Crush the Opposition?

Civil dialogue is hard to find these days. Rarely do we see the friendly exchange of ideas. When we disagree, the goal on either side is not to understand but to defeat our opponent. This is especially true when it comes to religion and politics.

More and more, my goal isn't to win arguments. Typically, winning an argument only alienates the winner from the loser. Instead, I want to win hearts. Winning someone's heart requires that I be respectful, listen and ask questions of the one I disagree with.

How not to win someone's heart

The strategy of the new atheists is to be loud and combative, to paint the worst picture of Christianity they can. Never mind the incredible good Christians have done throughout history. Focus on the bad whenever possible. The goal of the new atheists isn't to discover truth about God. Rather, their goal is to discredit Christians and Christianity.

Some (not most) of my fellow Christians can be loud and combative as well. The unfortunate result of this religious bluster is to reinforce the atheists, or worse--turn off those who might be considering the Christian faith.

Most Christians have heard or read the scripture from 1 Peter 3:15, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."

But we need to read the entire verse, which says, "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect...."

That sounds like three good foundational principles for evangelism:

1. Make sure, from the heart, that you revere Christ as Lord.
2. Like a good boy scout, "be prepared" to give the reason(s) that Jesus is your hope.
3. When talking to unbelievers, be gentle and respectful

I must confess that I haven't perfectly applied the above three principles. More and more, I'm revering Christ as Lord. Slowly, I'm relinquishing each part of my life to His Lordship. I've studied and thought about many reasons for the Christian faith, but not my personal reasons for my hope in Christ. I haven't always been gentle and respectful, but I'm getting better as the Holy Spirit gradually transforms my heart and mind.

This blog post went a different direction than I originally intended. But I think that's a good thing. Sometime soon, I'll write a post about my personal reasons for my hope in Christ. Blessings.

My Love-Hate Relationship with Church Traditions

I enjoy visiting churches that still practice the old traditions from the reformation era. There's something comforting about pews, pipe organs, old hymns sung from hymnals, stained glass windows, and ministers decked out in clerical robes. These traditions are wonderful and I'm glad that they still exist in some

I love the sound of a pipe organ in the morning.

churches.

But as much as I love the old traditions, the fact remains that they are only traditions created by human beings. They aren't written in stone like the Ten Commandments. In fact--except for the music--the above-mentioned practices aren't even in the Bible. True, the Old Testament priests were decked out in special garb, but nowhere in the New Testament are elders and pastors told to dress differently than anyone else.

On the other hand, the New Testament doesn't say these traditions are wrong. As far as I'm concerned, if there's no biblical command against a practice, then why not do it? I do think there's a danger of elevating the practice above the actual worship of the living God. So, the tradition should be recognized as a tool used for the true worship of the Creator.

There are few specifics in the Bible about the organizational structure of the church fellowship. Even our supposed "nontraditional" contemporary churches follow a traditional format of music, prayer, announcements and sermon. Often, the sermon is followed by more music.

Where in the Bible does it say we are to follow that format? Some things are clear in the New Testament. We know that Christians are told to gather for fellowship: " not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some," (Heb. 10:25). Also, we should avoid chaos in the fellowship: "But all things should be done decently and in order." (1 Cor. 14:40). That being said, it seems to me there's room for significant variety in church structures, preferences and styles.

Music is Bible based. We are to sing: "...addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart." (Eph. 5:19). Jesus and the disciples sang a hymn together at the end of the last supper: "And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives." (Matt. 26:30). The Psalms were songs, often directed "to the choirmaster." Singers and musicians were a part of the temple ceremonies: "Your procession is seen, O God, the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary—the singers in front, the musicians last, between them virgins playing tambourines." (Psalm 68:24-25).

Every believer should practice a spiritual gift to edify the the fellowship of believers: "To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." (1 Cor. 12:7). It seems to me that church is too much of a spectator sport, where the congregation sits, sings a few songs, listens to a sermon, and heads home. Each person should discover their spiritual gift(s), so they can serve in a Spirit empowered way. I'm open to suggestions here.

There is leadership in the church, such as elders and deacons. Elder means the same thing as pastor. This implies that our tradition of a "lead" pastor may be overemphasized. How is the lead pastor any different than the other elders? You tell me. Preachers and teachers are also mentioned in the New Testament. We should always remind ourselves that leadership under the new covenant is actually "servant leadership." Remember when Jesus humbled Himself and washed his disciples' feet? Jesus was the perfect example of true leadership.

Then there's prayer, which is greatly emphasized in the Old and New Testaments. It should always play a large part of any church fellowship. 1 Thes. 5:16-18, 25 says, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." And verse 25, "Brothers, pray for us."

I think every Christian should occasionally pause and ask him/herself, "Am I emotionally dependent on a tradition, mistaking it for God's truth? What aspects of my church experience are truly biblical." I'm not saying it's wrong to enjoy the aesthetic aspects of the stain glass windows or lofty pipe organ, or even the hip and trendy style of contemporary worship. We just need to recognize the difference between human emotional pleasure and true spiritual worship of almighty God. Sure, God wants us to enjoy our humanity with it's capacity to appreciate art, music, etc. But remember these things are not true worship. If they are not used as tools for personally worshiping God, then they can end up being empty human traditions. Blessings.

Dealing with Christian Hypocrisy, Part Two

Christian hypocrisy probably makes the top five of the biggest challenges to my faith. I've always struggled with the lack of maturity in certain Christians, primarily those in leadership positions, such as elders or pastors. I'm not even talking about major mishaps on their part. The fruit of the Spirit just seems to be lacking in the lives of some Christian leaders and that hurts me. However, it doesn't hurt me as much as it used to.

Jesus talks to the pharisees

In this blog post, I'm not going to deal with the big failures in church history, such as the Crusades, Inquisition, religious wars between protestants and Catholics, the antisemitism of Martin Luther (the 16th century reformer, not MLK Junior!), etc. Even lately in the news we've heard about more sex abuse in the Catholic church, not to mention the scandal in a certain protestant mega church where most of the staff resigned in shame because they turned a blind eye to the lead pastor's sins.

Anyway, these big hypocrisies don't really test my faith much. They are huge failures in Christian history and I understand that it's a major reason that many people dismiss Christianity and refuse to come to faith. I'm baffled and I don't have a good excuse for these blunders. I don't have a nice, tight apologetic defense when it comes to the big failures of the church. I've read a few books on Christian apologetics and I've never read a great explanation for why Christians screw up--other than the fact that we all are cursed with a sin nature. All I can do is say I'm sorry for the evil that has been done in the name of Christ and I can pray that I personally will behave better.

I can also ask God to show me how I, Tom Nash, can respond to hypocrisy. First of all, God doesn't want me to turn from Him because of the failures of others. Rather, He wants me to turn to Him and seek a close walk with Him. Part of that walk may involve forgiving the hypocrites. Yes, it's Christianity 101 for me to forgive anyone who has hurt me. Also, God wants me to pray for my enemies and even those who annoy me a little bit.

Somehow, I'm able to separate my own faith from the big failures of the church. Perhaps it's because saving faith and sustaining faith are a gift from God. The Holy Spirit instills faith in our hearts and will sustain us during the worst trials. Faith is supernatural.

I'm more bothered by those leaders in my neck of the woods who don't quite rise to my expectations. Before I criticize them too much, I have to admit that I tend to fall short of producing much fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control). Also, it's important to mention that there are many Christian leaders who are quite spiritually mature. Some Christians are less hypocritical than others. All of us are hypocrites to some degree or another.

I'm not a hypocrite because I sin. I'm a hypocrite when I try to make myself look better than I really am. A really bad type of hypocrisy is when I expect someone to possess a character trait that I don't possess. Do I practice what I preach? Do I expect people to remove specks from their eyes when I've got a log in my eye? I hope these blog posts don't come across as pushing some unreachable standard that only Jesus can attain.

When a person accepts Christ, God accepts them the way they are. All believers are under construction. If a Christian is a house, then some are just beginning to have their foundation built. Others are in the framing stage. Others are getting the fine touches of finish work. None of us will be complete until we get to heaven.

Another thing to consider is the fact that each Christian has their own unique strengths and weaknesses. The big temptation in my life is different than the big temptation in your life. It's another reason we should be very hesitant when judging someone else.

God exists. He is loving and all-powerful. He wants a close relationship with you. This is true whether Christians behave or misbehave. Blessings.

 

All Christians are Jewish

This blog entry is not part two of the series on hypocrisy. That'll happen later. Today's writing is inspired by my scripture readings from Jeremiah and Galatians. Also, I'm in a small group of men (life group) from my church where we discuss sections of scripture from the shared 2-year Bible reading plan. I'm knocking off two birds with one stone by writing this blog post. This doubles as a blog entry and preparation for the small group. Hope you're blessed by all the Bible references.

The Prophet Jeremiah

There's a wonderful prophecy in Jeremiah 31:31-34, "31 Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. 33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

This is certainly a messianic prophecy about the the new covenant that would be established when Jesus came to Earth, died for our sins, rose again and sent the Holy Spirit to seal the deal in our hearts. There is a problematic aspect of the prophecy in verses 31 and 33. The new covenant seems to apply only to Israel and Judah. Gentiles aren't mentioned.

Ah, but Gentiles are included. This prophecy is repeated in the New Testament, in Hebrews 8:8-12. The Hebrews author precedes the prophecy by writing, "6 But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second."

So, from Hebrews we see that Jeremiah's prophecy of the new covenant refers to Christ as the mediator of that covenant. So how does this apply to Gentiles? And how can Gentile Christians be Jewish? Read on.

In Galatians 3, we see how Gentile Christians, because of their identity in Christ, have become adopted children of Abraham. "7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith." (Galatians 3:7-9 ESV).

Then, in Galatians 3:16, "Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ."

And in Galatians 3:26-29, "26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 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.29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise."

So here's the progression: Jesus was a Jew and a biological descendant of Abraham. All Christians are one in Christ. Those who are Christ's are Abraham's offspring. Gentiles are Abraham's offspring through Christ.

So, Gentile Christians are Abraham's offspring (therefore Jewish) in a spiritual sort of way. Let's look at Romans 11:17, "But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree,"

In this passage, the olive tree represents the blessings and promises inherent to belonging to the nation of Israel. The broken branches are those Jews who have rejected the Messiah. The grafted wild olive shoots are Gentiles who have accepted the Messiah. So, Gentile Christians are grafted into the blessings of Israel.

Here's the clincher for my argument that all Christians are Jewish. Romans 2:28-29 (ESV) says, "28 For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. 29 But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God."

Douglas Moo is one of the best evangelical scholars on Paul's epistle to the Romans. Moo writes the following about Romans 2:28-29, "...here for the first time in the chapter also hints that it is the Christian, circumcised in the heart by God's Spirit, who is the 'true' Jew (v.29)." Later, Moo writes, "But Paul goes beyond any first-century Jewish viewpoint in suggesting that physical circumcision is no longer required and in implicitly applying the term 'Jew' to those who were not ethnically Jews."

There you go. All Christians are "true Jews" because their hearts have been circumcised by the Holy Spirit. Blessings.

Dealing with Christian Hypocrisy, Part One

In this blog post I'm going to argue that it's a virtue to be somewhat hypocritical. Later in this series, I'll write about the ugly types of hypocrisy and how, as a Christian, I'm to deal with it. Webster's defines hypocrisy as, "the professing of publicly approved qualities, beliefs, or feelings that one does not really possess." At the

outset I'd like to accuse every human being (except Jesus) throughout history as being a hypocrite. All of us, to some degree, have tried to make ourselves appear better than we really are. Certainly my posts on social media reflect a better me than actually exists.

So here's my argument for a good type of hypocrisy. We should aspire to be better than we are, and we should take concrete steps to "put on" our better self. Part of maturity is recognizing flaws in my character and then doing my part in overcoming those flaws. As a Christian, I know that true change happens inside my heart through the power of the Holy Spirit. Typically, the Spirit transforms us by first showing us our flaws and sins. We are to respond to this "conviction" by being honest with God and confessing these flaws and sins to Him. Not only does this create a more honest and open relationship with Him, but it gives God the go ahead to change us. Of course, change is often painfully slow.

Let's look at a hypothetical guy named Joe. He's a recovering anger addict. In the past, Joe has had many verbal outbursts and owns a permanently flat nose thanks to many fisticuffs and bar fights. The good news is that since he's been a Christian, God has taken away much of the anger. However, some of the anger is still there and Joe occasionally has intense desires to cold cock rude people. He's managed to resist that temptation and has even stopped cussing people out. Joe has taken steps to "put on" his new self even when the old temptations flair up. Similar to the Webster definition of hypocrisy, Joe is professing "publicly approved qualities, beliefs, or feelings" that he doesn't completely possess. And slowly but surely he's possessing from the heart the positive qualities that are the antithesis to anger.

There's a saying that goes something like this: "Lead with the body to open the heart to the Spirit." This means that we should take steps to embrace a mature character trait that we may not yet possess. God rewards this outward step of faith by making it an inward reality in our hearts.

So, in a way, Christians are appropriately being something they are not, believing that God will eventually make their aspiration a reality in their heart. If there were such a thing as good hypocrisy, this is it.

Future posts will deal with ugly hypocrisy, and why I'm still a Christian despite the failures of Christians throughout history. Blessings.