Caught in the Grey

     So given the tone that's been set for this election season it's easy to point out that people love to polarize things. We don't like topics to be ...fuzzy. Everything makes so much more sense and becomes so much simpler when we lay it all out in obvious black and white terms. Unfortunately life simply isn't that cut and dry and more often than we'd like we find ourselves dealing with topics that seem devoid of clear absolutes. Luckily we have a tried and true tactic for dealing with these situations, pretend!

     Yes, when things get difficult or complicated many of us find that the best thing to do is just take the fuzzy edges and curved lines and force them into straight, organized, neat little categories. Instead of acknowledging the complex nature of the issue we simply cover our ears and sing la la la until the problem goes away. Of course the problems never really go away but if we keep singing that tune long enough and loud enough we'll gather a whole choir together and we can all sing together making it that much harder to hear anyone else.

     Unfortunately we Christians are just as guilty of this as anyone. Frankly it's easy to understand why, complex topics are difficult to deal with. There are many things that God has laid out neatly and obviously in the Bible. Murder, theft, lying, disobedience, selfishness, homosexuality, etc. The list goes on and on. However, there are a great many things that are either not as clear cut or simply not covered at all.

     So instead of taking the time to know and understand what the Bible actually says on these topics and stopping there, we take our own opinions and cultural norms and enforce them as law. We allow for no wiggle room, no fuzzy edges, and no grace. We can see this clearly by looking back at past standard of appearance. I'm sure you've all heard stories from back in the day when men were constantly checked for hair length and women who wore anything but dresses and skirts were covered in disapproving stares.

     The problem with that kind of thing is of course, who gets to set the standard? The law to ancient Israel does say a thing or two about women not wearing men's clothing and vice versa (Deuteronomy 22:5) but this was in a culture where everyone wore what we might consider a dress by modern reckoning. The point isn't that a girl can't wear pants or that kilts are an abomination, ultimately pants are not considered men's only anymore so a woman wearing them is just wearing women's pants.

     Now I'm not going to run down a list of fuzzy topics but I'm sure you can think of a few. What we need to remember is that truth -real truth- begins and ends with the Word of God. If the Bible doesn't clearly lay it out in no uncertain terms than be willing to give a little. If it isn't illegal, immoral, indecent, or clearly sinful, then give people the benefit of the doubt and maybe talk to them about before running them down.

     The Black and the White are comfortable categories because we don't have to think. We are not called to mindlessness though, we are called to be wise and loving. We are called to be child like not child-ish. Love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8) and humility kills a million arguments. We are none of us perfect so give the people around you a little latitude and get comfortable with the fuzzy, with the unclear, and with the imprecise. There are many things to stand firmly on to be sure, but lets be sure we're defending God's standard and not our own.

Wake Up, Rise Up, Stand Up

I think it's safe to say that we all love sleep.  Maybe it's the brief escape from reality, maybe it's how it feels just so darn comfy, maybe it's the temporary respite from our troubles and cares, whatever the reason sleep holds a special place in the hearts of most people.

I like it too, although I tend to go to bed late and wake up earlier than necessary.  The problem with sleep though is that we get nothing done and we are apart from reality for a time and anything that ultimately matters.  Sleep is nice but it is not substantive, it is pleasant but not productive.

Why do I bring this up?  Because the world is slipping between the warm cozy blankets of willful ignorance and "tolerance", and it's bringing the church with it.  It's nice to banish the difficult and uncomfortable affairs of life for a few hours each night but disastrous when we refuse to take on the hard challenges during our waking hours.

I'm reminded of a particular scripture passage, Romans 13:11-14, where Paul warns the Roman church that the time for comfortable slumber is past and now is the time to stand and go to war.

"And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts."
(Romans 13:11-14)

Look at the words above!  The day is coming, the night is spent!  Walk now as one who is awake, not letting your mind and your will dissipate like a drunkard or one lost in their lusts!  We must "put on" Jesus Christ and forsake sin not allow for it.  We have to shed our old moldy robes and put on the armor of light.

We've gotten comfortable, with sin, with dissent, with lies, with misinformation.  We've gotten comfy and lazy and, well, cowardly.  The Bible calls us to stand firm.  It calls us to stand against armies, against ideas, against enemies; nowhere does it call us to lounge comfortably.

We are running out of time, there are precious few moments left to sit on the sidelines or worry about hurting someones feelings.  Now this doesn't mean that we don't act in love, it doesn't mean that we don't care for others it just means that their opinions don't really matter, their feelings don't ultimately matter.  What matters is the truth and nothing more.

We see people everywhere who call themselves Christians accepting sin and teaching things that just aren't true.  The Bible is compromised and God's truth is doubted or at worst ignored.  We as a people are more willing to accept sin than we are to stand for God!

There comes a time when understanding has really understand and when love has to be harsh.  There comes a time when to be right means to be decisive and to stand for truth means telling someone else that they are wrong!

So wake up, rise up, stand up and let the truth be your armor, let God be your general and get ready to march.  It's going to be uncomfortable, it will probably hurt, but nothing really ever comes by playing it safe.  Throw off the blankets and get dressed, the world is waiting along with everything that matters.

Truth and Love

Love wins.  It's an oft repeated phrase that signifies love and brotherhood overcoming hatred and bigotry.  We see it all the time from bloggers and journalists to your average Facebook post and often it labels a truly good thing.  Love however, is not the only ethic worth supporting or championing.

We in the church have been guilty of many things over the years usually as a result of our tendency to overreact to the events around us.  We blame people instead of conditions, we hate where we should love, and lately we support what we ought to condemn.

"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God."
(1 Corinthians 6:9-10 NKJV)

Sexuality, Gender, and their related issues have become hot topics these days.  The cultural marketplace is thick with discussion as to their meaning and role and how we understand them in our daily lives.  The Bible is very clear on these issues and yet those who call themselves Christians are waffling and even refusing to make definitive statements regarding these issues.  The passage I just listed is only one but the point remains clear, and we can make it clearer.

"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God."
(1 Corinthians 6:9-10 KJV)

The word translated "effeminate" is the Greek word "malakos" and does indeed mean effeminate and "of uncertain affinity" but beyond its literal meaning I've read that the term was used to denote the -well- receiving side of a homosexual relationship.  Even more specific is the next phrase after that "abusers of themselves with mankind."  That word is the Greek "arsenokoites" which means a sodomite, taken from the words "arrhen/arsen" male, and "koite" cohabitation, chambering, conceive.

"'You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination."
(Leviticus 18:22 NKJV)

From the Old Testament we have a very clear statement and before anyone starts bringing up that we are not under the old covenant, remember that these laws represent God because they reflect Him.  He did not give the law out on a whim but as an extension of Himself.  Not to mention we're talking about something of slightly more import than dietary or clothing restrictions here!  This is only a brief run through of course, but the point of this post is not to argue this topic.  The point is this, although we must show love to the unsaved and not judge them for their sin we have a duty and responsibility to call out those who claim the name of Christ but refuse to repent of clear Biblical sin.

When the sinner sins, we should not be surprised as that is their nature and apart from the work of God humanity has no reason nor ability to do otherwise.  When we condemn them and lambaste them for their sin we are clearly in the wrong.  Our calling is not to bludgeon people with their guilt or to bury them in shame and leave them rot, or job is to lovingly show them that their actions and nature are killing them; that they are indeed already dead and in desperate need of a savior to bring them to real life! We are to be wise yet gentle as the verse says.  We must not inhibit the work of the Gospel by spreading it through hatred and anger.  Remember the words that come after the earlier quote from Corinthians "and such were some of you."

We are all born sinners so we have no right to look down on those who have not yet been redeemed.  When we look inward however, the game changes.  We are still called to love but hatred is to be found, hatred of sin.  It is partly because of God's love for us that He hates sin, it's destroying His people!  Similarly we cannot claim to love God and His truth and not point out sin in our midst.

So many people are coming out these days as "Christian" homosexuals.  These men and women are claiming the salvation of God but living and espousing lives of sin and rebellion.  In my eyes that makes them false teachers and the Bible is very clear on them.

"O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge; by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen."
(1 Timothy 6:20-21 NKJV)

"Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ."
(Colossians 2:8 NKJV)

"Shall I not punish them for these things?' says the LORD. 'Shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?' "An astonishing and horrible thing Has been committed in the land: The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule by their own power; And My people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end?"
(Jeremiah 5:29-31)

And finally,

"I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; not even to eat with such a person. For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges. Therefore "put away from yourselves the evil person." 
(1 Corinthians 5:9-13)

We do not judge the world, that is God's job, but we are called to discern the behavior of those who claim to be Christians -those "named a brother."  When we see someone who drops the name of Christ and who claims to be redeemed but is living in sin we must not sit idly by and be quiet and we certainly can't lift that person up as an example!  They are saying that God was wrong when He told us something, that what He called evil is really good.  How then are they different from Satan when he asked "did God really say?"  We must call out their sin for what it is, sin!  If we fail to do this then we corrupt our own body and confuse the message sent to the world.

Love won when Jesus was brutally killed on the crude cross outside Jerusalem.  Love won when the Son of God was whipped to shreds, when He was spat upon, when He was hung up like a criminal and slowly suffocated on public display.  Love won when God the Father poured out His wrath upon His perfect sinless Son so that we could be free of the sin that is destroying reality!  I for one cannot stand by and watch people trivialize His sacrifice for the sake of good feelings, getting along, and a false peace that only ushers millions to their eternal damnation!

Lately I've been feeling tired.  I'm too tired to sit on the stands, too tired of world that hates the God who loves them, too tired of a church too self-serving and pathetic to stand up for truth, too tired of intellectual holier-than-thous who think they know better than centuries of Godly men and even God Himself.  I'm too tired now to be quiet.

Love doesn't win when we refuse to point out sin.  So they might hate you, so you may look foolish; so they call you a bigot, closed minded, homophobic, regressive.  So what?  Love doesn't win when are so selfish that we can't love someone by showing them how to have life everlasting.  Love fails when we use it an excuse to be quiet.  It fails when we use it to justify a life more comfortable than true.  I want love to win, but only real love -the love of God- stands a chance.

"I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."
(2 Timothy 4:1-5 NKJV)

The Point of Debate

We spend quite a lot of time arguing these days.  We may call it debate but really it's arguing and I'm not even saying that is necessarily a bad thing but if we're going to spend so much time doing something shouldn't we be doing it properly?

The first thing we need to remember is that our primary motivation is not to win the argument, nor is it to be right and recognized as such, nor is it to convince anyone of anything.  The point of every Biblical discussion is to accurately inform others about the Word of God.

When you discuss things with people, do you feel that passion rise?  Do you feel your blood stir as the debate intensifies and do you get real involved in the back and forth?  Now ask yourself, why?  Why in this instance is very important because one is reason can be proof of faith and evidence of a firmly held belief, another reason is just pride.  When you get frustrated with someone who doesn't agree with you (which, honestly, we all do) is it because that poor soul doesn't or can't grasp the truths of scripture or is because you want them to acknowledge that you are right?  That's a terrible reason to argue.

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing."
(1 Corinthians 13:1-3)

"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves."
(Matthew 10:16)

We need to remember that in the heat of debate we cannot let go of love.  Again, since our purpose is not to be right nor to convince, we have failed if we argue without love.  If your 'opponent' leaves the debate surly and upset it better be because his supporting arguments were subverted and because he has been forced to rethink his assumptions and not because you cruelly whipped him with the truth.  Let the truth speak for itself and take your ego out of the equation.  Let your care for the other person show through the discussion, often that will have a far greater impact than any well constructed argument.

Another important point is more WHAT we are debating rather than HOW.  As Christians we see the world for what it is, a broken sin-filled place.  As such we see the evils around us, we see how reality and culture contradict the Word and will of God.  Surrounded by this mass of sin we strike out at the things we see: homosexuality and its acceptance by the world, abortion, adultery, immorality, the breakdown of the family, the rejection of God, etc.  I'm not saying that these are not things to stand against but when discussing with someone -one on one- how much good does that do once you've expressed what you believe on that topic?

Hear me out.  Nobody believes anything in a vacuum, every belief that we have is based off of other beliefs.  When you take all the underlying assumptions about reality and collect them together you get what is called a "worldview."  This is important because the worldview is what we need to be discussing, not the particular issues.  People hold their beliefs in the particulars because of their worldview, that is the point of contention.

Let me explain it another way.  Everything that anyone believes about all these particular issues (homosexuality, abortion, etc.) are really conclusions not starting points.  They have come to various conclusions on various topics because what they already believed consciously and subconsciously lead them to that conclusion.  We do the same thing, it's how thought works.  I believe in the Bible, I trust what God has said and understand His description of reality to be correct.  Because of that worldview I come to various conclusions, ie. that homosexuality is wrong, that abortion is murder, that gender and sex are the same thing and assigned to us at birth etc.  Now these conclusions make perfect logical sense to me, of course they do that's why I believe them; but person A doesn't share my worldview!  Person A doesn't hold to a Biblical standard in fact they likely hold to a pseudo-humanist post-modern evolutionary worldview which is going to lead them to wholly different conclusions!

Here is where this gets important.  Because I look at person A's conclusions from my worldview I judge his conclusions to be wrong but he is doing the exact same thing!  We will never agree until the worldviews match!  From their perspective, from their worldview it is me who is in the wrong and plainly so!  Here is where real meaningful debate can take place, when we move past the conclusions and discuss the beliefs that make up our individual worldviews and when we challenge why someone believes something.

We don't have to challenge gay marriage, we don't have to challenge abortion, we don't have to challenge any particular -any conclusion- when we challenge the worldview.  Once the worldview changes the conclusions necessarily change along with it.  It's like men of God have said for years and years now, if we lead men to God and let Him change their hearts than society's ills will mend right along with the souls of the people who make up society.

So think about why you argue, think about how you debate, think about how loving you are when you discuss these important topics.  Don't be distracted by the particulars, you will never convince somebody that your conclusions are correct as long as they are judging them based on their differing worldview.  Love others, show them what God has to say, and let Him change their hearts and minds.