Christian Geeks Unite

Sunday, July 5, 2020

A Child of the King

In the children’s story Sara Crewe by Frances Hodgson Burnett, the young Sara lives in a boarding school and is suddenly orphaned. The headmistress begins to treat her as a slave. But Sara has a way of handling the abuse by imagining she is a princess. She tells herself:

“You don’t know that you are saying these things to a princess, and that if I chose I could wave my hand and order you to execution. I only spare you because I am a princess, and you are a poor, stupid, old, vulgar thing, and don’t know any better… I am a princess in rags and tatters, but I am a princess, inside. It would be easy to be a princess if I were dressed in cloth-of-gold; it is a great deal more of a triumph to be one all the time when no one knows it.”

As I was reflecting on the story and thinking maybe I need to try that tactic sometime, it hit me that I don’t have to imagine it—it’s already true. I am a child of the King of kings. I’ve been adopted into the royal family.

“For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba, Father!’ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:15-17a ESV).

“He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will” (Ephesians 1:5).

We all need to remember who we are. Though we probably won’t say it out loud:

When people are abusive, “I’m a child of the King.”
When someone says something inconsiderate, “I belong to God.”
When the world mocks and condemns my faith, “I’m part of the family of God.”
When suffering seems unending, “I’m loved with an everlasting love.”
When I mess up and start condemning myself, “I have the righteousness of Christ.”
When fellow Christians say or do aggravating things, “He or she is my brother or sister in Christ.”

I particularly like the reminder that it would be easy to be a prince or princess if everyone could see that’s what we are, but it is a challenge when we outwardly look the same as any other person. We are sanctified and matured by the process of clinging to the truth of who God says we are regardless of what the world tells us. It is a triumph of grace when we can live out of our new identity even when others can’t understand it.

I can’t end without a quote from C. S. Lewis:

“It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree helping each other to one or the other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all of our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations - these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendors” (The Weight of Glory).

We may not look or feel like princes and princesses right now, but if we know God as our Father that is our true identity.

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are” (1 John 3:a).

Friday, June 26, 2020

Sing!

Keith and Kristyn Getty’ book, Sing! How Worship Transforms Your Life, Family, and Church, is a good one for pastors, song leaders, church members, and parents alike. The following are a few quotes that caught my attention:

“Repeatedly and throughout Scripture, we are commanded to be a singing people. There are more than four hundred references to singing in the Bible and at least fifty direct commands. We are not to disregard the command because we don't like the music or the personnel or are not in the mood... Colossians 3:16 also speaks into how we sing… “with thankfulness in your hearts to God” … Thankfulness is more than saying the words with your lips. In fact, you are not singing Christianly if you are singing only with your lips… How we sing does reveal how we think and feel about something” (14, 18).

“If our songs are not giving us a balanced, rich, nutritious diet, we will not be spiritually healthy people… Could it be that many of our services today turn people off who are suffering and seeking Christ? Do our songs present a veneer of happiness rather than a robust joy in the midst of pain? Are the fountains we point to as we sing deep enough to meet the thirst that the trials of life give us? If not, then our diet is impoverished—our words are too small” (46).

“Songs help us train children in the ‘language’ of the Christian faith. What we want to teach our kids travels deeper inside them when we sing it rather than only speak it to them… Singing together in the home is an excellent way to prompt questions and give answers and aim for depth of spiritual understanding in our children in a memorable way” (57-58).

“Our singing (even when it joyfully falls off pitch) should always, unapologetically, contribute to our sense of family and community and never be rushed through, mumbled through, or handed over to the ‘professionals’” (76).

“Biblically rich content in song, sung by people who look like they mean what they are saying, helps teach the gospel as something that is credible and powerful rather than cultural and optional” (78).

“We must actually believe and live the truths we sing, otherwise what we sing can make us hypocritical, and not only doesn’t attract non-believers—it turns them off. It is easy to sing about the Lordship of Christ; far harder to live under it” (92).

“The songs we sing together are lifelines that draw each of us back to the heart of the King we serve and to the priorities of the kingdom we are members of. The songs we sing to ourselves are what tether us to our Lord day by day. The songs we sing to others are what proclaim His kingdom manifesto in a way that reaches deep into their heads and their hearts” (98).

In the end, the question is “Will you sing?”

“Sing praises to the Lord, O you His saints, and give thanks to His holy name” (Psalm 30:4 ESV).

Thursday, June 18, 2020

War of Words

Thousands of new words and new definitions are added to English dictionaries each year. The Oxford English Dictionary online has over 600,000 words. There are reported to be over 7,000 languages in the world, not including dialects. Our understanding of words is influenced by our own background and beliefs. Many probably remember the presidential discussion, “What does ‘is’ mean?”

It’s little wonder that we have trouble understanding one another. In the Tower of Babel incident in Genesis 11, God said, “Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech” (v. 7 ESV) We may think we’ve overcome that problem by creating dictionaries and training translators, but we still have difficulties. A recent Supreme Court ruling attempted to define what “sex” means in Title VII. Public opinion is divided as to whether they defined it correctly. That’s just one of myriads of words that get redefined based on what point one wants to make.

We all agree that words matter, and most of us want to use our words carefully in order to convey truth. But then we face Pilate’s question in John 18:38, “What is truth?” Paul told Timothy, “Charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers” (2 Timothy 2:14). Yet it seems like that is a battle we are constantly facing even within the Church. Individual churches and denominations have split over the interpretation of words (and specifically the Word), and the Church is always in tension with culture because of our application of what we believe to be the Word of God.

In the turmoil of recent days, I’ve often been reminded of Ephesians 6:12, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” What I hadn’t really noticed before is that the following verses have a lot to do with words. The armor of God includes the belt of truth, that shoes of the gospel of peace, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. That is followed by a reminder to persevere in prayer and Paul’s prayer request “that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel.” The truth of Scripture is both our protection and our message.

While we know that not everyone will listen or accept Scripture as having any authority, that does not negate our responsibility to proclaim God’s truth.

“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).

“Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart… [By] the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord” (2 Corinthians 4:1-5).

Until Jesus—the incarnate Word of God—returns, we must abide in His Word so that we will know the truth that sets us free (John 8:31), and we must share the truth with others so that they may find that same freedom in Christ. “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).

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*I started reading Paul David Tripp’s book War on Words several days after writing this post, and found that he said some of the same things. No plagiarism was intended.

Here’s something else I wrote on the armor of God.

Thursday, June 11, 2020

Be Still

In our office chapel service this week we talked about Psalm 46. Verse 10 is well known, “Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (ESV). The root Hebrew word translated as “Be still” in Psalm 46 is used elsewhere as “relax” and “wait.” In the New Testament, Mark recounts the storm at sea when Jesus “awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm” (Mark 4:39; compare also Psalm 107:29). The words used here have the connotation of “be silent.”

I was reminded of visits to my Grandma Rutan’s house as a child. When the grandkids were noisy, fussing, or hyperactive, she would say “Be still.” Looking back, I realize she was saying more than just “Sit down” or “Hush.” I think God says the same to us. “Be still. Relax. Wait. Be silent. Rest. Trust Me.”

That’s often easier said than done. When the world is in turmoil around us, we look for the things we can do and things we can control. We try to understand what God is doing, but we may not be able to figure it out. John Piper said, “God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may be aware of three of them.” Sometimes we can’t even see three things. How can we rest and wait on God? Most of that has to come from knowing and trusting what Scripture says about Him.

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior” (Isaiah 43:1b-3a).

“Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and His Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last; besides Me there is no god… Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are My witnesses! Is there a God besides Me? There is no Rock; I know not any” (Isaiah 44:6, 8).

“Their Redeemer is strong; the Lord of hosts is His name. He will surely plead their cause, that He may give rest to the earth, but unrest to the inhabitants of Babylon” (Jeremiah 50:32).

“[Jesus Christ] is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Timothy 6:15).

“Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good” (1 Peter 4:19).

If we trust that God is the sovereign Creator, Redeemer, and King, and that we belong to Him, we can learn to be still and wait upon Him to accomplish His good purposes in us, through us, and around us. As much as we want to understand and see what God is doing in our world, we’ll rarely know enough to satisfy our questions. Faith says “I know enough to trust that God knows what He’s doing.” I need that reminder frequently these days.

“And those who know Your name put their trust in You, for You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You” (Psalm 9:10).

(Here’s a post I wrote a couple years ago that you might like.)

Thursday, June 4, 2020

What Can I Say?

I’ve been debating all week what to write. Given the current tensions in our country, I fear saying the wrong thing. I fear offending someone unintentionally because I use the wrong words or don’t know all the facts and experiences of others. But I also fear saying nothing. I don’t want to be seen as complicit in evil because I don’t speak up. I think a lot of people are in the same boat. We want to support our brothers and sisters of other races because we are all made in the image of God, but we just don’t know what to say or do.

I started reading The Peacemaker by Ken Sande, and he makes some good observations on 1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1 (NIV): “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God—even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”

“[The] Bible teaches that we should see conflict neither as an inconvenience nor as an occasion to force our will on others, but rather as an opportunity to demonstrate the love and power of God in our lives… This passage encourages us to look at conflict as an opportunity to glorify God, serve others, and grow to be like Christ” (ch. 1).

“Rights are not something you deserve and possess for your own benefit. Rather, they are privileges given to you by God, and he wants you to use them for his glory and to benefit others, especially by helping them to know Christ… Thus, whenever there is a question about your rights, you should ask yourself questions like these:

“‘Will exercising my rights honor God by showing the power of the gospel in my life?’ ‘Will exercising my rights advance God’s kingdom—or will it advance only my interests at the expense of his kingdom?’ ‘Will exercising my rights benefit others?’ ‘Is exercising my rights essential for my own well-being?’” (ch. 4).

The Declaration of Independence and Constitution provide for certain “unalienable rights,” yet we can all point to examples where people have misused their rights and harmed others. The abuse of authority leads to wrongful death. The abuse of free speech breaks hearts and inflames anger. God calls us to a higher standard: “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor… If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all… Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:10, 18, 21 ESV). “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person by quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:19-20).

What then can I say? I’d start with “I’m sorry.” I’m sorry that people have abused their power and privileges and have caused harm and even death to your family and friends. I’m sorry that many of us have sat back and watched and not lifted a finger to help. I’m sorry that it has taken this long for me and others like me to even try to understand what you’ve gone through your whole life. I’m sorry for the times I have not spoken up when others have said unkind or untrue things or have been rude and inconsiderate to you. And I’m sorry to the young man I offended when I used a wrong term because I didn’t think how it would be heard by someone from a different background, and thank you for being gracious enough not to react to my ignorance.

I hope you know that many of us want to understand and to do a better job of loving you. We need your help to know what we can say and do to help and not to harm.

“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another” (Galatians 5:13-15).

Monday, May 25, 2020

Worthy

The complementarian-egalitarian debate is alive and kicking in some parts of the church. For some reason this area of theology evokes extremely strong opinions from some people on both sides. I suspect that much of the rancor arises because people have been personally wounded by those who disagree. Few subjects in the church seem quite as likely to vilify one’s “opponents.” One blog I read recently gave the impression that egalitarians were being led by the devil.

Perhaps that is why I found Elyse Fitzpatrick and Eric Schumacher’s book, Worthy: Celebrating the Value of Women, to be a breath of fresh air. I wasn’t overly familiar with their writings, and I didn’t read the book endorsements, so for the first several chapters of their book I was under the impression that they were going to bring forth an egalitarian argument. I was therefore surprised when they affirmed a complementarian perspective. You might see why I thought that from these quotes:

“We are saying that women—as a sex—are not more sinful than men. Women are not more deceivable than men. Women are not less intelligent than men. Women are not more prone to error than men. Women are not more dangerous than men. Women are not more arrogant or domineering than men. Women are not to be viewed with more suspicion than men. All women are born into sin, unrighteous by both nature and choice—as are all men” (ch. 2).

“What should you see when you see a Christian woman? You should not see a snare, a temptation, and a pitfall. You should not see an object of sexual gratification, a threat to power, or a crafty usurper. You should see a mother and a sister, a family member in the faith. See someone who, regardless of her past, wears the righteousness of Jesus Christ. See someone who God adopted as a child—a fellow heir of the kingdom—someone who is still commissioned to be the necessary help that is needed as we fight against the evil one. See someone who the Spirit of God fills and gifts for service as a blessing to the world, the church, and her home. See a woman who will one day rise from the dead to reign with Jesus forever. Tell her that’s who she is. Tell her the Gospel” (ch. 3).

“What is the significance of women’s presence throughout Jesus’ ministry and especially in the last hours of his life? Women were a marginalized social class. Faith would be expected from one of the Twelve, such as Judas and Peter. But it is the women who followed him without betrayal or denial. The chief priests, the elders, and the high priest of Israel should have recognized their Messiah. But a woman anoints the King. The unexpected, despised, rejected Messiah is followed by unexpected, despised, rejected people. But Jesus does not despise and reject these unexpected disciples. He sees, receives, and affirms them, and promises that they will never be forgotten” (ch. 5).

“A Christian woman’s vocation is simple: make disciples and teach them the truth about the One who has come. That doesn’t mean that women who are gifted and so inclined shouldn’t seek to fulfill this commission in part by raising godly children or loving their spouses in his name. But that particular vocation is no longer primary… Single Christian women no longer have to await motherhood in order to bring others into his covenant people. This shift away from the sole option of motherhood to joining their brothers in disciple-making is seen in part in the change from male circumcision to male and female baptism… Women were shown to be members of the [old] covenant only through their relationship to a circumcised male. But now women are free to enter into the new sign, baptism, whether they are bound to a believing male or not; a woman’s circumcised and baptized Husband has already come” (ch. 11).

However, I’d say one of the best quotes comes from their conclusion:

“As your fellow believers—church members and leaders—wrestle with hard questions, search the Bible, and consider how to faithfully live together as a family of believers; do not view them as enemies. View them as God does—as family. You share the same blood—that of Christ—and the same future. View them as necessary allies, gifts of grace, given by God for your good. You need this Spirit-filled family to sharpen, challenge, and shape you, just as much as they need you.

“Christian faithfulness requires compassion toward Christians who disagree with us. We realize that as sincere Christians go to the Bible to develop their doctrine, we often come away with different, yet Christian convictions. This is why we have paedobaptists and credobaptists. This is why we have congregationalist and elder-ruled churches. This is why we have Christians who serve in the armed forces and those who are conscientious objectors to war. This is why we have complementarians and egalitarians. People who love Jesus, believe the Gospel, and submit to the authority of Scripture, come away from the Bible with differing but sincere convictions.

“We must not shy away from discussion and debate about what the Bible teaches. But we must bear in mind that we hold our differing convictions as members of a larger family. Let us not turn genuine brothers and sisters in the faith into enemies, but remember to show compassion in each disagreement. We are part of a bigger realm, the kingdom of God, in which brothers and sisters disagree as we wait together for our King to come and make us (and our doctrine) perfect… Christian conviction should compel Christian unity, not excuse Christian division. We should strive to stand and serve together to as great an extent as possible with all who confess Jesus Christ as the Son of God who died for our sins and rose from the dead.”

As people of the Book, we can disagree on many things without turning our co-laborers into enemies. We need to remember who the true enemy is. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against… the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12 ESV). Let’s not create more wounds by attacking those within our own eternal family.

“My beloved children, let us not love merely in word or in tongue — Contenting ourselves with complimental expressions of regard, or with giving our Christian brethren nothing but fair speeches; but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18 Benson Commentary).

Thursday, May 21, 2020

The Family Tree

Our church is beginning a study of the book of Matthew, which opens with the genealogy of Jesus Christ. There is much that could be said about each person listed, but I want to note five people in particular—the five women. Women were not typically included in genealogies at that time, and this genealogy would have been sufficient even without them listed. So Matthew, as inspired by the Holy Spirit, must have had good reason to mention these five names.

Tamar - “Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar” (Matt. 1:3 ESV).

Tamar’s story is found in Genesis 38. She was married to Judah’s son Er who died. By Jewish law she was entitled to go to her brother-in-law Onan so that she could bear a son. Onan refused and God put him to death. Judah promised Tamar she would eventually go to his other son Shelah, but Judah reneged on his promise. Tamar had to find another way to carry on the family line, and she managed to trick Judah into being the father by posing as a prostitute, and thus she bore Perez and Zerah.

This is a bizarre story by modern standards, and yet it points out the fact that God will accomplish His purposes even through the sins of people. Judah and Tamar both made questionable choices, but God carried on the family line of Abraham through them.

Rahab - “Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab” (Matt. 1:5).

The story of Rahab from Joshua 2 and 6 is probably more familiar. She was a prostitute who had her home in the wall of Jericho. When the Israelite spies came into town she hid them and helped them to escape the authorities because “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us” (Josh. 2:9). From the stories she had heard about the Exodus (which took place 40 years earlier!), she knew enough about God to believe that He was going to overthrow Jericho. When Israel marched around the city and the walls fell, Rahab and her family were saved. Matthew’s reference to her is actually the first in Scripture that indicates her marriage to Salmon. Matthew evidently drew this from other rabbinic teachings.

So we have here another woman who was not only a prostitute but also a foreigner. Israel had been instructed to completely destroy the cities that didn’t make a peace treaty with them (Deut. 20:10-18), but Rahab’s actions and her acknowledgment of the God of Israel saved her life and earned her a place of note in the genealogy of the Messiah.

Ruth - “Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth” (Matt. 1:5).

We probably all know the basics of Ruth’s story. Naomi was living in Moab when her husband and sons all died. Her daughter-in-law Orpah stayed in Moab, but Ruth accompanied Naomi back to the land of Judah. There was no guarantee of a happy ending for Ruth. She was husbandless, childless, and a foreigner. The passage that is often cited at weddings was actually Ruth’s declaration of her love for her mother-in-law, “Where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16). The rest of the book of Ruth tells how she met Boaz and found favor with him and became his wife. Once again God used an unlikely woman from an unlikely place to carry on the lineage of Jesus.

Bathsheba - “David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah” (Matt. 1:6).

Much has been written about David’s sin with Bathsheba. Fewer authors have contemplated Bathsheba’s point of view. When David summoned her to the palace, she would have had no ability to say no to him. It’s not clear whether she knew what was coming or if she had any desire to be unfaithful to Uriah. Like many women, she may have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time when the king should have been out at the battle instead of walking around his rooftop. Not only does she end up pregnant, but her husband is set up to die in battle, and then her child dies. That’s not exactly a recipe for happiness. However, she then gives birth to Solomon, who bears the royal name, is known for his wisdom, and becomes an ancestor to the coming Messiah. God took a very messy and sinful situation and redeemed it for His own good purposes.

Mary - Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ” (Matt. 1:16).

Finally we get to the mother of Jesus. God had arranged the family trees of both Joseph and Mary. He brought them together in Nazareth and through angelic messengers ensured that Jesus would be born of a virgin as prophesied. Mary was evidently a woman of faith, as her song in Luke 1:46-55 brings together many scriptural references. Yet she too had to bear the pain of people thinking she was both a liar and an adulteress.

In each of these five women, we see evidence of God’s sovereignty over the course of history. He used sinful actions, untimely deaths, wars, mourning, pain, and shame to put people where He wanted them in order to bring about the birth of the Savior at just the right time and place. And through it all, He did not let these women be forgotten or overlooked. In a highly patriarchal culture, He made sure their names were included in the canon of Scripture.

From the beginning of time, God has used both men and women to accomplish His purposes, and He continues to do so today. Women are not merely supplemental to the story, but they have key roles to play in family, culture, and church. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise” (Gal. 3:28-29). Every believer will one day see our names included in the Book of Life, not as ancestors, but as children of the living God.