Blogging Theologically

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What we need to know to stop fighting to hold onto unbelief

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Misty Moring

On Friday night, I had a conversation I didn’t expect at the ERLC conference. A man came into the exhibit hall and started talking to me at my booth. The first thing he said: “Do you really believe all this stuff?”

The conversation was long and kind of all over the place (and in areas downright odd), but it was an opportunity for me to share the gospel. I definitely didn’t expect this when I arrived at the conference that morning!

One thing that sticks out is how this man, in some ways seemed to be trying to convince himself not to believe. He wasn’t willing to believe because he didn’t want to believe it. He was doing all he could to fight for his unbelief. To protect it and strengthen it. Which, of course, makes sense given the whole people “loving the dark thing and hating the light” thing and all… (see John 3:19-20)

I’m not sharing this to be self-righteous or look down on this man. At least, I hope I’m not. Instead, the whole conversation reminded me of my own unwillingness to believe before Jesus wore me down. I wasn’t anymore willing to believe the truth than the next person. In fact, I was probably worse because this man shared a desire to go back in time (or have God send him back in time) and change the past. I didn’t really have that. Before coming to faith, I had no desire to believe. Which is a problem, because as Spurgeon wrote, “The entire willingness to believe is nine-tenths of believing.”

Inasmuch as to will is present with you, the power which you do not find as yet will certainly come to you. The man is dead, and the hardest thing is to make him live; but in the case before us the quickening is accomplished, for the man lives so far as to will: he wills to believe, he yearns to believe, he longs to believe; how much has been done for him! Rising from the dead is a greater thing than the performance of an act of life. Faith in Christ is the simplest action that anybody ever performs. It is the action of a child; indeed, it is the action of a new-born babe in grace. A new-born babe never performs an action that is very complicated. We say, “Oh, it is such a babyish thing,” meaning that it is so small. Now faith comes at the moment that the child is born into God’s family; it occurs at the same time as the new birth. One of the first signs and tokens of being born again is faith; therefore it must be a very, very simple thing. I venture to say that faith in Christ differs in no respect from faith in anybody else, except in the person upon whom that faith is set. You believe in your mother: you may in the same way believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. You believe in your friend: it is the same act that you have to do toward your higher and better Friend. You believe the news that is commonly reported and printed in the daily journals: it is the same act which believes Scripture and the promise of God.1

I read this, and I thank God. Not because I’m better, but because he gave me the willingness to believe. I read and and I hope he will give that same desire to the man I spoke to on Friday night. That he would come to know that “faith in Christ is the simplest action that anybody ever performs,” and that he would believe. Because unbelief is so much harder. Convincing yourself that the truth is a lie wastes so much energy. Honest belief is simple because it’s true. And when we believe, it changes everything.

Weekend reading (8/27)

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Weekend Reading at Blogging Theologically

Today we’re wrapping things up at ERLC 2016 with the post-conference on faith and politics. It’s been a long couple days, but filled with lots of encouraging stories and time hanging out with good people while sharing the value of The Gospel Project.

Today, I’ve got a couple of Kindle deals to recommend to y’all:

Did Gandalf Rescue Evangelicals?

Samuel James:

But when Fellowship debuted, evangelicals were flummoxed. Here was a PG-13 adaptation of a novel written by a traditional Catholic in the latter half of the 20th century. I had never heard of J.R.R. Tolkien when I saw the movie in December 2001, and neither had most of my family or friends. But enough Christians knew about the books to herald the coming of the movies as a significant moment for believers and Hollywood.

How Petra Rocked My Soul

Tim Challies:

My best friend became a loser right around age 14. I had hopped a Greyhound from Hamilton to the far side of Toronto to spend a weekend with Paul. We sat down to do what boys that age do—probably something destructive—and he popped a new tape into his stereo. “These guys are Christians.” I scoffed. “They’re called Petra. The album is Beyond Belief.” I laughed. What a weakling. It really was beyond belief. He and I used to listen to Duran Duran together. Bon Jovi. Guns N’ Roses. And now we were going to listen to this tripe? Come on. Plus they can’t actually be Christians. Not good Christians, anyway. They play electric guitar! They’ve got long hair, for pity’s sake!

How Celibacy Can Fulfill Your Sexuality

Sam Allberry:

By foregoing marriage now, singleness is a way of both anticipating this reality and testifying to its goodness. It’s a way of saying this future reality is so certain that we can live according to it now. If marriage shows us the shape of the gospel, singleness shows us its sufficiency. It’s a way of declaring to a world obsessed with sexual and romantic intimacy that these things are not ultimate, and that in Christ we possess what is.

You Might Be an Evangelical Who Grew Up in the 1980s and 90s If . . .

Justin Taylor casts light on what appears to be a dark time for Christianity in North America.

Can mother ever relax?

Kim Shay:

My children are still establishing themselves as adults. There are still “growing pains,” albeit much more complicated ones. I continue to hold my breath, waiting, sometimes late at night, wondering: can I relax now?

Meet a Reformed Arminian

Jeff Robinson interviews Matt Pinson. It’s a pretty interesting piece, one that I hope opens up some appropriate and healthy discussion.

Intramural Battle Wounds

Nick Batzig:

Christianity is spiritual warfare. Anyone who reads the Scriptures with any degree of honesty will immediately recognize that when Christ enlisted us into His everlasting Kingdom, He enlisted us into a spiritual battle in this fallen world. This means, of course, that our Christian lives will be fraught with trials and tribulation. Anyone who has sought to walk faithfully with the Lord for any length of time has experienced some of these difficulties already. There is one thing that you can bank on if you are seeking to faithfully fight the good fight of faith…battle wounds will abound. Sometimes those wounds come from an employer, a family member, a neighbor or a fellow classmate. Sometimes, however, these wounds come from a brother or sister in the faith. Friendly (and sometimes “not-so-friendly”) fire is one of the great detriments to the progress of the Church in the world; yet, it is all too common. Why do so many in the church suffer from intramural battle wounds?

Where theory gets practical

A favorite from the archives:

One Easter weekend, about seven years ago now, I was making a sandwich, and I had to put the knife I was using down because my hands were shaking uncontrollably. I’d been running off my feet for months—years, actually. My body said “when.” But there was something else, too. It wasn’t just my body that was making me stop. It was a realization that I was living in a way that didn’t reflect my theoretical theology.

What does it mean to “make your life better and richer?”

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Crown of thorns on top of an open Bible
At ERLC 2016, Andy Stanley and Russell Moore had a lively discussion on their divergent approaches to Scripture’s place in their ministries, language, and basically everything else.  One of the conversations centered around whether it’s easy or not to preach repentance. Stanley is a strong believer in taking a gentle approach, taking steps toward following Jesus. His idea is that it’s a better approach to invite to become a follower of Jesus, because following Jesus leads to a life that will be better and richer.

It was a lively discussion, and delved into all kinds of difficult and touchy subjects, and I appreciated Stanley’s candor throughout.

As I listened, I kept wondering, “what does it mean to have a better and richer life?” What exactly does that mean?

Now, before anyone thinks this is a hit piece on Stanley, it’s not. He had a lot of really helpful things to say (even if I wish they were things he said more consistently). So, I’m not accusing him of anything, ‘kay?

Instead, I’m thinking about this question. What is a richer life? What is a better life? There are two ways to look at it:

The first is to believe that it means your life will become materially better. That your relationships will improve; your bank account will be full; you will magically drop those 20 pounds you’ve wanted to lose since 1997… It’s the Christian life as defined by the American life. The message that, I think, many people in my circles probably think guys like Stanley preach. (Again, not saying he does.) This is the kind of message that leaves people disillusioned with Christianity, or a distorted version of it anyway. But as has often been said, when this is our understanding of Christianity, they’re not trying the faith and finding it wanting, but leaving it untried.

Then there’s the other view, what I believe is the biblical view: it’s the recognition that your life might actually kind of stink once you start to follow Jesus. You might lose your job. You might experience relational difficulty, or perhaps you’ll even get a terminal illness.

But what do you get? Jesus. You get God. You are brought into the family of God, through the death and resurrection of Jesus, and given an inheritance that will never fail. A place in the new creation, before the throne of God, and the promise of hearing the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” as Jesus wipes the tears from your eyes.

That’s what you get. That’s what you get to look forward to. I can’t imagine a richer or better life than one with that as its foundation.

Links I like (8/23)

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Links I like

A few new Kindle deals to check out today, including a personal favorite: Seeking the Face of God by Martyn Lloyd-Jones ($3.99). Also on sale are:

The Courage to Not Overreact

Dan Darling:

This is a key leadership principle, I think, not only for Presidents, but for any kind of leader. Too often we are pressured to do something. We live in a fast-paced, social-media driven world. Inaction, at times, seems like we don’t care. To be sure, this isn’t an excuse for laziness, but there is a wise middle course between panicking and passivity.

Are US Christians Really ‘Persecuted’?

K.A. Ellis:

A Syrian remaining in the region to assist Christians and Muslims cautions, “It wasn’t only ISIS who laid waste to the church; our cultural compromises with the government and our divisions against each other brewed for a long time. We are Damascus, the seat of Christianity; what happened to us can happen to you. Be careful.”

When persecuted Christian leaders overseas warn about how seriously US Christians are marginalized, it’s time to listen.

Ministry: A Haven for the Lazy and the Workaholic

Eric Geiger:

We sin differently, but all of us sin. Some are more prone to drift to laziness, to a life without intentionality, to wasting time instead of investing it. Some are more prone toward being a workaholic, to finding identity in a job or activity, to measuring one’s worth by the results. Ministry can be a haven for both expressions of sin.

Four Types of Churches That Will Soon Die

Thom Rainer:

But too many churches are dying. And the rate of dying churches is accelerating.

I am concerned. Certainly from a biblical perspective, I understand the bride of Christ will be victorious. I understand the gates of hell will not prevail against her (Matthew 16:18).

But that does not mean individual congregations won’t die.

The 3 Minor Prophets Who Wrecked Me

Trevin offers some good insights from the minor prophets.

Do You Pray Like a Nonbeliever?

John Piper:

It is possible that nominal Christians learn the language of true, Christ-exalting, God-centered, sin-confessing, Spirit-dependent, promise-trusting, holiness-pursuing prayer. But I have found that it is rare for those with little love to Christ to pray as though they love him and his kingdom.

Pandering to Millennials

Samuel James:

When I think about my generation of Christians, the biggest concern I have is not that we will wholesale abandon orthodoxy or the local church. Jesus will build his body and not even the gates of social media can overcome that. No, my biggest concern is that the we millennials will construct the idea that ours is a “chosen generation,” that the saints who came before us are obstacles to be hurdled and those who come us after will look pretty much like we do.

The real secret of keeping millennials in the church

A favorite from the archives:

In fact, many of the millennials who are leaving the church are simply following the example of the previous generation of nominal believers. Christianity didn’t really make that much of a difference in their parents’ lives, at least from what they could see, so clearly there’s nothing to it.

So for all the damning talk of millennials not being able to find Jesus in our churches, the reality may be they don’t know what Jesus to look for.

My prayers aren’t too small for “the God of square inches”

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are my prayers too small?

There’s something I do that’s really dumb. Okay, there are a lot of things that probably qualify (though my wife will neither confirm nor deny this). What I’m thinking of, though, is my attitude when it comes to prayer.

Now, I like to pray, of course. I do it regularly. But when I think about my prayers, I realize that I’m actually pretty consistent with praying for “big” things. Whether bringing I know God can do the impossible. I know he won’t fail to deliver on his promises.

And yet, when it comes to the “little” things—that’s where I realize I’m… inconsistent. I forget that God cares for the details of my life, just as he does the birds and the wildflowers (Matthew 6:26-30). I read the words “you of little faith,” and feel their weight.

In the parable of the lost coin, Jesus described the woman who has ten coins, searching carefully until she finds the one she lost (Luke 15:8). The woman stands in for the Father in this parable. The coin that is found—the single soul who repents and is rejoiced over in heaven. Of this parable, Jared Wilson writes,  “If the aim of God is that the knowledge of his glory will cover the earth like the waters cover the sea, inspecting between the cracks in the floor makes total sense. Our God is the God of the universe. And he is the God of square inches.”1

In the same way, if God is the “God of square inches”—if he cares about the tiniest details, just as he rejoices over a single person who repents, then this needs to change how I pray. I can bring the smallest details to him—the “silliest” things that I might think he doesn’t have time for—and he will hear. Indeed, he knows these needs before I ask!

I must always remember that my needs aren’t too small. I really can come to him with everything. So can you.

Weekend reading (8/20)

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Weekend Reading at Blogging Theologically

Today is the last day to get these books on sale from Crossway:

Also consider:

Top 10 Things I Love That Worship Leaders Do

Jared Wilson:

I wasn’t surprised by the big reaction to my recent post “Top 10 Things I Wish Worship Leaders Would Stop Saying” because I know that the subject is a particular hot button for evangelicals. And while I think too often we inappropriately insulate our preferences/traditions from criticism, I am of course sensitive to the request for a more positive, proactive help. I’ve actually written quite a bit on worship, both online and in print—The Prodigal Church and my Gospel Coalition church resource Gospel Shaped Worship are the most notable examples—but new readers triggered by yesterday’s blog post are not likely to be familiar with that work. I was already planning on writing the list below but decided to hasten its appearing. Here’s to hoping this list reaches the same audience as the last.

Aging with Grace

I really appreciated reading this.

Pastor, Preach in High Definition

Ronjour Locke:

Just as higher resolutions produce a clearer view of the world, so more focused attention on our God will produce a clearer worldview. Very little on TV is worth seeing clearly, but we will not survive without a clear vision of our great God. When you preach, show God in high definition.

One of the Best Novels You’ve Never Heard Of

Karen Swallow Prior reviews Marilynne Robinson’s Housekeeping: A Novel:

Housekeeping is a book steeped in biblical imagery and Christian theology. The literalist unable or unwilling to distinguish between the language of divine inspiration and the language of human metaphor may stumble over passages like this, one that makes the heart of the poetry lover soar.

Five Words Which Might Scare Your Pastor

Mike Leake:

I heard these words a few times as a youth pastor, when I was just cutting my teeth in ministry, and I absolutely relished them. It was confirmation to my heart and my soul that I was doing what God had called me to do. I’ve heard these words now as a senior pastor and they aren’t nearly as appetizing—they are frightening.

What are these five words?

“I’m here because of you.”

Human Identity in Crisis

Peter Jones:

A few weeks ago Rush Limbaugh announced that the fastest growing crime in the West is identity theft. It is true that we hear a lot about illegal hacking in the news cycle, as individuals, businesses and even nations have their deepest secrets exposed. But the real crime is the theft of the source of human dignity, namely, the Creator.

Why learn Aramaic?

Food for thought for those who have an affinity for languages.

The three most amazing letters in the Bible

A favorite from the archives:

Words have power (a shocking revelation, I know). With just a word, we can give life to a hurting friend, or crush their spirit. With only a word, we can change someone’s entire outlook on the world.

What’s funny is, sometimes you do this with the most seemingly insignificant word.

You know what word in the Bible does this?

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