Two Links
November 30, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Lar,
The first is to an article by Al Mohler that I also linked to at Erin and I’s Sinners Raising Saints blog. It’s a good read for every parent.
The second is to a ‘ministry’ called Modern Parables. If you get a few moments to view the one available on line, I trust you will agree that it’s a really cool ministry. I think their resources could be very helpful in various contexts that they mention on the site.
Thankful for good resources,
Joe
Another Quote
November 29, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Lar,
Here’s another one from Creation Regained.
“What distinguishes a reformational worldview is its understanding of the radical and universal import of both sin and redemption. There is something totalitarian about the claims of both Satan and Christ; nothing in all of creation is neutral in the sense that it is untouched by the dispute between these two great adversaries.
The biblical accounts of sin and redemption are similar on another point. In both cases, although the whole creation is involved, it is still humanity that plays the pivotal role. Just as the fall of man (Adam) was the ruin of the whole earthly realm, so the atoning death of a man (Jesus Christ, the second Adam) is the salvation of the whole world. Likewise, just as the first Adam’s fall was aided and abetted by the subsequent disobedience of humankind, so the salvation of the whole world is manifested and promoted by the subsequent obedience of a new humankind. The Adamic human race perverts the cosmos; the Christian human race renews it.
The obvious implication is that the new humanity (God’s people) is called to promote renewal in every department of creation. If Christ is the reconciler of all things, and if we have been entrusted with ‘the ministry of reconciliation’ on his behalf (2 Cor. 5:18), then we have a redemptive task wherever our vocation places us in his world. No invisible dividing line within creation limits the applicability of such basic biblical concepts as reconciliation, redemption, salvation, sanctification, renewal, the kingdom of God, and so on. In the name of Christ, distortion must be opposed everywhere–in the kitchen and the bedroom, in city councils and corporate boardrooms, on the stage and on the air, in the classroom and in the workshop. Everywhere creation calls for the honoring of God’s standards. Everywhere humanity’s sinfulness disrupts and deforms. Everywhere Christ’s victory is pregnant with he defeat of sin and the recovery of creation.”
Now that is great stuff! I’m not sure if I am supposed to quote so much, but it is just too sweet not to share! What a joy and challenge it is to know that God is jealous to be honored in every single aspect of life. He is jealous to make His creation all that He intended it to be and better (b/c of His work of redemption in Christ). O may His kingdom come and His will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. May this be the true cry of every Christian heart.
Seeking first the kingdom with you,
Joe
A Few Select Quotes
November 28, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Hey Lar,
Way to keep things going brother. You are back to your old, blogging self again! I am thankful. For you have posted some very good stuff the past few days. I particularly enjoyed Abraham Piper’s words and do need to listen to that message by Keller. He is great to learn from.
That being said, I wanted to give you a few quotes from a book he recommended, the book I mentioned to you via email, namely, Creation Regained, by Albert Wolters. I am benefiting greatly from it to say the least. It is not an easy read, but as we have heard Piper say (and are fond of repeating), “Raking is easy, but all you get is leaves. Digging is hard, but you might find diamonds.” Here are a few select quotes from my reading thus far.
“It is probably safe to say that our view of the extent of the kingdom constitutes as telling an index of our worldview as does our conception of ‘the world.’ An almost ineradicable tendency exists among Christians to restrict the scope of the kingdom –a tendency that parallels the persistent inclination to divide the world into sacred and profane realms.”
“It is all of creation that is included in the scope of Christ’s redemption: that scope is truly cosmic. Through Christ, God determined ‘to reconcile to himself all things,” writes Paul (Col. 1:20), and the words he uses (ta panta) preclude any narrow or personalistic understanding of the reconciliation he has in mind. It may seem strange to us that the apostle uses the word reconcile in this connection, when he has more than human beings in mind, but this usage simply confirms what we have learned about the scope of the fall: ‘all things’ are drawn into the mutiny of the human race and its enmity toward God, and their strained relations with the Creator must be ‘patched up,’ brought once more into harmony with him. The scope of redemption is as great as that of the fall; it embraces creation as a whole. The root cause of all evil on earth –namely, the sin of the human race–is atoned for and overcome in Christ’s death and resurrection, and therefore in principle his redemption also removes all of sin’s effects. Wherever there is disruption of the good creation–and that disruption, as we saw, is unrestricted in its scope–there Christ provides the possibility of restoration. If the whole creation is affected by the fall, then the whole creation is also reclaimed in Christ.”
I am just getting started with the quotes. I will try to post some more tomorrow as well. Again, I am really enjoying the book.
Thankful for sound theology,
Joe
A Great Evangelistic Tool
November 27, 2007 | Leave a Comment
As I wrote earlier of how out of step the words of Jesus are with the spirit of our age, I was reminded of a great message I listened to recently by Tim Keller. His message titled, Who is this Jesus? is one of the best apologetic messages I have ever listened to.
If there are skeptics in your life, this could be a valuable resource for you. Not merely to give to another person to listen to, but to listen to it so many times yourself that it’s thoughts become your thoughts, so that you can articulate these realities to those whom God has placed in your path.
Confronting Cold-Hearted Calvinists
November 27, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Odds are that if you’re reading this blog, you are a Calvinist (If you’re not, don’t write us off too soon!). I am not fond of that title, but I use it and accept it for myself because it makes a helpful distinction for those who know what these terms mean.
Anyway, since you, reader, are most likely a Calvinist, you ought to take a few minutes and read this helpful and challenging word from Abraham Piper. And be sure to read the letter to Scot McKnight that he refers to.
Striving for orthodoxy and humility,
Larry
The Radical Words of Jesus
November 27, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Joe,
It’s often spoken as a complement to another person that, ‘You can’t find anyone to say a bad thing about (insert name here). The assumption seems to be that if no one can think of a negative thing to say about you, then you must be a good person.
But this cultural assumption is out of step with Jesus. We complement a person by saying no one can find a bad thing to say about them. But Jesus says,
“Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.” (Luke 6:26)
We should not presume that we are doing well in representing Jesus when no one can say a negative thing about us. Faithfully displaying Christ will mean that some people love us, while other people hate us. This is how it was for Jesus, and a servant cannot be greater than his Master.
Seeking to be more like my Master,
Larry
Piper on Gratitude
November 23, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Lar,
You probably already saw this article, but if not, it is a good read. I would encourage everyone to read it and then respond with thanksgiving for all that God has done for us in Jesus. As for Witherington, I am thinking Piper will have some sort of response to him. I hope so. For Witherington’s sake and for the sake of everyone else. It is a shame to think that a scholar of Witherinton’s stature 1) cannot see how central God’s glory is to God and 2) does not know the joy and comfort that comes from contemplating and adoring such a God.
I praise this great God-centered God for showing me such truth! O what mercy indeed!
Thankful that God’s love for God is the foundation for His love for me,
Joe
Witherington on God’s Passion for God
November 23, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Joe,
It is good to read critiques of the things we hold dearly, so that our thoughts are challenged and refined, and we are pressed to really consider why it is that we believe what we believe.
I surely don’t need to tell you that one of the foundational realities that lies beneath much of our ministry efforts it that God’s supreme passion is the display of His own glory, and the foundation of every loving act that He performs toward man is the exaltation of His name and renown.
In this post, Ben Witherington expresses his distaste for such a view of God. He is a professor at Asbury Seminary in Kentucky. I found his post unsettling for a few reasons, some of which I may expound on in a future post. But for now, I would suggest that all who esteem the vision that God preeminently loves Himself give this a read and wrestle with the concerns that Witherington expresses. Then ask yourself, ‘How would I respond to Witherington if I had the opportunity?’
Larry
Yet More Thoughts on Modesty
November 20, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Joe,
Two comments in response to your last post:
1. I once heard John MacArthur say, ‘I could go on,’ and then go on to say, ‘Which means that I can’t think of anything more to say!’ I think half of your posts conclude with, ‘I could say more about this,’ which, if MacArthur is right, means you don’t have anything more to say!
2. I think you are a bit hasty in saying that guys don’t need to worry about this whole matter of dress too much. Yes, it is more of an issue for women protecting men. But it is just plain wrong for men to think that the way they conduct themselves does not have an effect on women. One time a young woman asked me, ‘Why is it ok for a guy to take off the top layer of his shirt and expose his stomach, but if a girl does it it’s immodest?’ For this young woman it was a temptation, one that men are ignorant of just as many Christian women are ignorant of how their clothing affects men. Along these lines, why can a man walk around the beach without his shirt on? If the answer is, ‘Because that’s what all the guys do, it’s no big deal,’ then we are being just as naive as the girls who Piper is primarily addressing in his audio clip.
All that to say that we as men should not be too quick to assume that little things that we take for granted have no effect on the women around us.
Larry
More Thoughts on Modesty
November 20, 2007 | 2 Comments
Lar,
I appreciated your thoughts on Piper’s words. I also listened to him and was a bit taken back by his forthrightness, but as you might expect, I liked it. Not as an end in and of itself, mind you, but because in my estimation, a certain degree of plain speech is needed on such a topic. As I believed he alluded to, I don’t think most women really understand their responsibility to take careful thought on this matter. And, as is the case with all of us, this is probably something that many women just don’t want to face. After all, it is quite a hassle.
Erin and I often talk about this topic and virtually every time we do, I tell her that I feel for her. I mean, in the end, I don’t have to give too much thought to what I wear. Unless I want to start dressing like a European runway model (a male one of course), I don’t think my jeans or shirts will be too tight. Of course, sometimes the mandatory team dress over there is a little too tight for my liking, but that is another matter. For women though, the fashions of the day get tighter and tighter, riskier and riskier. I mean think about it, the way most high school girls dress today (or middle school ones for that matter) would barely have been acceptable for a prostitute however many years back. I suppose you cannot be any more forthright than that, but I don’t say it to condemn, but instead, to inform. For it is informing. And the sad thing is that Christian women are in the mix. They aren’t even thinking about the matter, oftentimes b/c they are simply comparing themselves to others rather than thinking through it from a God-centered perspective.
So for women, this will take mental effort and adjustment. And a few more dollars might have to be spent in some cases (particularly when certain items of clothing just have to be thrown out…not fun I realize). But in the end, all this is a small price to pay for a modesty that honors the Lord. And in the end, no one needs to be dressing like their great-grandmother (at least in my opinion). The adjustments don’t have to be too radical. But a few inches here and there would certainly help. And of course, let it be stated that all of this is said not to draw up some Pharisaical standard, but to serve the good of everyone…men and women alike. For the desire is for women to dress in a way that brings attention to their outer beauty in a way that is faithful to God’s emphasis on inner beauty. And that is certainly a good thing for them. For in this day and age, it is sad to see them treated as physical objects of beauty only. Freedom, this certainly is not.
And for the dudes, the desire is to help them focus on that which is truly important without neglecting the reality of outer beauty. Tough balance for sure. I mean, women should care about their outward appearance (as well as men…), but they should dress so as to help their brothers in Christ focus on God’s priorities, on that which makes them truly beautiful. And they should realize that they want to do all they can to make sure that they are not stumbling blocks for their brothers in Christ. For Jesus’ words on being a stumbling block were by no means complementary (Luke 17:1-2).
I admit that this issue seems small. So why do I want to put so much time and energy into it? Well, it might seem small, but in God’s eyes, nothing is so small that it is not deserving of thought and energy. No stone should be left unturned. Particularly when it comes to being beautiful in a way that honors the Lord (and to a certain degree of course, yourself), and honors your brothers in Christ….it just can’t not be important. I could go on and maybe I will some other time, but that is enough for now. Also worth checking out Lar are these two links.
The first is a short email from Wayne Grudem to John Piper on the topic of language. The second is a link to a message by C.J. Mahaney called The Soul of Modesty.
Striving to honor the Lord in all things,
Joe
Thoughts on the Modesty Link
November 20, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Joe,
Two random thoughts on the link you posted yesterday from Piper on the subject of modesty.
1. I was surprised by the level of frankness that Piper spoke about this subject. What I mean is he used some language and images that I would not have expected him to use. I am not saying I think he went too far, but it just surprised me. I’m not sure if you read the article or actually listened to him talk, but in the audio he was a little more blunt about some things than in the typed article.
I remember listening to an outstanding message on the subject of modesty by CJ Mahaney, and he was careful to say that he was not going to go into specifics about things because he felt that it was inappropriate for him as a man speaking to an audience of men and women. Piper did go into some specifics, which I found interesting.
2. Piper’s willingness to say challenging things about a ’sensitive’ subject was an encouragement to me. Piper has a large audience, and I imagine his open and honest challenge to women in this audio clip will not be received well by many people. I have said some of these same things to others, and my words have not been received well. I can imagine there is a tendency toward comfort that makes posting such a challenging and potentially-divisive audio clip a hard decision of obedience.
Piper’s willingness to subject himself to criticism is refreshing. Far too many pastors are afraid to say anything potentially divisive, for fear that people might be driven away from the church. Piper has no such fear, and for that I am grateful. And I trust that his motive in speaking hard words is to serve men and women in love for the glory of Christ, not simply to promote a legalistic standard of right dress.
Longing to be one who speaks truth in love,
Larry
Piper on Modesty
November 19, 2007 | 1 Comment
Lar,
Lord willing, I will write a bit more on 1 Corinthians 8 sometime either today or tomorrow, but for now, check out Piper on modesty. It’s good and necessary straight-talk on an issue that everyone needs to face…particularly Christians.
Later,
Joe
More Musing on Matters of Conscience
November 16, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Joe,
Here are some thoughts on the points you raised the other day from 1 Corinthians 8. I’ll just go point by point in response to the five points that you made:
1. Yes, it is a tough one! And as you said, an important one to talk about. Matters like home-schooling vs. public schooling, birth control, and such things (does yard work fit in here? Or the value of movies?) can cause serious problems when one camp thinks they have the exclusive hold onto the truth, and take an attitude toward the other camp that ‘they are wrong and need to become more like me.’
2. I’m not so sure I agree with you about this point. I’m not saying I disagree, but I’m just not sure. You mention that though Paul is speaking particularly to the strong, knowledgeable ones in this passage, that he is also implicitly speaking to the weak ones and helping them see their weakness. While it does seem plausible, I still see Paul addressing the strong with second person pronouns (you, your), and referring to the weak as they or them, meaning he’s not addressing them directly at this point.
Last night Erin gave an example of how Paul could be speaking about the weak in third person, but still to them. She said that if she were talking to Carol and saying, ‘Oh, it’s great how your husband buys you so many gifts,’ that even though she is not addressing you directly, implicitly she is giving you a nudge telling you to buy her some more gifts. Perhaps Paul is doing a similar thing here with the weak, not addressing them directly but hoping that they get the message underneath the message.
But I would suggest that in Erin’s hypothetical scenario, she is probably sinning by not just speaking to you directly if she has a concern about your lack of gifts. In a healthy relationship, concerns are brought to the person rather than being communicated in a manner like the analogy above. So I’m not so sure that one of Paul’s motives here is to help the weak see their weakness. I think if he had wanted to say something to the weak, he would have come right out and said it. You know Paul wasn’t hesitant to confront something when it needed to be confronted. But maybe I’m wrong about this.
3. I think that knowing our audience is an important element in discerning through these matters. To use the example of alcohol that you mentioned, I don’t think it’s necessary to abstain totally, like in the privacy of your home, because there is no audience that may be caused to stumble in the privacy of your home. If you’re inclined to have a beer at home with dinner, I say go for it. But I think it would be potentially harmful to by a beer at a ball game or something, because perhaps someone I know from the church would see me and they may be caused to stumble. I would say also that being a leader in the Church puts a greater responsibility to exercise caution in these types of matters. Those who serve publicly in ministry are more visible, and therefore are watched much more closely by the flock than the typical sheep is.
This brings up a point that I’d like to return to in a future post, the fact that there is a sense in which we ought to be concerned with how others will react to a particular choice we make. But for now I’ll just touch on the last point.
4. There is a very fine line between ‘encouraging’ someone to get more informed and encouraging someone to violate their conscience. Given what Paul says in this chapter and in other places, it seems to me that we ought to be very careful when informing others. I agree that it can be healthy and appropriate. As I said in my initial post, I have been helped by some of our conversations about these things. But I think that the reality which Paul speaks of here regarding not causing others to stumble is one that we have not given adequate attention to. There is a real fine line between ‘encouraging’ someone to plant some shrubs in their yard (to use a totally random example!), and pushing someone in a way that might violate their conscience in an area of Christian liberty. Our ‘informing’ often turns into ‘persuading’, and I think that can be very harmful.
Well, I’ve probably rambled on long enough. I do hope to make at least one more post on this topic, and I’m sure you’ll give me some more to think about!
Seeking Him with you,
Larry
Polemic Theology
November 15, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Joe,
Glad you appreciated my musings on 1 Corinthians 8. I hope to respond to the points/questions you raised in a post later today or tomorrow.
But for now, here is an article I am trying to make my way through, written by Roger Nicole. It’s called, Polemic Theology: How to Deal with those who Differ from Us. It actually applies quite well to our current discussion on conscience. It is a bit lengthy, but I think it is profitable.
Enjoy,
Larry
UPDATE: When reading this article, it is essential to apply it to yourself, not to the person who you differ from. In other words, as you read a good point about really understanding what your ‘opponent’ means, you should not be thinking about how your opponent needs to better understand you. Rather, you should be asking yourself whether you have really sought to understand the one who differs from you.
Adultolescents
November 15, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Lar,
That is apparently a work, and maybe a new word at that. But it is an apt description of the postponent of adulthood into one’s thirties. Piper’s latest “Taste and See” article takes a closer look at it and gives suggestions for what the church can do to help people grow up. Check it out if you have not already.
Peace,
Joe
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