Making Sense of a Paradox

In his book, A Glossary of Literary Terms, M.H. Abrams describes a paradox as, "...a statement which seems on its face to be self-contradictory or absurd yet turns out to make good sense." Paradoxical language is sometimes used in the Bible to teach us a deeper lesson that we would not learn if the language were more straightforward. For example, Philippians 4:12 says, "...work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." The first part of the statement says that we do the work, the second part says God does the work. Both are true. Living the Christian life involves a relationship between us and God. We do our part, He does His part. The salvation in this instance isn't talking about the hereafter, but our progress in this current life. Paul, who emphasized eternal salvation through faith -- not works -- isn't referring to the afterlife here.

Tom befuddled by a paradox

This post will focus on the "grace/faith versus works" paradox. The vast majority of Christians will say we are saved by faith, not works, and I absolutely adhere to that. However, it is so easy to get out of balance in either direction. The extreme error on one side is to say, "Well, I'm saved by faith, therefore I can sin to my heart's content." At the other extreme is the legalistic type who feels he must be morally perfect to somehow please God.

I attended a church that emphasized grace (God's unmerited favor towards us) to such an extent that the pastor never encouraged the congregation to do good works. He was afraid the flock would instantly get "under the law" and somehow forget that they were righteous in God's eyes through faith. Although I only attended this church a few times, I listened online to a few dozen of these ultra-grace oriented sermons. I must admit, they sounded good, but large "behavior oriented" sections of the New Testament were conveniently omitted.

At the other extreme (and perhaps more common) are the Christians, and entire churches, who claim to be saved by faith alone, but are so riddled by guilt feelings that, in practice, they behave in such a way that denies their position of grace and imputed righteousness they have before our loving God. There are two kinds of people that exist in this type of church. Both are plagued and motivated by guilt and shame. One would be the worker bee, who constantly volunteers for every job in the church. It seems to me that if this worker bee were an atheist, they'd be volunteering just as much for the local Society of Theistic Deniers. The other type is the cowering, lazy Christian, who feels guilt and shame after every works-oriented sermon.

I must confess that if I were to err, it would be on the side of grace through faith. Just read my second blog post and you'll get the drift. However, I'm not so extreme as to ignore the numerous sections of the New Testament spurring us to do good, be holy in our behavior, love God, love others, obey God, etc.. Examples of behavior-oriented scripture are obvious in 1 John, James and 1 Peter. Even Paul, the apostle of faith, love and grace, often exhorts his audience to behave themselves and obey God.

Churches have split and continue to split over this stuff. The problem is in the paradox, which in my opinion can only be resolved when we embrace our relationship with God. Rules are good and should be followed, but our main focus should be our walk with the Lord, which is the starting point. If you are a Christian, you are saved, you are righteous and pleasing to God, and you are in fellowship with Him because Jesus bore your sins on the cross. Good works will be the result of a relationship with God. Of course, this relationship is cultivated through prayer, worship and Bible reading. In a future post, I'll describe in more detail my opinion of what it means, and doesn't mean, to have a relationship with God.

Paul said, "For now we see in a mirror dimly..." (1 Corinthians 13:12). Life this side of paradise often seems like a walk in darkness. We're working out our salvation (on earth) with fear and trembling, but thankfully it is God who is working in us.

Impressions of my Mother

Today would be Mom's 86th birthday. I wrote the following tribute for her memorial on March 13, 2011. Denise kindly read it for me. Happy Birthday, Mom!

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Impressions of my Mother

I know my mother best by what she did, not so much by what she said. Though she spoke sparingly and without drama, Mom consistently told her children she loved them. Even in those final months before her death, when her sentences made little sense, Mom sometimes uttered those three cherished words: “I love you.”

She spent a lifetime backing it up with action. Putting her family’s needs ahead of her own, Mom devoted her life to her four children and college sweetheart, Ray.

Mom and I sharing a laugh, perhaps in 1980

Mom was a very good listener. Quiet, but not shy, she handled social situations well, often hosting dinners and gatherings at our home. She was a master at turning attention away from herself and getting others to talk. Her ploy often worked on me. During my childhood, Mom patiently listened to every question, complaint, musing and tearful lamentation I could muster. And when my conversation turned sour, she knew just the right moment to wash my mouth out with soap.

Mothers are dictionaries for their children. One of my earliest memories occurred at age four or five when Mom took me with her to visit a neighbor. When we left the woman’s house, Mom commented on how she was such a, quote, “compulsive talker.” Of course, I responded with the question, “What’s a compulsive talker?” Not only did I learn a new term that day, but I discovered my mother’s listening skills had their limits.

Mom was not a critical person. More often than not she found ways to compliment people. She spoke well of those who volunteered for their church and community. Her few criticisms were reserved for hurtful people -- and that one compulsive talker.

Non-family members had to earn Mom’s respect, but her love for her husband and children was unconditional. My behavior, whether good -- or very bad -- did not alter her affection toward me.

I tested Mom’s love during my teenage years. It was then I discovered she could cry. Though I regret bringing her to tears, it proved how much she cared.

Mom watched over her children even after they left home. If she saw a genuine need -- as in financial need -- she took the lead in meeting it. Mom knew when to give and when to hold back.

Mom was a Christian, but showed little interest in theological discussion. She was ever practical about things. My guess is she saw her Christian faith as meaningful insofar as it tangibly helped people. I think she would agree with James, the brother of Jesus, who wrote, “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

Mom was a lifelong teetotaler, but did not hold others to that strict standard.

She was a black-and-white pragmatist and rarely gave reasons for her actions. If asked to explain, she’d likely give a brief, unsatisfying answer, then go about her business. Most people take at least one practice swing before hitting a golf ball. Mom just grabbed a club and hit it. This always baffled Dad and me. But really it made sense. If the purpose of golf is to hit the ball, then why waste time swinging at air? Mom backed up her method by consistently winning the women’s division in company golf tournaments at Coast to Coast Hardware.

Mom’s consistent, daily meal preparation, spread out over decades, reflected her selfless devotion to family. Her cooking completed that warm sense of what home was all about. Nowadays they call it comfort food. In truth, she transformed common meals into works of art. I’ll always hunger for her delicious masterpieces: potato salad, fried chicken, green bean casserole, Manhattan style clam chowder, German chocolate cake, sugar cookies, pancakes -- and so much more. I’m thankful for her gift of cooking.

What did Mom do for herself? She designed the Bridge Street house to fulfill her dream of the perfect home within a budget. The builder made few alterations to her original house plan. View was everything to her. Whenever she spent a night at the coast, Mom always demanded a room overlooking the ocean. Likewise, she planned the living room at Bridge Street to maximize the view of Haagen Creek and her wonderful garden.

Gardening was her passion. She once mentioned to Dad and me how the term “hobby” was an insult when used to describe her love for gardening. It’s like telling a farmer that raising crops is just an occupation. No -- it’s in the heart, the soul, the blood.

Mom designed her landscape, always asking the question, “How will this look from the living room?” Hydrangeas, rhodies, azaleas, camellias and native dogwoods predominated, surrounded by endless varieties of perennials.

All of her children inherited this love for gardening. Mom was as excited as I about the blank-slate-of-a-backyard at my first house. Her housewarming gifts consisted of loads of plants to help me convert a weedy lawn into a lush garden. Certain plants will always remind me of Mom.

I love my mother and will always miss her. My soul struggles with emptiness and loss over her death. More powerful than the sadness are the wonderful memories of this beautiful woman. She will always cause my heart to smile.

What Is Truth?

On the morning before his crucifixion, Jesus stood trial before Pontius Pilate, the Roman-appointed governor of Judea. The night before, the chief priests and elders of Israel had judged Christ guilty of blasphemy, but they lacked authority to put him to death. Knowing that Pilate would dismiss their actual judgement, they told the governor that Jesus claimed to be King of the Jews, a direct threat to Caesar.

Pilate's questions evoked minimal responses from Jesus, who didn't deny the charges against him. The perplexed governor asked, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world -- to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice." Pilate said to him, "What is truth?" (John 18:37-38)

Pilate, a savvy politician, quickly sized up the situation. He concluded this to be a religious squabble fueled by jealousy toward this popular, unorthodox new rabbi. The governor said to the Jewish leaders, "I find no guilt in him." Of course, it didn't end there.

Jesus being questioned by Pilate (painting by Duccio, early 14th c.)

Let's talk more about Pilate. His skeptical view of truth is understandable. His Roman education would have exposed him to a myriad of competing ideas. On one side of the "truth coin" were the famous Greek philosophical thinkers, such as Aristotle, Plato and Socrates. These men elevated human reason as the path toward wisdom. The flip side of the coin emphasized the non-rational, spiritual aspect of Roman culture, with it's multiple deities, many being renamed versions of the Greek gods. Caesars, especially the dead ones, were worshiped as deities. Imported gods from Egypt and the near East, were also embraced.

Pilate wasn't rejecting truth altogether. He was more concerned with what got results, rather than impractical ideas, correct as they may be. Certainly he would have respected the philosophers, and he seemed to have a spiritual side as well. During the proceedings, Pilate became afraid when the Jewish leaders insisted that according to their law, Jesus had to die "...because he has made himself the Son of God." (John 19:7-11). Abhorring the thought of killing a deity, Pilate tried harder to release Jesus. However, we know the end. In an effort to prevent a Jewish uprising, Pilate buckled to pressure and sentenced Christ to be crucified.

It is said that the apostle John was skilled at recognizing and recording irony. Tragic irony is seen in Pilate's flippant question, "What is truth?" His spiritual blindness kept him from recognizing the Truth incarnate*, who stood before him. (*This example of irony taken from the ESV Study Bible notes.)

In many ways, today's world resembles the ancient Rome that produced Pilate. Like him, we are wary of the multiplicity of truth claims surrounding us, whether logic-based or spiritual. We see these assertions as power plays, trying to suck us into someone's misguided agenda. And truth can indeed be abused this way. So we end up being overly pragmatic, valuing what works more than what is true. The problem with this skeptical view is that when an important Truth does cross our path, we, like Pilate, may dismiss Him.

Two lessons emerge. First, don't be like Pontius Pilate, who minimized truth, thus missing the Truth (John 14:6). Second, apply what Jesus said to Pilate, "Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice." (John 18:37-38).

What is God's Opinion of Christians?

Next to the Bible, the book that's impacted me the most is The Search for Significance by Robert S. McGee. It's premise is that God has an incredibly lofty view of Christians, despite their low level of performance. This begs the question: how can the Lord be pleased with his children when they continually fail to live up to the high standards the Lord Himself set? McGee offers a four-point answer.

First, God loves us immensely.

God's children are sweeter and more beautiful than a Double Delight Rose

1 John 4:9-10 says, "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." The starting point was how the Lord loved a humanity that did not love Him. This love became manifest (visible) when He gave Jesus as a propitiation for our sins. Jesus bore the punishment we deserved. God did this so that we might truly live. John 3:16 puts it similarly.

McGee's second point: those who believe in Christ are completely forgiven and fully pleasing to God. We are justified through faith in Christ's blood (Romans 3:24-25). This means the Lord declares us not guilty, and views us as righteous in His sight. This is a positional righteousness, not based on our good works. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." God sees us as 100% righteous because of what Jesus did on the cross on our behalf. Therefore, Christians are fully pleasing to the Lord. This is God's lofty view of us right now.

McGee's third point is that believers are accepted and approved by God. This is because of something called reconciliation. Colossians 1:21-22 says, "And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him." There is no longer a wall of hostility between us and God. We are reconciled to God and completely accepted by Him.

McGee's fourth and final point is that Christians are new creations, complete in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: the old has gone, the new has come." The new creation is also known as the new birth, being born again. The theological term is called regeneration. When a person believes in Christ, two things happen. First, the Holy Spirit literally enters the Christian's body and stays there. Second, the believer is given a new heart, which is complete and full. Regeneration is tied to Christ's resurrection. Romans 6:4 says, "...as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." The new birth means we have actual power to change. It's a lie that says I am hopeless and can't overcome destructive strongholds. The Lord is my strength!

So there you go. This is how God views Christians. Our actions don't merit these blessings. But He loves us, has forgiven us, accepts us, and lives inside us. I call this good, good, good, and good.

Getting Started

My reasons are both lofty and low for starting this blog. I've always found it easy to put my curiosity about God into words, so why not share this publicly?  The "lofty" Creator of heaven and earth loved humanity enough to "get low," take on human flesh and die on our behalf. So the "low" part of this blog applies to us messy humans, loved by God. (As a side note, in good post-modern form, I allow you the freedom to interpret the terms lofty and low any way you want.)

My greatest hope is that most readers will benefit from my thoughts. I also hope to improve both my thinking and writing. I am in my mid-fifties, after all, and writing is a great mental exercise. I'll put in the extra effort, knowing the public will be evaluating my opinions. And I want readers to respond, whether in agreement or disagreement with my viewpoints. I just ask that you avoid profanity and name-calling. We can agree and disagree respectfully.

Tom near the Western Wall in Jerusalem

Why write about God and life this side of paradise? I believe God is real and has tangibly revealed himself to humanity in His Son, Jesus Christ. Certainly that's worth writing about. "Life this side of paradise" refers to how we humans grapple with our existence in a world severely damaged by (take a deep breath) sin. The issues we deal with are endless. I'll narrow the focus by addressing humanity's spiritual issues.

Blog posts will be fairly brief, focusing on a specific topic. I'm not an apologist, so my intellectual defenses will be limited. Hey, I majored in English, not science. However, I've read some great apologetic literature and can smoothly pass the buck to smart Christians with more degrees than you can fill a thermometer with. Whether through rational arguments or a direct Gospel presentation, I'll do my best to steer non-Christians to faith in Christ. 

I'll also focus on issues within the Christian church. What are Christians struggling with these days? What do we agree and disagree about? Why are there denominational splits? Is division ever a good thing? How important is doctrine? Were the Beatles correct in the song All You Need is Love? Personally, I struggle with "inside-the-church" issues between Christians more than disagreements I may have with unbelievers.

So there you go. I hope I've teased you into returning to this blog. I'm looking forward to sharing my ideas and open to changing my position on some things, though it's unlikely my basic worldview will budge. But you're more than welcome to give me your best shot. Thanks for reading and in the words of the Terminator, "I'll be back."