Christian Joe

Tim Challies (avid blogger and Christian author) recently interviewed Dr. Russel Moore about the value of reading fiction. I have always enjoyed some fiction (historical fiction sometimes irritates me, but that is just my tastes I suppose). In this portion of the interview, Dr. Moore writes some interesting thoughts about the value of fiction for the Christian and makes some compelling associations with the heavy use of fiction by the prophets as well as Jesus. What I understand his point to be, is that fiction helps the Christian relate spiritual truth to the physical world in which we live, which is necessary if we are to apply doctrine to practice. Below is a portion of the interview. To get the whole interview (and it is very interesting) click on this link   http://www.challies.com .

I’ve found that most people who tell me that fiction is a waste of time are folks who seem to hold to a kind of sola cerebra vision of the Christian life that just doesn’t square with the Bible. The Bible doesn’t simply address man as a cognitive process but as a complex image-bearer who recognizes truth not only through categorizing syllogisms but through imagination, beauty, wonder, awe. Fiction helps to shape and hone what Russell Kirk called the moral imagination. My friend David Mills, now executive editor at First Things, wrote a brilliant article in Touchstone several years ago about the role of stories in shaping the moral imagination of children. As he pointed out, moral instruction is not simply about knowing factually what’s right and wrong (though that’s part of it); it’s about learning to feel affection toward certain virtues and revulsion toward others. A child learns to sympathize with the heroism of Jack the Giant Killer, to be repelled by the cruelty of Cinderella’s sisters and so on.

When you think about it, that’s how the Scriptures often work. The Proverbs, for instance, paint a vivid picture of the revolting tragedy of adultery (Proverbs 7). Jesus doesn’t simply speak about God’s forgiveness in the abstract. He tells a story, the prodigal son, designed to shock (a son who would spurn his inheritance) and to elicit sympathy and identification. The apostles do the same thing. They employ literary, visual language meant to appeal not just to the intellect but to the conscience through the imagination. Think of the Apostle Paul’s language of “laboring until Christ is formed in you,” or his use of literary themes in the OT (“fruit of the Spirit,” and so on).

Fiction can sometimes, like Nathan the prophet’s story of the ewe lamb, awaken parts of us that we have calloused over, due to ignorance or laziness or inattention or sin. This very night, on my way home, I was talking by telephone to my eighty-six year-old grandmother. She was telling me a story about the last time she saw my grandfather alive. She told me about feeling the coldness of his feet as she changed his socks in his hospital bed, about how his eyes were focused on her, though he couldn’t speak. She talked about how, when the nurses told her she had to leave, she kissed him, told him she loved him, and that she could feel him watching her as she left the room, for the last time. I knew she had lost my grandfather. I know that people die. I know “Husbands love your wives” (Ephesians 5). But that story awakened something in me. It prompted me to hold my wife with a special tenderness when I walked in the door. I had imagined what it would be like to say goodbye to her in that way, and, suddenly, all the daily pressures of kids and bills and house repairs and travel just seemed to fit in a bigger context. Fiction often does the same thing. When I read Tolstoy’s Death of Ivan Illych, I gain an imaginative sympathy with something I might avoid in the busyness of life: what it’s actually like to die. When I read Wendell Berry’s stories of Henry County, Kentucky, I can gain insight on what it would be like to face losing a family farm in the Great Depression. This fiction gives a richer, bigger vision of human life.

What’s more is that fiction is, I think, very helpful for those who are called to preach and teach (which, at least in terms of bearing witness to Christ is true of all of us). Fiction helps the Christian to learn to speak in ways that can navigate between the boring abstract and the irrelevant mundane. It also enables you to learn insights about human nature. I’ve never had a problem with drug addiction. I can’t imagine why on earth anyone would take meth. Reading stories of life in Eastern Kentucky and about the motivations behind a meth addict can teach me to address those things biblically, and to see where I have similar idolatry that would be just as incomprehensible to someone else.

I would say that fiction, along with songwriting and personal counseling, are the most constant ways that God teaches me empathy. It’s easy in evangelical Christianity to assume that everyone who opposes us or disagrees with us is simply to be verbally evaporated as an enemy to be destroyed. But no false teaching and no wrong direction has any power unless it appears to someone to be good. Jesus teaches us that those who hand over the disciples to be killed will “think themselves to be doing the will of God.” Almost everyone is the hero in his or her own personal narrative. People don’t think of themselves the way super-villains do in some old cartoon, rubbing their hands together and plotting “the reign of eeeee-vil in the world. Ha ha ha ha!” Fiction helps people honestly present those internal stories that people tell themselves, things they won’t disclose in, say, a debate or a non-fiction monograph arguing for their way of life. In fiction, a Darwinist can show you what it’s like to be scared that you’re living a meaningless life in a meaningless universe, but he can also show you where he finds those things, like awe and love, that he can only ultimately find in God.

In doing premarital counseling with couples I’m marrying, I ask each of them to tell a story to the other. It’s called, “If I Had an Affair, This Is What I Would Do.” Most of these young couples cringe and pout when I first assign this. They’re in love. They only have affection for the other. They can’t imagine ever cheating. That’s just the point. No couple (or very few) start a marriage with designs on infidelity. This storytelling exercise is fictional, but it helps to focus the one’s imagination on what patterns are in his life that he should watch, and it helps the other to get to know her future spouse in a way that is impossible so far in their experience. Often, this exercise has caused a couple to put certain safeguards in place about computers or travel or what have you. It’s helped husbands learn what’s going on when their wives get suddenly quiet or whatever. That’s amateur fiction, but it’s fiction.

But, finally, good fiction isn’t a “waste of time” for the same reason good music and good art aren’t wastes of time. They are rooted in an endlessly creative God who has chosen to be imaged by human beings who create. Culture isn’t irrelevant. It’s part of what God commanded us to do in the beginning, and that he declares to be good. When you enjoy truth and beauty, when you are blessed by gifts God has given to a human being, you are enjoying a universe that, though fallen, God delights in as “very good.”

I realize my last two posts might have seemed somewhat heavy and critical. In this post, I have decided to link to three articles that are well worth the read. So the problem is that one of the three (the one by Albert Mohler) is pretty heavy, but he says something that is so relevant and needs to be said. Each of these articles targets our chief relationships and authorities (the family, the church, and the government) and speaks to an issue within that realm.

The Family – Common Parent Traps -John MacArthur
MacArthur gives Biblical advice that is very helpful for those with children.

The Church – 3 Ways to Encourage Your Pastor -RC Sproul
I Can not think of three better ways than what is said in this article (and I am a Pastor)

The Government – The Ugly American -Albert Mohler
This is heavy and disturbing, yet a necessary read. Let no one be deceived into thinking that being an American citizen makes one pleasing to God. May we pray for our kinsmen according to the flesh and our own hearts who will one day stand before a Holy God.

I had in mind to write a blog post today, but after reading these three articles thought my reader minds would be better spent pondering these gifted and godly writers.

The content of this post is satirical. If this is directed at any one person, it is Matthew Johnson. Oh, how I need to remind myself that Christ died for his church and to ask myself if I am building up that which he died for tearing it down.

A church is an assembly of sinful albeit justified people who have spiritually covenanted together in order to know God and to make him known. While most members of solid local churches do not usually think of the best way to damage or even destroy their church, with only a little effort it is possible. Below are five ways which any member of a church can use in order to either destroy a church or at the very least render it ineffective for the cause to which it has been called. It needs to be known that in order to be effective in destroying a church, you must be a part of one. For a long time, governments, tyrants, philosophers, and other individuals outside of the body of Christ have sought to destroy and damage churches, but found that in the persecution and attacks, churches actually grew. Sometimes, where wolves in sheep’s clothing fail, the sheep in wolves’ clothing succeed. So without further ado I present five ways to damage/destroy your local church.

1. Don’t Pray. When public prayer is being offered in the assembly allow your mind to wander, or better yet run through the list of people in your mind that irritate you and all the things about the church and ministry that you don’t like. If the minister or person praying goes longer than ten minutes then be certain to get restless and make noise so he can realize that this is making you uncomfortable. Don’t attend prayer meetings. These times where Christians gather together to intently pray for the needs of the church and the glory of God through the advance of the gospel can be detrimental to the destruction of a church. Do everything you can to avoid them. And the most important, never pray outside of church. Busy yourself with much so that you just do not have time to pray for the leadership, the saints, the gospel furtherance. If perhaps, you do find yourself praying, be certain that your prayers are either general or aimed at criticizing certain persons (members, pastors, deacons, teachers, etc.) Use a lot of impreccatory prayers for those with whom you really don’t like. This leads us into the second successful way to destroy your church.
2. Be Critical. Great damage can be done if you just complain and criticize as much as you can about the church. Don’t frame things that you are wondering as questions, but only use accusations. Criticism is a great tool to pressure people into conforming to what you want them to do. Notice when the music has a little more beat than you are comfortable with. Take note when the musicians are a little off. Make a catalog of how often your pastors or teachers misquote or flub up a sermon. Look for ways to point out the failures and weaknesses of others. Pastors especially can do great damage by guilting members into submission through criticism. This not only will help damage your church, but it will also make you feel better about yourself in the process. It is probably necessary to point out how the decorations in the building are out of style or how annoying that guy is. If you are creative, you can actually find a lot of ways to implement criticism in your church.
3. Be Judgmental! Jesus said that by our love for one another we demonstrate our connection to Christ as disciples. Therefore, if we can stand in judgment over one another, no one will know we are disciples of Jesus. The best way to be judgmental is to compare everyone and everything not to the Word of God and Truth, but to myself and what I believe is “my truth.” When someone lets you down, lower your voice and speak of how you cannot respect them…by all means do not forgive them. Be ready to catch people in their failings that way you can not only show your superiority, but also show your humility in being so ready and quick to rebuke. If you are looking for a softer way to be judgmental. Do all these things but do them in your mind, not publicly; this way, you can still be judgmental but no one has to know. As long as we are judging another, we will not be able to hear our pesky conscience and the Holy Spirit convicting us.
4. Gossip. One of the greatest ways to destroy your church is to gossip. Gossip is hard to identify but easy to do so this one takes little effort. Just don’t talk to people concerning disagreements; talk about people concerning disagreements. There are many ways a person can gossip but without that nasty label being attached. One such way is to provide “prayer requests” for people who have “issues.” Another is to start with, “I am not gossiping, I am just concerned with what so and so is doing?” Above all, start your story with “I have been praying about this and God laid it on my heart to tell you…” This way, the recipient of the story can not possibly stop you from doing God’s will. Another way to be involved with the gossip train while not getting your hands dirty is to simply listen to others’ gossip because “people just talk with me.”
5. Do Nothing. Finally, the fifth way in which one can effectively render his church useless is to do nothing. Attend as few services as possible, sit in the pews and listen to the sermon halfheartedly. Do not talk about spiritual things to other members of the church, give the minimum in the offering that makes you feel good about yourself. Never, ever refer to the church as “us,” “we,” or “our church.” Always say, “your church.”Only volunteer to serve after having received a “guilt trip.” Don’t be creative in gospel ministry, and by no means share your faith with your co-workers or neighbors. In fact, if you just sit back and stay as aloof as possible, never making connections, never serving, but only ever taking from the church; enough damage will be done that when the struggling church begins to sputter and die, you can pick up your family and go somewhere else without a guilty conscience. Pastors once again can really help with this one. Presenting little opportunity for feedback, micro-managing, or criticizing servants will push them to desire to serve no one.

Of course I hope we all realize that these five, while Biblically accurate, are not desired and this author is using the literary device of satire to arrest our thinking. God give us the wisdom and grace to glorify his name in the church, not to tear it down. Proverbs 6:19 describes one who “sows discord among brothers” as being an abomination to God. This doesn’t mean that discord is abominable-it happens. But one who sows it, plants it, cultivates it instead of resolving it is being described by several of these five points. Please dear reader, take what is written here as a warning, not criticism–the leadership as well as the membership of a local church must be serious about building up God’s church. For how can we exalt the name of the One who died for the church, if we are not actively building up that which he died for? God give us the grace to exalt the local church, not destroy it.

2 Thessalonians 3:1-2
Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:  And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.

Paul sensed a great opposition to his ministry through those whom he classified as unreasonable and wicked men. This was not just opposition to the message of Paul, the Gospel, but personal attacks that he endured. The need weighs so heavily on Paul’s mind that he seeks fervent prayer not just for success but for personal deliverance as well. The prevalence of this threat on the safety of ministers in Paul’s day was not only due to the offense that the Gospel naturally brings to unregenerate men, but it is also due to the growing decadence and lack of moral civility ever-growing in the Greco-Roman culture of the day. The utter depravity and rank barbarism that characterized Roman leadership was a stark reminder as to why this mighty society would soon fall. Sadly, as light in  darkness, Christians naturally received the brunt of this decadent violence and moral angst. So Paul prays for deliverance!

Fast forward about 2000 years and we see an increase in unreasonable men parading in our American culture and society. Within my short life, I believe I have seen violence rise and the unreasonable nature of men within and without the church become a distinguishing mark of this age in our society. I believe that there are cultural expressions within the past few generations that have increased the unreasonableness of men today, making the practice of this prayer even more applicable today than previously in our society. It is simply an obvious observation by many that our society has lost the ability to reason. The rise in violent crimes, especially by young people, school or public venues shootings, and other evidences point to an inability for people, especially the youth, to solve problems with reason and common sense.

Recently, in the city in which I live, a young man was gunned down execution style simply because he “offended” another man. Of course, I do not know the background of the man who allegedly perpetrated this crime, so this article is not about him; however, it appears obvious to me, that instances like this are becoming more and more plentiful. In the past, when young men had an altercation, they exchanged some words, maybe threw a few punches, then when their noses and egos were hurt enough they parted ways and moved on. Today, it seems like rage just builds up in people until they let loose with violence and angst far beyond proportion of what the situation deserves.

Being a Christian, I believe the answers to our societal problems are exactly what Paul said, “the Word of God” (the Gospel). I do believe, however, that there are certain societal tendencies that lead to a greater abundance of “unreasonable and wicked men” which necessitates praying this prayer today even more earnestly. The following are observations and my informed opinions concerning societal changes that saints and sinners alike should contemplate, asking themselves, “Have I imbibed the world’s philosophies to the point that I am becoming an unreasonable and wicked man?”

1. Ignorance of consequences-Young people grow up today with little sense of real consequences for real actions. While positively reinforcing values in children is wonderful, and while being careful not to incite children to sin is to be commended (“provoke not your children to wrath”); parents have often swung too far in the positive direction, neglecting teaching their children about painful, lasting consequences that come for evil behavior. Young men and women today just do not think about consequences. They do not have before their mind the reality that if I take this gun out and shoot someone, not only will I take a life, irreparably damage a whole host of people’s lives, but I will spend the rest of my life in misery behind bars. No, all they are thinking is this, “I am mad, I want to inflict pain on the one who made me mad.” It is a very immature way to live, but children are rarely given insight into the painful consequences that come from sin. The blame is plentiful to spread around. The failing and often times painfully slow justice system, the school systems failure to discipline for fear of reprisal from parents and governments, parental doting about their children masquerading as love which says, “I don’t want my children to have any of the fears and difficulties I had growing up” and the churches inaction and unwillingness to practice church discipline in all of its forms. A society has been developed that has the philosophy that consequences are minor details in the whole scheme of things. Sadly, consequences are a big deal, just ask Adam and Eve.

2. Just do it–This was the mantra of my youth. Michael Jordan and Nike popularized the philosophy. Behind this catch-phrase lurks a dangerous idea, and ideas have consequences. You don’t need to think, just do it. Instant gratification through technology and media, fast food, instant …well, everything has taught us that if you want it all you have to do is…do it. (Oh, I forgot one small detail, you have to believe in yourself then just do it). We are told by our society that we must act. It does not matter what it is that we act upon, just act. Whether it is sending aid to some third-world nation, hunting down a killer (think the viral sensation Kony 2012), or engaging an annoying neighbor, quick just click this link, sign the petition, now, now, now! Aren’t you against murder, then join our cause, now! Don’t you dislike poverty, then donate now! There is a massive attempt by many to keep people from researching, thinking, planning, theorizing, re-planning and executing and to just act before it is too late! The primary method used in this is lighting speed internet technology. Now, I am someone who greatly dislikes committees; I am a man of action, but I believe that our society has gone the extreme and instead of acting out of logical thinking and common sense ideas, we are encouraged to “just do it.” The instant gratification culture in which produces unreasonable (unable to think) and wicked men. Briefly, it is clear to me, that the public education system of our society is not the friend of those who desire to think, but seems to be more concerned with training “activists” to be warriors of action in society today. (Up until recently I had never heard of “professional” activists).

3. Extended Adolescence–There is an epidemic in our society of non-marriageable males. I am talking about men who are of marrying age, who have great careers, are educated, and intelligent, yet they are not marriage material. All this because they are too busy playing video games 5 hours a day, making weekend trips to Las Vegas every weekend, and generally being more concerned about spending time with their “bros” than they are cultivating leadership and enriching other’s lives. Immaturity reigns among the young men of our society. They are more concerned about having a good time than they are about growing up, having a family, teaching the next generation, and leading their wives. A chief mark of immaturity is unreasonableness. I have a difficult time reasoning with my 4 year old, because he is, well, 4 years old. What is ridiculous is how unreasonable 44 year old men are, but are we surprised? I mean it was only a few years back that the 44 year old decided to “settle down.” One of the reasons why the World War II generation was called the greatest generation was their entrepreneurship and enterprise in starting industries, inventions, and technology after the war. But where did this come from? Their maturity and work ethic was forged in battle as 18, 19, 20 year old men. They were forced to mature due to the rigors of war and thus when they came home, they were 22 going on 50 as far as reason and human wisdom. Today, we have the exact opposite. Men are 50 going on 22 and run from responsibility for their actions, reactions, or thoughts. In a nutshell, immaturity among men has bred unreasonableness and wickedness.

These are just a few observations. I do believe that the answer to the unreasonableness of our culture is sourced in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, not simply behavior and societal reformation. I will write on that in later posts so as to provide a Biblical view, but I was mostly interested in noting in this article sign posts in society pointing to the growing reality of unreasonable and wicked men. May we who have the faith not be led astray by our world’s culture that is so counter to the Word of God and the Gospel of Grace.

Where you there when the world was nothing but space
And waters were moved with the Spirit of Grace?
Did you order the stars in their brightness so fair
And arrange the planets with provisioned care?

Did you bring autumn’s breeze to remind of grace,
Before winter’s cold snow hardens the human race?
Will you water the earth with spring’s merciful shower,
And with summers warm sun bring up the timely flower?

Will you speak with deafening pounding of thunder
Crashing with lighting, rending mountains asunder?
Can you calm the tempest with not but a word
Showing great peace, unmeasured strength out poured?

Dare you speak for Almighty: Lord, Judge and King
or contend with the Holy as earth’s dust offspring  ?
Will you commend your love while sinners yet hating
Are cursing you in defiance while judgment awaiting?

Can you purchase your people with blood of your own
And justify fully those who shall rest in you alone?
Will you bear under shame and Divine Damnation
For your glory and grace to bring reconciliation?

When humbled beneath death’s torturous plan
Will you break the chains and rise yet again?
Will you crush to death, the death of sin
And through your sacrifice certain victory win?

Answer me if you can, O man of dust and sin, then sing
For I am your Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer, and King
And to the earth you shall return, but your soul is mine
For I made you, I redeemed you and like the stars- you will shine.

I love going on trips with my family. Sometimes I get the urge to just pack everyone up into the car and start driving in no particular direction.  My wife thinks I am crazy…she is probably right. This would probably become a regular occurrence for our family if that pesky money issue would not get in the way. Over the years, I have learned something about myself; I enjoy change. I like living in a climate where the weather changes four times a year. I prefer to have different meals and like coming up with new palatable concoctions. I like to have rooms painted different colors every so often. People often ask me what my favorite food or restaurant is, but I can’t say because I like to try a variety of restaurants (except sushi…that’s disgusting). I am certain that this roaming, changing, dance around impatiently-behavior is a real nuisance to my family, but it is me none the less. I resist this urge regarding some of the more important things of life. For example, I get the urge every four to five years to relocate my family. I realize that this is an area of change that I cannot be so flippant about, as God’s will and God’s direction must take precedents over my intemperate spirit. However much I may resist the careless desire for change in some of these more important areas, it is inevitable that ever several years, these strange feelings come over me.

This desire for persistent change has to be tempered with reality and God’s direction, and I recognize this clearly. However, I am looking forward to a change that is going to take place unlike any other. I am looking forward to that time when I will take an eternal trip to the heavens. Oh, how I long for that eternal change. But why is it that we, redeemed Christians, can become so enamored with the glamor and glitz of this temporary existence that we allow the pains, joys, successes, and failures of this life to occupy our minds and hearts? Why do we stop looking for a city which has foundations whose builder and maker is God? Why are we tossed back and forth by the circumstances of this life when we know that we are not home yet? Is it because we have forgotten that this life is not our end game? Is it because we seek satisfaction and comfort in the thrills and delights of a passing planet? Saints whose minds are not set upon the the eternal city of God are very little eternal good while in this temporary abode. But we persist, we continue to forget that a great change is coming, and we begin to look at the wind and waves around us and our eyes move further from the tender gaze of our Savior, the one who died for us. And thus we begin to sink. We sink beneath the pressures of our ever-changing feelings. We bow to the pressures of this passing age. We allow our minds and hearts to be trodden down under the tyrannical rule of circumstances of life.

Oh that God would give us the eyes of Abraham, to look for that city, to seek after the eternal habitation of God. To yearn for the presence of our dear Lord and God. Thinking back to my strange desire to get into a car with my family and just drive. We have done that at times, and as we are going home later in the evening, I look back in the back seat and I see three beautiful, little ones, fast asleep. They are unaware of the dangers of other drivers, the storms that may be raging, or the reliability of the automobile. Daddy is going to get them home, nothing else has entered their minds, and so the rest. And in my heart, I think, “Almost home, we’re almost home.” Praise God, that we are almost home.

God really challenged me regarding the basics of Christian growth in my recent study of Romans 12. I have been preaching through Romans for some time now at our church, but I took some time to pause last year before jumping into Romans 12. As I have been contemplating and meditating on God’s Word. I was struck with how basic and simple growth in holiness is. We often yearn for supernatural and fantastic measures of grace to be dispensed to us in order to grow. We are often not satisfied with the ordinary dispensing of God’s grace through the simple means he has chosen in our walk of sanctification, but desire extraordinary demonstrations of God’s grace. Another way to think about it, we often live for emotionally and/or spiritually charging experiences hoping that the next big work of growth in our lives just might propel us into the outer stratospheres of Christ-likeness. But the profundity and beauty of God’s Word teaches us that He has ordained very ordinary means of goodness and grace to grow us as his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works. This past Sunday, I shared this with God’s people by way of introduction before launching into Romans 12:3 which shows us the greatest detriment to growth unto holiness and godliness that Christ desires of his church. In the next few posts, I hope to expand on these four means that God has ordained for true saints to grow in grace and genuine holiness. As I read the Scripture I am challenged with these four “ordinary” means God has chosen to dispense sanctifying grace to his people. God has ordained the preaching of the Word, the observance of his ordinances, the grace of prayer, and the fellowship of assembled worship as the vessels to dispense grace to his people. All four of these are what the indwelling Spirit of God uses to grow us in grace and holiness through faith. May we walk in them.

By no means should we think that mere obedience to these duties is sufficient or even helpful in Christian growth. We must embrace a walk of faith in light of the Gospel as we grow, but these are the means God has used to build our faith so that might be sanctified by his great grace.

If you would like to listen to the full text of this Sunday’s sermon, I will post it shortly in mp3 format. But you can watch it now on youtube.

Of all the “respectable sins” (a term coined by the author Jerry Bridges) pride has to be one of the most pernicious and pervasive. There is  not a human soul in existence today who is not troubled by this destructive attitude of heart. Arrogance, egotism, self-pity, self-aggrandizement, morbid introspection, public self-exaltation, and many more descriptions of pride characterize our daily lives. The sneaky thing about pride in all its forms is that it fools us into thinking it is not-existent. It is a deadly spiritual parasite who pretends to be a fabric of our sanctified DNA convincing us that we are humble and gracious with little or no pride. Ironically, the arrogant man takes pride in his abject humility. This has caused a new word to be formed in our culture today, humblebrag–A statement where one is able to exalt himself through self-deprecation. There can be little argument that all people, even Christians are proud people.

Technically, the opposite of pride is humility, but I believe that we should dig deeper. Maybe it would be better to say that the opposite of pride is Divine Wisdom. What I mean by this is that the cure for pride is not failure or falling. We often think that if a proud person is humiliated or is a failure, then they will obviously be cured of their pride. But that doesn’t usually happen. Instead, proud people who fail miserably usually play the victim and blame others around them for their failure. On the other side, they may retreat into morose self-deprecation and self-pity which is still pride because it is centered upon “self.” Mere external circumstances which could humble a man rarely destroy the wickedness of pride. Just as a child who gets caught in their sin and punished will rarely be changed from that experience. No, they will just learn how to avoid getting caught next time. So it is not external humiliation that will dissolve pride, even in a Christian’s heart.

That which is fundamentally opposed to the pride recessed in our hearts and minds is a true Wisdom of who we really are and who God magnificently is. Behavior modification seeks to change pride by showing the person how bad pride is or how negative arrogance can be or how hurtful pride is to others; but lasting change comes when our minds are turned to see how good God really is and to view ourselves in light of his revealed person, Jesus Christ. The opposite of pride or better, the cure for pride is the knowledge of God and the Wisdom only he provides. Our minds and hearts can only contain so much information and devotion. If we are devoted to feeling better, knowing more of ourselves, being comfortable and satisfied in this life, then there is little space left for Divine thoughts and lofty notions of God. But if we are filling our minds, hearts, and longings up with the Wisdom of God, there is little room left for lofty thoughts of ourselves. The battle against pride and arrogance begin with the mind being renewed in the knowledge of the person and work of God. In this manner, Theology is the most practical thing a Christian can study for life and godliness. To know God in a relational and comprehensible sense through the Word of God is the only thing that can destroy pride and selfishness from our lives.

The title of this article is about pride’s most deadly feature, so what am I getting at. Here it is…The most deadly feature of pride is that it convinces us that we don’t have a problem. Pride convinces us that our thought processes are Divine. Pride convinces us that we are not being squeezed by the world’s pattern of thinking. Pride convinces us that others have much to learn, but we thank God we are not like the Pharisee that stands in the public square thanking God he is not like the publican (kind of ironic, huh). Pride convinces us that we don’t need to say “I am wrong;” we can simply and quietly just move on. Pride fools us into thinking that we are theologically and doctrinally minded and that we need less devoted time in the Scripture and in prayer than others. “Those Bible study classes at church are for new Christians. I need something deeper in my walk.” Pride causes us to get offended when we are rebuked or admonished. Pride is involved with self-justifying. Pride says, “But the woman, whom you gave me!” just like Adam. Pride causes us to think of everyone else who needs to hear God’s admonition…but me. In essence, the most dangerous feature of pride is that it can camouflage itself as humility and spirituality.

Remember Peter at the end of Christ’s ministry? Jesus approaches Peter and asks him three times if he loved Jesus. Peter’s appropriate and honest response is recorded, and Jesus commands Peter to feed his sheep. Then at the end of it all, Jesus tells Peter to strengthen his brothers when he is converted. Jesus knew Peter and he knew that there was a major change that still needed to take place in Peter. That change is obvious when we see Peter’s immediate words. He looks at John and says, “What about this man, what will he do?” Jesus’ response is classic. “That is none of your business, follow me!” (That is a loose paraphrase I know). What needed to change in Peter? Pride, it had hid itself so well from Peter that he couldn’t even see it even after the passion events. It took a while for Peter to finally see that he was wrong.

Beloved, we must ask God to humble us through a growing and sincere knowledge of His person and work. Pride will keep you and me from examining our heart. That parasite does not want to be found. And when he is found, he will dig his teeth in and it may cause more pain removing it than letting it continue. But for the sake of Jesus name and the judgment seat of Christ, we must renew our minds in the person and work of Jesus Christ, humbling ourselves before the mighty Surgeon’s hand so that he can remove the pride that constantly grows within us.

In my life, I have noticed two ways that pride reveals itself. These may not be the same for you, but maybe my experience is instructive to some who read this. Pride usually exhibits itself when I take personal offense at others’ actions and reactions against me. If I am secure in Christ, I should take no offense from others even if they are royal jerks. What right have I to be offended by other people’s actions? I should rather have love and pity for others-rather than be personally offended with a huff and a puff. When I feel I have been wronged, pride usually raises its ugly head and bites down hard. I foolishly utter in my head, “What is wrong with people?” but what I should be asking is, “What is right with me?” My only rightness is the righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed to me. Here is the trap of Job. He sinned not at first, but then he got pretty good at justifying himself rather than God, I am pretty good at that too. Allowing bitterness over past failures of myself or others to rule me is also an expression of pride. I really need to think, “What right have I to be bitter against anyone?” Bitterness was poured out on Jesus Christ in my stead.

May God give us, Beloved, a heart that is humbly seeking to know God. “For they that do know their God shall do exploits” (Dan. 11:32). Only through an increased Theological awareness and the grace of God in submission to the Holy Spirit’s use of the Word of God in our lives can we see pride’s defeat.

Have you ever noticed that every generation speaks fondly of their youth and the culture of that youth and somehow finds a way to work into the conversation, ‘Those were the good ole’ days”? Christians are no different, we often reminisce about the church of yesteryear, romanticizing how it was so much better than it is today. Christians tend to make a utopia of the church of the past and long for the utopian church of the future, but rarely are content with the church today. Whether it is the church of 40 years ago, 400 years ago or 2000 years ago, we sigh with deep longing wishing that church could be like it was when it was “pure.” You know, before all this world, culture and generation messed everything up with their baggy pants and baseball caps turned backwards. I often chuckle at the individuals who long for the church of the 50s and 60s when the women wore dresses, the men wore suits and long-haired hippies just stayed out of the church. I chuckle because I think that they have forgotten that the church was still full of sinners in the 1960s regardless of the length of their hair.  But then I wonder, do I or my young generation do the same thing with the church of 2000 years ago? Do we not look at the early church, the apostolic church, the church of the first century and long for the days when we can get back to the purity and perfection of that first assembly? Are we not projecting a utopian ideal upon the early church? And if we are, is this any different than the discontentment of those who long for the church of the 1950′s. Oh, but my longing is much more Biblical, more pure, is it? Am I not idolizing a culture or historical time and by default suggesting that God has not been strengthening or building his church with success for the last 2000 years. Constant looking back and longing for the good ole’ days is idolatrous and foolish. We are made to serve God today in the church today, with all her failures and successes today.

Was the early church so pure and perfect anyways? Let’s think for a moment. Was it not the apostolic church that within years (maybe months) of their miraculous and fantastic establishment and growth led by those gifted as no others (apostles) evidence signs of deep prejudice? And not just any prejudice, but that prejudice characterized by neglecting to love and care for old widows who only were guilty of being of a different ethnic background. Was not this early church the scene of a fight between leadership because one of the most influential gifted leaders, and experienced churchman was hypocritically refusing to eat with some people in the church because of perceived prejudice and cowardice? Did not this early “pure” church have saints lying to one another, to the Holy Spirit and to the leadership in order to appear to be godly, hospitable, and generous? What about the local assembly at Corinth, we don’t even need to speak further on that one. A congregation, called saints and truly God’s church in the first few verses who complemented themselves on their acceptance of those with deviant sexual lifestyles, proud, worldly, doctrinally messed up, and refusing to listen to the leaders appointed by God. How about the church at Ephesus that Timothy was sent to? This young man who only wanted to serve the God, who loved him, is sent to a church where he must rebuke the elders publicly living in sin, set in order all the things gone wrong, correct the worship failings, and in the process need to drink wine for his sickness that is associated with this task. Here is a young pastor who is physically and noticeably ill because of what he must do in this “early church.” But their fellowship was so sweet, they had all things common and took care of one another beautifully? Did they, what about the church at Philippi? Eudious and Synteche, who are at each other’s throats. What about the continual rebukes and commands to love one another. Why do you think that there is so much said about loving one another, caring for one another, and encouraging one another? It is probably not because they were doing it, but because they were failing. There is so much more that we could examine, the doctrinal errors so radical that today, we would probably label those churches as un-salvageable; the fighting, the failures, and so much more. But then we come to the end of the first century, the last book of the Bible written and we have seven churches in Asia, the earliest churches in the spread of Christianity, just read the first few chapters of Revelation. We don’t get a utopian picture of the early church.

What is my point, am I just crankily taking digs at the church? I hope that no one would misunderstand what I am writing. I love the church, It is the most beautiful expression of God’s work on this earth. But we must be careful that we don’t project our idolatrous utopian ideals back on the early church and long for the days when everything was right in the church. The reason that there were problems in the early church and problems today in the church is because both were made up of people, and people have problems and are problems. A former professor of mine once said, “The best church is a large one with no people in it.” The church is the place where God takes justified sinners and orchestrates a life-long process of sanctifying them so that he might present his church as a pure bride before the Father. That presentation before the Father does not take place in this world, but in the world to come. People are the same 2000 years ago as they are today. The styles change, languages change, cultures change, but people who have a sinful flesh and earthly minds are still around and will be until Christ returns.

I am not suggesting that we excuse sin and problems within the church, nor am I suggesting that it is not helpful to look back at the structure and pattern of the church in the New Testament and pattern our churches after that. But if you, dear Christian are supposing that there exists somewhere either on this planet or in history, a church that will have achieved this goal of sanctification and fulfill all your dreams of what a utopian church is, then you will be wandering the earth for a long time. Often those dissatisfied with the church have expectations that can only be met with glorified people and since they are not yet glorified, then their presence ruins the whole thing. Does this mean that it doesn’t matter what a church does or doesn’t do, what the people are like, what the leadership does? Absolutely not! The Scripture does outline what the church ought to do and look like. But the best way to help a church accomplish this is not to criticize or hop from assembly to assembly looking for that utopian church, but rather to serve with your gifts and abilities, pray for the church, and submit yourself to the authorities God has ordained for that church.

In searching for a good church, I highly suggest that everyone reads Mark Dever’s book The Nine Marks of A Healthy Church; It is richly Biblical. And even after reading that book, don’t just wander looking for a church that meets those criteria. No church will perfectly do all things right. But get involved and serve God with contentment knowing that telling the Lord that you just couldn’t find a good church will not avail much at the judgment seat of Christ. When our mind is on earthly, temporal goodness; when we look for all our wants, needs, and longings to be satisfied in earthly relationships and organizations; then we are evidencing a mind not set on the eternal heavenlies.  We must long for Christ, for only in Him can we have peace, satisfaction, and contentment.

There seems to be a lot said in the media today about bullies and bullying. Bullying is not a new issue, but social media websites and instant communication through technology has brought the issue to the forefront of people’s thoughts. Bullying is a sinful practice and one that ought to be taught against and abhorred by Christians. One thing to remember about bullying that is often forgot, is that bullying is not an adolescent or even pre-adolescent problem only. Children bully because of a sin nature that plagues every human, but they are taught to perfect their bullying through the adults that surround them. In the church as well as in the world, bullying takes many forms, but one aspect of adult bullying in the church that has often been ignored is spiritual bullying. Spiritual bullying can be perpetrated by those in leadership and it often is, but it is also a problem among those within a congregation.

Bullies are often not confronted and when they are, it is usually not done well. They are often confronted through violent means (if not physical then verbal) which may cause the bully to leave the victim alone but really does not change the heart or long-term behavior of the bully. This leads many to say “Once a bully, always a bully.” And no doubt, this appears to be the truth. Spiritual bullies in the church are not much different. Sadly, they are not confronted well by God’s people either. Like bullies on the playground, this is usually because they aggravate other Christians to the point of frustration and then the victim’s response is to punch them in the nose (this is metaphor…but sometimes literal even in the church) or teach them a lesson they will never forget. This too will not change the heart of the spiritual bully, but will lead them to retreat into self-justification and feelings of vindication.

There are a few weapons of spiritual bullies, but the most effective by far is fear. Spiritual bullies want people to be afraid. They want people to be afraid of crossing them, be afraid of making a wrong choice, or be afraid of facing some kind of punitive judgment. And so spiritual bullies will (while taking the high ground of superior “spirituality”) use ultimatums, manipulate others to agree with them… or else, conflate minor or secondary matters to first priority (the minor matter is obviously something that the bully wants) or threaten with exposing the victims faults. All this is for the purpose of causing those around them to feel fear. It is not that they are necessarily wanting them to feel threat of physical or emotional attack but to cause those around them to “see their point of view.” To “agree with me for your own good.” If they can cause those around them to be afraid of not doing what the bully wants or at least making the victim walk on egg shells around them, in the long run, they feel they win. They will do this enough to cause others to give up and just give them what they want. And so fear wins the day, instead of faith.

But what do bullies want. At the heart of bullies, both spiritually and culturally, is a selfishness intent on personal comfort or validation. It might seem unusual, but it becomes obvious to many that bullies are more insecure than those whom they bully. Of course, no self-respecting spiritual bully would ever admit that he is insecure and seeking his comfort because he is uncomfortable with his God relationship and others relationships with him. But whether he admits it or not, insecurity is his chief problem; and insecurity is a nicer way of saying faithless.

The Bible does address bullies. First, we must realize that bullies need the Gospel. Only the true Gospel of Divine grace and mercy will deliver them. The testimony of the Apostle Paul comes to mind. He was a bully of bullies, a spiritual bully bar none. It took the intervention of a sovereign God with his grace to rescue Paul from his spiritual bullying and make him to be the greatest edifier of the church in all of history. How do we deal with bullies? We minister God’s grace and pray for God to do to them what he did with Paul.

But often the spiritual bully in the church is a professing Christian, and it is possible that he is a true believer who is living a life of disobedience walking in his former lifestyle. Either way, he needs grace and so we must minister grace. “When he (Jesus) was reviled, he reviled not again. When he suffered, he threatened not but committed himself to him who judges righteously” (I Peter 2:23).” If your enemy is hungry give him bread to eat, if he is thirsty give him water to drink, for in so doing you will heap coals of fire upon his head and Jehovah shall reward you” (Proverbs 25:21). Ministering grace to spiritual bullies does not mean that there is no confrontation concerning their sinful behaviors; there must be appropriate confrontation (“If any man speak let him speak as the oracles of God”) but that confrontation must be with the purpose and in the manner of ministering grace to the individual.

If we as Christians who were the enemies of God but are now made saints by the justification of Christ’s sacrifice cannot minister grace to those who are our enemies, what are we then saying about the power of the Grace of God. Dealing with spiritual bullies is no easy matter, but God has given us grace so that we might minister grace to all men.