Surpassingly Fair Lord Jesus
Why Christian Fiction?
Full disclosure: Christian fiction fascinates me. Not because I’ve read very much of it, but because of the place that it occupies in the conservative Christian subculture. I find most of it uninteresting, and occasionally find it disgusting. Some books masquerade as “Christian,” getting wide exposure and acclaim in the Christian community while doing little more than promoting sentimentality and titilating the senses.
My prejudices aside, this is how the thought was sparked: while at Barnes and Noble today, I was struck by the size of the Christian fiction section compared to the non-fiction section. Noting this phenomenon, I curiously perused through the other religious sections (as I often do), particularly looking for traces of fiction. No Bhuddist fiction, no Muslim fiction, no Hindu fiction. Just Christian fiction. “Perhaps merely an American phenomenon,” I thought. A quick perusal of British fiction bestsellers over the last few years added evidence; no “Christian” fiction on British bestseller lists.
The more I thought about it, the more it fascinated me, especially as I looked at religious fiction around the world. I spent about 45 minutes looking at big news sites and various versions of Amazon.com. Not a lot of religious fiction around the world.
Granted that a large swath of the population in the U.S. is at least ostensibly “Christian”, and granted that fiction is more popular than non-fiction. Beyond those reasons, why is there so much Christian fiction, especially in the United States?
The Object and Action: Both or Nothing
It seemed to me self-evident that one essential property of love, hate, fear, hope, or desire was attention to their object. To cease thinking about or attending to the woman is, so far, to cease loving; to cease thinking about or attending to the dreaded thing is, so far, to cease being afraid. But to attend to your own love or fear is to cease attending to the loved or dreaded object. In other words the enjoyment and the contemplation of our inner activities are incompatible. You cannot hope and also think about hoping at the same moment; for in hope we look to hope’s object and we interrupt this by (so to speak) turning round to look at the hope itself. Of course the two activities can and do alternate with great rapidity; but they are distinct and incompatible.
- C.S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy
Jason Meyer has used this quote in class recently as it relates to our worship, and especially our worship as we herald God’s Word. I’ve been pondering it over in my mind as it relates to personal worship in morning devotions… do I focus on the action of reading, my worship… or the Object Who lies behind the reading and Whom the worship is towards? There’s a gap. I want to see it continually closed, by grace.
Making the Switch (2)
The last time I wrote on this subject, the “switch” referred to moving to Minneapolis, beginning seminary, etc. Now the change is much more profound. Caedmon arrived back in August, and the blessings haven’t stopped. I mean so much more than just noticing a smile, singing a song to him, hearing him coo, etc.
You see, this little boy is a miracle. Yes, it is true that they’re all miracles. Our situation heightened awareness of what we otherwise may have been taken for granted. Caedmon was supposedly an impossibility. Too many complications from too many years of sickness for my wife. Caedmon is our “Abraham and Sarah” baby. Now I read Hebrews 11:8-12 with greater understanding and appreciation for the God who gives grace and fulfills promises:
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. 11 By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.
I can kinda’ crawl around inside Abraham and Sarah’s minds. No, I haven’t been promised innumerable offspring. No, we were never promised a son. There’s no promise as per se that we had from the Word concerning offspring, but we knew that God would “work all things together for our good” (Romans 8:28ff). That’s grace… good coming to us from God, undeserved. All things? Yes, all things. Thinking from the perspective of a man who thought he’d never have a biological son… yes, this is nothing short of pure, unbridled grace. Something we didn’t deserve, and yet here he is. The same is true of everyone, if only they had eyes to see. Lord, give me sharper eyes to see.
Natalie and I are rejoicing in him… and in Him. God is everlastingly good, even if He hadn’t given us a son or if He someday takes ours away. The fact that we have a son for any length of time proves all the more that Yahweh is the God of the womb and the God who lavishes love upon us.
But there’s been even more grace poured out… the kind that humiliates and humbles. More on that soon.
Coming Back
It’s been almost a year since I’ve written here. It may be a bit ambitious to return to blogging at such a time, with my second year of seminary continuing and a brand new child having just arrived. I feel the need to return to blogging… to continue to pour out some of my thoughts in a sort of overflow as they pertain to ministry, seminary, family, and life.
Hope to post in the next few days.
Remember (2)
Today, October 15th, marks the fifth anniversary of Tim Trometer’s death. Tim was my college roommate during the first part of my freshman year. If one quality could describe Tim, it surely would be His love for Christ… and his fun-loving, goofy personality cannot be easily forgotten. In the few months that I knew Tim, we became fast friends. God was good to place me in that room, and good to take Tim in the way He did.
Sovereignty was on the front end of Tim’s death in a discussion in our room about death and contentedness the Tuesday before he died, and on the back end in the eulogy that Tim’s father gave. He exalted our sovereign, massive God in all His ways. I’ve never looked at God the same since that week.
For five years now Tim has beheld His face… a sweet reminder in the midst of all this.
God ordains in the lives of his messengers that suffering severs our bondage to the world. When joy and love survive this severing, we are fit to say to the nations with authenticity and power: Hope in God.
- John Piper
This is the legacy that Trommy left, the legacy that Jesus Christ left, and the legacy we’re called to leave: hope in God. Let this be cemented anew within me amid all the memories. May the sorrow we feel in retrospect be overcome with great joy as we grow by grace in faith towards our great God.
Beholding Him in His Glory
One of the best ways to write for a public audience is to take what’s written in other mediums and adapt it for a new venue. This post will be the first of several that will be experimental in that regard. Lord willing on Fridays I’ll look back over the week and simply post anything that was particularly thrilling in my personal devotions.
After Theology of Worship last week with Church Steddom, I was processing the revelation of God to the elders on Mt. Sinai (Exodus 24), and lo and behold, Exodus 24 was part of the yearly reading program that Nat and me are going through. This started a whole line of thinking regarding what it means to behold the glory of the Lord. What did it look like? Who encountered the glory of God?
Exodus 33:9-10 – Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness.
When the 70+ are there on the mountain, they can’t really seem to describe God himself. Peripherally they see God, but they can’t actually describe Him. The actual manifestation of His glory is apparently too much to actually look upon. The ground beneath Him is described, and the manifestation of His glory turns it into “as it were a pavement of sapphire store.”
Isaiah 6:1 - In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.
Isaiah only describes the Lord of Glory briefly; it’s obvious that he cannot describe him particularly. Instead, all he can say is that “the train of his robe filled the temple.” Again, something peripheral to God Himself is described. Then, Isaiah goes on to describe the seraphim that surround His throne.
Ezekiel 1:26-28 - And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance. And upward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were gleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him. Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.
Ezekiel describes one with the “likeness” of a man sitting on the throne, but Ezekiel is not really able to discern his face. The preceding context is all descriptions of the cherubs around God, but there’s a little more detail. The “likeness” of man is “as it were gleaming metal” above the waist, and below the waist is “the appearance of fire.” All similes, not concrete language. Ezekiel is grasping for words to describe what he’s seen.
And then we come to Revelation 1, where John describes one who could only be Christ, but very similar language to the descriptions of Yahweh.
Revelation 1:12-17a - Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.
Is this is part of progressive revelation, that in the OT they cannot see the face of God, but in the NT, there’s a progression to actually describing Christ’s glorified features? With the assumption that Christ is Yahweh, there is a connection between this passage and the previous OT passages.
Exodus 24, Isaiah 6, Ezekiel 1, Revelation 1… certainly there were other times that God was seen. Genesis 32, Exodus 33, Matthew 17, 1 John 1 all describe instances of God either in or apart from His shekhinah glory (the visible manifestation of His glory). Some might debate Genesis 32, but the text implies Jacob wrestled with God, who is described as “the angel of the Lord.”
It appears worth noting that as God’s revelation progressed, each divine vision of God in His shekhinah grows more detailed. I wonder: a beautiful picture of the nature of the revelation we’ve been given in the face of Christ? To ponder Him in His shekhinah, or in the Word, and to be changed into the same image of glory (2 Corinthians 3)… not physically, but spiritually as we take on His character… wow. What a God that He would do this for His own renown, but for our absolute delight.
Making the Switch (1)
Life has been a whirlwind. Brief updates:
- I’m now working as an intern at Bethlehem Baptist Church in the Family Discipleship Department. It, quite simply, is incredible means of sanctification. There’s such camaraderie and accountability as to make the steady slaying of sin visible in my life. God uses means, and these means are indeed sweet. I get to teach the Sunday School for the senior high students starting this Sunday. Some of my blog posts (hopefully starting again in the next week) will come from my studies through this.
- Seminary is better than I thought it would be. And that’s not saying I didn’t have high expectations. Just a glimpse: during the week prior to school starting, we took two days for everyone to get to know each other. All 17 students in my class got 30-45 minutes to share the story of God’s grace in their life. Heard the same from three of the faculty members. Just simply glorious to see salvation worked in (and out) in the lives of brothers.
The classes are similar… much discussion (though there’s plenty of lecture too). A certain level of competency is expected coming in, and thus the discussions are lively and thoughtful. I’m grateful for all the brothers God has brought into my life, and the setup is such that I can expect lifelong friendships to form over the next four years.
- I bought a Mac. And it’s serving me and the cause of Christ quite well. No blue screens. No random shut downs. No viruses. No slow-downs after being on all day. Very, very pleased. Just need an iPod or iPhone now to organize my life!
Your prayers have been more than appreciated; they’ve been treasured. I pray that as you see Christ being shaped in us that it becomes more kindling to the fire of your faith. Jesus is treasure indeed… like nothing else.
Living for God’s Glory: A Review
Calvinism. In the circles that I’ve grown up in, to say that name brings a measure of concern to most people. It’s as if a popular not-quite-heresy has just been named. Or as if someone has just desired to kill all decent conversation just by saying the word. This rubbed off on me for many years, until such a time that I began to understand more thoroughly the doctrines of grace.
The interesting thing is that so many who think they know what Calvinism is simply don’t have any clue. Maybe a preacher has caricatured the doctrines commonly referred to as “Calvinistic” as being deadening to someone’s spiritual life. Or an individual or group of individuals has sown division among Christian believers, all while claiming the name “Calvinism.” Or a man has burst out in frustration, telling a friend that God just is playing a “game” and that such a God could never be loving just ordering around robots. The list goes on and on.
But is this really Calvinism? Or do some Calvinists exemplify humility? Is it all erudite theological sophistication? Or do some of those who call themselves Calvinists have a passion to see the lost saved? Are they all undermined by their theology, and just “aren’t being true” to what they believe? It appears not to be so. Two springs ago, TIME Magazine came out with this cover story… where they declared that the “New Calvinism” was one of the major factors shaping the world today. Each of the three men mentioned as spearheading this resurgance (John Piper, Mark Driscoll, Al Mohler) have an evangelistic zeal that is entrenched in the reality of God’s sovereignty.
I’ve benefitted greatly from each of their ministries, and especially in the case of Piper, I learned to believe not all caricatures are true. In continuing to read the Scriptures, I myself have come to espouse the soteriological (i.e. salvation) side of Calvinism. God gets all the credit for saving a sinner, but those who reject Him get all the blame. This is my cry in evangelism, along with many of my Calvinistic brothers.
So, in picking up this book on Calvinism, I was looking for what might properly represent the beliefs and attitudes of the better side of Calvinism. And I found it in abundance. I’ve not been familiar with Joel Beeke’s writings or preaching prior to reading Living For God’s Glory, but what I’ve read leaves me impressed. He’s fairly precise in his language, and not as much a wordsmith as some, but he conveys with passion what the truths of Scripture are that Calvinism trumpets, with little of the excess mentioned above.
Observations:
1) Beeke doesn’t just write about theological Calvinism; he writes about Calvinism as a worldview. Or, to phrase it another way, what a Christian’s worldview would look like if God was considered sovereign in every area of life. As such, there is something here for everyone, it seems. Philosophy, history, ethics, practical issues… just about every area is touched on and examined from a Calvinistic point-of-view.
2) He doesn’t write as a strict Presbyterian. There is much here for Reformed Baptists, too, and the inclusion of the discussion concerning historic Reformed roots is enlightening for the uninformed. Having taken a few courses on church history here, and studying on my own, it’s surprising for many to find how Calvinistic our Baptist roots are. To be a Baptist at one point in history meant almost without exception to be a Calvinist.
That being said, I would like to see how Calvinistic theology affects the different strains of Christian thought when it comes to Baptism. The idea is scarely mentioned throughout the pages of the book, and I wonder if (considering the thoroughness of the book overall) if Beeke didn’t write about it to keep his reading base as wide as possible.
3) He includes a large section at the end about the Puritans, the English Calvinists who many consider to exemplify the best of what came out of the Reformation. Beeke and others take us through the effect that Calvinism had on the family, the political world, and the work force with great personal anecdotes from the lives of those who were there, living it out.
4) All of the five points are examined in great detail, and it is rightly discerned that Calvinism (and I would argue Christianity as a whole) has claims upon one’s mind before it has claims upon one’s affections or will. The arguments against each point are examined and dealt with both from Scripture and from systematic theology. For instance, the different arguments for or against Limited Atonement (the doctrine that Christ died for only some) are examined in the light of Scripture, and the breadth of the Calvinistic positions are at least mentioned.
One thing to note is that the infralapsarian/supralapsarian debate that is common among Calvinists isn’t mentioned at all here. I would have liked to have seen a clarification of these two positions, as well as Beeke’s own thoughts on the matter.
5) In doing all of this, Beeke makes it abundantly, thoroughly clear that there aren’t three options in salvific history. You don’t have Arminianism vs. Calvinism vs. Biblicism. There is an Arminian way of looking at it: man chooses God which results in God choosing man, or a Calvinistic way of looking at it: God chooses man which results in man choosing God. The myth of the “Biblicist” position is abundantly clear after reading through these pages; I’m grateful for the clarification.
There are ways to transcend the sometimes petty bickering that marks Calvinist/Arminian debates (note that I did not say all the time… some of that is more than bickering, and is needed!), but claiming a third option as if the other two sides weren’t trying to be Biblical is really a cop out. It’s sad that positions on salvation are now characterized by their most popular proponants (John Calvin and Jacob Arminius), but it doesn’t detract from the fact that throughout the history of Christendom that there have only been two ways of looking at salvation. There are degrees of gray in between, but they fall in one of two camps ultimately.
Problems:
I would detract one star for one thing that I am very wary of: the trumpeting of men in place of Scripture. Earlier in the book, I thought Beeke was doing this as he exalted how the Reformers did certain things. I very much got a “because so-and-so did it, we should too” vibe numerous times. Regardless of whether or not this is able to be corrobrated, I’m very much on guard for this. He does a good job of making Scripture king, but sometimes lapses into exalting men without consideration to Scripture. A contributor writing later in the book directly disavows any attempt to do this, and makes a deliberate swing from mentioning the Reformer’s practice to what Scripture has to say about the matter. It was refreshing, to say the least.
Calvinism has its excesses, and its not for no reason that it is so often caricatured. But if you want to understand what Calvinists really believe, I suggest you pick up a book like this and keep a Bible nearby to see the truths of the Scripture. I genuinely believe that God saves sinners despite the sinner’s inability, and am praying that if you are suspicious or deny these things that God will reveal to you all His character in the Gospel… and the doctrines of grace.
Goodnight
From Challies:
The words come from an old German hymn of unknown authorship which was later translated by Jane Borthwick. It was printed in Hymns from the Land of Luther under the title “The Long Good-night” (originally “Ich fahr dahin mit Freuden”).
I journey forth rejoicing
From this dark vale of tears,
To heavenly joy and freedom,
From earthly bonds and fears;
Where Christ our Lord shall gather
All His redeemed again,
His kingdom to inherit.
Goodnight, goodnight till then!Why thus so sadly weeping,
Beloved ones of my heart?
The Lord is good and gracious,
Though now He bids us part.
Oft have we met in gladness.
And we shall meet again,
All sorrow left behind us.
Goodnight, goodnight till then!I go to see His glory,
Whom we have loved below:
I go, the blessed angels,
The holy saints to know.
Our lovely ones departed,
I go to find again,
And wait for you to join us.
Goodnight, goodnight till then!I hear the Saviour calling,
The joyful hour has come:
The angel guards are ready
To guide me to our home,
Where Christ our Lord shall gather
All His redeemed again,
His kingdom to inherit.
Goodnight, goodnight till then!
