Judge Not? Better Not!

You don’t have to own a gavel to be judgmental.

There are few Biblical commands more popular than ‘Judge not!’  It comes from the mouth of Jesus Himself and I am firmly in the camp which advocates that Jesus always meant what He said.  But this important command has been filtered through our culture in surprising ways.  Almost every guest on the Maury Povich Show knows it.  This guy knew it.  But it usually ends up meaning that no one can say anything about anyone’s way of life or beliefs or destiny or affirm any moral conviction whatsoever.  This can not be what Jesus meant.

Yesterday, I was speaking to a very articulate person about Jesus and the Gospel.  It was a great conversation but he expressed concern about judgmentalism.  If he meant judgmentalism as an attitude, then I would have agreed with him completely.  A superior, judgmental attitude which looks down on another is reprehensible, especially for a Christian.  We are saved by God’s grace alone and we are just beggars telling others where to find the bread.  But he seemed to mean something other than that.  He meant that suggesting a person needed to put their faith in Jesus to be made right with God could be judgmental.

We Must Not Condemn.  It’s clear as day that we’re not to condemn another.  We have not been given the authority to decide over anyone.  My acquaintance in the park showed relief that I did not want to presume about him.  It was not my job to condemn him.  But to condemn is not the only activity of a judge.

But We Must Not Acquit.  Judges also acquit people – let them off the hook.  Just as we’re not to condemn likewise we don’t the authority to acquit.  I can’t doom someone to hell – but I can’t tell someone God’s cool with them if He may not be.  This is a profoundly humbling place to be put in.  While some might be tempted to be condemning, there are many others who fall into the ditch on the other side.  Where is our help?

Only the Word of God Can Help Us.  I would be a terrible judge of people.  I would condemn them in my mind and attitude or I would minimize their sins upon my own whims.  I am in constant danger of this and the only thing that can help me is God’s Word.  In the Scriptures, God has revealed what sin is and how we need to be made right with Him.  I didn’t write it, I can’t go beyond it.  When we relate what God has revealed we leave the it to Him and let His judgments take over.  I don’t get to decide the eternal destiny of another.  I can neither condemn nor acquit them.  But only by relating God’s truth, with both its warnings and comforts, can I exit that seat.

Another thought about Hypocrisy

I’ve got hypocrisy on the brain.  Mainly this is because I’m a Gospel preacher in a skeptical world.  A common objection to Christianity is that Christians are Hypocrites.  That is, they say and profess one thing but act or live the opposite – that is hypocrisy in its essence.  This is not a weak argument against the Faith and so deserves the respect given to any worthy opponent.  There is no doubt that hypocrisy is detrimental to Christian witness. Hypocrisy brings disrepute, destroys credibility, and like one bad apple spoiling the batch, one hypocrite can make all Christians look bad.  Previously, I wrote about how while hypocrisy is really bad it is not all bad.  Nevertheless, because Jesus Himself does not suffer hypocrites gladly, we should fear and avoid becoming one.

Post-modernism can work in novels, right?

But… exposing hypocrisy (Christian or otherwise) is not a pursuit without peril.  Turning once again to another’s wisdom, we can see a valuable insight about hypocrisy.  Writer Douglas Copeland, in his marvelous novel Girlfriend in a Coma , has embedded a jewel about exposing hypocrisy.  In the midst of existential musing, one character reflects that:

Exposing hypocrisy in itself doesn’t make you a moral person.

Finding hypocrisy in another is very satisfying.  Dangerously satisfying.  Hence Copeland’s wisdom.  Just because you can find hypocrisy in another, does that automatically make you their moral superior?  The answer is ‘of course not!’  This goes not only for your character but also for your position.  Just because someone else is a hypocrite doesn’t automatically make your belief true.

What is true?  That really is the question.  There is no doubt that Christian hypocrisy is detestable.  Especially considering what Christ thought of it.  But if preacher preaching against adultery turns out to be a real cad running around on his wife, does that make your sexual immorality okay?  When people tell me that Christians can be hypocrites, I just agree with them.  I’ve been on the inside long enough to tell them they don’t even know the half of it.  But when someone who professes that Jesus is the Lord doesn’t live like He is their Lord, the question still lingers…   Is He the Lord?

Street Evangelism – What Comes to Mind? – or – how to smash stereotypes and avoid being a crazy street preacher.

Don’t be this guy! His Bible is too big.

When you you hear Street Evangelism, what do you picture?  Is it the guy to the left?  He is pretty obnoxious isn’t he, yelling at everybody to repent?  Many people think of street evangelism and this stereotype comes to mind.  Many people will only have this guy in their head when they think of someone who wants to tell them about Jesus.

Problem is, that having this stereotype in their heads is the closest that many will ever come to someone talking about the Gospel.  And he’s just a stereotype in their heads because no real person will ever ask them to consider the claims of Christ and tell them the Good News.  Sometimes Christians are even shamed into not sharing their faith because they don’t want to be classified as ‘one-of-those-obnoxious-evangelist-types.’

Now imagine street evangelism like this:

-A conversation on a park bench with a young man who has a lot of church in his background.  He is encouraged to think about Jesus and to return to a community of faith.  He expresses concern for a sick relative and he’s invited to pray for her with the person telling him the Gospel.

-A meeting with a guy down by the river.  He gets to tell his story of how he was able to leave a life of drugs and enjoy many years of sobriety, all because of an experience of reading Luke’s Gospel.  And he’s the one being evangelized, ha!  The person planning to tell him the Gospel is greatly encouraged and prays with the man for his concerns and encourages him in his faith.

-A long conversation with a Muslim man where many questions are asked, much is learned, and great respect is shown by both persons.  Jesus Christ is made much of and the fellows is encouraged to dwell on why He is like no other prophet.  The Muslim fellow finds out that he works in the building right next to the evangelist’s church.  They part ways wishing each other well and mutually thankful they met their neighbour.

This is the kind of street evangelism I do.  In fact, this was the bulk of my day today.

The point is that there are such bad stereotypes about evangelism, street preaching, and evangelicals in general.  Are they deserved?  Sometimes!  Are some street preachers obnoxious?  They probably are!  But the only way to overcome that negative stereotype is be something else.  That means having a respectful dialogue even as you challenge with the Gospel.

Not everybody needs to approach strangers in the park to tell them the Gospel.  But I can’t imagine why one couldn’t try.  The only Christian someone may ever meet might be you!

A thought about hypocrisy

Hypocrisy Is Bad.  Hypocrisy is an almost universally acknowledged bad character trait.  This an area where Christians, non-Christians, believers of all kinds, can agree.  Hypocrites say and believe one thing but live *often secretly* in an opposing way.  Picture the guy who says adultery is wicked and then runs around on his wife.  The hypocrisy is easy to see.  Hypocrisy is bad because it brings disrepute and eradicates credibility.  It’s bad because when hypocrisy is exposed trust is shattered and trust is very, very difficult to earn back.  The most compelling reason, however, why hypocrisy is bad is because Jesus hates it.  He really, really hates it.  It is bad.

de la Rochefoucauld – Sometimes cheeky old French guys can have some wisdom.

But It’s Not All Bad.  The funny thing about hypocrisy is that it is – in its lying, twisted way – actually a compliment to truth and goodness.  François de la Rochefoucauld was a swanky, 17the century French writer mostly famous for all the snappy things he said.   He once said that hypocrisy is the tribute that vice pays to virtue.  That means that as bad as a hypocrite is, there remains a backhand compliment.  An hypocritical adulterer – rotten to the core – at least does not deny that adultery is bad.  What is good and right is still being held up as good and right.  Hypocrites are many things but the one thing going for them is at least they know what they should be living like.  They’ve been faking it all this time!  As serious as sin as hypocrisy is, the greater sin is the one which when pressed simply changes what the good and the right is.  I’m looking at you, Moral Relativism!

Christians Are Hypocrites!  This is a common objection to Christianity and the Church.  You must respect this objection to belief because it will invariably be true.  Are Christians hypocrites?  Some of us sure are.  It’s a big problem and Jesus hates it and we need to repent.  It’s dangerous to resemble a white-washed tomb  appearing clean but in reality being filthy inside.  But the only ways to avoid hypocrisy is either to be absolutely perfect or to totally relativize truth.

There really is a difference between good and evil, right and wrong.  There was only perfect person and He got crucified.  This makes every one of us in danger of being a hypocrite at any given time.  In fact, barring being perfect (Impossible!) or changing black to white (also impossible!), there is only one way to avoid hypocrisy.  It is to repent and believe in the Gospel.  We have sinned and fallen short of not only God’s commands but probably also our own moral standards.  In the confession of sins, and the seeking of gracious forgiveness, we’re not just white-washed on the outside but all the rotten bones inside are cleared out.  As long as there is good and evil, hypocrisy lies in wait for us.  But as long as there is confession of sins and forgiveness, we can be free of it.

“She’s His Mum!” – a reflection on the greatest mom of all

“She’s his mum”

This Mother’s Day, I’ve been reflecting on the greatest Mom of all.  There is a mother more significant than any other but lots of Christians (I’m looking at you, Protestants!) tend to avoid meditating on her.  Certainly this is because of fear of falling into Roman Catholic excesses.  Karl Barth called the veneration of Mary the ‘cancer of Catholicism’.  But even if he was right, that doesn’t mean we should be shy to dwell upon her greatness in more appropriate ways.  Why is she so important?  Why is should she be such a big deal?  I recently heard J I Packer being asked in a lecture why Mary has figured so largely in the historical Christian imagination.  He curtailed his usual long-winded tendencies and answered, simply, “well, she’s His Mum!”  Made sense to me.  I make a big deal out of my Mom, why shouldn’t God make a big deal out of His?

Everybody’s got a Mum, even God.  To say Mary is the Mother of God – her proper title – is no mistake.  In fact, Mother of God is a title that really is more about Him than her.  Jesus of Nazareth is the Lord.  Christians have always believed that He was/is both fully human and was/is fully God.  There is no separating His God-ness (divinity) from His Man-ness (humanity).  That wondrous mystery has the real implication that there is no point at which Jesus began to be God.  There is no point at which He attained Godhood – He was/is God and Man from the moment of His conception.  To say Mary is Mother of God is really to affirm and celebrate the divine majesty of that baby – fetus – embryo – zygote.  The Divine Word has taken on flesh.  He was born the same way we all are.  And He had a Mom.

Theology from a 3 year old.  Being a Dad to an inquisitive 3 year old is more theologically challenging than anything else.  Mary, the Mother of God, is a hero of unique significance to my little daughter.  Certainly it is because she’s a girl and loves to pretend to give birth.  She loves the story of Christ’s birth, where Mary of course figures large.  I actually was forced to reflect upon Mary as “Mother of God” because of Nora.  After all, if you talking Bible stories, and you don’t say ‘Mary, Mother of God’ a three-year-old might get her confused with Mary Magdalene.  We have to keep our Marys straight!  Of course she was there when He was born – she’s the hero of that story.  But lately, Nora has been asking me to read her of His death and her first question about the crucifixion is usually ‘where was His mom?”  Turns out, she was there!

A Mother Worthy of the Highest Honour.  Mary does not have too much to say throughout the entire Bible.  Even though she prays one of the most magnificent prayers…ever!, her lines are few.  Peter, Paul, James, John… these guys are easy to pay homage to.  They wrote, preached, did lots of stuff.  But Mary is different.  She is not great for what she said or even did.  She is great because of what she is - His Mom.  She received, by no accomplishment of her own, the greatest of all graces.  She received the honour of bearing God Himself into this world.  She bore Him, nursed Him, loved Him, believed in Him, and had her heart torn open when He suffered for all our sakes.  She believed God when He spoke by the angel and gave the biggest “yes!” to God in the history of the world.  Hers was the simplest of faith, her willingness to obey matchable perhaps only by Christ’s own obedience.  The greatest woman who ever lived, and the greatest mother that ever was.

Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.  Luke 1:28 KJV

Is God Reluctant to Save?

Is God reluctant?  Does He hold back with His saving grace?  That’s sometimes how it might feel.  If you’re a Christian of any substance, you invariably want others to come to know God the Saviour.  But why isn’t the front door of the Church being beaten down with folk clamouring to get inside the sanctuary?  Is it because God doesn’t want to save many people?  It can be quite natural for us to accuse God in this way.

Jerram Barrs. As wise as he looks.

Jerram Barrs, professor at Covenant Seminary, holds us to account for thinking in such a way:

The impression we sometimes give with such questions is that we care more about people than God does, that we would do anything to make sure lost people are saved, whereas God is too laid-back about the whole problem of the destiny of unbelievers.  It is as if we think we are eager to save people, but God is reluctant.  (page 83)

Does that sound like a familiar attitude?  I have felt that way myself.  Why doesn’t God just do it?  But like all accusations directed at God (spitting at the sky, as Calvin called it) the charge falls back upon us:

If we gaze honestly into our own individual hearts, we find a similar reluctance.  We may protest about God’s fairness and lack of eagerness to save, but what are we doing?  How much self-sacrificing love, how much time and energy, how much true zeal do we pour into the effort to help unbelievers come to know the truth about Jesus Christ?  (page 84)

Then he really turns the screw and pins the reluctance right back upon God’s accusers – us!

The Father, the Son, and the Spirit are always working to seek and save those who are lost.  We, like Peter, reluctant, unwilling, protesting, are dragged into serving God in the work that He calls us to do.  (page 95) 

God is eager.  We are the foot-draggers.  You might be inclined to think Dr Barrs a little harsh for challenging us so.  But when you consider his kind tone and gentle manner, his challenge becomes one filled with grace.

*  both quotes from Jerram Barrs, The Heart of Evangelism, chapters 14-15.

Jesus Went to Heaven – what is he doing up there?

Many of us have probably noticed that Jesus isn’t here.  I mean, He is always with us, He dwells within us as we believe, and He will never leave us.  But He accomplishes all that through the Spirit (the 3rd Person of the Holy Trinity).  Jesus of Nazareth (the 2nd Person of the Holy Trinity) is a human being (and also God).  Being human, He has a physical body that can be seen and touched.  That physical, human Lord has left this world.

Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received out of their sight, Acts 1:9 NKJV.  

“what’s He doing up there in heaven?”

Today is Ascension Thursday – the traditional day when Christians have celebrated and reflected upon Jesus’ ascent into heaven.  In the 16th Century anonymous German painting here, it is almost a little comical how the apostles are watching His feet disappear into the clouds.  If you’re tempted to think that it is a downer that He is gone, remember that Jesus Himself said it was a good thing.  It was necessary for Him to depart so that He might pour out His Spirit on the Church.  He even told the apostles that it would be beneficial to them for Him to depart.  The Lord’s departure from this world, and His arrival in heaven, is part of the outpouring of the Spirit – a reality that is well-worth some reflection today.  But there is another reason to be thankful on this Ascension Day…

What’s he doing up there?  Almost everybody knows what Jesus did while He walked this world.  He proclaimed the arrival of the Kingdom, He taught about the Father, He taught about Himself and the Spirit, He healed the sick, He performed signs and miracles, He shattered religious self-righteousness, He loved sinners and outsiders, He suffered and died in the place of sinners, and He rose again.  All that happened about 2,000 yrs ago.  We don’t want to be the ‘what-have-you-done-for-me-lately’ types but the question remains – what is He doing now?  He ascended into heaven, what is He doing there today – this very moment?  The answer is wonderful and simple – He is praying for us.

He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.  For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.  Hebrews 7:25-26 ESV

Who is He who condemns?  It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.  Romans 8:34 NKJV

Intercession is just fancy Bible/Theology talk for the fact that He’s praying…for you!  That is a powerful thought and a wonderful truth.  Jesus is praying for you to come to Him, for help to repent, for more love for God, for more of His Spirit, for your life and sins and future and all your good works in His name.  He loves you so much and has not forgotten you.  Whatever day you’ve had, full of guilt or full of joy, whether tempted or empowered – Jesus is praying for you today.  And not just on Ascension Thursday either…every day.