The Family Friendly Gospel

Something I have noticed for some time is the emphasis on family in our culture, whether it be a redefinition of what constitutes a family, advertising for products/experiences, or to discuss the active role of the family in society. In Christian circles, family is used to describe ministry models, the ideal for the home, and a system of values to protect and defend. I also have noticed some Christian radio stations talk about being "safe for the whole family," and for certain types of entertainment to be "family friendly and wholesome." For the record, I am all for protecting young eyes (and older) from seeing filth that is passed off as "free expression." The power of media to create and reinforce value systems is greatly underestimated by many people, and that is to our detriment.

So to the task at hand, in a Christian sub-culture that seeks to be family friendly and good and wholesome, how are we to see the Gospel? Is the Gospel safe, family friendly, and wholesome? Are we to expect the same values in our theology that we desire to see in our homes? I would contend that if we seek to make the Gospel family friendly and wholesome, we in fact rob it of its great power and great offense, both of which are necessary.

How can Jesus not be wholesome or family friendly you ask? It all comes back to the core issue of the need for a Gospel. That need is sin, sin that comes from a rebellious and wicked heart that seeks to displace God and put Self on the throne. That expression of sin comes in idolatry, lust, greed, pride, rivalry, contention, bitterness, jealousy, war, sabotage, etc. We see a great calamity at work, but in so many circles we take on an unbiblical approach to humanity. We look at people, especially ourselves, and do not see the inherent wickedness in our hearts. We see children as sweet innocents who are in fact as Augustine described them "little bundles of original sin." We neglect the fact that all who are born in Adam are guilty of sin and deserving of hell. It is not family friendly to look at someone and tell them they have an idolatrous heart and are at war with God. It's much easier to gloss over the issue and explain it away using psycho-babble or the dreaded "well, boys will be boys."

The crucifixion has to be the least family friendly part of the message of the Gospel (more than a 'Plan of Salvation' but God's purposes of redeeming His elect). We see Jesus, the sinless one who bears no guilt of His own, tortured and murdered in the most brutal way ever imagined by man. On the cross we see the full wrath of God against sin, all of God's hatred of evil and righteous judgment against rebellious man. It is a gruesome picture, one that could not be shown on network TV. In the very ugliness and horror of the cross, there is a great beauty. The beauty is this: It was for us that Christ died. There was a joy in going to the cross, knowing that once it had been accomplished the work of redemption was complete. It pleased the Father to send the Son to the cross, which has been portrayed as cosmic child abuse, but is instead one of the greatest pictures of love ever painted. But it is far from "safe for the whole family," because it should be every single one of us who has our flesh torn off and our blood spilled with railroad spikes in our arms. At the expense of God's holiness we emphasize His love, and His goodness requires that He punish the wicked and condemn those without Christ to hell. If He did not, then the death of His Son is child abuse because there was no purpose to it.

We preach a message of scandal and foolishness, that God would come to earth and assume humanity, die a wrongful death on our account, rise from the grave, and indwell the hearts of believers to conform them to His image. It is a message that is held in jars of clay, so that we do not focus on the wrapping paper but instead the gift. The Gospel message is not family friendly because it cuts like a sword and demands all to give account. Jesus' great question to His disciples is "Who do you say I am?" and He asks us that as well. How we respond to that has eternal ramifications. The Gospel can split friends, and divide siblings. The very offense of it that those with it are assured eternal life and those without are assured of eternal death goes counter to the pluralism and individualism of our day.

The Gospel message is not safe, and to remove its scandal, its offense, its need and its horror is to rob the Gospel of its great power. In churches that paint Jesus as a pithy Zen master or God as a passive observer, you notice a lack of power in both the preaching ministry and in the lives of the congregation. Watering down the horror of the cross glosses over the nature and effect of sin and the demand for a worthy sacrifice to overcome it. Ignoring the question of sin and morality muddies the water as to what is true and what is right. Again, the church must not tolerate things that are impure and sinful in the name of tolerance and diversity. If it means offending man and pleasing God, that is a much better alternative than offending God and pleasing man.

This post isn't meant to stir up trouble or controversy, just to get us thinking about what it is we're preaching and what life we're living. Thoughts for the day!

To quote Derek Webb from his House Show CD "Jesus is not safe. Preaching the Gospel is not safe. But He is good, and He is the King."

Do Less, Give More

If you're wondering what the point of that title is, it comes from a phrase I kept on hearing in my head over and over again last night. I was sitting at a Todd Agnew concert and during the mandatory presentation of a WorldVision promotion, I was broken over the child that Carrie and I sponsor through Compassion, Martin. I began to pray for him and weep over the fact that compared to our children when we have them, he has so little hope or future outside of our giving. Praying hard through it and asking the Lord to continue to bless us financially so that his line item in our family spending never has to be cut, I started being more and more convicted about how selfish and wicked my heart is when it comes to spending. I want more for me, and I put it under the guise of "investing wisely" or "building up savings in case something happens" or "well we might want to do some renovations/redecorating later." The $32 that we write in our check ledger every month seems like nothing to us, but God has given the dollar such strength that it has great power in Third World countries. How arrogant and selfish of us to keep so much to ourselves when what is so little for us can do such great things around the world.

That's only part of the story though. Another thing I have been broken over is the spending and structuring of church budgets and church efforts. Many of you are well aware that I am not a fan at all of how the SBC is spending its Cooperative Program dollars, that we keep far too much in the US and do not do enough to spread the Gospel so that the nations may be glad. There is nothing I can do to change those practices on my own, only through my vote at the Convention next year for the Great Commission Resurgence can I have a say in it. I hope and pray that restructuring happens, that less money is kept in the US for redundant programming and efforts that conflict with one another, and less money is spent on building grandiose buildings that serve to the glory of man rather than the glory of God. Conversely, I hope and pray that more money is spent in planting churches, developing living communities that are missional in nature and less concerned with programming and buildings and more concerned with living incarnationally in their communities, that we invest more in developing the next generation of pastors through intentional discipleship in the local church and innovations at the seminaries, that more money is sent overseas to help end hunger and bring clean water in Jesus' name, that more missionaries are sent to the ends of the earth, and that more time and effort is spent to translate the Bible into native tongues so that the tribesman in the bush of Africa can hear in his language the words of Christ.

So how can I, as a 27 year old youth pastor in rural Kentucky, do anything to bring about this vision that the Lord has given so many in my generation? Simple, I need to shut up and get to work living this out. I have never been a fan of the model of youth ministry I call the "Three Ring Circus" where the goal is to have more and bigger, throw in some elephants, maybe a lion tamer or two, and keep students entertained for a few years. I cannot accept that, and I would go so far as to say those who do that kind of ministry are making children of hell of their students. My primary aim as a youth pastor is to instill a Christian worldview in our students and prepare them over their 5 years in youth ministry to be mature adults (both in the church and outside), able to feed themselves spiritually and be active members in the local church.

To that end, I have decided to begin teaching the concept of "do less, give more" in some very practical ways. This does not mean I intend to abandon programming and never do anything fun. Secretly, going to Six Flags and Whitewater Rafting and such is the second best part of youth ministry (behind seeing a teenager have a 'get it' moment). What I do mean by this is no longer doing things simply for the sake of doing things. So much ministry is done just for the sake of doing ministry, making ministry the end goal. The end goal isn't to do, it's the glorify God. Our efforts and activities and such will be done for God's glory, not just to do things. So when we serve a soup kitchen, the end goal isn't to get students serving or keep them from getting pregnant, it's to work and strive for the glory of God to make Him known. When we lead worship in a couple weeks, it isn't for a photo op, it's for our students to glorify God in song and reading Scripture.

As far as giving goes, I have been convicted that churches are just as guilty of being selfish with their money as Scrooge was towards Bob Cratchit. We keep so much in house and give so little comparative to our receipts. Instead of spending money on light systems or the latest media platform, why not invest our money and time and energy in things that will last? We can still have things and do cool stuff, but let's make the priority of our spending being missional and out-focused instead of in-focused. I hope to be able to be more intentional in 2010 about encouraging our students to give towards missions endeavors, to spend their money not on candy or concessions but to help send resources, food, and volunteers to the mission field. I want to encourage and motivate our students to see the big picture of God's mission in the world, not just what we can do to have a more cool and hip youth ministry.

Our Christmas Card Mailboxes will be up by this Sunday, and the money raised is going to be used to do youth missions. We'll be giving 25% to Lottie Moon to help keep missionaries on the field and do our part to make up the shortfall. Another 25% will be earmarked for local projects, for donations and resources for volunteer work. The remaining 50% will be set aside for financial assistance for our students to do mission trips, individually and as a church. With a 2011 International Trip on my heart, we must begin the work now to provide ample ways for as many students as possible to go. This is a small way, but I feel led to do this. I would encourage any of you who read this to prayerfully consider what you can do as a ministry leader and individual to Do Less and Give More.

Timeless Truths in an Shifting Time

For years I have felt a slight bit of tension in ministry. I'm fairly young, work with teenagers, and feel like I'm fairly up on trends and technology. But I am also disheartened with most of the writing that's done, even in Christian circles, and so many of my books and literary heroes have been dead for over 100 years. I find much of what's out now to be shallow, mindless, and devoid of any real power besides just being "relevant." So, I have a lecture series on my iPod on the Puritans I listen to while I mow. I have a Spurgeon bobblehead doll on my desk. I find more satisfaction in reading A Pastor's Sketches or Lectures to my Students than I do "7 Purposes for having a hip cool missional youth ministry experience. Why is this? Deep down, I really think it's because there are certain things that remain timeless. The attraction to Spurgeon and the Puritans is largely found in the fact that though society was very different, they were still involved in the messy areas of life. Sin was an ever-present reality, people lost jobs and struggled in their marriages and families, and they used Scripture as their guide.

So that brings us to the title of this post, where we must look at the tension between dealing with an ever-changing world around us and what the church must do to respond to that with the timeless message of Christ. Some churches have responded by adjusting, editing, or simply doing away with what has always been done in church. Others seek to modify and re-interpret truths. Still others avoid adjusting to culture and remain stuck in a rut (sorry SBC, that's you for the most part). Finally, there are those who look to take timeless truths and bring them into a changing time for the sake of the Gospel being made known.

The issue is, what is timeless and what is timely? Methodology is flexible, we must recognize this. In the digital age, a record player and duplicator machine (complete with the purple ink) is never going to be efficient. Methodology is adaptable to the times, and for the sake of not losing relevance to the culture the church must be up to date. This means using media, being accessible online, developing an internet presence through website/podcast/email, using a modern English translation (I use the ESV, which I feel is a great balance between the rich theological language of the KJV with the user-friendly readability of the NIV; would also recommend the NLT and the NIV. Message I'm not so big on because it's not peer-edited by a committee), and for the worship arts to reflect the contemporary culture. I'm not saying abandon all tradition, but we're starting to see a shift in worship theology and practice. To say you are "contemporary" when you have a CD player or a song that contains some clapping is like saying an 88 Oldsmobile is a great new car. I believe all churches need to incorporate some contemporary worship into their worship practice. But all worship, regardless of music style, must be doctrinally sound, biblically accurate, and theologically educational. My biggest gripe with contemporary music is that in a lot of cases it doesn't say anything. My biggest gripe with traditional music is in a lot of cases it doesn't say anything. We have a wealth of hymns, choruses, and other styles of music, responsive reading, etc. Why settle for crap because it's hip and cool or old-fashioned when we could do more with music?

Perhaps the most prevalent place of adaptation in ministry is in the realm of youth ministry. Sadly, there is no shortage of "Christian alternatives" to whatever the world has to offer. If you like MTV, we have a giant Christian music industry complete with metal, rap, and boy bands. I'm all for promoting a Christian worldview, but when the church does stuff just because the world does, I get mildly annoyed. Youth ministry for years has been based on this question "How big can the circus get?" We have developed a ministry model based on doing more, bigger, and the "wow" factor. Church down the road have a worship leader, you try to get a band. You have a lock-in, another church will have inflatables and a laser-tag night. We've bought into this ministry approach that students need to be entertained and kept occupied. I hate to say this, but they get that everywhere else. Could it be that they come to church with a desire for more? Could it be that they are leaving the church in droves when they graduate because the three-ring circus stops at 18? Here's a little clip of what the circus ministry model looks like. What we need with students is reality. The reality of God, the reality of Christ, the reality of the Church. We fail in ministry when we do not faithfully teach and live Scripture, and our primary motivation for student ministry has to be for students to be changed not by XBox or Rock Climbing, but by the power of the Holy Spirit. Timeless truth in a shifting culture is seen by the fact that teenagers across the country are demanding more. They want more depth, more doctrine, more Bible, more for their life than frisbees and pizza. They want to serve the homeless, care for the sick, share their faith, and do great things for God.

Fads will come and go, and trends will change as soon as the next Christian celebrity writes the next bestselling book. But the one constant is the Word of God, that will stand even when the grass withers and the flowers fade. Basing a ministry on anything short of this will leave you empty, drained, and wanting more. Basing it on the Word leaves satisfaction, contentment, and accomplishes something.

Theology for Everyone

What comes to mind when you hear the word "theology?" Is your mind picturing stuffy headed people sitting over piles of books? Do you see a cigar smoke-filled room of men debating? Do you see yuppy hipsters in a Starbucks pouring over the latest book by Piper? Sadly, those are the images many of us conjure when we think of theology.

But the fact is, everyone does theology. Everyone has a belief system that informs, directs, and moves their life. Everyone has a worldview, a lens through which life and circumstances are interpreted and acted upon. Everyone has a religion, even a religion of unbelief and skepticism. In short, all of us who are sentient are theologians. We all make statements of faith, and each of us has some understand of the Divine. All that comes from the imago Dei in each person.

What is theology? Simply it is the study of God. What is "doing theology?" It is the doing of the study of God, which is something you don't have to go to seminary to do. Why is there a misconception? Because somewhere along the way the Academy was where theology was done and the Church was for regular folks. But theology is important not just for the Academy, but for the Church, because it is through theology done well and done faithfully that a believer comes to a fuller and more complete understanding of God, Christ, Holy Spirit, the Scripture, the Church, salvation, sin, mankind, etc.

Here are some reasons I have used before for why I believe every Christian should desire theology:

1) It is a non-exhaustive subject - You will never fully understand everything about it, so the quest is as fresh for the 50 year veteran as it is for the spiritual infant. The limits are infinite, so the depth and range of study is immense. My roommate in Seminary once shared the illustration that the Bible is a huge river that a child can drink from and play in the shallows and also where the most experienced diver can go as deep and as far and never reach the bottom.

2) Theology informs - Truth is gathered not through subjective experience, but through objective statements. You cannot "feel" Truth, you can only "know" it. Therefore, study leads to a deeper understanding of the truths of Scripture. If your belief cannot be backed with Scripture, then it needs to disappear. If Scripture challenges a previously held belief, then you need to pour and labor to determine if your view needs editing or deleting. Our doctrine should not be based on feeling, bias, or predisposition, but should instead be rooted in Scripture.

3) Theology loves - Anyone who spends any amount of time digging into Truth and doesn't come away with a deeper level of the double-love of God and Neighbor is a fool who wasted his time. I can't be any more blunt than that. Truly understand doctrine should not lead one to a dead intellectual understanding, but should drive the student of Scripture to a deeper relationship with God through Christ, and a more burning desire to love and minister to other people. Good theology is what makes a person memorize whole books of the Bible, travel to a soup kitchen down the road and a village in West Africa to share the message of hope, teach his/her children to love God and the Bible from an early age, drop notes of encouragement to a co-worker going through family and financial hardship, and the list goes on. Theology loves, theology bleeds, theology dies.

4) Theology shapes - Many times we see in Scripture the words conform and transform, referring to us as believers as we are progressively sanctified to be more like Christ. What do I mean by theology shapes? Simply, that as we grow in our knowledge of God we ought to become more and more like Christ. A deeper understand of the holiness of God and the triumphal power of the Spirit should aid a believer in the war against sin. Shaping implies that we have a proper understanding of our fallen condition and that we cannot do the shaping on our own, it is dependent on the power of God.

5) Theology prevents - Good theology prevents bad theology from taking over one's life and drawing someone away from the fold. Many cult-like sects of pseudo-Christianity are thriving because they find a population base that doesn't know enough about the Bible to know when they're being deceived (i.e. Mormonism and Jehovah's Witnesses). Good theology stops someone from traveling down a road of peril because they are more apt to see the signs on the road and where they will eventually lead. Good theology also prevents things like pragmatism, relativism, and entertainment from creeping into the church (IMO three of the biggest problems in the American church today). Good theology enables a believer to work to prevent someone else from falling to destruction or to believe in sin without consequence.

6) Theology is accessible - You don't have to spend a fortune anymore to get good resources. Many times all you need is a Google search and you can look up any issue you desire. Through the Internet and the digitalization of media, books are readily accessible. Very few in the Church can have the excuse that they don't pursue because they can't. You also cannot use the time issue. Typically, the people I find who don't have the time to pursue something are the ones who spend all their time updating their Facebook or playing video games. If something is a true desire, you will make time for it.

7) Theology is good - There are very few things in the world that can surpass the study of the God of the Universe. I may be biased there, but very limit can match up to the overwhelming joy and satisfaction that comes from hours of study about who God is. Theology is not something to fear, nor is it something to leave to the Seminary or to the Academy. Leaving it to the Seminary is what got Southern in so much trouble with liberalism and utter insanity from the 40's to 1993. Theology is first and foremost for the Church, because that is who Jesus died for and the Church is the people of God who are this radically different community. Theology is for them, to be applied to daily life, not something to be held at a distance as a scary object.

I am not saying everyone needs to go to Seminary. Trust me, not everyone does. Not everyone has been called, and not everyone is cut out for it. But that should not preclude anyone from thinking they can't or shouldn't be a student of theology. Sit under the discipleship and mentoring of a pastor or elder saint, read good authors and good books (there's enough mindless garbage out there, why not strengthen brain cells instead of killing them), but more importantly than anything else wear out your knees reading Scripture in prayer. Pour over the whole counsel of God's Word, and seek out good commentaries and sources to aid you.

Here are some books that may be of some help to get you started:

J.I. Packer Concise Theology, Knowing God

ESV Study Bible

Wayne Grudem Christian Beliefs

Paul Little Know What You Believe

Grahame Goldsworthy According to Plan

A couple good references

Wayne Grudem Systematic Theology

Danny Akin Theology for the Church

John Frame The Doctrine of God

Solid Commentaries

Holman Series - From LifeWay

John MacArthur's New Testament

New American Commentary

Kistemaker and Hendriksen's New Testament Commentary

Matthew Henry - All the Bible in one volume, nice desk reference

Lessons Learned in Surgery

For those unaware, last week I underwent a minor surgical procedure to correct a small hernia. It was a blast, let me tell you... Sometime I'll tell the whole story of what all happened, but suffice it to say I was very glad I got the Valium before they stuck me 4 times to find a good vein.

In the aftermath, and maybe this is the pain medicine talking, I started thinking about what lessons to learn from surgery and recovery. So here goes:

1) On my own, I am entirely too stubborn, selfish, and self-absorbed

What do I mean? Simply, I do not like not being in control and in charge of what I'm doing. I hate it when I can't do simple things, and when I can't be the one dictating what's going on. Now, don't get me wrong, I loved being babied and waited on but after a day or so I was getting restless. I also learned I'm not the best patient, in the sense that I often think I can push myself further than I can.

2) I married WAY over my head

I have a wife that is far too good for me than what I deserve. Never at any point of my whining and needs did she ever complain or have something better to do. The simplest things like helping me put on a shirt to the harder work like hauling the trash bags out she did with a smile on her face. It is really humbling to have someone around who breathes and lives for serving you, and you're annoyed because you can't walk more than 50 yards without hurting.

3) Doctors are God's gift to us

I cannot imagine what life was like before complicated surgical practices like this that enabled me to return to normal life in less than a week. To think that someone cut me open and fixed things and stitched me back up and give me back my life is truly amazing. The healing arts and the skill of a physician is very intriguing. Scripture refers to wisdom in the sense of having ability given by God, and I truly believe a good doctor is worth his weight in gold.

4) God's people are great

From the prayers before surgery to the countless encouragements on Facebook and the soft but loving hugs I got on Sunday night, God's people demonstrated a loving spirit towards us.

5) I say really crazy things under anesthesia

Apparently I was furious that I couldn't remember the moment the good stuff kicked in and I went to sleep. I also apparently made comments about how much I liked the pain meds. Clearly not my most eloquent time as a communicator. Thankful for gracious nurses who swear patient confidentiality :)

6) Freak accidents happen, and God provides

I don't have a good story for how this happened, I think I was picking up a big box of books and twisted funny. That said, God provided all we needed in order to make this whole experience for our good. Nothing is outside of His control and His authority, and I am grateful for that.

7) Dealing with insurance companies will give me a stroke

Need I say more?

Thanks for allowing me to make some rambling musings about things!

Scott

Fishbowl Question #5

This is out of order but I have decided to stop at 4 to do on Wednesday nights and move on to another series with our youth. I try to keep them 4-6 weeks in length, anything more than that leads to disconnect. This question was posed by one of my youth parents, and I will repost her exact words to show how much of a big deal this question is:

"Please explain the 'evil spirit from God' in 1 Samuel 18:10, 19:9. The very idea troubles my heart."

June, you're not the only one who has been deeply troubled by this. I came across several people who read this and other verses and concluded that either 1) God is not all good because He would do evil, 2) God is a liar, 3) God is the architect of evil, 4) God isn't all that powerful, and 5) God is vindictive and petty.

I'll start by looking at the example of Saul and try to trace why he had this 'spirit' descend upon him, and explain some of the different explanations to it and then give my interpretation of it. In the Old Testament, anointing with oil was symbolic of receiving the Spirit of the Lord. So, when Saul was crowned king it came with the anointing from Samuel the prophet. In our context it's receiving some symbol of authority (like when a judge receives the black gown or something along those lines).

So what went wrong? In 1 Samuel 13, Saul is waiting for Samuel to come and offer the sacrifice to the Lord before they go into battle. Saul, being both a good military man but a bad theologian, decides he will offer the sacrifice on his own. Not being a Levite, this was a violation of God's Law. Saul had the best of intentions, but in his desire to please man he disobeyed God. Samuel informs him that God has decided to find a man after His heart who will follow him completely. Then, he makes a rash oath that no one is to eat anything until they win a battle and his son Jonathan eats some honey he finds. This isn't reflective of his rejection by God, just that his mouth operated faster than his head. Then comes the last straw in 1 Samuel 15. Saul is instructed to wipe out everyone and everything when he fights the Amalekites. This practice is called "placing under the ban" which was a common military tactic in the Ancient Near East. Its purpose was to destroy any chance of retaliation, and it also served as an act of worship in the sense that all plunder was to be given to God. Saul decides to keep the best of the livestock for himself, and intends on offering them as sacrifices to God later. Again, good intentions, bad listener. It is then that Samuel announces that Saul is rejected, and in a symbolic act of Saul tearing Samuel's clothing it is said that Saul's kingdom will be torn from him.

It is in 16:14 that this 'evil spirit' makes its appearance. It immediately follows the anointing of David as the true king of Israel. The ESV translates it as "harmful" but the overwhelming propensity of translations uses the word "evil." The issue at stake is the word ra' which can be translated as 'bad, evil, calamity, affliction, distress, etc.' We must first make two assumptions: 1) God is Good, and in Him is no evil, sin, wrong nor can He do evil, sin, or wrong; and 2) We do not see the big picture (the "God's-Eye View"). This spirit is clearly sent to punish Saul for his disobedience and is directly related to the Spirit of the Lord that was present at his coronation.

A couple explanations on this that are presented:

God Allows - This view stresses that God is not the active agent in this evil spirit's working, but is merely the result of God lifting His hand of protection and blessing from Saul. This view has much support, but finds itself lacking a fully sovereign presentation of God. It seems to dismiss actions that we perceive as 'evil' coming from God, though we see in Isaiah 40-48 a big picture of a God who is in control of all things and nothing happens apart from His decree (even the rise and fall of Babylon for the purpose of discipling the Jews). In particular is 45:7 where God declares that He has created light and darkness, and that He makes peace and 'evil' (again, this word ra' which in this context implies judgment against His enemies). We cannot look at this as God creating evil (see Architect view) but instead God saying that all things are under His control and nothing happens without His knowledge and consent.

God is Architect - This view holds that we cannot trust God because He is the architect and designer of evil. It leaves us in a quandary, that either God is truly not all good or He is not all powerful. The conclusion that God is the architect and origin of evil goes against how He is known in Scripture, and so to accept this position would mean to redefine the very understanding of who God is.

God is Helpless - This is the corollary to the Architect position, meaning that God lifts His hand but is powerless or unable to stop what inevitably will happen to Saul. Some would hold this is the view in Job, where all these terrible things happen and strangely God is silent. Again, this view does not present a fair approach to God's sovereignty in all things. This view plays itself out fully in the Open Theist perspective, which is rising in popularity among evangelicals.

I believe that this 'evil' spirit from the Lord is not how we would see as 'evil,' but is instead a spirit of punishment and torment from God for Saul's disobedience. This spirit torments him, but we see God sending both sunshine and storms and both being for His glory. What we may see as evil is likely divine judgment in this context. What we may see as terrible in our eyes, from God's perspective, is good and is part of working towards the ultimate return of Christ and the Kingdom established here on earth.

The context of the word ra' includes evil, but isn't limited to that. It includes calamity, distress, and simply "not good" stuff happening. Clearly this is a spirit that is not doing good thing to Saul, but the evil implied isn't from God it is perspective of those around. God is all powerful and in His all-goodness He is able to take things that are seen as terrible and in fact use them for great good, namely His glory. God uses the terrible actions against the Egyptians in Exodus both as a judgment against them for idolatry and as an act of deliverance for His people. God raises up the Babylonians to discipline and exile Judah. God uses the bloodlust of the Romans as the agent by which His Son is crucified, thus allowing for us to be saved. And God uses the most pagan empire (until America) and its roads and infrastructure to be the avenue by which the Gospel gets spread through the whole world.

In fact, the rest of the story of Saul and David portrays two entirely different stories. It shows the removal of the Spirit from Saul and the consequential results of that. And the great irony is the man who can give him comfort and who is part of Saul's court is the very person whom Samuel had anointed as the successor to the throne. It is a story of tragedy that happens when someone falls away from the Lord and tries to please the people and loses sight of their calling. Saul was a great king early on, but wandered away from the Lord. It isn't a story to gloat over, but rather a warning sign for those of us who are young and upwardly moving... Never forsake that relationship with God through Christ for anything else.

Thanks for the question June. You struggled with this and so have millions through the years. I hope this is of some help, and may God show you His goodness, glory, and the majesty of Christ in all things!

Scott

Sin Without Consequences

I shared in a previous posting about the new verse for America being Matthew 7:1. And like it usually is, that verse is misapplied and misinterpreted. Instead of reading it in context as a warning against hypocrisy in making judgment calls or a call to use the standard for judgment being the Bible, we have taken that verse and applied to all areas to remove any standard from dealing with sin. Instead of shining light in the darkness and exposing it for what it is, we step back and say we cannot because that would be "judging."

In the church, it plays itself out by what we allow and tolerate within the body. The New Testament is clear that the church is to be unified, but more so it is to be pure. Pure implies a removal of stains and of cleanliness. But, I would contend that many churches allow impurities into the camp willingly and thereby are dirtying the wedding dress we collectively wear as the Bride.

Now, to the subject under which this article is titled. There are many who feel we cannot make judgment calls within the church because we too are sinners and we cannot make judgment calls against other sinners because that would be hypocritical. To you, I say, read your Bible a little closer. 1 John tells us to test the spirits, and for there to be clear discernment within the church when it comes to issues of sin, leadership, and what the church will allow.

To clarify, there is forgiveness found in Jesus, and all of us who have been found in Him truly know how sweet and wonderful that forgiveness tastes. We who have been forgiven know how wonderful it is, and how grateful we are for receiving something we had no claim to.

However, I must be very clear that forgiveness does not mean restoration. There are times when sin is committed and the issue of restoration is either delayed or forfeited. Sin, while being forgiven judicially by Christ in heaven, still carries consequences. A man who drives drunk and crashes into a tree and kills his passenger and loses his arm can be forgiven, but does that bring back his arm or his passenger? No, because that which we do in the body has consequences. Anyone who got a spanking as a child knows that there is forgiveness but a penalty must still be paid.

Let us look to some commonly applied biblical characters that people would look to and say "well, look at what they did. How can we judge so-and-so when Bible-character did this-and-that?"

Saul/Paul - Saul murders Christians and persecutes the church. Saul is the most aggressive attacker of Christianity. Saul does all these things BEFORE his conversion. Paul, the apostle, recognizes his sinful history and truly understands his forgiveness. When comparing someone to Paul, you must remember that Saul (pre conversion) is the one in question. You cannot compare apples to oranges, nor can you compare what Paul/Saul did with what someone did post-conversion. The issue there is the regeneration that takes place when Christ makes someone new. That which is in the flesh cannot be held to the same standard as that which is in the Spirit. Therefore, the rules of the game change when someone professes Christ and is "born again."

David - David is regarded as the man after God's heart. But David has one big black cloud hanging over his legacy. His sin snowballs from neglecting his duty as king to go to battle to lusting after another woman to rape (who can say no to a king) to adultery to conspiracy to murder. David is confronted by Nathan and he admits his sin and pleads for forgiveness. God forgives his anointed, but still pronounces a judgment. The son of David and Bathsheba will die, and later David's son tries to overthrow and kill him and his reign as King is never the same. David, while forgiven, still has to endure punishment for his sin. He is still the man after God's heart, but he is not the same king as he was before. His legacy is forever tarnished by his grievous error.

King Saul - Saul was the first king of Israel, and his reign is that of tragedy. He falls short of the ideals set before him and ends up losing his kingdom and his life due to his disobedience. His sin causes him to disobey the direct commands of God and to cross the line of his influence to offer a sacrifice. This sounds like a small issue, but he loses the hand of God over his life and kingdom.

This approach of sin without consequence is dangerous in the church, the family, and society. In society, a concept of sin without consequence destroys social order and promotes a society like the book of Judges (the people did what was right in their sight), where anything can happen and the people do as they wish. In the family, it means that the standards found in the Scripture are overlooked in the name of tolerance, acceptance, and love. This means it is easier to walk away from a marriage because "God wants me to be happy" or "It just wasn't what was right." It means you can find another lover that satisfies where only Christ and your spouse can without there being consequences for it. In the church it opens the door for allowing anything and everything in the door. It leads to churches accepting anything and everything in the name of political correctness and tolerance. Instead of holding to a standard, we refuse to make statements of conviction because we would be "judgmental."