Jeff Noble's Blog, page 39

Observations from Colossians

I’ve been studying Colossians in much the same way I studied Mark last year. I’ll keep this post running with reflections as I did Mark. I’m using several commentaries to help light my path through Paul’s inspired letter. Here are the sources:

Colossians & Philemon: The Supremacy of Christ by Kent Hughes (This has been republished with the addition of Philippians and retitled  Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon: The Fellowship of the Gospel and The Supremacy of Christ )
Philippians, Colossians, Philemon by Richard Melick (New American Commentary Series)
The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians by F.F. Bruce (New International Commentary Series)
Colossians, Philemon by Peter O’Brien (Word Biblical Commentary Series)
Colossians, Philemon by David Garland (NIV Application Commentary Series)

July 14, 2015

In 3.15-17, Paul shifts into some practical commands in light of theological realities. In our church right now, we’re in a series called Think to Change which emphasizes the Believe-Behave-Become transformation cycle. What you believe shapes how you behave. How you behave consistently determines who you become. These verses would come in the behave part of the cycle. Now that Paul has reminded the Colossians of what to believe, he offers standards of behavior.

“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts…(v15)

He will follow this command with two others in these three verses:

be thankful
let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly.

The word for “rule” is a word that is often used in the 1st century Greek world for arbitrate.  Synonyms would be to judge, referee, umpire or mediate. It helps us understand how to let Christ’s peace affect us when we think on that.

Kent Hughes says, “Let the peace of Christ be umpire in your heart amidst the conflicts of life. Let it decide what is right. Let it be your counselor.” (110)

So this isn’t just a feel-good platitude. It means we should recognize that Christ is perfectly at peace. In fact, He is our peace. Therefore, we should allow the reality that Christ is unruffled, unrushed, calm, confident, and at rest shape our perspective and experience. Even we feel another way, Paul says this as an ongoing command. We should keep on allowing the peace of Christ to mediate our life experiences.

I pulled this quote from REO White from Hughes’ chapter. He adds:

“When our lives are full, they will overflow.”

When you carry a full bucket of water, you’ll splash everywhere. In just such a way should we allow the fullness of Christ’s peace to overflow into our lives and the lives of others.

 

June 9, 2015

There are three distinct “warnings” given to the Colossian church. You can see them in 2.8, 2.16 and 2.18. It is the warning in 2.16 that caused a lot of reflection for me.

Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. (Colossians 2:16-17 ESV)

While the specifics of the warning relate mainly to external religious observances, the gist of the warning is simply this: the Christian should focus on seeking Christ alone and not let the opinions of others about what they should be doing religiously to impede their simple pursuit of Jesus.

This is a much-needed message in American Christianity, I think. There are many who are supra-spiritual, embracing different means or sensational worship as a way to be closer to God. The temptation for some is to think that because we do not experience what so-and-so does in our worship or prayer life, then we must be inferior spiritually to them. We wonder if we lack something.

This is not an excuse for spiritual apathy. We are counseled “to examine ourselves” – so let’s not embrace a false confidence in our spiritual lives either. Woodhouse says it best:

There is a general danger in allowing the judgements of other people to push you around or unsettle you, to be the shaping force on your life, the motivation behind your decisions and behavior, how hard you work, what you choose to work hard at. (149)

What matters is not that you practice like others but Who you seek. Over and over in Colossians, Paul uses the expression “in Christ.” That is the litmus. It’s not whether you please others and pursue Him as they do. What matters is whether you are in Christ. Are you in love with Jesus? Are you walking with Him? Are you daily seeking to submit your life to Him in thankfulness (1.3, 12; 2.7, 3.15, 16, 17; 4.2) and joy?

May 15, 2015

I’m still plugging away at Colossians.

A quick comment on the commentaries:

I’ve settled on the commentaries by Woodhouse, Garland, Hughes and Melick as my favorites. Of those, Garland’s is the most thorough. Woodhouse offers much in the form of staying true to the text in his thoughts while offering pastoral counsel as well as academic insight. I also agree with his assessment that Paul is not responding to any particular group or person in Colossians as he writes words of warning to the church there.

I’ve found the commentary by Bruce just too stale and almost rote to be of use to me. O’Brien’s is a wealth of scholarship but dense. I know most folks love Bruce’s commentary and consider it one of the top, but I just don’t see it that way. He offers little in true insight to the passage, choosing instead to focus on an academic brevity which is simply not inspiring.

April 13, 2015

John Woodhouse in his commentary points out that 1:24 is written to a specific gathering of Christians in Colossae, in a specific home, and how important it is to remember that Colossians as a letter would have been read aloud to those gathered.

So imagine Epaphras, as the Colossians’ friend (he was the one through whom they had first heard the message of Jesus, 1:6) brings this letter written for them… from none other than the Apostle Paul. They must have gathered in eager anticipation of Paul’s words, believing that they were written under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

They may have also been concerned. Their newfound faith in Jesus, in His “gospel,” was supposed to be the most profound power in the world (1:7). Yet, Christianity’s most visible international leader and missionary… was in prison. They were gathered to hear what Paul’s words were and how they should respond when a world-conquering movement’s leader seems to be a victim of world powers.

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church.. (1:24)

Essentially, Paul reminds them that he wasn’t the movement’s leader, and in fact, Jesus Christ Himself suffered so that others might have life. Setbacks should not sidetrack, in other words. All is as it is ordained, for this world-conquering gospel will not do so with might but with loving sacrifice. After all, one doesn’t gain thrones by loving your enemies.

The Colossian believers are not so different from us. They needed to be reminded about the nature of the gospel so that they would not lose heart when things didn’t appear to be going well.

“It may be instructive to reflect on threatens to unnerve you about the supreme importance and power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Is it the discouragements, the setbacks, the unimpressiveness, the unpopularity? It is important for us to see that such things are actually the character of this movement. The servant of this gospel suffers.” (Woodhouse)

March 23, 2015

“”When we love Jesus and love the Scriptures and love the Church… the mystery unfolds and we are in touch with ‘all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.'” (Hughes, 55)

This observation bears simplifying even more – there are three loves that must flow into one central river. Think of them as tributaries:

Love for Christ
Love for God’s Word (which reveals Christ)
Love for God’s People (which embodies Christ)

When these loves are united, they become an unconquerable force of unifying love that is a demonstration of the reality of Jesus to a watching world. When we love these, everything else about life and faith is unlocked and becomes plain.

Hughes gets this from Colossians 2.2-3:

“…that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

The question is, how are you prioritizing these three loves as one love? You say you love Jesus and not love His people. You can’t claim love for the Bible and not love Jesus…

March 16, 2015

Agon. That’s the Greek word we find in in Colossians 2.1:

“For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face..”

Think about that for a moment, for the level of struggle that Paul describes here is the root of the word from which we get agony or agonize. The nature of Paul’s inner turmoil, for it was certainly emotional and spiritual, is that these Christians – whom he had never met – would know, understand, grasp, and become more and more like Jesus.

This is evident from the verses which immediately precede this. Consider:

“Him [Jesus] we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.” (1.28-29)

He uses a form of agon there as well. We see it again in 4.12, where Paul tells us that Epaphras (from whom the Colossian Christians first heard about Jesus) also struggled for them:

“Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.”

Here, we see agon in the context of prayer. I think that’s how Paul related primarily with the churches. His heart was more bent than his knees… in prayer. That’s how he began his letter to to the Colossians:

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you (1.3)

Prayer is the labor of the caring heart, and many times “It hurts to care,” says Kent Hughes. That’s where agon comes in. I like how he puts it in his commentary:

Enlarged hearts always know the agon. They have sleepless nights; they emphasize; they struggle in prayer. But these big hearts know the most joy. It is this kind of heart to which all of us are called, whether we are missionaries or merchants: a heart that is willing to agonize not only over our own little circle, but the Church Universal. (53)

Today, I’m re-forming a Google group for pastors and missionaries I know. It may not “take,” but I want to enlarge my prayer life and begin praying diligently for my friends in ministry by interacting with them at least once a month so I can intercede for them with more wisdom and hopefully join them in agon for specific needs. Others have done so for my family, even recently.

How will you intentionally enlarge your prayer life?

February 23, 2015

In light of 1:22-23 which encourages the Christian that the Father initiated our reconciliation through Jesus’ death, Hughes says:

Fellow-believers, in light of our reconciliation we ought to do everything in our power to be practically blameless and holy in this life. We must become what we are in the Lord. We must submit ourselves ever more completely to the “God who works in you” (Philippians 2.13) Practical holiness should be our life’s business. (italics, bold mine)

The beautiful reality is that because of what the Father initiated through Jesus, Christians are, at this very moment, ” holy and blameless and above reproach before Him” (v22). But we most often don’t feel that way. Hughes words are instructive… let us be what we are. Let us grow in practical holiness, becoming what God has already made us.

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Just Jesus

There’s a lot that competes for your attention these days. Our world is a noisy one. It’s also an eye-full. Images and sounds bounce around our brains like too many balls in a pinball machine. The mental and visual chaos is so great that things of significance often get brought down to the same level as the latest Instagram post.

Then there’s Jesus.

Paul wanted to remind the Colossians who Jesus is. His inspired words are also a good antidote to our inner turmoil:

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. (Colossians 1:13-20)

Let the reality of who Jesus capture your attention rather than cultural novelties.

I was looking a minister’s social media feed a few days ago, and something about it struck me. There was no mention of Jesus in it. I thought, “Surely that’s just an anomaly. However, after perusing his feed for several days back, I was disappointed to discover he has not used his influence to post about Jesus. Out of the overflow of the heart, the fingers tweet.

That got me to evaluating my own use of social media, for that is where a lot of the world’s noise is generated these days. Do I share socially what is most important spiritually in order to bring music into the noise? My reflections have led me to a renewed conviction. Psalm 19:14 says:

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.”

I want the tweets of my phone and the posts on my wall to reflect my thoughts about Jesus and be acceptable to God.

Can I challenge you to do two things?

Leave a simple statement about your faith in Jesus in the comments here.
Then copy that and post it on Facebook and Twitter.

Let’s create a sound of our own that competes with the noise of the world rather than contributes to it. Our Savior has a divine melody, which just may capture someone’s attention. After all, this entry caught yours.

 

 

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Picture: May 2015

This is a cool service: Inkly. It sends you your Instagram pictures as a collage once a month. Here’s May 2015:

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5 ways to break bloggers block

After an extremely busy…  It’s bad when you start to type “week” and back up realize that your busyness has extended waaaay beyond the previous seven days. So let’s say this year so far has been busy. I found myself this evening wanting to write a blog post but without anything in mind. Call it bloggers block.

I actually have three sites bookmarked for blog ideas:

Chris Brogan’s  100 Blog Topics I Hope YOU Write
Jill Whalen’s 67 Ideas for Blog Topics and
Mike Wallagher’s  101 Blog Post Ideas That Will Make Your Blog “Hot”

The fact I have those bookmarked is sad.

So I thought I’d create my own list of how to begin writing from a point of complete creative constipation.

Stare at the computer screen and then turn to social media. I tweeted out “Gimme a blog post idea. Go.” I really didn’t expect response, but Kevin Rossen got the win with his response: “7 ways to generate ideas for blog posts.” Sadly, I couldn’t come up with seven. So this tip is essentially: ask for suggestions from social media.
Review your ideas file. This is either a great or a terrible suggestion. It’s terrible if you don’t have an “ideas file.” If not, then you’re back at square one. So let me encourage you to start an ideas file. Basically, you can go old-school and have an actual file folder where you drop moments of inspired thought (a Post-It note or scribbled on a napkin) or you can go app-y and create a folder in Evernote or whatever app you use, label it Ideas, and do the same.
Whatever I’ve laughed at lately tends to be great fodder for blog entries. So think for a few moments… what have you laughed at lately, and why? I’ve chuckled recently in line at Taco Bell when I ordered a burrito, anticipating a response from the person on the other end that went something like “Is that all ma’am?” since my voice is apparently identical to women who frequent drive-thrus. I’ve laughed when I allowed my wife and daughter to pick out new Sperry’s that look like something Gilligan would wear. I gave in, bought them and wore them to our staff retreat this week. Of course, the person that first commented was one of our staff guys who we constantly tease about his frat fashion sense. He actually said, “Ooooo. Nice Sperry’s dude. Those shoes are very fratty.” Blog about what you’ve laughed at.
Here’s a softball lob that you probably won’t swing at. Blog about a social issue that you actually have an opinion on. Suck it up and tell us what you think. The unfortunate reality is that our culture is one of fear, and today if you disagree with the Shapers of Approved Thought, you are ridiculed. Don’t let your opinion – whether countercultural or status quo – go unheard simply because you’re afraid of offending someone. One of my most shared posts was my opinion about Phil Robertson (Duck Dynasty fame) and what he said about homosexuality: The Flap about Phil – Duck Dynasty and its future with A&E. 

I had each of these!

I used to play with dolls. At least that’s what my sister would claim. In actuality, they were action figures. I had dozens of the 8″ Super Hero ones. I still regret getting rid of them. My sis had a huge Barbie camper which I would confiscate for adventures with the Marvel and DC characters I owned. It was amazing to roll that huge camper down our stairs and then enjoy an hour or so of rescue. Did you read through that paragraph? Thought so. It’s an easy entry to blog about something you used to play with as a kid.

My only other social media suggestion came from Wicked Taco (a local restaurant) who simply said, “Tacos.” Does it count that I mentioned Taco Bell even though I ordered a burrito?

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Four fast friends. Congradulations! #BHS #Blacksburg [Flickr]

journeyguy posted a photo:

Congradulations, son

I was 29. Carolyn was 26. We had been married for almost five years when March 18, 1997 landed us in Baptist Medical Center of Little Rock. This was the first time in our marriage that we were happy to be in the hospital. In fact, it was prior visits to and encounters with doctors and chemotherapy and radiation that had led us to believe we wouldn’t be in the hospital on that March for the reason we were.

Carolyn was pregnant. Very pregnant. In fact, we weren’t sure if we were having a Guiness-breaking watermelon or a child. She labored for 7 hours, and all the while we played Sons and Daughters debut CD (now called Watermark). When I grew tired of the CD and attempted to put in something more soothing – like Barry Manilow – my beautiful bride transformed into a creature that frightened me and threatened bodily harm if I should even think about changing the CD.

We had elected to keep the baby’s gender a mystery, and we were overjoyed when a 9 lb 11 oz son was born. We had names picked out, and our firstborn became Samuel. We had chosen the name from Hannah’s experience in 1 Samuel 1:20. She too had not thought she could have a child, and when God gave her a son, she named him Samuel which means “asked of God” in Hebrew.

Today, that little boy (well, he was never really little – as evidenced from the birdbath picture) graduates from Blacksburg High School. It’s trite to say time has flown, but there’s a reason for that expression. We boarded a plane called parenthood, and while we still have a lot of destinations in front of us, today is a significant layover.

In just a few short months, Sam will be hitting the road for the University of North Carolina at Charlotte to become a 49er. But it seems just a few short months ago that he was playing with Rescue Heroes like Billy Blazes and watching hours of VHS tapes with nothing on them except soft rock and heavy construction equipment.

Early on, Sam would play video games with me and transitioned with me from a Sega Genesis, Playstations 1-2, and Xboxes. I coached his peewee football team the Exterminators, and we watched him play countless baseball games from age 5 to 17.

Sam has always been joyful, exuberant, and obedient. In the temperament scale, he’s our golden retriever – loyal, friendly, fun-loving, a peacemaker.

My wallet is a constant reminder of my family.

At some point in the past 5-6 years, we woke up mid-flight and discovered that Sam had also begun to lead. He and Adelyn were both baptized on the same day, and in significant ways, they both began following Jesus in their own strengths and styles.

Sam got involved in both church youth group and in YoungLife, and each ministry have left a distinctive stamp on his approach to ministry and sharing his faith. The summer that he worked at Rockbridge for YL was a transformative one for him as he learned servanthood and endurance. Since then, he’s seen some of his best friends surrender their life to Jesus in faith.

It was surreal for us when he and Jake Schirmer went to Passion this January in Atlanta. Carolyn and I had taken college students to the first Passion event in Austin, TX – in 1997, with Sam in attendance – inside Carolyn. I still remember singing Shout to the Lord and gently placing my hand on Carolyn’s very round belly as I sang.

Sam’s confidence and positivity have made him a young man worth listening to and following. When he’s not cracking jokes and hanging out with friends, he consistently surprises us with wisdom. He’s also incredibly stubborn. It can be a gift or a curse – a gift when he’s standing up for what he believes in or pursuing a friend who’s making poor choices.

Around the house, we’ve taken to calling him Superlative Sam. He’s a big boy. He has big opinions. It’s common for him to experience something and suddenly declare “That was the best movie I’ve ever seen” or “That was the best chip I’ve ever eaten.” When challenged (because everyone around him knows it can’t be the best; it just happens to be the most recent movie/chip), he will defend his opinion with surprising rationality before slipping into a dismissive grin.

He’s also Assertive Sam. He has a unique ability to think he can make something true just by stating it with assertive confidence. “That guy is the best actor in the world!” (He may be in the last movie Sam has seen.) “That team is the best team to ever play the game!” (They’re not.) “You can for sure, without exception, count on this thing happening every time…” (Whatever has just happened was a fluke.)

While his grades have been a constant challenge for him, other skills have not. He can say any word backwards with hardly a moment’s thought. His laugh is contagious, and he can reduce us all to hilarity, even in moments of seriousness. He can figure out just about anything mechanical.

We are proud of our son. His name has been a constant reminder to us that he is a gift, that he doesn’t belong to us. Parenthood is not ownership; it’s stewardship. During this summer layover, there will be a time that Sam boards a slightly different flight and continues his journey to adulthood. Our flight will continue. There will be times we’re all on the same plane, but it won’t be as frequently as these first 18 years.

I’ve always loved these verses:

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. (Psalm 127:3-4)

They describe a different type of flight. We see Sam as an arrow launched from our family to be a mighty weapon of joyful faith into the next generation. We’ve aimed as best we could. Sam’s life, like all of us, is on a trajectory.

We’ll be celebrating this afternoon with family and friends at Smithfield Plantation for Sam and his friends Harrison, Jake and Jacob. Tonight, they’ll all receive diplomas. What an accomplishment and what a future.

Our pride in our son cultivates prayer for our son:

Fly well, son, fly well.

We love you, Sam.

 

 

 

 

 

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I have long toe knuckle hair. #artsy #ThingsINoticeWhileDaughterDrives [Flickr]

journeyguy posted a photo:

Review: To Change the World

I was a little skeptical about this book when a Virginia campus minister recommended it last year as a required reading for the Kairous college leadership initiative. First of all, college students have a lot to read anyway. Second, it’s big. Third, it’s about… philosophy. My fourth and final objection was that it was written by a professor at the University of Virginia. Now that I live in Blacksburg and am a Virginia Tech fan, we look upon things from UVA much as the Jews did at Nazareth as we mutter, “Can anything good come out of Charlottesville?”

To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy & Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World by James Davison Hunter is a profound read for anyone wishing to “change the world” as a Christian. The first section of the book is used to demonstrate how Christians from three different streams (liberal, evangelical and communal) have attempted to influence culture in the United States. The second section examines the use and misuse of power by Christians in their desires to acquire it and direct it toward culture change. The final section unpacks what Davison calls a “theology of faithful presence” which he urges over against historical and existing methods of cultural influence by Christians.

What’s fascinating about the book is how intuitively right his reasoning is. I found myself nodding several times in one of those “he just said articulately what I’ve sensed but never been able to put my finger on exactly.”

Christians have tried to “take the culture back” from its seeming steady lapse into paganism a number of different ways, and Davison asserts that every historical approach in the U.S. to influence culture is doomed to fail because it fails to understand the movements of culture and how a culture actually changes or can be changed.

Idealism is the underlying fatal flaw of all approaches to cultural influence by Christians, he says.

Idealism leads to a naivete about the nature of culture.. Every strategy and tactic for changing the world that is based on this working theory of culture and cultural change will fail – not most of these strategies, but all. (27)

Instead of angry crusades against social ills, Davison instead urges Christians to get in touch with the message of the gospel preached and modeled by Jesus and the apostles and seek to live that message among our culture first. Typically Christians (liberals and conservatives) seek power through political influence, thinking that if the “right” laws or policies are passed, then culture will change. This leads to inevitable failure since a constant vigilance on who’s in “power” replaces the raising up of Christ-centered leaders in every area of social influence.

In other words, Christians in the U.S. have done what Republicans and Democrats and other social groups have done. They’ve sought the jugular of power centers. In the meantime, they’ve neglected the gracious pursuit of faithful presence in other arenas of cultural influence: education, media, film, law, arts, music, etc.

The failure to encourage excellence in vocation in our time has fostered a culture of mediocrity in so many areas of vocation… A theology of faithful presence means a recognition that the vocation of the church is to bear witness to and to be the embodiment of the coming Kingdom of God. (95).

His chapter titled The Challenge of Faithfulness was the best in the book, in my opinion. Current and past “culture wars” by Christians to claim or reclaim influence all center on the battle of establishing a dominant culture in the U.S. Christians want to establish one based upon the teachings of the Bible. Those who aren’t Christians are fearful of such a culture. So the battle rages in a pluralistic age around which culture should have dominance and why.

Faithfulness is a challenge for Christians, Davison says, on a personal level. Put simply, with all the truly evil influences of culture, how does the individual Christian herself/himself stay faithful to the teachings of the Bible and maintain a vibrant relationship with God? Until individual Christians can demonstrate faithfulness, it will be exceedingly difficult to exert faithful presence to our culture.

One of the significant developments has been the undermining of words, of our vocabulary. No one is really sure what anyone is saying any longer, because we can’t agree on what words mean. Take marriage, for example. When you add in the explosion of information (and thus more words) into culture, no one can keep up, and vast groups of people become detached. There is no common culture to appeal to any longer.

This is not just something new in our day. It’s something new in all of human history! Davison points to three communication revolutions:

Of even greater significance are the social conditions created by the new communications technologies… these electronic media represent an epoch-defining transition, perhaps only the third revolution in communication in human history, the first being the invention of writing in the axial age civilizations, the second being the invention of moveable type in the 16th century Europe… These electronic media have transformed the nature of consciousness and culture as well. (206)

Because of the rate and volume of information and communication, not only is there no agreement on what culture should be dominant, but we can’t even talk to one another about it effectively. Informed dialogue and debate has been replaced by frustrated name-calling and 140-character responses in a tweet.

Such an environment [is not] conducive to depth in reflection, relationships or commitments… Whatever good they provide [the technologies] they lead to a place of absence, a place where we cannot be confident of what is real, good, or true. (210)

Conclusion

I’m not going to spend too much time describing his “theology of faithful presence.” If you aren’t going to read the book, I’d encourage you to hop over to Amazon and read some of the spoiler reviews there.

However, I really would encourage you to read To Change the World. It is not too lengthy of a read (286 pages without the endnotes). Davison is successful at putting some top shelf thinking onto the lower shelf for readers that might at first be intimidated by his work. In other words, while the concepts are profound, his writing style is readable. You’ll be proud of yourself for digesting such important thoughts, and you’ll also have a better grasp on how to truly change our world.

 

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U.S. Christianity in decline?

The Pew Research Center released it’s latest report on May 8, 2015, and response has been predictable. There’s been much glee over the supposed numbers indicated a precipitous decline in the number of Christians in the U.S. in the past five years. There’s also been much gloom from Christian leaders.

Here’s essentially what the report reveals:

..the percentage of adults (ages 18 and older) who describe themselves as Christians has dropped by nearly eight percentage points in just seven years, from 78.4% in an equally massive Pew Research survey in 2007 to 70.6% in 2014. Over the same period, the percentage of Americans who are religiously unaffiliated – describing themselves as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular” – has jumped more than six points, from 16.1% to 22.8%.

It would be easy to interpret this data negatively and to begin to sound the alarm. However, it may actually be good news for American Christians.

I think Ed Stetzer nails it in his article The Nominals to Nones — 3 Key Takeaways from the Pew Report:

The big trends are clear, the nominals are becoming the nones, yet the convictional are remaining committed.

In other words, Americans whose Christianity was nominal—in name only—are casting aside the name. They are now aligning publicly with what they’ve actually not believed all along.

The percentage of convictional Christians remains rather steady, but because the nominal Christians now are unaffiliated the overall percentage of self-identified Christians is decline. This overall decline is what Pew shows—and I expect it to accelerate.

As I have said before, not one serious researcher thinks Christianity in America is dying. What we see from Pew is not the death-knell of Christianity, but another indication that Christianity in America is being refined.

Essentially, what the numbers may be showing is that it’s becoming more and more uncomfortable to openly identify with biblical Christianity. Those who have called themselves “Christian” (perhaps by virtue of growing up in a Christian home, denomination, or because they’re simply “not Muslim”) are no longer willing to identify themselves as such due to the increasing cultural disdain for the teachings of Jesus and obvious political incorrectness of the Bible’s teachings on current social issues.

In other words, the numbers are helping to identify a refined church as well as helping to create a more defined Christian. It’s not cool any longer to say you’re a “Christian” when you have to disclaim the teachings of the Bible and explain why you believe what you do.

Refined & Defined

We should desire a purified church. When one can worship in freedom and without persecution, our beliefs become more like moralism than conviction. We tend to begin living in a way that doesn’t offend rather than in joyful obedience to the teachings of Jesus. As a result, our religious convictions are the first to go, and we exchange dependent, joyful following faith with an independent, self-consumed seeking of self-gratification through spiritual yummies. It’s evidenced in how we change churches for the most base, consumeristic reasons and live a lifestyle in open disregard of biblical instruction.

So when our culture makes it more difficult for us to profess Jesus without open ridicule or rebuke, many leave who weren’t genuinely converted to begin with. It’s just not worth it to die on a hill that’s not valuable to you. So the church is purified. It’s like sifting.

“…He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord.” (Malachi 3.3)

“…to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” (Titus 2.14)

In his book Center Church, pastor Tim Keller reminds us that nominal Christianity is not biblical faith. The supposed exodus from churches that the Pew Report displays may not be an exodus but a purging of those who genuinely aren’t saved.

It is possible (even common) for a person to be baptized, to be an active member of the church, to subscribe to all biblical doctrines, and to live according to biblical ethics, but nonetheless to be wholly unconverted… saving faith and repentance are inseparable, and true repentance includes grief and sorrow over our sin… Repentance changes the heart. It will never be enough to ask if a person has learned the faith, has been baptized, or has joined the church. If he or she has not repented, it is all to no avail. (60)

May we be sobered by these numbers, but may we not be worried. It is not a time to wring our hands in dismay but a time to trust the Head of the church more. May our knees be worn as we seek wisdom and joyful, confident boldness in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

And for those who are leaving, let us be turners:

My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back, he should know that the one who turns a sinner back from his wandering path will save that person’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. (James 5:19-20)

A declining U.S. church, in other words, may actually reveal a refining U.S. church. Let us be more diligent than ever at proclaiming the loving truth of forgiveness for sins in Jesus alone that we may see an increase in genuine conversions.

Source/Related:

Link to the the full report
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I chuckle every time reading this to myself in a John Wayne voice. [Flickr]

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