Advent Shows Us How to Wait with Expectancy

Sunday, December 3rd, marks week one of Advent, which is all about hope. Hope often looks like expectation, anticipation—while waiting. Waiting is central to hope. It’s easy to see this theme around Christmas time. Children everywhere wait with expectant anticipation for December 25th, for Santa, for presents. Every year, I recall a fond memory of my four-year-old daughter Scout yelling, “Christmas is my favorite Halloween!” Kids love (and hate) waiting, but they do so because they have hope.

Advent’s hope is woven throughout our Christmas hymns. In “O Come O Come Emmanuel,” we sing from the perspective of the Old Covenant Israelites, impersonating their hope for the long-expected king who the prophets said would come—soon. This theme is in the Scriptures’ telling of Jesus’ coming. When the Messiah finally came, Philip went to Nathanael and exclaimed, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote!” (John 1:45).

Perhaps the best example is Symeon, who lived his entire life with the hope that he would see the Messiah. We’re told that he was “waiting for the consolation of Israel,” having been told by the Holy Spirit that he wouldn’t die until the Messiah came. Holding the infant Jesus in his arms, Symeon declared his willingness to die, for finally, “my eyes have seen your salvation” (Luke 2:25-32). Symeon had waited for this moment his entire life, able to endure the “in-between” because he had hope.

Advent is a season where we learn to wait. Perhaps you’re waiting for something today. You’re between jobs, between decisions, between seasons of growth, between relationships—waiting for joy, waiting for success, waiting for salvation. How can we hold on to hope in the in-between?

A Little While

Jesus’ language for that in-between is the phrase “a little while.” In John 16, he tells his disciples that for “a little while, you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me” (John 16:16). He’s perhaps referring to the few days when he goes to the cross, dies, and is buried (scholars disagree on what “little while” Jesus is talking about). In any case, it’ll be a time of grief, sorrow, and painful waiting. That’s the in-between: the difficult, perilous, frustrating seasons of waiting. But afterward, they will see him again. The dead will rise. Hope will be fulfilled as “your sorrow will turn into joy” (v20). Here, Jesus offers hope to his disciples at their darkest hour. How will they get through the trauma of the next few days? Only by holding on to hope.

Fleming Rutledge explains that this pattern of hope in the in-between is what Advent is all about:

“Advent contains within itself the crucial balance of the now and the not-yet that our faith requires… [Between] the yearly frenzy of “holiday” time in which the commercial Christmas music insists that “it’s the most wonderful time of the year” and Starbucks invites everyone to “feel the merry.” The disappointment, brokenness, suffering, and pain that characterize life in this present world is held in dynamic tension with the promise of future glory that is yet to come. In that Advent tension, the church lives its life.“ (Fleming Rutledge, Advent: The Once and Future Coming of Jesus Christ).

The “Advent tension” that Rutledge mentions is what so many of us experience on a daily basis. It’s what our songs are about and the air Israel breathed for centuries. Waiting is an everyday reality on this side of resurrection. In order to hold on to hope, we must remember three things.

The In-Between is Necessary

The “little while” was necessary if Jesus was going to make a way to God. “Until now you have asked nothing in my name,” he explains. “Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (v. 24). Before the cross, “until now,” our relationship with God was based on nothing but promises and hope. By going to the cross, Jesus changed the relationship. Now, we approach God “in his name.” Jesus is helping his disciples understand that he had to leave them for a little while because by doing so, he secured our relationship with God.

Sometimes we don’t understand why God tarries or why promises take a long time to fulfill. We ask, “Why?” and wonder if we’re not wasting our time. But we can hold on to hope if we remember that these seasons of waiting are necessary. God is using them for our good. Peter relayed this lesson later in his letter:

“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6-7).

Frodo Baggins didn’t understand why he was tasked with the season of life he found himself in. “I wish it need not have happened in my time,” he tells Gandalf. Gandalf explains to Frodo that none of us understands the times we’ve been given, nor can we control the seasons we’re in. But, knowing these seasons are necessary, one thing we can do: “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” The in-between seasons of life are something God is using. But what is he using it for?

The In-Between is Formative

God uses the in-between seasons to form something beautiful in us. Notice the verb in Jesus’ promise: “You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy” (John 16:20). That turning is the process of spiritual formation. It’s the process of becoming like Christ as we learn to trust in him, believe his promises, and hold on to hope.

Admittedly, this process is a difficult one. Pain seems bad. We might try to ease the pain of migraine with Ibuprofen or endure the heartache of a breakup with a tub of ice cream and a night of Netflix. But have you noticed that not all pain is bad? The pain of grad school—that’s a good kind of pain, the kind that promises a career at the end of it. There’s the pain of practice that promises proficiency. The pain of physical labor brings with it the promise of a remodeled bathroom. Growing pains bring growth. Exercise brings health. Labor brings a child. As we sometimes say, “No pain, no gain.” The Gospel of Jesus extends that promise to the pain of suffering:

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4).

God uses painful trials, James says, to form something in us. This answers the common question, “What purpose could ever come from my sorrow? What blessing could ever come from my pain?” The answer is that God is forming you into someone who is patient, joyful, and full of hope. To be sure, this is a difficult process, one filled with mystery and unanswered questions. But equally sure is this: one day, “your sorrow will turn into joy.”

The In-Between is Worth It

The beautiful promise of the Gospel is that, soon and very soon, he will bring the in-between time to a swift end. We won’t even remember the pain. We will only see what God has done and rejoice. As Jesus explains, “So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you” (John 16:22). One day, the sorrow of the in-between will give way to the permanent joy of eternal life in the kingdom of God.

I remember going on vacation with our family to my father-in-law’s timeshare in Mexico. The kids were so excited. “We’re going to Mexico!” they screamed as we piled in the car, drove down I-5, and eventually arrived … at the airport. My kids were incensed. “Dad this is the airport, not Mexico! You lied to us!” I tried to explain that sometimes, getting to your destination includes a bunch of stops along the way. In order to get to Mexico, we had first to board a plane at the airport. Getting to where you’re going involves some amount of waiting in the in-between.

It’s those little stops, fits, and starts that make a trip feel like it’s taking forever. That’s the “in-between.” God promises to deliver on his promises to us, but sometimes, we have to stop at the airport first. In those times, we’re tempted to say, “God, you lied to us! This is the airport; I want to go to Mexico!” Instead, we need to remember that it’s just a little while.

Sit tight. Hold on.

Listen to God’s voice. Trust him.

We’ll be there soon.

“What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.” (Acts 17:23)

So begins Paul’s address to the educated crowd at the Areopagus in Athens. He had discovered an altar established for an unknown God within the city, and he used that as an opening to share the good news about Jesus. This Thursday, as we gather with our families to celebrate Thanksgiving, we have a similar opening. For many of our family members, Thanksgiving is a holiday to an unknown god.

Thankful to Whom?

Regardless of religious background, many of us will take turns around the table and sharing what we are grateful for without considering who we are grateful to. The act of giving thanks is a relational gesture, and it implies a giver. Thanksgiving (Gk. eucharistia) is a response to giving (Gk. charis). To say thanks is to say thank you. Paul would recognize this as an open door. An opportunity to ask, could I tell you about the one you thank?

We can tell them about “the God who made the world and everything in it” who “gives to all mankind, life and breath and everything (vs. 24-25). To another crowd, Paul proclaims him as the one “who did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness” (Acts 14:17) and how he has done all of this so that all people, “should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him.” (Acts 17:27)

We can tell them about how humanity collectively, although deep down they know these things, has failed to honor God, or give him thanks and how rejecting such truths has made us vulnerable to lies and idolatry. (Rom. 1:21-22) For if we do not worship the Creator, worshiping created things is all that is left.

Black Friday

This ungratefulness and idolatry are not hard to illustrate. It can be easily seen in what follows our Thanksgiving celebration: Black Friday. What could make our gratitude more questionable than our actions the next day (and increasingly, Black Friday is encroaching on Thanksgiving Thursday)? Because we can’t be satisfied with the giver and content in his gifts, we fight tooth and nail for the latest and greatest, trying to fill the void. Without true Thanksgiving, the feasting isn’t enough to satisfy … barely enough for a single day.

Of course, we haven’t even gotten to the good news yet: that the God we are introducing is gracious even to the ungrateful (Luke 6:35) and that his greatest gift is the Son he sent to save our selfish world. God’s response to our making gods in our image was, as God, to come in the image of man. His life, death, burial, and resurrection bring freedom where there is slavery and life where there is death. This greatest gift produces the greatest gratitude. That is why when Christians remember what Jesus did for us, we call it the Eucharist (Thanksgiving).

A Life Defined by Thanksgiving

The Christian life, the response to God’s great gift, is defined by thanksgiving. It is the earmark of Christian speech (Eph. 5:4). For we give thanks always and for everything (Eph. 5:20) and in every circumstance (1 Thess. 5:18). Whatever we do, in word or deed, we do in the name of Jesus and with thanksgiving (Col. 3:17). Our very lives are lived as a sacrifice of thanksgiving, responding to God’s great mercy (Rom. 12:1). Even our desire to share with our family about this unknown God flows from a place of thanksgiving. We invite them to turn their “thanks” into “thank you” and join with all who say:

“I will give thanks to you, O LORD,
for though you were angry with me,
your anger turned away,
that you might comfort me.

“Behold, God is my salvation;
I will trust, and will not be afraid;
for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation.

“Give thanks to the LORD,
call upon his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples,
proclaim that his name is exalted.

“Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously;
let this be made known in all the earth.“ (Isaiah 12)

It was 1924 when the Summer Olympic Games were last held in Paris. The world had yet to feel the weight of the Great Depression or the specter of Nazism. These were also the first Olympic Games to be commented on via radio. Yet, more known in some Christian circles, they were ones that provide the setting for the movie Chariots of Fire to tell the story of Eric Liddell and his gold medal run.

In the movie, Eric famously said that he felt the favor of God when he ran. The scene opens in joy as he announces his acceptance as a missionary to China. He tells his sister, Jenny, then explains that he will defer his call to China until he finishes the Summer Olympics. Jenny doesn’t understand; he has to talk her into it. From a pastoral point of view, I wonder if my reaction wouldn’t have been like hers. It’s rather presumptuous of Liddell to say. There’s no Bible verse to back him up on this, just a feeling he has. How many of us would have counseled him to come back down and serve the Lord with the incredible gift he’d been given: an honored chance to serve the Lord in foreign missions?

But we know Eric was right. If you look closely at the actual pictures of his face as he was crossing the finish line, we can make out the face of someone in the ecstasy of total praise. It reminds me of the blessing taken from Numbers 6:24-26 that many pronounce on Sunday at the end of the service. A blessing was given to Aaron and his sons through which they were to bless Israel in the wilderness and throughout their history so Israel would bear God’s name to all the world. I want to look at this blessing in three parts, knowing that God’s face radiates love when He sees us in Christ.

May the LORD bless you and keep you.

To be blessed by the Lord is a happy state that envelops every part of our lives. Like Israel in the wilderness, one of the great reasons for this is because God is there. When Aaron blessed Israel, the Presence was visible: He gave manna, a physical blessing, to eat; water from a rock; and even quails when they complained …

Aaron would speak the blessing, but God was there and acting through the experience. As the Theological Lexicon of the Old Testament explains: “God’s activity can be actualized through human speech; it can be ignited by it.” It’s visible and palpable yet invisible and spiritual.

Another example comes from Deuteronomy, where Moses recounts: “ So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD. Your garments did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years” (Dt 8.3-4). This was His provision and instruction, the Lord’s blessing and name upon His people.

His blessing is to know his protection. If God keeps us, it’s having Him as a Shepherd who protects and directs. This reminds me of that scene where Balaam tried to curse Israel, but wound up blessing them every time he opened his mouth (Nu. 22-24). The Lord’s protection was upon them. The prophet was powerless. It also reminds me Jesus taught us to pray that God would not allow us to enter into temptation but to deliver us from evil. In this way, He keeps us. His protection is here with us as He is here, present, and watching over us.

May the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you.

This part of the blessing brings us close to what Eric Liddell expressed. He felt the Lord’s favor, His face like a benevolent light. This is interesting because John writes that God is light without shadow (1 Jn 1.5). He is, therefore, pure and life-giving. When God turns “His face,” His regard toward us “radiates.” What’s communicated responds to the fundamental need of humanity that begins at an early age. It’s the need to know we are seen. It’s the need for acceptance and love.

Babies manifest this need from the beginning. They seek the loving gaze of their parents. They need their full attention, more than mere eye contact. As they grow, children go on showing this through what they do. On the playing field, they watch the stands to see who’s watching. They run in the door from school with a picture in hand, their creation. They want one thing: to be seen.

This blessing responds to this need, like in the case of Eric Liddell, who knew God called him but felt God’s favor as he ran. The Lord’s face turns toward us, shining with His favor, His grace.

It’s often said that grace is the undeserved favor of God, and it’s even more! His grace is love that’s infused into the dynamics of everyday life. More than saving grace, it’s holistic, physical, and, why not, emotional. He wants to do good to us. Then, this grace is like the rays that emanate from His gaze. Why? Because He has adopted us, we are His children.

May the LORD turn His face to you and give you peace.

His gaze is favorable toward us. It’s important to let that sink in. The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament puts it this way: “to raise the face, turn towards, lift the countenance, to encourage, take sides, show partiality toward the one He blesses.” This is how He sees us in Jesus. God sees us and smiles with affection. We do the same when looking at someone we love. His face radiates love. Knowing that God loves us this much strengthens us when times are difficult.

If that weren’t enough, He gives us His peace. It is one of the most precious aspects of this blessing: peace with God. Jesus became our peace because we were enemies with God. Let’s allow Scripture speak: Colossians 1:21-22 “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight.” Jesus became our peace, between us and the Father.

Yet His peace goes beyond judicial righteousness. Jesus spoke of the peace He gives through the Holy Spirit. John 14.27: “Peace I leave with you, The peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

Then, we can even go further. His peace translates into a state that covers everything, just like it says in Isaiah 26.3-4: Y“ou will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You Because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, For in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength.” Because He is there, we know that all will be well, and the storms that swarm around us will calm down with the power of His loving gaze into our lives.

In the end, Aaron would pronounce this blessing on Israel so that God’s name would be upon them. Knowing that we bear the name of Christ, His name is upon us, too. That is why we end our worship services with this blessing and can go into the world knowing of His favorable gaze towards us. He loves us. Maybe you are like Eric Liddell. You know God has something for you, but you are on another project today. I hope this article encourages you. What God has given you today, do it with all your heart and enjoy His favor. It’s He who takes care of His plans. It’s enough today for us to trust Him, receive His blessing, and live in His favor.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on October 31, 2017 and is part five of a five-part series. 2023 marks the 506th anniversary.

2017 is a special year, marking the 500 year anniversary of a world-changing event: the start of the Protestant Reformation. It’s really not fair to mark one point alone for this revolution of faith and practice in Europe and the world because it was the product of forces that developed over many decades.

But Martin Luther’s October 31, 1517, declaration of 95 complaints against the practice of selling reductions to the penalty of sin is a pretty good place to say, “Here it started.”

The great men of the Reformation—Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli, John Calvin and those associated with them—declared their beliefs in a series of solas (in Latin, one would say the plural as solae). Sola means “alone” or “single.” We get our words “solo” and “solitary” from this Latin root. The classic sola statements of the Reformation were and are:

Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone)
Sola Fide (Faith Alone)
Sola Gratia (Grace Alone)
Solus Christus (Christ Alone)
Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)

In this article we want to consider the final aspect: Glory to God Alone.

Overview of the Previous Four Solas

In most lists of the five solas, this comes last for a good reason. It’s because it’s the logical result of the previous four solas. If we properly understand the first four sola statements, they will lead us to the final statement, “giving glory to God alone.”

If we let scripture alone be our guide, we listen to God’s voice above all others. We understand that what God says matters more than anyone or anything else. This gives God the glory He alone deserves, as the heart, voice, and mind that should be regarded above all others.

If we let faith alone be our reception of God’s rescue, we understand that we don’t deserve any credit for what God does for us. We simply receive by faith what He so generously gave to us. This gives God the glory because we understand that we can’t save ourselves; Jesus must rescue us.

If we let grace alone be the grounds on which God rescued us through the person and work of Jesus, we understand that it’s not by grace and faith, not by grace and good deeds, not by grace and a good heart and not by grace and human initiative. It’s by grace alone. This gives God the glory because He alone gets the credit for the past, present, and future of our salvation.

If we let Christ alone be our salvation and center of life, it means that it isn’t through a mere man or institution that we’re made right with God. It’s by the person and work of Jesus Christ alone. This gives God the glory because it properly puts the focus on Jesus and takes it off everyone and everything else.

Putting the Focus on God and His Glory

In this we see that one of the great works of the Reformation was to once again put the focus on God and His glory.

Because we are made in the image of God, we’re capable of astonishing achievements of many kinds. We see what men and women can accomplish in art, science, engineering, athletics, and intellect and so easily put our emphasis on man instead of God. Yet, mankind at his best and greatest is still far short of God. He alone deserves the glory and honor that the first four sola statements illustrate.

This leads us to a practical point. We should resolve that, God helping us, we will give greater interest, care, and effort to advance the glory of God instead of the glory of self, of our congregation, or of our particular group in God’s greater family. As many men and women of God have warned, “don’t touch the glory”; let the honor and credit go to God and no one else.

Everyone should have this sentence over their life and work for God: Glory to God Alone.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on October 26, 2017 and is part four of a five-part series.

On October 31, 1517, the German monk, pastor and seminary professor, Martin Luther, published 95 complaints against the church practice of selling reductions to the penalty of sin. The iconic figure we cherish is of Luther nailing a paper with these 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, but historians aren’t completely confident that he did this.

We have no record of Martin Luther himself referring to the event.

Whether or not he actually nailed that paper to the church door, he certainly wrote it, sent it to some important leaders, and it was soon published and distributed widely across Germany and much of Europe.

There were many complaints against, and objections to, the theology and practice of the Roman Catholic Church in those days, but Luther’s complaint had an effect like none before it.

There were many reasons for that, but one important reason was because Luther put his finger on a point of great corruption: the practice of selling indulgences.

The Practice of Selling Indulgences

As mentioned before, the selling of indulgences was essentially giving something to the church (usually money) so the church (through its leader, the pope) would reduce the penalty one had to pay for their sins in purgatory. I strongly object to the idea of purgatory altogether and can’t find it anywhere in the Bible. But in the Roman Catholic idea, purgatory is the place where after death a person is cleansed from their spiritual and moral impurities by painful fires before they can be admitted into heaven.

What is more, in classic Roman Catholic thinking, the pope has the authority to release tormented souls enduring the cleansing fires of purgatory. In Martin Luther’s time slick, high-pressure salesmen sold these releases from purgatory. They promised people that for a generous donation to the church, the pope would grant them or a loved one release from some or all of purgatory’s fire.

Near where Martin Luther lived, there was a Dominican monk named Johann Tetzell, a successful salesman for indulgences. Tetzell’s slogan was, “As soon as the money in the basket rings, the soul from purgatory springs.” Tetzell used to say, “Listen to the voices of your dear dead relatives and friends, beseeching you and saying, ‘Pity us, pity us. We are in dire torment from which you can redeem us for a pittance.’ Do you not wish to?” Tetzell raised a lot of money for the church by selling these indulgences.

Luther’s protest against indulgences developed into the movement we know as the Protestant Reformation.

The ideas of the Reformation are often summarized in a series of statements called the five solas:

Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone)
Sola Fide (Faith Alone)
Sola Gratia (Grace Alone)
Solus Christus (Christ Alone)
Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)

The first three solas were discussed in previous articles, and this short piece looks at the fourth of the list: Solus Christus. That idea of Christ Alone is vitally connected to the original protest Martin Luther made on October 31, 1517.

The Fundamental Problem With Indulgences

As the ideas of the Reformation matured and deepened, it was understood that one of the fundamental problems with the whole idea of indulgences was that it put humanity’s rescue into the hands of the pope. The idea was something like this: “Men and women are not saved by Jesus, but through the pope and the institution of the Roman Catholic Church.”

Against this wrong and dangerous idea, it’s important that we emphasize the truth: Christ Alone. At the end of it all, we are not saved by a mere man, whether that be a pope or a pastor. We aren’t saved by an institution, whether it be Catholic or Protestant. We aren’t saved by our own good works or even our good faith. We are rescued by Christ alone and He alone gets the honor, glory and credit for rescuing us from sin and self. It’s true that what He gives by grace must be received by faith, but the work is done by His giving, not our receiving.

The principle of Christ Alone should remind us that Jesus is always the center of the Christian life. As the New Testament says, in Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). The core of the Christian life is Jesus Christ, and Christ alone.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on September 7, 2017 and is part three of a five-part series. 2023 marks the 506th anniversary.

Soon it will be the 500th anniversary of when German pastor, monk and seminary professor, Martin Luther, published 95 objections to the church practice of selling reductions to the penalty of sin. Most historians use that event to mark the start of what we call the Protestant Reformation.

Martin Luther and his fellow reformers changed the European world and beyond, and their ideas are summarized in a series of statements called the five solas:

Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone)
Sola Fide (Faith Alone)
Sola Gratia (Grace Alone)
Sola Christus (Christ Alone)
Sola Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)

Sola Scriptura and Sola Fide were discussed in two previous articles; here are some thoughts on the third statement, Sola Gratia – “grace alone.”

Grace Alone

By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul wrote, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). He also wrote this in Romans 4:16, “Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure.”

Those two passages state something that is also clearly presented in several other New Testament writings:

God rescues us by His grace.

That isn’t a controversial position among Christians from many traditions. Roman Catholic and Orthodox believers agree that God’s grace is necessary for anyone to be accepted and right with Him.

The special contribution of Martin Luther and the other reformers was to emphasize that we are made right with God by grace alone – not by grace and faith, not by grace and good deeds, not by grace and a good heart, and not by grace and human initiative. Grace alone.

In Ephesians 2:8-9, notice that Paul didn’t tell us that we are saved by faith, but we are saved by grace through faith. This is really an important distinction. The work of our salvation is accomplished by grace, and saving grace is received by our faith.

Grace alone puts us into a right relationship with God–faith simply receives it.

Grace alone puts us into a right relationship with God – faith simply receives it.

Grace Explained

A common way of explaining grace is to say that it is God’s unmerited favor. It’s a pretty good, short description. Grace is God’s in that it comes from Him as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit and is an expression of the love of the triune God. The God of the Bible is a God of grace.

Grace is unmerited in the sense that it is undeserved.

We don’t do anything to deserve God’s grace. He doesn’t give it to us because we are wonderful, but because He is wonderful. It’s not because of any good in the past, present or promised in the future.

Grace is favor because it tells us how God feels about those who receive His grace. He accepts them and approves of them; He sees them in a favorable light. They are the opposite of disgraced; they are graced.

One way we often misunderstand grace is we think of it as simply God’s power or God’s part of the work. To describe grace as simply the “God part” of our salvation doesn’t come close to properly describing what a rich idea grace is in the New Testament. Understood biblically, grace is much more than God’s part or His power.

It is His love, beauty and favor acting on behalf of His people.

The ancient word that we translate “grace” in our modern Bibles had the sense of something beautiful, something that brought happiness and satisfaction. It was used to describe undeserved kindness, acceptance and approval.

God’s Love

So, this grace that alone rescues us isn’t like a decree from a throne; it’s like the loving, approving, acceptance of a perfect father. Because it comes from God, it has the power and the authority of a decree from a throne, but it isn’t cold or impersonal. It is the love of God in action on behalf of His people.

At the end of it all, the Christian can say: He rescued me. I didn’t rescue myself, but a loving God, out of the riches of His grace, rescued me from sin, self, Satan and a surrounding world that are all destined for darkness. He rescued me, and He did it by grace alone.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on August 4, 2017 and is part two of a five-part series.

More on the Five Sola Statements

Most historians mark the start of the Protestant Reformation to the 1517 publication of Martin Luther’s list of 95 complaints against a practice known as selling indulgences. This year (2017) marks the 500th anniversary of that great event. Tourists are flooding the great cities and sites where Luther’s reformation unfolded, and people are thinking and talking about the great ideas of the Reformation.

Those ideas are often expressed in a series of five statements called the five solas. The classic solastatements of the Reformation were and are:

Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone)
Sola Fide (Faith Alone)
Sola Gratia (Grace Alone)
Sola Christus (Christ Alone)
Sola Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)

A previous article discussed the idea of sola scriptura (scripture alone). Here are some thoughts on the second statement, sola fide – “faith alone.”

What is Faith?

Christians of every background understand the value of faith and know that in part, being a Christian means believing in Jesus Christ and what He did for us. Yet the cry of the Reformation was not faith, but more specifically, faith alone. The idea was that we receive forgiveness of sins and are made right with God on the basis of our faith alone.

This means that the only thing we contribute to the receiving of our rescue is faith.

Not faith and our good deeds. Not faith and our promises to do better in the future. Not faith and ceremonies, but faith alone. This was one of the things that set the preaching and writing of Martin Luther and the other reformers apart from the Roman Catholic Church and even the Eastern Orthodox Church. All Christians believe that faith is important and has a place in our salvation; not all believe in faith alone. Some believe in faith plus something.

It’s important to remember that faith is not some kind of great work that makes God in debt to us. We don’t deserve salvation because of our faith. In this sense, faith is simply believing what God said is true and trusting that He keeps His promises.

Think of it like this: Faith is not calling God a liar.

It means that when God says something or makes a promise, we believe He is true and can be relied on.
So, when God tells me that I am a sinner who needs a Savior (Romans 3:23), I believe Him. When God says that my sin will lead to eternal death (Romans 6:23), I believe Him.

When God says that Jesus died for me and for my sins while I was still a sinner (Romans 5:8), I believe Him. When God tells me that if I put my trust in who Jesus is and in what He did on the cross for me I can be saved (Romans 10:9-10), I believe Him. I regard God as true and worthy of trust in everything He says and promises. Because of all this, I don’t deserve any credit for my salvation. My faith doesn’t actually rescue me; it simply receives what God promised by His grace. Believing God is true and is not a liar doesn’t make me a wonderful person; that’s just common sense.

Good Works and Commitment to God

We may also add that this does not mean that good works and our commitment to God are not important. The Apostle Paul (in places like Titus 2:14 and 3:8) and the Apostle James (James 2:14-19) and others in the New Testament told us how important our good works are. This idea has been expressed by a famous phrase: “Faith alone saves; but the faith that saves is not alone.” When faith is real, it will have good works with it.

If faith doesn’t have good works with it, one can sincerely question if that faith is real.

One last thought regarding faith. In the Bible, faith usually carries the idea of much more than simply believing something to be true. It includes that, but goes much further. The Biblical idea of faith has the further idea of trusting love. It has the sense of to trust in, rely on and cling to. Faith is trust, and we trust God because He loves us and we love Him in response. That kind of faith alone receives what God so graciously gives us in Jesus Christ.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on June 21, 2017 and is part one of a five-part series.

Introduction to the Five Solas

The great men of the Reformation: Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli, John Calvin, and those associated with them, declared their beliefs in a series of “solas” (solae if you are really into Latin). From Latin, sola means “alone” or “single.” We get our words “solo” and “solitary” from this Latin root. The classic sola statements of the Reformation were and are:

Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone)
Sola Fide (Faith Alone)
Sola Gratia (Grace Alone)
Sola Christus (Christ Alone)
Sola Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)

Sola Scriptura appears first on most lists of the five solas, and for good reason.

The Bible is a book that truly stands alone. It is unique in its continuity, its circulation, its translations, its survival, its honesty, its reliability, and its influence. The Bible stands alone in so many ways.

The True Meaning of Sola Scriptura

Yet when the Reformers proclaimed Sola Scriptura, what they really had in mind was to declare the Christian’s source of authority. Our fundamental authority is God, and God has expressed His mind and His will in and through the Holy Bible, the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures that we commonly call the Old and New Testaments.

God expresses His mind and will in other ways. He reveals Himself in creation (Romans 1:20). God reveals Himself in the conscience of man (Romans 2:15). God can also speak through traditions (1 Corinthians 11:2). Yet, none of those things are the ultimate authority. God’s word—the Bible—is always the ultimate authority (2 Timothy 3:16).

So, we say Sola Scriptura because the Bible stands alone in authority.

Yet remember that Sola Scriptura was never meant to deny that those other ways God speaks have their place and can be useful, but it does mean that the Bible has more authority than any of them or all of them. Everything comes back to the Bible.

Beyond Tradition: The Ultimate Authority

In the Middle Ages, it was often taught that the Bible and church tradition were equal in authority. God raised up mighty men like Martin Luther to stand against that wrong idea. Therefore, in his famous Leipzig debates with John Eck in June and July of 1519, Martin Luther said: “A simple layman armed with Scripture is greater than the mightiest pope without it.”¹

Almost 20 years later, Martin Luther wrote: “The true rule is this: God’s Word shall establish articles of faith, and no one else, not even an angel can do so.”² This was a powerful foundation for the remarkable work God did in the Reformation.

To thoroughly bring everything back to the Bible and recognize it as the true authority for faith and practice was something of a revolution.

We may respect traditions and religious authorities, but our ultimate authority is God’s Word as given in the Bible.

We recognize this even over the teaching of the Reformers themselves. It has sometimes been observed that if Martin Luther time traveled to our present day and walked into a typical modern evangelical church (let’s say a good, Bible-believing one), there would be much he would not approve of. To begin with, he would not approve that babies were not being baptized. He would not approve that the Lord’s Supper was not observed every week and in a certain ceremony. He probably would not approve of the lack of liturgical structure.

In regard to that, I would say, “Thank you, Martin Luther.” He and other reformers of his time firmly planted the flag for the authority of the Bible, even above their own authority. In fact, I think we honor Dr. Luther when we take him at his word and do what we earnestly and honestly believe the Bible instructs us to do, even when it disagrees with Luther’s own thought and practice.

We respect these great men of the past and want to learn what we can from them. We do not arrogantly dismiss their thinking and conclusions with the automatic thought that we know better today. Yet, at the end of it all, we stand where they told us to stand: Sola Scriptura, the Bible itself is our ultimate authority.

References

¹Roland Bainton’s classic biography on Luther, Here I Stand:A Life of Martin Luther [Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1950], p. 117

²Smalcald Articles, Part II, Article 2.15

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “toxic masculinity.” I think I understand—and even, to a degree, can sympathize with—the phrase. Terrible men have and do troll the earth. In their wake are hurt women, broken families, confused generations, and warring nations. They damage everything and everyone around them. Like nuclear waste, they’re toxic.

In many minds, however, the words have been reversed. For some, masculinity itself is what is toxic. And this negative view of manhood has created a general void in our society, one where boys have no good vision for how to be men, and many less than savory manhood-models have rushed to center stage, only worsening the problem. But the masculinity the Bible describes is like a tonic that brings healing to families, churches, and societies—tonic masculinity.

In Titus 2, Paul instructed a young pastor about how to exhort the people in his church. Paul’s instructions aim at the only four quadrants that exist in an adult congregation. Older men. Older women. Younger women. And younger men. Though we all go through a process of shifting from young to old, everyone falls into one of those categories. Today, we’ll consider the first category:

Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. (Titus 2:2)

Paul starts with the older men for a reason—they can be an incredible blessing to the church.

The Bible is filled with examples of older men who blessed God’s people. Caleb and Joshua trusted God and led Israel into victorious battles in their old age. Noah built the ark to save his household and humanity all the way into his latter years. Abraham and the patriarchs did some of their finest work as old men. John wrote Revelation in his eighties or nineties. And Paul himself served Christ well all the way to his death as a relatively old man.

But who is this older man Paul tells Titus about? “Older” and “younger” are such relative terms. When I was twenty, I thought forty-five was ancient. Now I’m not so sure. And when it comes to the Bible, we’ve got a pretty wide range to work with. Jesus died at age thirty-three. Methuselah at 969. Who is the older man?

The term Paul used is the same one he used to describe himself to Philemon, and he was probably about sixty when he wrote that letter (Phil. 9). And John the Baptist’s dad used this term to describe himself, objecting that men his age didn’t have children. But the term was not unique to the Bible—it was used in other ancient Greek literature besides the Bible. For instance, Philo and Hippocrates used the word to describe the so-called sixth stage of life, identifying it as age fifty to fifty-six. Taken together, it seems reasonable to say this is a stage we enter around our mid-fifties or early sixties.

But the older men are not only mentioned first because they’re meant to be a blessing to everyone else—pillars on which the rest of the church leans—but because an others-centered and mature life is a life of blessing. In other words, if we live the way Paul says, we’ll bless, but we’ll also be blessed. To lose one’s life is to find it.

So what does Paul say about the older man whose masculinity is a tonic for his generation?

Sober-Minded

First, tonic masculinity is sober-minded (2). Other translations call this temperance or sobriety.

We take this first to mean that older men in the church should be physically sober men. There’s a temptation that comes in the last third of life. Much of the heavy lifting’s been done—the career is built, the home is secured, the income is solid, and the kids are raised. On top of all this is the temptation to be discouraged about life, no longer optimistic about the future.

The Christ-following man knows he still has work to do—it isn’t time to kick back and drink up. He might enjoy a glass of wine, but he won’t allow glasses of wine to fog his mind. He’s going to stay frosty, mentally sharp for the very real battle he’s still engaged in.

And this physical sobriety is emblematic of the way of his whole life. Everything about the older man of God is sober. He’s learned what is and isn’t godly. He’s learned what is and isn’t healthy. He’s learned the destructive nature of the passing pleasures of sin (Heb. 11:25). He’s weighed the cost of self-indulgence and determined that the price is too high. The payout isn’t worth it.

So the godly older man avoids excess and extravagance. He won’t let himself become deluded or intoxicated by anything in life. He’s still serious about God, God’s kingdom, and the potency of the Gospel. He knows he’s got to, like Caleb and Joshua and Moses, fight for holiness until the day of his death. His church attendance doesn’t slip into a sporadic affiliation with a local congregation but instead develops into deeper involvement with God’s people. He might be done raising his biological sons and daughters, but now he uses his time to raise God’s sons and daughters.

This sobermindedness doesn’t mean this man is no fun to be around—quite the opposite. But he doesn’t allow himself to become distracted with things that don’t matter. He stays focused on God. He meditates on the Word. He loves serving other people.

David’s life serves as a cautionary tale about the price of losing a sober mind. In his middle years, after becoming Israel’s king, he began to drift from the mission God gave him. He wasn’t sober-minded. And he fell. The Bible says:

In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel…But David remained at Jerusalem. (2 Samuel 11:1, ESV)

Because he didn’t go out to war, because he stopped sober-mindedly pressing into God’s battlefield, he found himself with free time in the Jerusalem palace. It was then that he observed a beautiful young (and married) woman bathing on another rooftop. He called for and slept with her, and she became pregnant. This led David to cover up his sin by placing her husband on the front lines alone—left to die—the ultimate betrayal of his brother in arms. But this sin could’ve been averted had David stayed engaged.

And, especially in our older years, we must press in because we likely have more time on our hands than ever before. We must engage in the war by mentoring, serving, working, and growing.

When running a long endurance race, the second half requires special attention. In his book on how to train for a marathon, legendary coach Hal Higdon said, “Focus hardest when it counts most. If you find it difficult to concentrate during the full twenty-six miles of a marathon, save your focus for the miles when you need it the most—the second half.”¹

His exhortation to runners is a better exhortation to us as humans. Focus at all times, but especially knuckle down in that second half of your race. Don’t slip. Be sober-minded.

It was sober-mindedness that enabled Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem and revive God’s people. It was sober-mindedness that enabled Luke to research and write Luke and Acts. It was sober-mindedness that enabled Aquila to have a great marriage, produce a business that blessed the church, and disciple Apollos into maturity. Sober-minded men get it done.

Jesus, of course, was sober-minded. This doesn’t mean he was hard to be around. His accusers said he was a winebibber—they thought he was a party animal. He wasn’t, but he had so much joy they thought he was. But he was also beautifully sober-minded. He refused a mind-numbing concoction on the cross, choosing instead to suffer the full brunt of the crucifixion’s pain. He refused to bow down to Satan as a quick way to gain the kingdoms of this world but chose instead to do the hard work of redemption. He never lost focus. He never got distracted. He pressed in. So should we.

Dignified (2:2)

Second, tonic masculinity is dignified (2). Other translations render this word as worthy of respect, venerable, sensible, and serious.

The godly older man is substantive. He’s the right kind of serious. Not gloomy, dour, and self-consumed, but real, unnerved, and focused. He’s worthy of respect from others. And he treats others well. He’s not too comfortable, casual, or loose with the opposite sex. He doesn’t talk down to the young. And he stays out of the gutter because he has honor.

His life is not frivolous, trivial, or superficial. He’s not vulgar. He takes immorality seriously. He craves holiness. He’s dignified, impressive, and worthy of respect.

Older men like this have learned so much about the Lord, themselves, and life. They know God is faithful, so they don’t panic and fret like they did when they were younger. They know God is good, so they trust that he’ll somehow repurpose every trial for good. They know God is love, so they’re secure in their relationship with him as sons of God. They know God is holy, so they avoid anything that would pain his heart while pursuing ever-expanding levels of personal holiness.

This man finds the phrase in Psalm 1 that the blessed man will bear fruit in his season and craves that season (Ps. 1:3). He abides in Christ every single day, not as a way to earn God’s favor or as a paranoid lucky charm before God, but because he’s learned that those who abide in Christ bear much fruit (John 15). So he abides in Christ.

His heroes aren’t actors who live in luxury or leaders who have great power. He isn’t distracted by shiny objects or beautiful women or thrones of power. His heroes aren’t The Godfather, Tony Stark, or John Wick.

Instead, he resonates with men like the Apostle John, a man whom it’s said had to be carried up to the pulpit in his old age just to tell the people to love each other. He admires men like John Wesley, who, after his 86th birthday, expressed remorse that he was no longer able to read and write about Scripture for fifteen hours a day and was now sleeping in all the way to 5:30 in the morning!

His heroes keep their marriage vows, serve their wives through illness, and lay down their lives for others. He’s drawn to men like Joseph, whose branches ran over the wall so that others could partake of his fruit (Gen. 49:22).

The dignified older man doesn’t have a feeling of immortality or invincibility. He’s seen too much. He’s buried people he loves. He’s seen terrible things—wayward children, church splits, unwanted illnesses, surprising divorces, failed businesses. He’s seen betrayal, death, and decay. He’s seen presidents and their promises come and go. Life has sobered him, so he’s decided to spend his well. He no longer believes human effort and plans can produce the utopia we long for, but he’s not hopeless. His eyes are on God and his kingdom. He believes the Gospel. He longs for Christ’s return. And he’s dignified about it.

The dignified man looks into the Word and loves the dignified way Jesus led his life. He was ever focused on the cross—his face set like a rock to get to Jerusalem so he could die there (Isaiah 50:7). And when he spoke, people said no one spoke like him—he had an incomparable confidence, clarity, and authority. His life and words had weight. Father-focused and people-oriented, he lived a life that counted. Dignified.

Self-Controlled

Third, tonic masculinity is self-controlled (2). Other translations render this word as sensible, using good judgment, prudent, and wise. They have gained self-mastery—not perfectly, but generally.

This self-control is the key term in Paul’s exhortations to everyone on the grid. When he described pastors, he said they should be self-controlled (Tit. 1:8). When he described godly older women, godly younger women, and godly young men, he wanted all of them to learn to be self-controlled.

But what is self-control? Here’s one definition: “Obedience has to do with actions, but self-control has to do with emotions and how we deal with them. Do our emotions control us, or do we control our emotions?”² It’s a decent definition—and it came from a book about parenting! Toddlers need it, but so do older men. We must all learn self-mastery, self-rule, and self-discipline.

The word Paul used derives from a combination of the word for save and the word for mind. The mind has been saved, so life is filtered through a new grid. The godly man knows who he is in Christ. He’s saved, new, redeemed, born again, a new creature, filled with the Spirit, under the New Covenant, and able to live in the resurrection power of Christ. He’s been saved from the old, unregenerate, deathly life far from God under the law, lived in his own strength. He’s saved; as he abides in Jesus, he can be self-controlled.

And what a weapon at this man’s disposal! Self-control is powerful. Dallas Willard described it this way:

“Self-control is the steady capacity to direct yourself to accomplish what you have chosen or decided to do and be, even though you “don’t feel like it.” Self-control means that you, with steady hand, do what you don’t want to do when that is needed and do not do what you want to do when that is needed.” — Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart

This man has ample self-control. He’s a calm and measured man, even in the face of disappointment or discouragement. He treats men and women, young and old with total respect. He spends his money with wisdom. He uses his experience and position to raise up, develop, and bless others. He always makes himself the last.

The self-controlled man knows that he needs Christ’s power to help him, so he spends time in the word and prayer with Jesus each day. The self-controlled man knows that frayed nerves and fatigue war against his resolve, so he fights to eat and sleep well. The self-controlled man knows that even God rested from his work, so he uses times of Sabbath as a way to protect him from sin-inducing busyness. The self-controlled man knows there’ll be times when he’ll feel weak against temptation, so he develops and leverages godly friendships to help him stand. The self-controlled man knows that he’ll lose some battles with the flesh, so he practices honesty with all the right people as a way to cast disinfecting light on the bacteria of sin.

To illustrate self-control, let’s consider two men. First, think about Joseph. As a teenager, he was betrayed by his brothers and sold into slavery, ending up in Egypt. A man named Potiphar purchased this young man, and Joseph served well. Potiphar’s house prospered so much that he ceased involving himself in any of the details of household management. He entrusted everything to Joseph. Except for his wife, that is, but she didn’t like that arrangement and threw herself at Joseph. He feared God and respected his master, so he always resisted her until one day, she caught him alone, begging him to lie with her. But Joseph wriggled free from his garment and ran from the house. He then suffered false accusations from this woman, but at least his integrity was intact. He was self-controlled. He fled sexual immorality.

Now, consider Solomon. He began well, but as he prospered as Israel’s king and aged as a man, he wandered from the Lord. Foreign women stole his heart. Soon, he amassed a harem beyond the fantasies of any ancient king. And, as his heart drifted, so did his life. He was controlled. Self-control was a distant memory. He sank into despair and powerlessness, coming under God’s disciplinary hand. And, as he sank into the slough of despond, he took Israel with him. The man who should’ve been a blessing to all of God’s people had become their Achille’s heel, all because, as he grew older, he grew less self-controlled. His passions enslaved him.

The self-controlled man looks at Jesus and sees how he always did that which pleased the Father. When he was reviled, he ruled his spirit and did not revile in return. When beaten, he mastered himself and submitted to the cross.

Sound

Finally and fourthly, tonic masculinity is sound in the areas of faith, love, and steadfastness (2). To be sound is to be healthy, true, strong, whole, or well-grounded. And the three categories Paul thought older men should be sound in are repeated throughout the entire New Testament—faith, love, and hope. The only change in this list is that—for an older man—hope has turned into the action of steadfastness or endurance. Because he has become totally sound in hope, he endures.

The idea here is that the older godly man has fully entered into and embraced the pillar attributes of Christianity. He’s strong in the faith—meaning he understands and is mature in the truth of the Bible. Their doctrinal convictions are not strange but sound. He’s also strong in love, meaning he’s adopted a lifestyle that’s completely others-centered. He’s not spending his time completely on himself, but he wants to go to his grave loving other people. And he’s strong in steadfastness, meaning he’s not thrown in the towel but is pressing, with hope, into what God’s doing here on earth. When he prays, “your kingdom come, your will be done,” he believes and toils for that kingdom. He doesn’t sit alone in his living room, watching cable news, bemoaning everyone and everything, waiting for the day Christ comes. Instead, he works hard to bring Christ to people right where they are, believing wholeheartedly in the power of the Gospel for salvation to all who believe (Rom 1:16).

* * *

I’d like to conclude by sharing my heart about the type of man Paul describes, men who are sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness (Titus 2:2). Especially if you are a man in your late fifties and beyond, and you’re clear-minded about the Lord, serious about the right things, have gained self-mastery, are solid about the faith, love people well, and are working steadfastly to make disciples, we all thank you. You’re a pillar for us to lean on. You’re a vision for us to acquire. And you’re a blessing to our church and community. You’re the version of masculinity our world needs right now.

References

It seems that no matter how much nuanced hinting or explicit declaration happens in churches, people still stumble over the question of “Do we need the Old Testament?” For some it’s interesting but not instructive. For some it’s awkward and not authoritative. For some it’s plain banal and therefore certainly not binding. Neither references and quotes made, nor promises and prophecies fulfilled, seem to cement in people’s mind that yes, we DO need the Old Testament.

Let me give you just five reasons (of many) why we do.

1. All Scripture (the entire Bible) is God breathed and has been Divinely preserved for your benefit, not just the last quarter (2 Timothy 3.16).

When Paul wrote this to Timothy, he wasn’t just thinking about the records of Jesus’ birth, life, death, and intervening ministry (Matthew-John).

Neither was he just thinking of the testimony of those who lived with and learned from Him (Acts, for example).

Neither was he only thinking of the Hebrew Scriptures (cf. 2 Timothy 3.15).

Paul was so often a big-picture guy, and his declaration that all Scripture is breathed out by God most certainly starts in Genesis and then includes the aforementioned records of Jesus’ life, ministry, death, resurrection, and legacy.

2. As believers, the New Testament gives us the hope of Jesus. The Old Testament shows us whyit was needed.

Again, and again, and again in the Old Testament, we see people doing their utmost to live the life God wants for them but failing. We see the fallen, fallible, and frail human condition come to the fore again and again. On their own and in their own strength and power, people simply can’t cover the space and separation between themselves and God that their sin has created.

We see in the Old Testament that, at the core, people want and need a figure of hope, someone to look to who will put this inability of theirs right. For a while, the figure was a judge (Judges 3.15); for a while, it was a king (1 Samuel 8.19-20). None worked, truly. The longing for something better remained. The longing for someone better remained. The New Testament makes clear that this person is, ultimately and permanently, Jesus.

3. The New Testament picks up right where the Old left off.

So much is shared in the first few books of your Bible. There’s creation, covenants between God and man, the promise of a Messiah, and time after time, the human condition is shown, warts and all. So many threads and themes are begun, so many promises are promised, and so many dilemmas are detailed. The New Testament picks up each, answers them neatly, and resolves them without fail in the person and work of Jesus.

Consider but a few:

See the story of Jael and her radical obedience in Judges 4 and how the New Testament flawlessly completes this arc.

See the proto evangelium, the first Gospel, of Genesis 3.

See the mathematical and chronological accuracy of the prophecies of Daniel.

See the prophetic declarations of Isaiah and Micah about the birth of Jesus.

See the suffering Saviour in Isaiah and the Psalms.

So much is predicted and begun in the Old and comes to fruition and finality in the New. To detach the two would be to have an answer to a question nobody asked.

4. Jesus said He came to fulfil, not abolish (Matthew 5.17).

Jesus fulfilled the sacrificial and atonement laws of the Old Testament. We’re no longer required to live by the complex atoning framework of Leviticus to be in God’s presence, for example. However, the character, selfless love, and behaviour of a believer draws much from the Old Testament (Romans 7.12). Jason Derouchie wrote that

“As Moses asserted, in the day of heart circumcision (Deut. 30:6), which we are enjoying today (Rom. 2:29), all of his teachings in Deuteronomy would still matter: “And you shall again obey the voice of the LORD and keep all his commandments that I command you today” (Deut. 30:8).”

Whilst we are no longer required to offer sacrifices for sins or to observe ceremonial laws, do we ever move past commandments like Deuteronomy 6.5?

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”

To say that the Old Testament no longer matters is tantamount to saying passages like that don’t matter, and Jesus said otherwise (cf. Matthew 22.37).

5. Jesus said it all points to Him (John 5.39; Luke 24.27, 44-47).

Quite simple this one.

Jesus said it’s all about Him, so why wouldn’t it matter to those that love, follow, and believe in Him?
* * *

These are just five reasons why the Old Testament is important. We as a church have been working through it one chapter a week for a few years, and I honestly can’t remember how many times something has come up in Genesis or Exodus (for example) that has then been preached from a New Testament book on a Friday. To be believers with a well grounded, firm, and secure faith, we need to feed ourselves on the full counsel of Scripture, not just the last quarter.

I’d love your thoughts on the Old Testament:

Are you currently reading part of it?

Are there parts you’ve never read?

Are there parts you don’t understand?

Further Reading

https://jamestravis.net/2021/03/10/jael-radical-obedience/

References

https://jasonderouchie.com/10-reasons-why-you-should-read-the-old-testament/

Our world is full of leadership advice. A simple online search will result in an endless number of leadership resources. From TED Talks to TikTok, and everything in between. Just type “leadership” in your favorite podcast provider and see what comes up. It’s because we want practical strategies for becoming effective leaders. And for those of us who are pastors, we want to know how to lead the church that God has put in our care.

Leadership is important, but not all leadership advice is created equal. As Christians, we must be very careful where we’re getting our information. The advice you’ll get from the world is going to be much different than the advice you get from the Lord. In fact, the wisdom from the world is foolishness to God, and God’s wisdom seems foolish to the world (see 1 Corinthians 1:18-25). When it comes to leadership, God says it best:

“’For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,’ says the LORD. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.’”^[1]

So, what can we learn about God’s kind of leadership that will help us be better pastors and leaders? Good question! Let’s take a moment, add to the already massive mound of leadership content, and talk about one of my favorite leaders in the Bible: Moses.

Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?^[2]

Within most Calvary Chapel congregations, we lead our churches using the “Moses Model” of church government.

I’m aware that there are different ways to lead a church and that some are better than others. It’s not my intention to go into detail on the different forms of church government. That’s an article for another time, and for a more academic mind.

For our purposes, we’ll just say that Moses is the guy that most Calvary Chapels pattern their church leadership after. In fact, it was the late great Pastor Chuck Smith that said,

“In the church today we see this structure (the Moses Model) in a modified form. We see that Jesus Christ is the Head over the body of the church. It’s His church. He’s the One in charge. As pastors, we need to be like Moses, in touch with Jesus and receiving His direction and guidance. As pastors we need to be leading the church in such a way that the people know that the Lord is in control.”^[3]

Great! Jesus is the head of the church, and we need to be like Moses and get our direction from Him. So, if we’re supposed to be like Moses, we need to know what Moses was like.

Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.^[4]

I think that one of the main differences between the leadership style of the world and that of the church is the issue of pride. For the Christian, pride is a leadership killer. The Bible says that God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.^[5]

“It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels.” – Saint Augustine

The biblical qualifications for a pastor state that a pastor must not be arrogant^[6] and that he must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit (pride) and fall into the condemnation of the devil.^[7]

So, why do we have so many prideful pastors in our churches today? That is a good question, and I don’t have all the answers, but I will say that it’s not very Moses-like.

I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would put his Spirit upon them all!^[8]

Moses wasn’t a jealous leader. He didn’t cling to power. He wasn’t afraid of the success of others, and he didn’t use his position to hold gifted people down. In fact, Moses was a leader who rejoiced in the accomplishments of other leaders, even those in his own congregation.

“And a young man ran and told Moses, ‘Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.’ And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, ‘My lord Moses, stop them.’ But Moses said to him, ‘Are you jealous for my sake?…’” ^[9]

All pastors struggle with jealousy, envy, and insecurity to some extent. Deep down we suspect that someone else could do the job better than we can, and we could be in danger of losing our position. We also find it difficult to be happy for the church that is growing down the street. It’s tough seeing our peers getting success and recognition especially when we aren’t.

It’s important that we’re aware of our weakness. Though jealousy is a common struggle, we must never let it control us, or make us negatively critical. It’s easy to become blind to our own faults, so we must learn to rejoice in the success of others, and try to build up the body of Christ through encouragement and cultivation of promising new leaders.

I once heard a story of a church that started because of the jealousy and insecurity of the sending pastor. The church was a fairly large congregation, and the pastor was a gifted teacher and evangelist. He would travel around the world for evangelistic events and mission trips. When the pastor was on the road, one of the younger pastoral interns would teach for him. The intern was also very gifted, and over time the people began to enjoy the teaching of this younger man.

On a packed Sunday, the pastor returned from a trip and stood in the back of his church. As the younger man preached, a congregation member turned to him and asked if it was his first time there. “This pastor is so gifted,” he explained. “I just love the way he teaches God’s word, and the church is really growing.” The man didn’t even realize that he was talking to the senior pastor of the church!

The following week the pastor let the intern know that God was calling him (the intern) to go plant a church somewhere else. They prayed for him and sent him out with a handshake and a “where God guides God provides.” Sadly, what could have been an incredible benefit to the church ended up being a missed opportunity. It was because of the insecurity and jealousy of the pastor.

A Moses Model pastor would rejoice in the success of others and want to see all of God’s people gifted for ministry. Remember, Moses himself was very reluctant to take any position of authority (see Exodus 3:11), and it was Moses who encouraged Joshua to lead the congregation—because he saw God’s gifting and calling on his life.

And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant.^[10]

Faithfulness and servanthood are such valuable qualities in a leader. Faithfulness means that you’re committed to God and to His people no matter what. It also means you’ll do the job for as long as it takes, and whatever the cost.

Faithfulness, commitment, and patience go together. Moses faithfully waited on God’s timing for forty years, from the time he killed the Egyptian as a young man to when he was called to deliver Israel. Moses again faithfully waited on the Lord for forty years after the Exodus, wandering around with a bunch of complaining Israelites until it was time for them to go into the promised land.

Moses was faithful, and Moses was also a servant. A true servant leader sacrifices his own comfort and wellbeing for the ones he’s serving. That’s what Jesus did for us. He didn’t come to be served but to serve and give his life.^[11]

Moses had the same attitude when it came to serving the people he was called to lead. At one point, he even prayed that he would be removed from God’s book so that the people’s sins could be forgiven! (See: Exodus 32:32.) He cared about them so much that he was willing to suffer for them.

Moses’ example of leadership is very different from the attitude of many pastors today. Many church leaders are more concerned with their own needs and desires than with serving the people. They forget that they’re called to serve, not to be served.

This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, ‘The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear.’^[12]

There are about a hundred other things we can learn from the life of Moses on leadership, but we will save those for another time, and summarize it in one final point:

A Moses model leader always points people to Jesus.

It’s not about us; it’s not about our churches or our ministries. It’s not about our clever messages and sermons, or the amount of people that love us. It’s all about Jesus. It’s all about hearing His voice. All great leaders throughout church history have this one thing in common: they draw attention to Jesus rather than themselves.

When you take a leadership position without an attitude of humility, a desire to see others succeed, patient faithfulness, and the heart of service, you’re setting yourself up for failure. In short, the only way to be a Moses Model leader is to always stay focused on Christ.

I think the reason why Moses was so successful is that he lived for God’s promises through the messiah Jesus. (See Hebrews 11:26.) Moses could do this because he had a real and personal relationship with God.

“So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend…”^[13]

Friendship with God is the key to successful Moses Model leadership. We need to abide in Christ, walking and talking with Him daily.

References

^[1] Isaiah 55:8–9 (NKJV)
^[2] Acts 7:27 (NKJV)
^[3] Chuck Smith, The Calvary Distinctives, 25.
^[4] Numbers 12:3 (NKJV)
^[5] James 4:6
^[6] Titus 1:7
^[7] 1 Timothy 3:6
^[8] Numbers 11:29 (NLT)
^[9] Numbers 11:27–29 (ESV)
^[10] Hebrews 3:5 (NKJV)
^[11] Matt 20:28
^[12] Acts 7:37 (NKJV)
^[13] Exodus 33:11 (NKJV)

Chuck Smith famously proclaimed that God does not call the trained; he trains the called. Like many Calvary Pastors, I owe much of my ministry to this insight: if a pastoral calling were only to be found on the other side of a seminary degree, I would have never discovered God’s plan for my life.

However, Pastor Chuck’s statement is sometimes interpreted as anti-seminary, anti-education, and even anti-intellectual. For those who take it this way, the Holy Spirit is sufficient, and pursuing education is a lack of faith or reliance on the minds of men. Frankly, I have a hard time understanding anyone who feels God’s call on their life and does not seek to learn as much as possible by any means necessary.

But my concern here is not to make a biblical case for continuing education but to speak to a corresponding need in our movement. We need scholars. Men and women whose call is to devote themselves to the studious development of theology. Let me be clear: throughout the scriptures, God calls shepherds to be kings and prophets, cowards to be commanders of armies and fishermen as apostles. But he also calls some to be scholars to the benefit of the church and the glory of God.

Throughout its history (and I would argue, by God’s design and providence) the church has been reliant on scholars. Following in the footsteps of Moses, Daniel and Paul are educated men who served as pastor-theologians. Augustine was a world-renowned rhetorician who was prolific in theological works. Martin Luther, before and during the Reformation, was a university professor. In John Calvin’s vision for church leadership, there were not just pastors and deacons but doctors. Thank God in our own time for voices like J.I. Packer, John Stott, Norm Geisler, and many others. Even if you only read Warren Wiersbe and Chuck Smith, they read and were formed by scholars and theologians.

Not recognizing this is like that scene in The Devil Wears Prada where Meryl Streep’s fashion mogul character challenges her frumpy assistant (Anne Hathaway) because she thinks that fashion has nothing to do with her. Still, the color of her discount sweater was the byproduct of the fashion industry she ignored. Fashion flows downstream, and so does theology. What is shared across today’s pulpits flows (seen or unseen) from a great cloud of theologians.

It is this fact that everyone relies on scholars, which brings me to voice my prayer for scholars within our movement. The Pentecostals, who are about 50 years ahead of our charismatic movement, have a saying: missions at dawn, missiology at dusk. What happened with Calvary Chapel in the 70s was just that: a happening. God moved mightily, and we rarely slowed down to articulate, define, or develop what God was doing. However, as the Calvary Chapel movement enters its 5th decade, it is time for prayerful and deep thinking. There are a few reasons this is the case.

Because we face, and will continue to face, new contexts and new challenges

Love it or hate it, our world has changed drastically over the course of our lifetime. These new challenges require us to develop our theology to meet new needs. The word develop is essential. The call for scholarship is not a call to forsake our theology but to identify its central tenants and their implications for today. As we do so, we also discover what was essential and timeless and what was incidental and flexible. I am calling for both a truly Calvary Chapel response, while at the same time recognizing we cannot rely on yesterday’s manna.

Because the church at large needs the unique voice of Calvary Chapel today

We are not alone in facing the new challenges of our world; denominations and movements across evangelicalism are seeking to thoughtfully respond to the issues of our day. Calvary Chapel has already had an immeasurable impact on the church at large, and I am convinced that there are challenges today that Calvary is uniquely suited to lead the way on. However we can only do so if we speak, thoughtfully and publicly, from our unique Calvary DNA.

Because if we do not, we will lose our identity and continue to fragment

As I said above, the church is inescapably reliant on scholars. If we do not have them in our midst, we will be solely shaped by those outside. Pretty soon, our common core will be outweighed by our diverse responses and opinions. I am greatly concerned by the growing eclecticism of individual pastoral theologies. Especially among the younger generation of ministers in Calvary Chapel (who read broadly), they often fail to carefully integrate the ideas they find compelling with our heritage. Not every theological trend out there is compatible with our core beliefs, and like an organ transplant, if it does not match our blood type, it will destroy the host.

I also long for unity within Calvary Chapel, but that can only come as Calvary scholars (plural) help us to generate consensus on how God is leading us today. If the loudest and most formative voices are found outside, that will only pull us away from one another and apart as a movement.

Because longevity demands we pass on our roots and not just the outward forms

Fruit cannot be modeled and emulated; a seed must be sown, cultivated, and grow anew. In the same way, nothing less than a theology of Calvary Chapel can sustain the movement. We may be able to create a facsimile in a generation or two, but each generation will just be a copy of the copy before it, and over time the image will degrade until it is not representative at all.

When scholars partner to pass on their legacy and help the next generation to continue what God has done, we call that education.

It is no surprise that many in our movement feel the seminaries outside of Calvary cannot pass on what we see as faithful and vibrant Christianity, but that does not mean we cannot build a better institution. If we were to do so, it no doubt would look different, and I would not have it any other way.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I want to reiterate what I said earlier: Calvary Chapel needs scholars, plural. What is needed cannot be accomplished by a single voice. And pulpits are not a particularly useful tool for developing consensus. Instead, we need venues and institutions which cultivate creative thinking and invite dialogue. Only this will help us continue to move forward together. Only then can we face new circumstances and say with one voice, it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us.

Biblical prophecy is quite a massive subject. When looking at all the various interpretations floating around in the evangelical world, one can feel a little like a Marvel Comics character voyaging through the multiverse. We in the Calvary Chapel movement have added to the conversation. We’ve followed Pastor Chuck Smith’s pre-millennial, pre-tribulation, dispensational approach made famous in the 1970s with Hal Lindsey’s book, The Late Great Planet Earth. This position has become a key figure in Pastor Chuck’s teaching and books, including Calvary Chapel Distinctives.

Although there’s quite a variety of Dispensational views within Calvary Chapel, we all tend to circle around the idea of the rapture, God’s particular plan for Israel, and the literal thousand-year reign of Jesus Christ.

Having come to the Lord in my twenties after a dramatic conversion experience, I grew up in the faith with Dispensationalism. My first years on the mission field were greatly encouraged through Chuck Smith’s 5000 series, with the constant reminder that the Lord is coming soon and an exhortation to prepare for the rapture. As an avid reader, it didn’t take long before I began to read anything on the subject I could get my hands on.

During this time, I ran into the book Things to Come: A Study in Biblical Eschatology by Dwight Pentecost. This theological textbook draws out the covenantal lines of Dispensationalism while looking at some serious opposing views. This book became an excellent source for me; though some of its terms from the 1960-70s are no longer being used, the theology remains current.

Why I Interviewed Dr. Darrell Bock

In more recent years, another form has grown in popularity in our ranks and is called Progressive Dispensationalism. When I first heard the term, I was intrigued. But what is it? I found it hard to find a good succinct definition. This led me to ask our Content Strategy Director, Aaron Salvato, if I could do an article on the topic to help others who might also be looking for some clues. He suggested I begin with doing a podcast interview with Dr. Darrell Bock from Dallas Theological Seminary.

I followed Aaron’s advice and then emailed Dr. Bock, who responded immediately and positively. He agreed to an interview on The GoodLion Podcast, which Aaron and I have completed!

My first thought was to present the discussion here in an article form, but the more I dug, the more I realized the subject is more book-size, and here at calvarychapel.com, we like to keep our articles to 1000-1500 words. So I’d like to briefly answer the question that set me on this quest and end with a few takeaways, while encouraging our readers to watch or listen to our upcoming podcast.

Editor Note: This audio episode of the GoodLion podcast won’t be available until next season, but as a blessing to our readership at CalvaryChapel.com, we have provided a full video version you can watch by clicking the image link below!

What’s Dispensationalism?

Let’s begin at the beginning. What is Dispensationalism? It’s a movement in biblical theology and eschatology that sees God’s action in the world moving in “dispensations” toward the consummation of all things. What is a dispensation? Here’s how Darrell Bock and Craig Blaising explain it:

“The word dispensation refers to a particular arrangement by which God regulates the way human beings relate to Him. Dispensationalism believes that God has planned a succession of different dispensations throughout history, both past, present, and future. Furthermore, dispensationalists believe that these dispensations are revealed in Scripture, in both biblical history and prophecy.

Understanding these dispensations, these different relationships God has had and will have with humanity is crucial for comprehending the teaching and message of the Bible.”^[1]

Another way to look at dispensationalism is to see it as concerning the various covenants in the Bible. For example, the Covenant with Abraham showed, among other things, God’s choice of a man who, through His blessing, became a Nation (Israel) through which the entire world would be blessed. Later, God covenanted with Israel through Moses introducing the Law, showing them the way to life and the terrible consequences of abandoning Him.

In the same way, God’s Covenant with David showed that He would raise a King from among his sons through which His blessing would flow. Then the New Covenant, expressed in Jeremiah 31, spoke of a coming time when Israel would know God personally and the law would be written on their heart.

Traditional Dispensationalism tends to see the separations in set periods that don’t overlap. This is why they’ve been accused of promoting a dualistic or discontinuous theology, as if to say there are two disconnected peoples of God under two parallel covenants, implying, in the worst cases, that they both lead to heaven.

Progressive Dispensationalism has looked at these problems, among others, and sought to address them.

What Makes Progressive Dispensationalism “Progressive?”

How is it progressive? It’s not a politically progressive movement, nor is it a reference to a sort of progress over and above what came before. Instead, the term “progressive” speaks to how God moves in the revelation of Himself to mankind, crescendoing in the physical return of Jesus to earth and beginning in His thousand-year reign. Rather than adopt a hard stance on separating dispensations, Progressive Dispensationalism moves more fluidly, permitting overlap.

In the words of Dr. Bock, “Progressive Dispensationalism is not so much a movement demanding the choice “either-or” but one that asks why not “both-and”?”

Again, Blaising and Bock state, “Progressive dispensationalists understand the dispensations not simply as different arrangements between God and humankind, but as successive arrangements in the progressive revelation and accomplishment of redemption.”^[2]

This isn’t to say that it adopts an everything-goes mentality. Since its beginning with Bock and Blaising in the late seventies with Dallas Theological Seminary, and then later in the mid-eighties while taking shape on a more national level with theologians like Dr. Gerry Breshears at Western Seminary, it’s been steeped in deep theological reflection. They work within a Historical-Grammatical interpretation but also delve into the Literary-Theological method, all while not ignoring the Canonical-Systematic hermeneutic nor ignoring the Typological-Prophetic reading.

Regarding hermeneutics, they summarise their goals as follows:

“Scripture constructs a worldview. The Word is not just about a random series of events, facts, doctrines, or propositions. Nor is it even a picture of different groups all with equal access to God. There is no relativism in Scripture about how one enters into relationship with God. Rather, the Bible speaks to relationships, whether healthy or crippled, and calls the reader to enter into blessing on God’s terms through Jesus or else be left on the outside, subject to the story’s divine outworking.

“Ultimately, Scripture is about God’s promise realized in Jesus. Everyone is accountable to Him who is our Creator. In the message of Scripture, we find how God created and entered the world of humanity. God tells us just how He did it, does it, and plans to do it. He invites us to join Him in the journey. The task of hermeneutics is to listen carefully and humbly for His voice, so we might walk with Him.”^[3]

Why You Might Want to Listen to the Interview with Dr. Darrell Bock

The questions I’ve tried to answer may lead to more questions, as they did for me. This is why I’ve wanted to quote only one source besides the podcast. Progressive Dispensationalism by Blaising and Bock set the theological foundation of the movement in a well-rounded presentation. Ultimately, it isn’t easy to present succinctly because it requires enough time to consider the points it touches and how it relates to other theological systems. But I’d encourage anyone interested to jump in.

Whether you finish by being convinced or not, you’ll immerse yourself in Scripture through the process, which will reap many spiritual rewards.

My Biggest Takeaways

That quest to know God more and gain insight into His Word is probably one of my biggest takeaways from this excursion. Talking with Dr. Bock and, more recently, with Dr. Breshears, I’ve been encouraged to do the hard theological and exegetical work. It can be tempting to shy away from these subjects, to write them off as squabbles among the intelligentsia that have no importance to the everyday world of the Church.

I’d take issue with that point of view, though I held it in the past.

We’re all theologians; in some ways, even an atheist is a theologian who espouses a vision of God in their belief system, conversations, and daily life. Being a theologian is inescapable as we’ve been created in His image.

The question is, what kind of theologian do we want to be? One characteristic that separates an excellent theologian from others is the question of love. If we love God and seek to know Him more, we’ll grow in humility as our learning becomes a form of worship.

This is what I’ve observed speaking to these and other academic theologians who’ve dedicated their lives not only to know God more but to serve the greater Church by helping us in our walk.

References

^[1] Craig A. Blaising and Darrell L. Bock, Progressive Dispensationalism (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Publishing Group, 1993), Kindle Edition 14.
^[2] Blaising and Bock, Progressive Dispensationalism, 48.
^[3] Blaising and Bock, Progressive Dispensationalism, 105.

At the center of the book of Micah, there’s a promise of a baby who would one day be king.

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.

It’s a familiar passage, one we return to every Christmas as we remember the birth of Jesus. But that familiarity can sometimes keep us from heeding the original context, which can be seen in the prior verse:

Marshal your troops now, city of troops, for a siege is laid against us. They will strike Israel’s ruler on the cheek with a rod.

Assyria began by devastating the Northern tribes and has now pushed their campaign up to the gates of Jerusalem, and they have the city surrounded. It’s a siege.

During this siege, with all its fear, Micah gives a prophecy, not of present deliverance but of a baby in the distant future. His audience must have been asking themselves, what does a birth announcement have to do with our current crisis?

What’s true in the circumstances of the initial prophecy is also true of the literary shape of the book of Micah; this prophecy is the very center of the book and the climax of the center section. The rest of the book lies gathered around and focused on it like the little figurines around Jesus in our nativity sets. The book of Micah’s primary theme is injustice (cf. 2:1-2, 3:1-3, 6:8, 10-12, 7:2-3), specifically the injustice of Judah and God’s plan to set things right.^[1] A careful reading that notes the birth prophecy’s prominence prompts a similar question to the one that Jerusalem asked: What does a baby to come have to do with the rampant injustice now?

Like Micah’s original audience, we today have been asking almost the same question without realizing it. What does Christmas have to do with the Civil Rights Movement? What does Jesus have to do with social justice?

Many answers have been given, and in our divisive times, those answers are steeped in history, cultural baggage, and accusations. But Micah demands we keep asking the question. I want to survey some of the prominent answers that I see as deficient and suggest one of my own. Each answer can be summed up in a simple phrase tying the term “gospel” to the term “social justice” with a different conjunction. We’ll look at them in turn.

Gospel OR Social Justice

This group sees two opposing camps, and you can only belong to one. In evangelical circles, the most common version of this sees an emphasis on issues of social justice as being an abandoning of the gospel. There’s a historical precedent for this concern. The liberalization of the mainline denominations at the beginning of the last century coupled a forsaking of core doctrine (virgin birth, inerrancy of scripture, bodily resurrection of Jesus) and a fresh social concern. For these voices, the purpose of the church was to seek social good.

The fundamentalist movement was a response to this mistake, rightly demanding that this wasn’t a new phase of Christianity but a forsaking of it entirely. As the battle became more entrenched, fundamentalists became suspicious of even the trappings of the so-called social gospel, such as activism and concern for the poor. Emphasizing these things was seen as the beginning of a slippery slope to liberalism and thus the OR became defining.

This view, which at its heart pits orthodoxy (right doctrine) against orthopraxy (right living), cannot be reconciled with the Old or New Testament. God cared about injustice in the days of Micah and he cares today.

Gospel AND Social Justice

This group sees the church as having two primary missions: to preach the gospel and to do good in our world. Bible studies AND soup kitchens. Evangelism AND activism. For many, it’s easy to see this approach as rectifying the over-correction of the fundamentalists, and it does have an easier time reading a whole Bible. However, there’re some dangers to this approach. First, there’s the danger of perpetual multiplication. It’s like the old Monty Python sketch with the Spanish Inquisition, where every recitation of our purpose demands another thing that’s also important.

The danger of multiplication is rooted in one that’s even more problematic. To give both these terms equal emphasis inherently de-prioritizes the Gospel. We cannot be gospel-centered AND social justice-centered. This camp tends to lose this priority.

Gospel FOR Social Justice

For this camp, like the AND camp, these terms belong together. There’s a very important relationship between the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and the social issues in our world. God’s entire plan is to bring justice (the kingdom), and he’s accomplishing this by first sending a king and then using the kingdom’s subjects in our world. In this case, the gospel is the means, and justice is the end. Again, I would suggest this is closer to the biblical message than the previous views, but this camp tends to downplay the eschatological hope of the Gospel. Instead of Jesus one day returning to establish his kingdom on earth, the church is establishing it now, and the return of Jesus is the climax of the church’s successful campaign.

This is really to misunderstand part of the good news of the Gospel. The church is not called to build the kingdom but to be a witness of its impending arrival. That witness includes living in the ways of the coming kingdom and the good works we do for our neighbors. But the only way the Kingdom comes is with the king’s return.

Social Justice FOR Gospel

This group values social justice because it creates gospel opportunities and receptiveness. They rightly prioritize the gospel, particularly in prioritizing evangelism, and see social justice pragmatically as a tool in that task. They know, and often recite, the old quip “they don’t care what you know until they know that you care.” This camp’s easy to spot because any good work is only truly good if it includes a gospel presentation. Every free lunch sack needs to include a gospel tract. For this camp, evangelism is like fishing; good works are how you bait the hook.

This approach appears to fall short of the holistic love demanded by Jesus. To rightly love, we must care about our neighbor’s whole selves, not just their souls. Those on the receiving end often feel like they’re only valued as a potential convert, a notch on the belt, instead of an image-bearer worthy of love … and unfortunately, sometimes they’re right. It’s also hard to see how this view can lead to any prophetic confrontation that may be negatively received, but that’s an important aspect of a faithful witness.

This brings us to the view that I’d suggest:

Gospel THEREFORE Social Justice

It’s not that changing the world is the gospel or that the gospel has nothing to do with change in our world. It’s that the gospel has changed us, and that changes the way we relate to our world. The gospel creates communities of mutual concern and sharing (Acts 2:44-47). God has been so generous with us that we’re generous (2 Cor. 8:9). We’re concerned for our neighbor’s soul and their supper because that’s what love does, and we’re loved by Jesus (1 John 3:16-18).

Unlike the Social Justice FOR Gospel view, social justice isn’t the bait of the gospel; it’s the byproduct. Unlike the Gospel for Social Justice view, we don’t bring the kingdom but make it manifest. We aren’t seeking to entirely change our world as much as testify to a different world, but that testimony must be not just in word but in deed and truth.

Final Thoughts

This debate is too long-standing and this presentation too brief for me to assume I’ve convinced every reader, but I hope that these terms will serve both to provide a lay of the land and give helpful language to further discussion.

God sent a baby to address an unjust world. A better answer than mine may exist, but we must keep asking the question: How does Jesus relate to social justice?

Reference

^[1] Interestingly, Isaiah does the exact same thing cf. Isa. 7.

Originally published on Nick’s blog on April 11, 2019.

At age 19, Augustine Aurelius—later to be known as Augustine of Hippo—read a dialogue by the Roman philosopher Cicero in which Cicero stated that every person sets out to be happy, but the majority are thoroughly wretched. Truly, no one dreams as a child of one day growing up to be miserable, and yet many people’s lives are characterized by conflict, frustration and unfulfilled longings.

Augustine set out to discover why it is that most people are so discontent in life. His conclusion was that for most of us, our lives are “out of order”; we have disordered loves.

Augustine was convinced that what defines a person more than anything is what they love. He said that when we ask if someone is a “good” person, what we are asking is not what they believe or what they hope for, but rather what they love. He stated that what we consider human virtues, e.g. courage, honesty, etc. are essentially forms of love. Courage is loving your neighbor’s well-being more than your own safety. Honesty is loving someone enough to tell them the truth even if it may put you at a disadvantage.

Sin, Augustine said, is ultimately a lack of love, either for God or for your neighbor. He famously stated that “The essence of sin is disordered love.”

Disordered loves means that we often love less-important things more, and more-important things less than we ought to, and this wrong prioritization leads to unhappiness and disorder in our lives.

This is essentially what James says in his epistle:

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. (James 4:1-3)

James is saying that what makes people miserable is not their circumstances, but that they are chasing after the wrong things, for the wrong reasons. The things they love are out of order.

Many times we view people as a means to an end, using them rather than loving them. Oftentimes we seek God primarily because we find him useful, rather than seeking him because we find him beautiful. We relate to him as useful to us, to help us achieve our selfish goals, rather than seeking his agenda for our lives.