Stop Playing "Christian"

How to know if a person is true: God-exaltation has replaced self-exaltation as the ruling life force. (John 7:18)

God has really placed this on my heart today. I had never heard of Rob Bell until 2 days ago and I still know little about him. Apparently, he is a liberal pastor who has a very large following, especially among young adults. He has a new book coming out. The trailer makes it sound like he has adopted the theology of universalism, i.e. everyone gets to heaven because a loving God would never send someone to hell. John Piper and a few others have already voiced their concern/dismay. The book isn't out yet so I think it's premature to make a judgment but supposedly his theology has always been a little loose on the topic of eternal destination so many feel like he has finally made the leap.

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2011/02/26/rob-bell-universalist/

http://trevinwax.com/2011/02/27/rob-bell-and-the-judgmentless-gospel/\

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2011/02/28/bell-brouhaha/

http://www.dennyburk.com/zondervan%E2%80%99s-break-with-rob-bell/

However, my real frustration and sadness today comes from those who have very harsh words for Piper and others who hold to Biblical truth. Social media, such as Twitter, allows me to see more viewpoints from self-proclaimed "Christians" than I have ever before. Many are disheartening. Many decry Christian fundamentalism, a term that seems to be defined as taking the Bible literally. It is as though many feel like we should be evolving from the ideas of God's judgment and hell and (here it is again) absolute truth. However, the real truth is that God isn't the one that is changing. Many others are moving away from a fixed point. They are on the wide path of destruction (Matthew 7:13) and yet they call it "Christianity".

I am continuing Matt Chandler's sermon series on Habakkuk. Today the anchor verse was from 2:4:

"Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him,
but the righteous shall live by his faith."

Those who are puffed up are those that justify themselves. They are self-righteous. As an insightful Tweeterer(?) put it today...they create God in their own image. The righteous aren't people who do everything perfectly or are without sin. They are people who put God first. The righteous pursue, chase and seek after God. If you are not doing those things, you are a functional atheist. It's the equivalent of having food and not eating any of it. You will eventually starve to death.

Yes, there are plenty of moments during the day when I am not putting God first and my heart isn't desiring Him above all else. I am a sinner and I am fighting in the strength of the Holy Spirit to grow in spiritual maturity and holiness that my life might better reflect God's glory. The difference to me between someone who sins within the mindset of self-glorification and someone who sins in the pursuit of glorifying God, is the latter will be convicted and unsettled in their sin which leads to repentance and restoration. The former will actually enjoy licentious behavior and thought because the only god he/she is actually answering to is themselves.

Last night, as I was sitting in my car, I heard an interesting fact about the Bible. The Greek word "doulos" is used 140 (maybe 150) times in the New Testament. It is usually translated in English as "servant" (Mark 10:44, Matthew 20:27 would be exceptions). However, it's actual meaning is "slave" as the Greeks didn't have different words for servant and slave. Servant just sounds more palatable, doesn't it? I feel OK about being a servant of Jesus Christ but slave has a different feel. This could be due to the horrific practice of slavery in this nation's history and the scars that remain. But I think it's even more at the root of human nature. Being a servant makes it sound like it was my choice to serve. Being a slave makes it sound like I had no choice in the matter. That just doesn't sit well with Americans who believe we are endowed with certain inalienable rights.

"For the one who was a slave when called to faith in the Lord is the Lord’s freed person; similarly, the one who was free when called is Christ’s slave. You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of human beings." - 1 Corinthians 7:22-23

This passage means that as a Christian you were made to serve God and God alone. That doesn't mean to ignore your parents or your boss or the police. But it does mean that the highest and final authority in your life is God. It certainly isn't you. As a slave for Christ you are not your own. I read too many comments today from "Christians" who have no understanding of this concept. Honestly, I find it incredibly depressing and tiring to think of how diluted truth has become among those who claim to be of Christ. There are so many outside the church that need to hear and know the Gospel that the amount of repentance and change that needs to happen inside of the church seems almost insurmountable. I rest in the knowledge that all things are possible through Christ and I ache over the word "remnant".

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other." - Matthew 6:24a

"But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” - Joshua 24:15

Choose who you will serve this day. Will you serve your version of God or will you serve the God who is revealed to us through the inerrant and divinely inspired Scriptures? Faith must be exercised and practiced by pursuing the God who our faith is in so that there is assurance of what we are hoping for and a conviction in what we can't see. (Hebrews 11:1)

If you claim to have faith in Christ that means you are His slave. You are the slave of the most wonderful and magnificent Master you could ever desire. To either set yourself up as God or to re-create God in your own image and idea of what God should be is to play the most dangerous game of all. It's a game that you cannot win and a game that you do not want to lose. At the end of the day, we all need to stop trying to change God and simply allow Him to change us.