith struggle is not one of intellect. I don’t really do that anymore. Sooner or later you just figure out there are some guys who don’t believe in God and they can prove He doesn't exist, and there are some other guys who do believe in God and they can prove He does exist, and the argument stopped being about God a long time ago and now it’s about who is smarter, and honestly I don’t care." ~ Donald Miller

It seems on any given weekend you can scroll mindlessly through the cable channels looking for something to watch and you will probably stumble upon the film Forrest Gump. It is an entertaining film with many memorable characters and lines. The film directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Tom Hanks is based on a book by the same name by Winston Groom, and it follows the life of the title character from childhood into fatherhood. While Forrest is viewed by all as an idiot or a simpleton he displays honesty, dignity, loyalty, bravery, heroism and even more wisdom and the ability to make better choices than many of those he encounters that possess a higher IQ.

Forrest’s rock is his mama and she always seems to have the ability to explain things to him in way’s he can comprehend. When people tell him he is stupid his reply is “Mama always said that stupid is as stupid does." Forrest’s "Stupid is as stupid does" is a variant of an old adage, "Handsome is as handsome does." This saying appears in J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" and in Herman Melville's "Billy Budd," and can be traced as far back as the 14th Century. "Handsome is as handsome does" basically means that true handsomeness has to do with a person's behavior, not just a handsome face. The saying is also phrased in the forms "Pretty is as pretty does" and "Beauty is as beauty does."

Forrest's version of the saying means that stupidity is not just a surface thing derived from a person's looks. Stupidity is a matter of deeds, not appearances. Like the other versions, it comes down to this: judge people by what they do, not by how they appear. While the world views Forrest as a simpleton they are unwittingly touched by him and he serves as a mediator and unifying factor to eventually help them redeem a once pitiful, shallow and empty existence.

I am surprised at times how people react to the fact that I express no embarrassment telling them that I believe and follow the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. I suppose that shouldn’t surprise me, but admittedly it does. I don’t think people can truly grasp that people have placed their faith and trust in Jesus Christ, rarely do this “blindly” as we are often accused of. I can look you square in the eyes and tell you that no decision or choice I have made in my entire life has received as much thought or attention. I have not spent even one sixteenth the amount of thought or effort making life changing decisions as I have in wrestling and agonizing over should I believe the Gospel message. I did not put nearly as much effort into choosing where to go to college, who I was going to marry, if I would be a father, where I would live or what job I was going to take. That is not to say that I stepped into any of those decisions without thought or even prayer. I am just attempting to impress upon you that I have invested nearly a half a century asking myself is it worth it to follow Jesus and should I continue to do so?

People often attempt to marginalize the decision that others make to accept Jesus Christ as the only means to reconciliation with God. They say that it is a product of your subculture, up bringing, a lack of reason or intelligence and even an outcropping of one’s national heritage. To that I would say; not hardly! Even though I was raised in a Christian home and regularly attended church nobody could force me to listen to what was being said. I had the option of mentally checking out and to be frank I often did. Nobody made me read my Bible and more times then I care to admit I didn’t. And even after I graduated from college and started a family of my own, I clearly had the freedom to go my own way and for a period time I actually did. I didn’t have anyone in my immediate family within a 2 to 3 hour radius of me and I could do what I wanted, when I wanted. But ultimately none of these choices offered me the freedom, joy, peace and satisfaction that the Gospel could. A good job, security and a steady income have never given me what the Gospel offered. I never felt more alive than the day that I placed my faith and trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ. And as I have learned more about Him and His matchless gift of grace and mercy it has given my life a deeper and greater meaning and purpose.

I have made poor choices and suffered the consequences and I have ignored God’s Word to my own detriment. The idea that I am a sinner is not hard for me to accept at all. I know me, I know how I think, I know my motives and I know what I secretly want to say or do sometimes. People can see the exterior of a nice and friendly person but they fortunately cannot see inside my head. They don’t see the times of anger, bitterness, annoyance, frustration, pride or self righteousness. I have no problem accepting the concept of sin and the fact that I have offended God and I need His pardon. I know myself all too well, and a good friend reminds me that deep down inside we all know, we know. The words of John Newton echo in my mind; “...I remember two things -- that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior." What truly amazes me is that as I grow in my knowledge of God and His Word these distasteful and sinful aspects of my character lessen over time and how I respond and react have dramatically changed over the years. Older and wiser or mellowing cannot account for the change that has occurred over the course of my life and it is by no means any credit to me, but all credit goes to the author of that change; my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I have not drunk any Kool-aid, I am not a member of a cult and I am not saying I have never wavered or doubted. But even when I doubt, or entertain and examine the alternatives to the Gospel all it does is strength my faith and my resolve that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life and no one can come to Father (God) but through Him. I am not embarrassed in that exclusive statement and I say it with conviction and boldness. Truth by it’s very nature is exclusive. Don’t believe it then wrestle and agonize with it yourself. Make your choice but don’t be intellectually or spiritually lazy; Jesus doesn’t give you that option. C.S. Lewis said it well when he penned; "Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important."

Some want to accuse Christians of adopting our faith as a form of intellectual laziness and maybe in some cases that is true. But I found out very early in life telling a skeptic I believe something because that is what my parents, pastor, church or school said may work in a cloistered environment but it holds no weight in the real world. “If one stakes out an ethical position on any topic, the assumption is that you have to defend it. Quite frankly defending ideas is hard work.”1 Rather than ignoring the question, embrace it, wrestle with it and consider alternatives to your worldview, but don’t just give up seeking answers. Don’t abdicate the responsibility to others and just accept what they are telling you without doing the heavy lifting for yourself. I have to admit that I have some respect for an atheist because at a minimum he or she is putting a stake in the ground and they have taken a definitive position on the matter. As Teddy Roosevelt once said; “The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena…”2 Get into the arena and wrestle with life’s biggest question; is there a God and if so what does He expect of me?

When Winston Groomed penned stupid is as stupid does he was very close to echoing Psalm 14:1 when David wrote; “The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." Rather than write it off investigate it for yourself. Taste and see that the Lord is good!

"Since Jesus Came into My Heart" by Rufus H. McDaniel

What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought
Since Jesus came into my heart!
I have light in my soul for which long I had sought,
Since Jesus came into my heart!

Since Jesus came into my heart,
Since Jesus came into my heart,
Floods of joy o’er my soul
Like the sea billows roll,
Since Jesus came into my heart.

"It is not as a child that I believe and confess Jesus Christ. My hosanna is born of a furnace of doubt." ~ Fyodor Dostovevski

“You cannot live faithfully in this life unless you are ready for the next.” ~ D.A. Carson

1”Hidden Worldviews; Eight Cultural Stories that Shape Our Lives” by Steve Wilkins and Mark L Sanford pg 86

2Excerpt from the speech "Citizenship In A Republic", delivered at the Sorbonne, in Paris, France on 23 April, 1910

Thursday, March 3, 2011

A modern fable

The man Who Would be King: A Modern Fable

"Life was so much different back when I was right all the time." ~ Barry Parham author/satirist

"Atheism is a disease of the soul before it becomes an error of understanding.” ~ Plato

This week school children across America marked the 107th birthday of Theodor Geisel who is better know by his nom de plume Dr. Seuss. My mother bought a set of Dr. Seuss books for my siblings and I, and they were a treasured possession that I spent hours reading and re-reading. My wife and I loved the books so much that we bought them for our children and we probably loved reading them to our kids as much as they loved listening. Geisel was and still is beloved by children everywhere and his imaginative characters as well as his creative and mesmerizing artwork are as appealing as his clever rhymes.

Wikipedia states; "Though Geisel made a point of not beginning the writing of his stories with a moral in mind, stating that kids can see a moral coming a mile off, he was not against writing about issues; he said that there's an inherent moral in any story." I have penned my own story this week and I will tip you off that there is a moral at the end. It is a difficult story to write without stepping on toes but the premise seems as whimsical and silly as a Dr. Seuss storyline.

Once upon a time there was a Kingdom ruled and watched over by the wisest and most benevolent King. The King created His Kingdom to perfectly sustain and maintain the lives of His subjects. This King set up a system of laws that He wrote on the heart of Everyman. The Kingdom was fine-tuned and magnificent and reflected the King and all of His glory and splendor. All the King asked of His subjects was to return His love and acknowledge His rightful rule. He asked nothing more but to be respected, honored and loved and in return He would give His subjects joy, peace and blessedness.

In the not too distant past and in a region not so far away there was a village called Gnosis. In this village there was a consortium of deep thinkers who grew tired of honoring the King. They had never personally met the King and started to question His very existence. They chafed at His “rules” and longed to rule themselves. They deeply desired to rise above the commonly held belief that the King was the righteous ruler so they began to question His authority to rule them. They started to question if there was something out there, something bigger than themselves, something that defined our existence and gave meaning and purpose to our lives. Something other than the King.

You see they could not accept the Truth that had been passed down through the ages and written on Everyman’s hearts by the King of the land. They could not possibly accept that Everyman inherently knows the difference between wrong and right or good and bad. The very idea of being responsible for one’s actions was preposterous, let alone being answerable for the act of free will was just too logical or rational to bear. They would not accept the King of the world or the very knowledge that He was the right and sovereign ruler.

One of their philosophers named Hume did not wish to follow the reason the King had blessed Everyman with. He wished to help the towns people rally against the King. Hume told the residents of Gnosis; “Reason is, and only ought to be slave of the passions.” They realized that if they could convince Everyman that there was no King, Gnosis would have no foundation for truth of any kind, moral truth included. In doing so they could indulge in any desire or activity they wanted and not have to answer to anyone but themselves for the consequences of their choices. They could do whatever they wanted! They needed to give their people something to believe in, a “faith” to adhere to, and a “deity” to follow. If they could come up with their own over arching story to rival the King’s then they could take over, then they would be the ones in power.

So they came up with a plan; we must find our own book and our own deity. We will create a god in our own image and follow it. They came up with an idea that they thought would appeal to people. They chose a select group of the most learned men of their society from the clan of science and set them up as their High Priests. The High Priests decided they needed to find something to support their bias against the King and help them accumulate power. So they latched onto a new god named Darwin and refused to let go. They said to themselves; “We must make the King’s Truth appear to be oppressive so the world will not accept or embrace it. We will substitute it with our truth. This will allow us to live life as we see fit and not worry about the consequences. We shall be king!”

So they crowned Darwin their king and his book of theories became their bible. They created a class of high priest from the clan of scientists who proclaimed themselves the wisest in the land and the final arbiters of “truth”. As time went on their disciples grew in number and some rose to great prominence. Darwin was “the father”, Nietzche his devoted son and the spirit lived on in Dawkins. They had their trinity and anyone that questioned their theories or found inconsistencies or problems with their great faith were ridiculed and shouted down in the public square. They continued their assault on the rightful King and strived to make people think that His moral and ethical claims were presumptuous and dangerous, all the while drowning out claims that their lawless rule would wreck people’s lives and bring them low.

Before long their followers grew even more militant. They blindly parroted their high priests and embraced the cult of consensus science. A scientist that was brave enough to question the demagoguery and dogma of Gnosis was demonized and denounced. Dissenters risked being shunned and losing their ability and resources to pursue true discovery. “The theory is still valid” they shouted! “Give us more time and we will prove it to you! We have not plumbed the depths of the idolatry of our minds! Do not question our faith, our creed, our book or our high priests!” They openly scorned and mocked those that would cling to "foolish ideas" and continued allegiance to the King.

I wish this modern fable was not true but sadly it has taken center stage in the world in which we live. If you don’t believe me just grab a Bible and read Romans chapter 1. People who claim to be rational, logical and educated people refuse to consider that their “faith” and “religion” of Neo-Darwinism is just that. True scientific discovery proves time after time how little we still know and how much we have yet to truly comprehend and understand. People that claim that they seek truth do not want to go where the truth may lead. They have invested emotional capital in their “religion” and cannot bear that their “faith” could be called into question.

Society has bought into the lie that science is impartial, unbiased, cold and rational. Yet science is not neutral and there is not always objectivity, and those that do research approach it with both bias and presuppositions. In his book “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions”, Thomas Kuhns points out that scientific progress is not linear and that scientific researchers accept a normal set of “received beliefs” that guide and bind their investigations into both new and old phenomena. Any idea or paradigm shift that runs contrary to these “received beliefs” such as natural selection, evolutionary theory or the Big Bang must be either ignored or suppressed. They have unwittingly set up a “religion” with the very characteristics and attributes of the one they despise.

Neo-Darwinism’s ugly little secret is that it requires far greater faith and blind allegiance than the Gospel itself. It has exchanged one absolute Truth for another inferior truth. It has substituted and exchanged one perceived bias with a bias of its very own. Rather than just admit sometimes “I don’t know” science gravitates to any and all theories that remove man’s accountability to a Sovereign God. As Kuhn aptly states; “one conceptual worldview is replaced by another.” Science brushes away certain data that is not consistent with their paradigm and simply ignores or refuses to deal with it. This is viewed as an “acceptable level of error”, and falsifying the data to support a theory is not only common place, but an accepted practice. The irony should not be lost on us that Neo-Darwinism is guilty of many of many the baseless accusations it levels at the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Life is not a Dr. Seuss story and we are all faced with the reality of answering life's big question; what will you do with Jesus Christ? If there is one scintilla of evidence or one nagging doubt in your mind that the Origin of Species, the cause of the Big Bang or Evolutionary theory might not be true don’t you owe it to yourself to at a minimum investigate and consider the alternative? The Gospel not only encourages questions and even doubts, but unlike the “religion” of modern science it embraces and welcomes those questions and doubt. If a theist is wrong, what has he or she really lost? They have a faith in the God of the Bible and that faith has brought them peace, joy and a sense of well being. But what if atheism or agnosticism is wrong? What are the ramifications? If there is even a 50/50 chance that you are wrong and there is a Holy and Righteous God that we are all answerable to, what then? Don’t exchange the Truth of God for a lie.

If you are seeking real Truth take this three week challenge, read one chapter a day from the Gospel of John and ask yourself these key questions; who is Jesus Christ and what did He come to do? Or go to your local library and grab a copy of “Mere Christianity” by C.S. Lewis and explore the possibility God is there and He is not silent.

“God is responsible for the FACT of freedom. Man is responsible for his ACTS of freedom.”

"Only in Atheism does the spring rise higher than the source, the effect exist without the cause, life come from a stone, blood from a turnip, a silk purse from a sow’s ear, a Beethoven Symphony or a Bach Fugue from a kitten walking across the keys." ~ James M. Gillis

Monday, February 21, 2011

Not content

"We make time for what we truly value. We build habits and routines around the things that really matter to us. This is an important principle to understand as we seek to build our lives around the gospel. Do you want a cross centered life? A cross centered life is made up of cross centered days." ~ C.J. Mahaney

“The first thing to remember is that we must never separate the benefits (regeneration, justification, sanctification) from the Benefactor (Jesus Christ).” ~ Sinclair Ferguson

Every January in the region where I live the Band Directors Association stages regional auditions for high school students. The students are expected to prepare and perform for the judges their musical scales and then sight read a piece of music they are unfamiliar with. The judges rate their performance and if they receive a good enough ranking for their age bracket and instrument the student has the opportunity to play in the regional band and maybe audition for the chance to be named to the All State band. For many high school students this is a mixed blessing, and this is true of my children. They dread the practice time required and they are nervous about performing and doing well, but if they do not play well or don’t make call backs they are disappointed.

Recently I took my son to the regional auditions and like most teenage boys we had to “encourage” him to practice with mixed results. The day of the audition came and he went in and performed his scales and played the piece. I could tell by the look on his face as he walked out the door that he was not pleased with the results. On the drive home he lamented on his performance and of course the parent in me could not resist using this as a “teaching moment”. I proceeded to tell him how in order to get good at any anything it requires practice, commitment and a certain level of personal discipline. We discussed that the things he excels at are those activities he has a passion about. Things that he devotes time and energy to are the things that he tends to master. He recently started to take Karate and he gladly picks up his nunchucks, or he tells me how he practices his kata in his mind to try and memorize the choreographed series of punches, kicks and blocks. He is passionate about Karate as compared to his baritone and the results clearly tell the story.

Mastering anything requires a certain level of passion, discipline and commitment, and these can be “dirty words” for most people, and this phenomenon is not unique or isolated to teenagers. I looked up on the internet how much time experts and researchers believe is required to “master” a skill. According to author, musician, neuro-scientist, Daniel Levitin in his book; "This is Your Brain on Music" (a New York Times best-seller, Plume Printing 2006), an expert or master of any craft is measured by that person practicing their craft for 10,000 hours. Here is how Levitin puts it...“The emerging scientific picture is that 10,000 hours of practice is required to achieve the level of mastery associated with being a world-class expert in anything. In study after study, of composers, basketball players, fiction writers, ice skaters, concert pianists, chess players, master criminals, and what have you, this number comes up again and again. Now how long is ten thousand hours? It is equal to roughly 3 hours of practice a day, or twenty hours a week, of practice for ten years. Of course some people never reach mastery, which is not really explainable yet. But, no one has found a case in which true world-class expertise was accomplished in less time. It seems that it takes the brain this long to assimilate all that it needs to know to achieve true mastery.”

If we apply the concept of achieving true mastery to the spiritual realm how exactly are we doing? I am not implying that we can ever truly become “masters” of godliness or achieve spiritual perfection simply through sheer human will power, discipline, passion and personal commitment. But are we even putting forth a valiant effort? Or better put; are we relying on a once a week observance to achieve the desired result? Let’s do the math; if the average Christian attends a weekly worship service and the average sermon lasts for 30 minutes that equates to 1 hour of spiritual nourishment per week. Let’s give everyone the benefit of the doubt and say we are attending 50 weeks out of the year. Let’s even be generous and say that we are not mentally checking out of any of those fifty Sundays. That is 50 hours per year divided into ten thousand hours. On that pace it will take us 200 years to put in the time most experts agree it takes to be considered world-class at anything. Even if we doubled or tripled the time commitment we are still going to struggle to achieve anything by our sheer determination and power of our will.

A reoccurring thought in the New Testament is the command that we are to be content with what God has blessed us with, (see Luke 13:4, Phil 4:11, 1 Timothy 6:18 & Heb 13:5). But I am going to go out on a limb here and state that the Bible never calls us to be content with our spiritual growth or in what God has achieved in our life and sanctification. I have yet to meet someone who would articulate the thought that they are content or satisfied with where they are spiritually or in their relationship with God, but sadly it seems that sometimes our actions (or lack thereof) betray what is our heart attitude. I have yet to meet a spiritual prodigy or someone that just instantaneously is a spiritual giant. The bottom line is that the natural man cannot receive the things of God (I Cr 2:14) and in and of ourselves we cannot understand or seek after God, (Rom 3:11). But the questions I constantly need to ask myself are twofold; am I focused on things that really matter in life and what am I truly passionate about? My goals define what I value and if I truly want to grow in godliness then am I committed to my spiritual growth or putting in a half-hearted effort?

We live in an era of quick fixes and we are constantly looking for ways to cut corners to achieve our goals. We have a “sitcom mentality” that we want all of life’s issues and problems resolved and tied up in a neat little bow in 30 minutes or less. Sanctification through the “spiritual microwave” and voilà, presto change-o we are spiritual giants. Don’t ask us to work for it, apply any spiritual sweat or discipline. Give it to us now! Recently my Pastor stated; Sanctification involves cooperation. Now that we are justified by his grace, we are called to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12).” The question I have to continually ask myself is, “am I cooperating?” Am I working out my salvation? Have I grown complacent or content with my achievement, or am I hungering and thirsting after righteousness , (Matt 5:6), for His name’s sake and His honor and glory?

Our spiritual growth must be gospel driven. We need to focus on these words by Sinclair Ferguson; “The first thing to remember is that we must never separate the benefits (regeneration, justification, sanctification) from the Benefactor (Jesus Christ). The Christians who are most focused on their own spirituality may give the impression of being the most spiritual … but from the New Testament’s point of view, those who have almost forgotten about their own spirituality because their focus is so exclusively on their union with Jesus Christ and what He has accomplished are those who are growing and exhibiting fruitfulness. Historically speaking, whenever the piety of a particular group is focused on OUR spirituality that piety will eventually exhaust itself on its own resources. Only where our piety forgets about us and focuses on Jesus Christ will our piety nourished by the ongoing resources the Spirit brings to us from the source of all true piety, our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Bible clearly states that we have been given everything we need for a life of godliness, yet we fail to take God up on His gracious offer. Recently I was reading I Peter 1:10-12 and I was struck by a couple of statements. The first is found in verse 10 when Peter talks about the Old Testament prophets who inquired and searched diligently into the grace they prophesized that WE would experience. And then in verse 12 when Peter points out that these are things that the angels long to look into. The thought struck me between the eyes; the O.T. prophets didn’t have the amazing benefit of the complete revelation of Jesus Christ or the total canon of scripture yet they searched diligently or anxiously. And the angels, created beings who cannot fully experience the mercy, grace and blessing of God long to look into these things which we can know! The word long in the Greek (epithymeō) means to covet, desire for, or lust after. Is that how we feel about seeking after God and growing in grace and truth?

Every teacher I have ever met and every parent that I know relishes an enthusiastic and devoted student. God is no different. He is a rewarder of those that will diligently seek Him. The God of all the universe wants to know you and I and be known. He longs to reward us. Don’t be content with the crumbs and come to the banquet table and feast!

“And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;” ~ Philippians 3:9-10

Monday, January 31, 2011

Reality check

“Human beings yield in many situations, even important and spiritual and central ones, as long as it prolongs one's well-being.” ~ Alexander Solzhenitsyn

“For more than a generation, American civilization has been prepossessed with the notion that one is entitled to have one’s own way simply because one demands it.” ~ Kevin T. Bauder

One of my favorite childhood memories from my pre-teen years is church movie night. Periodically the independent Baptist church I attended would show movies that included titles like “The Cross and the Switchblade”, “The Gospel Blimp” and “Run Nicky Run.”

Back in the early 70’s long before Tim LaHaye wrote the Left Behind series there was a film called “A Thief in the Night.” The film was written and directed by Donald W. Thompson who co-produced the classic B-movie “The Blob” starting Steve McQueen. Thompson played a small but pivotal role as a liberal pastor, Matthew Turner. This film was released in 1972 and I remember watching it as a nine year old. It left a lasting impression on me and it is probably best remembered for its theme song by Larry Norman titled “I Wish We’d All Been Ready.”

In the film the main character’s name is Patty, a young married girl who has attended a revival rally and for the first time she hears the Gospel message preached. She considers what the preacher has to say, but dismisses the message because she is content in her lifestyle and thinks she is basically a good person. In her mind she believes that by living a good life, doing good works, regularly attending church and trying to live by the ten commandments she will be saved. Her home church led by Pastor Matthew Turner preaches that people do not have to give their lives to Jesus Christ, and Patty trusts this man and chooses her own preferences over what the Bible clearly states.

Patty and her husband attended the same revival, but with different results. He heard the Gospel message and acknowledged that he was a sinner and recognized that he needed to place his faith and trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ. A few days later Patty wakes up one morning to find her husband missing and she hears on the radio that millions are missing world-wide. She realizes that this is the Rapture of the church and that she has been left behind. She makes her way to her social gospel church and Pastor Turner is inconsolable and wails with the realization; “No, not another one.” As a 9 year old I had a hard time grasping why someone with the title of Pastor would be left behind.

Over a year has gone by since my Uncle passed away and rarely does a week go by when I don’t think about him. I had the distinct honor and privilege of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with him, and he accepted Christ as his savior only a few weeks before he died. This was an answer to years of prayer and a precious memory that I grasp tightly, praising God that I had the chance to participate in God’s gift of grace being revealed in someone I loved. I also had the scary task of speaking at my Uncle’s funeral and I knew that not only did I want to celebrate my Uncle’s life, but also the share with those in attendance the message that gave my Uncle such peace and joy in his final weeks on this earth.

After the funeral we all got together at my Uncle’s favorite restaurant and valiantly attempted to smile in our grief. One conversation during this gathering still haunts me to this day. A very lovely and kind lady was making conversation with me and the topic turned to the Gospel message shared during the funeral. I could sense that she was uncomfortable with the idea that we will all have to give an account one day before a holy and righteous God, that there is a penalty for sin, and that we cannot possibly live a life that is good enough to merit God’s favor. The heart of the Gospel that salvation only comes through placing our faith and trust in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ seemed to trouble her and I will never forget what she said. She stated that her minister told the congregation one Sunday that even though he could not find this anywhere in the Bible, he believed that after we die God will give us one last chance to accept him. She kindly but adamantly told me that she believed this herself which I admit left me stunned and speechless.

What is astonishing to me is that even though both this sweet lady and this so-called Pastor could not find any hint of this “last chance” in the Bible, they both were grasping at this straw because they could not accept that God would punish anyone who met their personal standard of “goodness”. They both chose to believe what they wanted to rather than the clear and unmistakable message of the Bible. But the fallacy of their logic didn’t just end there. If we think that God is love and therefore would grant us clemency at the last second, then why would Jesus Christ have needed to die to pay the penalty for our sins? If there was any other way to accomplish our salvation then God is not loving at all, but cruel and devoid of compassion. Why would Jesus have to have suffered the humiliation and agony of the crucifixion at all if we simply could live any way we saw fit and receive a last second get out of jail free card? Some people make a conscious decision to put off wrestling with this dilemma, thinking they have more time. But there is a sobering truth in the anonymous quote; “Many who plan to seek God at the eleventh hour…die at 10:30.”

It truly surprises me to find what people choose to believe despite evidence to the contrary. If we believe God exists and have the Bible, His revealed Word then it seems counterintuitive to ignore what it says. If the Bible clearly states what one must do to be redeemed, born again, and regenerated it is quite perplexing why someone would roll the cosmic dice or cross their fingers and hope for the best. What if how we define “good” differs from how God defines it? Do we really think it will come down to a game of rock-paper-scissors at the pearly gates or that if we strenuously object long and loud enough that the Creator of the Universe and the Moral Law is just going to cave in like a mother of four in the super market candy aisle? I am not trying to be irreverent but the idea of hoping the heavenly scales will balance in our favor seems like a mighty big chance to take. There are no do-overs or the best two out of three. It is appointed unto man once to die and then judgment. Game over.

But before any professing Christians get too smug, are we at times guilty of the same thing? We say we believe that God’s Word is truth and that the Bible is inspired and inerrant but then we tend to pick and choose what commands and exhortations we like or feel comfortable following, and ignore the hard sayings of Jesus Christ. We live a kind of dualistic “Christian” life where we pick and choose the type of discipleship we want versus what Jesus demands. We want cheap grace rather than the costly grace that Jesus Christ provides.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German theologian who was executed by the Nazi’s for his involvement in the plot to assassinate Hitler. Christians can debate whether or not he was a theological liberal, but I believe his life and writings are worthy of examination and meditation for the simple fact that he felt compelled to live out the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, and while all around him watched idly as a mad man killed millions, he stood up for what he believed. In his book “The Cost of Discipleship” he penned these challenging thoughts.

Cheap grace is the deadly enemy of our Church. We are fighting today for costly grace. Cheap grace means grace sold on the market like cheapjacks’ wares. The sacraments, the forgiveness of sin, and the consolations of religion are thrown away at cut prices. Grace is represented as the Church’s inexhaustible treasury, from which she showers blessings with generous hands, without asking questions or fixing limits. Grace without price; grace without cost! The essence of grace, we suppose, is that the account has been paid in advance; and, because it has been paid, everything can be had for nothing....”

Cheap grace means grace as a doctrine, a principle, a system. It means forgiveness of sins proclaimed as a general truth, the love of God taught as the Christian 'conception' of God. An intellectual assent to that idea is held to be of itself sufficient to secure remission of sins.... In such a Church the world finds a cheap covering for its sins; no contrition is required, still less any real desire to be delivered from sin. Cheap grace therefore amounts to a denial of the living Word of God, in fact, a denial of the Incarnation of the Word of God.

Cheap grace means the justification of sin without the justification of the sinner. Grace alone does everything they say, and so everything can remain as it was before. 'All for sin could not atone.' Well, then, let the Christian live like the rest of the world, let him model himself on the world’s standards in every sphere of life, and not presumptuously aspire to live a different life under grace from his old life under sin....

Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession.... Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.

Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man’ will gladly go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble, it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him.

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

Costly grace is the sanctuary of God; it has to be protected from the world, and not thrown to the dogs. It is therefore the living word, the Word of God, which he speaks as it pleases him. Costly grace confronts us as a gracious call to follow Jesus. It comes as a word of forgiveness to the broken spirit and the contrite heart. Grace is costly because it compels a man to submit to the yoke of Christ and follow him; it is grace because Jesus says: “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Don’t reject God’s reality and substitute your own…

Monday, January 24, 2011

Risky business

“The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he did not exist.” ~ Verbal Kint (The Usual Suspects)

"The Christian is a person who makes it easy for others to believe in God." ~ Robert Murray M'Cheyne

Some months ago I noticed a link posted by someone on their social media page that piqued my interest. The blog post was titled “16 of the Dumbest Things Americans Believe – And the Right Wing Lies Behind Them.” The post was written by Sarah Seltzer who is a freelance writer who lives in NYC and it came out near the time when the talking heads were questioning the Presidents travel schedule and misrepresenting the cost of his itinerary and the associated logistics. What I found truly amazing was that Ms. Seltzer used this event as a jumping off point to bear her teeth on other issues she felt were worthy of her enlightened derision. An article that challenged the American public to not so readily believe every sound byte quickly turned into a personal axe grinding that left me cold.

Ms. Seltzer pointed to a list that Newsweek published titled “America the Ignorant: Dumb Things Americans Believe”. Both Seltzer and Newsweek were appalled that only 39% of Americans believed in Darwin’s theory of Evolution. I cannot help but wonder if Seltzer's belief in evolutionary theory is based on rigorous study or simply blindly accepting the opinions of her colleagues and university instructors. Seltzer first loses credibility by showing her misunderstanding of the principle of the separation of church and state. The Freedom of religion the founding fathers wrote of was that the government would not set up a State Church or infringe on religious practice and expression and not that the State would outlaw prayer or religious activity in the schools. She also derides people who believe the institution of marriage is being marginalized and proceeds to call religious beliefs “antiquated”. So much for tolerance and unbiased journalistic integrity; don’t agree with someone simply demonize them or ridicule them in the public forum.

I have to be honest and say that I am puzzled by people that completely dismiss the possibility that there is a God and refuse to even entertain the thought. In my personal experience I have found that the expectation is that I am supposed to entertain every theory and idea for the possibility that God does not exist and my faith is misplaced, but there is no reciprocity. I am expected to listen and consider but when I ask to share truth from God’s Word or a personal testimony of how the Gospel has changed my life and suddenly it is time to end the conversation. All effort, research and scholarship can be devoted to what the individual believes but nary can a second be invested to consider whether the Gospel of Jesus Christ is reliable.

In his book “Evidence for God” author David Wood states it well; “If Atheists expect theists to take the denial of theism seriously, they must offer a hypothesis at least as powerful as theism. Yet atheism can’t explain the most basic facts about the world.” What truly fascinates me is that not only does atheism fail to offer reason to abandon my belief in Jesus Christ and the reliability of the Bible, but it is also unable to offer an explanation for the origin of the Universe, how our world is precisely fine tuned to sustain life, the diversity, origin and complexity of life, human consciousness, and objective moral values. Science and neo-Darwinism falls painfully short of answering these key questions and scientific discovery does more to strengthen my faith rather than erode it.

By refusing to even investigate the evidence we put ourselves at great risk. Not just our selves but our children, our friends and acquaintances are at risk because of our decision. Anyone who is within our sphere of influence who might follow our lead or our example is being put at risk. Misery might love company but do you really want to “live” through all eternity knowing your decision directly led to damning someone to eternal punishment. It’s like playing Russian roulette with your eternity; but the big difference is that instead of holding a revolver to your head with only one loaded chamber there are 5 bullets in the gun and the odds of a self inflicted wound are much greater. Is this really a risk worth taking?

A couple of years ago I was sitting in a hotel restaurant in Shenzhen, China and sitting across the table from me was a co-worker who is a practicing Hindu. He shared with me that his wife was a Christian and that she had been encouraging him to attend church and read the Bible. We discussed faith in Jesus Christ and he stated unequivocally that he did not believe in God, and if God exists then why didn’t He reveal himself? He was a new father and I asked him if the miracle of birth caused him to entertain the possibility that there is a God? I also told him that the beauty, complexity and glory of creation itself points to the existence of God. My reply left him speechless as if he never considered either possibility. We want signs and wonders but ignore the evidence that is all around us and in our pride refuse to examine the revelation we have already in our hands. It seems the truth is always the last place we will look.

People can question how an otherwise rational person can believe in God and think me a fool. In the grand scheme of things I have really nothing to lose if I am wrong. If placing my faith in God turns out to be misplaced I still will have lived a healthy, happy and productive life with no regrets. The change in focus, desire and goals has done nothing but make my life one of joy, peace and supreme happiness. Yet what if the non-theist is wrong? What will be the consequences for them? If the God of the Bible exists, and if He has revealed Himself in His Word and has given us a blueprint for life isn’t it worth the effort to at the very least entertain the possibility? There will be no plausible deniability when we stand before God.

The French poet Baudelaire wrote a story called “Le Joueur généreux” about a chance meeting between a gambler and the Devil and he cleverly penned the following about him. “He did not complain in any way about the bad reputation he enjoyed all over the world, assured me that he himself was the person the most interested in the destruction of superstition, and admitted to me that he had only been afraid for his own power one time, and that was the day when he had heard a preacher, more subtle than his colleagues, shout out from the pulpit: "My dear brothers, never forget, when you hear the progress of enlightenment vaunted, that the devil's best trick is to persuade you that he doesn't exist!"

"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork." ~ Psalm 19:1

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools” ~ Romans 1:18-22

Monday, January 17, 2011

Keeping up appearances

I like your Christ; I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” ~ Gandhi

Men and brethren, if you pray at all, pray God to make you real, through and
through.” ~ Charles Spurgeon

I am a fan of BBC television and enjoy their sitcoms, dramas and mystery programs. Maybe it’s the accent or possibly it’s that they tend to have a more cerebral bent to their entertainment. Maybe it’s because American sitcoms and dramas are too predictable, formulaic or infantile in their story development. Before I give you the false impression that I am an elitist PBS snob, keep in mind that I am drawn to their comedy programming that can at times be too irreverent and down right bawdy. With this in mind I have to be careful not to laugh or approve of what is not pure, and good and right.

One show that my wife introduced me to is Keeping Up Appearances starring Patricia Routledge as the social-climbing snob and eccentric Hyacinth Bucket, (pronounced bouquet by Hyacinth but bucket by everyone else.) Hyacinth is constantly trying to give the impression that she is a woman of class and dignity, and loves to name-drop when she sniffs an opportunity to impress. She constantly attempts to visit stately homes and host candlelight suppers. Her goal is to impress her neighbors, friends and of course “important” people. Her efforts are thwarted however by her ne’er do well sisters Daisy and Rose, as well as Daisy’s “bone-idle” husband Onslow. She is constantly trying to avoid them at all costs, but they tend to show up at the most inopportune moments. Hyacinth frequently tells her beleaguered husband; "Richard, you know I love my family, but that's no reason why I should have to acknowledge them in broad daylight!" Sadly, everyone goes to great lengths to avoid that horrid “Bucket woman” and they find her company insufferable.

During my teen years I regularly attended an Independent Baptist church. One thing that I found particularly vexing was when various members of the church would act one way on Sundays but completely different the other six days of the week and I used this as a rationalization to dampen my commitment. Call it what you want; inconsistent, sanctimonious, holier-than-thou or a “poser”. There are many terms used to describe what everyone commonly calls hypocrisy. As a matter of fact a common objection used by non-church attendees, or those not part of a Gospel believing community is that they will not attend church because it is full of hypocrites. In his book “The Ten Most Common Objections to Christianity” author Alex McFarland lists this accusation in his top ten. While his book focuses primarily on refuting straw men and baseless objections to faith in Christ, he readily concedes that this objection is sadly true. McFarland states; “Many Christians – perhaps all Christians are hypocrites. We don’t live up to our highest aspirations for ourselves. And we certainly don’t live up to the standard that God set for us in Scripture, or the standard that Jesus lived.” As much as I want to deny it, I am guilty as charged. In the infamous words of Walt Kelly’s Pogo; We have met the enemy and he is us.

What exactly is hypocrisy and how is it defined? Merriam Webster states; “a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not; especially: the false assumption of an appearance of virtue or religion.” Our modern English word actually comes directly from the Greek hypokritēs which is found in the New Testament of the Bible. In the original Greek the word is defined as an actor, stage player or pretender. The word itself is found in the Bible over 30 times and in most instances it is uttered by Jesus Christ to confront the “religious.” So while Christians may bristle at statements made by the likes of Gandhi, the stark reality is that we would do well to humbly acknowledge the bitter truth of his commentary of those claiming to be “of Christ.”

The key issue for observers of the church is what Steve Wilkens and Mark Sanford describe in their book Hidden Worldviews as that of confessional beliefs and convictional beliefs. They state that confessional beliefs are ideas that remain exclusively on the intellectual level versus convictional beliefs that are reflected in our actions. Basically we have great intentions but we fail to live up to the Gospel we proclaim. The watching world doesn’t care so much what we say, but what we do. If we are just half as good of a Christian as we think or try to convince others we are, then we wouldn’t have needed Christ’s perfect sacrifice. If that statement offends you then maybe you do not truly understand the Gospel.

Wilkens and Sanford rightly state “Christians often find it much easier to talk a good game by reciting the right creeds and embracing the proper doctrinal statements than to actually live by the principles embodied in them.” When we are accused of being inconsistent or hypocrites maybe our response should be one of humility and self reflection rather than lashing back with “I know you are but what am I!?!” Could it be that people claiming to be changed by the Gospel need to humbly acknowledge that we battle with hypocritical attitudes and actions? Is our lack of humility a stumbling block to the beauty of the Gospel? Even if the accusation is baseless how we respond can open or close the door to the opportunity to reflect Christ.

But with that being said, my inconsistency or hypocrisy does not prove or disprove the truth of Christianity. And whether other belief systems want to acknowledge the elephant in the room the fact of the matter is that Christianity has not cornered the market on hypocrisy. In many cases using the excuse that you won’t go to church because it is full of hypocrites or pointing out inconsistency in the lives of others is simply a crafty canard to shift attention from the matter at hand; where are we spiritually? It is a red herring meant to throw a dog off the scent. A red herring is a rhetorical or literary tactic of diverting attention away from an item of significance; in this case the message of the Gospel. When it is employed it usually is a means of deception, loaded words or a false emphasis to confuse or throw someone off their game. But it is not simply a tactic that is used by those not part of a Gospel believing community. It is also used by Christians against their peers and leaders to rationalize away a lack of personal zeal for the Gospel. I should know…I have employed it myself.

Are Christians inconsistent and hypocrites at times? Absolutely, but so are “non-Christians.” Turn on your TV or look in your mirror and like charity, hypocrisy begins at home. We tell our kids to tell the truth but we tell “white lies” at work or to our spouses. We talk about civility and respect but secretly tear down or demonize people that don’t share our ideology. We rail against “fat cat politicians” or the Wall Street elite taking advantage of the little guy yet we don’t help the homeless, soup kitchens or food pantries. We exhort our children to be nice to others but cut people off on the highway or race for the free parking spot. Or perhaps we believe in karma and hope for “divine retribution” for those who do what we deem is reprehensible, but of course it only applies to those who don’t share our particular political stance or world-view. The “non-Christian” is also prone to confessional beliefs that are not convictional.

A prime example of “do what I say…” is the Hollywood community. They preach the “religion of Green” but their carbon footprint dwarfs small countries. Actors and producers own multiple homes and typically don’t fly commercial. They have award shows ad nauseum, and the cost to host and produce these banquets could fund multiple homeless families. And when is the last time you saw them pull up in a Prius stretch limousine? Yet Hollywood takes great pleasure in depicting anyone of faith as a charlatan or harboring ill intent. It is simply “freaking pointing” or trotting out the worst offenders rather than acknowledging this is the exception rather than the rule.

Wilkens and Sanford point out that; “Christians are not the only people susceptible to incongruity (or hypocrisy, if you prefer that word). In extreme circumstances, scientific naturalists may find themselves in prayer to God. A moral relativist may live as if universal moral standards do exist.” They go on to say that “a bedrock belief for moral relativism is that no universally valid moral principles exist. However, a second relativist conviction is that we should be tolerant of those whose moral views differ from ours. The glaring contradiction here is that the demand for tolerance by all and for all is a moral standard that is inconsistent with the relativist’s claim that no universal moral standards exist.” If there are no moral absolutes then we shouldn’t get mad if the bank or employer shorts our check, if someone cuts us off in traffic or someone betrays a confidence. It’s all relative. I guess the adage of people that live in glass houses doesn’t apply.

I could go on with examples like a neo-Darwinist that believes in natural selection or “survival of the fittest” but fights for endangered species or against genocide in Darfur. We want ethics violations prosecuted to the full extent of the law for “the opposition”, but we believe in second chances or forgive and forget for those we support. Or consider the inconsistency of those fighting for animal rights or vegans while wearing leather shoes, wool clothing and using personal hygiene products made from animal byproducts. All of these examples are just the tip of the iceberg. To get away from hypocrisy we might run off and live in a cave, but that would fail because we would still be there.

In Romans 2 the apostle Paul warns that in passing judgment on others we condemn ourselves. The sobering thing about this passage and the previous chapter is that if God’s standard is ignored then we will be judged by our own standard which we are not even able to keep. The inconsistency we despise will be our ultimate undoing. Are church goers hypocrites? Yes, but we could use some more so why don’t you join us? We can bemoan the hypocrisy we see in others but in the end we each will have to individually give an answer to the question what did we do with Jesus? What did we do with the truth of the Gospel? Blaming the inconsistency of others will not hold up in the court of God.

If you are a follower of Jesus Christ pretense can kill our witness. If we are inconsistent or hypocritical we need to humbly acknowledge that we do fail and look to the Gospel again and again. Don’t pretend or try to give the impression of living out the Gospel, but strive through the power of the Holy Spirit to be a sweet smelling savor, a bouquet and not an old bucket in the nostrils of God. Don’t just keep up appearances. Strive to be a reflection of Christ.

For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.” ~ 1 Peter 2:20-21