Attempts at Honesty

Reflections on the interplay of the Bible and Culture

Home Archives for Mark McIntyre

Dorothy Sayers on the Incarnation

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Dorothy SayersI’m re-reading Dorothy Sayers’ book Creed or Chaos? and have to share another quote with you:

“It is not true at all that dogma is ‘hopelessly irrelevant’ to the life and thought of the average man. What is true is that ministers of the Christian religion often assert that it is, present it for consideration as though it were, and, in fact, by their faulty exposition of it make it so. The central dogma of the Incarnation is that by which relevance stands or falls. If Christ was only man, then He is entirely irrelevant to any thought about God; if He is only God, then He is entirely irrelevant to any experience of human life. It is, in the strictest sense, necessary to the salvation of relevance that a man should believe rightly the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Unless he believes rightly, there is not the faintest reason why he should believe at all. And in that case, it is wholly irrelevant to chatter about ‘Christian principles.’”

1 Corinthians 1:23 (ESV)

23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles,

Death is Dead

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No DeathDeuteronomy 14:1b-2

You shall not cut yourselves or make any baldness on your foreheads for the dead. For you are a people holy to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.

As a child of God, death is no longer an enemy to be feared. As one in a covenant relationship with God, I should have a new and different perspective on death than those who do not know God.

The new perspective is that death is not an end but a transition from one existence to a better one.

In their role as a light to the nations, the Israelites were not to participate in the hopeless displays for the dead that the surrounding nations practiced. Israel was supposed to be a beacon of hope to those who did not know God, a beacon that God would use to draw people to himself.  Therefore, the Israelites were not allowed to disfigure themselves to honor the dead.

While most of us are not in immediate peril of experiencing death, we do face difficulties of varying degrees. As believers, we should look at difficult times in a different perspective than those who do not know God. The proper response to the fear of death should be instructive as to how to respond to less threatening difficulties. If death is not to be feared, why fear difficult times?

Yet, I do find myself gravitating toward fear. The antidote to fear is to refocus on the blessings I have in Christ that no political, economic or physical turmoil can take away. I am reminded of Peter’s prayer on the lake, “Lord save me . . . ” Or as the writer of Hebrews prescribes, “Keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus . . . “

Deuteronomy 13 – Don’t Rely on Pragmatism

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Deuteronomy 13:1–3 (ESV)

“If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ 3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

There is always a danger that we will get off track and into error by looking at what works instead of what is right.

In the reference mentioned above, the truth of a prophecy is one of the tests by which to judge a prophet, but not the only one. If the prophet is encouraging behavior which is clearly condemned by Scripture, that prophet should be stoned whether his prophecy comes true or not.

While we certainly should not begin stoning those who proclaim false prophecies, we should ignore them. We have people who bring all sorts of practical methods into the church to advance her programs and influence. The test is not whether these methods produce results, the test is whether the results are what God desires for his Body.

Peace of mind

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Isaiah 26:3 (ESV)

3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

Romans 8:6 (ESV)

6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

Philippians 4:6–7 (ESV)

6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I read a definition of sin which was attributed to Soren Kierkegaard. He said something to the effect of “sin is taking a good thing and putting it in the place of God.”

The effect of this is disappointment. In a fallen world, if I look to a person (other than God), thing or action to fulfill me, I will end up disappointed. People will let  me down, things will break and I will never accomplish enough to feel satisfied.

It is only when I am looking to God for my validation and seeking satisfaction in deepening my relationship with him that I even begin to approach a sense of peace.

The opposite condition is one of fear. Fear that I will be let down, therefore I cannot trust. Fear that I will fail, therefore I should not try. Fear that my stuff will break or get lost, therefore I must watch over it.

The verses above remind me that a mind set on God is the only mind that can truly be at peace. Peace that is not just the absence of conflict, but peace that means wholeness and joyful life.

Therefore, I can be free of the need to please people. I can be free of the fear of criticism. I don’t need to accomplish anything to achieve peace.

I can live my life in a day-by-day, minute-by-minute response to God while becoming more sensitive to his leading. He promises to lead me to peace. How cool is that?

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