Fueled by the Gospel

I was reading Tullian Tchividjian's blog this morning and he just briefly mentioned that our lives must be fueled by the gospel. That sure was something I needed today. It's not a new thought. I know that. I'm sure you know that too, but I needed that reminder. I think I'm beginning to understand how much I really want to prove myself worthy. I want to show that I'm capable of living this life that God has called me to live. And day in and out, I mess up in some way. I fall short. Yet, I live in this fog of self-righteousness that keeps me blind to it. I'm beginning to believe that the times I mess up are the times that I'm most sure of my self-righteousness. It's like God is lifting the veil to let me see myself as I truly am and telling me to wake up and live out of the Gospel. Live out the fact that I am indeed a dreadful sinner, deserving of God's wrath. But in grace, Jesus was sent by the Father to bear that wrath and bring about reconciliation. I need to look upon Jesus every single day and cry out for the grace of that day. Like the manna that fell from heaven that was only good for that day, so is the grace that comes from God. I need to be at the feet of His throne each morning, begging for grace for the moment. Some days, I probably need to go back two or three times. And the point can't be just the grace. It's the relationship that the grace flows through. If I find myself lacking in grace to get through my day without getting impatient, or self-control, it's because the connection to the Giver of that grace is not what it should be. Which again, brings me back to the Gospel. When I had no connection to the Giver of grace, He made a connection. He bestows it upon me and beckons me to return to Him. 

What a Great and Glorious God we serve! To Him be all glory and power and honor! For Jesus, the Christ, has come. He has absorbed the wrath of God. He has become the channel of grace. Fear of death and destruction are gone. Only freedom and sonship and inheritance remain. Today is a great day.

I hope you were encouraged. His mercies are new every morning. Let me end with words of the great hymn writer John Newton: "...I remember two things; I am a great sinner and Christ is a great saviour." Amen and Amen.

~sdg

Reflections on Called to Ministry, Part I

A Quick Summary

Clowney's book is broken down into two main sections. Section one deals with God's general call to all Christians. Section two deals with the more specific calling of God to the pastoral ministry. Each main section has two subsections within it. The first subsection deals with the Christian's name. The second with the call to service. The first subsection of part two deals with the distinctiveness of the call to pastoral ministry and the second subsection deals with the clarity of that call. 

It is a relatively short book, but one that is densely packed. I've actually been surprised at the pace by which I've been reading. I'm generally a fast reader, but this book has made me slow down a bit. I've been thankful for that. I do not want to glaze over anything just in the name of finishing the book. The process along the way is just as important as finishing it (thus the series of posts I'm doing on it). 

Reflections on Part I, Subsection 1 - Called by Name

Clowney reminds us that if you are a Christian, you bear the very Name of God. When I was baptized, it was done in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Clowney rightly asserts that before any man can pursue a call into the ministry, he must first pursue the mantle of God's name. This is no trivial matter. Bearing the Name of God on ourselves is the mark that separates us from those who will be destroyed. But it is never enough to merely bear the Name of God. If we bear His Name, we must also become like Him. Peter admonished the recipients of his first letter to be holy like God is holy (I Peter 1:15). Clowney goes on to point out that the call to follow God showed up even in the names of Biblical characters. For example, Elijah's name means "My God is Jah". To then live in disobedience to God was to live in defiance of their own name. It was to dishonor the Name of God. Ultimately, we bear the name of God when we bear the name of His Son. To call oneself a "Christian" to take on the name of Jesus, the Christ. Our identity is then wrapped up in this Name. 

While God calls us by His Name, He also grants us a new name. Simon became Peter. God calls us by a new name, a name He has given us. Even though we are called by the corporate name of Christian, we still are called by our individual name. Clowney points to the long genealogies as proof of a God who calls people by their name. I really liked thinking about that. It's like each name listed is a promise to me and everyone else who reads them that God is a God who calls individuals. God does not just love this generic corporate entity known as the church. He loves the individuals that make up that entity. That is a really cool truth to stew over. I cannot help but feel strengthened by that unique call and unique love. However, we must retain the balance that while we are loved and called as individuals, that love and call is never separated from the community of the church.  I loved this quote by Clowney. I hope it strengthens you as it has strengthened me: "...the name God gives to you brings not only his blessing but the communion of his personal love." I have a name, given to me by God, that is the mark of my belonging to Him. 

The reason this name, this identity is so important is that without it, we doomed for a life of alienation. Clowney explains that "the tragedy of alienation is not that so many people do not know me; it is that no one knows me, for I do not know myself. The terror in modern thought does not spring from the addition of millions in mass population. It springs from the subtraction of One - the Lord my God." Identity can only be given by the Lord. Without it, we are unknown, for we cannot truly know ourselves nor those others around us. The ability to be known and to know is wrapped up in Christ. For without his Name, we are nameless and unknown. Remember the chilling words of Jesus to those thought they were righteous, "away from me, for I never knew you" (my emphasis). 

However, God's call is not simply to status. His call is two-fold. God's call is also to service. And we will explore what it is to be called to service in the next post.

~sdg

Thoughts on Images and the Mind

Last night I picked up a book from my shelf called The Art of Thinking. The author had one idea that I couldn't seem to let go of until I wrote about it: "All we can say is: 1. That most of our mental operations are inseparable from images, or are produced by images...2. That those images closely correspond to wishes or repulsions, to things we want or do not want, so that this wanting or not wanting seems to be the ultimate motive power in our psychology, probably in connection with elementary conditions in our being. 3. That inevitably, people will reveal in their thoughts and speeches, in their outlook on life and in their lives themselves, the quality of the images filling their minds. Investigation and estimation of these images, together with investigation and estimation of our likes and dislikes, will tell us what we are worth morally more accurately than even our actions, for they are the roots of action" (19).

This in turn brings to mind the famous proverb by Ralph Waldo Emmerson: "Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny." So, it hit me that we should guard our minds against these images and be very careful what we allow to enter our minds. I realize this is not a new thought, but it struck me in a fresh way. Our thoughts are made up of images, so if we want to change our thoughts or our actions we have to tackle it at the level of the images. Maybe this I why God placed a ban on idols and graven images in Israel. In the classic book 1984 Orwell writes about the idea that if a society eliminates words from the vocabulary it also eliminates the ideas associated with those words. If you don't have words to convey a concept, it's difficult to have a clear thought, let alone pass it along. So what if these mental images work in the same way? If we begin to erradicate our minds of sinful images--images that fuel covetousness, lust, pride, etc.--we begin getting rid of the building blocks of sinful thougts and actions. Every Man's Battle proposes this when they write about "starving the eyes." But it's not enough to get rid of these images (if we even can) without overwriting them with other ones.

This is where Romans 12:1-2 helps. "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Philippians 4:8 says, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." If I am honest with myself, the times when I struggle with temptation are tied to mental or visual images. I allow myself to entertain idols believing that I will be able to stand strong against them later. But if these were not in my mind in the first place, they could hold no power over me. This is not solely about lust. It can just as easily be angry thoughts or plain silly talk (I am guilty of both of these) or pride. If we want Christ Jesus to control our minds, it's time we start allowing Him to overwrite some of the corrupted files in our minds.

--Nick

Called to the Ministry

As part of my journey towards seeking out God's call on my life, my pastor has asked me to read a book. He said it's the best book on the call to the ministry. So I thought I'd blog my reflections as I began reading the book. It's pretty short, so this will be a short series, but I figured it'd be something of interest. The book I'll be reading is titled Called to the Ministry, by Edmond Clowney. Once I get done with a section, I'll post a brief synopsis and then give my reflection on the book. 

Busy season is in full swing for me, so I wanted to let you know what was going on and then apologize for the lack of posts. I've got a lot of good stuff I want to share, just need to find the time to post it. 

If I could ask for your prayers as I read this book and seek the Lord's will, it would be greatly appreciated. Your input is always welcome and helpful.

~sdg

Sovereign Salvation from the Flames of Culture's Contempt

If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up. - Daniel 3:17-18


The story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego ("SM&A") is another one of those stories unnecessarily relegated to the children's department. Like Noah's Ark, this is really not a story for children. We've stripped the story down; demoting it from powerfully applicable to fairy tale on par with Snow White. Why do I think that this story is still applicable to us today? Because SM&A, in the face of death, refused to bow down to the idols of their fallen culture.

We live in fallen Babylon. The culture's idols are all around us and every day we are faced with the same set of options as SM&A. In fact, we're a lot like SM&A. We need to remember that these young men were not native Babylonians. They were exiles from the land of Israel. They were forcibly removed from their land and made to live amongst a people that they did not know or understand. We are, likewise, exiles from our home. Peter calls us elect exiles (I Peter 1:1). Paul reminds us that our citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20). We live amongst a people that seeks to assimilate us into their culture, just like SM&A's Babylonian captors. SM&A's devotion to God in the face of cultural expectations can help us.

You know the story well. King Nebuchadnezzar erects a golden image and at the sound of music, all the peoples of the kingdom are to bow down and worship the golden image. SM&A refuse to bow down to the image. They will not forsake their God and worship another. They will not submit their wills to any other authority, other than God Himself. This defiance is reported to the King. He confronts SM&A and asks them if they will change their mind and bow down and worship the golden image. The verses above are their answer. No, they will not bend a knee to this statue. The king is enraged. His anger burning so hot, he orders the fiery furnace heated seven times hotter than normal. These three young men are tossed into the furnace only to walk out moments later unscathed. The Lord had visited them in the furnace and kept them safe. They experienced a sovereign salvation from the flames of their culture's contempt.

I believe this story should galvanize our resolve to live likewise. It should put rods of steel in our backbone so that we do not shrink away in the face of cultural opposition. We may not face the flames of a fiery furnace, but we face many similar test of faith daily. If we would look to Jesus and say to our culture "we will not bow a knee," we would know the comfort and aid of our savior in the way that SM&A knew it. Too often, we do not feel the heat of our culture because we capitulate in the moment. We do not have the confidence that the Lord Jesus has our back and will rescue us from the fiery flames of our culture. We bow down to idols because lack belief. We see Jesus like the 5,000 did. There is little or no adulation or joy in His presence. He is merely our Lord because He can provide bread. He is not the holy King who sits on heaven's throne; due all our praise and worship. So instead of experiencing the rescue of the King admist the flames of a culture's rage, we go home, having become apart of the culture. At best we experience guilt and at worst, we experience nothing at all.

Instead, let us be like SM&A. Let us love God passionately and for who He is and experience what it is like to be rescued from the flames of our cultures contempt.


~sdg

"No Crying He Makes" and other myths of Christmas

One of my father's favorite holiday pastimes is demythologizing Christmas songs. His sermons are regularly sprinkled with anecdotes about the "little drummer boy" not existing and "the three wise men" not being present on the night of Jesus' birth. One year he even picked on the fact that the Bible does not say whether Mary rode on a donkey, a camel, or a cart...or maybe had to walk on her way to Bethlehem. Consequently, I now have this hobby as well, much to my wife's chagrin (sorry honey), who feels like I'm always trying to rain on everyone's parade. As we listen to Christmas songs, I like to think through the lyrics and see if they gel with reality. What can I say? Many of them are full of myths about Christ's birth.

For instance, our songs and paintings would have us believe that the baby Jesus never cried. He was the most inhuman baby you ever saw with a hallo around his head and group of people standing around at a fair distance gazing on the new born Son of God. This is the baby of a religion--not history. Notice the Gnostic tendencies that have crept in to this picture. Is crying a sin? I don't think so. Jesus was fully human as well as fully God, so why would he not cry as a baby? One of the important reasons for the birth narratives is to show us that Jesus was human. He can identify with the lowest of the low.

This Christmas I would encourage you to reread Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2 with fresh eyes. What does the text say? What does it not say? What is emphasized in each?

In my next post, I am going to attempt an exercise in Narrative history--blending historical background, culture, and the facts of Scripture to paint a picture of the nativity. Will it be accurate? Perhaps, perhaps not. But it will be more 1st century than the Renaissance paintings.

Will there be a "star with tail as big as a kite"? Will there be oxen and lambs keeping time? Tune in tomorrow and see.

On Avoiding Religious Traps

I'm guest posting over at You See Dry Bones today. Go check out my post about avoiding religious traps!

~sdg