How I Pray For Healing

I’m not the Benny Hinn type, but I do pray for healing quite often. And I do it rather simply:

“Lord, heal _______ according to your will.”

It might sound as if I’m praying that because I simply do not know the Lord’s will in a situation. From my finite perspective I have no idea if the Lord has purposed to heal a person. While that is true, that is not all that I am communicating whenever I pray that the Lord heal someone according to His will. It’s actually a prayer that is jam-packed with theology and hope.

All believers will ultimately be healed

I know that whenever I pray for healing in the life of a believer that it will always ultimately be answered. I know this from Revelation 21:4 (among other places). I know that one day, “He will wipe away every tear from [our] eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away”.

Therefore, when I pray that the Lord heal someone according to His will I know that He is going to eventually answer that prayer. That might mean that my prayer for healing in the present is not answered—because God is going to answer the greater prayer—ultimate healing.

God heals in the present as a preview of His ultimate healing

Yet, sometimes God does answer our prayers for healing in the present. The Lord is kind and gracious. He binds up broken hearts. He causes cancer to disappear. He clears up cloudy minds. Yes, our great God wipes away tears even in the present. And he does this as a preview of things to come.

Therefore, I am praying that if it be the Lord’s good pleasure that He would provide healing in the present. When he answers these prayers it helps us to see that God is actively involved and concerned—not only for our future but also for our present. When he does not provide present healing we know that He is still good—and He has answered our prayers for ultimate healing.

What about unbelievers?

When I am praying for an unbeliever that God would heal them according to His will, I am not only praying for temporary healing. I am praying that they would come to know Jesus Christ and that their greatest problem would be answered; namely separation from God.

I know that while they remain in rebellion that they have no promise of ultimate healing. Instead it is the opposite. This present suffering pales in comparison to the suffering that is to come. Therefore, I pray that the Lord might use this to draw them to himself. I’m praying that they would experience ultimately healing because they have been rescued by Jesus.

This is what I’m praying for whenever I ask God to heal somebody according to His will.

Let’s not be uncomfortable in praying for healing. Let’s be bold. In my mind praying for healing is the same thing as praying Maranatha! So let us approach Him with confidence and hope, knowing that our prayers for healing in the life of believers will always ultimately be answered.

The Epic Head vs. Heart Showdown

“How far is heaven? Not far really. Just 18 inches, the distance from your head to your heart.”

I’ve heard variations of that statement quite a few times. I recently saw it in a witness tract, encouraging people to not only know about Jesus but to come to know Him personally. And that is a good and valid point. I appreciate that emphasis.

But I kind of wonder where the complimentary tract is to be found. You know the one that talks about having all heart and no brains. After all isn’t it true that a person can be very sincere in their beliefs--giving their whole heart to them--and still end up in hell because they very sincerely worshipped a pig-god named Steve?

In actuality that guy doesn’t exist*. The dude who sincerely worships a pig-god named Steve doesn’t do it because he’s an idiot. He worships a pig-god because he is a rebel. And in the same way the guy that intellectually understands the gospel but just can’t bridge that 18 inches—he’s a rebel too.

The Bible does not like to create a chasm between head and heart. We do.

And in our culture we like to pick heart over brains. We are as Os Guinness has noted like the Tin Woodman, in L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,

“Why didn’t you walk around the hole?” asked the Tin Woodman.

“I don’t know enough,” replied the Scarecrow cheerfully. “My head is
stuffed with straw, you know, and that is why I am going to Oz to ask
him for some brains.”

“Oh, I see,” said the Tin Woodman. “But, after all, brains are not the
best things in the world.”

“Have you any?” inquired the Scarecrow.

“No, my head is quite empty,” answered the Woodman. “But once I had
brains, and a heart also; so, having tried them both, I should much
rather have a heart….”

“All the same,” said the Scarecrow, “I shall ask for brains instead of
a heart; for a fool would not know what to do with a heart if he had
one.”

“I shall take the heart,” returned the Tin Woodman; “for brains do not
make one happy, and happiness is the best thing in the world.”

We have, says Guinness, made the Tin Woodman’s choice. And it’s a choice that the Scriptures do not make. The biblical picture is that head and heart are interdependent. One serves the other. We are whole people that are wholly redeemed by God.

If there is a chasm between your head and your heart it doesn’t really matter from which end you started the dig. If you’re all head then you need to repent of a cold and dead orthodoxy. After all Satan could ace every doctrine test a seminary through at him. But he doesn’t treasure truth—and it doesn’t cause him to break out into doxology.

So also if you are somehow “all heart” but don’t care much about digging out the Scriptures you are just as rebellious as the cold yet orthodox guy. The Bible says that it’s both/and.

Love and dig.

Dig and love.

We shouldn’t put friends like this in the boxing ring.

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*Not the pig guy…he might exist.

Tornadoes and Theology

Yesterday a tornado devastated Moore, Oklahoma. Leaving 51 dead, with nearly half of that number being children. Events like this leave those effected with a myriad of questions and a flood of emotions. One article I read described survivors as in a zombie-like state.

What would you say to those grieving in Oklahoma?

Mostly nothing. There is a time and a season for everything. This is not the season to theologize. At present we weep with them. Job’s friends were good counselors until they opened their mouths and tried to give an answer to Job’s questions. In the midst of a sorrowing event, heeding James 1:19 is a necessity. Slow to speak and quick to hear.

Those directly affected by these storms will experience a range of emotions. These emotions will be expressed within a whole range of theological positions. Ranging from this to varying atheistic expressions. In times like this one of the best things that we can do is direct people to use the Psalms to give words to the emotions of their hearts.

And just be there. Give a shoulder to cry on or a shoulder to punch. There might be a time to teach and help with theology…that is probably not today.

But there are also those that are not directly effected by the Oklahoma tragedies. We grieve. We weep with them. We ask questions as well. And at times events like this trigger our own pain. But we are in a much different position in regards to teaching. Our emotions are not as raw. Thinking through events like this will assist us in times when we are the ones with tears streaming down our face, filled with raw emotion.

What do you say to those watching the events in Oklahoma?

In Torn to Heal, I present a bare bones biblical theology of suffering.

1. God is not evil and does not do evil.
2. God is executing his long-term plan to eradicate all evil.
3. God is sovereign, and everything that happens comes from his hand (whether directly or indirectly).
4. As autonomous human beings we are personally responsible for our own evil acts (that is, we cannot evade responsibility for our actions by claiming they
   were caused by God, Satan, circumstances, our past, our limitations, or other people).
5. God ultimately does all things for his glory.
6. God is ever working all things together for the greatest good of his adopted children (and this redounds to his glory).
7. Ultimately, our greatest good is conformity to Christ, which gives us the capacity for an eternal enjoyment of God himself.

I respond to that biblical theology of suffering by saying this:

To be honest, not everything in this list makes me theologically comfortable. It’s hard for me to see how these pieces combine into a picture that is both complete and fully coherent. But that’s okay; the Bible was not written to make us theologically comfortable or satisfy our curiosity. The Scriptures exist for a far more important purpose—to point us to the living God who provides eternal comfort. This God, after all, is infinitely beyond our ability to fully comprehend. That’s one reason eternity will be endlessly revelatory and fascinating. So it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise that the God who is about the business of working out our redemption can, in our fallen and limited sensibilities, sometimes make us uncomfortable.

The truth is I don’t know specific answers to what God is doing in Moore, Oklahoma. As Samuel Rutherford once said from his prison cell, “I see not the other side of my cross, or what my Lord will bring out of it”. All we can say is that the Lord is good and the Lord is sovereign. Denying either of those is not helpful. I agree with Sam Storms that “it will not accomplish anything good to deny what Scripture so clearly asserts, that God is absolutely sovereign over all of nature”.

We must boldly assert everything that Scriptures say about suffering and evil and pain. Therefore we can say that God is sovereign and He is good. Somehow the events of Moore, Oklahoma will work together for the good of His children and to the furtherance of His glory. But we are not wise enough to connect the dots. Any pontificating about “why” this happened is likely foolish.

Someday we will no longer have tornados. Today we do. May we trust Him with the mystery that is in between.

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One of the things that we can do in the “in-between” is give and serve. One of the best organizations as far as responding to disasters is the SBC Disaster Relief. You can donate here.

Don’t Go There, Man!

I’ll just come out and say it. Scripture can be really confusing.

Not only is it confusing because I’m a Western-whitey that speaks English instead of Greek and I live in an age when a Camel is a cigarette instead of a ride to town or an uncomfortable shirt; but it is also confusing because Scripture is just flat out difficult. Hence thousands of years of disagreement over the sacred text.

Part of this is because each side of an argument usually has a litany of valid Scriptures to back up their point. And that’s actually a good thing. Here is what I mean…
I picture biblical truth like a narrow road with massive canyons on each side. So long as we’re on the road its not terrible for us to lean towards one of the ditches. After all, we’re human. We’re dust, we aren’t yet fully redeemed. Therefore it’s not surprising that we’ll have a tendency to lean away from the middle of the road. Not to mention that certain seasons often require a greater emphasis of biblical truth.

Thankfully, though, on each side of the road are massive stop signs that boldly say, “Don’t go there, man!” If you ignore the sign, cross that line, and then fall into the canyon then we’ve got a problem. Scripture provides those stop signs to help believers know where a certain doctrine—and usually its implications—are supposed to stop.

Example:

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

One person focuses on verse 13 and notes that it is God who works within us to work out our salvation. As he leans this way and emphasizes certain parts of this truth he gets awfully close to the canyon of passivity. To wake him from slumber a loud siren and bright red stop sign screams out, “work out your salvation with fear and trembling”.

Another person focuses on verse 12 and notes that we are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. As she leans this way and emphasizes certain parts of this truth she gets awfully close to the canyon of works-based righteousness. To wake her from slumber a loud siren and bright red stop sign screams out, “for it is God who works in you…”

There is help for everyone in Philippians 2:12-13. To the one wracked with guilt because she has fearfully and in trembling tried to work out her salvation but has fell flat on her face, there is balm in verse 13—”God is still working! Get up. Get back to work. He’s not going to let you fall”. To the guy withering in passivity verse 12 lights a fire under his comfort and drives him to cry out to Christ for change.

That’s only one example of many. There are many supposed contradictions in Scripture that are actually beauties to behold instead of questions to be answered. Let’s be sure to walk in the beauty of truth, finding unity somewhere on the road of grace, always heeding the signals that we’ve went too far in our lean.

The Greatest Lesson I Have Learned from John Calvin

• Where did Satan come from?
• Why did God create a world in which the New York Yankees (evil) would win more championships than the Kansas City Royals (righteous)?
• In the mind of God which came first…the chicken or the egg?
• If you were the only person in the world would Jesus have died for you?

These and a host of other questions are not directly or clearly answered in Scripture. There are many things that the Lord has not chosen to reveal to us. What I have learned from John Calvin is to ground all my knowledge of God in what God has revealed about Himself. If He has not revealed something to us in Scripture we shouldn’t plunge too deeply or speak too confidently about it.

He is actually speaking of unbelievers here—but I think believers can fall prey to this as well:

Indeed, vanity joined with pride can be detected in the fact that, in seeking God, miserable men do not rise above themselves as they should, but measure him by the yardstick of their own carnal stupidity, and neglect sound investigation; thus out of curiosity they fly off into empty speculations. They do not therefore apprehend God as he offers himself, but imagine him as they have fashioned him in their own presumption. When this gulf opens, in whatever direction they move their feet, they cannot but plunge headlong into ruin.

This is only one quote among many in Calvin’s Institutes that helped me to see this grand point. Whenever the Scriptures are silent on something I’m pretty stupid to spend my time on speculation and I had best not speak with much certainty.

One of the statements that I make in my book*, Torn to Heal, is that me trying to solve the problem of evil is like a sumo wrestler attempting to river-dance on a patch of thin ice. He’s going to get in a few sweet moves here and there but eventually he is going to fall through the ice—making himself and every onlooker wet in the process. This statement was largely influence by John Calvin.

I can say this because God has not seen fit to solve the problem of evil in Scripture. I’m not responsible for untangling the paradoxes that the Lord has revealed to us in Scripture. I’m just responsible for grabbing hold, in faith, to everything that He has revealed. I don’t want to back away from anything that He has said. But I also don’t want to proudly proclaim a god of my own making.

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*I am not certain as of yet if this statement will make the final cut.

Anti-Freeze Theology

Last week, a brother in Christ was inquiring on Twitter about something good to take for a sinus infection. Me, being the jerk I am, responded, “anti-freeze cures it every time”.

What I said was true. Absolutely, 100% true. Drink enough antifreeze and you will no longer have a sinus infection. Or breath in your lungs.

If we aren’t careful we can become this way with our theology. We can say true things that wrongly applied leads to death. Or we can highlight something that is totally true (drinking anti-freeze cures sinus infections) but leave out an equally important truth (it also causes death).

This was the problem in Corinth.

One group had a pretty good theological argument for eating food offered to idols. They rightly said that “an idol has no real existence” and that “there is no God but one”. Therefore, when people sacrificed to false gods they were sacrificing to only “so-called gods in heave or on earth”.

In their mind this was the end of the case. These believers with a weak-conscience needed to get with the program and stop denying the freedom of the gospel. So, they ate meat and mocked those whose conscience would not allow them to partake. They used true theology to bludgeon weak believers.

Anti-freeze theology “puffs up”. It is true theology held by an arrogant heart. Paul’s argument throughout 1 Corinthians seems to be that knowing right things is only half the battle. Having a grace-captivated heart that responds in love is also a necessity. To have one without the other is as harmful as suggesting anti-freeze for a sinus infection.

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Don’t drink anti-freeze. Ever. This is my DO NOT DO THIS AT HOME disclaimer. Or at church. Or anywhere. If you drink anti-freeze you will die. So don’t do it.

Quick Review of A Mouth Full of Fire

I thought about preaching through Jeremiah once. Then I tried to outline it. I decided I would postpone that Jeremiah series for a time when it made a little more sense. After reading A Mouth Full of Fire: The Word of God in the words of Jeremiah, I might be a little closer to a Jeremiah series.

Andrew Shead attempts to unify the book of Jeremiah around the central theme of “the word of the Lord”. Shead believes that it is best described as “the story of what happened when the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah”. And as we listen to this story it helps us shape our own doctrine of the word of God. This book, then, serves as both a discussion on Jeremiah and a discussion on the doctrine of the word of God.

The book begins with an attempt to defend his thesis and outline the suitability of Jeremiah to give us a solid theology of the word of God. He then goes about structuring Jeremiah. After engaging in these introductory matters, Shead, then shows how his argument bears on our doctrine of the Word. He looks at the Word and speaker, Word and hearers, Word and power, and finally the Word and permanence. He closes the book with a “conversation” with Karl Barth.

My Take

I got a great deal out of this book. It helped me to think through Jeremiah and read it more cogently. Furthermore, Shead does a great job of defending his thesis. I’m convinced that he is correct in his theme of Jeremiah. If I ever do preach through Jeremiah I will be sure to go back to Shead and structure the book accordingly.

What is most helpful in this book, in my opinion, is the distinction that is made between “word” and “words”. His chapter on The Word and Speaker was very beneficial to me. I write and speak the Word frequently. His statement that, “a prophet is made by God into a word-shaped person” hauntingly shows that you really cannot separate the messenger from the message.

Should You Buy It?

The book will not be for everyone. It is written in the middle of a scholarly discussion on the nature of the word of God. If you aren’t already introduced into that conversation it might be a little difficult to get brought up to speed. However, the book is not so pedantic that a casual reader couldn’t pick it up and benefit.

Those most likely to benefit from this book would be someone that is studying the doctrine of the word of God. This needs to be part of that study. Furthermore, someone attempting to study or preach through Jeremiah would benefit greatly by giving this book at least a perusal. Shead helps outline Jeremiah in a way that I haven’t really seen before. It is profoundly helpful if given to the right audience.

Purchase A Mouth Full of Fire today.

Why I Wouldn’t Want to Attend the John 3:16 Conference Even If I Weren’t Reformed

On March 21-22 the second John 3:16 Conference will be held. The purpose of this conference will be to inform local churches of the viewpoints of New Calvinism. It is to be part of the continued discussion on the Calvinist Resurgence within the SBC and broader evangelicalism. Those speaking will defend a non-Calvinistic (or a self-dubbed Tradiontalist viewpoint).

They will be discussing topics like limited atonement, inherited guilt, regeneration and faith, historical views of salvation, election, and the sinners prayer among other things. It looks like it could be an interesting conference. And I appreciate that Jerry Vines’ intention is that all the speakers be “irenic in tone, theologically well versed and evangelistic and missions minded.” Yet…

I have no desire to attend

And that has nothing to do with the fact that I am Calvinistic. I’m not up in arms that these men will be promoting a theology that is not my own. In fact if this were a conference led by Calvinists that had the same topics I would also not have a burning desire to attend. Why? I’m very similar to John Newton in that I like my Calvinism as I do my sugar:

‘I am more of a Calvinist than anything else; but I use my Calvinism in my writings and my preaching as I use this sugar’—taking a lump, and putting it into his tea-cup, and stirring it, adding, ‘I do not give it alone, and whole; but mixed and diluted.’

Conferences like this hold very little appeal to me because I think they are largely distracting. And if I had any counsel to give to the non-Calvinists among us I would say that it would be to their benefit to make their non-Calvinism like their sugar.

If your position is true then proclaim it as truth and stop spending so much time battling this New Calvinism. If it’s of the Lord then you’re battling Him. If it’s not of the Lord then it’ll eventually die and fizzle. Just keep proclaiming the truth as faithfully as you can. God’s is faithful to His gospel and He’ll lead His church into all truth.

Honestly I think this is part of the reason why Calvinism has seen a resurgence…

T4G

Fundamentally, I would argue that Calvinism is surging for God-ordained reasons. But even if you don’t care to agree with that, consider with me the practical reasons. You have to admit that there is a great movement among younger generations to focus on Christ and His gospel and not be tied down by a ton of controversy. I believe that is part of the appeal of Together for the Gospel for my generation.

Look at the 2006 conference. Yes, all the speakers were Calvinists. But that’s not the driving force in the conference. That year it was preaching. Their Calvinism was used like sugar; mixed and diluted. In 2008 the only message that was overtly Calvinistic was John MacArthur’s on the doctrine of absolute inability.

2010 and 2012 were the two that I have been able to attend. And I left those conferences without one thought about Calvinism. I left those conferences reinvigorated with a love for Jesus and a new drive to engage in Christ-honoring ministry. Why? Because though all the speakers are Calvinists and their Calvinism shapes everything it is “mixed and diluted”**.

And this is the way it ought to be. That’s why when I hear conferences like T4G being advertised I get excited and hope that I can attend. Sure it makes me comfortable knowing that these guys largely have the same theological leanings that I do. But at the end of the day what really drives me is a passion to see Jesus Christ the only boast of this generation.

This is also why I wouldn’t attend the John 3:16 Conference even if I weren’t Reformed. I’d likely stay away from a John 6:44 Conference as well. For me it depends on what the driving force is behind the conference. If it’s a get together to discuss theology and you hope that everybody leaves being informed about New Calvinism, Old Calvinism, Good Calvinism, Bad Calvinism, Ugly Calvinism, or anything of the sort I’ll stay home. As much as I like to discuss theology, I’ll save my limited conference money to go to some place where I’m going to walk away enthralled by the risen Savior.

I want to attend a conference whose aim is in some fashion to enjoy God and extend His glory.

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**Now those with an idea that we Calvinists are involved in some sort of vast conspiracy will turn that “mixed and diluted” phrase and say that they are hiding their Calvinism and that people are swallowing errant theology without even knowing it. I guess theoretically that could be what is happening. But as one being shaped by the Spirit’s use of this movement I believe it is something much different. These men aren’t obsessed with Calvinism. They are Calvinists and yes it impacts the way they see everything, but it’s not the driving force behind these conferences.

Should I Let My Son Have a “Jesus” Mii?

I felt like Athanasius this morning.

My wife and I were attempting to navigate the choppy waters of Trinitarian theology with our five year old son. A couple days ago he discovered the Mii Channel where you can download other mii’s that people have created. One of them was of “Jesus”. He wants to import that mii so that he can play with Jesus.

What is a parent to do?

Isaiah told us that he wanted to download the mii because he loves Jesus and wants Jesus to be able to play the Wii with him. I mean how does that not just melt your heart and make you want to cave? But we didn’t.

Our son had just been learning about the 10 Commandments (thanks to The Gospel Project). And so we started by looking at the one about not making a carved image. I explained to him that the reason we aren’t to do something like that is because God is so much bigger than any picture that we could ever draw. We cannot create something to image God. And we feared that if we had a “Jesus” mii then he would be on the same plane as his SpongeBob mii, his Wolverine mii, and his Isaiah mii.

We also figured that it might be a little silly to have Jesus jumping over barrels, or getting bonked in the head with a big mallet when we played Wii Party. We didn’t want to make Jesus too small in our minds.

But there is that whole incarnation thing…

That all sounds great and theologically sound but it hit me that I probably wasn’t giving enough weight to the incarnation. I want Isaiah to know that Jesus did become a man and does perfectly image God. He did become fully human and so in some way it might be appropriate to give him a mii just like everyone else can have a mii. And is it really so blasphemous to picture our Lord running in a race?

The implications of the incarnation makes things a little more difficult. That Jesus really is fully human and this probably means that he not only enters into the suffering our world but also the joy of it. Maybe Jesus does need a mii.

But I also didn’t want to minimize Jesus. He’s more than something that can be captured on the Wii. I don’t want Jesus to just be one of the guys. He’s more than just “my homeboy”. I want Isaiah to know that Jesus is there with him in every moment and can transform everything even our playing of the Wii.

So at the end of the day mommy and daddy decided against the idea. At the age of five we felt that it’s probably more important to really embed in his mind that Jesus is quantitatively different than everything/everyone else. He’s above it all—even in His incarnation. Isaiah was sad but I think he understood.

What would you have said? Would you let your children have a “Jesus” mii? Why or why not?

The End of Biblical Theology

About five years ago I was introduced to the discipline known as biblical theology. It is a way of reading the Scriptures as a narrative whole. Biblical theology seems to be the “in” thing right now. I am glad about that. I also appreciate statements like this:

One would hope that when biblical theology is grasped as a way of thinking about the God of the Bible, which in turn generates a way of reading the Bible, ‘biblical-theological’ Old Testament preaching will not so much ‘tell the gospel story’ as ‘tell the gospel-shaped God’. The proper end of biblical theology is not narrative but theology.

Those are words from Andrew G. Shead in his book A Mouth Full of Fire: The Word of God in the Words of Jeremiah. It is an interesting book that I intend to review on Friday.

What are your thoughts on Shead’s statement? Is the “proper end of biblical theology” not a narrative but theology?

Why Our Marriage Retreat is Not “Practical”

Early on in our marriage my wife and I attended several marriage conferences. Our marriage was not on the fritz or anything like that. We loved each other deeply but we needed some assistance in how to do life together. Seldom did these marriage conferences have lasting results. They gave us a few practical tips to take home and apply but within a few weeks our marriage slipped back into our natural way of doing things.

What was seldom addressed in these conferences was my heart. Oh, there was the obligatory session on making Jesus central in your marriage. But this was usually nothing more than a well meaning attempt to share the gospel with unbelievers. As the conferences progressed it seemed as if the gospel was left behind and we went forward into the really practical stuff. Most of this advice was nothing more than Christianized psychology or sociology class. All of the advice could have just as easily been taught in a secular setting minus the Bible verses.

Because my heart was never addressed all these conferences did was make me a more crafty and sinful husband. I could manipulate these “Christian” principles to get my way. They made me a more polished sinner.

Why Our Marriage Retreat is Not “Practical”

There are scores of Christian books and conferences out there that are very practical and honestly can be very helpful. Most people that come to a marriage conference want tips for changing their marriage. They want to know a seven-step process for changing their marriage. And so we acquiesce and give the practical stuff that people can take home with them and immediately apply to their marriage. The problem with seven-step processes though, is that they either work or they don’t.

One couple attends the marriage conference (couple A) and they find these practical tips helpful. They take these tips home and apply it to their marriage. Things begin to change. Their are so excited about this new material that they invite their friends (couple B) to attend the next marriage conference. They assure this young couple that learning this will help their marriage to become as happy and pleasurable as their own.

Couple B attends the marriage conference with Couple A. They learn the seven-step process, take it home and immediately apply it to their marriage. They have a new found hope that finally their marriage is going to be as happy as it was supposed to be on their wedding day. But then they hit a wall. It doesn’t work. For couple B these biblical principles “didn’t work”.

Naturally the struggling couple slips back into unhealthy, unbiblical, and even worldly practices in their marriage. Eventually couple B goes to the courthouse and files for divorce. They tried the Bible thing but it didn’t work. It didn’t fix their marriage, so God obviously wants them to not be together. (That may sound A to Z but I have witnessed this happen more times than I have fingers).

The difference between couple A and couple B is theology. Couple A went to the marriage conference with a relatively healthy theology of marriage. These practical tips assisted them in applying their theology. Couple B had a poor theology of marriage and so their application of the practical tips did little because they never addressed the heart.

Every problem that we have in marriage is fundamentally a theological problem. Or to put that another way every problem that we have in marriage is a “gospel” problem. It is not necessarily that we do not know the right answers to Bible questions. But it is that because of sin in our hearts, or perhaps because of ignorance, we are not applying the gospel—we are not applying our theology—to our marriage.

This is why our marriage retreats are not “practical”.

Or are they?

I believe giving people a theology of marriage coupled with a few helpful pointers is more practical than giving people seven steps. It is similar to the old adage that if you give a man a fish you feed him for a day, but if you teach him to fish you feed him for a lifetime. When sinners are given practical tips but they are not taught how to address their hearts it is similar to just giving them a fish. But teaching people how the gospel informs every component of their marriage helps them fish for a lifetime.

Address the heart and apply the gospel. You’ll be eternally practical.

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Later I will show you the outline of our marriage retreat material.

Should We Baptize Upon Profession?

And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water!  What prevents me from being baptized?” 

No membership class.  No onlookers are mentioned.  No period of seeing whether or not this Ethiopian was serious about his profession.  All that we have in this context is a gospel explanation by Philip, a chariot driver, and “some water”.  Therefore, churches ought to follow Philip and baptize people upon profession.  Right?!?! 

Not so fast. 

I’ve had to think through this question in recent days.  First I’ve had to think of it because I believe that there are many people within our churches that have said a prayer, given a few correct answers, and then took a bath at church.  Upon this bath they are now told that they members of the church.  Within the Southern Baptist community that means something.  It means that we as a church are standing behind your profession and as it were saying to the Lord, “We believe this person is a disciple of Jesus”. 

Yet as the days, and months, and years pass this church-bather is no longer faithfully following Christ.  This is a problem.  As Mark Dever has rightly noted, “Uninvolved members confuse both real members and non-Christians about what it means to be a Christian”.  Therefore, many churches agree with Dever that we need to,

…guard carefully the front door and open the back door.  In other words, make it more difficult to join, on the one hand, and make it easier to be excluded on the other.  Remember—the path to life is narrow, not broad.  Doing this, I believe, will help churches to recover their divinely intended distinction from the world.  (What is a Healthy Church, 105)

Doesn’t this seem to fly in the face of the practice of the New Testament church?  Does it seem that Philip was making it “difficult to join” in the life of the Ethiopian eunuch? 

That is the conundrum that I find myself dealing with.  While I fundamentally agree with Dever, I cannot help but consider the early church practice.  And I know our tendency to make the pendulum swing from one extreme to another.  In our effort to curb careless baptisms and spiked churched membership numbers I do not want to be equally guilty of withholding baptism from someone that knows Christ and legitimately desires to follow Him in this ordinance.  So which is it?  Do I baptize upon profession as it seems to have been the practice in the early church?  Or do I follow the wisdom of Dever and others within church history?

Context is Key

The truth is that I do not have to pit one against the other.  We need to consider the context of the early church compared to that in America.  Here you can profess Christ with very little ramifications.  Saying “Jesus is Lord” can be very empty rhetoric. Those words are not fruit of conversion. They can, in our context, just be an empty profession. 

In America (especially in the South) people will get baptized just to please their dear old grandmother.  That is not the case in other contexts.  Where persecution is ever present, as it was in the New Testament, saying “Jesus is Lord” is tantamount to saying, “I’m identifying with Jesus—take all my worldly goods and lop off my head if you must, but I’m following Him”. 

That’s not our context.

Our context is probably closer to that of John the Baptist in Matthew 3 when he called the Pharisees and Sadducees to “bear fruit in keeping with repentance”.  In contexts where false professions seem to be running rampant, or when it’s beneficial to profess Christ, it is necessary that we be very cautious about not giving someone false security. 

My solution

Be very faithful in preaching the gospel as Philip did to the Ethiopian.  Be certain that the people that say, “I want to be baptized” really know what that means.  Not only that they know baptism doesn’t save you but also that they understand Who does save you.  Make sure that they can articulate the gospel and that their life is showing a different trajectory as it concerns sin and the beauty of Christ. 

You don’t need to see a shiny and polished life to proceed with baptism.  What you do need to see is that the profession comes with a changed trajectory.  If you see evidence of that and they can decently articulate the gospel then I believe we ought to believe their profession and proceed with baptism.  Love calls us to “believe all things”.  We ought to lean towards believing a profession rather than dismissing it. 

Yet, we also must remember that even with the apostles unbelievers were baptized (see the case of Simon the Magician).  Keep the back door open.  The more faithful a church is in proclaiming the self-denying gospel and the more a church practices biblical church discipline the less that church will have to worry about false professions.  But they still happen.  And no amount of caution will prevent that. 

How a Subtle Dualism Robs the Church of Missionaries

D.A. Carson explains a dualistic view of suffering well when he says:

If evil and suffering take place, it is because someone or something else did it.  God not only did not do it, he could not stop it; for if he could have stopped it, and did not, then he is still party to it.

Most Christians would not outright deny God’s omnipotence and theologically resort to dualism.  Yet in the throes of suffering and evil many succumb to a subtle and comfortable dualism.  Every bad thing in your life and every ounce of suffering is attributed to Satan.  And if it’s his fault and his “plan” then the believer is not only correct in resisting but he is commanded to do so.

Therefore, suffering is never part of God’s will.  If given the choice between suffering and peace it becomes a no-brainer that God’s will is the path that is marked by peace and comfort.  Of course it is not quite that black and white.  For many at first we’ll say things like, “Satan’s trying to stop us from following the Lord’s will”, and so we’ll press on for awhile.  But when the suffering plods on and our hearts become ravaged by pain and we begin to give up hope, we begin to wonder if maybe all of this suffering is a sign that we ought to go a different direction.

Such a view will never stare the darkness of a lost world straight in the face and say, “I’ll go” even if the only means of taking the gospel to them is profound suffering.  This subtle dualism that seems to be pervasive here in America is robbing the Church of many missionaries.  May pastors prepare their people and new disciples to expect suffering.  Even to, at times, choose suffering for the cause of Christ.  And may we pastors also be people that will choose suffering instead of resorting to a comfortable dualism.

Here’s a powerful 10 minute message from John Piper:

When God Is Your Problem

Yesterday I preached on our need to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God instead of resorting to a comfortable dualism in the midst of profound brokenness.  If I had rap skills like the Ambassador or mad preaching skills like Pastor Eric Mason I would have done this:

That is rich.  Here are the full lyrics:

...A lot people blame a lot of things on Satan.
It's easy to deal with the reality of the fact that Satan is against you and all that stuff, and he's your problem. But there's a whole other category and issue to let sink into you, when it's not Satan who's your problem, but God who's your problem. Listen, if you're going to walk in the implications of the gospel then you're going to have to be married to the principle of brokenness.
Brokenness is the mark of a person that is qualified to be used by God. At the end of the day people that are actually being used by God in a crazy way- in an off the meter way, are people that have been cracked up, who have been lunged at by God, and God has done something to them. Broken can mean:
Shattered,
Crushed,
Maimed,
Devoid of arrogance,
Wounded,
Contrite,
Injured,
Smashed,
Grieved,
Anxious,
Distressed,
Crippled,
Wrecked,
Demolished,
Fractured,
Handicapped,
Disabled.
Brokenness, based on the scriptures: The spiritual state by which one is disarmed of one's self-dependence and pride, therefore leaving one disabled and in desperate need of help, thereby making one a viable conduit for the glory of Christ.

One Reason You Don’t Agree With Me

In reading a letter of John Newton I came across this gem:

…he could remove every prejudice, and give equal degrees of light to all his people, so that there should be no difference among them either about doctrine or discipline.  But were this the case, their uniformity would not afford them such opportunities of approving their obedience to him, and their love to each other, as they may draw from lesser differences.  But alas! remaining corruptions, and the subtlety of Satan, operate so strongly, that the sheep of Christ think they do Him service, by worrying and tearing one another. 

In other words, while we are still living on this side of a Redeemed Eden one of the reasons that the Lord continues to allow differences amongst us is to give us an opportunity for love and obedience to Him. 

Newton then gives a horribly wonderful example of our tearing at one another in the name of defending the cause of God.

Alas, when self fights in holy armour, and the cause of our own unsanctified passions is honoured with the specious name of the cause of God and truth, then religious zeal is seen in all the sense the original bears but the good sense, and breathes forth indignation, envy, and wrath.  Then Satan is transformed into an angel of light, and men suppose themselves to be men abounding in duty, in proportion as they depart from the spirit of love, which is the chief criterion and characteristic of the religion of Jesus.

And now the illustration:

I remember a passage somewhere in ancient history, of a battle fought in the night; both parties were resolute, many were the slain and wounded on both sides, both congratulated themselves on the mischief they had done to their opponents—at length the day broke, and turned their joy into sorrow.  They then found to their confusion that their animosity had been wholly owing to fighting in the dark before they had made proper inquiry, for though they had mistaken each other for enemies, they were friends and allies, engaged in the same cause, and had been weakening each other for the advantage of the common enemy.

May we not bruise one another and strike the heel of our common Master whilst thinking that we are in the business of crushing the head of the Serpent. 

The GCR. A Car Without Fuel?

The 2010 messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention voted on moving towards a Great Commission Resurgence.  I happily voted for the GCR because I am passionate about seeing the gospel spread to the nations.  (Although, I am certain that my passion should/could increase all the more). 

As excited as I am to see a Great Commission Resurgence I wonder if maybe we should call it something else—or perhaps change it’s emphasis.  Biblically, I see something else motivating Paul’s mission—and honestly something that undergirds Jesus’ Great Commission. 

I am beginning to study Romans (and am anxiously awaiting my first day of class with Dr. Schreiner to go through this letter).  Today, I began by studying the first 7 verses.  Notice verse 5:

[5] through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, (Romans 1:5 ESV)

Paul is saying that he has gracious received his apostleship (in other words his salvation and calling to ministry were by grace).  The purpose of this gift—or the purpose of Paul’s ministry—is to bring about the obedience of faith.  This is either saying the obedience that springs from faith or the obedience that is faith.  Either way, notice the purpose; “for the sake of his name among all the nations”.  What is the motivation for missions?  That Jesus may be praised. 

To this end Dr. Schreiner quotes John Stott:

“the highest of missionary motives is neither obedience to the Great Commission (important as that is), nor love for sinners who are alienated and perishing (strong as that incentive is, especially when we contemplate the wrath of God, verse 18), but rather zeal—burning and passionate zeal—for the glory of Jesus Christ.”

So perhaps what we need prior to a Great Commission Resurgence is a Great Commandment Resurgence.  If worship (passionate love for God) is the fuel of missions, a Great Commission Resurgence without a prior Great Commandment  Resurgence will be like a souped-up car that doesn’t have any fuel.  It looks nice, it has potential, and might win the acclaim of on-lookers but it won’t get you to the grocery store. 

As I look at many of the great missionaries of the past, and even those today (like David Platt) what inspires them is a deep love for Christ and an abiding belief that Jesus deserves the praise of the nations.  The missionary heart lives these sentiments of John Piper:

But worship is also the fuel of missions. Passion for God in worship precedes the offer of God in preaching. You can’t commend what you don’t cherish. Missionaries will never call out, “Let the nations be glad!” who cannot say from the heart, “I rejoice in the Lord...I will be glad and exult in thee, I will sing praise to thy name, O Most High” (Ps 104:34, 9:2). Missions begins and ends in worship. 

(Piper, Let the Nations be Glad)

So while we are encouraging our churches to be actively involved in mission we had better be equally intentional about providing them fuel. 

Review of God’s Glory in Salvation Through Judgment by James M. Hamilton Jr.

Perhaps the fastest growing discipline in Christian study is that of biblical theology.  There are numerous books, series, magazines, etc. that are rightly coming to understand the Bible as not just a book of facts but as a story.  This is a welcome movement.  But one thing that is often lacking in biblical theology is the belief that the Bible has a center, one single meta-narrative.  Jim Hamilton hopes to change that.  In this book Hamilton goes through every book of Scripture to prove his thesis:  The center of the Bible is that God is glorified in Salvation through judgment.

Essentially what Hamilton is expressing is that the glory of God is the center of the biblical narrative.  Of course that may be a tad broad so Hamilton narrows that to the glory of God is most clearly seen in his providing salvation through judgment.

I am actually shocked that this is “new” to the field of biblical theology.  Maybe Hamilton just did such a good job proving his case.  Perhaps the glory of God has just been assumed by many other authors on biblical theology and they have taken up other topics.  But Hamilton’s work will be prove to be foundational in this field.

It also will serve as a helpful biblical introduction.  I love that the reader is given a strategy for reading this book.  Hamilton is correct, many “long books sit unread in sad neglect”.  Therefore, he suggests that many should simply browse through the book, get a feel for the overall tenor of the book and then dip into sections as you work through sections of Scripture.  It is extremely wise of Hamilton to set up this massive book in such a way that it is more of a resource than anything else.

I followed his advice.  I got a feel of the book and read a good portion of it.  But I also have decided to use it as a resource.  (I hope in the future—in fact it will probably required—to read carefully from cover to cover).  I am preaching through the Gospel of Mark.  Reading through those section really did help me get a better grasp on the overall story that Mark is telling.  I also find in the Mark section (as well as all the others) helpful charts.

This book is an extremely helpful resource.  It will be one that I frequently consult as I preach through books of the Bible.  Every pastor and serious student of Scripture should buy this book.  Even if at the end of the day you disagree with Hamilton on something, this is an important enough work that you will need to interact with him to prove your own points.

As a book to sit down and read cover to cover I would rate it a 4 star.  But as a book that is used as a resource (and I believe it is) I would rate this as a 5 star book.  The only thing that would make this more helpful would be to tag the analytical outline with some page numbers.  This is a great book and worthy of your purchase.  You can actually buy it for only 7.99 in electronic format or buy the hardcover (which I would recommend) for under 30 bucks.  I was fortunate enough to receive a free copy of this book from Crossway in exchange for a review.

Rating 5 out of 5 stars

Also check out this video:

James Hamilton - God's Glory in Salvation Through Judgment from Crossway on Vimeo.

Review of The God Who is There by D.A. Carson

There is a simple rule that I live by and try to impart to others:  If a book has the name D.A. Carson on it you probably should own it.  Carson is an absolutely brilliant bible scholar, but he is also very humble and engaging.  There are very few books written by seminary professors and bible scholars that will include words like “chap” or include whole paragraphs on the theory of nudist colonies. 

One of his latest books, The God Who is There, reinforces my rule, it has the name D.A. Carson on it and it is brilliant.  You need to own this book.  It is fourteen chapters of engaging systematic theology that also serves as an apologetic for Christianity.  It is written for unbelievers, new believers, or believers that have never realized the “big picture” of Scripture. 

Carson starts in Genesis and ends through Revelation.  It is a tad weak on a few sections of Scripture (minor prophets) and could maybe tie together the story of the Bible a little better.  It is obviously fourteen talks that are related but sometimes the book feels like a fourteen part series and not as much a unified whole.  But, honestly, this book is not really written with me in mind. 

If you are like me this book will not have a ton of new information.  But it is still very needful.  There are illustrations that are wonderful and my understanding of many aspects of Scripture is deepened.  More than anything I learned how to engage these topics. 

One of the best ways to disciple someone is to spend time with them.  If you want a new believer to grow in a passion for evangelism and help direct him in how to share the faith one of the best things to do is take him with you as you share the gospel with unbelievers.  D.A. Carson teaches us how to present the Bible’s story in a humble, articulate, truthful, and engaging fashion.  So even if you already feel that you know the Bible story you still will benefit greatly from this book.  And there is always more to the Bible story that I had never considered, a faithful expositor like Carson is a wonderful guide through the biblical story. 

If you know an unbeliever (probably one with a little bit of an intellectual bent) I would encourage you to have them read this book.  Perhaps discuss it with them.  This would also be a good small group material for new believers to go through.  There are numerous ways that this book could be a resource for you.  If you don’t believe me check it out for yourself.  

Also it is worth mentioning that you can go here and check out the video to all 14 chapters.  It will be well worth your time and I would encourage you to buy the book as well.  It’s definitely worth the 12 bucks.  I was fortunate enough to receive this for free from Baker books in exchange for a review, it did not have to be positive but I freely give it a positive review!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Here is the video for the first chapter:

The God Who Is There - Part 1. The God Who Made Everything from The Gospel Coalition on Vimeo.

Gossip or Concern

When is it gossip and when is it legitimately sharing a concern?

Wayne Mack provides a helpful outline in his book, Your Family, God's Way, that I will tweak into question form:

1. Have biblical attempts been made; but failed to resolve the difficulties?
2. Is your motivation for sharing a sincere desire to get help?
3. Are you sharing with those that actually can (and will) furnish godly counseling and solutions?
4. Will the information be helpful to others in a preventative, protective, or restorative way?

The Empty Famish of Letting Go

I was going through some of my books the other day and came across a book that pretty heavily influenced me when I was first a believer: Brother Lawrence's Practice in the Presence of God. I thought I'd give it a quick look.

It's interesting to see some of the things I underlined 8-10 years ago. It's also interesting to see how much my theology has changed since then. When I first read this book I ate it up. Now I think I vomit it out. Okay, maybe that was a little strong. You'll have to forgive me. Reading back over this helped me to see where some of my serious frustrations and doubts came from early on in my Christian walk.

What Brother Lawrence means by “practicing God’s presence” is to be in a state of constant conversation and communion with the eternal God.  Which I’d never say is a bad thing.  It’s all of the muck around it that caused me problems.  Take this quote for example:

“I still believe that all spiritual life consists of practicing God’s presence and that anyone who practices it correctly will soon attain spiritual fulfillment.  To accomplish this, it is necessary for the heart to be emptied of everything that would offend God.  He wants to possess our hearts completely.  Before any work can be done in our souls, God must be totally in control.

Where Spiritual Fulfillment is Found

Do you see any “red-flags”? 

First, notice where “spiritual fulfillment” is found.  It’s not in the finished work of Christ.  Spiritual fulfillment, if I read him correctly, is something that is to be attained.  This type of theology breeds a discontentment that always seeks for a “deeper level” and a “deeper experience and fulfillment”.

The New Testament picture is that our fulfillment has been purchased.  We already have it.  The Christian life is about living in what is already purchased.  There is an earth-shattering yet subtle difference between battling to enjoy all that Christ already purchased and battling to attain an opportunity that Christ made possible. 

The Means of Attaining

Second, notice the means for attaining this spiritual fulfillment.  “The heart needs to be emptied of everything that offends God.”  If he is speaking to an unbeliever then I could more quickly embrace this, but he is not.  For Brother Lawrence if we want to see God working in our lives and experience His presence, then God must be totally in control. 

That sounds so good doesn’t it?  It sounds even like something Jesus would say:  “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”  Let God have everything, totally surrender, and then you will see God move in your life. 

Here’s the problem, though, unless God IS working you will not totally surrender--you will not give God everything.  Such a thing is not a precursor to God moving…it IS God moving! 

The Soul-Crushing Effects

Perhaps you could say that I simply misread and misapplied this “Christian classic”.  That could be.  But this book—along with many other similar books—was a negative shaping influence on me. 

For the first couple of years of my Christian walk I was always striving to reach that next level.  I lived frustrated and never able to be satisfied in Jesus.  It practically ran me crazy.  I wanted to be “sold-out” “on fire” all of those other things.  I also wanted other people to be those things.  But I never could attain it.  I never could get myself to “totally surrender”.  The only thing I surrendered was any hope that I’d ever be able to “experience God” how I wanted to.

Then the gospel happened.  Psalm 103 rocked my world.  My eyes opened up and I saw that Christ already had purchased everything.  Of course my battle was still intense.  Now I have to fight to take hold of what Christ has already done.  But, as I think David Platt has said, I fight from victory and not for it.  Huge difference. 

If you’ve been famished by this “let go and let God” stuff, I encourage you to feast on the gospel.

------

If this topic peaks your interest a really neat resource that I hope to purchase soon is this book by Andy Naselli.  Or you can check out some of his online resources here.