Jesus Isn’t Always the Answer
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You Look Like Jesus!
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I have long hair.
Recently a Christian man came up to me and said, “Don’t you know that it is an abomination to God for a man to have long hair?”
I could have argued with him by correcting his misquote of 1 Corinthians 11:14. I could have showed him the cultural reasons why Paul’s words don’t really apply to us today. I could have stated that even if long hair was dishonorable, maybe the reason I had long hair was that I wanted to be dishonored. I also could have brought up the fact that in most artistic renderings of Jesus, He had long hair, but nobody thinks that it was an “abomination” for Him.
But I said none of these things. I have learned that sometimes, it is best to just laugh off such outlandish accusations, and move on.
So instead of trying to show the man how wrong he was, I just cracked a joke. I said, “I have long hair because I’m trying to look like Jesus!”
He stared at me for a second, then shouted “Blasphemer!” and stalked away.
I am not exactly sure how my words were blasphemous, but then, nothing this man said made mush sense.
.. My poor attempt at a joke got me thinking.
Yes, we Christians are supposed to look like Jesus. In fact, “Christian” means “little Christ.” Yet I fear that we have misunderstood what it means to look like Jesus.
It doesn’t mean that we grow long hair, wear long robes, and go about with a holy half-smile on our lips, saying things like “Verily! Verily!” (On three different occasions over the past three weeks, I have had people come up to me and tell me that I look like Jesus. I am now thinking of cutting my hair…)
Looking like Jesus doesn’t mean that we set up a Jesus statue in our front lawns and point spotlights at it.
Looking like Jesus doesn’t mean that we shout his name at people through a bullhorn.
Looking like Jesus doesn’t even necessarily mean that we feed the hungry, heal the sick, and perform miracles.
What does it mean to look like Jesus?
Looking like Jesus means, among other things, that people will want to hang out with us for the same reasons they hung out with Jesus.
Looking like Jesus means that we will see what God is really up to in this world, and will seek to join Him in His work.
Looking like Jesus means that we will not stand out in a crowd for how we are dressed or what we are saying, but will get noticed because of what we stand up for—or more precisely, who we stand up for.
Looking like Jesus may mean that we don’t get our “rights,” but instead end up sacrificing our rights–and maybe our very lives–for the sake of others.
Jesus doesn’t want us to look like Him. He wants us to look like us, but to live in the way that He lived, with His values, His goals, and His approach to God and people.
It used to be popular to attempt to live life by asking ourselves all the time “What would Jesus do?” In more recent years, I am not sure that this is the best way to live. I don’t think Jesus wants us to ask “What would Jesus do?” and then seek to do it. No, I think Jesus wants us to ask, “What would Jesus want me to do?” and then go do that. This means that while we may not look like Jesus, we will act and behave how Jesus wants.
That Looks Like Jesus….
My friend Sam Riviera often weighs in on church activities or theological topics by saying “That looks like Jesus.” Over the past several years, I have been reworking a lot of my life and theology, and have discovered that this “Jesus lens” is a good guide to making decisions about life and theology.
While Jesus may not have said anything about the social/political/theological topics of homosexual marriage, immigration reform, or mega churches, we do know enough about Jesus from the Gospels to get a general tenor or trajectory of Jesus’ life to make an educated guess about what He might have said.
Toward that end, I am starting a new blog series called “Looks Like Jesus” in which I will try to apply this “Jesus lens” to various passages of Scripture (like the flood in Genesis 6), theological topics (Does God’s grace extend to gay people?), and social issues (What would Jesus say about immigration reform?). As I write these posts, I will publish them here on the blog for your input.
(And no, I am not giving up on my current series on Calvinism. The two series of posts will run concurrently. If you prefer one series over the other, please “vote” for it by sharing posts from that series on your social sites and by leaving blog comments.)
I am going to post my first (well, second I guess, since this is the first) post in the “Looks Like Jesus” series tomorrow. I will be looking at how Jesus would get involved in the Ferguson protests.
In future posts I will be looking at various theological and social topics through the lens of Jesus so that our response to these issues looks like Jesus.
Do you have ideas for this series of posts you would like to see covered in the future? What Bible passages do you want examined through the lens of Jesus Christ? What theological topics and social issues should be considered?
Leave your ideas in the comments below. Thanks!
The Church is an Elect People
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The church is a group of God’s elect (cf. Rom 8:33; Eph 1:4; Col 3:12; 1 Thess 1:4; 2 Tim 2:10; Titus 1:1; 1 Pet 1:1-2; 2:8-9; 5:13; Rev 17:14). As we have seen previously, Israel is another group of God’s elect.
The real difference, however, between Israel as God’s elect and the church as God’s elect, is that while not all Israelites were regenerate, every member of the church is. Of course, this is only true of the invisible, universal church of God; not the visible and physical “church” down on the street corner or identified by some denomination. All people who are spiritual members of God’s church are elect.
Did the Church Replace Israel?
In looking at the election of the church, it is important to recognize the similarities between God’s election of Israel and God’s election of the church.
First, it is popular in some circles to say that since Israel failed in her God-ordained mission to the world, the church has replaced Israel as God’s chosen people. Though Paul seems to hint at this sort of idea in Romans 9–11, I believe that this is not what Paul is teaching there, and that Israel was not set aside, nor did Israel fail in her mission.
Let me present the problem differently.
If Israel has been “successful,” how would the outcome have been any different? Would we not have the Bible? Would Jesus not have come? Would Jesus not have died? Would the church not have been born?
The answer to all such questions is clearly “No.”
The only “failure” on the part of Israel was to recognize the Messiah when He came. But this was not exactly a failure in regards to her role as God’s chosen nation, but was a failure she shares with all people on earth who do not believe in Jesus for eternal life. Just as God desires for all people to be saved (1 Tim 2:4), God desires all Israel to be saved as well (cf. Paul’s sentiment in Rom 9:1-5).
So the only “failure” of God’s chosen people Israel was that they failed to enter into God’s elect church when it was formed. For vast numbers of Israelites, this “failure” continues to this very day, as it does for the majority of people on earth.
So Israel did not fail in her God-given vocation. She succeeded.
Through her came the Law and the Prophets, the promised Messiah, and the birth of the church, all of which are blessings to the entire world, which was Gods’ ultimate goal and purpose for Israel.
Therefore, we must never say that the church has replaced Israel or that because Israel failed, God has selected a “new chosen people.”
Never! God’s election of the church is not due to His setting aside of Israel, but rather due to the fulfilment of His plan and purposes for Israel. The church is an outcome of the fruit of Israel’s success; not her failure.
God never desired that all people on earth would become Israel. Israel is a nation with her own people, customs, culture, and laws. God did not choose them because their customs and culture was better than everybody else’s. No, He chose one group of people as a way to call all people to Himself.
God never wanted all people to become Israelites; He wanted all people to maintain their culture and customs, just as Israel had, but do so in connection with Him. This new communion of people who live in connection with God is what we now think of as church. The church is God’s assembly of all people from every tongue, tribe, and nation who live within their own customs and culture as members of His family. Why did God choose Israel? Not to make the whole world Israel, but to make the whole world His.
This helps us understand God’s election of the church.
If we understand why God chose Israel, then we can also understand why God chose the church.
If Israel’s task was to call all people to become God’s people, then this is the church’s task as well.
Just as Israel was called to provide a witness and a testimony to the surrounding people about the goodness and graciousness of God, to be God’s voice, hands, and feet on earth, and to call all people to turn from their destructive ways and follow God’s righteous ways instead, so also, this is the task of the church (cf. Col 3:12; 1 Pet 1:1-2; 2:8-9).
Israel was chosen to be a blessing to the world, and when the church lives up to its calling, it too will be a blessing to the world. To be a blessing is the purpose for which God has chosen the church.
Furthermore, if we understand how a person became a member of Israel as God’s chosen people, then we can also understand how people become members of the church as God’s chosen people.
How did a person become an Israelite? For the most part, they were born into it.
So also with the church. We become members of the church by birth—not by physical birth, as was the case with the Israelites, but by spiritual birth; by being “born again” (John 3:1-8).
And if one enters the church through the new birth, then this also means that one enters God’s elect people through the new birth.
People sometimes think that Christians are members of the church because we are elect, when in reality, it is the other way around: we are elect because we are members of the church. By joining with Christ, the Elect One, through faith, we automatically become members of His Body, the church, and thus become numbered among the elect (Vance: Other Side of Calvinism, 379). We are elect only because we are in Him (Eph 1:4).
Election, Redemption, and Service
This truth further leads to the proper conclusion about the relationship between election and redemption.
Just as election does not lead to our membership within the church, but is rather a result of being incorporated into Christ’s Body, so also, election is not what leads to our redemption, but is rather the result of redemption.
We are thinking of election backwards if we think that we are only in Christ because God first forgave and redeemed us. The truth of redemption and election is that we are redeemed because we are in Christ, and as a result of being in Him, we are elect.
Christ is belittled if we think that God first forgave and redeemed us and then put us in Christ; we should rather believe that it is only in Christ that we have received redemption and forgiveness. Christ is also belittled if we think that God first chose us and then put is in Christ; it is rather that those in Christ share in his election, and so are chosen in him. … When people enter into Christ then not only does his death become theirs, but his election becomes their election (Marston and Forster, God’s Strategy in Human History, 151, 154).
The election of the church, then, follows the same patterns we have seen previously with the election of Israel and the election of Jesus.
Election is not to eternal life, but to service. This is true of Israel, Jesus, and the church.
In eternity past, God did not choose who He would unconditionally and irresistibly bring into His church, but rather, decided that all those who believed in Jesus and in so doing became members of His church, to them He would give the task of being a blessing to the world by sharing serving one another, declaring God’s grace, and loving others just as He has loved us.
If you want to read more about Calvinism, check out other posts in this blog series: Words of Calvinism and the Word of God.Reconciling Mark Driscoll
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I am sure you have heard about Mark Driscoll and his recent resignation from Mars Hill in Seattle.
This post is not really about Mark Driscoll, but about how his resignation is a symptom of a wider problem in Western Christianity.
As much as I never really cared for Mark’s preaching, approach to ministry, or theology, I always felt a bit sorry for him. He was another victim of the corporate, celebrity-style Christendom that operates under the word “church” in most of the western world.
About ten years ago I listened to a sermon by Mark Driscoll in which he publicly stated his desire for Mars Hill to become the largest church in the United States. It had already been recognized at that time as the fastest growing church, and he wanted to leverage that growth into the largest congregation. Yet according to recent news releases, by January 1, 2015, Mars Hill will be no more.
I think people around the world are finally starting to wake up to the fact that when it comes to church, bigger is not always better. Of course, this doesn’t mean that smaller is better either.
Church is not about “how many” at all. It is not even about “how.”
In a culture which says “It’s all about you,” we need to reawaken to the fact that Church is all about “who.”
Who is the church about?
Jesus! He is the sole head.
Who is the church about?
People meeting together for friendship and fellowship.
Lots of people point to the description of “two or three” in Matthew 18 as the minimum requirement for church. I personally don’t think this text has anything to do with how many people are needed to “do” church, for church is not actually something we do, but is something we are.
But even if we say that church exists where there are two or three, nothing is said in Matthew 18:20 that when these two or three gather, one of them needs to stand up and give a sermon. Nothing is said that when these two or three gather, they need to sit in a circle with their bibles open on their laps, discussing a particular text or point of theology. Nothing is said about prayer or music or food.
It is best to think of church as you think of family.
Do you ever talk about going to “family”? Of course not. You are a family.
Do you ever plan regular family events? Well, sometimes. But these are rarely set in stone for all time, and you never assume that what you do in your family is what all families everywhere should be doing as well.
But even when family events are planned, true “family” most often occurs outside and away from these family events. True “family” happens as life happens. True family occurs at 4:00 in the morning when someone has a bad dream or wakes up with a stomach ache. True family occurs when memories are formed while buying celery at the supermarket. True family occurs when everybody laughs at a joke about peas on the curtains. If you tried to package and export these family events to all other families, it wouldn’t work.
How did I get onto this topic after beginning with a discussion about reconciliation and redemption of abusive leaders?
For Mark Driscoll, I hope that he does not enter into another form of Christian leadership any time soon. It’s not because he is disqualified. Far from it! He might be more qualified now then ever before. It is just that modern Christian forms of “leadership” look nothing like the leadership modeled by Jesus.
For all the fans of Mark Driscoll, I hope that rather than simply turn to another celebrity pastor or mega-gathering for their weekly fix of preaching, they see that Jesus Himself wants to lead them into the biggest adventure of a lifetime.
And as for all the critics of Mark Driscoll, I hope there is absolutely no gloating whatsoever. What happened to Mark Driscoll and Mars Hill is extremely sad, and anyone who gloats is in danger of the exact same problem.
Ultimately, I hope that western Christianity in general learns from what happened to Mark Driscoll and Mars Hill.
I hope we learn that reconciling and redeeming abusive church leaders begins with reconciling and redeeming the church itself.
The problem is not the church leaders. Church leaders are some of the victims of a church structure that functions as God never intended.
So let’s abandon our power structures, our titles, our positions, our platforms, our offering plates, and even our buildings and campuses.
Instead, let us turn to love. Love for our neighbors. Love for our enemies. Love for our family.
Let us not rush to get fallen leaders back into positions of authority. Let us not rush to get anyone into any position of authority in the “church,” for there is no authority other than Jesus Christ, and there is no church other than the family of God.
This post was part of the November 2014 Synchroblog. Here are the other contributors:
- Justin Steckbauer – The Servant Leader: A Radical Concept
- Mary – Can I Get A Doctor?
- Glenn Hager – The Man Of God Myth
- Lisa – Forgive
- Peggy Brown – Abi and November’s Synchroblog: Spiritual Abuse and Redemption
- Edwin Pastor FedEx Aldrich – Shooting Stars: Of Scandal, Abuse, Restoration, and Systematic Failures
- Tara – Forgive Us Our Sins As We Forgive Those…
- Liz Dyer – Sorry
This Video Taught me What It Means to Have “Faith Like a Child”
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Sometimes people think that “faith like a child” means living in ignorance. Children don’t know much, right? They just believe without any facts or thinking or logic. So this must be what it means to have faith like a child.
I agree that in some ways, faith like a child means taking God at His Word and just moving on.
But at the same time, God gave us brains, and desires that we use them. He invites us to reason with Him (Isa 1:18).
So if faith like a child doesn’t mean living in willful ignorance, what does it mean to have faith like a child?
This video clues you in to part of it:
I am convinced that faith like a child does not mean ignorance like a child.
No, to have faith like a child means to view life like a child.
How does a child view life?
Like the girl in the video, children have a tenderness of conscience. They are emotional.
But this doesn’t mean that to have faith like a child you need to have emotions like a child. No, it’s more than that.
Children are full of wonder and awe.
Children are creative and imaginative.
Children are playful and fun-loving.
As adults, we get bored with flowers, bugs, and sunsets. We lose delight in talking with others about nothing. We are jaded and disinterested.
Adults hold grudges, harbor fears, and stay angry.
Adults refuse to forgive. Adults remember slights.
I think one of the things that attracted people to Jesus is that He was “child-like.” Does this mean He lacked wisdom and understanding? Far from it! No, Jesus was “child-like” in that He was full of the wonder of life, the hope for humanity, and the beauty of creation. Jesus lived in awe.
And awe is contagious.
Do you want to have faith like a child?
Having faith like a child has absolutely nothing to do with not asking questions. After all, have you ever known a child who doesn’t ask LOTS of questions?
No, having faith like a child means having an “imagination” like a child.
Those who have faith like a child will hope, dream, forgive, create, trust, and love. Live life to the full. Be excited. Be adventuresome. Be tender of heart. And always ask lots and lots of questions.
So think! Reason! Question! Ask! But also imagine, dance, sing, laugh, and play! Then you will have faith like a child.
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