Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Blast to the Past (2007 Edition)
I haven't blogged in a while, I got bored today, and - surprise, surprise - I went on Facebook. I actually looked through my old notes and pulled up this interesting post. I'm kind of amazed that this thing is nearly five years old. I wrote this shortly after my youth group's Winter Advance Camp (WAC) for a scholarship essay that I have no recollection of... It's funny reading how critical I am, how little I allegedly researched, how little I cited, and how much my understanding of basic Christianity and theology has grown and changed the past few years. Enjoy this cuz my teaching schedule is so busy (I have a final presentation due tomorrow...no big deal) that I don't know when I'll have time to blog more often on "newer" stuff.
Note: if there's something I wrote that's completely false, judgmental, or heretical, it probably is. I'm putting this up (almost) word-for-word without any edits cuz I'm lazy. Use your discernment to understand that this is in no way me communicating "truth", but the immature 2007 version of Jonathan.
"After WAC, it seemed quite interesting to think about the theme (Christianity vs. Other Religions: What's the difference?). I mean, how can you even tell if Christians at school are genuine Christians if they act like all the other non-Christians. This year's camp was a lot different than past camps because we never really learned stuff like this before and never had these little mini-sermons in between like what Pastor Kirk did. Remember, to "LOVE ONE ANOTHER". Below is my scholarship essay on peace and how distortions in philosophies and religions/beliefs have torn apart societies:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Title: Which Christian?
When one hears the word “Christian”, a lot of emotions, thoughts, and preconceived judgments may come to mind. Some abhor them while others fully devote themselves fully to their cause. Within the realm of Christendom, there are many sects and denominations—not to mention many false cults—that give outsiders a demented perception of what is true Christianity. By going back to the basics and looking at the roots of the Bible and Jesus Christ—the center of Christianity—we can more clearly understand the issues at stake.
Step one in defining Christianity is finding its origin. Contrary to popular misconception and with proof from the Bible and historians, Christianity obviously began only after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ; this is basis of why Christians exist. There is one triune God consisting of God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit (a.k.a. the Trinity); it isn’t three gods, rather it is one God in three persons (similar to how water exists as steam, liquid, and ice) hence the term monotheistic. According to the Bible, man is evil in nature since birth and, therefore, needs a Savior. The coming of the Messiah was a hope that the ancient Israelites had been waiting upon in order to see the redemption of their sins and of the world. The death of Jesus Christ and His resurrection from the dead three days later—as prophesied in the Old Testament—to pay the punishment for man’s sins is key to the purpose of Christians. This is why Christians are commanded by Jesus to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). In addition, Jesus brings the revolutionary idea of acting with pure motives in the heart. The Old Testament stressed a legalistic form of obedience that came from a large set of rules set out by God and was characterized by rituals and traditions. Jesus, proclaiming to be the Son of God, however, spoke of living with a pure heart attitude. When questioned by the Pharisees of the greatest commandment, Jesus replied that it is to “love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37) and the second greatest is to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). These two commandments were touted by Jesus to be the basis of all the Laws and Prophets of the past. He even went as far as to say that if His disciples and followers truly loved Him, they would obey what He commanded (John 14:15). This is the central core of Christianity.
During the past centuries however, many people claiming to be prophets and Christs (Mark 13:22) were luring people away from the original movement that the Apostles had led immediately following Christ’s ascension to Heaven. Beginning with Catholicism and the Protestant Movement, Catholic leaders added new, unbiblical teachings to the Old Testament and many leaders in the churches disagreed with certain doctrines, salvation being the most significant of them all. The idea that salvation was partly earned through good works was considered wrong by the Protestant Movement leaders. They saw the Church distort the Gospel message in Ephesians 2:8-10, but the Apostle Paul had preached the message that justification was a momentary event followed by continuous sanctification until glorification; it was not a continuous event throughout life as the Catholic church had taught. This stirred up a lot of tension and the Catholic church would not compromise. Following that division, Protestant leaders themselves had different interpretations of major and minor passages in the Bible, especially the New Testament. Martin Luther and John Calvin argued over the symbolism and/or literalness of the Lord’s communion set out in I Corinthians 11:23-32. A few hundred years later, people like Joseph Smith Jr. and Charles Taze Russel began the Mormon and Jehovah’s Witness cults, respectively, that professed Christian beliefs yet contradicted their own alleged basis by teaching ideals that violated the essence of Jesus Christ’s teachings, the Bible, and the character of God. Many of these movements and sects (Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, etc.) had started because the leader was too prideful and not humble enough to sit down and examine the basis of the Word of God. The Greek, Aramaic, and Hebrew words had been twisted, ignored, and erroneously interpreted to suit the personal beliefs of these leaders. It created church factions, separations, and splits and forced innocent churchgoers to choose sides when Jesus Himself prayed that His current and future disciples would be one body (John 17:20-21). Many of the leader lost sight of the need to remain as one body and heed the proclamation of the Apostle Paul that there is one God over all (I Corinthians 8:6, 12:13).
As a professing Christian, I am appalled at the lack of unity among Christians worldwide. In particular, I believe that the industrial and technological revolutions, the dotcom boom, and economic abundance in America have torn peoples’ hearts away from the true devotion that Jesus demanded in His teachings. Christians in America have become too comfortable and have created their own personal morals, beliefs, and doctrines to suit their own needs and desires. I believe it essential for Christians to come together because Jesus Christ taught that the world will know His disciples if they truly love one another (John 13:35), which incorporates the idea that Jesus remains central to the Christian belief and focus and that we follow the second greatest commandment: love one another, which stems from following the greatest commandment to love God. I believe these distorted views and divisions that have arisen ever since Christ left Earth are the results of egotistical leaders, who clearly disobey God’s commands to be humble and do nothing our of selfish ambition (Philippians 2:3). The solution to this problem is extremely complex and, by most human standards, impossible to do in today’s world of personal agendas and priorities. Leaders in all churches of all denominations need to teach the Word of God with a clear interpretation of what is true and in accordance with the rest of the Bible. Without this, church congregations around the world will have muddled ideas about the different attributes of God, wrong concepts of worldviews, and conflicting (and hypocritical) actions and words. I do not think it is possible to have Christians meet on national or international bases and clearly settle the issues and problems. However, I believe it is more effective and more beneficial for Christians to work on a local basis in their own area to join with other Christians at their schools, neighborhoods, workplaces, etc. and find ways to be a unified body of believers in their own community. In the book of Romans and his first letter to the church in Corinth, the Apostle Paul addressed the unity of the body of Christ and the use of one’s gifts for the glorification of God (and not oneself) to give the believers a clear idea that they needed to be wise in their actions and testimonies before unbelievers in order for the church to survive (Romans 12:4-8, I Corinthians 12:12). Similar to the idea that roots of trees provide the survival of the entire tree and that grassroots interconnect with one another to produce a beautiful, fertile lawn/meadow, the international church needs to be in one accord and work on the small things before addressing the larger issues at hand (Luke 12:48). “…But if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us” (I John 4:12)."
Friday, July 29, 2011
Our Momentary Troubles
Yelp Review of the Day: Frostbites Crepes & Desserts
I know I've been a terrible blogger in the past months. I've been very busy and if you are not aware, it's because I started my M.Ed. program at UCSD about a month and a half ago. However, I hope that what I write is an encouragement and not a hindrance to your walk with Christ.
Last Sunday (07/24/2011), elder Mike Chon preached on the importance of understanding why we suffer as Christians. We suffer so that: 1) Christ may be magnified, 2) we will be heavenly minded, 3) others may be saved, and 4) we are spiritually strengthened.
I think throughout my life, I have never really experienced deep, sorrowful valleys; thus which explains why I never say to someone "I know how you feel" because I really don't know what you're feeling. I've hit speed bumps and had some hard hits, but never anything tragic. So whenever I encounter someone who is sharing something they're struggling with or a tough time they're going through, I try my best to point them to Scripture. It appears that I don't care (and if I've done this to you, I apologize because those were not, and never will be, my intentions), but what I've found is that I only have so much that I can "comfort" with. If I haven't been in that situation or something similar, I can't empathize with you; all I can do is try my best to sympathize with you.
But therein lies the reason why I push away from saying anything myself to comfort someone: I'm not a source of comfort. If you're a believer, your source of hope and comfort should be Christ alone. Now of course fellow believers can be manifestations of Christ and the peace that He brings, but He is ultimately the root of all hope to ever take hold of. I honestly believe that the best way to comfort someone is to remind them of the character and attributes of God through Scripture.
I know that this often leads to assumptions that I come off as cold, not very understanding or sympathetic, and ungracious, but I can't offer much from myself. To the best of my ability, I can offer words of encouragement and care, but beyond that I have nothing else to say.
Scripture calls us to be heavenly minded; our eyes must be focused on Christ, our ever so faithful Savior. We carry with us the powerful message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the ministry of the Gospel is every believer's responsibility. In II Corinthians 4, Paul paints the picture of God using us (believers) as ordinary clay jars to carry the infinitely invaluable message of the Gospel (treasure). This Gospel is what brings hope to man knowing that we have no power to save ourselves from our sin, and offers the solution of having a holy, perfect sacrifice (Christ) to cover over our sin so that we no longer bear an image of guilt and shame, but the Father will gaze upon the beauty of Christ's righteousness.
If this is true, we really need to reevaluate what is important to us. Do we think it is worth it to suffer for the sake of one person's salvation? Do we trust that the power of Christ can help us persevere and sustain us from the enemy's blows? We can endure because of Christ's power. These light and momentary troubles are but a flicker in the timeline of eternity.
So Paul charges us later in the chapter to value the eternal more than the material; things that are seen are temporary, but things that are unseen are eternal. If we look forward in life towards the things that are unseen, it will only benefit us in the present because our minds will be focused on the reward of seeing our Savior face-to-face, which should surpass any comfort or gift we could ever receive in our mortal lives. Even the tough times will seem insignificant because our hope and peace lie in the faithfulness of Christ to bring to completion what He has started (Philippians 1:6).
The next time you face a rough patch in life, think of the cross and the excruciating pain Christ suffered so that we have a hope of eternal life instead of suffering the punishment for our sins. Think of the grace He willingly poured out on undeserving sinners because of His love for us. Think of the reward for persevering through our suffering (Romans 5:3-5).
Recently, Tedashii released his new album entitled "Blacklight" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vamYAlmjOmA). The entire album is geared toward the encouragement to live with the end in mind and let the hope that we have in Christ influence the way we live here and now.
"Finally" was a ridiculously well-produced track featuring Shane & Shane. I had absolutely no expectations for the kind of sound that would emerge from my speakers because Shane & Shane's pop/power ballad/praise style seemed so diametrically opposed to Tedashii's rapping. However, this track was well made and the message was even more encouraging. Check it out below and let the lyrics speak to you as they have to me.
Finally (feat. Shane & Shane) - Tedashii
Chorus:
This momentary trouble is a lot to own,
But I'm not alone, I'm not alone.
I'm moving to a city where the pain is gone, oh I'll be home (home).
x2
You can catch me with my hands up.
Hey this is my stance now.
Firm like a group of lawyers
This is worship hands down.
I let them tears fall,
Cryin' out for hope,
Christ in my line of sight like a scope (my aim).
Cause the pain's risin',
But I keep smilin'.
This life just can't compare to paradise, it's like an island.
No fear no shame in me.
I wanna give Him some time but it's plain to see.
Lord you always had a plan for life,
No backup,
Close cause I stand in Christ.
So I live with the end in mind,
Call it retirement.
Heaven's will lived on Earth,
What I'm desirin'.
(Chorus)
Oh
Finally, I can see you, oh
Finally, I can see you.
I heard 'em sayin' hang on,
People will tell ya stay strong,
Encouragement is cool,
Dependin' on what it's based on.
People grippin empty wishes,
Hopin' for something different.
No faith, no escape, who can I run to? (to).
When this world is a graveyard,
Here today, gone today,
With no hope for tomorrow.
But it's different for the children of God.
We hold to every promise even when it gets hard.
Now can't compare to later,
When we will see the Savior.
Until we get to Heaven,
I pray that He sustains us.
Empty aims,
Unless it's in His name,
And even when I pass away my remains, remain.
(Chorus)
Even if we held down,
Hang on to your happiness,
Hopin' in His holiness and the fact He's compassionate.
Eternal in perspective (huh) even in the rough times.
Only for a moment (ah) they could never shut us down.
My pain is not pleasure,
My grief is not joy,
But both of them are in the fact that I'll see the Lord.
And so will everyone,
Born of blood and water,
Salvation's comin' so keep hopin' in the Father.
I know I've been a terrible blogger in the past months. I've been very busy and if you are not aware, it's because I started my M.Ed. program at UCSD about a month and a half ago. However, I hope that what I write is an encouragement and not a hindrance to your walk with Christ.
Last Sunday (07/24/2011), elder Mike Chon preached on the importance of understanding why we suffer as Christians. We suffer so that: 1) Christ may be magnified, 2) we will be heavenly minded, 3) others may be saved, and 4) we are spiritually strengthened.
I think throughout my life, I have never really experienced deep, sorrowful valleys; thus which explains why I never say to someone "I know how you feel" because I really don't know what you're feeling. I've hit speed bumps and had some hard hits, but never anything tragic. So whenever I encounter someone who is sharing something they're struggling with or a tough time they're going through, I try my best to point them to Scripture. It appears that I don't care (and if I've done this to you, I apologize because those were not, and never will be, my intentions), but what I've found is that I only have so much that I can "comfort" with. If I haven't been in that situation or something similar, I can't empathize with you; all I can do is try my best to sympathize with you.
But therein lies the reason why I push away from saying anything myself to comfort someone: I'm not a source of comfort. If you're a believer, your source of hope and comfort should be Christ alone. Now of course fellow believers can be manifestations of Christ and the peace that He brings, but He is ultimately the root of all hope to ever take hold of. I honestly believe that the best way to comfort someone is to remind them of the character and attributes of God through Scripture.
I know that this often leads to assumptions that I come off as cold, not very understanding or sympathetic, and ungracious, but I can't offer much from myself. To the best of my ability, I can offer words of encouragement and care, but beyond that I have nothing else to say.
Scripture calls us to be heavenly minded; our eyes must be focused on Christ, our ever so faithful Savior. We carry with us the powerful message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the ministry of the Gospel is every believer's responsibility. In II Corinthians 4, Paul paints the picture of God using us (believers) as ordinary clay jars to carry the infinitely invaluable message of the Gospel (treasure). This Gospel is what brings hope to man knowing that we have no power to save ourselves from our sin, and offers the solution of having a holy, perfect sacrifice (Christ) to cover over our sin so that we no longer bear an image of guilt and shame, but the Father will gaze upon the beauty of Christ's righteousness.
If this is true, we really need to reevaluate what is important to us. Do we think it is worth it to suffer for the sake of one person's salvation? Do we trust that the power of Christ can help us persevere and sustain us from the enemy's blows? We can endure because of Christ's power. These light and momentary troubles are but a flicker in the timeline of eternity.
So Paul charges us later in the chapter to value the eternal more than the material; things that are seen are temporary, but things that are unseen are eternal. If we look forward in life towards the things that are unseen, it will only benefit us in the present because our minds will be focused on the reward of seeing our Savior face-to-face, which should surpass any comfort or gift we could ever receive in our mortal lives. Even the tough times will seem insignificant because our hope and peace lie in the faithfulness of Christ to bring to completion what He has started (Philippians 1:6).
The next time you face a rough patch in life, think of the cross and the excruciating pain Christ suffered so that we have a hope of eternal life instead of suffering the punishment for our sins. Think of the grace He willingly poured out on undeserving sinners because of His love for us. Think of the reward for persevering through our suffering (Romans 5:3-5).
Recently, Tedashii released his new album entitled "Blacklight" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vamYAlmjOmA). The entire album is geared toward the encouragement to live with the end in mind and let the hope that we have in Christ influence the way we live here and now.
"Finally" was a ridiculously well-produced track featuring Shane & Shane. I had absolutely no expectations for the kind of sound that would emerge from my speakers because Shane & Shane's pop/power ballad/praise style seemed so diametrically opposed to Tedashii's rapping. However, this track was well made and the message was even more encouraging. Check it out below and let the lyrics speak to you as they have to me.
Finally (feat. Shane & Shane) - Tedashii
Chorus:
This momentary trouble is a lot to own,
But I'm not alone, I'm not alone.
I'm moving to a city where the pain is gone, oh I'll be home (home).
x2
You can catch me with my hands up.
Hey this is my stance now.
Firm like a group of lawyers
This is worship hands down.
I let them tears fall,
Cryin' out for hope,
Christ in my line of sight like a scope (my aim).
Cause the pain's risin',
But I keep smilin'.
This life just can't compare to paradise, it's like an island.
No fear no shame in me.
I wanna give Him some time but it's plain to see.
Lord you always had a plan for life,
No backup,
Close cause I stand in Christ.
So I live with the end in mind,
Call it retirement.
Heaven's will lived on Earth,
What I'm desirin'.
(Chorus)
Oh
Finally, I can see you, oh
Finally, I can see you.
I heard 'em sayin' hang on,
People will tell ya stay strong,
Encouragement is cool,
Dependin' on what it's based on.
People grippin empty wishes,
Hopin' for something different.
No faith, no escape, who can I run to? (to).
When this world is a graveyard,
Here today, gone today,
With no hope for tomorrow.
But it's different for the children of God.
We hold to every promise even when it gets hard.
Now can't compare to later,
When we will see the Savior.
Until we get to Heaven,
I pray that He sustains us.
Empty aims,
Unless it's in His name,
And even when I pass away my remains, remain.
(Chorus)
Even if we held down,
Hang on to your happiness,
Hopin' in His holiness and the fact He's compassionate.
Eternal in perspective (huh) even in the rough times.
Only for a moment (ah) they could never shut us down.
My pain is not pleasure,
My grief is not joy,
But both of them are in the fact that I'll see the Lord.
And so will everyone,
Born of blood and water,
Salvation's comin' so keep hopin' in the Father.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
All Good Things Will Never Come to an End
Yelp Review of the Day: Lucha Libre Gourmet Taco Shop
Almost ten months ago, I started my summer blogging schedule that consisted of daily themes. One of my Friday Thanksgiving posts was dedicated to my class brothers and sisters (http://papajonwoo.blogspot.com/2010/06/friday-thanksgiving-lighthouse.html). I had the privilege of spending my spring break with 11 of them on a short 4 day cruise to Ensenada and there was so much to be thankful for after that trip.
I know I haven't been as faithful in writing my monthly post and I felt that it was appropriate to post something that has been on my mind for a long time. As graduation is approaching for most of us, reality is kicking in that a number of us won't be able to stay in San Diego. It's hard to imagine that it's only been about a year and a half that I started to get to know everyone and it makes it difficult to accept the heartache of not getting to spend time together as a class in the future. In my first post, I meant every single one of my words (although looking back, I think my train of thought was pretty of out whack when translated into writing), but I don't think I fully communicated all my thoughts.
The cruise reminded me of one of the reasons I chose to stay at Lighthouse: we are family. We are a part of the larger body of Lighthouse Bible Church (which is a part of the body of Christ), but within our class we often function as a large family (with Caroline being the mom :P). We serve one another, we care and pray for one another, we rebuke when necessary, and we encourage one another. We have been able to grow in love for one another in a way that draws us closer to Christ and I can say with certainty that many of their lives have reminded me of my immaturity and need to come humbly before God and beg for His guidance to help me be more Christ-like.
It pains me to think that some of these people who are my closest friends will have to move back home or elsewhere for work, school, etc. and in an odd way, I treat each day now as another "last" opportunity to spend time with some of them. It's almost comparable to being asked the question, "if you knew you were going to die tomorrow, how would you live your life differently today?" However I know that although the saying goes "all good things must come to an end", I know that this sweet fellowship we've shared (and continue to) will NEVER come to an end because our fellowship will extend into eternity with Christ in Heaven where we will get to worship God together as His people. The God from whom all good things come from will NEVER cease to be good.
But going back to the cruise, we spent all our time together playing games, eating, walking around, kayaking, and talking. Those were all great things to do and they really made the trip so much more fun than I had expected. The best part of the trip wasn't the traveling, or the laughter at funny moments, or anything else; it was the time spent in prayer for one another. If there is anything that our class continues to do after graduation, it will be prayer for one another and checking up on one another to see how each person is doing. I hope that despite some mild separation in the months to come, there will be a continual intercession for one another. That, to me, is the sweetest part of being in the same class as these brothers and sisters. I love you all very much.
Almost ten months ago, I started my summer blogging schedule that consisted of daily themes. One of my Friday Thanksgiving posts was dedicated to my class brothers and sisters (http://papajonwoo.blogspot.com/2010/06/friday-thanksgiving-lighthouse.html). I had the privilege of spending my spring break with 11 of them on a short 4 day cruise to Ensenada and there was so much to be thankful for after that trip.
I know I haven't been as faithful in writing my monthly post and I felt that it was appropriate to post something that has been on my mind for a long time. As graduation is approaching for most of us, reality is kicking in that a number of us won't be able to stay in San Diego. It's hard to imagine that it's only been about a year and a half that I started to get to know everyone and it makes it difficult to accept the heartache of not getting to spend time together as a class in the future. In my first post, I meant every single one of my words (although looking back, I think my train of thought was pretty of out whack when translated into writing), but I don't think I fully communicated all my thoughts.
The cruise reminded me of one of the reasons I chose to stay at Lighthouse: we are family. We are a part of the larger body of Lighthouse Bible Church (which is a part of the body of Christ), but within our class we often function as a large family (with Caroline being the mom :P). We serve one another, we care and pray for one another, we rebuke when necessary, and we encourage one another. We have been able to grow in love for one another in a way that draws us closer to Christ and I can say with certainty that many of their lives have reminded me of my immaturity and need to come humbly before God and beg for His guidance to help me be more Christ-like.
It pains me to think that some of these people who are my closest friends will have to move back home or elsewhere for work, school, etc. and in an odd way, I treat each day now as another "last" opportunity to spend time with some of them. It's almost comparable to being asked the question, "if you knew you were going to die tomorrow, how would you live your life differently today?" However I know that although the saying goes "all good things must come to an end", I know that this sweet fellowship we've shared (and continue to) will NEVER come to an end because our fellowship will extend into eternity with Christ in Heaven where we will get to worship God together as His people. The God from whom all good things come from will NEVER cease to be good.
But going back to the cruise, we spent all our time together playing games, eating, walking around, kayaking, and talking. Those were all great things to do and they really made the trip so much more fun than I had expected. The best part of the trip wasn't the traveling, or the laughter at funny moments, or anything else; it was the time spent in prayer for one another. If there is anything that our class continues to do after graduation, it will be prayer for one another and checking up on one another to see how each person is doing. I hope that despite some mild separation in the months to come, there will be a continual intercession for one another. That, to me, is the sweetest part of being in the same class as these brothers and sisters. I love you all very much.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
My Addiction
Yelp Review of the Day: Corner Bakery Cafe
Each day, we will stumble and fail...miserably. But that should not be an excuse for us to give up hope. Yeah it's hard, but wasn't it hard for our Savior to be physically beaten and forced to carry His cross on the road to Calvary? Wasn't it hard for Him to die an excruciating death for our wretched lives? If Christ could give up His life for our undeserving, pitiful souls, then shouldn't we press forward knowing that we have a great high priest who can sympathize with us?
Reflecting on last Friday's bible study on James 1:19-27, our discussion group started off on a tangent about what should we do when we receive God's Word but do not want to do it (obey). In reality, a true believe will have a heart to desire to please God; the Psalms are FILLED with messages and poems of DELIGHT in God and His Word (1:2, 22:8, 35:27, 37:4, 40:8, 112:1, 119, etc.).
Romans 7 explains our constant desire where we often do what we do not want to do, and we do not do what we want to do. As believers, we should be fighting to struggle against sin. The more we grow in holiness, the more aware we will be of our sin.
Our addiction lies in ourselves. I will be the first to admit it: I'm addicted to myself. We are obsessed with ourselves and our desires and our personal glory. We are so self-absorbed that we become blind to our problem, which in and of itself is the addiction: we deny it because we do not want to face the truth. We are suppressing the truth.
However, salvation was not a one-time rescue from our sin nature. Rather we WILL struggle continuously with our sin (if you think you're not, you're deceiving yourself). It is a daily battle that will be fought and we must prepare ourselves daily by being rooted in the Word and in prayer. It is natural for us to appeal to ourselves and our flesh, but we are called to live a life worthy of the calling (Ephesians 4:1), which means that we must make a conscious effort to fight sin. We are continuously being saved and our addiction will not fix itself on its own or by our own might, but simply by the power of the Holy Spirit. He alone will work in us and cause us to grow.
However, salvation was not a one-time rescue from our sin nature. Rather we WILL struggle continuously with our sin (if you think you're not, you're deceiving yourself). It is a daily battle that will be fought and we must prepare ourselves daily by being rooted in the Word and in prayer. It is natural for us to appeal to ourselves and our flesh, but we are called to live a life worthy of the calling (Ephesians 4:1), which means that we must make a conscious effort to fight sin. We are continuously being saved and our addiction will not fix itself on its own or by our own might, but simply by the power of the Holy Spirit. He alone will work in us and cause us to grow.
We cannot go around judging others' "true saving faith" based on their works. Sure, works do reveal one's true salvation. However, we are saved by grace through faith in Christ alone. Our works will absolutely be a natural outpouring of gratitude and submission to Christ's lordship in our lives, but it's not an overnight thing. Things will take time. Our heart attitude shows whether or not we have been truly saved.
We are called to test and examine OURSELVES to see if we are truly in the faith, but we are not called to judge others and determine if their salvation is true. We are simply called to declare the truth of God's Word and let the Holy Spirit do His job of conviction. If we choose to take the Holy Spirit's job of conviction, then we are only being hypocrites by kicking God off the throne and usurping his power.
We are called to test and examine OURSELVES to see if we are truly in the faith, but we are not called to judge others and determine if their salvation is true. We are simply called to declare the truth of God's Word and let the Holy Spirit do His job of conviction. If we choose to take the Holy Spirit's job of conviction, then we are only being hypocrites by kicking God off the throne and usurping his power.
Like a drug addict or alcoholic or anyone else struggling with an addiction, it's not easy to turn back, especially when that addiction has been around for a long time. Think about it, we have been addicted to ourselves and sin FROM BIRTH. How easy do you really think it is? You really think you're that much better than the guy next to you just because his sin is more provocative or overt? That attitude inside your heart reveals an issue of self-righteousness and pride, and a deception that you are "less sinful" than him. We ALL struggle with sin and we all need help. That help comes from Christ alone and the Holy Spirit doesn't work according to our plans or logic or desires. He works on His own schedule and He will determine what issues so and so will fix up according to His will. Sanctification is something that must be pursued by the individual and the Holy Spirit will aid in the quest to become more like our glorious Savior.
Each day, we will stumble and fail...miserably. But that should not be an excuse for us to give up hope. Yeah it's hard, but wasn't it hard for our Savior to be physically beaten and forced to carry His cross on the road to Calvary? Wasn't it hard for Him to die an excruciating death for our wretched lives? If Christ could give up His life for our undeserving, pitiful souls, then shouldn't we press forward knowing that we have a great high priest who can sympathize with us?
Feel So Alone (Sho Baraka)
"Help me just to love
Teach me to show grace
Gentle in my speech
Patience is what I need
Nothing comes too fast
It only comes with time
Weathered by my life
Patience is what I need"
"Help me just to love
Teach me to show grace
Gentle in my speech
Patience is what I need
Nothing comes too fast
It only comes with time
Weathered by my life
Patience is what I need"
Lord, it might take this entire life, but my heart's desire is to let you be the Lord of my life because I'm not a good lord of my own.
Lord, help me get over myself.
Lord, help me get over myself.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Trust and Satisfaction in God's Will
Yelp Review of the Day: Emerald Chinese Seafood Restaurant
Being here in Hong Kong the past two weeks has been eye-opening because the previous five times I've been here, I never went with the mentality or intention of evangelizing to unsaved family members and relatives. I used to think (or was told) that so and so was a Christian, but with a more refined understanding of what it means to be a believer and of the Gospel from the past three years, I can safely say that some may (and probably are) not because their lives don't reflect that of a believer's.
Before coming here, I asked my small group to pray for me to have an attentive spirit to stirring up spiritual conversations with these relatives. I didn't really get to very much and part of that was my fear of man. Most of these unbelieving relatives are two generations above me and coming from a traditional Chinese family background and knowing what God commands regarding familial relations, I must ABSOLUTELY respect and honor my elders. However, I still want to witness to them but I also don't want to sound disrespectful because I am younger (queue in fear of man...) and many older people tend to be more stubborn because by that age they have already settled on their personal worldview.
Recently I've been reading through the book of Romans, rather slowly and meticulously. I came across Romans 9:18-21 and what Paul wrote spoke to me about my purpose in being a messenger of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The purpose for any of my evangelism activities (i.e. family conversations, campus evangelism, door-to-door, etc.) is to simply communicate the truth about God and the Gospel. I DO NOT exist to convert people or change hearts. I DO NOT exist to sway people or convince people to believe. I must simply present the truth in clarity with the hope that the listener will wrestle and struggle with the information I have given. It is up to them to decide whether or not what I have told them is the truth. I must let the Holy Spirit do His job of conviction because if I could do that, then God wouldn't be God.
"So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills." I was convicted by this because so often, I catch myself wondering why so and so is so hard-headed. Yes, that is my human frustration speaking, but I have to remind myself of who I am and who God is. God is the creator of all things and reigns sovereign over all things. So who are we to question Him? I think this is the issue that trips up most people (particularly unbelievers) when it comes to difficult circumstances and events in life. We ask God "why?" so often that we forget that He's God. He controls all things. There is no Plan B. What we do has no affect on what He does next because He planned it all out before even creation. What happens occurs according to His will and will bring Him glory, even if life seems difficult for us.
Because of that, I cannot let my emotions and feelings rule me and cause me to question and doubt God when my evangelism does not come to immediate (or even future) fruition. I had a friend who renounced his faith in God because his on-campus ministry work didn't produce the results he was expecting and he wasn't doing so well academically as a result of his dedication. But the issue I saw was that he didn't have a proper view of God. He was looking for results for HIS work and was looking for personal glory (although I don't know if he'd admit that...) rather than looking to see if he was pleasing, honoring, and glorifying God. Like I said earlier, the purpose of evangelism isn't to save souls, but to communicate the truth of God in hope that more people will worship God as the one and only true God. Many times, I won't see people come to saving faith immediately (if it does happen, then count it a blessing and encouragement to continue). But that shouldn't discourage me from continuing to preach the Gospel. Paul himself says in Romans 10:14-15 that no one will be saved if the Gospel isn't preached to them.
So I ask you now: how much do you really trust God and are satisfied with His will? Is your soul at peace despite the prospect that some of those you love dearly - friends, family, etc. - may never be saved no matter how clearly, effectively, and often you preach the Gospel to them? Do you trust God enough to let Him do as He pleases because His ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:9)?
By no means am I saying that we should stop preaching the Gospel to them or give up because they have become unresponsive or rejected the Gospel because we do not know God's will for their souls. Remember that God will harden those whom He chooses to harden. This is not say that God cannot also work in the hardened hearts of older people. I am not trying to be morbid or insensitive about this issue or be inconsiderate to those who have family members who weren't saved when they passed away even though the Gospel was preached to them. I myself have people I dearly love that don't know Jesus as Lord and Savior, and I've had relatives who've passed away not having received salvation. I simply want to challenge myself and others to consider the ways of God and to examine how much we truly trust Him, His word, and His will. He moves and does as He pleases because He knows best and what He has planned is not for us to question, even with regards to the salvation of the souls of people, especially ones we love and care about.
Let me end with an anecdote about Pharaoh (Exodus 4-14). This is the story of God, Moses, and the people of Israel living at the time in slavery in the land of Egypt. God called Moses to go back to the land he was raised in to lead his people out of Egypt. God could've made it easy for everyone and just let Pharaoh let His people go. He wouldn't even have needed Moses to go back to Egypt and speak on behalf of Him. He could've just told the Israelites to rendezvous somewhere near the other side of the Red Sea. But He didn't. He chose to harden Pharaoh's heart. Why?!?! Why would God make things so difficult? Why would He cause so much suffering and death in the land of Egypt? Because He is God. He gives and takes as He please because He is the creator. He wanted to display His might and power in the 10 plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, etc. and ultimately receive all glory for what happened (not to mention the fact that He was remaining faithful to His promise to His chosen people).
So what does this have to do with us? We have to trust God to let Him do as He pleases because He is God and we are not. If we don't learn to let God's will be done and not ours, then our ministry and evangelism become self-centered and focused on personal accomplishments rather than what God is doing. All glory should go to God, the rightful owner of all glory (Romans 11:36)
Being here in Hong Kong the past two weeks has been eye-opening because the previous five times I've been here, I never went with the mentality or intention of evangelizing to unsaved family members and relatives. I used to think (or was told) that so and so was a Christian, but with a more refined understanding of what it means to be a believer and of the Gospel from the past three years, I can safely say that some may (and probably are) not because their lives don't reflect that of a believer's.
Before coming here, I asked my small group to pray for me to have an attentive spirit to stirring up spiritual conversations with these relatives. I didn't really get to very much and part of that was my fear of man. Most of these unbelieving relatives are two generations above me and coming from a traditional Chinese family background and knowing what God commands regarding familial relations, I must ABSOLUTELY respect and honor my elders. However, I still want to witness to them but I also don't want to sound disrespectful because I am younger (queue in fear of man...) and many older people tend to be more stubborn because by that age they have already settled on their personal worldview.
Recently I've been reading through the book of Romans, rather slowly and meticulously. I came across Romans 9:18-21 and what Paul wrote spoke to me about my purpose in being a messenger of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The purpose for any of my evangelism activities (i.e. family conversations, campus evangelism, door-to-door, etc.) is to simply communicate the truth about God and the Gospel. I DO NOT exist to convert people or change hearts. I DO NOT exist to sway people or convince people to believe. I must simply present the truth in clarity with the hope that the listener will wrestle and struggle with the information I have given. It is up to them to decide whether or not what I have told them is the truth. I must let the Holy Spirit do His job of conviction because if I could do that, then God wouldn't be God.
"So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills." I was convicted by this because so often, I catch myself wondering why so and so is so hard-headed. Yes, that is my human frustration speaking, but I have to remind myself of who I am and who God is. God is the creator of all things and reigns sovereign over all things. So who are we to question Him? I think this is the issue that trips up most people (particularly unbelievers) when it comes to difficult circumstances and events in life. We ask God "why?" so often that we forget that He's God. He controls all things. There is no Plan B. What we do has no affect on what He does next because He planned it all out before even creation. What happens occurs according to His will and will bring Him glory, even if life seems difficult for us.
Because of that, I cannot let my emotions and feelings rule me and cause me to question and doubt God when my evangelism does not come to immediate (or even future) fruition. I had a friend who renounced his faith in God because his on-campus ministry work didn't produce the results he was expecting and he wasn't doing so well academically as a result of his dedication. But the issue I saw was that he didn't have a proper view of God. He was looking for results for HIS work and was looking for personal glory (although I don't know if he'd admit that...) rather than looking to see if he was pleasing, honoring, and glorifying God. Like I said earlier, the purpose of evangelism isn't to save souls, but to communicate the truth of God in hope that more people will worship God as the one and only true God. Many times, I won't see people come to saving faith immediately (if it does happen, then count it a blessing and encouragement to continue). But that shouldn't discourage me from continuing to preach the Gospel. Paul himself says in Romans 10:14-15 that no one will be saved if the Gospel isn't preached to them.
So I ask you now: how much do you really trust God and are satisfied with His will? Is your soul at peace despite the prospect that some of those you love dearly - friends, family, etc. - may never be saved no matter how clearly, effectively, and often you preach the Gospel to them? Do you trust God enough to let Him do as He pleases because His ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:9)?
By no means am I saying that we should stop preaching the Gospel to them or give up because they have become unresponsive or rejected the Gospel because we do not know God's will for their souls. Remember that God will harden those whom He chooses to harden. This is not say that God cannot also work in the hardened hearts of older people. I am not trying to be morbid or insensitive about this issue or be inconsiderate to those who have family members who weren't saved when they passed away even though the Gospel was preached to them. I myself have people I dearly love that don't know Jesus as Lord and Savior, and I've had relatives who've passed away not having received salvation. I simply want to challenge myself and others to consider the ways of God and to examine how much we truly trust Him, His word, and His will. He moves and does as He pleases because He knows best and what He has planned is not for us to question, even with regards to the salvation of the souls of people, especially ones we love and care about.
Let me end with an anecdote about Pharaoh (Exodus 4-14). This is the story of God, Moses, and the people of Israel living at the time in slavery in the land of Egypt. God called Moses to go back to the land he was raised in to lead his people out of Egypt. God could've made it easy for everyone and just let Pharaoh let His people go. He wouldn't even have needed Moses to go back to Egypt and speak on behalf of Him. He could've just told the Israelites to rendezvous somewhere near the other side of the Red Sea. But He didn't. He chose to harden Pharaoh's heart. Why?!?! Why would God make things so difficult? Why would He cause so much suffering and death in the land of Egypt? Because He is God. He gives and takes as He please because He is the creator. He wanted to display His might and power in the 10 plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, etc. and ultimately receive all glory for what happened (not to mention the fact that He was remaining faithful to His promise to His chosen people).
So what does this have to do with us? We have to trust God to let Him do as He pleases because He is God and we are not. If we don't learn to let God's will be done and not ours, then our ministry and evangelism become self-centered and focused on personal accomplishments rather than what God is doing. All glory should go to God, the rightful owner of all glory (Romans 11:36)
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Understanding the Gospel
Yelp Review of the Day: Korea House
I apologize ahead of time if I have typos and other mistakes...
The issue of the Gospel and what it is has come up a lot more in my conversations with others the past several months. I remember the first time that I was asked to explain the Gospel, I was able to do it. But when I recall what I said, it really wasn't the complete Gospel. The classic "ABC" model was probably the way I presented it, but that's not how Christ preached the good news. He preached a Gospel that was born out of an understanding of who His Father was and following Him had a cost, a cost that meant leaving behind a life of worldliness because it would not be consistent with the nature of God.
A lot of people today talk about how we have to be relevant, we have to "go to the places Jesus would go" (i.e. bars, brothels, etc.) and associate ourselves with people in those places because it helps them feel like we're relating to them. I Corinthians 9:19-20a is Paul's explanation of "becoming a Jew to win the Jews" and some interpret that as hanging out with the sinner" to minister to them. However, we have to look at the context of the passage and Paul is really talking about laying down his rights to comfort and being among sinners to win them over for Christ WITHOUT letting down his guard on his heart. But that's just a snippet of what's been going through my head...
Early in high school when evangelizing to unsaved friends, I started to ask myself why I ask them certain questions regarding their lack of belief.
"Do you wanna experience the life-changing power of Christ in your life?"
Most of the people I know and talk to are doing reasonably well in their life and have no reason to change. If one is successful (in the world's eyes) and is experiencing little pain or suffering, why would they ever care about this Jesus and his supposedly life-transforming gift of salvation?
I finally figured it out.
It's not just that they don't care, but that I was careless with my words.
The Gospel isn't just about Christ's life-changing power in my life (although it is an integral part of following Christ), but it's about who God is. "Life-changing power" makes salvation man-centered, often causing those we evangelize to become misguided in their perception of the Gospel. Salvation becomes all about me, me, and me, but Scripture weaves a threadwork that very clearly shows that salvation is about God. Even when Jesus was suffering and struggling with his inevitable crucifixion, he prayed that God's will would be done (Luke 22:42) [Random tangent: you know that song "Above All"? I will always remember my youth group counselor pointing out that the line "you thought of me, above all" is unbiblical because Jesus wasn't thinking about me, but about God]. The Gospel starts with God and his nature. His holiness shows us our sinfulness and that's where the Gospel begins. The core of the Gospel revolves around the notion of "good news", but you can't have good news unless you know the bad news.
Creation defiled the image of Him in us and we forced ourselves away from His prescence because of His holiness and our sinfulness. The Gospel is utterly about His holiness and glory and his inability to tolerate our wicked and evil ways. If God is holy, then he must be perfect. If he is to be perfect, he must be fair and just. And to be just, He must judge and punish that which goes against His nature and commands, namely sin. THAT'S when Jesus comes in with His "life-changing power" because if we truly understand who God is, who man is, what we have done to offend a holy and righteous God, and realize that there is nothing we can do to save ourselves from His wrath and satisfy the punishment we rightly deserve, then we will realize our need for a Savior. Jesus' power to change our lives only comes after that realization that we need to trust in Him to be our Savior. From the world's perspective, that "life-changing power" is pointless and unnecessary because they absolutely hate God's ways and would want to have nothing to do with becoming more like Him (Isaiah 53:6, Romans 3:10-12).
But from the true believer's perspective who desires to bear fruit to show forth his true faith in Christ's saving grace, becoming more like Jesus is EXACTLY what we want to do (Luke 3:8-9, 6:43-45). But we cannot conform to the image of Christ unless we submit to His lordship and obey His commands according to His Word. Now THAT is when Christ's life-changing power comes into play because that's exactly what we, the BELIEVERS, want. Non-christians don't need or even WANT that changing power because they refuse to see their need for God.
A common opinion I come across during campus evangelism is that people want to get to Heaven, so they find all sorts of ways and try to figure out how to get there after they die. But if they really knew what Heaven was like, what we're going to do there, they really wouldn't want go to Heaven. Unbelievers don't desire God because their sin nature repulses the very nature of God. What they're really trying to look for is a place of peace, rest, and hope. That's their image of "Heaven". A Christian's view of Heaven is a place of ultimate worship and glory-giving to God. The unbeliever's view is man-centered: what can satisfy me and make me feel safe and secure. The believer's perspective is God-centered (or it better be): a place where we can give God His rightly deserved and demanded worship, honor, glory, and power.
The Gospel is not about how my life will be changed for the better. That's the prosperity Gospel, which is a false Gospel. So with that said, when we evangelize it really just comes down to our definitions. If we're not clear with what we mean, if we don't clarify what the unbeliever (or whoever you're talking to) means, then we may be unintentionally preaching a false Gospel. Far be from it that we would ever do such a thing so that we don't give others a false security in a false Gospel and thus make others self-decieved (Galatians 1:6-9). Otherwise, we will be guilty of having grossly misled people to believe in a false gospel.
We must also remember that we will never be able to change a man's heart. We are not God, so there is nothing we'll be able to do that can take the place of the Holy Spirit's power of conviction. Historical, cultural, relevant content gets you nowhere; it may stir up emotions and might lead to saving faith, but it is by no means the avenue for removing the heart of stone. We might have all these great analogies and illustrations that make us laugh and cry and think (not that these are bad in and of themselves), but if we hold to the truth that only the Holy Spirit can convict and change hearts, then wouldn't we be hypocrites for trying to use other sources other than God's word to divulge truth?
When we evangelize, we CANNOT look at what we think or feel, our opinions, or our experience. The only source of truth that remains unchanged is God's Word and that's where evangelism starts and begins and never should deviate from. Our feelings will change. Our opinions can be flawed. Our experiences may be deceptive. Only God's Word is constant and flawless.
------------------------
From this point on, I want to give a short response to a little snippet of a seminar given at Urbana09 on bridging the divide between the LGBTQ community and the church. I know this is a sensitive issue and I will deal little about the issue itself. What I want to address is some things the speaker said that didn't sit well with me...
"...A tangible and measurable expression of an unconditional behavior. You can see it, you can feel it, it's real, it's substance. That's what evangelism is all about to me."
Going back to our thoughts/feelings/experiences...they are decieving. Evangelism to Jesus (not me) was helping people understand who God was/is and understanding the proper response to a holy God.
"The five most commonly asked questions about homosexuality are:
Is being gay a sin?
Is someone born gay?
Can someone change?
Can someone be gay and Christian?
Are gay people going to hell?
There's something wrong with all five of these questions. They're all yes-or-no, close-ended questions...[These] particular yes-or-no questions really don't do us any good other than to further draw a line in the sand."
It would be too long and difficult for me to transcribe and explain his illustration about the way Jesus answered yes-or-no questions, mostly because I don't agree with His logic and find it a stretch to be extracting that part of Jesus' life and apply it to our evangelism strategy. Scripture isn't a complete compilation of all the yes-or-no questions asked of Jesus...what happened when He was asked if He'd like to eat? Would he REALLY not answer with a yes or a no and instead give some elaborately complicated answer for his audience to interpret?
Essentially, he had a problem with the idea that the yes or no questions put us on "the other team" and separated us from "their team". But isn't that what we are called to do? Be in the world and not of it (John 15:19, I John 2:15-17)? We are alive in Christ and dead to sin (Galatians 2:20)? We called to be a holy people, meaning that we are to be set apart (separate) from the world (II Timothy 2:21)? All people will go to heaven or hell, there's no in-between (Revelation 20:11-15)? Granted we are not to be demeaning, but we cannot associate ourselves with the way of life of sin (II Corinthians 6:14). Yes we are still sinners, but the difference is that we are to struggle with our sin and not to indulge in it (Romans 7:14-25). We always talk a lot about the need to be loving to unbelievers, but the most loving thing we can do is to tell them the truth of the Gospel, the whole truth and nothing but the truth (shameless plug: go read Jonathan Leeman's "The Church and The Surprising Offense of God's Love"). It'll rock your world on the understanding of God's Love). If we don't tell them the truth and thus show them how we are SEPARATE, how will they distinguish themselves from us and thus understand their desperate need for a Savior just as we have discovered?
There is a right and a wrong; that is the very essence of truth. It is either sin or not. We CANNOT continue being wishy-washy (lukewarm) Christians who constantly adjust our ways to make people happy (people vs. god pleasers), dabble with sin, and make them feel comfortable because we are promoting a false comfort. We cannot be so easily swayed to bend the truth to suit peoples' preferences because the truth no longer remains true when he have inserted our own sinful and flawed suppositions. If our hope is in Christ alone and He is truth, then His Word is our only source of truth. We are commanded to a live a life worthy of the calling which we have received from Christ (Ephesians 4:1). Therefore, we MUST pursue holiness and righteousness because we are first and foremost called to glorify God and part of that means becoming more like Him, which beckons us to examine ourselves each day: "How am I pursuing holiness and righteousness in all that do?"
For a more thorough series from a more eloquent writer and well-established, affirmed believer, see Bob Thune's blog posts on the The Gospel Coalition's blog. Part I, II, III, IV, V.
I apologize ahead of time if I have typos and other mistakes...
The issue of the Gospel and what it is has come up a lot more in my conversations with others the past several months. I remember the first time that I was asked to explain the Gospel, I was able to do it. But when I recall what I said, it really wasn't the complete Gospel. The classic "ABC" model was probably the way I presented it, but that's not how Christ preached the good news. He preached a Gospel that was born out of an understanding of who His Father was and following Him had a cost, a cost that meant leaving behind a life of worldliness because it would not be consistent with the nature of God.
A lot of people today talk about how we have to be relevant, we have to "go to the places Jesus would go" (i.e. bars, brothels, etc.) and associate ourselves with people in those places because it helps them feel like we're relating to them. I Corinthians 9:19-20a is Paul's explanation of "becoming a Jew to win the Jews" and some interpret that as hanging out with the sinner" to minister to them. However, we have to look at the context of the passage and Paul is really talking about laying down his rights to comfort and being among sinners to win them over for Christ WITHOUT letting down his guard on his heart. But that's just a snippet of what's been going through my head...
Early in high school when evangelizing to unsaved friends, I started to ask myself why I ask them certain questions regarding their lack of belief.
"Do you wanna experience the life-changing power of Christ in your life?"
Most of the people I know and talk to are doing reasonably well in their life and have no reason to change. If one is successful (in the world's eyes) and is experiencing little pain or suffering, why would they ever care about this Jesus and his supposedly life-transforming gift of salvation?
I finally figured it out.
It's not just that they don't care, but that I was careless with my words.
The Gospel isn't just about Christ's life-changing power in my life (although it is an integral part of following Christ), but it's about who God is. "Life-changing power" makes salvation man-centered, often causing those we evangelize to become misguided in their perception of the Gospel. Salvation becomes all about me, me, and me, but Scripture weaves a threadwork that very clearly shows that salvation is about God. Even when Jesus was suffering and struggling with his inevitable crucifixion, he prayed that God's will would be done (Luke 22:42) [Random tangent: you know that song "Above All"? I will always remember my youth group counselor pointing out that the line "you thought of me, above all" is unbiblical because Jesus wasn't thinking about me, but about God]. The Gospel starts with God and his nature. His holiness shows us our sinfulness and that's where the Gospel begins. The core of the Gospel revolves around the notion of "good news", but you can't have good news unless you know the bad news.
Creation defiled the image of Him in us and we forced ourselves away from His prescence because of His holiness and our sinfulness. The Gospel is utterly about His holiness and glory and his inability to tolerate our wicked and evil ways. If God is holy, then he must be perfect. If he is to be perfect, he must be fair and just. And to be just, He must judge and punish that which goes against His nature and commands, namely sin. THAT'S when Jesus comes in with His "life-changing power" because if we truly understand who God is, who man is, what we have done to offend a holy and righteous God, and realize that there is nothing we can do to save ourselves from His wrath and satisfy the punishment we rightly deserve, then we will realize our need for a Savior. Jesus' power to change our lives only comes after that realization that we need to trust in Him to be our Savior. From the world's perspective, that "life-changing power" is pointless and unnecessary because they absolutely hate God's ways and would want to have nothing to do with becoming more like Him (Isaiah 53:6, Romans 3:10-12).
But from the true believer's perspective who desires to bear fruit to show forth his true faith in Christ's saving grace, becoming more like Jesus is EXACTLY what we want to do (Luke 3:8-9, 6:43-45). But we cannot conform to the image of Christ unless we submit to His lordship and obey His commands according to His Word. Now THAT is when Christ's life-changing power comes into play because that's exactly what we, the BELIEVERS, want. Non-christians don't need or even WANT that changing power because they refuse to see their need for God.
A common opinion I come across during campus evangelism is that people want to get to Heaven, so they find all sorts of ways and try to figure out how to get there after they die. But if they really knew what Heaven was like, what we're going to do there, they really wouldn't want go to Heaven. Unbelievers don't desire God because their sin nature repulses the very nature of God. What they're really trying to look for is a place of peace, rest, and hope. That's their image of "Heaven". A Christian's view of Heaven is a place of ultimate worship and glory-giving to God. The unbeliever's view is man-centered: what can satisfy me and make me feel safe and secure. The believer's perspective is God-centered (or it better be): a place where we can give God His rightly deserved and demanded worship, honor, glory, and power.
The Gospel is not about how my life will be changed for the better. That's the prosperity Gospel, which is a false Gospel. So with that said, when we evangelize it really just comes down to our definitions. If we're not clear with what we mean, if we don't clarify what the unbeliever (or whoever you're talking to) means, then we may be unintentionally preaching a false Gospel. Far be from it that we would ever do such a thing so that we don't give others a false security in a false Gospel and thus make others self-decieved (Galatians 1:6-9). Otherwise, we will be guilty of having grossly misled people to believe in a false gospel.
We must also remember that we will never be able to change a man's heart. We are not God, so there is nothing we'll be able to do that can take the place of the Holy Spirit's power of conviction. Historical, cultural, relevant content gets you nowhere; it may stir up emotions and might lead to saving faith, but it is by no means the avenue for removing the heart of stone. We might have all these great analogies and illustrations that make us laugh and cry and think (not that these are bad in and of themselves), but if we hold to the truth that only the Holy Spirit can convict and change hearts, then wouldn't we be hypocrites for trying to use other sources other than God's word to divulge truth?
When we evangelize, we CANNOT look at what we think or feel, our opinions, or our experience. The only source of truth that remains unchanged is God's Word and that's where evangelism starts and begins and never should deviate from. Our feelings will change. Our opinions can be flawed. Our experiences may be deceptive. Only God's Word is constant and flawless.
------------------------
From this point on, I want to give a short response to a little snippet of a seminar given at Urbana09 on bridging the divide between the LGBTQ community and the church. I know this is a sensitive issue and I will deal little about the issue itself. What I want to address is some things the speaker said that didn't sit well with me...
"...A tangible and measurable expression of an unconditional behavior. You can see it, you can feel it, it's real, it's substance. That's what evangelism is all about to me."
Going back to our thoughts/feelings/experiences...they are decieving. Evangelism to Jesus (not me) was helping people understand who God was/is and understanding the proper response to a holy God.
"The five most commonly asked questions about homosexuality are:
Is being gay a sin?
Is someone born gay?
Can someone change?
Can someone be gay and Christian?
Are gay people going to hell?
There's something wrong with all five of these questions. They're all yes-or-no, close-ended questions...[These] particular yes-or-no questions really don't do us any good other than to further draw a line in the sand."
It would be too long and difficult for me to transcribe and explain his illustration about the way Jesus answered yes-or-no questions, mostly because I don't agree with His logic and find it a stretch to be extracting that part of Jesus' life and apply it to our evangelism strategy. Scripture isn't a complete compilation of all the yes-or-no questions asked of Jesus...what happened when He was asked if He'd like to eat? Would he REALLY not answer with a yes or a no and instead give some elaborately complicated answer for his audience to interpret?
Essentially, he had a problem with the idea that the yes or no questions put us on "the other team" and separated us from "their team". But isn't that what we are called to do? Be in the world and not of it (John 15:19, I John 2:15-17)? We are alive in Christ and dead to sin (Galatians 2:20)? We called to be a holy people, meaning that we are to be set apart (separate) from the world (II Timothy 2:21)? All people will go to heaven or hell, there's no in-between (Revelation 20:11-15)? Granted we are not to be demeaning, but we cannot associate ourselves with the way of life of sin (II Corinthians 6:14). Yes we are still sinners, but the difference is that we are to struggle with our sin and not to indulge in it (Romans 7:14-25). We always talk a lot about the need to be loving to unbelievers, but the most loving thing we can do is to tell them the truth of the Gospel, the whole truth and nothing but the truth (shameless plug: go read Jonathan Leeman's "The Church and The Surprising Offense of God's Love"). It'll rock your world on the understanding of God's Love). If we don't tell them the truth and thus show them how we are SEPARATE, how will they distinguish themselves from us and thus understand their desperate need for a Savior just as we have discovered?
There is a right and a wrong; that is the very essence of truth. It is either sin or not. We CANNOT continue being wishy-washy (lukewarm) Christians who constantly adjust our ways to make people happy (people vs. god pleasers), dabble with sin, and make them feel comfortable because we are promoting a false comfort. We cannot be so easily swayed to bend the truth to suit peoples' preferences because the truth no longer remains true when he have inserted our own sinful and flawed suppositions. If our hope is in Christ alone and He is truth, then His Word is our only source of truth. We are commanded to a live a life worthy of the calling which we have received from Christ (Ephesians 4:1). Therefore, we MUST pursue holiness and righteousness because we are first and foremost called to glorify God and part of that means becoming more like Him, which beckons us to examine ourselves each day: "How am I pursuing holiness and righteousness in all that do?"
For a more thorough series from a more eloquent writer and well-established, affirmed believer, see Bob Thune's blog posts on the The Gospel Coalition's blog. Part I, II, III, IV, V.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Grace
Yelp Review of the Day: Noodles & Company
This is just a short blurb from several days ago...I'll put up something newer and more extensive soon.
I feel like I've extended grace so much so that I feel like I'm running out of it and can't/don't want to extend any more to others because I don't have the strength to do so.
But every time I think back at what I just said, I think about God's never ending grace and how He never ceases to give more than we will ever deserve. I can't stop giving grace because He paid my ultimate punishment (death) and gave me more than I can ever repay, so why should I ever think someone is ever undeserving of my grace and that I am deserving of any?
God, give me the strength to extend grace to each and every person not because they deserve it or need it, but because I was shown grace on the cross and am called to be conformed to the image of Christ because I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.
The fruit of "my" work" is not of me, but is from the Holy Spirit who lives and works inside of and through me. He is the one using me, an instrument and vessel in the hands of the Almighty God, to give grace to those around me.
This is just a short blurb from several days ago...I'll put up something newer and more extensive soon.
I feel like I've extended grace so much so that I feel like I'm running out of it and can't/don't want to extend any more to others because I don't have the strength to do so.
But every time I think back at what I just said, I think about God's never ending grace and how He never ceases to give more than we will ever deserve. I can't stop giving grace because He paid my ultimate punishment (death) and gave me more than I can ever repay, so why should I ever think someone is ever undeserving of my grace and that I am deserving of any?
God, give me the strength to extend grace to each and every person not because they deserve it or need it, but because I was shown grace on the cross and am called to be conformed to the image of Christ because I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.
The fruit of "my" work" is not of me, but is from the Holy Spirit who lives and works inside of and through me. He is the one using me, an instrument and vessel in the hands of the Almighty God, to give grace to those around me.
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