Attempts at Honesty

Reflections on the interplay of the Bible and Culture

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C. S. Lewis on going to church

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Case for ChristianityI ran across these paragraphs this evening and thought them too good not to share.

“One of the things that surprised me when I first read the New Testament seriously was that it was always talking about a Dark Power in the universe – a mighty evil spirit who was held to be the Power behind death and disease, and sin. The difference is that Christianity thinks this Dark Power was created by God, and was good when he was created, and went wrong. Christianity agrees with Dualism that this universe is at war. But it doesn’t think this is a war between independent powers. It thinks it’s a civil war, a rebellion, and that we are living in a part of the universe occupied by the rebel.

Enemy-occupied territory – that’s what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign of sabotage. When you go to church you’re really listening in to the secret wireless from our friends: that’s why the enemy is so anxious to prevent us going. He does it by playing on our conceit and laziness and intellectual snobbery. I know someone will ask me, ‘Do you really mean, at this time of day, to re-introduce our old friend the devil – hoofs and horns and all?’ Well, what the time of day has to do with it I don’t know. And I’m not particular about the hoofs and horns. But in other respects my answer is, ‘Yes, I do.’ I don’t claim to know anything about his personal appearance. If anybody really wants to know him better I’d say to that person, ‘Don’t worry,. If you really want to, you will. Whether you’ll like it when you do is another question.'”

C. S. Lewis in The Case for Christianity.

We are part of the resistance that is thwarting the usurper and church is where we network and get our instruction for proceeding with the campaign. It’s not just a place to meet friends. It is not just a place to hear motivational speeches. It is not just a place drink coffee and chat. Church is a war room where we make plans for the next offensive. It is serious business and no wonder that our Enemy wants to keep us and others away.

Do you want to know the really good news about this?

Jesus tells us that we will win. The gates of Hell cannot withstand our efforts (Matthew 16:18).

Built to fail

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FailHow many times have you seen a building on which the name of a bank or some other business is engraved in stone only to find that the building no longer houses the institution that built it?

They did not build the building with the intent of making it available for another business. The founders of that bank did not begin with the intent of failure. But most human institutions do eventually fail.

Some in our day are ready to announce the church as another institution that will be on the list of failed ventures. While there are individual congregations and local church organizations that do fail, it is somewhat premature to order a burial plot for the church as a whole.

I must admit that sometimes it saddens me to see beautiful church buildings that are now museums, shops or restaurants. But I am quickly reminded that the building is not the church. While a local congregation may dwindle to the point where it cannot maintain a building and must sell it, that is not an indication that the church as a whole is dying.

As Christians, we should understand the reason why this is the case. Men did not found the church. Jesus makes this clear in his statement to Peter in Matthew 16:18. It is Jesus that is the founder and sustainer of the church.

The church is not an organization that is built to eventually fail. In fact, when Jesus gave us our mission of making disciples, he also told us that he would be with us as we do it. Jesus began it, Jesus sustains it, and Jesus will complete what he started.

Failure is not an option.

A checklist for the church

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Question 36 of the Westminster Shorter Catechism asks this:

What are the benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption and sanctification?

In other words what is the result of being in relationship with Jesus Christ?

The catechism gives four benefits:

  1. Assurance of God’s love
  2. Peace of conscience
  3. Joy in the Holy Spirit
  4. Increase of grace

ChecklistIt seems to me that these four things provide a good checklist to see how we are doing individually and as a group.

Am I acting as if I am assured of God’s love? If so, it seems as though I would be communicating that love to others. I will become a radiator of God’s love into the world around me.

Do I have peace of conscience? Or, I am pressed down by my lack of conformity to the revealed will of God? Do I act as if I know that I am forgiven? Can I forgive myself and forgive others?

Do I display joy? Or, am I pressed down by the circumstances around me? Do I act as if God has been, is and always will be in control? Do I act as if I trust him?

Is grace an increasing trait in my life? Do I show grace to others and allow myself to receive grace? Am I patient with the progress that myself and others are making in “working out their salvation?”

In looking at all of these questions, I realize that there is a gap between my behavior and my belief. I believe in God’s love, I know that I am forgiven, I know that God is in control and I know that I have received and am to give grace. Yet, I do not always live according to that knowledge.

The gap between my knowledge and behavior is wider than I would like it to be but it is shrinking.

As mentioned above, these questions can also be applied to churches. This is a good checklist to assess the health of a congregation.

Would a visitor sense our assurance of God’s love? Does the visitor experience peace, joy and grace radiating from us? Do we give them a taste of the living water of Jesus Christ (see John 4)?

I hope so. The world desperately needs to see believers living out the Gospel.

Tim Keller on being defectively orthodox

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Center ChurchI have been working my way through Center Church by Timothy Keller. It is slow going because there is so much to take in and think about. I’m finding that this book challenges most of what I’ve thought about church and has validated some of the misgivings I’ve had over the years regarding the way many churches go about their business. One paragraph in particular hit a chord with me so I thought I would share it with you. Regarding “defective orthodoxy” Mr. Keller writes:

“Some churches hold to orthodox doctrines but with imbalances and a lack of proper emphasis. Many ministries spend more time defending the faith than propagating it. Or they may give an inordinate amount of energy and attention to matters such as prophecy or spiritual gifts or creation and evolution. A church may become enamored with the mechanics of ministry and church organization. There are innumerable reasons that critical doctrines of grace and justification and conversion, though strongly held, are kept “on the shelf.” They are not preached and communicated in such a way that connects to people’s lives. People see the doctrines – yet they do not see them. It is possible to get an “a” grade on a doctrinal test and describe accurately the doctrines of our salvation, yet be blind to their true implications and power. In this sense, there are plenty of orthodox churches in which the gospel must be rediscovered and then brought home and applied to people’s hearts. When this happens, nominal Christians get converted, lethargic and weak Christians become empowered, and nonbelievers are attracted to the newly beautified Christian congregation.

Timothy Keller in Center Church

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