The Reason for God

kellWe are living in a time when we have difficulty thinking cohesively about faith as it relates to our culture.  There are many within and without the church who struggle to express beliefs in a humble, respectful manner. They feel helpless to think critically about their own beliefs or the beliefs of others.

Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in NYC has written a book entitled “The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism” based on years of conversations with curious and doubting minds.  He models a humble respectfulness and insightful clarity that is very compelling.  This book might be the “Mere Christianity” of our generation.

The Final Word

christmasresized You and me we use so very many clumsy words.
The noise of what we often say is not worth being heard.
When the Father’s Wisdom wanted to communicate His love,
He spoke it in one final perfect Word.

Chorus

He spoke the Incarnation and then so was born the Son.
His final word was Jesus, He needed no other one.
Spoke flesh and blood so He could bleed and make a way Divine.
And so was born the baby who would die to make it mine.

And so the Father’s fondest thought took on flesh and bone.
He spoke the living luminous Word, at once His will was done.
And so the transformation that in man had been unheard
Took place in God the Father as He spoke that final Word.

Chorus

He spoke the Incarnation and then so was born the Son.
His final word was Jesus, He needed no other one.
Spoke flesh and blood so He could bleed and make a way Divine.
And so was born the baby who would die to make it mine.

And so the Light became alive
And manna became Man.
Eternity stepped into time
So we could understand.

Chorus

He spoke the Incarnation and then so was born the Son.
His final word was Jesus, He needed no other one.
Spoke flesh and blood so He could bleed and make a way Divine.
And so was born the baby who would die to make it mine.

lyrics by Michael Card[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_idg5Xxy6kE&autoplay=5 5 1]

Believing and Behaving

Morality-Freethought-Large (Small) In the study of Acts, we are seeing the stresses and strains that grew out of preaching of the gospel to people whose roots were firmly planted in Judaism. This clarifying article , “Does our Ability to act Morally depend on Who we Worship?” by John Piper addresses what Paul was facing chapter after chapter of Acts. 

This helps us weigh what was at stake when Judaizers sought to pull the gospel off the axis of Jesus and what He has done– to some man centered religion about what man seeks to do for God. 

Our goal of making ourselves the source of righteousness reveals who we are worshipping!

I am reminded of a quote that I have read in so many places I do not know who to give credit to:

All we have or have ever had to offer God is sin!

Do you take supplements?

supplements (Small) When I hear that question, it sends my mind whirling!  If I am taking supplements it must mean that I believe I am lacking something.  It suggests that I have perceived a deficiency of some kind.  To supplement means I am seeking to make complete that which is incomplete.

I also think about “sin” when I hear the word “supplement.”  As odd as that might sound, when I remember that sin is not something I do so much as something I believe about God, then I think about sin. Sin is an attitude that insists on accusing God and questions His goodness. 

Sin is our effort to supplement what we believe are limits in God’s goodness.  If I think He is not good enough in any area–I will seek to supplement where I believe He is falling short. What an insult to the One who is the definition of goodness–the source of all goodness!

At the heart of all sin is a lie. The lie says to all of us in our sin, “The act you are now doing, the desire or attitude you are now feeling is not very bad because there are much worse things, not very bad because everyone else experiences the same things, not very bad because you can’t help it, not very bad because there is no God, or, if that won’t work, God knows you are but frail and weak and he will tolerate and pity your sin.” There are a thousand distortions of the truth which sin brings with it into the human heart, so that Jeremiah cries out, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately corrupt; who can understand it?” (17:9).  John Piper

When we listen to the lies of our hearts we will find ourselves “taking supplements.”  We will find ourselves believing God is withholding the very thing that would make us complete.  We will find ourselves feeling justified in taking the initiative to fill what is lacking by supplementing with self effort. 

goldencalf.jpgRather than believing a lie, that I can supplement what is dangerously lacking within me, I cling to the truth that my real deficiency has been swallowed up by Christ’s sufficiency.  I want to live in that truth with grateful faith rather than tarnishing the gift with counterfeit, useless supplements.

If self- effort supplements “worked”– wouldn’t we all be well satisfied by now?  Isn’t it true that spiritual supplementing is just a nice word for idolatry?  Remember the story of the golden calf?

Today, I would say, “No, I don’t take supplements because too often they end up taking me!”