Landon Coleman's Blog, page 7

Whose Wisdom?

Last year my church read through the New Testament together. As I look back on a year in the New Testament, one week that stands out in my mind is the week we read 1 Timothy 1-5 (we finished off 1 Timothy 6 the following week we moved into 2 Timothy). As I re-read this short book, I found myself thinking that any modern reader of 1 Timothy would have to make a decision. That decision is this – will I listen to and accept the wisdom of God as revealed in 1 Timothy, or will I embrace the wisdom of the world? No one will be able to do both. Consider the following points of tension between the wisdom of 1 Timothy and the wisdom of the world.

The wisdom of our age has eliminated the entire category of sin and demanded that no one has the right to tell another person how to believe or how to live. However, 1 Timothy 1:8-11 tells us the gospel of Jesus Christ simply is not compatible with recognized, celebrated, unrepentant sin.

The wisdom of our age tells us that any person’s idea of God is as good as any other person’s idea of God. However, 1 Timothy 2:1-7 says there is only one God only one mediator between God and human beings. That mediator is the Lord Jesus Christ. Additionally, 1 Timothy 4:1-5 says that false, anti-gospel teaching might actually be inspired by demonic beings.

The wisdom of our age tells us that men and women are both cultural constructs and interchangeable categories of being. If you don’t like your “sex-assigned-at-birth” (aka, your biological sex), the world says you can change that medically and legally to align with your perceived gender identity. However, 1 Timothy 2:8-15 says that God designed men and women differently, calling only qualified men to lead the church and gifting only women with the responsibility of bearing children.

The wisdom of our age tells us that leadership in the local church ought to look like leadership in the world – that is, competency in the marketplace, enough charisma to be a celebrity, and creativity in how a church operates. However, 1 Timothy 3:1-13 says the qualifications for leadership in the local church center on character rather than competency or celebrity. Furthermore, 1 Timothy 4:11-16 tells us that pastors are not at liberty to be inventive or creative when it comes to the worship of the local church.

The wisdom of our age tells us that the church exists to meet the needs the people in its community. However, 1 Timothy 5:1-16 puts limits on the benevolence ministry of the church, reminding us that the church’s primary calling is not caring for the poor, but making disciples.

The wisdom of our age tells us that money is supreme, and, work is, at best, the necessary evil we must endure to get money. However, 1 Timothy 6:1-10 tells us that God values all work, however menial the task. These verses also warn us that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.

The wisdom of our age tells us that churches had better get with the times on social issues, and we are warned that churches that refuse to get with the cultural program will be left in the dustbin of history. However, 1 Timothy 6:20 says the truth of the gospel has been entrusted to the church, and that truth will never change.

Christians, pastors, and churches have a choice. You can find joy in the wisdom of God revealed in the Bible, or you can embrace the wisdom of this world, but you can’t do both.

The Good News

As we come to the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023, I pray that you know the good news of Jesus Christ. This good news is rooted in the truth about the one true God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth. This God has revealed himself to us in the Bible, and he has revealed himself as Triune – Father, Son, and Spirit. He is one in essence, and he is three in person. Most basically, the Triune God has revealed himself to be holy, holy, holy (Isaiah 6, Revelation 4). This means God is different, unique, one-of-a-kind, set apart, pure, and whole.

According to the Bible, the one true God created human beings in his image and his likeness. And, according to the Bible, our first parents defiantly chose to reject God’s good plan for their lives. Rather than listening to the Creator, our first parents listened to a beast of the field – a beast later revealed as Satan, the devil, and the ancient serpent (Revelation 12). Tragically, the sin of our first parents has been passed down to all of their descendants (Romans 5). This means that all of us are born with a sin nature. We sin because we are sinners, and we are all dead in our trespasses and sins, completely unable to save ourselves from the wrath of Almighty God.

Thankfully, in the fullness of time, God sent his only Son to be born of a virgin (Galatians 4). In the miracle and the mystery of the incarnation, the eternal Son of God took on humanity without giving up his divinity. Jesus was the God-man, truly God and truly man, and he lived a life of perfect obedience to the law of God. Not only did Jesus live the life of obedience we all fail to live, but Jesus also died a sacrificial, substitutionary death that we might live. Jesus became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5). Jesus was cursed for us (Galatians 3). Jesus died that we might live.

The call of Jesus on your life is remarkably simple. Repent of your sin and believe the good news. Repentance involves a change of mind. This change of mind takes place when you confess your sin to God and agree with God about the gravity of your sin. Rather than making excuses or blaming others, you simply agree with God about your sin problem. Believing the good news means you believe that Jesus is who the Bible says he is, that he lived a life of perfect obedience, that he died a sacrificial death on the cross, that he rose from the dead, and that he will come again to judge the living and the dead. Repent, and believe (Mark 1).

If, by the grace of God and the work of the Holy Spirit, you will repent of your sin and believe the good news, you will be saved. God will forgive you of all your sins, declare you righteous, adopt you into his family as a child, fill you with the Holy Spirit, and give you eternal life. God will also give you a new purpose in life. That purpose involves living your life for the glory of the Triune God, and that purpose involves bearing witness to the truth about who God is and what he has done to save sinners. That purpose is summed up with two words: worship and mission. I pray that these two words mark your life in 2023.

Church on Christmas?

I preached my very first sermon on Sunday December 25, 2005. At the time I was a seminary student at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, but that Christmas I was back home in Amarillo to visit family. My home church gave me the high honor of preaching on Christmas day, my assigned text was Luke 2, and I was asked to preach about what it means that Jesus was born to be the “Savior.”

I think about that sermon every time Christmas falls on a Sunday – something that happens four times over a twenty-eight-year period. Simple math says this would happen once every seven years. However, our observance of leap years means that we have Christmas on a Sunday after eleven years, then after six years, then after five years, then after six years. Do the math, and you’ll find that we’re due this year, 2022, then again in 2033.

One of the oddest questions that popped up in 2005, 2011, and 2016 is the question of whether or not churches should have Sunday services when Christmas falls on a Sunday. This question has resurfaced again this year, and I’m quite certain it will pop up in 2033. Personally, I’m Baptist enough to believe in the autonomy of the local church – meaning, my church doesn’t have the right to tell your church what to do on Sunday December 25.

While my Baptist DNA prevents me from telling you what your church ought to do, I also feel strongly that churches should not forsake meeting together. With every fiber of my being, I believe that every church ought to gather for worship on the Lord’s Day – even when, and especially when, the Lord’s Day falls on Christmas. Without getting too preachy, here are a few reasons Immanuel will have church on Sunday December 25.

One, Sunday is the Lord’s Day, and the Lord’s Day is the day when Christians observe the Sabbath principle. Sunday is a day to rest and worship. It’s the day the early church met together for prayer, singing, preaching, and fellowship. It’s the day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, and it’s a fitting day to celebrate the miracle of the incarnation that preceded Jesus’ sacrificial death and victorious resurrection.

Two, conservative Christians regularly lament the fact that “Christ” is routinely taken out of Christmas. My tribe is guilty of whining when it comes to Christmas trees being renamed “holiday trees.” My tribe is guilty of complaining when prayer, the Bible, God, and Jesus are taken out of schools. How strange that so many in my tribe openly advocate the closure of churches so that families can stay home and open presents.

Three, the church gathering for worship is essential, not optional. If the COVID experiment taught us anything, it taught us that virtual church is not – I repeat – not the same as real church. Persecuted Christians around the world certainly have no category for free people choosing not to meet for worship. Above all, the word “church” literally means “congregation” or “assembly” because that’s what churches do – they congregate and assemble.

For these reasons, we will have church at Immanuel on Sunday December 25. Granted, we will have only one service instead of two services, our small group Bible studies will not meet, and we will not provide nursery for children or babies. But we will pray together, sing together, fellowship together, and gather together under the authority of God’s Word. We will celebrate the birth of the Savior, and Lord willing, we will do it again in 2033.

The Myth of Political Neutrality

My morning routine involves listening to Albert Mohler’s daily podcast, The Briefing. Those familiar with this podcast can hear Mohler describe the show as, “a daily analysis of news and events, from a Christian worldview.” Mohler’s episode on Tuesday, August 23 focused on the issue of “culture wars” and how Christians ought to live in an increasingly secular society, and Mohler’s comments inspired the thoughts I’m sharing in this article.

There are two myths floating around in our political discourse, and both of them need to be put to rest. The first is the myth that Christians who care about politics are simply trying to impose their belief system on the rest of the world. This myth is largely propagated by non-Christian people, and nothing could be more offensive in a postmodern world. It seems that this myth was largely in response to people like Jerry Fallwell and movements like Falwell’s “Moral Majority.” This myth certainly carries weight with Christian people because we know that only God can change hearts, not politicians or laws. Additionally, Christians want to be known for their kindness rather than for forcing our beliefs on other people.

A second, more recent myth says that any conservative Christian who cares about politics has succumbed to “Christian nationalism,” whatever that means. This myth is propagated both by non-Christian people and left-leaning Christians. These voices argue that conservative Christians only care about political power, not following Jesus. Any attempt to live one’s Christian faith out in the political realm is immediately labeled “Christian nationalism.” This myth seems to be a response to evangelicals who overwhelmingly supported Donald Trump, much to the dismay and embarrassment of progressive liberals and progressive Christians. This myth ignores the fact that the left routinely appeals to Christianity for political purposes.

As we move into November and mid-term elections, and as we speed toward another presidential election in 2024, I think it’s time we move beyond these two childish myths. Conservative Christians need not be intimidated by those who accuse them of trying to impose their beliefs on other people through politics, nor should they be intimidated by the accusation of “Christian nationalism.” These myths fall apart when one considers the following realities:

First, everyone has a worldview. You may or may not realize that you have a worldview. Your worldview may or may not correspond to reality, and it may or may not be coherent and consistent. But everyone has a worldview – a way of thinking about life on earth. This is true for conservative, traditional Christians. It is also true for progressive, liberal, secularists.

Second, when Americans vote, they do so as an expression of their worldview – the way they view the world. Third, this means there is no neutrality when it comes to worldview or voting. Christians are not the only people who believe certain things and express those beliefs through the political process. Secular people do the same thing. Every vote is an expression of worldview, belief, preference, and conviction.

Fourth, our voting puts politicians in office, and politicians produce laws, policies, and judgments. Understood rightly, every piece of legislation is the imposition of some worldview, some value, some deeply held belief about the world and how we ought to live in the world. Again, this is true for politicians on the right as well as the left. There are no morally neutral laws.

Fifth, as Mohler rightly argued on the August 23 episode of The Briefing, the political left has instigated the culture wars through their efforts to push the moral fabric of Western culture toward moral and societal revolution. Conservatives may have been stuck with the label of “cultural warriors,” but it is the left who started the culture wars. Sixth, the political right has every right to push back by engaging in the political process. Call it “culture warring.” Call it “Christian nationalism.” Call it whatever you like. Just understand that conservative Christians did not instigate the culture wars. The left started that fight, and the right has every right to push back in a desire to promote a culture that values what the Bible values.

Seventh, the common ground that was once shared by right and left has largely disappeared as the left has continued to run further left in the name of “progress.” The idea that anyone in the United States is politically neutral is a childish myth, and it’s high time we moved on from such nonsense. There is no neutral, independent politician, nor are there neutral, independent laws. Politics, rightly understood, is a corporate, cultural, societal attempt to live out a particular worldview. The challenge in 2022 is rooted in the fact that the two dominant worldviews in the United States have never been further apart.

Hope in Suffering

The book of Romans is a glorious book, and Romans 8:18-39 is a glorious passage. In these verses, Paul talks about the reality of suffering. I don’t think you need me to convince you that suffering is an inevitable part of life. Instinctively and experientially, we know that suffering is unavoidable, and that means we ought to listen when the Bible speaks directly about suffering.

In Romans 8:20, Paul notes that creation has been subjected to “futility.” That is, God has responded to human rebellion by pronouncing a curse on creation itself (Genesis 3:17), and all of creation is currently groaning under the weight of this curse (Romans 8:19, 22-23). Human beings know this feeling all too well, as we are among the “groaners” who experience suffering in this life. However, as we suffer and groan, Paul gives us four reasons to have hope.

First, we can have hope in the midst of suffering because the reality of our adoption into God’s family will be revealed when Christ returns (Romans 8:18-25). This adoption is accomplished and realized in the life of the Christ, but the glory of this reality will be fully revealed at Christ’s return. Paul calls this revelation “glory,” and he says, “the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:18)

Second, we can have hope in the midst of suffering because the person of the Holy Spirit is both present with us and interceding for us (Romans 8:26-27). This is remarkable, Trinitarian truth that we dare not take for granted. Not only has God the Father sent God the Son to die our death so that we might be adopted into his family, but God the Father and God the Son have sent God the Spirit to pray for us when all we can do is groan.

Third, we can have hope in the midst of suffering because the saving purposes of God will surely be accomplished in the lives of his people (Romans 8:28-30). From eternity past, God has known and predestined a people to be conformed to the image of Jesus. These people are called to salvation, justified by the Father, and will be glorified in the next life. From eternity past to eternity future, the Triune God is committed to the salvation of his people, and even in suffering he is making us more like his Son.

Fourth, we can have hope in the midst of suffering because there is absolutely nothing in all of creation that can separate God’s people from God (Romans 8:31-39). The heavy lifting has already been done – Christ was given up for the salvation of God’s people (Romans 8:32). With that work finished (John 19:30), there is no one who is able to bring a charge of condemnation against God’s elect (Romans 8:33-34). As a result, nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:39). Not even suffering.

The Kindness of Jesus

Recently my Bible reading plan took me through John 21. As I closed out the fourth gospel, I was struck by the kindness of Jesus. This chapter details one of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances to a group of disciples who were fishing on the Sea of Tiberias (aka, the Sea of Galilee). This group of men included Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, James and John, and two other unnamed disciples (John 21:2).

There are some interesting details in the story, including the very specific number of 153 large fish that the disciples caught, the impulsive behavior of Peter who jumped into the lake to get to Jesus, and the fact that Jesus prepared breakfast for these disciples on the beach. All of these details are worthy of consideration and meditation, but the part of this story that struck me this week was the gracious, merciful, generous kindness of Jesus.

For starters, consider the fact that the Maker of the universe, the One who spoke the cosmos into existence was on the shore of the Sea of Tiberias making a charcoal fire and making breakfast for his disciples. Additionally, remind yourself of the events surrounding Jesus’ arrest, trial, crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. In Jesus’ moment of greatest distress, the disciples were sound asleep under a canopy of olive trees in the garden of Gethsemane. When Jesus was arrested by a Judas-led mob, the disciples all turned tail and ran for their own lives leaving Jesus alone. During Jesus’ trial, his most confident disciple was calling down curses and insisting that he had never met Jesus of Nazareth. Even after the resurrection, Thomas was incredulous, insisting that he would not believe Jesus was alive without solid proof.

After all of that pain and hurt, what was Jesus doing as the disciples lugged in 153 fish from the sea? Was he making a list of all their failures? Was he staring at them with arms crossed and brow furrowed? Was he trying to shame them into feeling bad about all of their sins? No, no, and no. Instead, Jesus was building a charcoal fire and cooking fish for breakfast.

I hope you can feel the weight of this kindness, and I pray that you know Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Jesus is not cranky, bad-tempered, irritable, or curmudgeony. Jesus doesn’t wallow in bitterness and anger, nor does he hold a grudge. Jesus is not mean or harsh with his people. Jesus knew you were a sinner when he joyfully went to the cross and endured its shame for you. If you are a believer, Jesus knows you’re still battling indwelling sin as you seek to grow as a Christian. Jesus is still kind to undeserving sinners.  

Odds are, Jesus isn’t going to tell you where to catch 153 large fish. And, Jesus likely won’t be in your kitchen tomorrow morning making pancakes. But, Jesus is still kind. He is still merciful. He is still gracious. He still delights in serving and saving sinners.