Glory of Christ in Words

Just to settle the thoughts of all of our readers, the fanny pack from last week is not from my personal collection. Personally it might have been a little controversial to put anything up with the of the princesses. I probably should have simply picked 1.
The subject at hand however is words and their global purpose for the believer.

What should our words be focussed at? Christ's glory. Its amazing how what is being felt comes from inside and works its way out. When your happy, your words are more cheery. When your mad, anger tends to flow. When your thankful to God you praise Colossians 3:17, Psalm 63:5.
Obviously there are times you will be upset, there just isn't a case that I know of that should keep a follower of Jesus Christ fighting for the right to use vulgar terms as a freedom. “Lighter” cussing may not be offensive to pop culture anymore or even terms in texting that abbreviate the same four letter words. But to the believer we shouldn't be as anxious to try converting these words to everyday speech. Instead we should weigh the cost and make sure that the positive glorify aspects of speech far out weigh the negatives. We should be way more focused about correcting our hearts than if its ok to cuss or not. Once both sides hearts are right then we won't even have to worry about whats worse, not cursing or not feeding the hungry. Hopefully at that point we will have both down a little better.

Glory of Christ through words is fixing your heart and mind on things above and putting behind the old self. This will work itself into speech Colossians 5

Thoughts or comments?

What are words?

Part 1 of the series I am attempting to do was Just a little Babel and at the end I posed a question.
I hope at the end of this one we can get some dialogue because I would like the discussion to help shape part 3.

There are many questions that run through my curious mind about different things, but one in-particular thing lately has nagged at me a bit longer than usual. Where do words get their meaning? How does a culture go from have one very vulgar term one day to 20 years later it is a term flippantly used by children. At what point does the Christ follower have to shut down certain speech even though its widely accepted or un accepted?

Recently I listened to a sermon by Matt Chandler (warning if you are from Australia this next story could be considered offensive) where he spoke about his trip to Australia where he was doing some preaching. He was in the middle of talking at a conference and needed to use the word fanny pack to explain a nerdy type of guy. The crowd immediately gasped and he then was faced with trying to figure out what the problem was. In the process though he continued to say the word that was offending the crowd. So at what point does culture define a word, and yet we are to have Colossians 3:8 in mind.

This question came from a few years of hearing the argument “You can say what ever words you want. Words only have the meaning that you give to them”. This mixed with a Derek Webb song titled “what matters more”, where he cusses. Comments were made about the song such as “I thought with all the controversy that he would have said something a lot worse than that” and “he's trying to make a point and needs the shock value. These blended together with the Tower of Babel and James 3:3-12 in my study.

In James 3 we see that the tongue is a desirable thing to tame and control (I'm not there yet and according to James it itsn't looking great for the future either). This means that the words you speak come with meaning. Jesus unpacks this even further. In Mark 15:17-18 Jesus says that the words that come from our mouth are generated by our hearts. So regardless of the actual words you speak it might not be a bad idea to search the source first and hen the dictionary.

So where does the Christian draw the line? Is it with Derek Webb like soft cussing? Or is it ok to use cussing or foul speech if you don't mean it in anger? Is it ok to use it to get attention? Is it ok to use any words to express anger?

I ask these questions with Colossians 3:17 in mind. Not to hold fast to tradition or relevance. But simply to ask why do we hold so tightly to a “freedom” to use “any” words that we desire if the impact could be someone stumbling. I have seen even pastors fight for their right to use light cussing to be relevant rather than to use another term which has the same meaning (which brings up another point for some. Why is it ok to use one word and not another if they mean the same), and not to be bogged down by legalism. But for what cause do we do this.

I have a few rules for discussion: 1. No cursing, if you feel the need to use inappropriate words then hold off on comments or email me. 2. If you don't want to comment on the blog you can facebook me or twitter. 3. look through the lens of Colossians 3:17.

I pray discussion is productive and glorifying to Christ. Part 3 will be the unpacking of this topic and words for the Glory of Christ.

Guest Post- A Response to the President's Speech on So-Called Homosexual "Marriage"

The following post is by my buddy Jason Lapp in response to the President's speech to the Human Rights Campaign. For more resources on this subject check out Albert Mohler's excellent article on the speech, my past articles on the subject of homosexuality, or Lance Quinn's article on the subject of Christian ethics.

I’m completely humbled and grieved by President Barack Obama’s speech to the Human Rights Campaign. I was asked to write on this speech by my friend Stephen Bean which I obliged. As I began doing more research on the speech I began to realize the significance of our President’s words. The rowdy applause throughout his speech, by those in attendance, reminded me of my fallen condition before Christ. I gladly cheered on the sin that crucified the Savior.

My prayer for this post is that it will not come across as bashing a certain people group but rather humbly pleading for sinners to repent and trust in Jesus Christ. I know the power of the gospel because it saved a wretch like me.

President Obama made it clear that when we look back at his time as President he hopes people reflect on the fact that he “put a stop to discrimination against gays and lesbians.” I want to address President Obama’s devastating words:

“You will see a time in which we as a nation finally recognize relationships between two men or two women as just as real and admirable as relationships between a man and a woman.”

According to God’s word this is impossible.

God in his perfect, holy word has given to us a definition of marriage. “Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Gen. 2:24). The command in Scripture for marriage is between one man and one woman. A brief argument may occur that God did not define the term wife.

In Genesis 2, before the declaration of marriage, it says, “God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man” (21-22). God created woman from man then declared the two to become one flesh. Christians must embrace this truth.

Two general points I’d like to make in response to the President based on Genesis 2:24:

1. A man shall leave his father and mother
2. A man shall hold fast to his wife

President Obama words can only mean that he is walking in a world of illusions or he is claiming to be God. God’s word says a man leaves his father and mother which President Obama contradicts by addressing marriages that are unable to bear there own children therefore not allowing there to be fathers and mothers. Then God’s word says a man shall hold fast to his wife. This is impossible with the President’s words because a man will hold fast to his husband or a woman will hold fast to her wife.

I find neither of these scenarios defined as marriage by the Creator in his word. Sadly President Obama does not see it that way. According to God’s word a relationship between two men or two women cannot be just as “real” as a relationship between a man and a woman as defined in Scripture.

The greater significance to President Obama’s words is the Good News of the gospel. Marriage was designed by God to give us a human picture of the gospel. In Ephesians 5, Paul gives us clear teaching on the roles in marriage. These roles are God’s design for marriage between two sinners so marriages may reflect the gospel bringing glory to God. Husbands are called to love their wives “as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (25). This is the gospel.

Husband’s are called to give themselves up for their wives. We are called to die to self treating our wives with respect and love. Why? “That he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish” (26-27). Christ gave himself up for his church leaving us his Spirit to sanctify us. Wives are to be submissive to their husbands as they are to the Lord (22). We, as Christ’s bride, are to be submissive to the head of the church, Jesus Christ. Only through the work of the Holy Spirit can we be given the power to be submissive to the commands of Christ. This is why the fight for marriage as defined in Scripture is so crucial. Our government is now trying to distort the gospel.

As Christians our ultimate authority is God’s word. Our desire ought to be to follow the will of the Lord as he guides us by his Spirit. We must be like Peter and the apostles when they were commanded by the government to stop proclaiming the gospel in Jerusalem. They responded saying, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him” (29-32).

Over the years we have seen the government re-write definitions that are clearly defined in God’s word. Government is appointed by God and we ought to submit under the government (Romans 13:1-2). So how do we uphold to one command in Scripture (marriage is between a man and a woman) while not submitting to another (be subject to the governing authorities)? Is there any time in which we ought to stand up for the truth while going against the truth? When the government sinfully passes laws going against God’s perfect will we must respond like Peter and the apostle by obeying God rather than man. We should not respond with violence by taking the law into our own hands (Rom. 12:19) but we must speak the truth in love.

Christian, are you standing firm on the truth of God’s word? Do you care that our government is trying to rewrite the truth with a lie? We are not being loving by sweeping this sin (or any sin) under the rug. Love “does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth” (1 Cor. 13:6). The world has labeled us as narrow minded, discriminating people who are not open minded and loving. While I hate that they see it that way I do not want to compromise the truth of God’s word.

My prayer is that all Christians will pray for President Obama to make decisions based on the truth. May Christ open his eyes to see the truth of marriage through the lens of Scripture. May Christ open his heart to the significance of this decision. By God’s grace may the President see the importance of not distorting the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Wisdom, Folly, and Truth

If you have ever attempted to give testimony of the gospel to a lost person you have probably heard something like the following response, “Well, that may be true for you but I have my own beliefs and they are true for me.” This kind of response comes from a post-modern worldview; which tells us that any non-testable truth claim is subjective and, therefore, cannot be applied to every person universally.

In some ways this way of thinking is a good thing. Every time we see or experience the rotten fruit of Islamic fundamentalism we should be glad that America allows the freedom to adhere to any truth as long as it doesn’t break certain moral laws. The belief in relative truth has its own way of encouraging some humility in the public square where ideas are shared.

On the other hand, this view of truth mostly comes straight out of secularism which says that God does not exist (or at least we cannot know that He exists) and man is the authority for judging truth and falsity. It is a view that comes straight out of Romans 1:21 by which man suppresses the truth about God by claiming ignorance on the most important matters.

What I want to do here is spend a little time looking at one example in Scripture of the interplay between subjective and objective truth. Perhaps I do have my own truth and you have yours but what I want us to see is the truth that really matters. I also want us to see how we might apply that truth to our evangelistic ministry.

“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Cor. 1:18 ESV)

Notice how Paul addresses things throughout this chapter and especially in this particular verse. There are wise people and there are fools. The strange thing about these two types of people is that they are exactly the opposite of what one would expect to read. The bad guys with whom Paul completely disagrees are called wise. The good guys who have given up everything to follow Christ are called fools. Why is that?

The reason is because Paul is looking at these two kinds of people from the perspective of the lost. They are wise in their own eyes and have, according to Romans 1:22, become fools. So subjectively Paul is able to say that the message of the cross is folly in the eyes of the one group.

On the other side we have the fools. Why are they fools? From the standpoint of the lost it is because they have given up their lives in service to this mysterious God of the low and despised. From another perspective we can say that they are fools because that is what they are apart from Christ who chose them in order to shame the wise (see 1 Corinthians 1:27). To these foolish people the message of the cross is the power of God to save them.

So here we have two groups with opposing truth claims. They are completely at odds and there appears to be no way of reconciling their worldviews. However, we can consider that someone is writing this story. There is one who is telling us about these two groups and how they think. In the same breath by which Paul tells us what the wise man says and what the foolish man says he tells us what is really happening to them…objectively! The truth is that the wise man is in reality the perishing man and the fool is the one being saved.

Unfortunately in our day we will do almost anything to convince the wise man of the truth of the gospel by using his own “wisdom.” Some appeal to scientific evidence while others try philosophical arguments. Others just do whatever they can to get you in the doors of a church so they can show you how much better Jesus is for your emotional well-being. But verse 17 says “Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.”

The power of the cross is its ability to save. If we try to take the form of a fellow truth-suppressor we will only convert them to a slightly different form of rebellion against God. We might have more theistic heathens but in the end there won’t be anymore knees bowing to Jesus (unless God is so kind as to convert them despite an unbiblical presentation of the gospel).

My encouragement to you is to remember as you do apologetics and try to reach out to people that you don’t try to do it in a cunning persuasive way. Show people you care about them, show them that the Bible answers the questions they have (even the deep ones), but in the end let them accept or reject the truth of the cross. It isn’t up to you to convert souls, it is up to you to speak the truth of the gospel. The rest is up to God.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen